A defined desktop for an app

Hi,
I wonder if we can set a desktop for an app to be opened only on that. I mean, creating "desktop groups", like all apps in a defined "productivity apps group" should open in Desktop 2.

Let me explain it: Let's have three desktops called "Work", "Multimedia" and "Games". When I start Quick Time, I want it to be run in Multimedia desktop. Whether I start it from Multimedia or from one of the other two.
Likewise, if I determine MS Word to be opened in desktop "Work", it should open in Work desktop and it should not matter whatever desktop I start it from.

Can we do this? This came to my mind when I wanted to check my mails while I was watching a movie in fullscreen mode. Not a big deal, but I think it can come handy in many situations.

I also wonder if it is possible to make an icon appear only in one desktop. Right now, I have 2 desktops and whatever I put in Desktop 1, it is also in Desktop 2.

As long as are running OS X Snow Leopard or newer, launch an application. Right click on the icon in the dock and look at the Options sub-menu and there you'll see Assign To which lists all the desktops you have. Assign the application to whatever desktop you've deemed to be Work or Multimedia or Games and it will move there and now will launch on that desktop every time after..

From your description of what you want to do, I am not sure you are using the correct terminology. If you are watching a movie in fullscreen mode and go to another desktop to read mail, you WILL NOT see the movie. It will be running, but you won't see it because you have changed desktops.

If by "desktop" you mean "monitor" in that you have more than one display, and want to open mail in a second monitor while watching a movie on a different monitor, that can be sort-of done, but you cannot be fullscreen on the movie. Right now if you go fullscreen in a dual-monitor system the second monitor goes to a blank desktop. But if you want to watch a movie in "almost" full screen, you can drag the edges of the video display to very near the edges of one desktop and then still have mail open in the second desktop and read it while the movie is playing in "almost full screen" on the original.

Hope that helps and doesn't confuse.

EDIT: Rumor has it that Mavericks may be able to do fullscreen on one and something else on the other, but until it comes out we won't know. I hope it does!

MacInWin said:

EDIT: Rumor has it that Mavericks may be able to do fullscreen on one and something else on the other, but until it comes out we won't know. I hope it does!

Click to expand...

That isn't a rumor but was demonstrated by Apple already and is a feature I'm REALLY looking for to. Basically the two monitors can be decoupled from each other so that they can be independently scrolled and so on either in full-screen mode or not..

Right now, with my dual monitors, I have to keep the spaces in sync to ensure that the apps scroll together properly..

Thanks for the answers.
I opened the thread before doing a search, and I'm sorry I took your time. But I was not aware that could be done.
But can I have different desktop icons in different desktops? Raz0rEdge's method is useful for the apps, but I couldn't do the same for the icons (App shortcuts and documents - pardon my Windows terminology). I like to keep my files which I am still working on on the desktop. I move them to their folders after I finish them.

@MacInWin, I mean the desktops. I don't have monitors. Actually, what I want is to treat these desktops (which I can see in Mission Control) as workspaces (Maybe that's really what they are called?).
So, I do my translation business in second workspace (called Desktop 2), videos in third (Desktop 3) and surfing and other internet stuff in the first one.

From what I know you cannot assign desktop icons to different desktops, they are shared across all desktops.

OK, good description of what you want to do. Thanks.