Why no active desktop support?

alindsay55661 · 05-27-2003, 02:55 AM

I read in your FAQ that Jim discourages active desktop support. Why is that? I have been searching dilligently for a program to run this screen saver on my desktop (Windows XP) and finally found one but it only works with my other screen savers. I am dying to get these fish on my working desktop space because they calm me down so much.

I have used the other fish screensaver (AquaReal) found at http://www.digifish.us which offers an active desktop mode, but it just doesn't come close to Jim's awesomely realistic fish. (By the way I live in Hawaii and just went snorkeling today- saw a few of the fish up close and they look the same. Great job!)

Anyway, I was hoping that Marine Aquarium would offer the active desktop support. That seems to me like a reasonable feature. I am finally jealous of all my friends with Macs! Why is this idea discouraged for the PC? The AquaReal saver looks so trashy next to Jim's Marine Aquarium. It will never work for me. I need the Marine Aquarium on my desktop.

Tiny Turtle · 05-27-2003, 03:26 AM

This topic has been previously debated heavily on the forum. Jim doesn't like the cluttered up look of a dektop with a whole bunch of icons on top of the fish he created and has been pretty adamant about not incorporating this feature.

The reason your other screen savers are working with the third party utility is that they use DirectX8 screen saver libraries which SSA doesn't due to the fact that Ms refused to support the Win9x systems on that one.

/Tiny Desktop

cjmaddy · 05-27-2003, 06:26 AM

alindsay55661,

Welcome to the forum!

- A lot of people feel the same way as you do, but Jim has his principles, and as Tiny says, he has been adamant about it. so we have to respect that. - But I feel the same way as you, - however you could try Windowed Mode (F key), and uncheck the 'Always on top when in Windowed mode', - it's a sort of second best! .... (You can also resize the window if required!)

ps, - You say you are in Hawaii ...... why not say so in the 'Location:' ...... it's so much nicer to know where people are!

...... and whilst you're at it, how about a pic!, - then we arent talking to an anonymous being from nowhere!

pps, Tiny normally has a pic in his avatar, - but for reasons best known to him

- he's gone into hiding!

Wizwad · 05-27-2003, 07:07 AM

Tiny normally has a pic in his avatar, - but for reasons best known to him - he's gone into hiding!

Maybe he's developed spots!

Wouldn't creating an Active Desktop version of the aquarium mean mucking about with all sorts of DirectX stuff? Given the hassles Jim had doing the DirectX version of the XP-Plus demo, I'm not surprised he doesn't want to have anything more to do with it!

cjmaddy · 05-27-2003, 08:53 AM

Maybe he's developed spots!

Mark, - It looks much more serious than we thought!

The whole of Stockholm could be affected!

Wizwad · 05-27-2003, 09:06 AM

ROFL a lot! Hee! Good one Cliff.

alindsay55661 · 05-27-2003, 12:02 PM

Well, windowed mode was a good idea, halfway there if you will. But I am a clean freak and my desktop only has a few icons on it anyway. Its the ideal environment for fish. It sounds like wanting to see the fish all the time without having to launch the program isn't in Jim's agenda (to my great dissapointment). But maybe someone else will develop a third party utility like they did for the Mac. Until then, I guess I'll just have to buy a Mac! No really, we all love the fish Jim, and there are some of us who have nice clean desktops with no icons. Could you make a private desktop verison for people like that- you wouldn't have to advertise it, just send me an email.

Jav400 · 05-27-2003, 12:22 PM

LOL, that question has been asked 2342 times before. With Jim's current schedule and what he has going at this point, there just isn't time, even if he did agree with the application. Sorry

alindsay55661 · 05-27-2003, 12:30 PM

Where are the other posts of this particular topic? I would like to see an explanation (even a previous explanation) since there seems to be a "good one".

Socrates · 05-27-2003, 12:34 PM

There was, in fact, a third party item that a poster developed to run MA as a desktop.

