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slug split-view
title Split-View Groups
summary Group 2–9 sessions into one tiled view with an i3-style N-ary layout, live reshape preview, and keyboard slot navigation.
related
graph-view
terminal-management
session-persistence
hotkeys-settings

Split-View Groups

What it is

Split view groups 2–9 sessions into a single composite screen showing all their terminals at once. Layouts are an i3-style N-ary tree: any nesting of rows and columns with adjustable weights — not a fixed grid. Groups persist across restarts and render in the graph as a single composite node tiling its members' snapshots.

How to create a group

  1. In the graph view, hold Cmd and click 2+ session nodes (click again to deselect; max 9).
  2. Either release Cmd to open the group with a default layout, or hold Cmd still for 1.5 s to pop up the live reshape preview modal first — arrange, then release Cmd to open.
  3. A single Cmd+click + release just focuses that session.

Reshaping

Hold Cmd still for 1.5 s while inside a split to reopen the preview modal seeded with the current arrangement (releasing Cmd applies it):

  • Drag a tile to another region to rearrange.
  • Drag a divider to resize; dividers snap to aligned edges (snap targets highlight).
  • Shift+drag a divider to move all aligned dividers together.
  • Add sessions to an existing group: the modal header shows a small clickable + button (mouse only — not a keyboard shortcut; Cmd++ is zoom). While still holding Cmd, click it to jump back to the graph, Cmd+click the extra sessions, then release Cmd to append them to the group.

Minimum pane weight is 8% of the axis, so nothing can be squeezed invisible.

Inside a split

  • Focus: click a pane, Cmd+1..9 jumps to slot N, Cmd+] / Cmd+[ cycles next/previous.
  • Borders: outer ring = status color (working amber / permission blue / finished green); inner ring = focus. Both visible independently.
  • A focused pane that turns finished keeps its green cue until you actually click or type in it — so you don't miss completions while staring at another pane.
  • Cmd+W returns to the graph. Esc is a no-op (it belongs to the terminals).
  • Settings → Spawn new sessions into current split makes Cmd+T add the new session to the active group instead of the graph.

Graph representation & persistence

  • The group appears as one larger node whose thumbnail mirrors the actual tiling, with per-member status borders; members vanish as individual nodes.
  • Cmd+click a composite node in the graph to dissolve it back into singles.
  • Groups are saved to split-groups.json and restored with the sessions they contain; members that weren't resumable are dropped, and a group reduced to one session dissolves.

Use cases

  • Watch an implementation session and its paired shell (test runner) side by side.
  • Monitor 4 parallel investigation sessions in a 2×2 without graph round-trips.
  • Keep a "mission control" group of long-running sessions across restarts.

Gotchas & tips

  • Only Claude/PTY sessions can join a group (not app panels).
  • While holding Cmd, pressing any non-Cmd key cancels the pending selection — deliberate, to avoid accidental modals while using Cmd-hotkeys.
  • If a session in a group exits, the layout reflows automatically to fit the remaining members.