Zones and layouts: split a monitor into virtual monitors
The model
Section titled “The model”- A zone is a rectangle on one monitor that behaves like its own monitor. It is stored as fractions of the screen (left, top, right, bottom from 0 to 1), so it scales to any resolution.
- A layout is a named set of zones, for example
25% | 50% | 25%. - Layouts are per monitor. Each screen has its own list of layouts, its own Current Layout, its own Enabled switch and its own Cover taskbar setting. See Multiple monitors.
- Layouts can be any grid, not just columns. Rows, quads and L-shapes are all possible in the layout editor.
Built-in layouts
Section titled “Built-in layouts”Every newly detected monitor gets these four layouts:
| Name | Zones | Example on 5120×1440 |
|---|---|---|
50% | 50% |
Two equal columns | 2560 + 2560 |
33% | 33% | 33% |
Three equal columns | about 1707 each |
25% | 50% | 25% |
Narrow side columns, wide center | 1280 + 2560 + 1280 |
100% |
One zone covering the whole screen | 5120 |
100% is active on every new monitor. A single full-screen zone behaves exactly like plain Windows, so connecting a monitor never rearranges your windows by surprise. Choose a split layout to start using zones.
The built-ins are ordinary layouts: you can edit, rename or delete them. Restore Defaults in the editor adds back any that are missing, and never overwrites a layout with the same name.
Switching layouts
Section titled “Switching layouts”The layout changes on the screen selected in the main window (its tab):
- the Current Layout dropdown in the main window,
- tray icon → Layout → pick one (the active layout is checked),
- Ctrl+Alt+C, which cycles to the next layout and wraps around.
If confinement is running, it restarts on the new layout straight away. Any shared zones on that screen are closed.
Zone numbers
Section titled “Zone numbers”Zones are numbered in reading order: top to bottom, then left to right. Zone 1 is always the top-left zone. These are the numbers used by Share Zone and its hotkeys, and in the editor’s zone table.
Work area vs Cover taskbar
Section titled “Work area vs Cover taskbar”By default zones divide the monitor’s work area, which is the screen minus the taskbar. Confined and snapped windows never go under the taskbar.
Turn on Cover taskbar for a screen to make its zones divide the full monitor instead. The Windows taskbar is always on top, so it still draws over the bottom strip unless you set it to auto-hide (Windows Settings → Personalization → Taskbar → Taskbar behaviors → Automatically hide the taskbar).
When there are no layouts
Section titled “When there are no layouts”If you delete every layout on a screen, the dropdown shows No layouts, the Start button becomes Add (which opens the editor), and that screen is not confined.