Monocle

All windows occupy the full screen area, stacked on top of each other. Only the focused window is visible. Perfect for distraction-free work.

Layout

Any window count

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                      [focused window]                     │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
│                                                           │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Other windows are hidden behind the focused window.

Every window gets the same position and size. The focused window sits on top.

Capabilities

• Adjustable ratio: No
• Adjustable main count: No
• Stateful: No

Navigation

Since windows overlap completely, directional focus does not work. Use next and prev to cycle through windows:

spoon.Shoji:bindHotkeys({
  focus_next = { { "ctrl", "alt" }, "n" },
  focus_prev = { { "ctrl", "alt" }, "p" },
})

When to use

Monocle layout is ideal for:

• Focus mode when distractions need to disappear
• Writing, reading, or single-task work
• Presentations and demos
• Temporary maximum screen real estate

Monocle vs macOS native fullscreen

Aspect	Shoji Monocle	macOS Full Screen
Menu bar	Visible	Hidden
Dock	Visible	Hidden
macOS Space	Normal	Dedicated
Window switching	Focus hotkeys	Mission Control
Animation	None	Slide animation

Shoji monocle is instant and keeps the familiar macOS Space. macOS native fullscreen creates a separate macOS Space with hidden UI.

Picture-in-picture

Toggle individual windows to floating for overlays:

spoon.Shoji:bindHotkeys({
  toggle_float = { { "ctrl", "alt", "shift" }, "t" },
})

A floating window appears on top of the monocle layout. Useful for video calls, documentation, or reference material.

Edge-to-edge monocle

By default, gaps apply to monocle windows too. For true edge-to-edge, use the Gaps modifier:

local Modifiers = require("layouts.modifiers")
local Gaps = require("layouts.modifiers.gaps")
local Monocle = require("layouts.monocle")

local trueMonocle = Modifiers.wrap(Monocle, Gaps.create({
  inner = 0,
  outer = 0,
}), {
  name = "true-monocle",
  displayName = "True Monocle",
})

spoon.Shoji:configure({
  layouts = { trueMonocle },
})