Fancy Tasks

Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): Add the source-code for this project on opencode.net

Description:

Plasmoid providing fancy visualization of tasks, launchers and jobs for those who need full power of task manager and fresh look.
Developed and tested on KDE 4.8 with Qt 4.8 (Kubuntu 12.04).

Some screen casts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5i2S1xCKPk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj4W6cqycl8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfqtnncLNcQ

Milestone 1.1 (current) will be last one using libtaskamanager and hopefully will be soon replaced by currently developed data engine based version (which should lower requirements back to KDE 4.6 or maybe earlier, depending on which one shipped first functional version of tasks data engine).

Milestone 2.0 will bring new dock management library which will allow for more advanced features. There will be also new, QML based, applet interface (might be available earlier, depends on progress on library).

Note that included panel was made only for test and could make various problems, use it on your own risk (I'll focus on it later).

This applet uses standard libtaskmanager like other task managers in KDE, so before you report bug check if it also happens in other applets (for example default Tasks applet).

Tips:
- to make applet more usable you can put it on panel with enabled option "Windows can cover" or similar;
- you can use theme with panel background similar to that of dock (for example Sabre Tiger) or modify current one using Desktop Theme Details;
- you can add launchers to applet by drag and drop of URLs and desktop files when Plasma is unlocked or using configuration dialog;
- to show only launchers you need to remove tasks area item from arrangement;
- to show application jobs you need to add jobs area.

Hidden options:
You can set them in applets configuration file (usually located at ~/.kde4/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc), in group containing line plugin=fancytasks or plugin=fancypanel;
- initialZoomLevel - initial zoom level for zoom move animations (value ranging from 0 to 1, default: 0.7);
- paintBackground - decides if background should be painted or not (true or false, default: true);
- paintReflections - decides if icon reflection should be painted or not, note that it won't change icon size because of space allocation for drawing task indicators (true or false, default: true).

Features:
- manages your tasks, launchers and application jobs;
- tasks filtering, grouping (including manual) and sorting;
- keyboard navigation (Tab and Shift+Tab);
- launcher to task transition with custom connecting rules (icons of launchers with running tasks are hidden if sorting other than manual is enabled);
- tool tips with live preview of windows when KWin Taskbar Thumbnail effect is enabled;
- highlighting windows when hovering cursor over task or window preview when KWin Highlight Window effect is enabled;
- dropping files on launchers runs command with parameters or gives option to move, copy or link them (if target is directory);
- visual drop indicator that helps in manual tasks sorting and rearranging launchers;
- possibility to browse directories of directory launchers using context menu;
- possibility to add application menus;
- menu with list of all icons shown after activating keyboard shortcut;
- configurable animations (zoom, jump, bounce, highlight, etc.) and appearance (optional thumbnails and text label);
- fully animated icons (including animations of starting applications, tasks needing attention and application jobs progress).

If you have found bugs or have suggestions you can contact me via email, message or using comments, before you will vote bad.
And remember that not everybody has enough time for fast replying. ;-)

Don't be silly, don't vote bad just for fun!

Last changelog:

8 years ago

1.1.2 (10.06.2012):
- increased task light size a bit;
- fixed label position for zoom animation;
- avoid hijacking of icons with launcher connected to task group (if grouping by program);
- clear thumbnail when launcher looses connected task.

1.1.1 (01.06.2012):
- reuse launcher icons by tasks also when using manual sorting;
- let startups connect to launcher icons (when there is no sorting or it set to manual);
- do not lose connection with launcher when group is created (if grouping by program);
- enable Apply button when configuration values are changed;
- do not propose to drop icon in place which equals its current index;
- enable Add / Remove action buttons;
- many other fixes and changes.

