🖼 Simple but Effective Window Management
Managing your window layout can be a huge boost to productivity and efficiency. With a quick press of a hotkey, you can maximize a window, read a document on the left, and edit another to the right. When you have multiple monitors, this becomes even more beneficial, almost necessary.
For effective layout using hotkeys my choice is Magnet. It’s a simple tool that works wonders.
Out of the box, the most common action will be to maximize a window. Not quite the traditional “full screen” with the menus missing. The menu bar and Dock remain visible.
You can quickly set app windows to take up the left or right half of the screen, perfect for looking at documents side by side.
For other types of apps like Slack, Discord or Messages, the window can be moved to the top right, left, or bottom.
You can also do half-sized windows or put them in the center.
My layout is usually an app full screen on the main monitor, then set up apps for the left and right side of the second monitor.
If you have Keyboard Maestro, or need another reason why you should get it, there is the “Manipulate a Window” action.
Like Magnet, it offers, Left Column, Right Column, Top Left, Top Right, etc. Further, the window can be set to a certain size or a certain set of coordinates on the screen. This gives you a precise layout.
I have a macro for just that purpose. It makes sure certain apps are open in the right position across 4 monitors, such as TextSoap, TaskPaper, Messages, CopyLess, Mini Note, etc.
The macro opens each app and positions them in the same place and at the same size each time. A window in it’s place and a place for every window. Yet another reason why Keyboard Maestro is so amazing.
A final tool to consider is Display Maid. You can set up your window positions the way you want them, then store that as a profile. This works for coding vs. development workspaces. Workspaces make for a very consistent and efficient work environment.
I’ve come to see tools like Magnet as essential. It feels odd to grab and drag the window when a keyboard command is so much faster.
