Windows DreamScene - Animated Wallpaper for an Ultimate Extra
Totally cool desktop customization
Sunday, January 7, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: CES 2007
As Microsoft just announced, one of the first Ultimate Extras (extra features users of Windows Vista Ultimate can download) is a new animated wallpaper feature called "Windows DreamScene".
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Windows DreamScene at a glance:
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So what exactly is Windows DreamScene? And what are the extensions and enhancements coming out for it?
Windows DreamScene is an animated wallpaper technology developed by Microsoft that plays high-definition video content as your wallpaper. The key ability of it is that it can do so without using significant amounts of CPU (basically the decoding of the video is the only real CPU use involved). The animation itself is run through the hardware accelerated DWM.
Software developer Stardock, makers of popular desktop enhancement utilities such as WindowBlinds, DesktopX, ObjectDock, etc. worked with Microsoft on the creation of content and has developed a number of tools to extend the feature set of Windows DreamScene.
On the content side, Stardock Design created a number of 3D animated content for Microsoft including the default animated Aurora. Microsoft is holding back on releasing all the content they have until Spring 2007. Stardock also added support for animated wallpapers on its popular WinCustomize.com community site at Dream.WinCustomize.com.
With regards to the additonal tools and enhancements Stardock has released two of them.
The first enhancement is a new program called DeskScapes. DeskScapes extends DreamScenes to support dynamic content (i.e. videos are pre-rendered). With dynamic content, you could have your wallpaper change based on weather, time of day, or news. Or you could just have some cool Direct3D "stuff" that runs (like one of those fish aquariums running as your wallpaper).
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Stardock DeskScapes at a glance:
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The other key feature of DeskScapes is that it introduces the .DREAM format. This allows artists to protect their artwork. The .DREAM format supports triggers (changing what is playing based on specific triggers) and it allows creators to insert their author info and a link to their website which we think is crucial to encourage artists to spend the time to create good animated wallpapers.
The other tool Stardock is working on is tentatively called Dream Maker. What it does is make it easy for authors to create .Dream files. Its goal will be to help make it as easy as possible to create your own animated wallpapers.
To learn more about Windows Vista Ultimate, go to www.windowsultimate.com. To download content to personalize your Windows Vista experience, visit www.wincustomize.com.
Get More Dreams (animated wallpapers): Dream.WinCustomize.Com
Screenshots:
(1) Dyanmic content uses virtually no CPU, it's all on the video card. (2) DreamScene in action. (3) .Dream Files support author info.
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Reply #63 Sunday, February 25, 2007 12:44 PM
AMD XP 3000+
1024mb memory
BFG 6800 Ultra - up to date drivers.
Does Vista (Ultimate) need a third party video decoder? or am I missing something.
My clean installation is 2 days old with the the following:
Vista Ultimate
Office 2003
Nero 7 Premium
SD Central and
Windowblinds 5.5 for now
(by the way, clifftop dreamscene is brilliant if only I could actually use it!)
Reply #64 Tuesday, February 27, 2007 10:32 AM
Reply #65 Tuesday, February 27, 2007 1:21 PM
Reply #66 Wednesday, February 28, 2007 12:44 PM
Reply #67 Tuesday, March 13, 2007 9:35 AM
So can I only have one or the other - either a .Dream background or a WindowBlind?
Reply #68 Wednesday, March 14, 2007 3:10 AM
SENTiNEL: It sounds like you have a very old version of WB running.
You need to install the release build of 5.5 on Vista.
Reply #69 Wednesday, March 14, 2007 3:55 AM
I had the latest WindowBlinds 5.5 Beta installed, but see that it's released today so I'll see if that makes a difference - I also noted that the beta wasn't activated initially properily, but activating it didn't solve the problem, maybe it's as much to do with my GFX cards and their drivers (2x nVidia 6800GT, 256Mb RAM), I'm going to fire up SDC once I'm done downloading the Vista Updates.
Reply #70 Wednesday, March 21, 2007 5:21 PM
or what can i do? 
Reply #71 Wednesday, March 21, 2007 5:27 PM
Hey can i install it to Home Premium? is it possible?
or what can i do? DreamScene is an Ultimate Extra, therefore it requires Vista Ultimate.
Reply #72 Wednesday, March 28, 2007 9:23 AM
P.S. I don't care if I spelled strait correctly or not.
Reply #73 Wednesday, March 28, 2007 11:07 AM
DreamScene is an Ultimate Extra, therefore it requires Vista Ultimate.
It's My Secret
Reply #74 Friday, June 8, 2007 3:04 AM
AMD x2 6000+
4 gigs corsair
dual evga 8800GTX
dual 22" Acers, and dual 19" Viewsonics...
NOT WORTH IT. Runs like hell, waste of precious CPU.... trust in that.
Reply #75 Thursday, March 27, 2008 5:22 PM
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Reply #61 Thursday, February 22, 2007 4:44 PM
Excellent point Frogboy DreamRender often rendered a blue screen or two!