AT Mac Dock has undergone many revisions since over time. It started life as a basic 2D dock that was flat and slightly translucent, then turned into a 3D view with Leopard . FROM OS X Yosemite the dock is back in 2D view. If you like the 3D look and feel and want to try it out in OS X Yosemite or later, or if you have an OS with a 3D design and want a 2D look, you can switch between the two Dock views.
Here’s a look at the evolution of the Dock and how to switch between 2D and 3D appearance using Terminal or the third-party cDock utility.
The information in this article applies to Macs running OS X Leopard and later OS X and macOS.
Dock evolution
OS X Cheetah introduced the docking station, bringing a distinct look and feel to the Mac desktop. It was a basic 2D dock with the original Aqua pinstripe interface elements introduced in the first version of OS X. Doc has changed a bit through Puma, Jaguar, Panther and Tiger, but has remained 2D.
With the advent of OS X Leopard, the Dock has undergone a drastic change with a three-dimensional, reflective look. The Dock icons looked like they were standing on a ledge. The 3D image continued through Snow Leopard Leo, mountain lion and Mavericks . With OS X Yosemite came the return of the flat 2D dock that was left over El Capitan , Sierra High Sierra, mojave and Catalina .
Use the terminal to apply a 2D effect to the dock
Use this trick in the terminal with OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks Docks, which currently have a 3D look.
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From folders Utilities run Terminal . Or enter Terminal in Spotlight Search.
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Type the following command line into the terminal. Copy and paste the command, or type it exactly as shown on one line of text.
по умолчанию напишите com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean ДА
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Click return .
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Enter the following text into the terminal. If you’re typing text instead of copying and pasting it, make sure it matches the case of the text.
док док
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Click return .
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The dock will disappear for a moment and then reappear.
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Enter the following text into the terminal.
выход
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Click return . The terminal will end the current session.
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Close the Terminal application. Your Dock should now be back in 2D view.
Use the terminal to return to the 3D Dock effect
Use this trick terminal with OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion and Mavericks Docks, which currently look like 2D.
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From folders Utilities run Terminal . Or enter Terminal in Spotlight Search.
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Type the following command line into the terminal. Copy and paste the command, or type it exactly as shown on one line of text.
по умолчанию напишите com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean НЕТ
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Click return .
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Enter the following text into the terminal. If you’re typing text instead of copying and pasting it, make sure it matches the case of the text.
док док
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Click return .
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The dock will disappear for a moment and then reappear.
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Enter the following text into the terminal.
выход
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Click return . The terminal will end the current session.
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Close the Terminal application. Your dock should now be back in 3D view.
Use cDock to change 2D or 3D Dock Aspect
third party $5 app called cDock will change not only the 2D or 3D aspect of the Dock, but also provide quite a few other tweaks, including transparency controls, custom indicators, icon shadows, reflections, and more.
If you have OS X Yosemite, installing and using cDock is a simple process. However, for OS X El Capitan via macOS Catalina, installing cDock requires an additional step that involves disabling SIP (System Integrity Protection). This security measure prevents potentially malicious software from modifying protected resources on your Mac. While cDock is by no means malicious, the SIP security system prevents cDock’s Dock from being modified.
