Fancyzones layout syncing

[brendanefro]

📝 Provide a description of the new feature

What is the expected behavior of the proposed feature? What is the scenario this would be used?

I have multiple computers with which I use Fancy Zones, It would be great to sync layout settings among them.

If you'd like to see this feature implemented, add a 👍 reaction to this post.

[dedavis6797]

Good feedback, we've received similar requests for all PowerToys settings to be synced between devices. @SeraphimaZ in the meantime while we plan out this functionality, could a user export their settings.json file to other devices and get the same layout configurations? Or is this a more involved process?

[SeraphimaZykova]

The settings.json with FancyZones settings could be copied as it is.
Regarding layout settings, it's more complicated. We need to figure out how to bind layouts with the new configuration and probably include some additional data in the zones-settings.json. Currently, each layout is bind with the monitor id, monitor resolution, and virtual desktop id. Those parameters would be different on the other configuration.

[franky920920]

Related: #3381

[cschonewill]

The settings.json with FancyZones settings could be copied as it is. Regarding layout settings, it's more complicated. We need to figure out how to bind layouts with the new configuration and probably include some additional data in the zones-settings.json. Currently, each layout is bind with the monitor id, monitor resolution, and virtual desktop id. Those parameters would be different on the other configuration.

One idea is that rather than tangling with the issue described around persistency is just allowing custom layout options to be exportable/importable elsewhere. Users could then select and setup from there. That's the rework that most of us who have suggested this would like to get around when we build custom workflows. The data of which screens and virtual desktops is a mess to deal with, but layouts that have been carefully made should hopefully be more portable and a user would simple re-assign them based on their other setup. For that, since resolutions and aspect ratios can differ as well, having layouts be percentage based rather than pixel based (or setting a toggle for this behiavor more likely) would help with the transportability. This would get most of us what we want I believe while also (I presume) being far easier to implement.

[cinnamon-msft]

/dup #3381

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

Hi! We've identified this issue as a duplicate of another one that already exists on this Issue Tracker. This specific instance is being closed in favor of tracking the concern over on the referenced thread. Thanks for your report!