Enhance AltSnap Grid Mode With Shortcut Actions And Customizations

Hey guys, let's dive into making AltSnap even more awesome! Today, we're tackling some cool improvements to the grid mode and exploring new ways to control window resizing and positioning. This article is all about enhancing your AltSnap experience, so buckle up and let's get started!

Understanding the Current Grid Mode in AltSnap

Currently, AltSnap's grid mode, which you can access by pressing Shift while resizing a window, offers a fantastic way to snap windows to a grid. This is super useful for creating organized layouts and precisely sizing windows. However, there are a couple of limitations we can address to make it even better. When you're working with multiple windows, especially a background full-width window and a smaller one you're trying to resize, things can get a bit tricky. Imagine you've got that perfect background window and you're trying to adjust a smaller window on top of it using the grid mode. The current behavior anchors one corner of the window, meaning that when you move your mouse, only the opposite edges adjust along the grid. This is great for fine-tuning a window's size without shifting its entire position, but it can be limiting if you want to reposition the anchored corner.

Another challenge arises when you want to resize a window from a specific grid box. Let's say you're trying to resize a window from the top-left grid box. If your mouse pointer is over a background window, the grid action might be applied to that background window instead of the foreground window you're actively working on. This can be a bit frustrating because you're intending to adjust the foreground window but end up affecting the one underneath. While this default behavior is generally helpful for most resize and move actions, the grid mode calls for a bit more control over which window receives the action. So, to summarize, the current grid mode is excellent for precise resizing from a fixed anchor point, but it could be improved by giving users more control over the anchor point and ensuring actions are applied to the intended window.

Enhancements for AltSnap's Grid Mode: A Deeper Dive

To truly elevate AltSnap's grid mode, there are a couple of key enhancements we can implement. First, we need to ensure that once grid mode is activated, all subsequent grid actions are exclusively applied to the window that triggered the mode. This means that if you start resizing a window using Winkey (or your activation button) + Shift (grid mode modifier), all grid-related actions should stick to that window, regardless of where your mouse pointer is. This solves the problem of accidentally resizing background windows and gives you focused control over the window you're actively adjusting. Imagine you've initiated grid mode on a specific window; you should be able to reposition that window anywhere on the screen, using the grid, without accidentally affecting other windows. This level of control is crucial for a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Secondly, let's talk about the anchor point. The current implementation anchors one corner of the window, which is fantastic for maintaining a fixed reference point while resizing. However, sometimes you want to shift the anchor point, and the existing method only allows this if the new anchor point fits within the current window area. To overcome this limitation, we can add a feature that allows you to reposition the anchor point more freely. This would provide greater flexibility in how you resize and position your windows. By implementing these two improvements, we can significantly enhance the grid mode, making it more versatile and user-friendly. The goal is to provide AltSnap users with the tools they need to precisely manage their windows with minimal frustration.

Introducing a New Action: Grid Mode via Shortcut

Let's explore a game-changing addition to AltSnap: a separate action that you can bind to a keyboard shortcut or even a mouse button or mouse wheel gesture. Imagine being able to instantly activate grid mode with a single keystroke or mouse movement! This new action would work by first displaying the grid on your screen. Then, and here’s the cool part, without needing to hold any keys, you could simply select an area on the grid. The foreground window would then magically resize and move to perfectly fit that selected area. This is a massive leap in terms of speed and convenience. Think about it: instead of juggling keys and mouse movements, you can quickly define the desired size and position of a window with just a few clicks.

As an alternative, we could also introduce an action that displays a grid smaller than the full screen. Ideally, this grid size would be customizable, perhaps as a percentage of your monitor's width and height. This is particularly useful when you need to make smaller adjustments or reposition a window without dragging across the entire screen. Imagine quickly snapping a window to the top-right quarter of your screen, or precisely aligning it to the left edge. This smaller, customizable grid makes those tasks much easier and more efficient. This new action opens up a world of possibilities for how you manage your windows, offering a more streamlined and intuitive approach to window sizing and positioning.

The Ultimate AltSnap Enhancement: Single-Key Actions within Grid Mode

To truly make this new grid mode action a complete replacement for existing methods, we need to add one final touch: single-key presses within the grid. Picture this: you trigger the grid mode with your shortcut, and the grid appears on your screen. Now, instead of clicking and dragging, you can simply press a single key to perform a predefined action. For example, you could press