Visual Effects

Aqueous applies visual policy in the compositor after layout geometry is resolved. The default build uses Aqueous’s Vulkan effects backend for backdrop blur and rounded corners. Opacity and workspace-transition policy are configured independently in wm.toml; see the wm.toml reference for every accepted key.

Backdrop blur

[blur]
enabled = true
radius = 10
passes = 8
noise = 0.0
contrast = 1.0
brightness = 1.0
vibrancy = 0.0
vibrancy_darkness = 0.0

Higher radius and pass counts produce a stronger blur and require more render work. noise adds stable screen-space grain; contrast and brightness use 1.0 as neutral; vibrancy and vibrancy_darkness control saturation. Set enabled = false when you want to remove blur work entirely.

Global blur is the capability switch. Rules decide which matching window or layer-shell surface receives it:

[[window]]
app_id = "mpv"
layout = "monocle"
blur = false

[[layer]]
namespace = "waybar"
blur = true
blur_popups = true

blur_popups takes effect only when the matching layer has blur = true. See Window Rules for matching and ordering details.

Window opacity

Use one stable opacity for every window:

[opacity]
enabled = true
value = 0.94
focus_sensitive = false

Or make focus visually clearer:

[opacity]
enabled = true
focus_sensitive = true
focused = 1.0
unfocused = 0.90

All opacity values are fractions from 0.0 (transparent) through 1.0 (opaque). When focus_sensitive = true, focused and unfocused are applied per window; otherwise Aqueous uses value.

A matching rule’s opacity takes precedence over the global or focus-sensitive value:

[[window]]
app_id = "mpv"
layout = "monocle"
opacity = 1.0

Remember that window rules currently require an explicit layout and that a matched rule selects that layout for the output/workspace.

Workspace transitions

[workspace_transition]
enabled = true
rate = 0.0

rate = 0.0 selects the compiled default. A larger positive value makes the slide settle more quickly. Window-placement and workspace animations can be compiled out entirely with -Danimations=false; configuration cannot enable an effect that is absent from the build.

Rounded corners

Vulkan-effects builds apply a fixed 12-pixel corner radius to normal window content and borders. Fullscreen content remains square. There is currently no TOML key for changing the radius; builds with -Dvulkan-effects=false use square corners.