Subject: Re: [Witch Talk] Slow switching across spaces / monitors

From: Dave Musicant <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2015 07:13:44 -0700 (PDT)

Got it. Thanks for the quick response, and the awesome work that you've 
done on Witch -- I'm well-aware that you're limited by the hooks and 
capabilities that Apple provides.

--
Dave

On Monday, June 15, 2015 at 8:55:15 AM UTC-5, Many Tricks wrote:
>
> On Jun 12, 2015, at 8:45 AM, Dave Musicant <[email-masked] 
> <javascript:>> wrote: 
>
> > different application. The witch menu pops up quickly enough, but after 
> I select the window I want to switch to, it lingers for perhaps a second or 
> so before it disappears and the new window focuses. Witch seems fast as 
> usual when I'm selecting a window on the same display, or when I'm 
> selecting a window from the same application on the other display. 
>
> This is an unfortunate side effect of the workaround we had to implement 
> to make switching across displays even work again -- Apple changed 
> something (in 10.9.5 and later, as I recall) that broke our mechanism. The 
> workaround requires some extra cycling of the app, and sadly, that takes 
> time. 
>
> But without our workaround, switching to a window on another Display won't 
> even work; it just won't come to the foreground. 
>
> > I suspect I can make this problem go away by unchecking the "Displays 
> have separate Spaces" checkbox in the Mission Control settings (though I 
> haven't tried it). That said, I like having the separate spaces on each 
> display. Is there anything I can do to help Witch deal with these more 
> quickly? 
>
> There isn't, and disabling the feature is the only solution. (It's also my 
> preferred solution, as I don't like having the grayed out menu bar on my 
> other displays, and hate that I can't span a window across displays. But I 
> know it's not ideal for everyone.) I wish we had a better answer, but we 
> don't -- Apple makes it really hard for developers to work with 
> Displays/Spaces. 
>
> regards, 
> -rob. 
>
>

---

From: Rob Griffiths <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2015 06:55:14 -0700

On Jun 12, 2015, at 8:45 AM, Dave Musicant <[email-masked]> wrote:

> different application. The witch menu pops up quickly enough, but after I select the window I want to switch to, it lingers for perhaps a second or so before it disappears and the new window focuses. Witch seems fast as usual when I'm selecting a window on the same display, or when I'm selecting a window from the same application on the other display.

This is an unfortunate side effect of the workaround we had to implement to make switching across displays even work again -- Apple changed something (in 10.9.5 and later, as I recall) that broke our mechanism. The workaround requires some extra cycling of the app, and sadly, that takes time.

But without our workaround, switching to a window on another Display won't even work; it just won't come to the foreground.

> I suspect I can make this problem go away by unchecking the "Displays have separate Spaces" checkbox in the Mission Control settings (though I haven't tried it). That said, I like having the separate spaces on each display. Is there anything I can do to help Witch deal with these more quickly?

There isn't, and disabling the feature is the only solution. (It's also my preferred solution, as I don't like having the grayed out menu bar on my other displays, and hate that I can't span a window across displays. But I know it's not ideal for everyone.) I wish we had a better answer, but we don't -- Apple makes it really hard for developers to work with Displays/Spaces.

regards,
-rob.

---

From: Dave Musicant <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2015 08:45:36 -0700 (PDT)

Hi folks -

I recently updated my machine to Yosemite... I had been running Lion, I was 
a bit behind the times. :)

I'm running a dual monitor setup, which by default in Yosemite is now 
considered to be two separate spaces. I've noticed that Witch is slow to 
switch when changing between windows on different displays, when the window 
I'm switching to is in a different application. The witch menu pops up 
quickly enough, but after I select the window I want to switch to, it 
lingers for perhaps a second or so before it disappears and the new window 
focuses. Witch seems fast as usual when I'm selecting a window on the same 
display, or when I'm selecting a window from the same application on the 
other display.

I suspect I can make this problem go away by unchecking the "Displays have 
separate Spaces" checkbox in the Mission Control settings (though I haven't 
tried it). That said, I like having the separate spaces on each display. Is 
there anything I can do to help Witch deal with these more quickly?

Thanks!

--
Dave Musicant