Unfortunately the programmer was a little over-sensitive to the distastes of others...

alindsay55661 · 05-27-2003, 01:05 PM

And the story goes...?

Would he be willing to share? If there is anyone out there who might have the skills to create a plugin to make MA an active desktop object you might start by visiting http://www.vital-desktop.com which is a free, open source program that puts some screen savers on your desktop. So maybe half of the work is already finished.

Anyway, finish your story.

feldon34 · 05-27-2003, 01:17 PM

We've been through this again and again. Trying to encourage people to program some kind of modification of the Aquarium will not accomplish anything except raising the hackles of Jim's devoted fans.

We have been asked by the developer of the Aquarium not to post programs that will do what you ask.

If you find a way (it's really not that difficult) and you get some use out of it, great!

alindsay55661 · 05-27-2003, 01:26 PM

Sorry to beat a dead horse, I guess I came into the game late.

Basically, you are telling me that this type of thing can be done easily (for those who program) but that we want to keep it off this forum because Jim doesn't want his fish swimming with icons? Well, to each his own, but that is kind of a wierd thing to ask.

Now, without causing to much controversy, does Prolific plan on adding this feature or would they be willing to point in the right direction to implement this feature?

feldon34 · 05-27-2003, 01:26 PM

https://www.feldoncentral.com/forums...=&threadid=540

which refers to a closed/moved 5 page topic about the program written by Darrell that made the Aquarium work as a backdrop.

Tiny Turtle · 05-27-2003, 01:39 PM

Cliff. That one made my day. Thank you so much and I officially love you.

/Tiny Box

alindsay55661 · 05-27-2003, 02:07 PM

I read the posts--WOW, I really wasn't trying to dig up a fight from the past. I was just looking for a creative solution. Sorry to have brought back any hard feelings for anyone. But hey, this question is bound to come up again in the future. You should post an announcement at the top of the forum so unsuspecting people like me don't come along and keep asking why this feature isn't availible becuase they have no idea the issue was big deal and people were taking serious stands.

I am sorry to hear that icons are looked at as graffiti but as an artist myself I do respect Jim's work and his desire to preserve it. (For a public product however that is a little unrealistic, after all, MA is no Venus!) But then again, nothing comes quite close to it. Keep up the good work Jim. I'll go try to find some mods and be sure not tell anyone else.

feldon34 · 05-27-2003, 02:27 PM

I need to update the FAQ. Actually, I have a topic going but didn't get much response of questions that should be answered.

https://www.feldoncentral.com/forums...&threadid=1468

Wizwad · 05-27-2003, 03:32 PM

Morgan, like Tiny I thought it looked really good as well. I have been planning on reading through the current FAQ to see what might be added, but just hadn't got round to it.

I'd suggest sticking in a bit about "Active Desktop and why it won't be included" in the miscellaneous part of the new FAQ.

Don't forget to include "CalcNormals explained" in the Aquarium Settings part, though!

Garmonbozia · 05-28-2003, 10:01 AM

To me, we've had enough requests to warrent such an option. If you guys don't want to use the SSA in that way, don't. Some of us still do.
That's all I'll say.

feldon34 · 05-28-2003, 10:53 AM

Back to stir up trouble again, I see JSG.

05-27-2003, 02:55 AM	#1
alindsay55661 Registered Join Date: May 2003 Location: Laie, Hawaii! Posts: 10	Why no active desktop support? I read in your FAQ that Jim discourages active desktop support. Why is that? I have been searching dilligently for a program to run this screen saver on my desktop (Windows XP) and finally found one but it only works with my other screen savers. I am dying to get these fish on my working desktop space because they calm me down so much. I have used the other fish screensaver (AquaReal) found at http://www.digifish.us which offers an active desktop mode, but it just doesn't come close to Jim's awesomely realistic fish. (By the way I live in Hawaii and just went snorkeling today- saw a few of the fish up close and they look the same. Great job!) Anyway, I was hoping that Marine Aquarium would offer the active desktop support. That seems to me like a reasonable feature. I am finally jealous of all my friends with Macs! Why is this idea discouraged for the PC? The AquaReal saver looks so trashy next to Jim's Marine Aquarium. It will never work for me. I need the Marine Aquarium on my desktop.

