How to force a 2×2 layout for 4 windows in AeroSpace?

[Osman-bin-nasir]

Hi,

When I have 4 windows open, I want a consistent 2×2 grid:

[ 1 | 2 ]
[ 3 | 4 ]

But using layout, flatten-workspace-tree, and join-with, I get uneven layouts like 1 + 1 + 2.

Is there a deterministic way to achieve a proper 2×2 layout?

[Osman-bin-nasir]

Config

after-login-command = []
after-startup-command = []
start-at-login = true


enable-normalization-flatten-containers = true
enable-normalization-opposite-orientation-for-nested-containers = true
accordion-padding = 0
default-root-container-layout = 'tiles'
default-root-container-orientation = 'auto'

# Center mouse on focus change
on-focused-monitor-changed = ['move-mouse monitor-lazy-center']

automatically-unhide-macos-hidden-apps = true 

# ---------------------------------------------------------
# 🧩 SketchyBar Integration (updates bar when workspace changes)
# ---------------------------------------------------------
exec-on-workspace-change = [
  '/bin/bash', 
  '-c', 
  'sketchybar --trigger aerospace_workspace_change FOCUSED_WORKSPACE=$AEROSPACE_FOCUSED_WORKSPACE PREV_WORKSPACE=$AEROSPACE_PREV_WORKSPACE && ~/.config/sketchybar/plugins/update_workspace_icons.sh'
]

# ---------------------------------------------------------
# ⌨️ Key Mapping and Gaps
# ---------------------------------------------------------
[key-mapping]
preset = 'qwerty'

[gaps]
inner.horizontal = 8
inner.vertical = 8
outer.top = 10
outer.bottom = 5
outer.left = 5
outer.right = 5

# ---------------------------------------------------------
# 🧭 Main Keybindings
# ---------------------------------------------------------
[mode.main.binding]

# 🌐 App Launch Shortcuts
alt-b = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/Brave\\ Browser.app'   # Browser
alt-c = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/Cursor.app'            # Editor
alt-i = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/Ghostty.app'           # Terminal
alt-s = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/Slack.app'
alt-d = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/Discord.app'
alt-w = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/Obsidian.app'
alt-n = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/Notion.app'
alt-a = 'exec-and-forget open -a /Applications/ChatGPT.app'
alt-shift-r = ['exec-and-forget /opt/homebrew/bin/sketchybar --reload']

# 🪟 Layout Controls
alt-e = 'layout tiles horizontal vertical'      # Toggle between tile directions
alt-comma = 'layout accordion horizontal vertical'
alt-f = 'fullscreen'                            # Toggle fullscreen window
alt-y = ['focus right', 'join-with down', 'layout tiles horizontal']

# 🔄 Focus Movement (Vim style)
alt-h = 'focus left'
alt-j = 'focus down'
alt-k = 'focus up'
alt-l = 'focus right'

# 📦 Move Windows
alt-shift-h = 'move left'
alt-shift-j = 'move down'
alt-shift-k = 'move up'
alt-shift-l = 'move right'

# ↔️ Resize
alt-shift-minus = 'resize smart -50'
alt-shift-equal = 'resize smart +50'

# ---------------------------------------------------------
# 🧱 Workspace Management (Only 5)
# ---------------------------------------------------------
# Switch between 1–5
alt-1 = 'workspace 1'
alt-2 = 'workspace 2'
alt-3 = 'workspace 3'
alt-4 = 'workspace 4'
alt-5 = 'workspace 5'

# Move focused window to workspace 1–5
alt-shift-1 = 'move-node-to-workspace 1'
alt-shift-2 = 'move-node-to-workspace 2'
alt-shift-3 = 'move-node-to-workspace 3'
alt-shift-4 = 'move-node-to-workspace 4'
alt-shift-5 = 'move-node-to-workspace 5'

# 🧭 Workspace switching
alt-tab = 'workspace-back-and-forth'                      # Jump to last workspace
alt-shift-tab = 'move-workspace-to-monitor --wrap-around next'

# 🔧 Utility
alt-shift-semicolon = 'mode service'                      # Enter service mode

# ---------------------------------------------------------
# 🧰 Service Mode (advanced commands)
# ---------------------------------------------------------
[mode.service.binding]
esc = ['reload-config', 'mode main']                      # Reload config
r = ['flatten-workspace-tree', 'mode main']               # Reset layout
f = ['layout floating tiling', 'mode main']               # Toggle floating
backspace = ['close-all-windows-but-current', 'mode main']

alt-shift-h = ['join-with left', 'mode main']
alt-shift-j = ['join-with down', 'mode main']
alt-shift-k = ['join-with up', 'mode main']
alt-shift-l = ['join-with right', 'mode main']

# ---------------------------------------------------------
# 🎯 App Auto-Assignment (on window open)
# ---------------------------------------------------------
[[on-window-detected]]
if.app-id ='com.brave.Browser'
run = ['move-node-to-workspace 1']

[[on-window-detected]]
if.app-id ='com.mitchellh.ghostty'
run = ['move-node-to-workspace 2']

[[on-window-detected]]
if.app-id ='com.todesktop.230313mzl4w4u92'
run = ['move-node-to-workspace 3']

[[on-window-detected]]
if.app-id ='notion.id'
run = ['move-node-to-workspace 4']

[[on-window-detected]]
if.app-id ='md.obsidian'
run = ['move-node-to-workspace 4']

[[on-window-detected]]
if.app-id ='com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap'
run = ['move-node-to-workspace 5']

[[on-window-detected]]
if.app-id ='com.hnc.Discord'
run = ['move-node-to-workspace 5']

# ---------------------------------------------------------
# 🖥️ Monitor assignment (optional)
# ---------------------------------------------------------
[workspace-to-monitor-force-assignment]
1 = 'main'
2 = 'main'
3 = 'main'
4 = 'main'
5 = 'main'

[Osman-bin-nasir]

[iandol]

This takes me a few seconds: my terminal kitty is bound to ⌥enter and join-with left bound to ⌥⇦

• ⌥enter  ×  4 — focus is on rightmost window [ ][ ][ ][*]
• ⌥⇦ join-with left so focus window and left neighbour become joined (=represents two windows on top of each other): [ ][ ]=
• ⌥H to move focus to second window: [ ][*]=
• ⌥⇦ join-with left so we now hove 2x2 layout ==

A tool like BetterTouchTool could automate this key sequence for you...

[Osman-bin-nasir]

This worked for me, thanks!

I automated the key sequence into a single shortcut in AeroSpace:

alt-g = [
'flatten-workspace-tree',
'layout tiles horizontal',
'focus right',
'focus right',
'focus right',
'join-with left',
'focus left',
'join-with left',
'balance-sizes'
]