3D-Desktop FX 0.2.4

3D-Desktop FX 0.2.4 (Initial Release) December 5, 2002

3D-Desktop FX is an add-on for Brad Wasson's 3D-Desktop ( http://desk3d.sourceforge.net ) that includes shortcuts to start and stop 3D-Desktop, adds in several new view settings (updated 3ddesktop.conf) and inludes a new script (3ddeskfx) that allows you to call all of the old and new views, including the ability to have a random mode or view each time you launch!

This version of 3D-Desktop FX is 0.2.4 and was designed to work with 3D-Desktop 0.2.4.

3D-Desktop FX was originally called "Random 3D-Desktop Generator" and was designed to work with the default 3ddesktop.conf and act as a randomizer for 3D-Desktop in that each time it was executed you would get a different 3D-Desktop mode or view.

After some experimentation, it seemed that the current views weren't random enough, or they produced unexpected results, so I added in 14 more views to take advantage of all of the possible modes as well as all of the features (including "breathing").

Finally, I thought it would be a good idea to add in the ability for my script to use a specific view each time, instead of a random view... but I wanted it to be simple. In other words, I wanted to be able to simply add one number to the end of my command line instead of having to remember view names or constantly having to recheck my view names in my 3ddesktop.conf. Granted, I might not remember which numbers force the different views, but with a few minor number changes I will land on one that I like.

The end result... 3D-Desktop FX!

Installation

This project requires Brad Wasson's 3D-Desktop ( http://desk3d.sourceforge.net )

Make a backup copy of your ~./.3ddesktop/3ddesktop.conf !

tar -zxvf 3ddeskfx.tgz
cd 3ddeskfx
mkdir ~/bin
cp scripts/3ddeskfx ~/bin
mkdir ~/.3ddesktop
cp config/3ddesktop.conf to ~/.3ddesktop

You may need to add this to your ~/.bashrc file:

export PATH=$PATH:~/bin

Close all open terminals!

After that, you should be able to run 3ddesfx in any terminal.

Using 3D-Desktop FX

Syntax:
3ddeskfx [mode|view1|view2] [0..#]

Examples:
3ddeskfx mode 4
3ddeskfx view1 2
3ddeskfx view2

The first parameter is required and must be either "mode", "view1" or "view2".
If the first parameter isn't included, the script will not run.

The second parameter is not required.
If the second parameter is included, the specified view # will run.
If this parameter is not included, a random view # will run.

Defaults

If param1 is "mode", valid default ranges for param2 are 0 thru 5
If param1 is "view1", valid default ranges for param2 are 0 thru 9
If param1 is "view2", valid default ranges for param2 are 0 thru 13

Note: The default ranges are based on the 3ddeskfx script. If you add more views to that script, the ranges will be larger than shown above.

Mode: 3ddeskfx mode [0...5]

0 = Carousel, 1 = PriceIsRight, 2 = Cylinder
3 = Viewmaster, 4 = Flip, 5 = Linear

If you don't include one of these numbers, 3D-Desktop will randomly pick one for you!

View1: 3ddeskfx view1 [0...9]

Note: Using View1 requires either my 3ddesktop.conf or the original config file from the 3D-Desktop project.

0 = Default, 1 = Go Right, 2 = Go Left, 3 = Slide
4 = ViewMaster, 5 = Linear, 6 = Linear Zip
7 = Big Money, 8 = Linear (No Zoom), 9 = [SoD]Sgt-D

8 is from the README (3ddesk --mode=linear --nozoom).
9 is one I played with. ;)

0 through 7 are defined in 3ddesktop.conf, 8 & 9 are defined in 3ddeskfx.

If you don't include one of these numbers, 3D-Desktop will randomly pick one for you!

View2 : 3ddeskfx view2 [0...13]

Note: Using View2 requires my modified 3ddesktop.conf.