05-27-2003, 03:26 AM	#2
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	This topic has been previously debated heavily on the forum. Jim doesn't like the cluttered up look of a dektop with a whole bunch of icons on top of the fish he created and has been pretty adamant about not incorporating this feature. The reason your other screen savers are working with the third party utility is that they use DirectX8 screen saver libraries which SSA doesn't due to the fact that Ms refused to support the Win9x systems on that one. /Tiny Desktop Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

05-27-2003, 07:07 AM	#4
Wizwad Only me... Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 2,584	Tiny normally has a pic in his avatar, - but for reasons best known to him - he's gone into hiding! Maybe he's developed spots! Wouldn't creating an Active Desktop version of the aquarium mean mucking about with all sorts of DirectX stuff? Given the hassles Jim had doing the DirectX version of the XP-Plus demo, I'm not surprised he doesn't want to have anything more to do with it! Mark ----------- Intel i7 12700K \| Aorus Z690 Pro \| Corsair DDR5 5600 32GB \| Asus Dual RTX3060ti 6GB v2 Mini OC \| Corsair RM850 Gold PSU \| 1TB NVMe M.2 WD Black SN850 \| 4TB Seagate BarraCuda HDD \| Corsair Airflow 5000D Case \| HP 32QHD 4K Monitor \| Windows 11 x64 Professional

05-27-2003, 09:06 AM	#6
Wizwad Only me... Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 2,584	ROFL a lot! Hee! Good one Cliff. Mark ----------- Intel i7 12700K \| Aorus Z690 Pro \| Corsair DDR5 5600 32GB \| Asus Dual RTX3060ti 6GB v2 Mini OC \| Corsair RM850 Gold PSU \| 1TB NVMe M.2 WD Black SN850 \| 4TB Seagate BarraCuda HDD \| Corsair Airflow 5000D Case \| HP 32QHD 4K Monitor \| Windows 11 x64 Professional

05-27-2003, 12:02 PM	#7
alindsay55661 Registered Join Date: May 2003 Location: Laie, Hawaii! Posts: 10	Windowed Mode Well, windowed mode was a good idea, halfway there if you will. But I am a clean freak and my desktop only has a few icons on it anyway. Its the ideal environment for fish. It sounds like wanting to see the fish all the time without having to launch the program isn't in Jim's agenda (to my great dissapointment). But maybe someone else will develop a third party utility like they did for the Mac. Until then, I guess I'll just have to buy a Mac! No really, we all love the fish Jim, and there are some of us who have nice clean desktops with no icons. Could you make a private desktop verison for people like that- you wouldn't have to advertise it, just send me an email.

05-27-2003, 06:26 AM	#3
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	alindsay55661, Welcome to the forum! - A lot of people feel the same way as you do, but Jim has his principles, and as Tiny says, he has been adamant about it. so we have to respect that. - But I feel the same way as you, - however you could try Windowed Mode (F key), and uncheck the 'Always on top when in Windowed mode', - it's a sort of second best! .... (You can also resize the window if required!) ps, - You say you are in Hawaii ...... why not say so in the 'Location:' ...... it's so much nicer to know where people are! ...... and whilst you're at it, how about a pic!, - then we arent talking to an anonymous being from nowhere! pps, Tiny normally has a pic in his avatar, - but for reasons best known to him - he's gone into hiding!

05-27-2003, 12:22 PM	#8
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	LOL, that question has been asked 2342 times before. With Jim's current schedule and what he has going at this point, there just isn't time, even if he did agree with the application. Sorry Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

05-27-2003, 12:30 PM	#9
alindsay55661 Registered Join Date: May 2003 Location: Laie, Hawaii! Posts: 10	Where Where are the other posts of this particular topic? I would like to see an explanation (even a previous explanation) since there seems to be a "good one".

