Stardock, the world leader in Windows desktop customization, released Deskscapes 3 today. DeskScapes is a unique program that allows users to customize their Windows desktop wallpaper with effects, animation and a variety of other options.  DeskScapes 3 adds support for Windows 7 and includes a host of effects that users can apply to their existing traditional desktop backgrounds.

DeskScapes 3 also includes a new configuration interface that lets users easily mix and match between different types of wallpaper. Natively, DeskScapes supports its own popular DREAM format which lets users use video or dynamically generated animated wallpaper. Version 3 extends this format to support what are called “Hybrid dreams” that let users mix and match static images and animation designed to provide easy to create animated wallpaper that are also practical and visually exciting.

Because DeskScapes uses the new Windows compositor in Windows 7 and has a native 64-bit version, users of Windows 7 are able to make use of animation and effects with no effect on system performance.

DeskScapes 3 can be downloaded at Stardock’s website. It costs $19.95 to register it or can be purchased as part of Stardock’s Object Desktop suite of desktop enhancement utilities.

Visit http:// www.stardock.com/products/deskscapes for more information.

Tools of the Dream Trade

Over the past year I've gotten many inquiries about what tools I use to make my dreams.  So I've finally decided to write something describing how I ended up using the tools I do and hopefully help others get started making there own creations.

The first dreams I did were done using HD video found on the internet that I simply looped.  Under Water is an example of one of my looped dreams.  Looping video dreams require you slowly fade the beginning of the video onto the end of the video or adding the reverse of the video at the end.  In both cases, the last frame of the video is also the first frame so that it loops.  While I never used Vista's Movie Maker, I believe you can do the video fade technique using it, and the best part is that it's free with Vista.  The tool that I personally would use for this, however, is Adobe's After Effects. 

After doing a few HD video dreams, I started using After Effects to create more abstract dreams using particles and fractal noise.  I found many tutorials for After Effects that quickly got me up to speed on using it.  My favorite being Andrew Kramer's Video Copilot tutorials.  You can do a lot with After Effects right out of the box.  I created the Apollo dream using only After Effects, and without any plug-ins.  I now use After Effects for all my video editing needs and it is by far the best tool in my arsenal.  I can do all sorts of final touchups, including color adjustments and light ray effects.  I can't say enough about how great After Effects is and how it got me interested in graphic design.

After doing a few dreams in After Effects, I decided to take a leap into the wondrous world of 3d modeling using Autodesk's 3ds Max.  At first it was a bit intimidating as there where so many more options, menus, controls and terminology.  Again, I searched the internet for tutorials and slowly pieced together my first master skin; Good Night Earth.  Having done the Earth before in my Apollo dreams, it was a great place to start.  Not to mention, the Earth is a simple 3d shape to create.

Lately, I discovered fractal flames using Apophysis and found a way to animate them (Check out my Spiral Ghost dream to see what I'm talking about).  This really caught my eye and some of the fractals (called flames) out there look amazing.  Again, I'm searching the internet again for more tutorials on creating flames.  However, as I found out, creating a cool flame doesn't always translate into cool animations.  It requires trial and error to create a flame that looks cool as a single image and also animates well.

The final tool I use and is also the final step in the dream creating process is TMPGEnc 4 XPress.  After outputting my dream video from After Effects as an uncompressed video, I use TMPGEnc 4 XPress to convert my video into a MPEG-2 video for packaging up into my .dream file using DreamMaker.  I found this tool to do a very good job at encoding once I found/understood what the options do.

Well, that about sums it up.  I hope you enjoyed this brief autobiography of the Master Baron.

This is the first edition of "This Month in Dreams" for 2008!  The year has kicked off well with a bunch, and I mean a bunch of submissions for January.  Just wait until until DeskScapes 2.0 is released, I think we are going to see a big increase in high-quality animated wallpapers.

Now for this months .dreams!

All the .dreams featured in the video can be downloaded from the links below.  To use .dreams you will need Vista Ultimate, and Stardock DeskScapes installed.

• Surfs Up by CarGuy1
• EarthAndMoon by stephenvw
• Angel Wings by MalleyWowwy
• Spirit Dance by TheMasterBaron
• Summer Breeze by CarGuy1
• Tunnel of Love by TheMasterBaron
• Poubel Coconuts by brenopoubel

 

2007 was an incredible year for .dreams, or as some may know them....animated wallpapers.  We had the release of DeskScapes which enhanced DreamScene in Vista Ultimate to support the .dream format, dynamic .dreams, triggers .dreams, and more.

We also saw the release of DreamMaker in which users have taken their 2D and 3D creations and turned them into phenomenal .dreams which they shared with the community.  2008 will be even stronger with the release of DeskScapes 2.0 which will widen the user base of .dreams to include all versions of Vista that are Aero capable.

