Fun with LIquid Dream

A new watery animated wallpaper that's dynamic

Sunday, July 1, 2007 by Frogboy | Discussion: DeskScapes

Possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen on my desktop is the new dynamic dream known as "Liquid Dream".  For users of Windows Vista Ultimate who have DeskScapes, Liquid Dream lets users combine their existing wallpaper with a water effect on top of it. Your wallpaper then appears to be under water with dripping effects and a reflection from above (that users can choose). And best of all, it does all this with hardly any impact on system resources thanks to the compositor in Windows Vista.

And it's very customizable by the user as they can pick:

  • Time between water drops
  • Size of water drops (bigger drops mean larger ripples)
  • How reflective/transparent the water surface is
  • Choose a sky to see reflected in the water (fluffy white clouds, or a starry night sky)
  • Choose the background image that sits below the water. Pick from one of 3 provided images, or supply your own.

To users pick their wallpaper and then can control how the water flows over the wallpaper. The visual impact of it is incredibly cool. Here are some screenshots.

You can get Liquid Dream here.

Tova7
Reply #1 Sunday, July 1, 2007 12:41 PM

I use incredimail (yeah I know everyone hates it) but they have a new program that's free called Magnetic....they have screen savers like you've shown...I am using one with an old watch in the bottom of a stream, it gives the correct date and time...and there is water above it, with an occasional leaf floating past.  I love it.

I'd love to show it, but don't know how to do it.

qcyboy70
Reply #2 Tuesday, July 3, 2007 8:39 PM
could you send me the link for just the screensaver?
Jafo
Reply #3 Tuesday, July 3, 2007 9:28 PM

they have screen savers like you've shown

What Frogboy is showing here is not a screensaver at all ....

Phoon
Reply #4 Tuesday, July 3, 2007 11:02 PM
What Frogboy is showing here is not a screensaver at all ....


YOU know that...
Frogboy knows that...
Most of the people here know that...

But Computerworld (Singapore).... they don't know that..

Microsoft posted DreamScene, a video screensaver, in beta form;

From their article here...Click to see stupid people's article.
JunkInternetMail
Reply #5 Wednesday, July 4, 2007 11:07 AM
Dreamscenes ARE video screensavers playing in desktop space...

LOL

Anyone claiming otherwise is just trying to hype this up.

And there have been tv tuning software to do this LONG before vista and even 1 other application which could do this despite taking up large resources...

I really wish people would just admit they like the new use of the technology instead of claiming they invented something new...

Jesus Christ people stop lying to yourself and others...

Your OPINION of Dreamscenes is 1 things...FACTS are another...
Phoon
Reply #6 Thursday, July 5, 2007 12:56 AM
screen saver
–noun Computers. a program that displays a constantly shifting pattern on a screen when the computer is idle, originally used to prevent damage to the screen through continuous display of the same image but now used primarily for decoration.


desk·top –noun 2. Computers. the primary display screen of a graphical user interface, on which various icons represent files, groups of files, programs, or the like, which can be moved, accessed, added to, put away, or thrown away in ways analogous to the handling of file folders, documents, notes, etc., on a real desk.


Deskscapes/Dreams are NOT screensavers. They are animated desktops, and they do it in a method that was not available in XP. The concept is not new however.



Jafo
Reply #7 Thursday, July 5, 2007 9:25 AM

Dreamscenes ARE video screensavers playing in desktop space...

A screensaver is NOT a desktop wallpaper.  Its Z-Order is Ontop.  A wallpaper's is 'on bottom'.

Understanding this fundamental difference will assist you in understanding/handling your GUI, something skinners/themers are past masters at, hence their clear and present understanding of the distinction...

Note to self ....try NOT to use the word 'understanding' 3 times in one sentence....it's poor grammar...

Yosmel
Reply #8 Thursday, July 5, 2007 1:30 PM
Your OPINION of Dreamscenes is 1 things...FACTS are another...


I've said this before, and quite frankly some of you are probably tired of it but I'll say it again...

Ignorance is Bliss.
JunkInternetMail
Reply #9 Sunday, July 8, 2007 4:10 AM
You can play semantics all you want and even cite antiquated dictionary definitions.

Z-order is a matter of the coders preference and does not directly categorize what a program is or does...

And for the record, Stardock makes programs which have Z-orders that can be changed like Desktop Aquarium which is often marketed as a screensaver.

Arguing this point is almost moot because people here are way too protective and defensive about someone pointing out the obvious...opps, I've done it again!

Should I post a link to the program that came out in the late 90s doing what DreamScene does today?
ZubaZ
Reply #10 Sunday, July 8, 2007 10:31 AM
Unless you can have a dream run on top of the other icons and windows it's not a screensaver.  By definition, a screensaver is (was) there to prevent burn in (somehting that was avery real issue back in the day!).

And yes, there have been apps that did similar things for years.  None did it as well due to OS and hardware limitations.   The times they are a-changin' and Stardock is pushing the limits again; this time with the dynamic dreams.

In the end . . this thread has become much ado about nothing.

Liquid Dream dream looks good.  It looks worth the money.  If you don't like it or like [InsertNameOfBetterApplication] more power to you.
Tova7
Reply #11 Tuesday, July 10, 2007 8:54 AM
could you send me the link for just the screensaver?


Don't know if you were talking to me but check this out...

http://www.magentic.com/gallery/gallery.aspx?type_id=1&cat_id=3&cat_name=Nature%20Scenes

I use the first one...


http://www.magentic.com/gallery/gallery.aspx?type_id=2&cat_id=10&coll_id=247&coll_name=Clocks
DreemSeeker
Reply #12 Sunday, September 30, 2007 10:23 AM
weird. I didnt send anyone a message - at least I didn't mean to.
I'm trying to figure out why I have to buy Liquid Dream when I've paid for Object Desktop.
ZubaZ
Reply #13 Sunday, September 30, 2007 11:21 AM
I'm trying to figure out why I have to buy Liquid Dream when I've paid for Object Desktop.


Object desktop is a suite of applications.
Deskscapes is a free application not part of Object Desktop [OD(NT)]

Dreams are produced mostly by the community.  Stardock Designed has also produced some very excellent ones that they are charging for. That's the way it is.  Most buyers think it's worth it.
mnftg64
Reply #14 Wednesday, October 3, 2007 7:11 PM
This is ridiculous... if you can't understand the difference between a wallpaper and screensaver, well I don't know what to say.

That said, my wallpaper doesn't turn off when I move my mouse.

I realize that this post does nothing... like most internet posters, you are probably too stubborn to realize your mistake.

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