I am starting a similar investigation – I see that Bunch does not manage windows, but integrates with Moom, so that’s the path I’m going down.
I assume I could do all this with Keyboard Maestro (or KM and Moom), probably with a lot more features than Bunch offers, but Bunch is much simpler to configure so that’s why I’m starting there.
I use Keyboard Maestro for this. There is a function in it that allows you to capture the location & dimensions of the front-most window (it’s a “token” that I use with “Set System Clipboard to text…”), so I put the windows in the position I want, then use that to get the exact coordinates. I then create a macro that hides all apps, and then opens each app I want then sets its window position. I might add a few other things, like my “Zoom” macro turns on Do Not Disturb.
Then, I use the “Export as Trigger File” option (under the File menu) to save this macro as a sort of “application.” I have a couple in a folder I call “contexts” (sort of like David’s contextual computing), but I also launch them using Quicksilver (I might be the only MPU listener still using that as my app launcher).
I have found that KM really gives great, precise window management power. I have some pretty particular window layouts, and KM lets me invoke them with a keystroke or two.
I’ve just revisited this after David showed off his Comms Desktop during the journaling webinar. I’ve got KM now (woohoo!) but find myself mentally stuck.
I have multiple Chrome windows open for work based on the context of the task:
Two side by side when doing research
One next to my notes when leading client calls
One with preset tabs when billing time across clients
I have these windows across apps all preset across desktops so can quickly flip through based on what I’m working on. And conceptually, I get how to do this in KM per app, but what about when I have multiple instances of an app? Omnifocus is another example of have one app with multiple windows.
I like Moom because I have to struggle less than with keyboard maestro for keyboard layout. I think with multiple instances/windows, you may have to just layout the positions manually. Moom can save custom window positions and recall them with a click or keyboard shortcut.
Count me as another Bunch and Moom fan. I have multiple Bunches for difference contexts that open apps in specific spaces, after which Moom sets the window positions.
As I’ve noted in other posts, it takes some experimenting to get the timing right to ensure the apps appear in the space I want (for apps not assigned to a specific space).
I’ve not had reason to open an app window in multiple spaces, but I can see where that would be useful. It might be doable using AppleScript to open a document after switching to a specific space.That would be another thing to experiment with using Bunch. Something like:
{^N}
*tell application id "application ID" to make a new document
Where “N” is the number of the space to switch to. Again, you’ll need to experiment with sequencing and adding delays to the Bunch commands to get the results you want.
Bunch is free, although if you find yourself using it a lot donations are accepted. And Moom has a free trial, and is but US$10 for a license. So try them and see if they work for you. They do for me.