Re: Smooth scrolling

[Max Schwarz]

Am Freitag 02 April 2010 19:46:55 schrieb Dima Ryazanov:
> I would love this feature. I'm running Linux on a MacBook, and smooth
> scrolling is the one feature I miss from OS X.
Glad to hear someone else noticed it :-)

I started a repository on github (http://github.com/x-quadraht/pscroll)
and imported a few projects that might need to be changed.
But after becoming more familiar with the X.org architecture I realised
the fix actually might be quite small. I've already modified xorg-input-evdev 
to send exact relative wheel motions again, and report the resolution back to 
X.org. No change to X.org itself was required.

The applications can identify the right valuator via XI2 and get the 
resolution info.
So what's missing is support in frameworks like GTK/Qt, and the change of the 
synaptics input driver. The frameworks just need to detect the new valuator 
via XI2, and listen to the valuator events instead of the old button presses 
(which will still be sent out).

As I'm just finishing another project of mine, I won't have time for pscroll 
in the next two weeks, but after that at least a patch for firefox should be 
ready, as that is the most annoying occurance of clicky-scrolling for me. 
(firefox uses it's own scrolling system, not GTK's)

Max
___
xorg@lists.freedesktop.org: X.Org support
Archives: http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/xorg
Info: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/xorg

Smooth scrolling

[Max Schwarz]

Hi,

I'd like to make a proposal for mouse wheel handling.
Today's pointer devices often have the capability to get more
resolution on the mouse wheel velocity than the old click-by-click wheels.
For example, for an IBM TrackPoint user the EmulateWheel option is very nice,
but it's very disconcerting to see the screen move 3 lines at a time
instead of one smooth motion. Same behaviour with mouse wheel
emulation on touchpads.
I know that there are attempts to correct this on the client side (i.e. 
Firefox smooth-scrolling) but because of the missing resolution in Xinput 
events the clickety-feel remains.

I'm ready to put considerate effort into this issue, I just need someone with 
experience to tell me where to start.

I see two ways of improving the resolution:

1) Just send more axis up/down button events
This would break compability. Old software just expecting a few button "ticks" 
would suddenly scroll wildly.

2) Provide additional axis events with true resolution

I realize that the GUI frameworks would also need work to make them use the 
new interface.

Thank you,
  Max Schwarz
___
xorg@lists.freedesktop.org: X.Org support
Archives: http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/xorg
Info: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/xorg