Can ECB be restricted to "take over" only the current buffer when it's activated?

Question

From the get go: sorry if I'm not using the proper emacs terminology -- I'm relatively wet behind the ears in the emacs world.

Most of my work in emacs is for programming R, and I'm using ESS and ECB to do so quite happily. I'd like to build a custom ECB layout which uses the entire bottom of the screen as my R console, while putting some ECB-specific buffers on the left.

Using ECB-esque layout diagrams, I'd like my layout to look like pretty much exactly like "left13", except I'd like the entirety of the "compilation" buffer to be my running R console (or any shell, for that matter):

-------------------------------------------------------
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
| Directories  |                 Edit                 |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
|              |                                      |
-------------------------------------------------------
|                                                     |
|                    R Console                        |
|                                                     |
-------------------------------------------------------

If I can just split my buffer in two (vertically), then call ecb-activate from the top buffer (and not allow it to touch my bottom buffer), I'm imagining it could work (hence the subject of my question).

That doesn't work, though, and I don't know how to get an entier "bottom pane" out of a layout to work in the way I like using trying to use ECB's customize layout functionality.

Does anybody know if/how I can do this?

Answer 1

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: Unfortunately, ECB completely takes over Emacs "window" management at a very low level. So it's all or nothing. You can't comfortably combine it with regular window splitting. What you might be able to do, is to adjust the layout ECB gives you or to program a custom layout. (Some assembly required.)