jms@tardis.Tymnet.COM (Joe Smith) (08/17/89)
In article <12112@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> bob@jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU.UUCP (robert s. richardson) writes:
: The one nit-picky thing that annoys me about the Workbench vs. most other
: windowing environments is the lack of a BACKGROUND. I know about programs
: such as Tapestry and such, but they let the background show through the
: windows, which defeats the purpose in my mind. I like to think of
: windows as pices of paper on my desktop, not transparencies.
:
: Is there any solution out there that will give me a simple patterned or
: colored background that only shows where there are no windows? I think
: this would make the WB look SOOOOO much more professional, even to the
: point of almost (but not quite) making topaz forgivable.
I have seen an alpha copy of 1.4 in action. You can set the Workbench
background to be a pattern of dots, and each window that opens is opaque
with a solid color background. I think you can even change the foreground
and background colors of each window independently. (Or maybe that last
feature was in JazzBench.)
Until 1.4 comes out, you should try DropCloth on Fish Disk #128. It even
allows you to load a 4-color IFF picture into Workbench's backdrop window.
I currently have an image of my orange and white cat staring at me from
the Workbench screen. (Alternating blue and orange pixels make Murdock's
ears and nose look pink.) And yes, windows and icons show up as opaque
rectanges when running DropCloth - none of the background picture or
pattern shows through in the windows.
--
Joe Smith (408)922-6220 | SMTP: JMS@F74.TYMNET.COM or jms@tymix.tymnet.com
McDonnell Douglas FSCO | UUCP: ...!{ames,pyramid}!oliveb!tymix!tardis!jms
PO Box 49019, MS-D21 | PDP-10 support: My car's license plate is "POPJ P,"
San Jose, CA 95161-9019 | narrator.device: "I didn't say that, my Amiga did!"rtczegledi@crocus.waterloo.edu (Richard Czegledi) (08/18/89)
About all this 1.4 news. Somewhere I found a picture that claimed to be
a screenshot from an alpha 1.4. I doubted it, but when you mentioned the
opaque windows and things, I thought I'd share it with the net.
It's small, so no flames please. One thing though:
This picture has a little clock in the title bar. If they intend to
include a clock of this type in wb1.4, I'd strongly caution them against
it. Most people would probably just hate it.
Also, the pattern in the window is sort of ugly. And fickers quite a bit
when viewed with a setlace (I use monolace) type program.
begin 644 wb1.4.pic1
M1D]230``%DY)3$)-0DU(1````!0"@`#(``````(``0````H+`H``R$-!34<`O
M```$``#@`$--05`````,`%"@\/#P```@\(``0D]$60``%@6Q_[$`!OG('_\_O
M_[_^_P[^/_X?'_P/__\>'QX<#A_]_P+X_S_Z_PG^'`\_'AX?__^X]/\%_AX?1
M_AX?_/\&_@`'_@`'_[4``P'_^``"^<S/_O\`/_W_#3_\SG_\___^',Y\S,S/=
M_?\`_/C_"?S,SCY\S,___SST_P7\S,\\S,_\_P;^?^?^``!_M0`#`>```#?YN
MS,_^/!X.&)P>'S__S/_\'__\G\S\C\_/_B">&1R>/AX/_,X<S___S\\\_,R/#
M_AX,GAB?_,X<S_O_!?R,CSR/S_S_!OY@`'X'_G^W``4?_X'@```W^4P?_SS/C
M/,Q,S\\__QP?_\__^9\<'`^?'_S,3\S,3SS,__Q$S$?__Q^?/!X<#_S//$S,-
M3_Q$S$?[_P7\#`_\#Q_\_P;^8`!^!_Y_MP`%'_^!X```-_@,S_\\SSP,S,\/$
M/__,S__/__@.?,Q//G_\S,\,S,\\_A_\I`RG___//SS,S$_\SSS,#,_\I`RG:
M^_\%_$Q/_$_/_/\&_F``?@?^?[<`!1__@>```#?XC,__/,\L_/S,SS_\S,\\Q
MS___G,S,SSS/_AS\S!S//,_/_.3\Y__\SS\\S,S/_,\LS/S__.3\Y_O_!?S,Y
MSSS,S_S_!OX``'X'_G^W``4?_X'@```W^<@?_AS/GAA\SB8?_AX?/A___PP.7
M'A\\#_G(?B3XSAX<'_SF'.?__A\\#AX>'_X?F,X8?_SF'.?[_P7^'A\^'A_[?
