Bug 457913 - "Dim Inactive" Desktop Effect also dims tabbox
Summary: "Dim Inactive" Desktop Effect also dims tabbox
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: kwin
Classification: Plasma
Component: tabbox (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 6.2.2
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KWin default assignee
URL:
Keywords:
: 474783 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-08-15 12:59 UTC by Andrea Ippolito
Modified: 2025-07-24 08:39 UTC (History)
6 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In: 6.4.3
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description Andrea Ippolito 2022-08-15 12:59:50 UTC
SUMMARY
Operating System: openSUSE Tumbleweed 20220813
KDE Plasma Version: 5.25.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.96.0
Qt Version: 5.15.5
Kernel Version: 5.19.0-1-default (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 8 × 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 @ 2.80GHz
Memory: 15,4 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: Mesa Intel® Xe Graphics
Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
Product Name: XPS 13 9305


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Enable the Desktop Effect called Dim Inactive (Darken inactive windows)
2. Use ALT+TAB to switch tasks

OBSERVED RESULT
Task switcher is affected by dimming although it's the foreground "window"

EXPECTED RESULT
Task switcher should NOT be dimmed since it's in the foreground window, and definitely the one the user wants to focus when invoking the task switcher. Having the contents of the tabbox dimmed makes it harder for the brain/eye of the user to detect the window to jump to.
Comment 1 Andrea Ippolito 2024-04-23 20:06:35 UTC
Although this is minor, just chiming in to say it's still reproducible.
Comment 2 Andrea Ippolito 2024-04-23 20:07:09 UTC
(In reply to Andrea Ippolito from comment #1)
> Although this is minor, just chiming in to say it's still reproducible.

Operating System: openSUSE Tumbleweed 20240419
KDE Plasma Version: 6.0.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.1.0
Qt Version: 6.7.0
Kernel Version: 6.8.7-1-default (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 16 × AMD Ryzen 7 7840U w/ Radeon 780M Graphics
Memory: 30,7 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: AMD Radeon Graphics
Manufacturer: Framework
Product Name: Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040Series)
System Version: A7
Comment 3 RedBearAK 2024-07-31 21:51:41 UTC
I am also annoyed by this, on Fedora 40, Plasma 6.1.3. 

I like to do significant dimming on the inactive window(s), but that makes the tabbox barely usable. There's no way this effect should be applying itself to the tabbox/task switcher dialog. 

The fact that this issue has been open since late 2022 is gravely disappointing.
Comment 4 kishy 2024-11-01 13:07:39 UTC
Reproducible in 6.2.2 aswell
Comment 5 kishy 2024-11-03 06:34:14 UTC
relevant merge request is open here:
https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kwin/-/merge_requests/6729
Comment 6 kishy 2025-06-25 11:08:40 UTC
not reproducible on 6.4.1
Comment 7 kishy 2025-06-26 20:36:38 UTC
It seems resolved only for the default thumbnail grid, so not sure if that makes this bug resolved.
Comment 8 RedBearAK 2025-06-28 11:13:50 UTC
I just tested on Fedora 41, Plasma 6.4.1, with the "Large Icons" task switcher that I normally use. Definitely not resolved for me. The task switcher is still being dimmed. Setting the darkening strength to something like 90 makes it very obvious. 

On the other hand, the "Thumbnail Grid" task switcher that I set up for the in-app window switching shortcuts in the "Alternative" tab is not dimmed in the same way by the desktop effect. Seems unaffected no matter what the dimming strength is set to.
Comment 9 Bug Janitor Service 2025-07-10 10:26:52 UTC
A possibly relevant merge request was started @ https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kdeplasma-addons/-/merge_requests/880
Comment 10 Vlad Zahorodnii 2025-07-10 10:43:58 UTC
*** Bug 474783 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 11 Vlad Zahorodnii 2025-07-10 10:58:36 UTC
Git commit c274184de64c87613ecfffd7d3f04ba9563e8d54 by Vlad Zahorodnii.
Committed on 10/07/2025 at 10:54.
Pushed by vladz into branch 'master'.

kwin/windowswitchers: Use popup window type

This is semantically more correct. It addresses the dim inactive effect
dimming the task switcher, and kwin will use a more subtle and more
appropriate animation when a task switcher is shown or hidden.

M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/big_icons/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/compact/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/coverswitch/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/flipswitch/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/sidebar/contents/ui/main.qml

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kdeplasma-addons/-/commit/c274184de64c87613ecfffd7d3f04ba9563e8d54
Comment 12 Vlad Zahorodnii 2025-07-10 11:03:45 UTC
Git commit 3da849ae89a939a40457b53ed66bcce79cc929b8 by Vlad Zahorodnii.
Committed on 10/07/2025 at 10:59.
Pushed by vladz into branch 'Plasma/6.4'.

kwin/windowswitchers: Use popup window type

This is semantically more correct. It addresses the dim inactive effect
dimming the task switcher, and kwin will use a more subtle and more
appropriate animation when a task switcher is shown or hidden.


(cherry picked from commit c274184de64c87613ecfffd7d3f04ba9563e8d54)

Co-authored-by: Vlad Zahorodnii <vlad.zahorodnii@kde.org>

M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/big_icons/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/compact/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/coverswitch/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/flipswitch/contents/ui/main.qml
M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/sidebar/contents/ui/main.qml

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kdeplasma-addons/-/commit/3da849ae89a939a40457b53ed66bcce79cc929b8
Comment 13 RedBearAK 2025-07-24 08:39:59 UTC
(In reply to Vlad Zahorodnii from comment #12)
> Git commit 3da849ae89a939a40457b53ed66bcce79cc929b8 by Vlad Zahorodnii.
> Committed on 10/07/2025 at 10:59.
> Pushed by vladz into branch 'Plasma/6.4'.
> 
> kwin/windowswitchers: Use popup window type
> 
> This is semantically more correct. It addresses the dim inactive effect
> dimming the task switcher, and kwin will use a more subtle and more
> appropriate animation when a task switcher is shown or hidden.
> 
> 
> (cherry picked from commit c274184de64c87613ecfffd7d3f04ba9563e8d54)
> 
> Co-authored-by: Vlad Zahorodnii <vlad.zahorodnii@kde.org>
> 
> M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/big_icons/contents/ui/main.qml
> M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/compact/contents/ui/main.qml
> M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/coverswitch/contents/ui/main.qml
> M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/flipswitch/contents/ui/main.qml
> M  +1    -1    kwin/windowswitchers/sidebar/contents/ui/main.qml
> 
> https://invent.kde.org/plasma/kdeplasma-addons/-/commit/
> 3da849ae89a939a40457b53ed66bcce79cc929b8

I seem to be seeing the results of this patch after upgrading to Plasma 6.4.3 on Fedora 41. After being used to the dimmed Large Icons task switcher for so long I almost thought something was wrong with my display when the icons were suddenly full color and full brightness. 

Thanks for fixing this, Vlad.