Layouts🔗

Every workspace in Triad picks its own layout. Switch one without touching the others. Change layout mid-session with a binding or triad msg.

Selecting a Layout🔗

Define the cycle for switch-layout and add per-layout bindings in your config:

layout {
  layout-cycle "scroller" "tile" "monocle"
}

bindings {
  bind "Super+n"       "switch-layout"
  bind "Super+d"       "tile"
  bind "Super+g"       "grid"
  bind "Super+Ctrl+x"  "monocle"
}

Or switch at any time via IPC:

triad msg scroller
triad msg tile
triad msg switch-layout

Short layout IDs work in binds and IPC commands for Triad's built-in, bundled, and native layouts. Use names like notion, dwindle, center-tile, spiral, or i3 directly.

Scrolling🔗

Windows sit on an infinite horizontal or vertical strip. Navigation is scrolling, not switching.

Layout	Description	Model
`scroller`	Infinite horizontal strip. Windows scroll left and right past the screen edge.	Horizontal strip
`vertical-scroller`	Same as scroller, oriented vertically.	Vertical strip

Algorithmic🔗

The layout algorithm places all windows automatically. Windows reflow when others open or close. No manual splitting required.

Layout	Description	Model
`tile`	One master window takes a fixed portion; the rest stack on the other side.	Master-stack
`vertical-tile`	Master on top, stack below. Portrait orientation of tile.	Vertical master-stack
`right-tile`	Master on right, stack on left.	Mirrored master-stack
`center-tile`	Master centered; stack windows flank left and right.	Centered master-stack
`grid`	Windows fill equal-area cells. Adapts as windows open and close.	Grid
`vertical-grid`	Grid oriented vertically.	Vertical grid
`monocle`	One window fills the screen. Cycle through the rest.	Single-window view
`deck`	Master visible; others stacked behind as layers.	Master deck
`vertical-deck`	Deck oriented vertically.	Vertical deck
`spiral`	Each new window takes a ratio of the remaining space, spiraling inward.	Recursive split
`master`	Single master with a configurable number of stack windows.	Master-stack
`tgmix`	Shows windows from multiple tags under one layout.	Tag-mixed

BSP🔗

Each new window bisects the focused region. The tree grows automatically as windows open; you resize and rebalance after the fact.

Layout	Description	Model
`bsp`	New windows split the focused leaf automatically. Janet drives the geometry policy.	Automatic BSP
`bsp-tree`	Persistent binary partition tree. Triad owns insertion, preselection, directional focus, resize, and balance.	Native BSP
`dwindle`	New windows split the focused container and spiral inward.	Focused split

Frame-tree🔗

Persistent named frames exist independently of their contents. Build the frame structure first; windows fill it. Frames survive when empty.

Layout	Description	Model
`notion`	Janet geometry policy over Triad-owned persistent frames and tabs.	Frame policy
`frame-tree`	Persistent leaf frames hold tabs. Split nodes divide space. Empty frames survive.	Native frame tree

Split-tree🔗

You build the layout manually by splitting containers. Each container runs in split, tabbed, or stacked mode independently. The tree persists across window changes.

Layout	Description	Model
`i3`	Persistent split-tree container model. Triad owns splits, insertion, movement, resize, and restore.	Native split tree
`tabbed`	Windows stacked as tabs inside a split-tree container.	Tabbed container
`stacked`	Windows stacked vertically with visible titlebars inside a split-tree container.	Stacked container

Custom Layouts🔗

Need something Triad doesn't ship? Write it in Janet. Any layout you define becomes a first-class layout ID — usable in layout-cycle, workspace rules, and IPC commands. See Janet Scripting to get started.

Layout Switch Toast🔗

Triad can show a native centered toast whenever you change the layout of the active workspace.

Setting	Format	Description
`enabled`	`Bool`	Toggle the layout switch toast.
`timeout-ms`	`ms`	How long the toast remains visible.
`ring-color`	`Color`	Color of the layout indicator ring.

Example:

layout-switch-toast {
  enabled #true
  timeout-ms 1500
  ring-color "#7fc8ff"
}