M_P7@`'_G_G^W``(?_X#^`.C_!/P?__A_U?\%X`!_X`!_MP`"'_^`_@"Q_[$`E
ML0"Q`+'_L0`(\Y__\?$____QP?\&_@`'_@`'_[4``P'_^``)]]___?W?___]=
M_L)$!OY_Y_X``'^U``,!X```"?.=,3F9G3D].3_"$0;^8`!^!_Y_MP`%'_^!_
MX```"?;=W-U\?=W=W-_"_P;^8`!^!_Y_MP`%'_^!X```"?$9F9EYF1F9^9_"H
M_P;^8`!^!_Y_MP`%'_^!X```"?5=W?U]W?W=W=["1`;^``!^!_Y_MP`%'_^!K
MX```"?.=,?&1/3F=,9_"$0;_X`!_Y_Y_MP`"'_^`_@"W_P7@`'_@`'^W``(?0
M_X#^`+'_L0``P+0`__^Q``#`^P#__P"`]0`"'__PS``!P`,``_PS_?_V,P`_E
M_O\`\\XS`C````#`^P`"_\.`]0`"'_APS``!S_,`#/W,`,W]__;,_?\`_,W,@
M_P``P/L``O_#@/4``A_X<,P``<_S``/\,_W_`//W,P`__O\`^\XS`C````#``
M^P`"_\.`]0`"'_APS``!S_,`#/W,`,W]__;,_?\`_,W,_P``P/L`__\`@/4`J
M`A__\,P``<_S``/\,_W_`//W,P`__O\`^\XS`C````#`M``!S_,`#/W,`,W]J
M__;,_?\`_,W,_P``P+0``<_S``/\,_W_`//W,P`__O\`^\XS`C````#`_``#\
M!_51X/4``OZJ/,P``<_S``S]S`3-^`_J'_;,!/\!_4/\S<S_``#`_``#!^J(?
M\/4``OU1'LP``<_S``/\,P3X'=4/\_<S!#\#NJ'[SC,",````,#\``,'U41P,
M]0`"^JB.S``!S_,`#/W,!,WX.ZJ/]LP$_P=U4?S-S/\``,#\``,'JN(P]0`"G
M]5Q&S``!S_,``_PS!/AW%4_S]S,$/P[BJ?O.,P(P````P/P``P=5__#U``+J!
MO_[,``'/\P`,_<P$S?CN``_VS`3_'<`!_,W,_P``P/P``P:K__#U``+5?_[,2
M``'/\P`#_#,$^=P`#_/W,P0_.X`!^\XS`C````#`_``#!5?_\/4``JK__LP`;
M`<_S``S]S`3-F[@`#_;,!/-W``'\S<S_``#`_``#!___\/4`__\`_LP``<_S$
M``/\,P3X```/\_<S!#\```'[SC,",````,"T``'/\P`,M,S_``3,8``.#OX`8
M!PX!@`'!@8?@_0`%`?@Q!?AXS0`!S_,$`Q,S,3'^,P(Q,C/^,@$P$_TS!3(#'
M`C(#`\XS`C````3,8``&!OX`!@8#@`/#PX;[``3,>8S,S,T``<_S!`",S,C(I
M_LP&R,Q,S`P,2/O,!`"$0```S<S_``_,8\[&9L/'P\;!@`;#P8?`_``$S'G<!
