# Visual Effects

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## What are visual effects?

Ubuntu includes special visual effects which are intended to make your desktop more fun and easier to use. These include translucent windows, 3D desktop capabilities, shadow effects, motion effects and animations.

Visual effects are enabled by default, but it is not necessary to have them turned on.

If visual effects are not enabled, your graphics card may not support them. Try turning them on manually to check if this is the case.

## Configuring visual effects

Press &desktop-effects; to change basic options relating to visual effects.

- Select None to provide a simple desktop environment without any effects.

- Select Normal to provide a good balance between attractiveness and performance.

- Select Extra to provide an aesthetically pleasing set of graphics.

When you select an option, it may take several seconds for the change to be applied. During this time, your screen may flicker briefly.

Once the settings have been applied, a dialog box will appear asking you to either keep the new settings or to revert to your previous settings. If you find that the new settings work correctly, then click Keep Settings. Otherwise click Use Previous Settings. If you do not select anything for 20 seconds the system will return to your previous settings.

## Using keyboard shortcuts with visual effects

Ubuntu includes extra Compiz plugins which provide extra functionality with certain keyboard combinations. Examples of these plugins are Application Switcher, Expo and Scale.

These extra plugins are explained in this section.

Some commands use the Super key, which is the Windows key on many keyboards.

### Application Switcher

The Application Switcher provides the same functionality as the traditional Gnome and KDE Alt+Tab switcher, but uses live window thumbnails to show its previews. You can use the Application Switcher to switch between windows of different contexts with different keybindings.

- To flip to the next window, press Alt Tab.

- To flip to the previous window, press Shift Alt Tab.

- To flip to the next window in all workspaces, press Ctrl Alt Tab.

- To flip to the previous window in all workspaces, press Shift Ctrl Alt Tab.

### Desktop Wall

The Desktop Wall is a lightweight alternative to the Desktop Cube plugin. It is used to change workspaces, has support for workspace previews and can use workspaces on the horizontal plane and the vertical plane. The Expo plugin works well with the Desktop Wall plugin.

- To navigate in the Desktop Wall, press Ctrl Alt with Up, Down, Left, or Right.

- To navigate in the Desktop Wall with a window, press Ctrl Shift Alt with Up, Down, Left, or Right.

### Enhanced Zoom Desktop

The Enhanced Zoom Desktop plugin allows the whole screen to be zoomed in for improved legibility. It is possible to continue working with other applications while zoomed in.

- To center the mouse on the screen, press Super C.

- To lock the zoom area (field of view) so it will not move to follow the mouse cursor, use Super 1.

- To resize the focused window so that it fills the field of view, press Super v.

- To adjust the zoom level so that the window fills the field of view, press Super r.

### Expo

By default, Expo is activated by moving the mouse cursor to the top-left corner of the screen, or by pressing Super E. This causes the viewport to zoom out until all viewports are scaled and visible on-screen in a grid formation, complete with all open windows.

### Negative

The Negative plugin provides immediate, high-contrast windows for the visually impaired by inverting the colors of individual windows, or all windows at once.

- To enable or disable Negative on the focused window, press Super n.

- To enable or disable Negative on the screen, press Super m.

### Viewport Switcher

The Viewport Switcher is used to switch workspaces via different keystrokes and buttons. You can use it with the middle mouse button on the desktop and by pressing a keybinding and selecting a workspace number.

- To move to the next workspace, press Button5 (Scroll up).

- To move to the previous workspace, press Button4 (Scroll down).

## Enabling extra effects

As well as the visual effects which are available by default, many additional effects are available. These range from effects intended to make it easier to use your computer, to ones which are just for fun.

To enable additional effects:

- Install the Advanced Desktop Effects Settings application.

- Click &compizconfig;.

- Check the box next to an effect to enable it.

- Click on an effect to change its settings.

## Common problems

If you experience problems when using visual effects, it is advisable to disable them by opening &desktop-effects; and selecting None.

- If you receive an error message saying that Visual effects could not be enabled, it is likely that your graphics driver does not currently support visual effects.

  In this case, you will not be able to use visual effects with your default graphics driver. However, you may be able to use a restricted driver instead.

- If your computer runs slowly, disabling visual effects may improve performance. Visual effects require more system resources, and so older or less powerful computers may not be able to cope with the extra load.

## Further information

- See the Compiz-Fusion documentation website for more information on advanced configuration of visual effects.