[FancyZones] swap window location between zones when drag and dropping windows on each other (or using keyboard)

[spitoman]

PowerToys FancyZones: swap window location between zones when drag and dropping windows on each other.
for example i'm using a 3 column zone. i want it to act like this so that when i drag the window from the right side and drop it on the left zone, the locations of the windows swap with each other automatically.

I added a diagnostic file and recreated the issue/requests for this Feedback: https://aka.ms/AA6079y

[wolispace]

I second this suggestion:

Summary of the new feature/enhancement

When dragging a window into a FancyZone that already has a window it in, provide some way of pulling the existing window out so it is not stuck behind.

An example.. I have a 4 zone layout - two large at the top, two smaller fill space at the bottom.

If I want to drag a window from a small zone into a big zone, it would be wonderful if the current window in the big zone is pushed down into the small zone.. they switch positions.

In the case where a new window has been opened at some random location.. and you drag it into a fancyZone, providing a way of pulling the existing window out of the fancy zone and swapping it with the randomly placed window would work nicely (for me) too.

I understand we are not putting windows in an out of zones, just auto-sizing them (which is great as we can manually adjust size after dropping in a zone) but using the analogy of putting in an out of zones is how it feels. So s switch places would be great.

Proposed technical implementation details (optional)

Maybe using CTRL drag instead of SHIFT drag?

Or (if there is space given the blank boarder around the zones) adding a small tab 'Switch' so you can switch positions not just stomp over the existing window.

Thinking of tabs.. maybe the more windows in a zone the more 'tabs' you get to bring that window to the foreground (again a crazy idea as they are not 'in' the zone just sized to it).

[enricogior]

Adding a reference to #1918 that proposes to use Win + Alt + arrows to have this functionality available using the keyboard.

[SamuelStevenson]

Yes! This feature would be incredible. Rather than using multiple monitors, I use one large one with a primary window location in the center and secondary window locations on either side. It would be a wonderful boon for my workflow to be able to quickly swap the location of the window in my primary location with a window in a secondary location.

[captainwasabi]

Suggestions:

1. Would like this to have a setting to make this the default behavior
2. Kbd shortcut to swap focused window with a specific pane (either pane 1 or a pane specified in a setting). if the focused window is not in a pane, the swapped window is resized to the same size (not to the size it was prior to being pane'd)

[Bigdoggydog]

Would love a setting to turn this on. Window Swap. I use a 4K display and have several zones on the sides and bottom with a primary work zone in the top-center. When I need to switch my focus to a different app I'll probably move my current focused app to an empty side bar (requiring that one of my sidebars remain empty), then move the app I want to focus on now to the center. That's a lot of pointing and clicking and moving.

[fripSide]

Hello, is this feature enabled now? It is extremely important for using Ultra-Large Screen (32 inches 4k screen).

The best practice is to use the largest zone as the working area and put smaller windows on the corners so that I can quickly find the windows I need to use and swap it to the working area.

[PavelDanov]

Hello, is this feature enabled now? It is extremely important for using Ultra-Large Screen (32 inches 4k screen).

The best practice is to use the largest zone as the working area and put smaller windows on the corners so that I can quickly find the windows I need to use and swap it to the working area.

I was looking for the same thing because I have a 49" ultrawide and what I did was to override Windows Snap (Win + arrows) for that.

It's not perfect. but it works if you want to bring a window to the central pane. Still I'd love a stack approach like in Linux desktop managers like dwm or xmonad.

[Bigdoggydog]

I'm not sure the snap shortcut is what we're looking for. (Not myself, anyway). I want to have windows in small zones around the screen (I use a 55" 4k tv) and a large central zone for working. As I move on to different tasks and applications, I want to drag the window from a smaller zone to the center and have what was in the center "swap" with the window I just grabbed from the smaller zone. To me it's a kind of "minimizing" but with a larger screen it lets me see the content of the "minimized" screen. That makes task switching much faster without separate shortcut keys. Drag, drop, & swap.

A stack would be ok, but I still want to see the contents of the windows at-a-glance.

[JovialMockingbird]

I see a number of people with bigger screens requesting this feature but as someone who uses double monitors I would also love if it worked between monitors. The second monitor makes it so I rarely stack my windows, instead I hand them off to the second screen where I can still monitor everything. It would greatly reduce the amount of inputs required to rearrange windows.

My preferred functionality would be when dragging a window to a zone that's already 'occupied' it would automatically swap the two windows. Alternatively it would swap only while holding an activator.

[byamagata]

+1 to this feature. If I knew how to add to this repo I would probably try to do it myself, but alas.... I dont. lol

[PavelDanov]

I think I found a good solution for folks with big screens - https://github.com/fuhsjr00/bug.n

If you're familiar with window tiling managers on Linux it should feel familiar.

[vladiko2]

Is this something on the roadmap? That would be extremely useful, no matter the monitor size! Maybe holding a down a hotkey when dragging a window into another zone? - With hotkey down windows would swap. Without hotkey down - standard behavior. This feature would really make FancyZones a perfection! Thanks in advance!

[ezedoska]

+1 to this, would be very useful and a natural flow for how we change the focus of what we are currently doing in various windows
+1 to default behavior or modifier key while moving option

i have two monitors if that info helps

[Knochi]

Hi,

suggested the same. Using one 4K 32“ screen with work area and two small zones.

[merstad]

Second this. Would be extremely useful to be able to swap position of windows using keyboard.

[thesobercoder]

Shameless plug, check out the Polygon tool that I built because of the lack of this feature.

https://github.com/thesobercoder/polygon

[KenHamilton]

Shameless plug, check out the Polygon tool that I built because of the lack of this feature.

https://github.com/thesobercoder/polygon

How does your tool address this issue? I can't see anything mentioning it.