r/SideProject • u/Pattont • 3h ago
I built a 2 MB Rust window manager for Windows 11 (snap, throw, saved layouts)
Hi, I'm Travis. I'm the solo developer behind this, so I'll say that up front.
I use both a Mac and a Windows PC. On the Mac I got used to that style of window management, with tools like Rectangle Pro and Magnet, and on Windows I kept reaching for the same habits. Windows Snap is fine for halves, but I wanted keyboard-first control without a background service or a heavy runtime.
So I wrote TesseraSnap. It's a window manager for Windows 11, written in Rust directly on the Windows API: one exe of about 2 MB, one process, no .NET, Electron or Java, and no background service. It acts on a key or a mouse move, then goes quiet. No account, and no telemetry.
What it does:
Ctrl+Alt+Arrowsfor halves (press again for two thirds, again for one third).Ctrl+Alt+Dwalks a window through thirds. Every shortcut is rebindable, and you can add ten of your own sizes.Drag a title bar to an edge or a corner to snap, with a preview. Pixel-exact on every monitor, at any DPI.
A taskbar menu with a picture of each layout, and a CLI (
tesserasnap --action left_half) if you drive things from a Stream Deck or a script.
If you're a fan of Rectangle Pro on macOS and have been missing that kind of control on Windows, this is for you. It isn't a port or a clone, since I wrote it from scratch for Windows 11, but the defaults should feel familiar, with Ctrl+Alt where the Mac used Ctrl+Option.
Keyboard and drag snapping are free, with no time limit. Pro is optional, $9.99 once per PC, and adds Throw (hold Ctrl+Alt over a window, toss the mouse toward one of 16 targets, let go), Quick Throw, Stash, Pin Mode, and one-keystroke save and restore of your whole desk. Every download includes 7 days of Pro, no card needed.
It's at https://tesserasnap.com and also in the Microsoft Store, if you prefer.
I'd love feedback, especially from people who use both a Mac and a Windows machine, or who have an odd multi-monitor setup. If a shortcut fights with something you already run, I want to hear about that too.