Re: [MiNT] Cool new AES features

[Mark Duckworth <mduckworth@atari-source.com>]

On Wed, 2005-07-06 at 20:50 +0200, Arnaud BERCEGEAY wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> On Wed, 06 Jul 2005 20:10:19 +0200, Evan Langlois  
> <Evan@CoolRunningConcepts.com> wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, 2005-07-06 at 19:31 +0200, Arnaud BERCEGEAY wrote:
> >> A direct link with snapshot for information:
> >> http://ers.europe-shareware.org/atari/find_it.html
> >
> > A couple grey-scales.  Nice.
> 
> Ok, so now you know what we are talking about when we wrote about  
> "gradients" of color like XGEM does.
> 

I brought this up.  XGEM at least tries.  Right now we have nothing...
Any ideas are nice.  I like grayscale gradients for 3d buttons and just
under the title bars are pretty neat.  Xgem fonts are nice and in
general it looks a lot more modern - even in 256color.  It's the right
idea visually.

> I hope you agree that we *can* implement that in AES. No need for an  
> optimised powerfull graphic card driver.
> 
> >  But ... I see its not free
> 
> It's not the problem. I don't want XGEM "as it is" in AES (it's a bad  
> idea).
> 

Yeah, I'm sure ERS could be convinced to free the code, but I wasn't
talking about implementing xgem.  xgem as it is as far as I know only
compiles with purec.  I attempted to port it to gcc including the
assembler but only got so far.  It works but very broken.  (I only got
as far as I did thank to Lonny Purcell).  Someone else could try to do
it further but this isn't GPL code.  I think ERS gives the source and
permission on a case by case basis.  And like i said, PureC assembler is
not useful.  The people who converted FVDI to gcc would be best suited
to pick up where I left off with xgem.

> I don't know about the licence for XGEM library, and it's not the  
> question. The question was about the feasability of gradient with the  
> current situation (VDI layer)... and it can be done. This item can then be  
> add to the whish list, it's not a stupid request.
> 

Yeah...  If xgem from ERS is not an option, screw it.. I like the look,
not the code necessarily.  All I'm looking for is more modern visual
elements.  True color png icons, true color backgrounds without
converting images using all sorts of utilities and then not having it
like the resulting ximg anyway.... and that sort of shit.  Some sort of
user friendliness.  This friendliness is achieved somewhat with xgem and
much ERS software, and additionally with the new taskbar app that has a
system tray.  I only pointed them out to serve as a model.  I figured
it'd be nice to support zview for back end image conversion but Evan
correctly points out future troubles with that idea.....  but we need to
start somewhere..

Thanks,
Mark