add built-in actions and animations

[taj-ny]

2025-02-09.07-32-38.mp4

This adds the ability to create hard-coded actions, which can then be easily configured and assigned to a gesture, making animations possible.

For now the animation is just a simple rectangle overlay, like in other projects. Proper animations (like the close window animation in one of the comments) will be added in the future, as long as there are no conflicts with existing Plasma animations.

Current actions: drag, window_drag, window_fullscreen, window_maximize, window_minimize, window_restore, window_tile_left, window_tile_right

New properties

See the documentation for more information.

Root

animations

Animations (new)

duration, curve, overlay_color, overlay_opacity

Actions

builtin, animation, instant

Example

touchpad:
  gestures:
    - type: swipe
      fingers: 3
      direction: up
      
      actions:
        - builtin: window_maximize
        # animation: none
        # instant: true
          
        - builtin: window_fullscreen
        
    - type: swipe
      fingers: 4
      direction: any
      
      actions:
        - builtin: window_drag

To do

• Transform overlay colorspace for HDR screens
• Window animations that animate the window instead of drawing an overlay
• Add ability to configure minimum and maximum deltas for animated gestures
• Add actions: window_tile_up, window_tile_down
• Respect global animation speed

[taj-ny]

Proof of concept window maximization gesture:

2025-02-05.18-54-38.mp4

The gesture is cancelled if the minimum delta (not threshold) isn't reached and fingers are lifted, otherwise the gesture ends.

Right now it just resizes the window, but proper smooth animation will be added (if possible).

[taj-ny]

First proper 1-to-1 gesture: close window

2025-02-06.18-56-59.mp4

Is that how it's supposed to work? I've never used those before.

[taj-ny]

I'll probably just use an overlay like other projects instead, as scaling the window up (for maximize, fullscreen and tile gestures) looks really ugly.

2025-02-08.16-17-16.mp4

[subhasutra]

I personally liked the earlier one-to-one version of the gesture over the overlay one, in case you might keep it. And you are correct, most projects do have the overlay only, but it does feel like a hack unlike the real one-to-one gestures. It's all my opinion of course, and you have an amazing progress going on, so take it where you deem fit. Looking forward to the releases, just wanted to share my thoughts.

[taj-ny]

I'll try to add the proper animations as well then, although last time I tried there were conflicts with the normal maximize animation. Maybe there's a way to solve that.

[taj-ny]

I found an easy way to suppress and override animations of other effects for a particular window, so conflicts won't be a problem.

[taj-ny]

I combined window resizing and scaling for smoother animations even with applications that resize slowly.

2025-02-12.20-53-01.mp4

2025-02-12.20-54-56.mp4

[subhasutra]

The first one looks extremely smooth! Looking forward to test it out.

[taj-ny]

Animations require more work than I though they would. I'll focus on functionality rather than fancy effects for a while, as there are a lot of things that need to be done.

[Covkie]

Would this eventually include the (currently) hard-coded progressive animations that 3 finger left/right virtual desktop switching or the 4 finger up/down overview have?

[taj-ny]

Would this eventually include the (currently) hard-coded progressive animations that 3 finger left/right virtual desktop switching or the 4 finger up/down overview have?

It looks like the only way this plugin can control the progress of those animations is by simulating a touchpad swipe gesture. If I can get it to look good I'll add it eventually, probably after window animations.