MS-S-``'/\P0#$#$Q$?XP!C$R,S$P,C#Z,P,"(S,CSC,",```!,UF9V;'_F8'C
M9V&`#,9A@&#\``3XS?SX_,T``<_S``#^B``(_8@&C$S`"(Q,C/S,!`0```0`1
MS<S_``_/YF9GAF?F9@9A@`_GX8!@_``$V/VLS.S-``'/\P\`$1$0,1`1$3$2P
M,S`0$C,3_#,$(P(3,Q/.,P(P```/SN9F!L9F!F9F88&`S#&&8/P`!,V'C,S,9
MS0`!S_,/``B(R`B(R(B(C$Q,`,Q(C/S,!`!(0```S<S_``_,8\\.8\/&8\YGN
MX8'L-^/`_0`%`<>'C?AXS0`!S_,.`Q`P,1`P,1`Q$!(R$P`0_#,%,C`P,@,#O
MSC,",````,"T``'/\P`,M,S_``#`M``!S_,``[4S`C````#`M``!S_,`#+3,,
M_P``P+0``<_S``.U,P(P````P+0``<_S``RTS/\``,#L``(?__#,``'/\P`#C
M[3,`/_[_`//.,P(P````P/L``G__P/4``A_X<,P``<_S``S\S/W_]LS]_P#\4
MS<S_``#`^P`"?^'`]0`"'_APS``!S_,``_PS_?\`\_<S`#_^_P#[SC,",```W
M`,#[``)_X<#U``(?^'#,``'/\P`,_,S]_P#L]\S]_P#\S<S_``#`^P`"?^'`6
M]0`"'__PS``!S_,``_PS_?\`\_<S`#_^_P#[SC,",````,#[``)__\"]``'/1
M\P`,_,S]_P#L]\S]_P#\S<S_``#`M``!S_,``_PS_?\`\_<S`#_^_P#[SC,"^
M,````,#L``+^JCS,``'/\P`,_,S]_P#L]\P$_P']0_S-S/\``,#\``,#^JCP\
M]0`"_5$>S``!S_,``_PS!/P']0_S]S,$/P.ZH?O.,P(P````P/P``P/U1'CU#
M``+ZJ([,``'/\P`,_,P$_`[JA^SWS`3_!W51_,W,_P``P/P``P/JHCCU``+U9
M7$;,``'/\P`#_#,$_!W51_/W,P0_#N*I^\XS`C````#`_``#`]5Q&/4``NJ_#
M_LP``<_S``S\S`3\.XJG[/?,!/\=P`'\S<S_``#`_``#`ZK_^/4``M5__LP`I
M`<_S``/\,P3\=P`'\_<S!#\[@`'[SC,",````,#\``,#5?_X]0`"JO_^S``!V
MS_,`#/S,!/SN``?L]\P$\W<``?S-S/\``,#\``,"J__X]0#__P#^S``!S_,`@
M`_PS!,W<``?S]S,$/P```?O.,P(P````P/P``P/___B]``'/\P`,_,P$_```!
M!^R^S/\``,#N``4!^#$%^8;-``'/\P`#[C,%,@,",@(QSC,",```!L``8P``.
M<'#^``-P#``>^@`$S'F,S,S-``'/\P8,S(S,S(R,_LP#C,#,P/K,!`"$0```_
MS<S_``;``&,``#`P_@`#,!P`,_H`!,QYW,QXS0`!S_,&`S,0,S,#`_XS`P,CF
M,P#Y,P,"(S,#SC,",```#<``8QYV,S8>/AXV#``#^@`$^,W\^##-``'/\P8,E
MS(S`B,S(_L`!R,#XS`,$```$S,S_``;``&LS.S8[_C,#.PP`#OH`!-C]K,QX]
MS0`!S_,%`S,0```!_`#_,P`Q^C,$(P(3,P/.,P(P```-P`!_,S,\,S\S,#,,/
M``/Z``3-AXS,S,T``<_S!PS,@,S,P,S`_LP`P/C,!`!(0```S<S_``?``'<SO
M,#8S,/XS_PP`,_L`!0''AXWYALT``<_S!P,S```#`0`#_@#_,P``^S,%,C`P<
M,@(QSC,",```#<``8QYX<QX>,QYS/PP>P0`!S_,*#,R,P(2,P,#,P(S^P,',?
M_P``P+0``<_S``.U,P(P````P+0``<_S``RTS/\``,"T``'/\P`#M3,",```I
M`,"T``'/\P`,M,S_``#`M``!S_,``[4S`C````#`M``!S_,`#+3,_P``P+0`,
M`<_S``.U,P(P````P+0``<_S``RTS/\``,"T``'/\P`#M3,",````,#[``(_R
M_^"]``'/\P`,_,S]_[W,_P``P/L``C_PX+T``<_S``/\,P!__O\`\[\S`C``(
M``#`^P`"/_#@O0`!S_,`#/S,_?\`_+[,_P``P/L``C_PX+T``<_S``/\,P!_>
M_O\`\[\S`C````#`^P`"/__@O0`!S_,`#/S,_?\`_+[,_P``P+0``<_S``/\Z
