Wishlist for Marine Aquarium 3 and Future

[Jav400]

There are small sharks that are kept in a saltwater aquarium, Morgan has some photos of some of them on the wishlist photo page, and there are others. Usually they are kept by themselves in an aquarium for obvious reasons, but since there are other species in the aquarium now that wouldn't be in a real tank together, we have a possibility of seeing one included.

[Digital Lungfish]

Morgan,

I'm sending you a new set of images for the wish list. I've included some very colorful creatures, hope everyone likes them.

Fish

- Clown Sweet Lips
- Epaulette Shark aka Walking Shark (copyrite Flying Fish Express)
- Leopard Shark
- Green Morray Eel
- Snow Flake Eel

Inverts

- Giant Blue Legged Hermit Crab (copyrite Anchofish)
- Red Hermit Crab

Updates

- Panther Grouper
- Tiger Serpent Starfish

The Grouper and Starfish images should replace the ones I gave you originaly, these 2 are much better. By the way, you'll probably notice that the images have a white border around them, for some reason Photoshop 6 has been doing this to images I cut and paste and I have no idea why. If you can remove those borders, please feel free to do so. Anyway, I can't wait to see these guys on the wish list.

- DL

[bpatin]

I love this screensaver; I already look forward to the enhancements that I'm sure are already being planned...

I'd love to see the following:

-adjustable sensitivity for the mouse sensor
-Disabling or removing the spacebar activation of the Settings dialog; the 'A' key is enough, IMHO

Other than that, I think this is the best screensaver I've ever seen, and I've tried dozens...

Bob P.

[Digital Lungfish]

Jim,

I'd like to make a request regarding the available Resolutions in the Aquarium Settings. Can you change it so that the program will detect our video card's available resolutions and list those instead?

The reason I ask is because even though my monitor and video card can both display up to 1600x1200, the problem is that the monitor only supports 69Hz refresh at that resolution while my GeForce 2 Pro will do 70Hz at that same resolution. So unfortunately I cannot use the screensaver at 1600x1200 which I wish I could do.

However, since my video card and monitor support other high end resolutions below 1600x1200 and both use the same refresh, I'd like to be able to use them without having to set my desktop to that same setting just to do so. I like to leave my desktop at 1024x768, but other settings for the screensaver like these would be nice:

1600x1024
1600x900
1280x960
1280x768
1152x864

Thanks,

- DL

[Jim Sachs]

In the future, the full version will have a drop-down menu listing all the available resolutions, like the MS version.

[pipeta]

My monitor started changing my refresh rate automatically every time I use the aquarium. I am using 1024x768x16 and 60 Hertz refresh rate. Every time I open the aquarium the resolution reains 1024x768x16 but the refresh rate changes to 75 Hertz. I never encountered this problem before and I haven't done any major changes in my OS lately it just suddenly started happening. I don't want to use 75Hertz because my monitor starts making a whistle sound (don't know why but it can't be good) when I use higher refresh rates than 60 Hertz on 1024x768x16 or higher resolutions.
I am using WinXP, MAG innovision monitor (don't know what type exactly) and a RIVA TNT 2 32mb.

How can I make the screensaver stop changing my refresh rates?

Thanks

[Digital Lungfish]

Pipeta,

You know, I've run into something similar on my work PC, but it's the only PC I've ever seen it happen on and it's random. For some reason the refresh will default to 60Hz in 640x480x16 even though the desktop is set to 75Hz. I'm not really sure what the cause is, but the fact that the screensaver uses Direct 3D and the desktop does not, "might" be the reason. So I guess it could be a driver issue, but who knows...

- DL

[pipeta]

Well, since I couldn't find a way to reinstall DirectX 8.1 from the WindowsXP CD I downloaded the 25MB version from the internet. Well the installation was fast and didn't require restarting the computer but it didn't do anything. The screensaver and any other DirectX software automatically switches to 75 hertz refreshrate.
I tried to download Tweak XP looking for any graphic driver\directX related options to tweak but found nothing.
Any ideas? I can't use the screensaver when my screen makes a loud beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep nonstop!
(btw, my screen runs 60 & 85 hertz refreshrates notmally but has this noise problem with 75 hertz)

[Digital Lungfish]

Hmmm, have you tried to reinstall the drivers for your video card? Something else you might want to check, look around in your display settings for more than one instance where you can set the refresh rate. In some cases you can actually set the refresh for the monitor and then elsewhere in the settings you can set it for the video card. I suppose it's possible that if they were both set differently that it "might" cause that to happen, but that's just a stab in the dark. Give it try and let us know how it goes.

- DL

[Chodukno]

Mr. Sachs, Love your work. Impressive bio on serenescreen.com.

My question is about the wish list on this site. What do the Check marks vs. the red X's stand for?

Choduk

[feldon34]

The check marks on the fan site indicate confirmed likely creatures/fish for future versions of the Aquarium.

Fish/creatures with an X mark have been officially nixed by Jim Sachs.

[Adora]

...I had to wait to be "authorized" before I could post! Have you guys had problems with spamming in the past? I've never been to a forum that's done that before.

Anyway, most of my wish list is composed of repeat requests, but here it is:

1. I'm a freshwater enthusiast, not marine. I sure wish there were a fw version that could even COMPARE to this screensaver!

