Desktop Software · KDE Plasma 6 · C++ / KWin / Qt
Tessera.
Multi-Screen Window Placement Affinity for KDE Plasma 6
The problem & workflow requirements.
On vertically stacked multi-monitor setups in KDE Plasma 6, windows snapped near the bottom edge of the upper display could unintentionally slip onto the screen below during animated window transitions or geometry recalculations. This created frustrating layout jumps for developers working across multiple physical displays.
Technical decisions and design.
Tessera introduces explicit output affinity tracking keyed by window ID. It hooks into KWin's window management events to guard screen assignment during active animations. Native shortcut configuration integrates directly into KDE's system settings dialog, allowing users to define grid ratios, cycle windows across displays, and preserve workspace geometry.
Deliberate engineering choices.
To guarantee zero flickering on X11, the script prioritizes placement stability over rapid fractional animation. It relies on standard KWin APIs rather than intrusive daemon hooks, ensuring it runs safely in user-space without elevated permissions.
What is real vs. simulated.
Released v1.0.2 open-source software. The release notes report 452 unit tests, 25 simulation traces, and verified live X11 multi-screen testing across 3 physical displays. Wayland dynamic hotplug remains a separate deferred test.