M,P!__O\`\[\S`C````#`M``!S_,`#/S,_?\`_+[,_P``P/P``P']5'B]``'/H
M\P`#_#,$?@/ZA_._,P(P````P/P``P'ZHCR]``'/\P`,_,P$_@=U0_R^S/\`T
M`,#\``,!]5$<O0`!S_,``_PS!'X.ZJ/SOS,",````,#\``,!ZKB,O0`!S_,`V
M#/S,!/X=Q5/\OLS_``#`_``#`=5__+T``<_S``/\,P1^.X`#\[\S`C````#`I
M_``#`:K__+T``<_S``S\S`3^=P`#_+[,_P``P/P``P%5__R]``'/\P`#_#,$`
M9NX``_._,P(P````P/P``P'___R]``'/\P`,_,P$_@```_R^S/\``,"T``'/*
M\P`#M3,",````,#^``<9@``#O@8`.+\``<_S``S^S`?$3,S,0,C,Q+_,_P``6
MP/X`!QF```&;```8OP`!S_,``_XS!R(S,S(@,S,CP#,",````,#^``@9CSL--
MF8X/F8#```'/\P`,_LP(Q$#$P$1`P$1,P,S_``#`_@`''X&=FYF&&!N_``'/5
M\P`#_C,'(#(B("(Q(R#`,P(P````P/X``1F'_ID"A@\>OP`!S_,`#/[,`<1(-
M_D0"2,#`O\S_``#`_@`'&9F8&9L&`9N_``'/\P`#_C/_(@4C(B`Q,B#`,P(PD
M````P/X`"!F._`[^#Q\Y@,```<_S``S^S`C$0`#``,#`Q$S`S/\``,"T``'/@
M\P`#M3,",````,"T``'/\P`,M,S_``#`M``!S_,``[4S`C````#`M``!S_,`=
M#+3,_P``P+0``<_S``.U,P(P````P+0``<_S``RTS/\``,"T``'/\P`#M3,"%
M,````,"T``'/\P`,M,S_``#`M``!S_,``[4S`C````#`M``!S_,`#+3,_P``(
MP/L``C__X+T``<_S``/\,P!__O\`\[\S`C````#`^P`"/_#@O0`!S_,`#/S,`
M_?\`[+[,_P``P/L``C_PX+T``<_S``/\,P!__O\`\[\S`C````#`^P`"/_#@.
MO0`!S_,`#/S,_?\`_+[,_P``P/L``C__X+T``<_S``/\,P!__O\`\[\S`C``U
M``#`M``!S_,`#/S,_?\`_+[,_P``P+0``<_S``/\,P!__O\`\[\S`C````#`(
M_``#`?U4>+T``<_S``S\S`3^`_J'_+[,_P``P/P``P'ZHCR]``'/\P`#_#,$V
M?@=U0_._,P(P````P/P``P'U41R]``'/\P`,_,P$_@[JH_R^S/\``,#\``,!L
MZKB,O0`!S_,``_PS!'X=Q5/SOS,",````,#\``,!U7_\O0`!S_,`#/S,!/X[/
M@`/\OLS_``#`_``#`:K__+T``<_S``/\,P1^=P`#\[\S`C````#`_``#`57_&
M_+T``<_S``S\S`3F[@`#_+[,_P``P/P``P'___R]``'/\P`#_#,$?@```_._3
M,P(P````P+0``<_S``RTS/\``,#^``<!F^`#\.#A^+\``<_S``/^,P<R(!,PF
M`Q,2`\`S`C````#`_@`'`9FP`9FQL6B_``'/\P`,_<P&1$S,1$Q,A+_,_P``F
MP/X`!P&9F`&;&QA@OP`!S_,``_XS!S(B(S(@(",3P#,",````,#^``<!^9GYX
M\QL88+\``<_S``S]S`8$1`0,Q,2,O\S_``#`_@`'`9F8`9L;&&"_``'/\P`#$
M_C,',B(C,B`@(Q/`,P(P````P/X`!P&9L`&9L;!@OP`!S_,`#/W,!D1,S$1,O
M3(R_S/\``,#^``<!F^`#\.#@\+\``<_S``/^,P<R(!,P`Q,3`\`S`C````#`I
MM``!S_,`#+3,_P``P+0``<_S``.U,P(P````P+0``<_S``RTS/\`!<````__K
M^+D``<_S`@,S/_[_`/.[,P(P```%P```#_PXN0`!S_,"#,S?_O\`_+K,_P`%[
MP```#_PXN0`!S_,"`S,__?^[,P(P```%P```#_PXN0`!S_,"#,S?_O\`_+K,.
M_P`%P```#__XN0`!S_,"`S,__?^[,P(P````P+0``<_S`@S,W_[_`/RZS/\`'
M`,"T``'/\P(#,S_]_[LS`C````7```!_51ZY``'/\P8,S-^`_J'\NLS_``7`?
M``!^J(^Y``'/\P8#,S^!W5#_NS,",```!<```'U41[D``<_S!@S,WX.ZJ/RZJ
MS/\`!<```'JN([D``<_S!@,S/X=Q5/^[,P(P```%P```=5__N0`!S_,&#,S?.