570 comments

1

2

3
4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Comments/Ratings

Please login or register to add a comment or rating

Emdek
8 years ago

All of most what you have written above is already available (or at least planned to improve when obstacle in form of libtaskmanager will be finally removed), just you need to fine tune your settings, ensure that your sorting strategy is set to manual and that connection rules for launchers that doesn't connect to tasks are correct (some of them can't be easily connected using current heuristics).
What you postulate is nothing new, it is planned from beginning (2009) but due to lack of time or API obstacles wasn't done so far. :-/

Report

masterdany88
8 years ago

Keep doing Your Job. It is great man. I am always looking for new releases with curiosity and hope that it will bring more stabillity. For now it crash my plasma to often, ufortunatelly.
By the way it is fun to write with Polish man in Egnlish :P
Dobra robota :D

Report

Emdek
8 years ago

Do you have any backtraces for these crashes (or DrKonqui window doesn't appear after crash?)? Or at least maybe you can describe when they happen (if there is regularity)? Or maybe you use some unusual settings?
I'm really curious, I've not seen a single crash for months (on 32 bit platform). :-D
You may also need to recompile code if libtaskmanager was updated after installing it or you are using binary package (ABI changes in that library can cause them...).
Quote:By the way it is fun to write with Polish man in Egnlish :P
Yeah, it seems to be a bit superfluous, but rules are rules... ;-)
Quote:Dobra robota :D
Dzięki, staram się. ;-)

One comment is enough. ;-)
Your IP range might be blacklisted or server had issues when you tried to download, you can try this link:
http://c.wrzuta.pl/wo6553/e9a10a1c002d396c4f72f88a/plasma-widget-fancytasks_1.1.0

Report

erosenninrho
8 years ago

Here is a mirror in my sugarsync account.
:)

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D7128260_792_635547261

Report

sealmi
8 years ago

Many thanks!

Report

erosenninrho
8 years ago

Hy there, thanks for the deb package :) worked perfectly in Kubuntu 11.10 KDE 4.8 :D

I have another doubt... How can I reduce the icon sizes? because it starts too big, and by using the plasma config buttons to increase-reduce the size, I can only get it bigger, but not smaller... Any ideas why?

Thank you! works very nice :)

Report

Emdek
8 years ago

No problem, CPack (and CMake itself) are great tools. :-)

For the issue, it is known for desktop containment (I'll try to do something with this for 1.2, but real solution will be replacing it by QML UI), but there is possible workaround, you can modify geometry (height value) in ~/.kde/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc, find section with plugin=fancytasks and modify (probably) fourth value of geometry entry (like geometry=4,4,643.5,65) with plasma-desktop not running (since it will overwrite configuration file when closing).
So close if first (kquitapp plasma-desktop), then open file with KWrite or Kate, save and run it again, plasma-desktop (best way will be to use KRunner to do that).

Report

lucagb
8 years ago

Hi,
I've tried to do as you say,
but also by blocking the plasmoid does not keep the size at restart or log out.
Ciao
Luca

Report

erosenninrho
8 years ago

Hy man! Works like a charm!!! Installed withou problems in kde 4.8 Kubuntu :)
Thank you very much!!!

Report

sealmi
8 years ago

Does not work download the deb package

Report

Emdek
8 years ago

Next "major" series will be 1.2 which will focus on improving core (or manager), cleaning up use of libtaskmanager (which will be eventually removed, hopefully this stage) and adding some new features, and of course fixing bugs (there might be few updates for 1.1.x in parallel with usual development of 1.1.9x).
Next step (2.0) will be completely redoing GUI (yes, full QML is planned), some initial research was already done, but if you have some suggestions how to improve existing effects / animations or what could be added then feel free to post your ideas here. :-)
Plans were split into two stages as QML will force hard requirement for newer KDE versions and since new core will allow use of KDE back to 4.6 or earlier probably then doing both in one milestone has no benefits.

Report

Koali-Fran
8 years ago

It would be awesome if Fancy Tasks could also implement the dockmanager API, as Icon Tasks, Docky and Avant Window Navigator have done.

It could boost Fancy Tasks' integration with almost any desktop environment and make more easy to add new features to the launchers.

Also a 'drop-to-stack' feature for folders in the dock would be very desirable, as seen in plasma-widget-stackfolder in Mandriva.

With only those two things it would be a real dock alternative for KDE and a really improving feature for the experience of new users in KDE.

Report

Emdek
8 years ago

I'll think about implementing that DBus API in future, it will require lots of internal changes (which would be needed anyway).

About stacking... According to their video* it basically works like current folder launcher but using dialog with variable size instead of menus.

* http://blog.mandriva.com/en/2011/03/23/plasma-applet-stackfolder-overview/

Report