A music video using Ubuntu’s desktop effects. (The cool stuff happens about 50 seconds in.) This would make a good ad for ubuntu just like that ipod touch commercial.

Related Article: Desktop Effects Part 1

To enable an effect go to System> Preferences> Appearance> Visual Effects> Custom: Preferences.

Desktop Cube and Rotate Cube display your workspaces on the sides of a cube.

You need at least four workspaces to make a cube. Go to the bottom right of the screen to the workplace switcher. Right click in a box, select Preferences, and enter 4 or higher in the columns field.

Rotate the cube by pressing Ctrl+Alt+left or right arrow. To view the cube, hold Ctrl+Alt+left mouse button and then move the mouse.

Having multiple workspaces can be useful when you are multi-tasking. For example, one workspace can be used for internet browsing, another for word processing and another for image editing. It can help organize your work.

Edge allows you to view thumbnails of all your workspaces.

Press the windows start button (between Ctrl and Alt) + e to zoom in and out.

Shift Switcher allows you to switch between open applications of the same desktop. (Similar to Alt+Tab)

Press Shift+Start+S to start shift switcher and use the left and right arrow to move between applications.

Paint Fire on Screen allows you to paint with a fiery brush. To use it press Shift+Start+left mouse button. To erase, Shift+Start+C.

Water Effect makes your screen look like the surface of water. To turn it on press Shift+F9.

Ubuntu offers three levels of desktop effects: none, normal and extra. Ubuntu recommends at least a 1.2ghz processor, 256mb of ram, 8gb of hard drive, and a compatible video card. To change your settings go to System> Preferences> Appearance> Visual Effects.

The three levels are preset and you cannot choose specifically which effects to enable or disable. To further customize desktop effects, you need to enable the compiz fusion settings manager. Go to Applications> Accessories> Terminal. At the prompt, type the following.

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Then press enter.

Now under the visual effects tab, a new option: Custom appears.

By selecting Preferences, you can enable or disable specific effects. Look under the actions tab to see keyboard/mouse shortcuts that activate and control the effect.

Part 2 describes specific desktop effects.