DeskScapes 3 Beta 1 Released

Object Desktop subscribers go grab it!

Thursday, August 20, 2009 by Island Dog | Discussion: WinCustomize News

We are excited to announce the release of DeskScapes 3 – Beta 1 to current Object Desktop subscribers.  DeskScapes is an application where users can apply animated backgrounds, also called .dreams, to their desktop.  DeskScapes 3 introduces a variety of new features, the most obvious being the completely new user interface.  If you are trying out the WindowBlinds 7 beta, you will certainly recognize and be familiar with it.  It’s much cleaner, and easier to navigate.

8-20-2009 4-46-35 PM New User Interface

Another new feature is Effects.  These effects can be applied to a .dream to change and enhance the look.  This particular feature is only available to Windows Vista and Windows 7 users. 

8-20-2009 4-56-48 PMEffects

The last feature I will talk about today is live previews.  Now you will be able to view the .dream in action in the preview windows without having to apply it! 

Object Desktop subscribers can download the DeskScapes 3 Beta via Impulse.  We also have a forum thread open to allow users to report any issues.  For more information about becoming an Object Desktop subscriber, please visit www.objectdesktop.com.

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magus
Reply #41 Friday, August 21, 2009 8:22 PM
Are you sure you installed the beta and not v2.5? Is show prereleases enabled in Impulse (on the orb menu)
Hello Neil, You nailed it. I could have sworn that it was enabled earlier but it wasn't and I was running version 2.50. Sorry for the mix up.

GhoS
Reply #42 Friday, August 21, 2009 9:55 PM
I love the new interface but seem to have difficulty installing new dreams. I tried RedCoveTriggered and it wouldn't install by either double clicking on the file (after unzipping) or by choosing in Deskcapes "Install new dream". It only installed once I dragged the file over to the Deskcapes window. Another dream I downloaded worked fine using the "Install new dream". For some reason any dream I try only moves for a short time and then freezes. I know that didn't happen before either. This is on Vista. Here is my info. Your computer has a Windows Experience Index base score of 4.8 Your Windows Graphics Experience score is 4.8 Deskscapes appears to be activated on this PC Deskscapes engine appears to be running (Dell SE198WFP(Digital)) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT (Generic PnP Monitor) 2 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT Deskscape.dll 2009/08/20 14:26:27 Deskscapes.dll 2009/08/20 14:26:06 DreamControl32.dll 2009/08/20 14:28:24 DeskscapesConfig.exe 2009/08/20 21:16:49 UI\Deskscape.dll 2009/08/20 14:28:36 UI\DeskscapesVideo.dll 2009/08/20 14:28:54 Activate.exe 2008/04/24 14:01:32 DreamTasks.exe 2009/08/20 14:28:57 DeskscapesVideo.dll 2008/02/15 17:09:54 Thanks

Masterhawk
Reply #43 Friday, August 21, 2009 10:33 PM

I would love to see the ability to scroll through the items similiar to the way it's done in Windowblinds. The little thing used to move to the next item is too small and just doesn't work well.


TheDude23112
Reply #44 Friday, August 21, 2009 11:00 PM
When PC goes to sleep, there is no dream when it wakes. Vista Ultimate x64.

Aleatoric
Reply #45 Saturday, August 22, 2009 2:38 AM
It would be nice if Deskscapes would work, at least reasonably well, with more than two monitors (I don't care if each monitor is a copy of the first, but it should display the deskscape on every monitor, even if there are 100 of them). Working with this beta, I don't have any issue (apart from the multiple monitor issue) with my Windows7 laptop or my Vista desktop (both 64 bit). If you can't manage to make Deskscapes work on more than two monitors, you could, at least, tweak it up so that on the monitors that don't display a deskscape, they at least show the defined wallpaper instead of the current state where nothing is displayed. Yes, those of us with more than two monitors are a minority, but that's not a valid reason for making your product work poorly on those kind of systems. Handle the scenario gracefully, if nothing else (blank screens on the extra monitors is pretty lame). For the previous two comments, I can, at least, drag the skin items in the app, just like windowblinds, and Windows 7 (64 bit), at least, wakes up fine with a deskscape still working fine.

Neil Banfield
Reply #46 Saturday, August 22, 2009 6:32 AM

Masterhawk
reply 43
I would love to see the ability to scroll through the items similiar to the way it's done in Windowblinds. The little thing used to move to the next item is too small and just doesn't work well.

The scrolling works in an identical way to the WB7 UI (it is based on it)


Neil Banfield
Reply #47 Saturday, August 22, 2009 6:33 AM

TheDude20165
reply 44
When PC goes to sleep, there is no dream when it wakes. Vista Ultimate x64.

I suspect for some reason Deskscapes still believes your machine is running on a battery.


Neil Banfield
Reply #48 Saturday, August 22, 2009 6:35 AM

Aleatoric
reply 45
It would be nice if Deskscapes would work, at least reasonably well, with more than two monitors (I don't care if each monitor is a copy of the first, but it should display the deskscape on every monitor, even if there are 100 of them). Working with this beta, I don't have any issue (apart from the multiple monitor issue) with my Windows7 laptop or my Vista desktop (both 64 bit). If you can't manage to make Deskscapes work on more than two monitors, you could, at least, tweak it up so that on the monitors that don't display a deskscape, they at least show the defined wallpaper instead of the current state where nothing is displayed. Yes, those of us with more than two monitors are a minority, but that's not a valid reason for making your product work poorly on those kind of systems. Handle the scenario gracefully, if nothing else (blank screens on the extra monitors is pretty lame). For the previous two comments, I can, at least, drag the skin items in the app, just like windowblinds, and Windows 7 (64 bit), at least, wakes up fine with a deskscape still working fine.

