Author Topic: Freespace Desktop  (Read 27084 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Taristin

  • Snipes
  • 213
  • BlueScalie
    • Skelkwank Shipyards
Well, err, what about those windows mods? Like that windock or whatever it is, that makes the windows desktop look like a linux box, or like a Mac?
Freelance Modeler | Amateur Artist

 

Offline egon

  • 21
i only read the first and last two pages but litestep could most likely do this.
the only problem might be getting the animations working at the same time.
i don't know if litestep supports active desktops (i don't actually know the slightest thing about active desktops) but if it doesnt then you couldn't just have the html file as the background with litestep handling the links, you'd need a litestep module that can handle gifs (or mngs) and off the top of the head i don't know of any that can do that.

getting rid of flash might be a good idea too, it's just real heavy and takes up space.
if all the flash is basically doing is replaying a gif then you could just use css to absolutely position the gifs which would certainly result in a smaller file than the flash would

 

Offline Night Hammer

  • I Can't FRED
  • 29
  • You'll shoot your eye out...
so is there anywhere to d/l any of this?
Stop... Hammertime :hammer:

 

Offline Stealth

  • Braiiins...
  • 211
Quote
Originally posted by Kamikaze
It's possible to do a lot of the stuff mentioned here using creative html/javascript/css.


No, it's not the HTML, Javascript, etc. that's limiting the SWF from opening external files... it's the SWF itself.  it's a security feature built into Flash's SWF plugin.

Quote
Originally posted by Night Hammer
so is there anywhere to d/l any of this?


looks like the (2 year old) links are not working :p  i'll upload all the stuff tonight...

Quote
getting rid of flash might be a good idea too, it's just real heavy and takes up space.
if all the flash is basically doing is replaying a gif then you could just use css to absolutely position the gifs which would certainly result in a smaller file than the flash would


1) it's not quite as simple as replaying a GIF.  we looked into other possibilities, and Flash stood out as being by far the easiest and most effective.  You'll have to see the mainhall to understand what we're talking about

2) file size doesn't matter.  the file (if we ever get it as a desktop) is going to be local, so as long as the user can spare 5 or 6 MB, he/she will be fine.  also remember the large file size is mainly from the large mainhall bitmap (the static background) and the multiple sounds and animations that are playing with it.  whether you use Flash or not, the file size won't differ by more than a few hundred KB at most.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2004, 12:52:32 am by 594 »

 

Offline Hippo

  • Darth water-horse
  • 211
  • Grazing.
    • All Hands to War
hey, while we're at it, could one of you coders have a look at the FSScreensaver, (its open source) and make it work on non-9x systems? Find it here: http://www.3dap.com/hlp/hosted/stealth/
VBB Survivor -- 387 Posts -- July 3 2001 - April 12 2002
VWBB Survivor -- 100 Posts -- July 10 2002 - July 10 2004

AHTW

 

Offline Stealth

  • Braiiins...
  • 211
here goes:

EDIT:
HTML's disabled in this forum apparently

go here:
http://www.swooh.com/lorenzo/hlphosted/loadgalatea.html
« Last Edit: August 11, 2004, 10:09:38 am by 594 »

 

Offline Taristin

  • Snipes
  • 213
  • BlueScalie
    • Skelkwank Shipyards
*Raa is waiting.
Freelance Modeler | Amateur Artist

 

Offline Night Hammer

  • I Can't FRED
  • 29
  • You'll shoot your eye out...
I need to work on patience :nervous: I swear im A.D.D.
Stop... Hammertime :hammer:

 

Offline Taristin

  • Snipes
  • 213
  • BlueScalie
    • Skelkwank Shipyards
OK. Cool. It seems to work seemlessly. It even looks better than the original in FS1. :nods:

Now up the resolution :p
Freelance Modeler | Amateur Artist

 

Offline Night Hammer

  • I Can't FRED
  • 29
  • You'll shoot your eye out...
Welll how do I get it to be my desktop with the anis n wut not?
Stop... Hammertime :hammer:

 

Offline Hippo

  • Darth water-horse
  • 211
  • Grazing.
    • All Hands to War
*waits while 56k modem slowly melts...*
VBB Survivor -- 387 Posts -- July 3 2001 - April 12 2002
VWBB Survivor -- 100 Posts -- July 10 2002 - July 10 2004

AHTW

 

Offline Hippo

  • Darth water-horse
  • 211
  • Grazing.
    • All Hands to War
Realizing that it is not done, you can still use it:


under display properties, sleect desktop. click customize. click add page (or whatever the top button is). enter the URL. Wait for it to load. a small black box will appear on your desktop saying part of the preloader (rest is cut off)... slowly move mouse along top of screen till a grey bar appears. use maximise button (first on left aong right side of bar). wait for preloader to finish. :p
VBB Survivor -- 387 Posts -- July 3 2001 - April 12 2002
VWBB Survivor -- 100 Posts -- July 10 2002 - July 10 2004

AHTW

 

Offline Stealth

  • Braiiins...
  • 211
oh if you guys want to use it as a desktop just like this, then yeah i have a program that will set it as the desktop.  it just won't work when you click a button or anything.

as far as resolution, i can "up" the resolution, but because the mainhall background and all its animations are regular bitmaps, it's going to lose a LOT of quality.  unless if someone can get me a high resolution background.  

as far as the seamless operation of the doors, etc.  i have that down i think.  if the door's closing and you move your mouse over it, it opens back up, etc. with just the right delay that the original freespace main hall has.

 

Offline Stealth

  • Braiiins...
  • 211
OK for everyone who wants to use the current release as their background (it's not practical, as the buttons won't do anything, but the animations and sounds still work, so :p :cool: :))

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[-Option 1-]
Option 1 is for anyone who would like to make the main hall their background, but they run a resolution other than 640x480 (the original size of the mainhall used in Freespace).  The mainhall will be "stretched" to fit your background, but the more it has to stretch (i.e. the larger your resolution) the more quality will be lost.  However, it will take up the full screen, regardless what resolution you're running

[-Option 2-]
Option 2 is for people who would like to retain the quality of the mainhall, by keeping the mainhall desktop its current size.  The 640x480 flash file will be displayed in the center of your desktop, and regardless of your resolution will remain there, its current size.  The outside fill is black.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Any questions, comments, suggestions, complaints, etc. let me know
« Last Edit: August 11, 2004, 03:27:39 pm by 594 »

 

Offline Hippo

  • Darth water-horse
  • 211
  • Grazing.
    • All Hands to War
ok, i havent downloaded option 1 or 2 yet, but i did notice that the ready room was working backwards... (in the other version)...



anyone up to tackling the screensaver?
VBB Survivor -- 387 Posts -- July 3 2001 - April 12 2002
VWBB Survivor -- 100 Posts -- July 10 2002 - July 10 2004

AHTW

  

Offline Stealth

  • Braiiins...
  • 211
working backwards?  what do you mean?

*downloads the one you're talking about*

seems to be working fine for me.

 

Offline Stealth

  • Braiiins...
  • 211
things are looking good (see the thread in Hard Light)