Saving and reloading window groups

Kerry

Hi,

If I set up a group of windows in certain locations, is there a way of saving those windows/locations, closing them, and reloading the group with their locations later?

Is it possible to do this without programming? Through the OS or an app?

Thanks,
Kerry

Peter_NZ

Not with UWP based forms. With a UWP application you can't position the Window at all. However, with a Unity or DirectX application you can pop-up a 2D Window based on location (e.g. near an Anchor) but you have still to manually place the form.

Kerry

Maybe I should explain the use case that is on my mind. I'm imagining a situation where I get some things set up around my desk for a particular activity. And then I'd like to task switch and set up windows or apps in a different configuration. It would be great to be able to close one group of related things in my (physical) environment and quickly open up another group of related things into my (physical) environment. Is it possible to do this somehow? Is there any existing functionality anywhere built already?

Am I asking this question in the correct forum?

Thanks!

jbienzms

From what you've written, it sounds like you're talking about how you have your workspace setup (also sometimes referred to as the shell). Where you've placed 2D apps, holograms, and placeholders for 3D apps.

And it sounds like you're wanting a feature like desktop switching in Windows 10.

If we're talking about the same thing, then this layout information is stored in what the HoloLens refers to as "Spaces". You can find these in Settings -> System -> Spaces.

Spaces are closely tide to both the shape of the room(s) you are in as well as the visible Wifi access points nearby. When you go to a radically different place with different room shapes and different access points nearby, a new Space is automatically created for you. When you return to a place you've been before, the HoloLens tries to recognize that place based on the shape of the room(s) and the access points nearby and tries to load the best one. It's really good at this.

Using the Settings app, you can force the HoloLens to load a particular Space. When you do, it will try to align that Space to your world. So, theoretically, if you could get the HoloLens to create two Spaces for the same room, you could manually switch between them.

Unfortunately there are some challenges with this:

1. There is currently no way to force a new Space to be created. They are only created automatically when the system determines you are in a new place.
2. Even if two Spaces were created for the same room, since the shape of the room and the nearby access points are the same, it would probably seem random which Space the system chose to load on boot. (You could manually switch it.)
3. It's not clear to me what happens to running applications when you force a Space change. I'm assuming running apps get suspended and then shut down. You'd have to play with this.

So, the long answer to your question is that it's technically possible but it's not a use case that is fully designed into the OS at this stage.