MCN``_+K,_P`%P```:K__N0`!S_,&`S,_G<``_[LS`C````7```!5?_^Y``'/P
M\P8,S-F[@`#\NLS_``7```!___^Y``'/\P8#,S^```#_NS,",````,"T``'/"
M\P`,M,S_``C/P8@@#X?CSF"\``'/\P@`,C,3,#`0,1.],P(P```(QF/,8`;!>
MAF9@O``!S_,("(P`C,@,2(B,O,S_``C&8\[@!F&'!L"\``'/\P<!$#$3,1(P+
M,;PS`C````C'QF_@!F&#AX"\``'/\_\(!H`,R(Q,2$R\S/\`",;'[6`&88#FI
MP+P``<_S!P$P$A,Q$C,1O#,",```",9L/&`&P89F8+P``<_S"`B`P(S(#$B(L
MC+S,_P`(SCP\8`^'X\Y@O``!S_,(`0,#$S`P$#$3O3,",````,"T``'/\P`,B
MM,S_``#`M``!S_,``[4S`C````#`M``!S_,`#+3,_P``P+0``<_S``.U,P(PI
M````P+0``<_S``RTS/\``,"T``'/\P`#M3,",````,"T``'``P`,M,S_``#`9
MM`#__P`#M3,",````,"T``'^?P`,M,S_``#`M``!^!\``[4S`C````#`M``!J
MX`<`#+3,_P``P+0``8`!``.U,P(P````P+0``?@?``RTS/\``,"T``'X'P`#K
MM3,",````,"T``'X'P`,M,S_``#`M``!^!\``[4S`C````#`M`#__P`,M,S_7
M``#`M`#__P`#M3,",````,"T``'X'P`,M,S_``#`M``!^!\``[4S`C````#`/
MM``!^!\`#+3,_P``P+0``?@?``.U,P(P````P+0``8`!``RTS/\``,"T``'@6
M!P`#M3,",````,"T``'X'P`,M,S_``#`M``!_G^Q`+'_L0``P+D`!@/\__\_Z
MP/^Q``#/N?\&\_#__P_,_[$``,^Y_P;SP`/``\`#L0``S[G_!O,``\``_/.Q&
M``#/N?\&\\`#P`/\\[$``,^Y_P;S\/__#_SSL0``P+D`!@/\__\__`.Q`+'_>
#L0``Q
``
end
size 5718
ejkst@unix.cis.pittsburgh.edu (Eric J. Kennedy) (08/30/89)
In article <12112@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> bob@jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU.UUCP (robert s. richardson) writes:
: The one nit-picky thing that annoys me about the Workbench vs. most other
: windowing environments is the lack of a BACKGROUND. I know about programs
: such as Tapestry and such, but they let the background show through the
: windows, which defeats the purpose in my mind. I like to think of
: windows as pices of paper on my desktop, not transparencies.
That's what I thought, too. But, what good is a backdrop if it always
has full screen windows in front of it? That's the case for me,
anyway. I've found that tapestry is extremely effective if you choose
your colors carefully. I use black (000) text on a white (fff)
background, and I have taken a series of one-bitplane pictures that
were black on white, and changed them to a very light gray (eee) or
blue (eef) on white. When one of these is installed with tapestry, you
can see the picture easily enough, but it is so light that it in no way
effects your view of the text (or whatever) in the foreground. I even
have a directory of about 35 such pictures, and an ARexx script
randomly selects one and displays it with tapestry when I boot.
Try it! It's a nice touch for when your eye strays from your {cli,c
program,report,etc}. I currently have the Eta Carinae nebula (I think
it's a nebula) installed; sometimes it's Opus, Oliver Wendel Jones,
a Model-T Ford, an M.C.Escher print, or Whinnie the Pooh :-).
--
Eric Kennedy
ejkst@cisunx.UUCPjohn.russell@canremote.uucp (JOHN RUSSELL) (09/30/89)
Personally, I prefer the type of background that shows through wherever the background colour is used, at least when the background is a pattern. The main advantage of this approach is that the backdrop picture doesn't have to use the same colours as the Workbench screen. Speaking of Tapestry, I have seen it and am curious to know exactly where it came from. The reason is that when run with no options, it gives a usage line that refers to the command "tc" -- which was the abbreviation I used for my TableCloth program, a 4-colour Workbench backdrop program. John --- * Via ProDoor 3.1aR