I need a macro that works for windows of all applications and not the currently active one. I’ve tried the built-in control-F4 window cycle shortcut, but this just goes straight to Finder for me. I’ve also tried some fo the solutions mentioned in this forum post, but none of them seem to be what I want. Witch is annoying because I don’t want to see a list of all my windows and there doesn’t seem to be an option to turn that off. The AppleScript with TextWrangler mentioned in this post does not work for me.
I have a system now where I have a few of my favorite window locations saved to macros so that I can easily move windows to them with shortcuts. But I normally have more windows open than the number of window locations I am using. This is frustrating because there is no way to know if I accidentally put a window on top of another one and hid it from my eyes. I want some way to be able visualize all of my open windows without having to manually drag things around, and without having to refer to some list like KMs built in window switcher, which is a bit time consuming if I am using it all the time. I don’t like exposé either because it moves windows all over the place rather than keeping them in the vicinity of where they actually are when not in expose.
If anyone has any method for how you can easily see all your open windows all the time or at least a way to cycle through all open windows, I would love to hear.
I totally get what you’re saying. And I don’t have an answer to what you specifically asked for. But if you don’t mind, allow me to share how I handle this issue:
First off, I use multiple desktops. I use 4 of them. I always keep certain applications on certain desktops, so I always know where to find them. I think this would solve most of your problems.
On individual desktops, I use Better Snap Tool to help snap windows to various portions of the screen. I use the “advanced” features that allow me to define my own preferred snap locations.
I also have an external monitor. I don’t use it how a lot of people do - I mostly only use it to keep Finder open, and I also have some KM Palettes there. But external monitors can also help a lot.
Just some thoughts. I’m sure someone else will have better ideas.
Hey @DanThomas. Thanks for all the suggestions. I used to use multiple spaces. I'm now opposed to this because I feel like I have to keep checking all the time to make sure I do not forget some other windows in some other spaces that I can't currently see. And I also use a dual monitor setup, but it's still not enough space for me.
Hi @appleianer. That's pretty cool. I never knew that any app could save window snapshots like that! This isn't exactly what I'm looking for though because I'm using different windows and different apps every day. I also prefer to switch windows to different locations based on what my task is, but also to multitask and have the applications that are not my main task in another spot. I never really had one set way that I liked to arrange my windows, rather it is constantly changing.
So I've been thinking about this, and one of the main things I want is to be able to be at least able to look at my computer screen at any time and instantly see all the windows I have open. I just hate the idea of any window being completely hidden.
I created a macro as an example for the kind of thing I am looking for. While I am happy with the way this macro works in theory, it is unfortunately extremely slow. Way too slow to be used practically.
Seriously sit back and wait, because this thing could take 10-20 seconds. Try using it on a few windows, and they should stack nicely so that you can see all of them no matter which is active. It doesn't matter if they are from different applications or the same. Once you have 4+ windows, it is possible to cover one of them completely. This is not a huge issue though, because if I have 4 spaces like this and each can hold 3 windows without potentially hiding any, that's 12 visible windows on a dual monior setup which is an amount I think I can be happy with.
So if anyone can think of a better solution along the lines of this, or if anyone knows how to make this macro run any faster, I'd be really happy to hear.
Perhaps I’m misunderstanding, but this certainly sounds like you want to be using Mission Control. I don’t know what Control-F4 is configured to use by default, but it sounds from your description like it’s set for Show Desktop. I’d suggest checking the keyboard shortcut setting for System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control [on the left] > Mission Control [on the right]. This shortcut shows all open windows which aren’t minimized to the Dock.
Note, also, that if you use the built-in Command-Tab application switcher, you can hold Command and Tab as needed to select an application in the switcher, but if you then continue holding Command and press the Up Arrow key while an application is selected, you’ll be presented that application’s open windows. From there, you can release the Command key and use the arrow keys to select a window, then press the Space Bar to make bring that window to the front.
Also, thanks for your ideas @NaOH. I do use Mission Control already, it's just not exactly what I was looking for. Sorry for not being more clear. I wanted a way to know when I was accidentally covering other windows without having to constantly check something like mission control. And the app switcher also has the same problem.
Realizing the only thing I could think of that would actually solve my problem is some sort of counter that knows how many windows are in a certain position, I was ready to give up. But instead I decided to see if I could make it myself, and to my surprise I was actually able to make it!
At the bottom of the screen, a little pop-up displays the number of windows if it is higher than 1.
Caveats:
1- I had to use Java to make the little frames, and text files to allow java and KM to communicate, so I don't think I can really share this so easily (but if anyone wants a step by step explanation, just let me know!).
2- Load time is awful. Sometimes take up to 10 seconds to notice a change. I used a variation of the AppleScript I posted above to count the windows, so that's probably the bottleneck. Will have to see if there is a way to fix this.
3- I had too much fun making this and now I have homework due today that I haven't started.
