Glass Window Library

[eidenk]

In case this is of interest for anyone, I found that Glass Windows Library to implement transparency on 9x systems. Page is in Japanese so you'll have to use Babelfish or Google Translate. There are compiled examples of executables along with the source code and the transparency appears to be extremely fast.

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~seahorse/libgw/

There is also some source code to implement transparency here but it seems much less performant. In english this one.

http://www.cylog.org/sourcecode/transparent.jsp

[Chozo4]

Hm... interesting. Although the first one I'm not too sure on to be honest. The program based off it the author also wrote is 'mtate (madotate) which, while giving transparency to windows when 'tilted' to the side did not update the programs GDI display when dynamic content was involved (mIRC for instance) and so needed to be brought out of such a mode to update the current 'view'.

Such a demonstration of the 'transparency' in that way leaves room for concern if that's how it's handled normally throgh the libraries. If implimented in some way on a 'window manager' based level as content won't update as a result if the side-effect is the same as in the use of madotate.

------

The second one I just tried using the given demonstration. As with the other one, it updates based on actions upon it by removing the window off the desktop, capturing the desktop, then putting back and then applying the effects. This is evident by the small 'blink' everytime you move it.

this is also evident by you moving it over a window or other application then moving the window or application out from underneath. As a result you have the image still plastered on the 'transparent' item. This application also has the same effect of not updating dynamically with a constantly updating app underneath.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Chozo4