Saving the work environment

There are quite a few applications that allow this. https://macspencer.app/ https://getsnapstate.com/ https://github.com/SoulSniper-V2/SnapState https://www.warpmac.com/ https://shiftplus.app/ https://snapbackapp.com The last one is the one I'm using now.

Neat list, thanks! Archived in my notes, like this: Spencer - save your perfect workspace ($20) https://macspencer.app/ Snapstate - save and restore your macos workspace instantly (free) https://getsnapstate.com • https://github.com/SoulSniper-V2/SnapState Warp - automate saving and restoring windows ($7) https://www.warpmac.com/ ShiftPlus - switch workspaces in one click ($24) https://shiftplus.app/ Snapback - workspaces back in a snap (free) https://snapbackapp.com edit: any of the above apps appears to support multiple monitors.

+1 for snapbackapp

I see Snapback is free? How much RAM + CPU (+SSD space) does it take? And is it a single set state? Or do you setup every screen on its own? Does it remember screen setups for each desktop too in case you use multiple desktops that you switch between?

u/Strict_Course9552 He will probably be able to talk about his application better than I can. But yes, it's free, it consumes almost nothing, as you can see from my screenshot. It manages multi-screen [multi-écran] and remembers your screen configuration. However, it doesn't handle multiple windows [fenêtres] of the same application, but I believe no application is capable of doing so.

Yes ShiftPlus is great.

I’ve been developing and testing workspace saving in rcmd v3, I call it Stages. It has reached a level where I can use it daily, I’d love to hear if it does what you expect. Here’s a beta to try it: https://files.lowtechguys.com/rcmd-3.0.0b9.dmg Basically, press capslock+= and a Save Stage dialog will show the windows that get saved in the stage, their positioning etc. Next time you want to focus or reopen that stage, press capslock+assigned letter. You can also close a stage with capslock+minus, handy when you’re done working with those apps and want to cleanup. opening and positioning windows is still at the mercy of macOS inflexible window management APIs… things will work fine 80% of the time but fail frustratingly the rest of the time. rcmd does its best with smart retry logic and private APIs but macOS makes it impossible to have perfect window restoring

Take a look at Spencer. If you’re comfortable working with Lua scripts, you might also consider Hammerspoon, which is free and open-source.

I use Display Maid. Works across 2 screens I use and you can save all window positions across both screens so when you close apps and restart or restart the computer all windows are where they were before. Works a treat for my use.

Link? edit: Display Maid - save and restore window locations ($6) - https://funk-isoft.com/display-maid.html

Snaps of apps or Spencer

As mentioned, spencer does the job but its $20.

Wait, is one of those apps superior to others? Meaning, supporting multiple screens + and desktop setups?

It's not exactly what you're looking for (as you can't save a workspace), but if you haven't already I would also look into window management apps, such as aerospace. I have different workspaces set up that I can switch to using hotkeys and the window management features cause app windows to take up maximum space efficiently. I prefer it over floating windows, as they leave a lot of empty space.

Hey, Developer of Lattix here and it can help you out. I posted about 2.0 update here if you want to check it out

I use Rectangle to save different window configurations and Keyboard Maestro to trigger the Rectangle set up. So one click, and a half dozen apps open to their pre-ordained space and screen placement. KM is outstanding for so much more in terms of all sorts of automation.

I have the same workflow!

Stay by Cordless Dog is the original answer for this. Been around forever, does exactly what you describe (per-app window position and size, restored on launch). It hasn't seen much recent love but still works on current macOS. If you happen to use Moom already, its Save Layout snapshot feature covers a lot of the same ground without adding a second tool. Workspaces by Apperture is another option I haven't seen come up in this thread.

On a related note - I use multiple workspaces - generally about 10-12 which are organzied by project. So this means multiple iterm2, vscode and vivaldi browser windows. I guess I'm asking a lot, but is there anything in this genre that can help me restore those? Any suggestions appreciated - thank you.