Deskscapes is designed to handle a single graphics card and so supports upto the number of displays that the one card exposes.  Typically this would be two.

Supporting additional physical cards would double the cpu usage for video dreams.

Making it display the wallpaper may be possible.


DrJBHL
Reply #49 Saturday, August 22, 2009 7:57 AM

Neil...how can I change the speed of Dreams? Sorry if it's a really dumb question.


CarGuy1
Reply #50 Saturday, August 22, 2009 9:26 AM

Doc, I don't believe you can but if you use one of the motion blur effects it will slow the dream down.

A speed control is something I've wished for since day one.


ZubaZ
Reply #51 Saturday, August 22, 2009 9:44 AM

I would love to see the ability to scroll through the items similiar to the way it's done in Windowblinds. The little thing used to move to the next item is too small and just doesn't work well.
Click on a dream (or a skin in WB) and flick the mouse left or right.  Works a treat.
Neil...how can I change the speed of Dreams?
Buy an old PC? 


DrJBHL
Reply #52 Saturday, August 22, 2009 9:47 AM

Neil...how can I change the speed of Dreams?
Buy an old PC?

You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.


Burntcrispy
Reply #53 Saturday, August 22, 2009 10:32 AM

With more than two monitors, or more than two video cards can you choose which to use?  If possible that and showing the wallpaper on blank screens would be very important.  I am currently only at two monitors but am considering getting a third in the future.

Also would it be possible to show the wallpaper through dreams like the snow, I can do It be finding the image again in the options, but could it be made easier?

On WinCustomize is there a way find only dynamic dreams (or vice versa)?

Thanks, Looking good!


Neil Banfield
Reply #54 Saturday, August 22, 2009 12:02 PM

DrJBHL
reply 49
Neil...how can I change the speed of Dreams? Sorry if it's a really dumb question.

Unfortunately none of the common video decoders out there are capable of allowing speed adjustments in a reliable manner.

Some of the dynamic dreams have speed controls on their config pages.


CarGuy1
Reply #55 Saturday, August 22, 2009 12:16 PM

Neil...how do I view the copyright and permissions information in the new interface? On fair use video, I credit my source in those fields.


WebGizmos
Reply #56 Saturday, August 22, 2009 5:58 PM
OK...here's a run down of what happening on my pc with Deskscapes.
When I reboot I get a message about not being able to log into my account.
I can't install dreams from a folder I downloaded them to.
Dreams that aren't working or even showing a preview.

Carguys Dreams
BlissValley
Sandbar
SwimminHole

Stardock Design Dreams
Bouncing Box (shows a background but nothing else)
Grassy Valley

Dreams that are working.
Stardock Design
Desktop Earth
Winter Snow
Water Dream

Deskscapes appears to be activated on this PC
Deskscapes engine appears to be running
(Dell 2007WFP (Digital)) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS
Deskscape.dll 2009/08/20 18:47:28
Deskscapes.dll 2009/08/20 14:26:06
DreamControl32.dll 2009/08/20 14:28:24
DeskscapesConfig.exe 2009/08/20 21:16:49
UI\Deskscape.dll 2009/08/20 14:28:36
UI\DeskscapesVideo.dll 2009/08/20 14:28:54
Activate.exe 2009/08/20 14:28:32
DreamTasks.exe 2009/08/20 14:28:57
DeskscapesVideo.dll 2009/08/20 14:26:54

Any ideas how to get those working?

Aleatoric
Reply #57 Sunday, August 23, 2009 12:12 AM
Deskscapes is designed to handle a single graphics card and so supports upto the number of displays that the one card exposes. Typically this would be two.

Supporting additional physical cards would double the cpu usage for video dreams.

Making it display the wallpaper may be possible.
Cool.

What about dynamic dreams? Could they be handled so that they show up on more than two monitors?

So, if there were a more or less modern version of the old 3 head matrox card, would Deskscapes work on all of those displays (being on one card)?

I also like the idea mentioned by someone else about it being nice if we could choose which card we wanted to display the dream on (where more than one card was in play)

If nothing else, letting us display a wallpaper on the other card would be nice.

Thanks!

DaveRI
Reply #58 Sunday, August 23, 2009 1:47 AM
Aleatoric- If I right-click on the desktop and pause dreams, I get a captured image of the dream showing on both monitors. The secondary monitor then keeps that image when I restart the dream, so then I have the dream running on the primary and a stillshot wallpaper of it on the secondary. That's on XP, 2 monitors, 1 card. Better than the blank secondary screen. Maybe that helps?

Aleatoric
Reply #59 Sunday, August 23, 2009 2:04 AM
Nah, the issue I have is that I have 4 monitors (two cards)

Based on what Neil says, the program won't work on more than one card.

Even doing what you mention, the background on the second card always shows nothing (black screen; Deskscapes appears to be entirely unaware of the other card, apart from blanking the background).


GhoS
Reply #60 Sunday, August 23, 2009 11:13 PM
Interesting I had the problem with Dreams freezing and I didn't have the pause thingy to do with Battery power on. I checked it and unchecked it right away and that may have fixed it because dreams work properly now.

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