2. Running as wallpaper: That's how I first found this screensaver. I was actually searching for animated active desktop wallpaper of an aquarium, and a search engine led me to a thread elsewhere on this forum. I downloaded the demo, and WOW. During my comprehensive and empty-handed (since I didn't find what I was actually looking for, although I found something cool in the meantime) search, I found what looks to be an older (Win95 era) program that specifically has an option to run a screensaver as wallpaper--Gti Desktop+ . It worked semi-well with some of the generic screensavers, but not at all with this one. They do have a neat looking program to try that allows you to create a screensaver from any video file, but otherwise that link was a flop. Just sharing another thwarted attempt.

3. About the whole filesize issue: It's amazing what has been done with the current filesize limit, and I understand the author's reasons for staying within that limit. But for the rest of us, how about an expansion pack? Not several modules to work with to plug in new fish or whatever, but just one set of things that would be nice to include but aren't mainly due to filesize restrictions.

4. I'm really looking forward to those schooling fishes.

5. I'm pretty sure it's already been nixed, but I was all about the movable bubble column or spreading it out to an entire bubble wall. Or perhaps this 3D background we've been anticipating will provide enough aesthetics that no one will even notice the "plain" gradient. LOL

6. Window border: I mainly keep my aquarium in windowed mode in the corner of my desktop, and either no titlebar or an aquarium skin...hey, yeah...skinnable!! Lots of applications have that capability, is it that hard to implement? It's been years since I messed with the program that changes a window...windowshade, is it? Will it apply itself to only a single window (as a user-oriented workaround)?

7. Kelp/something planty-like: I think the swaying motion of kelp would be a fabulous addition, although already nixed. Just another reminisce to freshwater.

So there's my few comments and suggestions. I think it's awesome how Jim really caters to the ideas of the program users (within a reasonable extent) to really make this a great program for everybody. I'm sure that I'll keep checking back here often.

-L

PS: Thanks for the new addiction...as if real fish weren't bad enough!

[Bob]

I know there is an "Always on top when in windowed mode" button. I would like a "Always on BOTTOM when in windowed mode."

Actually what I'd really like is to be able to use the Aquarium as wall paper. But an "always on bottom" option would allow me to simulate this very closely.

Let me add my praise to this incredible program. Thanks Jim.

Bob

[Gerty]

Hi. I just loaded the fish screen saver today & it is so cool. I haven't really had a chance to experiment with all of the different fish yet, but so far what I've seen is GREAT!! The fish look so real. I hope to become a regular here and hope to meet some of you.
Aloha,
Gerty

[Jav400]

Welcome Gerty,

Glad to have you join us here. Hope you have an enjoyable time, with both the screen saver, and use of the forum. You are also welcome to join us in the chatroom for a real time conversation if you wish. You can reach it by clicking on "chatroom" at the bottom of my post.

[Samw]

Wow. This screen saver blew me away. Love the realism.
Here's my wishlist, many have probably been suggested already.

-growth of livestock. Every day, the fish, inverts, corals, etc grow a little bit until they become adults several months or years later. Fish fed regularly grows faster. Clams, corals, anemones, etc in brightly-lit tanks grow faster.

-hermit crabs that switch to bigger shells when they grow

-Corals to become more colorful in brightly-lit tanks. For example, some Montipora corals are purple under metal halide light but turn brown under vho or power compact light. Some cat's paw coral are bright pink under mh and brown under flourescent light.

-more corals: Montipora Capricornis, Acroporas, blue and red mushrooms, Frogspawn, Bubble coral, Pulsing Xenia, etc.

-clams to open during bright days and close during night times. Clams to move around with their byssal organ.

-skunk or fire cleaner shrimp that will clean large fish

-lionfish would realistically swallow smaller fish

-herbivores such as yellow and blue tangs to graze on green algae growing on live rock

[Jav400]

Samw,

Growth of the creatures probably isn't going to happen. Jim is having premiere difficulties with pass-thru and collision right now, if things changed on the fly it would probably only become worse.

Hermit crabs are on the list for inclusion, but again the growth probably won't happen.

Corals: The next item on the list for Jim is to finish the new fully 3D double width background that will replace the one we have now. There will be different and most likely more corals included at that time.

Cleaner shrimp are on the list to include.

Clams will open and close in the new background. No word on if they will move or not.

There won't be any eating of fish, ( Serene Screen after all ) but you will be able to feed the fish at a later date.

Fish picking at the coral will be something that will be included at a later date when individual personalities are installed.

[alphaex32]

I have a few suggestions for the aquarium:
1. Fish should sometimes move backwards...This is a behavior that I have seen a lot in real fish. This might also help in making the fish avoid eachother. If one fish gets too close to something, it can back up and swim around it.

2. Heres just a little problem I found with the lionfish. When it stops, it becomes way too still. It should float a little bit when it is stopped and its fins should move around a little more.

3. I know that you have pretty much made up your mind about no moving camera for the 3d backround, but I think zooming in and out would be a good idea. You could zoom out a little bit to see more of the aquarium (since it will be a lot bigger I think in the 3d backround version) and zoom in to get a better look at the fish. This probably would not cause as many problems as with changing camera angle (which would be an amazing feature).

Well, thats all for now

[Jim Sachs]

After many hours of studying Lionfish for this project, I found that most of them spend much of their time being extremely still, with just a tiny bit of fin movement. That's what I tried to duplicate here.

Re zooming - can't happen, the undone edges of polygons would show, and they'd get blurry. Remember, this is like a Hollywood set -- no back. There will be sideways movement of the camera, though.

[Lostboy]

Could I request that the Powder Blue Tang be rounded a bit more at the top?

I don’t want to sound like I’m being too picky, but thank you for listening.

-Lostboy