Moom 4: A Major Upgrade to the Moom Window Manager for Mac

[Topre]

I seem to have an issue with Palette (the menu the came up when you move the mouse to the green, zoom button) not appearing if Zoom is on Desktop1 but the application window is in Desktop2. I have to move Moom to Desktop2 and then the palette appears. I tried quiting Moom and restarting and the behavior is the same.

[rob_griffiths]

I’m pretty sure we can figure out what’s going on, but because it may take some back and forth and I’d rather not hijack the thread for that, please either direct message me here, or open a ticket on our system and we’ll get it solved.

@Topre

not appearing if Zoom is on Desktop1 but the application window is in Desktop2

When you do, please clarify this for me: I’m having trouble understanding what application window is on Desktop2 if Zoom is on Desktop1? (Again, please direct message or use our ticket system so we can keep troubleshooting out of the general thread.)

thanks;
-rob.

[Topre]

@Topre

not appearing if Zoom is on Desktop1 but the application window is in Desktop2

It should be Moom on Desktop1, not Zoom. Sorry. I will open a ticket. Thank you.

[Atom]

This app is interesting but perhaps too feature-rich for me. I missed the launching salt. I would have used it.

[Pupsino]

If it reassures you, I use hardly any of the features. Originally I just started with the “make a window full-sized but not full screen” button because I really dislike full screen on a Mac and also I’m on an ultrawide display and it’s ridiculous. Then I noticed the same button had options for re-sizing a window to one half the display, which was useful so I used that. Then I realised I had a couple of specific areas I like to use on my display, so I set up my own options to re-size windows to those areas. Now I have a few custom views.

It was all quite iterative and it hasn’t really consumed any brain power; once I realised a slightly more custom option than the defaults offered would be useful, it only took 5 mins to set up and then it’s just a “click and play” function. (I did setup the keyboard shortcuts which are really easy in the app, but I rarely use them as I can never remember. I’m fine just clicking the menu option when I need to resize!)

[Topre]

@Pupsino

Originally I just started with the “make a window full-sized but not full screen” button

It’s exactly how I approach new software including Keyboard Maestro and Alfred. I’ve used both for almost 10 years and I’m probably just touching the surface of their capabilities. Often when I want to do something, I’ll research to see if it could be done with KM or Alfred and the proceeded to expand my knowledge little by little bit.

[cavalierex]

Here’s one more brainstorming idea for you, although you probably tried it and got shot down. Let’s say you start with the grid of dots. When you mouse-over, the dots become bigger circles. So the “shaded” area is not rectangular, it is essentially a mouseover of a polka-dot pattern where the window will be.

∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

If that is still too close for comfort, you could get playful with it and allow the user to choose the glyph, like…

∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ × × × × × ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ × × × × × ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ × × × × × ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ × × × × × ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ × × × × × ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 𐩕 ∙ ∙

or emojis…

∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

Not sure if that would work, but it would be a neat Easter egg!

[rob_griffiths]

The problem is starting with a grid of dots. We can’t do that. Nor can we start with a rectangular shape at all. Hence slanted hexagons.

-rob.

[cavalierex]

Ugh

I expected that you tried that, too, but I was hopeful the emojis might make it unique enough.

[rob_griffiths]

The problem with the patent is that it covers any smaller representation of the physical shape of a display, i.e. a rectangle. It didn’t matter what we used in the shape, if the shape was rectangular, the attorney we were working with advised that it would be subject to the patent.

-rob.

[andreasl]

Been a MOOM-user for years. But with the upgrade to window management in MacOS Sequoia, I don’t know.

I only rely on MOOM for CMD+SHIFT+J to selective put the windows with the arrow keys. That’s it. MacOS will never add that kind of keyboard shortcut to this feature, unless that already is there somehow?

I’m sure someone has spotted a way to set up keyboard shortcuts with the MacOS Sequoia window management feature?

If not, Ill upgrade again for MOOM just for that

[Topre]

I don’t suppose Keyboard Maestro’s Application Palette is considered a window? When I wake the Mac from sleep, the Application Palette sometimes does not stay at the monitor it is supposed to stay and I have to drag and put it back where it was. Would have been great to press a hotkey and have Moom automatically arrange it.

[rob_griffiths]

By design, Moom ignores windows without window control buttons, because these are typically not “true” windows that can be managed by Moom. The Application Palette in KM, for instance, isn’t resizable.

You can’t even control the Applications Palette within KM. However, you can use AppleScript to do things to the window, like move it. See these two threads for some ideas—maybe you could have a macro triggered on wake that moves the palette where you want it.

