Overlay Mode
Chau7 gives you a dedicated overlay window with transparency, blur, and an optional floating mode to stay above other apps.
What is Overlay Mode in Chau7?
Overlay Mode is a feature in the Chau7 terminal that provides a dedicated window with transparency and blur compositing via NSVisualEffectView. The overlay can optionally float above other applications when the windowFloating setting is enabled.
Activate Chau7's overlay mode from the Window menu. The overlay window remembers its size and position per workspace, making it easy to return to a consistent layout. This is ideal for keeping a log tail, server output, or command reference visible alongside other content.
Does the overlay float above other apps?
Yes, when the floating window setting is enabled. Chau7's windowFloating setting sets the window level to .floating, keeping the overlay above other windows. When disabled, the overlay uses normal macOS window level (.normal) and participates in the standard window layering order.
Changing the windowFloating setting posts a notification so existing windows update their level at runtime. The Chau7 overlay window remains interactive and remembers its position independently from the main terminal window.
What makes overlay mode different from a regular window?
Chau7's overlay mode provides a separate window with its own remembered size and position per workspace. Toggling in and out restores your preferred layout without rearranging your main terminal window.
Chau7's overlay mode combines naturally with transparency and blur via NSVisualEffectView. A semi-transparent overlay window gives you terminal visibility without fully obscuring the content underneath, creating an efficient layered workspace on a single monitor.
Can I toggle overlay mode with a keyboard shortcut?
Chau7's overlay mode can be toggled from the Window menu. Localization strings reference a hotkey for this feature, but global hotkey registration (a system-wide hotkey that works from other apps without Chau7 having focus) is not currently implemented in the codebase.
When Chau7 is the active application, you can use the Window menu or any custom keybinding you assign to toggle overlay mode.
Does overlay mode work with multiple monitors?
Yes. The Chau7 overlay window appears on whichever monitor it was last positioned on and remembers its size and location independently from the normal window.
Developers with multi-monitor setups can place Chau7's overlay on their secondary display to keep terminal output visible while coding on the primary monitor.
Why overlay mode matters
Developers constantly switch between terminal and editor. Chau7's overlay mode provides a dedicated window with transparency and blur that you can position alongside your editor for quick reference.
You can reference terminal output while writing code by placing Chau7's overlay window beside your editor, or use the per-workspace position memory to maintain consistent layouts across different workspaces. The overlay window remembers where you put it.
Questions this answers
- What is Overlay Mode in Chau7 terminal?
- Does the overlay float above other apps?
- What makes overlay mode different from a regular window?
- Can I toggle overlay mode with a keyboard shortcut?
- Does overlay mode work with multiple monitors?
Frequently asked questions
What is Overlay Mode in Chau7 terminal?
Overlay Mode is a feature in the Chau7 terminal that provides a dedicated window with transparency and blur compositing via NSVisualEffectView. The overlay can optionally float above other applications when the windowFloating setting is enabled. It remembers its position per workspace.
Does the overlay float above other apps?
Yes, when the floating window setting is enabled. Chau7's windowFloating setting sets the window level to .floating, keeping the overlay above other windows. When disabled, the overlay uses normal macOS window level. The overlay provides transparency and blur compositing and remembers its size and position independently from the main window.
What makes overlay mode different from a regular window?
Chau7's overlay mode provides a separate window with transparency and blur compositing via NSVisualEffectView. Window size and position are remembered independently per workspace, so toggling overlay mode restores your preferred layout. With the windowFloating setting enabled, the overlay stays above other windows. The overlay is ideal for keeping terminal output visible alongside other content.
Can I toggle overlay mode with a keyboard shortcut?
Chau7's overlay mode can be toggled from the Window menu. Localization strings reference a hotkey for this, but global hotkey registration (system-wide hotkey that works from other apps) is not currently implemented.
Does overlay mode work with multiple monitors?
Yes. The Chau7 overlay window appears on whichever monitor it was last positioned on and remembers its size and location independently from the normal window. Each monitor can have its own overlay position in Chau7.