With that, here is the final "This Month in Dreams" for 2007, and look for more of this in 2008.

Now for the featured .dreams!

Video: Animated Wallpapers: December' 07 Edition

To use these .dreams you will be need Windows Vista Ultimate, and the free download of Stardock Deskscapes.  All the .dreams featured in this video can be found at the links below.

 

December came so fast I almost forgot about This Month in Dreams, and that wouldn't have been good because November was a super month for .dream submissions.  We had a couple of Master Dreams and many more .dreams created by our members. 

Last month was also exciting as we announced that DeskScapes 2.0 will be able to be used on all Vista versions that can run Aero.  For more info about that announcement, click here.

The holiday season is here, and there aren't many holiday inspired .dreams in the gallery, so let me know if you are working on any so I can be sure to include them in the holiday skin guide.

Now for the featured .dreams!

Video: Animated Wallpapers: Nov. '07 Edition 

To use these .dreams you will be need Windows Vista Ultimate, and the free download of Stardock Deskscapes.  All the .dreams featured in this video can be found at the links below.

• Winters here by muckyman
• Waterfall by stephenvw
• unreal3 by muckyman
• The Artifact by TheMasterBaron
• Nanosuite - Max Strength by chaorendabusi
• Waterwall by muckyman
• Crystal Island by TheMasterBaron
• Photo Dream by Stardock Design

 

A new month is here, and that always brings us another edition of This Month in Dreams.  This is the monthly feature of some of the most popular .dreams (animated wallpapers) that are submitted to WinCustomize.  Users of Windows Vista Ultimate  who have downloaded Stardock DeskScapes can download these wallpapers to add a bit of "motion" to their desktop.

Now for this months .dreams!

Video: Animated Wallpapers - October '07 Edition 

The .dreams featured in the video can be found at the links below.

• Rest in Peace by Stardock Design
• red_clouds by muckyman
• Poubel Sun v1.0 by brenopoubel
• Comet II Deep Impact by xstudio
• midnight_moon by muckyman
• Poubel Island v1.0 by brenopoubel

 

It has been quite an exciting week already with the release of WindowBlinds 6, but even that won't stop this months featured .dreams.  Last week, Microsoft released the final version of DreamScene for Vista Ultimate, and referred users over to Dream.WinCustomize.Com to get additional .dreams (animated wallpapers).  The .dreams you find here at WinCustomize use the free enhancement called DeskScapes, which has features such as dynamic content, triggers, author credit, and more.

So now it's time for This Month in Dreams where I feature some of the most popular .dreams submitted to WinCustomize throughout the past month.

Video: Animated Wallpapers - Sept. '07 Edition 

Below are the links to all the .dreams that were featured this month.

• lava_planet by muckyman
• foggy desktop by muckyman
• corpuscule2 by moringaou
• Poubel Hill by brenopoubel
• hot_coals by muckyman
• Poubel Tafiti v1.1 by brenopoubel

A new month is here once again, and summer is winding down, and that means it's time for the August edition of "This Month in Dreams".  This is a monthly video where I take some of the .dreams (animated wallpapers) that were submitted during the month, and compile them into one video where people can get a sample of the great .dreams that we see here at WinCustomize.

August was a bit of a slow month for animated wallpapers, but with the holidays rapidly approaching I think we are going to see some really cool creations very soon.  Is there an animated wallpaper that you are working on that you might want to give us a peek at?

Now for this months .dream video!

The .dreams features in this months video can be downloaded from the links below.  To use .dreams you will need Vista Ultimate, DreamScene, and Stardock DeskScapes to be installed.  You can find more information at Dream.WinCustomize.Com.

• Sunset Sea V.1.1 by cashys
• Plasma Ball v2by JuiceDaddy
• Snow FLakes Edition 1 by chaorendabusi
• Event Horizon by JuiceDaddy
• The lines 2by chaorendabusi
• Poubel Rays v1.0 by brenopoubel

I can't believe summer is just flying by.  I almost forgot August was approaching, and that it's time for this months edition of "This Month in Dreams".  This monthly feature highlights some of the best .dreams that were submitted to WinCustomize during the past month.

How many of you are currently working on Dreams you plan to release soon?  Just as any other works in progress go, feel free to post your works in the "what are you working on thread" on the forums if you would to give members a sneak peek of what you are working on.

Now for this months .dreams video!

 

 
The .dreams features in this months video can be downloaded from the links below.  To use .dreams you will need Vista Ultimate, DreamScene, and Stardock DeskScapes to be installed.  You can find more information at Dream.WinCustomize.Com.

Reflect (Blue) by JuiceDaddy
Earth To Saturn by AzDude
Super Mario Bros 3 by goyney
Caustic Motion by JuiceDaddy
Electric Vista - Yellow by AzDude
Poubel Sunset by brenopoubel