Application Palette does not stay put in multi monitor setting

Moving the Applications Palette based on Displays

-rob.

[Topre]

Brilliant! Thanks for the link, Rob. I appreciate it.

[Topre]

@Topre

@rob_griffiths

Moom can save an arrangement of open windows, and set that arrangement to auto-trigger on display layout change. Save such an arrangement and set it to auto-trigger when the number of displays matches the number you have, and that’s exactly what it should do.

This, itself, is the price of entry for this app for me. I spent hours in total for lost productivity arranging the windows back to the right monitor every morning when I wake the Mac. It got to the point that I had changed my Mac to never sleep, just show a blank screen as screen saver. This will help me save energy too. Thanks Rob, for the explanation.

I wanted to emphasize just how good this feature is. Often, I wake up my Mac and see all my windows arrangements going haywire. I don’t understand why the Mac does not remember each window position on each external display. Isn’t this a basic OS thing??? It’s such a pet peeves to me and I spent 10-15 minutes rearranging them on a daily basis. That is, before Moom 4. Now, I have this layout called “Mother of all Layouts” that I assigned to ⌃0. There are almost 30 windows in this layout and Moom will arrange them in order, even skipping those apps/windows that weren’t present/launched (which a is good thing - I’d hate to see error messages to remind me of missing app/window). And it’s quite fast too. It also preserve the Stage Manager grouping. It is just soooo good!

(you can’t see the name of the apps in this screenshot… there are just too many overlapping )

[Pupsino]

Excellent name! I love it when people use fun names for settings on things.

[Topre]

Thanks…

PSA for Spotify users - there is a mini player mode and thankfully, Moom 4 handles the placement of this little player. So, I can now automagically move it to an external display to see album art and to control the playback.

(Moom 4 treats this as a separate windows. So, I have the main Spotify window in one screen while the mini player in another)

[jim_sauer]

2024-11-15: I shared and update below

I’ve tried several tools to control the arrangement of macOS windows but I’ve primarily used Keyboard Maestro, BetterSnapTool, and BetterTouchTool. For a season, before Keyboard Maestro 11, I was also using the tiling window manager yabai because of its capability by to detect Mission Control Desktop Spaces changes. (That’s a whole nother discussion.)

Based on the Automators #165: Moom and Window Management podcast episode, this forum, and my respect for indie developers (and frankly the awesomeness of @rob_griffiths: his contributions on the the Keyboard Maestro forum are amazing), I decided to try, then purchase Moom 4. I’m sure glad I did!

I’m so impressed with the power, attention to detail, and documentation.

I’m using several of the Moom features mentioned in this thread, but I’d like to hear how others are using Chains. I’ve been playing around with the combination of Chains, Layouts, and hot keys and have been able to get some of the features that are appealing with tiling window managers. I’m sharing them below and hope that it will prompt some discussion.

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Four Moom Chains

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Chain 1 (⌥→) Right 1/2•1/2 | 1/3•2/3 | 2/3•1/3 & Chain 2 (⌥←) Left 1/2•1/2 | 1/3•2/3 | 2/3•1/3

( expand / collapse )

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Chain 3 (⌥↑) Left 7/8•1/8 | Right 1/8•7/8 | Top 1/2•Btm 1/2 | Btm 1/2•Top 1/2

( expand / collapse )

---

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Chain 4 (⌥↓) Left 1/2•1/2 | Right 1/2•1/2 | Top 1/2•Btm 1/2 | Btm 1/2•Top 1/2

( expand / collapse )

---

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It would be really nice to be able to share the Moom configurations, but unfortunately I’m unable to upload a zip archive.

[Topre]

Didn’t know they are the same person. I absolutely love Rob’s Macro to Track Macro Usage. Lots of stats for those who wants to know which macro they used the most.

[SpivR]

Suggestion: Moom folks should do some detailed video tutorials that are task not feature driven.

(or point to some YouTubers that have done them.)

I’ve been a very light user of Moom, and now starting to look at all the new features. Excited to do more, looks really powerful but also very overwhelming.

The basic docs info assume too much “window power user” baseline knowledge and I’ve fiddled around a little bit but still trying to grok how to create layouts that work with dual monitors.

Having to understand both how macOS handles multiple monitors and then what Moom does/adds and what works when.

FWIW, I’m using a re-purposed 12.9" iPad as the second monitor, so unlike a hardwired second display, depending on what I am doing (or how macOS malfunctions), the second display is not always available so have to accommodate that additional variable in trying to create workable layouts.