WFX 2.89b beta on SDC

[Laurence "GreenReaper" Parry [Stardock]]

WindowFX 2.89 BETA [2/10/2006]
ODNT beta - DO NOT DISTRIBUTE
news://news.stardock.com/stardock.od.windows.windowfx
A component of ObjectDesktop.net
----------------------------------------

This beta build for WindowFX 3.0 is only 32-bit. Will rebuild
the x64 ones in future updates. Some of these features
were prototyped before we had seen Windows Vista.

Windows XP or later is required.

Major new features:
-Added support for use with WindowBlinds 5 per-pixel skins. You
need the latest WB5 beta build for that to work (5.00b or later).
-Added "swipe" animation (expect others like that)
-Added Expand/Reduce to desktop animations and transitions.
-Added taskbar thumbnails.
-Added previews to task switching
-Added previews for animations/drags/transitions (the
transitions preview window is supposed to be disconnected
from the main window, that's not a bug).
-Added improved support for window dragging animations
on dual-monitor systems (note: semi-trans window dragging
doesn't work with per-pixel skins)
-Shadows are disabled when used with a per-pixel skin (no point)
-Simplified (we hope) the UI
-Performance optimizations
-Right-mouse button and middle-mouse button clicks to tile
a window will not work with WB5 per-pixel skins.
-Most dedicated video cards from 2004 or later should be fine
with the various features. Integrated gpu chipsets? ...

2/10/06 13:38 102,400 wfx.dll
2/10/06 19:17 708,608 wfxload.exe

[Johan Karlborg]

Wonderful! I'm going to play with this until it breaks.

Nothing special so far, except random flaky behaviour where:

- Misdrawn graphics in the window when it first appeared.
- Window returned from minimized state in classic mode.

Little bits of this and that that can't be reproduced 100% of the times,
it's just...moody.

Aside that, it seems much faster, smoother and happier now than the previous
versions. And this on an Nvidia-card to boot.
( 7800GTX with 83.40 drivers)

[Johan Karlborg]

Just to add, I'm _very_ happy about the performance speed, and the taskbar
preview.

I almost wrote a bug report about the shadows and window dragging not
working, as a true user I was so eager to test it that I didn't read the
release notes first. This made me think, perhaps there could be a warning if
one enables the features and has a PPS skin in use? You know, for us user
retards to get the message? :)

[Johan Karlborg]

Just got my first big problem. Outlook Express restored from mimimized state
as only the PPS border, the title, title bar buttons and the program icon
for it, inside it was just transparent, no window at all. Minimize/Restore
did not work, closing the program and starting it again did.

Windows XP Pro Eng SP2+updates
1600x1200x32
Nvidida 83.40 driver
Skin: A Touch of Glass 3.1

I made a screendump but right now I have no place to upload it.

[TheGreenReaper (Laurence Parry)]

Post by Johan Karlborg
I made a screendump but right now I have no place to upload it.

stardock.od.windows.windowfx.binaries?

[Johan Karlborg]

You know, doh. Posted! Thanks Laurence.

/Anam

Post by TheGreenReaper (Laurence Parry)

Post by Johan Karlborg
I made a screendump but right now I have no place to upload it.

stardock.od.windows.windowfx.binaries?
--
TheGreenReaper (Laurence Parry)
http://www.greenreaper.co.uk/