0 = Carousel1 (Normal), 1 = Carousel2 (Breathing), 2 = Carousel3 (NoZoom)
3 = Cylinder1 (Normal), 4 = Cylinder2 (Breathing), 5 = Cylinder3 (NoZoom)
6 = PriceIsRight (Normal), 7 = PriceIsRight (Breathing), 8 = PriceIsRight (NoZoom)
9 = Linear1 (Normal), 10 = Linear2 (NoZoom), 11 = ViewMaster1 (Normal)
12 = ViewMaster2 (NoZoom), 13 = Flip (Normal)

If you don't include one of these numbers, 3D-Desktop will randomly pick one for you!

Hacking

You can add more views to your 3ddesktop.conf and then you can add more possibilities to any of the 3 main sections in the 3ddeskfx script to utilize your new views from your config file!

Simply copy one of the existing #) lines in 3ddeskfx and paste in a new line near the bottom of that section - or make as many as you want!

Just remember, to get it to work perfectly random, you must increase the DVIEWS in that section to match the total number of items in that section.

Example...

Say you add this to 3ddesktop.conf:

view               MyViewMaster
mode          viewmaster
zoom         1
depth              5
show_digit    1
digit_size         25
digit_color    red
frame_color   red
use_breathing    1
linear_spacing   0

Then you could do this to the 3ddeskfx script under the "View2 Section":

Change DVIEWS=14 to DVIEWS=15

Add a line below this line: 13) echo Flip ; 3ddesk --view=flip ;;

Your new line would look like this: 14) echo MyViewMaster ; 3ddesk --view=MyViewMaster ;;

It's really not too hard once you get the hang of it. ;)

Q: What are all of the echos for?
A: Feedback. When you run 3ddeskfx from the terminal it will tell you what it is trying to do.

If you are feeling risky, try making an entire section in 3ddeskfx just for youself called MyViews.

If you come up with better views than I have shown here, email them to me! I could use the input!

Server & Settings

The topmost section of 3ddeskfx is called "Server & Settings"). This is where you can setup the 3D-Desktop server.

It will default to KDE3/Gnome2 unless you change it here.

Shortcuts

These folders contain pre-built shortcuts that you can use. So far, only KDE3 and Gnome2 have been tested.

The majority of these shortcuts only use 3ddesk and 3ddeskd and not my 3ddeskfx.

The three shortcuts titled "Random..." (in the Main folder) all rely on my 3ddeskfx script.

The Mode and View1 shortcuts all rely on either my 3ddesktop.conf or the original config file from the 3D-Desktop project.

The View2 shortcuts all rely on my modified 3ddesktop.conf.

Screenshots

01 -02 -03 -04 - 05 - 06 - these show my 6 desktops, all using 3ddesk --view=carousel1

07 - this simply shows the spinning effect of the carousel mode

08 - shows cyclinder mode (not in motion)

09 - shows priceisright mode (not in motion)

10 - shows linear mode (not in motion, scrolls left to right)

11 - shows flip mode (in motion, flips end over end)

12 - shows viewmaster mode (in motion, spins clockwise or counterclockwise)

Q & A

Q: I typed in 3ddeskfx, but nothing happened!?!
A: Did you hit Enter?

Q: Yes, smartass, I hit Enter!
A: Heh, read the "Using 3D-Desktop FX" section above. You can't just type 3ddeskfx, you have to include the word "mode", "view1" or "view2" at least, and optionally you can include a valid number to prevent random mode.

Q: Ok, that still didn't work! :p
A: As mentioned in the "Installation" section, 3D-Desktop FX requires Brad Wasson's 3D-Desktop ( http://desk3d.sourceforge.net )

Q: Bah! I'm still having problems!
A: Ok, drop me a line! Use my email address below! ;)

About 3D-Desktop

Brad Wasson's 3D-Desktop is an OpenGL program for switching virtual desktops in a seamless 3-dimensional manner on Linux. The current desktop is mapped into a fullscreen 3D environment where you may choose other screens. Several different visualization modes are available.

3D-Desktop
http://desk3d.sourceforge.net

Enjoy! :)

[SoD]Sgt-D
sgt-d@planetquake.com