Infinite canvas window manager for Windows. Shows live DWM thumbnails of all open windows on a pannable, zoomable canvas -- including windows on other virtual desktops.
demo_hq.mp4
WinCanvas is a lightweight window switcher and virtual desktop manager for Windows 10/11 that gives you a live bird's-eye view of every open window -- across all virtual desktops -- on a single zoomable canvas. Think of it as an Expose/Mission Control experience for Windows: hit Ctrl+Space from any app, see everything at once, click to jump. Unlike traditional alt-tab replacements or taskbar tools (PowerToys, AltSnap, TaskSwitchXP), WinCanvas renders real-time DWM thumbnails on an infinite canvas you can pan and zoom freely, with instant search and cross-desktop navigation -- no window moves, no layout presets, no configuration.
What sets WinCanvas apart is pin mode: press F1 on any thumbnail to zoom it to full size and punch a transparent hole through the canvas directly into the live application underneath. You interact with the real window -- type, click, scroll -- without ever leaving the canvas. No other Windows task switcher or window manager does this.
- Windows 10 / 11 with DWM enabled (default)
- Rust toolchain
cargo build --release
Binary: target\release\wincanvas.exe
| Action | Input |
|---|---|
| Toggle canvas | Ctrl+Space (global hotkey) |
| Pan | Right-click drag |
| Zoom | Scroll wheel |
| Switch to window | Left-click thumbnail |
| Search | Type to filter by title |
| Clear search / hide | Escape |
| Pin / focus window | F1 |
| Exit pin mode | Escape or F1 |
src/
main.rs Win32 message loop, hotkeys, VDM desktop switching, pin mode
canvas.rs Pan/zoom/inertia, grid layout, hit testing
thumbnails.rs Window enumeration (EnumWindows), DWM thumbnail lifecycle
render.rs Direct2D / DirectWrite rendering
search.rs Case-insensitive title filtering
Uses the DWM Thumbnail API for live hardware-accelerated previews, Direct2D for chrome, and IVirtualDesktopManager for cross-desktop window navigation.