I am interested in loading XAML scene for Desktop BG

[Electrik Jesus]

I have been working with XAML to build some impresive fullscreen animations. like screensavers but in XAML.

I want to find a way to animate my desktop background with these.

One idea I have is to make them into a screensaver through WPF and then run the screensaver somehow as the desktop wallpaper.

The other idea was to use active desktop to add the wallpaper. but it seems that function doesn't work in Vista.

PLEASE HELP!!!!!

any questions, comments and ideas or concerns will be appriciated

Thank You,

Jon West aka Electrik Jesus

[Linkinfamous]

Well, I have no idea how Deskscapes works. But it's entirely possible that they use XAML and WPF to do it. I mean, it does allow for the kind of content they've been talking about.

You'll just have to wait to see if they ever decide to release a .dream maker for anything other than video.

[TheNGTV]

I got note from Ishan, the Vistadreams admin, that Dynamic Dreams were just C++.

Yeah, played around with Aurora, the thing won't run on desktop.

Hacking/Converting the file might help, see the DirectX driven Energy Screensaver. I really think it came from XAML but evolved.

[Dannydeman]

I'm the one who made the Aurora XAML screensaver with Dan, but we never found out how to use it on the desktop, the trick we use for the Microsoft screensavers doesn't work. But, when Deskcapes uses SCR support someday, it will be possible I think? Now they use DX files, and some C++ code. You can make some cool stuff though, the Aurora M5 stuff we have were just some DX files (you know, the old blue aurora). It's easy to make a dream of it..

But to have XAML on the desktop with active desktop, won't work I think :) I can remember I tried that in 2003 or something with the official XAML files they used in the shellstyle. I just made a HTML page with an Iframe to the XAML file, it showd a white page, but back in that days XAML was crappy, so maybe it works in RTM? Give it a try :)

edit: oo, now I remember. Active Desktop doesn't exsist anymore in Vista.. So try it on XP

[Electrik Jesus]

I have been working on this idea for a little while now. I ended up geting it to work on Vista Basic by compiling the XAML into a Screensaver and using a program called AnimatedDesktop.exe (I can't remember where I found it) to load the .SCR file and run it as a wallpaper. it's cool, but not what i was looking for. I want to find the guys that made AURA.scr, Ribbons.scr, etc.. and find out how they added the command handler for the desktop background.

I am also working on finding/makinf a sidebar widget that loads XAML and/or DirectX Screensavers as the background.

Will post more soon!

Later,

Jon West aka Electrik Jesus

[Dannydeman]

What source did you use to put it on the desktop? It seems my screensaver doesn't work. AnimatedDesktop wont show it. Can you share your source for the screensaver ?

[Electrik Jesus]

I ended up evolving my code into a wpf/e app

[Frogboy Administrators]

We're evaluating how to support this on DeskScapes.

[Electrik Jesus]

What about the possibilities of doing this on a vista machine w/out dreamscapes, for all the Basic and Premium owners.

[Linkinfamous]

We're evaluating how to support this on DeskScapes.

That would be amazing.

If anyone's a Stargate Atlantis fan, I've been working on recreating the various Ancient computer screens (The foggy green screens with the scrolling Ancient text) in WPF for another project I've been working on...Suffice it to say, I'd love to use it as a bg.

[Laughing Man]

Ooh.. I'm a SG:A fan! Though, I'd also like it (if you had the time) to make an animated version of the gate when it's open (might be hard though with all the floaty water effects lol)

[Linkinfamous]

Like this?

http://rapidshare.com/files/13177620/puddle16-10.wmv

[Linkinfamous]

Oh. This is one of the older mockups of my media center I've been working on. I'm not on my main computer, so I can't get you the most current copy of my UI design, but it does highlight the background I wanted to use as a deskscape.

http://personal.stevens.edu/~ddayon/atl.exe

[Laughing Man]

Like this?

http://rapidshare.com/files/13177620/puddle16-10.wmv

Yeah, like that!

Oh. This is one of the older mockups of my media center I've been working on. I'm not on my main computer, so I can't get you the most current copy of my UI design, but it does highlight the background I wanted to use as a deskscape.

http://personal.stevens.edu/~ddayon/atl.exe

Can't seem to find it..

[Joomling]

off topic: hey.. we are in the same school

Oh. This is one of the older mockups of my media center I've been working on. I'm not on my main computer, so I can't get you the most current copy of my UI design, but it does highlight the background I wanted to use as a deskscape.

http://personal.stevens.edu/~ddayon/atl.exe