A Flash-based GUI as a Windows Interface --- has anyone EVER heard of this or tried this?

Published on May 18, 2003 By Big Doug In WinCustomize Talk

After visiting some of the new movie sites such as the X-Men 2 and Terminator 3 sites,and seeing how both have a VERY high-powered Flash-based interface going on, the inevitible question springs to mind:

Does ANYONE know of any project going on ANYWHERE to create a Flash-Based Shell Replacement for the ENTIRE Windows or OSX (or better yet, Linux

) Interface?

If not, I think as a member of the Customization community, we should explore this.

Man...think of the possibilities that could lead to. And it doesnt have to be a shell replacement either, but something like what Object Desktop does --- ENHANCING whats already there and hiding what isnt needed.

I would be willing to fork over MY OWN MONEY to get a project like that going. And I CAN'T be the first person who has thought of this.

So to the coding lords at Stardock, what is the TECHNICAL feasability of a Flash-based GUI and all the shell hooks and stuff actually working ?

And Frog, I KNOW you could sell it...

I'd pay whatever it took to have what essentially would be the ULTIMATE interface...

PLEASE get back to me on this. I'm BEYOND interested.

Comments (Page 1)

Jafo

on May 18, 2003

Yes...they exist...just like 3D interface GUIs.....take a trip over to shell city some time...

Jafo

on May 18, 2003

http://shellcity.net/ [I forgot]...

Jafo

on May 18, 2003

http://www.shellcity.net [I forgot]...

Jafo

on May 18, 2003

http://www.shellcity.net [I forgot]...[damn this html stuff]....

Big Doug

on May 18, 2003

And I'm looking for ... what program/link ?

Jafo

on May 18, 2003

Do a search for 'shells'....you should find one or three...

Big Doug

on May 18, 2003

ok thx Jafo

Styl-X Design

on May 18, 2003

Big doub, I don't know if its posible, but before I came into skinning, I was creating all kinds of stuff in flash, I had a idea about skinning, so I selected a active desktop with a flash file as background. It was nice, cause I could link to sites and play little animations over there, just not sure if there is a java code to hide your taskbar and open a startmenu...

Big Doug

on May 18, 2003

Well, I found all the shell replacements THEY have...and I'm still not clear on which particular one does what I'm looking for.

If only Active Desktop weren't so....limited...then I could just do it through THAT.

Ah, forget it.

Styl-X Design

on May 18, 2003

Its not really limited, if you hide your taskbar and stuff... but why flash actually? You DO can make a skin animated...

Big Doug

on May 19, 2003

well, If you take a look at the whole interface and navigation system on the Terminator 3 official site,I'm talking about all the stuff going on --- from the transitions and effects when an item is clicked on up to the whole structure of the interface and all the automated animation and fx. While I'm sure that it would take a hell of a LOT of work to get a windows GUI to do everything that's going on in that example, I still think that it's possible to do it somehow on more than an active desktop level.

I'm not a programmer (although I own Visual Studio, I'm really CRAP when it comes to programming), and my skills at Flash are equally inept; so maybe I'm just barking up a tree that really hasn't been planted yet. But down the road I see a Flash-enabled WindowBlinds that could REALLY spark up the next level in customization. That would be a cool feature for WB to debut on Longhorn with. Certainly the GUI in Longhorn will be able to take it...assuming microsoft still takes that road.

Heh. Well it was an idea and I guess its just not time for it yet.

Jafo

on May 19, 2003

I've seen the flash on the T3 site...and a shell such as LiteSTEP could imitate its appearance quite well...but it WOULD take a fair bit of work to do....layercuts would be the module to 'make it happen' [not one I am used to, unfortunately.....yet]...

Jafo

on May 19, 2003

Keep an eye on Shell City....I have seen items relating to 'flash shells' there in the past...

moshi

on May 19, 2003

there is ProjectFlash: http://www.shellfront.org/shells/projectflash/

not really a need for DesktopX, Active Desktop will do just the same for embedding websites.

Flash on the desktop is a resource monster though. that Terminator site isn´t too spectacular, there are far more impressive Flash sites around. could be emulated in LiteStep using layercut and lsdynamic (not that much work if you´re familiar with it). of course you can embed websites on your desktop with LiteStep as well (using lsbrowser).

craeonics

on May 19, 2003

ProjectFlash moshi pointed to is the only Flash based shell I know off.

And LiteStep can't even come close to what's possible in Flash. Flash is vector based, so you can rotate and scale at will. Ofcourse you can fake that in LiteStep, but that would be highy cumbersome.

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