i3-layouts is a small program that enforces dynamic layout on i3 workspace.

i3-layouts comes with 6 configurable layouts:

• vstack: one main windows with a vertical stack of windows.
• hstack: one main windows with an horizontal stack of windows.
• spiral: each new windows split the previous one, split direction alternates between horizontal and vertical.
• 2columns: two vertical stacks of equally sized windows.
• 3columns: one main windows with two vertical stacks of windows.
• companion: each columns is made of one main window and one smaller window.
• autosplit: automatically choose between vsplit/hsplit depending on the focused windows (inspired by autotiling).

Parameters for each one of these layouts is detailed in the Layout section.

• Installation
  • Requirements
  • Installation with pip
  • Update with pip
• Running
• Configuration
  • Assigning a layout to a workspace
  • Switching layout
  • Moving windows inside the layout
  • Swapping windows
• Layouts
  • vstack
  • hstack
  • spiral
  • 2columns
  • 3columns
  • companion
  • autosplit
• Limitations

Installation

Requirements

Before installing i3-layouts be sure to have the following installed on your system:

• python >= 3.7
• xdotool
• i3wm or i3-gaps

Installation with pip

To install, simply use pip

$ pip install --user i3-layouts

Update with pip

To update, again use pip

$ pip install --user i3-layouts -U

Running

i3-layouts can be started from a terminal or better yet, launched from the i3 config file:

Configuration

Configuration is done directly in the i3 config file (usually $HOME/.config/i3/config).

i3-layouts reads the entire config file, filter all $i3l variables and keeps the associated values as configuration. Note that user defined variables can be used within $i3l variables, as they will be replaced by their own value.

Assigning a layout to a workspace

To assign a layout to a workspace, use the name of the layout as value for the $i3l variable, followed by its parameters and then the targeted workspace name.

Note that parameters are optional. However, if given, they must respect the order described in the Layouts section.

Syntax:

set $i3l [vstack|hstack|spiral|3columns|2columns|companion|autosplit] <param> ... to workspace [workspace name]

Standard layouts from i3 can also be used:

set $i3l [tabbed|splitv|splith|stacking] to workspace [workspace name]

Examples:

set $ws1 1
...
set $i3l vstack to workspace $ws1
set $i3l hstack 0.6 up to workspace $ws2
set $i3l spiral 0.6 to workspace $ws3
set $i3l 3columns 0.66 0.5 2 left to workspace $ws4
set $i3l 2columns right to workspace $ws5
set $i3l companion 0.3 0.4 up to workspace $ws6
set $i3l autosplit to workspace $ws7

Switching layout

It's also possible to dynamically switch the current workspace layout via the provided i3l command with the layout name and its parameters as argument.

• If a layout name is given, and windows are already present, they will be rearranged to match the selected layout.
• If none is i3l first argument, i3-layouts will stop managing the current workspace layout.

Syntax:

i3l [vstack|hstack|spiral|3columns|2columns|companion|autosplit|none] <param> ...

Examples:

Layout can also be switched with a key binding via i3l, for example:

bindsym $mod+s exec i3l vstack 0.6

Use notify-send after the previous command to receive a quick notification of the current layout:

bindsym $mod+s exec i3l vstack 0.6 && notify-send 'Layout vstack'

Moving windows inside the layout

By default, when moving windows, chances are their position will not match the selected layout. To keep windows within the layout possible positions, i3-layouts must manage all move command.

So instead of configuring i3 with something like:

bindsym $mod+j move left
bindsym $mod+k move down
bindsym $mod+l move up
bindsym $mod+semicolon move right

move commands can be forwarded to i3-layouts via i3l:

bindsym $mod+j exec i3l move left
bindsym $mod+k exec i3l move down
bindsym $mod+l exec i3l move up
bindsym $mod+semicolon exec i3l move right

With this configuration, if a move command is executed on a workspace managed by i3-layouts, the moved window will stay within the layout. If the workspace is not managed by i3-layout, i3-layout will forward the move command to i3

Swapping windows

Because i3-layout uses marks to keep track of container position, it must know about all swap commands occurring within a layout.

Like move commands, swap commands can be forwarded to i3-layouts via i3l:

bindsym $mod+s exec i3l swap container with mark <arg>

Note that currently, only the swap command with mark is implemented (so swap container with id <arg> or swap container with con_id <arg> will not work).

To swap the focused container with the previously focused one, a custom command is also provided:

bindsym $mod+p exec i3l swap container with previous

Layouts

Each layout accept some specific parameters. These parameters must be given is the order described below.

vstack

One main windows with a vertical stack of windows.

• main window ratio (float between 0 and 1, default 0.5): ratio of screen width used by the main window
• secondary stack position (right or left, default right): vertical stack position relative to the main window

hstack

One main windows with an horizontal stack of windows.

• main window ratio (float between 0 and 1, default 0.5): ratio of screen height used by the window stack
• secondary stack position (up or down, default down): horizontal stack position relative to the main window

spiral

Each new windows split the previous one, split direction alternates between horizontal and vertical.

• split ratio (float between 0 and 1, default 0.5): ratio of width or height used by the previous container at each split, the remaining is used by the new container.
• screen direction (inside or outside, default inside): whether new container should be added towards the inside of the screen or the outside.

2columns

Two vertical stacks of equally sized windows. New window position alternates between the first and second stack.

• first stack position (right or left, default left): first stack position relative to the second stack.

3columns

One main windows with two vertical stacks of windows.

• main window ratio [two columns] (float between 0 and 1, default 0.5): ratio of screen width used by the main window when only two columns are present
• main window ratio [three columns] (float between 0 and 1, default 0.5): ratio of screen width used by the main window when three columns are present. Width left is distributed equally between the second and third columns
• max number of row in the second columns (int, default 0): the third columns is created only when the second column reach this number of container. If 0 is given new container position alternate between the second and third columns.
• second column position (right or left, default right): second column position relative to the main window. Note that the third column will have the opposite position (if the second columns is on the left of the main window, the third one will be on the right of the main window)

companion

Each columns is made of one main window and one smaller window (called companion container below).

• odd companion ratio (float between 0 and 1, default 0.3): ratio of screen height used by the companion container for odd column index
• even companion ratio (float between 0 and 1, default 0.3): ratio of screen height used by the companion container for even column index
• companion position (up, down, alt-up, alt-down, default up): position of the companion container relative to the main window. alt-up and alt-down alternate this position for each column, starting respectively at up and down for the first column.

autosplit

Windows are automatically split either vertically or horizontally depending on the focused window dimension.

This layout has no parameters.

Limitations

• Redraw: when container are closed or moved between workspace, i3-layouts needs to reposition some if not all containers of a given workspace. i3-layouts use xdotool to simulate the recreation of these containers.
• Marks: to keep track of container position, i3-layouts use i3wm marks. More precisely, i3-layouts marks the first and last container of each workspace.