Bug 462253 - Icons-Only Task Manager "glow icons on mouse hover for closed applications" alternatives
Summary: Icons-Only Task Manager "glow icons on mouse hover for closed applications" a...
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Panel (show other bugs)
Version: 5.26.3
Platform: Arch Linux Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-11-25 22:51 UTC by Frank
Modified: 2023-02-22 20:30 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

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


Attachments
Before mouse hover (20.72 KB, image/png)
2022-11-25 22:51 UTC, Frank
Details
After mouse hover (20.05 KB, image/png)
2022-11-25 22:52 UTC, Frank
Details

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description Frank 2022-11-25 22:51:38 UTC
Created attachment 154036 [details]
Before mouse hover

SUMMARY
Hello,

This is a feature request, or wishlist.

Currently when you hover the mouse pointer on an icon (launcher) part of Icons-Only Task Manager widget, it just very faintly glows.
Trying over 15 different Plasma Styles and the result is always "glowing icons".
Searched in many configuration files, forums, etc. but couldn't find anything to change this. I am not a developer.

Since the glow is extremely faint, depending on the icons color, wallpaper, pointer size/type/color, etc., it can take more time for the user's eye to see the visual change and therefore more brain processing time to make sure the pointer is pointing at the right icon. I have personally clicked the wrong icon a couple times already.
Also for some users it is not visually appealing to have such a very faint glow. Within Dolphin, or applications, that's fine. But when using a panel as a dock with launchers, something more obvious is required as more efficiency is wanted.

It would be interesting to have the ability to change that (very faint) glowing behavior for something else.
As an example, Latte-Dock and Cairo-Dock can grow in size (zoom) the icons.
Other alternatives could be implemented, like overlaying a solid color with user variable blurriness and opacity, much like an SVG form, which is used say for normal, hover, focused, etc. However it is used only when the application is running/opened.

Not asking for anything fancy, but for something efficient.

"Efficieny" is the key here, in this wishlist/feature request.


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Use Plasma Panel (floating or not)
2. Add Icons-Only Task Manager widget
3. Add at least 1 application launcher in the widget
4. Do not click or open the icon/application, simply hover the mouse pointer on the icon.

OBSERVED RESULT
Very faint glow.

EXPECTED RESULT
Other visual alternatives in order to make this feature efficient for the user and improve user's work.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: Arch
KDE Plasma Version: 5.26.3
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.100.0
Qt Version: 5.15.7

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Attached screenshots before and after mouse hover.
Comment 1 Frank 2022-11-25 22:52:00 UTC
Created attachment 154037 [details]
After mouse hover
Comment 2 Bug Janitor Service 2022-11-26 14:08:20 UTC
A possibly relevant merge request was started @ https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/-/merge_requests/1265
Comment 3 Frank 2022-11-26 15:38:58 UTC
Yes, merge request 1265 seems to be in the same area. I think I will contact Niccolo on one his platform just to make sure it covers pretty much the same idea.

Thanks for pointing out the merge request! :)
Comment 4 veggero 2022-11-26 15:48:46 UTC
(In reply to Frank from comment #3)
> Yes, merge request 1265 seems to be in the same area. I think I will contact
> Niccolo on one his platform just to make sure it covers pretty much the same
> idea.
> 
> Thanks for pointing out the merge request! :)

Hey, just FYI, "Bug Janitor Service" is a bot :P It automatically links MRs in bug reports when such MRs have the bug report id in the description. I've made the MR after seeing this merge request :)
Comment 5 Frank 2022-11-26 15:56:37 UTC
(In reply to veggero from comment #4)
> (In reply to Frank from comment #3)
> > Yes, merge request 1265 seems to be in the same area. I think I will contact
> > Niccolo on one his platform just to make sure it covers pretty much the same
> > idea.
> > 
> > Thanks for pointing out the merge request! :)
> 
> Hey, just FYI, "Bug Janitor Service" is a bot :P It automatically links MRs
> in bug reports when such MRs have the bug report id in the description. I've
> made the MR after seeing this merge request :)

Oh god I must be dumb, I'm blushing right now. loll Not familiar with reporting bugs and feature requests, I usually always find ways to do things on my machine. :) But for the Panel it's different, it needs you. :)

Ok so then I understand there is a merge request already for my feature suggestion?
I must contribute to your work, seriously, you are extremely efficient and transparent.

Thank you very much!
Comment 6 veggero 2022-11-26 23:43:35 UTC
> Ok so then I understand there is a merge request already for my feature
> suggestion?

Correct: With https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/-/merge_requests/1265 applied (hopefully in the next plasma version), you should be able to add an element called "launcher-hover-*" (where * is top, topright, etc) similarly to the existing "hover-*" elements in the tasks.svg file of the plasma theme that I think you already saw ("much like an SVG form, which is used say for normal, hover, focused, etc"). This will allow you to set some kind of more visible background, with whatever look you prefer. (Unluckily, blur is not something that our SVG viewer supports).

This doesn't change Breeze *by default*, so it does require changing the Plasma Theme; however I'm not against adding some more hover feedback for launchers as well, it's something that could be discussed with the community.

The other solution - making the icons bigger, similar to Latte Dock - is much more complex to implement, especially if we had to draw the icons outside of the panel area, as Latte does; I would prefer to keep that complexity in Latte, to maintain Plasma Panels as simple (and bug-free) as possible.
Comment 7 Frank 2022-11-27 00:08:38 UTC
(In reply to veggero from comment #6)
> be able to add an element
> called "launcher-hover-*" (where * is top, topright, etc) similarly to the
> existing "hover-*" elements in the tasks.svg file of the plasma theme that I
> think you already saw ("much like an SVG form, which is used say for normal,
> hover, focused, etc"). This will allow you to set some kind of more visible
> background, with whatever look you prefer. (Unluckily, blur is not something
> that our SVG viewer supports).
> 
> This doesn't change Breeze *by default*, so it does require changing the
> Plasma Theme; however I'm not against adding some more hover feedback for
> launchers as well, it's something that could be discussed with the community.
> 
> The other solution - making the icons bigger, similar to Latte Dock - is
> much more complex to implement, especially if we had to draw the icons
> outside of the panel area, as Latte does; I would prefer to keep that
> complexity in Latte, to maintain Plasma Panels as simple (and bug-free) as
> possible.

Amazing! Here's the instruction manual just there. :) Yes that MR will do (the code change seemed pretty simple too!), blur and growing icons were examples to better understand what I meant by "alternatives to the faint icon glow". I customized my panel to leverage the icon backgrounds in various states so I will want to keep consistency in my theme here as well. Having, maybe one day, more hover feedbacks as you point out, would provide more alternatives to the user, I personally like the idea.

I'll follow this closely, thank you!
Comment 8 Niccolò Venerandi 2022-12-01 15:37:00 UTC
Git commit bde2ca52baebe61d6e8f56bcac4e114de88f34fe by Niccolò Venerandi.
Committed on 01/12/2022 at 15:00.
Pushed by niccolove into branch 'master'.

Allow setting hover for launcher items with "launcher-hover"

M  +5    -10   applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/code/tools.js

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/commit/bde2ca52baebe61d6e8f56bcac4e114de88f34fe