microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys
Support configurable stacked/offset window layouts in FancyZones
- Dominant language
- C
- Stars
- 139k
- Forks
- 8.6k
- PR merge metrics
- PR metrics pending
Description
### Description of the new feature / enhancement
I'd like FancyZones to support configurable stacked (cascading) window layouts, where multiple windows assigned to a group or zone are automatically positioned with a configurable X/Y offset instead of occupying the exact same rectangle.
For example:
- Base position: (100, 100)
- Window 1: (100, 100)
- Window 2: (120, 120)
- Window 3: (140, 140)
This would make it easy to keep several related windows visible while still organizing them as a single workspace.
Suggested options:
- Horizontal offset (pixels)
- Vertical offset (pixels)
- Maximum visible stack size
- Bring selected window to the top while preserving the stack
### Scenario when this would be used?
Use cases:
- Comparing multiple documents
- Multiple terminal windows
- Browser windows for related tasks
- Chat/email applications
- Keeping reference material visible without fully tiling every window
This would complement the existing tiling layouts by providing an organizational pattern between full overlap and full tiling.
### Supporting information
_No response_
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start by locating the FancyZones component and its existing layout behavior. Clarify how stacked groups, horizontal and vertical offsets, maximum visible windows, and bringing a selected window to the top should interact with current layouts. Done means the behavior and configuration are implemented and verified for the listed window-management scenarios.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- desktop
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100