WindowFX 3 preview!
Beta already on Object Desktop...
Saturday, March 18, 2006 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
If you have Object Desktop make sure you try out the WindowFX 3 (2.89 is the current one). We're gearing up for WindowFX 3 and it has some pretty cool stuff. It will require a good video card in order to make the most use of and right now it works a bit better on ATI cards than nVidia cards.
First thing is that it has a much cleaner interface including a wizard to guide new users through the process so that they know what it can and can't do and recognize what might be overdoing it (i.e. turning on every effect at once may not be a good idea)
We had this feature in before Windows Vista added it. Mouse over previews of what's in the taskbar.
Similarly, new alt-tab options for displaying currently running windows live.
This is probably one of my favorites - a bunch of new, subtle open and close animations that work very nicely.
We're still putting the final touches on WindowFX 3. It's very cool but it isn't for everyone as you need a decent hardware set up to make the most out of it and you need to be savvy enough to know what features you'll want to use and which ones you don't (i.e. different people will want different effects -- some people might want shadows under their windows, others might want swaying windows, others may want to mix and match).
If you don't have Object Desktop, you can get it at www.objectdesktop.com
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Reply #22 Monday, March 20, 2006 4:10 AM
I used the previous version of winfx but had to stop because update problems. Not sure if this was
general or just problems related to NVIDIA.
Reply #23 Monday, March 20, 2006 5:32 AM
* Doesn't take in to account tall taskbars docked to the top.
* Previews aren't always on top if the taskbar isn't.
Reply #24 Monday, March 20, 2006 5:56 AM
Reply #25 Monday, March 20, 2006 6:21 AM
the taskbar preview doesn't work with objectbar, 1.65, hope it works in objectbar 2
Reply #26 Monday, March 20, 2006 6:28 AM
Taskbar previews only work on the native taskbar.
Alt-Tab will be slower than the default alt-tab simply because it is more graphical and so has much more to draw.
Reply #27 Monday, March 20, 2006 9:09 AM
Reply #28 Monday, March 20, 2006 10:26 AM
It's seriously annoying and I'm 99% sure your company hasn't created anything terribly new...just innovated something that's already been done before.
Reply #29 Monday, March 20, 2006 6:32 PM
I'd like to point on a very similar software which is quite stable and doesn't use much resources. It obviously lacks many of windowfx 3 features but it is quite usefull.
Link removed - This thread is about WindowFX3.
Reply #30 Monday, March 20, 2006 9:33 PM
Reply #31 Monday, March 20, 2006 11:38 PM
It's looking good by the way.
Reply #32 Tuesday, March 21, 2006 4:57 AM
Reply #33 Tuesday, March 21, 2006 8:02 AM
| It will require a good video card in order to make the most use of and right now it works a bit better on ATI cards than nVidia cards. |
I recently had to change from an ATI to nVidia card because of a Mobo/CPU replacement requiring a change from AGP to PCI Express, and wonder how an nVidia GeForce 6200 Turbo Cache TM 64mb card would handle WinFX3. It supports the per pixel effects of WB5 and can draw from RAM up to 256mb, but is this enough or will I need a better card to enjoy the benifits of WinFX3....and if so, what would be a good ATI alternative for PCI Express?
TIA....starkers.
Reply #34 Tuesday, March 21, 2006 10:32 AM
I noticed that it does not run under a limited user account though.
Reply #35 Tuesday, March 21, 2006 11:05 AM
Reply #36 Tuesday, March 21, 2006 7:30 PM
Reply #37 Wednesday, March 22, 2006 7:19 AM
It irks me that I'd not long ago installed a new ATI Radeon 9550 256mb card, but had to go with this nVidia card cos it was all I could afford and my new Mobo doesn't support AGP....and now, with Vista on the horizon as well, I might be looking at having to upgrade yet again.....Don't really want to be upgrading just yet, so hopefully someone from Stardock will be able to advise as to how WinFX3 will perform with my current card....if at all.
Reply #38 Thursday, March 23, 2006 7:12 PM
nVidia, despite years of pleading from SD and many card owners, have no interest in devoting resources to optimizing their 2D drivers, meaning the capabilities of WFX can't be fully exploited on their cards. This is nVidia's problem, not SD's preference, and is a result of the gaming wars - 3D is where their money is made (or not). Just so happens ATI have for a long time had much better 2D driver support so apps like WFX shine on their cards (though, to be fair, some of the Cat driver sets have had 2D issues over the past year or so, I understand).
This may become moot with Vista, since everything will be rendered in a 3D environment, but that means nVidia now has even less incentive to spend any effort on 2D - there's no future in it, so to speak.
Reply #39 Sunday, March 26, 2006 6:11 PM
Reply #40 Monday, March 27, 2006 12:49 AM
-barely
-good
-great
???????
Just curious if I have what it takes.
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Reply #21 Monday, March 20, 2006 3:57 AM
Didn't notice any performance issues so far.