05-27-2003, 12:34 PM	#10
Socrates Sage Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: West Hills, CA Posts: 1,529	There was, in fact, a third party item that a poster developed to run MA as a desktop. Unfortunately the programmer was a little over-sensitive to the distastes of others... Bat rays? We don't need no stinking bat rays!

05-27-2003, 01:05 PM	#11
alindsay55661 Registered Join Date: May 2003 Location: Laie, Hawaii! Posts: 10	What happened? And the story goes...? Would he be willing to share? If there is anyone out there who might have the skills to create a plugin to make MA an active desktop object you might start by visiting http://www.vital-desktop.com which is a free, open source program that puts some screen savers on your desktop. So maybe half of the work is already finished. Anyway, finish your story.

05-27-2003, 01:17 PM	#12
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	We've been through this again and again. Trying to encourage people to program some kind of modification of the Aquarium will not accomplish anything except raising the hackles of Jim's devoted fans. We have been asked by the developer of the Aquarium not to post programs that will do what you ask. If you find a way (it's really not that difficult) and you get some use out of it, great! "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

05-27-2003, 01:26 PM	#13
alindsay55661 Registered Join Date: May 2003 Location: Laie, Hawaii! Posts: 10	So let me get this straight Sorry to beat a dead horse, I guess I came into the game late. Basically, you are telling me that this type of thing can be done easily (for those who program) but that we want to keep it off this forum because Jim doesn't want his fish swimming with icons? Well, to each his own, but that is kind of a wierd thing to ask. Now, without causing to much controversy, does Prolific plan on adding this feature or would they be willing to point in the right direction to implement this feature?

05-27-2003, 01:39 PM	#15
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Cliff. That one made my day. Thank you so much and I officially love you. /Tiny Box Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

05-27-2003, 02:07 PM	#16
alindsay55661 Registered Join Date: May 2003 Location: Laie, Hawaii! Posts: 10	I read the posts--WOW, I really wasn't trying to dig up a fight from the past. I was just looking for a creative solution. Sorry to have brought back any hard feelings for anyone. But hey, this question is bound to come up again in the future. You should post an announcement at the top of the forum so unsuspecting people like me don't come along and keep asking why this feature isn't availible becuase they have no idea the issue was big deal and people were taking serious stands. I am sorry to hear that icons are looked at as graffiti but as an artist myself I do respect Jim's work and his desire to preserve it. (For a public product however that is a little unrealistic, after all, MA is no Venus!) But then again, nothing comes quite close to it. Keep up the good work Jim. I'll go try to find some mods and be sure not tell anyone else.

05-27-2003, 02:27 PM	#17
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	I need to update the FAQ. Actually, I have a topic going but didn't get much response of questions that should be answered. https://www.feldoncentral.com/forums...&threadid=1468 "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

05-27-2003, 03:32 PM	#18
Wizwad Only me... Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 2,584	FAQ Morgan, like Tiny I thought it looked really good as well. I have been planning on reading through the current FAQ to see what might be added, but just hadn't got round to it. I'd suggest sticking in a bit about "Active Desktop and why it won't be included" in the miscellaneous part of the new FAQ. Don't forget to include "CalcNormals explained" in the Aquarium Settings part, though! Mark ----------- Intel i7 12700K \| Aorus Z690 Pro \| Corsair DDR5 5600 32GB \| Asus Dual RTX3060ti 6GB v2 Mini OC \| Corsair RM850 Gold PSU \| 1TB NVMe M.2 WD Black SN850 \| 4TB Seagate BarraCuda HDD \| Corsair Airflow 5000D Case \| HP 32QHD 4K Monitor \| Windows 11 x64 Professional

05-28-2003, 10:01 AM	#19
Garmonbozia Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: western hemisphere Posts: 12	To me, we've had enough requests to warrent such an option. If you guys don't want to use the SSA in that way, don't. Some of us still do. That's all I'll say.

05-28-2003, 10:53 AM	#20
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Back to stir up trouble again, I see JSG. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman