G
Guest
My interest in future versions of windows especially in Longhorn is that of
the graphics interface. Something the Microsoft team are hoping to achieve
with the Avalon graphics system is a more 3D like appearance, my specific
interests are the icons on desktops which Apple Mac leads in.
A post at the channel9 (http://channel9.msdn.com) forums on the topic of
vector 3D icons for windows threw up some interesting problems that I would
like to share and hopefully get some feedback on. Features like cell shading
and 3D icons made in programs like 3DstudioMax threw up issues such as
effects like greyscale, anti-alias and blending which are easy with smooth
with static icons but hard with vectors and the light source for shadows
would be an issue.
Hopefully overcoming these problems I let my mind run free and got thinking
about what kind of desktop I would like in the future. A future where
services have tighter integration and where elements are more interactive.
Right now the desktop system tray clock synchronises with a server and keeps
the time, this is the least the desktop can do and I would like to see
features which are more personal like search engines that have local
searches. Personal information can be obtained from ones own .Net Passport
details like location, age and hobbies, right now the MSN webpage can be
customised to show the days weather, just from your location.
Consider if the desktop hooked up to your own personal geographical and
topographic information as well as local time then it could do some amazing
effects with desktop. I live in Scotland, with my window facing a river and
can see the sun rise and set, sometimes the river gets ‘harr’ (mist) on it.
The following are times of days form different seasons of the year, and not
a single day:
07:00 - It’s a cold icy February morning and the city has the harr coming in
from the river, the sun is yellow and piercing through the clouds. The
desktop adds a little mist haze to the icons and desktop, with a low yellow
tinted shadow being cast from the icons.
13:30 - It’s a hot sunny day in July and there is not a cloud in the sky
with brilliant sunshine and luckily a breeze. With this info the desktop ups
the contrast on all the icons to give them a shine/glow from the appropriate
nortical direction and makes icons that can be manipulated (like a flag)
slightly waver in the artificial breeze.
19:30 - It’s October and local information shows its going to be a red sky
at night. The desktop alters the light source by turning it slightly pink,
thus giving a pink tint to the icons with a dark night sky backdrop.
This is all real time information which affects the desktop, some countries
have predictable weather so I would imagine that British desktops would be
quite exciting as you could never rely on the weather. Other scenarios should
take into account extreme conditions such as sudden snow storms, flooding,
hailstones gusts of leaves etc… If you want to cheer yourself up from a long
winter then pre-set (predictable) weather settings could be uploaded like
themes, one could even make their ‘perfect day’ in an editor.
All of these possibilities would be a good incentive for people to fill in
their .Net Passport profile fields, as long as the information can beneficial
you. It’s a bit like authenticating windows to receive downloads, as long as
the information given can benefit, why not?
Further to this, like many, you might have online friends who live abroad
that could share their day’s weather while chatting over MSN Messenger. A bit
like sharing music or sharing backgrounds, like seeing what music they are
listening to in their absence.
It would be good to see icons effect others in their vicinity, like a
Halloween theme with blood dripping from one onto the other. A married couple
who argue from one end of the desktop to the other, blowing kisses as the day
ends. Having an icons show a friends mood remotely, they could ping you for a
conversation.
Right now I use Microangelo On Display to make icons animate on my desktop,
flags do move but only how they were designed as ANI cursor files, not like
the vector icons that could be manipulated. I also use CursorXP form Stardock
to bring my cursor to life.
I look forward to peoples responses,
Samuel
the graphics interface. Something the Microsoft team are hoping to achieve
with the Avalon graphics system is a more 3D like appearance, my specific
interests are the icons on desktops which Apple Mac leads in.
A post at the channel9 (http://channel9.msdn.com) forums on the topic of
vector 3D icons for windows threw up some interesting problems that I would
like to share and hopefully get some feedback on. Features like cell shading
and 3D icons made in programs like 3DstudioMax threw up issues such as
effects like greyscale, anti-alias and blending which are easy with smooth
with static icons but hard with vectors and the light source for shadows
would be an issue.
Hopefully overcoming these problems I let my mind run free and got thinking
about what kind of desktop I would like in the future. A future where
services have tighter integration and where elements are more interactive.
Right now the desktop system tray clock synchronises with a server and keeps
the time, this is the least the desktop can do and I would like to see
features which are more personal like search engines that have local
searches. Personal information can be obtained from ones own .Net Passport
details like location, age and hobbies, right now the MSN webpage can be
customised to show the days weather, just from your location.
Consider if the desktop hooked up to your own personal geographical and
topographic information as well as local time then it could do some amazing
effects with desktop. I live in Scotland, with my window facing a river and
can see the sun rise and set, sometimes the river gets ‘harr’ (mist) on it.
The following are times of days form different seasons of the year, and not
a single day:
07:00 - It’s a cold icy February morning and the city has the harr coming in
from the river, the sun is yellow and piercing through the clouds. The
desktop adds a little mist haze to the icons and desktop, with a low yellow
tinted shadow being cast from the icons.
13:30 - It’s a hot sunny day in July and there is not a cloud in the sky
with brilliant sunshine and luckily a breeze. With this info the desktop ups
the contrast on all the icons to give them a shine/glow from the appropriate
nortical direction and makes icons that can be manipulated (like a flag)
slightly waver in the artificial breeze.
19:30 - It’s October and local information shows its going to be a red sky
at night. The desktop alters the light source by turning it slightly pink,
thus giving a pink tint to the icons with a dark night sky backdrop.
This is all real time information which affects the desktop, some countries
have predictable weather so I would imagine that British desktops would be
quite exciting as you could never rely on the weather. Other scenarios should
take into account extreme conditions such as sudden snow storms, flooding,
hailstones gusts of leaves etc… If you want to cheer yourself up from a long
winter then pre-set (predictable) weather settings could be uploaded like
themes, one could even make their ‘perfect day’ in an editor.
All of these possibilities would be a good incentive for people to fill in
their .Net Passport profile fields, as long as the information can beneficial
you. It’s a bit like authenticating windows to receive downloads, as long as
the information given can benefit, why not?
Further to this, like many, you might have online friends who live abroad
that could share their day’s weather while chatting over MSN Messenger. A bit
like sharing music or sharing backgrounds, like seeing what music they are
listening to in their absence.
It would be good to see icons effect others in their vicinity, like a
Halloween theme with blood dripping from one onto the other. A married couple
who argue from one end of the desktop to the other, blowing kisses as the day
ends. Having an icons show a friends mood remotely, they could ping you for a
conversation.
Right now I use Microangelo On Display to make icons animate on my desktop,
flags do move but only how they were designed as ANI cursor files, not like
the vector icons that could be manipulated. I also use CursorXP form Stardock
to bring my cursor to life.
I look forward to peoples responses,
Samuel