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This idea is a kissing cousing of present windows, and was spawned by the idea brainstorm.php?mode=idea&i=61605#anchor61605. It could very likely be used as an option to simply extend present windows aswell.

I will have a proper mockup shortly later.

What "Cluster Windows" would be is a very similar effect to "Present Windows", however it will stack related windows and then tile the stacks. When a user clicks on a stack, the stack will unfold itself on top of the previous layer of windows. To go back a layer, you click on any empty space.



Say I'm a window hoarder (which isn't a stretch for me); I have 3 firefox windows open with 2 downloads and options open, 2 dolphin windows open, Konquerer and 9+ Gimp windows and dialouges. And throw in a couple terminals. 18 windows in total - a complete mess, but a mess I tend to work in.

I activate Cluster Windows.

Cluster windows presents to me a stack for firefox, dolphin, konquerer, gimp and terminal. 5 options out of 18. I want my firefox downloads window, so I click the firefox stack, which unfolds the stack and dims out the previous layer. Now I only need to find the downloads window out of 5 choices.

But, I change my mind, and I want my GIMP toolbox. I click on empty space, and Cluster takes me back to my stacks, I choose the GIMP stack.



Additional options could later be added to window clustering, such as extra ways to cluster windows. For example, tabbed windows could be presented in clusters. Supporting windows & dialouges could be clustered away from primary windows. etc.

Cluster windows could be presented as an option to over-ride Present windows when there are more than X windows - when there would be too many windows to effectivly use present.