Icon + Letterboxed Screen Saver Mode

PigsOnTheWing · 07-05-2002, 03:20 PM

I just downloaded the OS X verison of Aquarium (I've been a registered user of the Windows version for quite a while now...and have been lusting after a Mac version ever since) and it looks pretty darned good! I'm overjoyed to finally be able to run the Aquarium on a Mac! Now I've got absolutely nothing to keep me from dumping my Windoze machine!

One thing the OS X version could use, though, is a better icon for the application...and one that follows the "Aqua" guidelines (3D, floating, shadow, lightsource directly overhead, etc.) would be best.

In the mean time, I did a simple cut and paste replacement using one of the Coral Reef icons found at www.xicons.com.

Here are few samples (reduced in size) from the Coral Reef set...

Another thing which would be nice would be the ability to choose the widescreen version for display in the full-screen screen saver mode. I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to show the widescreen version (complete with the purple coral in the middle) during the screen saver preview mode...but then switch to the full-screen version (sans the purple coral in the middle) when actually running the screen saver. I'm probably one of the few people around who actually has a 16:10 widescreen computer monitor (it's currently connected to the Windoze machine, though). The vast majority of Mac users are going to have a 4:3 monitor (such as all iMac users). If all the widescreen code (right down to the older way of doing light reflections on the coral/gravel and the shadows that extend past parts of the coral) is already included in the Mac version...maybe it would make sense to have a full/wide check button which would allow you to run the widescreen version of the screen saver on a 4:3 monitor...complete with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen (a letterbox mode).

07-05-2002, 04:23 PM

I'm working on the Icon

As to letterbox mode. We will think about that.
--Reichart...

PigsOnTheWing · 07-05-2002, 04:40 PM

Reichart,

If a letterbox mode is not added...I think it would be a good idea to show the correct aspect ratio and background during the screen saver preview mode. Like I said, it doesn't make a lot of sense to see a 16:9 preview with purple coral and bubble column in a different spot...if the actual screen saver is going to display the 4:3 version without the purple coral, etc.

I suppose all this is only temporary, though, as there won't be separate 4:3 and 16:9 versions once Jim gets around to doing the 3-D rocks and corals.

Looking forward to seeing the new icon...

feldon34 · 07-05-2002, 07:59 PM

This Screen Saver has been formatted to fit your screen.

07-05-2002, 03:20 PM	#1
PigsOnTheWing Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Celebration, FL Posts: 12	Icon + Letterboxed Screen Saver Mode I just downloaded the OS X verison of Aquarium (I've been a registered user of the Windows version for quite a while now...and have been lusting after a Mac version ever since) and it looks pretty darned good! I'm overjoyed to finally be able to run the Aquarium on a Mac! Now I've got absolutely nothing to keep me from dumping my Windoze machine! One thing the OS X version could use, though, is a better icon for the application...and one that follows the "Aqua" guidelines (3D, floating, shadow, lightsource directly overhead, etc.) would be best. In the mean time, I did a simple cut and paste replacement using one of the Coral Reef icons found at www.xicons.com. Here are few samples (reduced in size) from the Coral Reef set... Another thing which would be nice would be the ability to choose the widescreen version for display in the full-screen screen saver mode. I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to show the widescreen version (complete with the purple coral in the middle) during the screen saver preview mode...but then switch to the full-screen version (sans the purple coral in the middle) when actually running the screen saver. I'm probably one of the few people around who actually has a 16:10 widescreen computer monitor (it's currently connected to the Windoze machine, though). The vast majority of Mac users are going to have a 4:3 monitor (such as all iMac users). If all the widescreen code (right down to the older way of doing light reflections on the coral/gravel and the shadows that extend past parts of the coral) is already included in the Mac version...maybe it would make sense to have a full/wide check button which would allow you to run the widescreen version of the screen saver on a 4:3 monitor...complete with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen (a letterbox mode).

07-05-2002, 07:59 PM	#4
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,938	This Screen Saver has been formatted to fit your screen. "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

07-05-2002, 04:23 PM	#2
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	I'm working on the Icon As to letterbox mode. We will think about that. --Reichart...

07-05-2002, 04:40 PM	#3
PigsOnTheWing Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Celebration, FL Posts: 12	Reichart, If a letterbox mode is not added...I think it would be a good idea to show the correct aspect ratio and background during the screen saver preview mode. Like I said, it doesn't make a lot of sense to see a 16:9 preview with purple coral and bubble column in a different spot...if the actual screen saver is going to display the 4:3 version without the purple coral, etc. I suppose all this is only temporary, though, as there won't be separate 4:3 and 16:9 versions once Jim gets around to doing the 3-D rocks and corals. Looking forward to seeing the new icon...