Almost a Dream.....Scene

<object width='425' height='350'> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SuaIbOLVU8w"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SuaIbOLVU8w" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width='425' height='350'> </embed> </object>

My clone of Windows DreamScene running on Vista Premium using my Video in Picture software I wrote, hence the name "Almost a Dream.....Scene". If you will notice, there aren't actually any icons on my desktop because Microsoft makes you run through a whole crap pile of hoops in order to put your application behind the desktop icons. However, this isn't a problem for me since I don't normally have icons on my desktop. I have the the mouseover toolbar at the top of the screen. However, you can still click on the desktop normally. It just doesn't show you the desktop icons. I think that this clone of DreamScene would be useful for those of you running a dock and keep the icons off the desktop. The dock would show over top of "Almost a Dream.....Scene".

The advantage of "Almost a Dream.....Scene" is that it is free, legal, doesn't require you to hack any system files, enables you to keep aero running, and it doesn't horrifify your system graphics like VLC does in desktop mode.

I'll be integrating this feature into Video in Picture in the near future. I just have to polish it a bit.

 

That's a heck of a good job and a lot of effort.

 

hats off ... great stuff Bart
it will run on XP as well, right?

cheers ...

 

Well, right now Video in Picture is for Vista only since it uses things that only Vista has. However, there is no reason why I couldn't export the "Almost a Dream....Scene" component into a separate program that runs on both Vista and XP.

However, I believe that there are already programs out there that will provide you with a DreamScene experience in XP. I have not had a chance to try them out in XP so I can't really say if they work well or not. Its just that everything I tried for Vista is either crap, adware (BSPlayer), or costs money. I would be interested in hearing if there are already programs that provide a DreamScene experience in XP, run well, and don't cost money. If there aren't any, then I will make the export.

 

ill stick with my hacked version of dreamscene thank u

the real deal FTW

 

There is an advantage with using "Almost a Dream....Scene". You can display a webpage as the background, just like you use to be able to with ActiveX.

 

Looks Great

 

i m using the modified vlc stuff on xp and vista (even though i have Ultimate) at the moment, and it is working great. There are users that do have a hard time at setting it up and making it run.

ur new utility will be a fresh welcome to the dream scenes saga. can't wait.

cheers ...

 

Wow, great stuff!! Keep up the good work!

 

Free and legal, well how about that!

Is it ready for testing? Pretty sure there would be a lot of people willing to give it a shot.

 

I have uploaded my DreamScene clone to my website: http://videoinpicture.wikidot.com

Click on "Download Video Wallpaper" on the left hand side to get it. Be sure to read the instructions on that page:

If anyone wants to give me a hand in coding the program and fix the above bugs send me a PM.

Originally, I coded in a wallpaper web browser but I found that to be an annoying feature so I took it out. Here are some things that I want to implement and are not found in DreamScene:
[1] Code in controls that allow you to slow down the videos.
[2] Ability to create a playlist of videos that Video Wallpaper can play from.
[3] Custom zoom

 

I am running in right now and am impressed.

My screen is 1024x768 and widescreen videos are stretched, but nothing some cropping won't fix
(but then the custom zoom feature would be nice).
However, a single line of pixels from the original desktop background shows up at the right side edge.

Do you think it's also possible that the video can be stopped when a window is maximized just like dreamscene?

I really love your work.

 

Can you post a screenshot where the single line of pixels from the original desktop shows? I think that might be due to the fact that the aspect ratio of your screen is 1.33333333333333333333333333 and the VLC Player plugins I'm using would only allow me to express it as a fraction despite what the VLC Player documentation says. The round off from the calculations probably caused that rouge line. I'll try increasing the magnitudes of the numerators and denomenators in the code. I just wish the VLC Player plugins worked like the documentation says it does.

As for stopping the video when the desktop is covered by a maximized window, I'm pretty sure it could be done. I'll have to figure out how.

 

Bart, I really think you should consider doing development for Linux... skills like yours are pretty much wasted on a cosed environment like Windows.

 

wow that is pretty awesome
im just learning programming so this is amazing to me

 

Thanks. However, I haven't had much experience with Linux. The last time I tried using a live boot version, the thing wouldn't boot. I tried several Linux versions and they wouldn't boot. I'll give it a another shot when I have time by installing Ubuntu onto my external harddrive.

Right now, I'm using Visual C#, C++, and Basic on Windows. Is there a similar development interface for Linux?

 

Very nice job! Repped!

 

There are development environments for every programming language out there on Linux, save proprietary ones like Microsoft's VB. Give Ubuntu a try and post a thread in the Linux section.

 

I don't have my computer with me right now, but I did try a 4:3 video and the line also shows up. Maybe you could set to a 4:3 resolution and see if it also shows up.

My specs:
Vista Business (Aero enabled)
Intel GMA950
1024x768@32bit resolution

PS. It would be nice if the menu went away after clicking on play/stop, but I'm sure you still have the UI working in progress.

 

I have fixed these two bugs in Video Wallpaper 0.1.1. Go to http://videoinpicture.wikidot.com to get the new version. Note that V0.1.1 has a waterfall video in it instead of the Vista video in V0.1.

I got the same vertical line on my computer when I set it to a low, non-native resolution. I looked through my code and I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm thinking that the computer is doing pixel interpolation/extrapolation somewhere to account for non-native resolutions.

 

very smooth Bart ... tried it on my external at 1600x1280, liking it
. XP-SP3 and vista-SP1
. ATI 9700 128MB
. catalyst 8.5

cheers ...