Animated wallpapers for Windows 7
Published on November 11, 2009 By Island Dog In WinCustomize News

Stardock, the world leader in Windows desktop customization, released Deskscapes 3 today. DeskScapes is a unique program that allows users to customize their Windows desktop wallpaper with effects, animation and a variety of other options.  DeskScapes 3 adds support for Windows 7 and includes a host of effects that users can apply to their existing traditional desktop backgrounds.

DeskScapes 3 also includes a new configuration interface that lets users easily mix and match between different types of wallpaper. Natively, DeskScapes supports its own popular DREAM format which lets users use video or dynamically generated animated wallpaper. Version 3 extends this format to support what are called “Hybrid dreams” that let users mix and match static images and animation designed to provide easy to create animated wallpaper that are also practical and visually exciting.

Because DeskScapes uses the new Windows compositor in Windows 7 and has a native 64-bit version, users of Windows 7 are able to make use of animation and effects with no effect on system performance.

DeskScapes 3 can be downloaded at Stardock’s website. It costs $19.95 to register it or can be purchased as part of Stardock’s Object Desktop suite of desktop enhancement utilities.

Visit www.stardock.com/products/deskscapes for more information.

http://draginol.stardock.net/images/islanddog/DeskScapesEffectsareCool_C45F/113200914910PM.png https://www.stardock.com/spencer//news/deskscapes_hybrid_dreams.png

Comments (Page 1)
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on Nov 11, 2009

on Nov 11, 2009
Ok...not sure whats happening here. Just before I saw this post Impulse had Deskscapes listed as "Previous Version Installed" which "was" showing listed as 3.0. But I just opened it again and it's version 2.92 beta that is installed with no update showing.
on Nov 11, 2009

Must be something going on, I'm stuck downloading at 0.0%, tried resetting data but that didn't help.

on Nov 11, 2009
Update: Got version 3.0 installed...I think...and now certain dreams that worked before are no longer working. Shark Pit...Planktonic...to mention a few. Also...when clicking some other deskscapes such as Blissful or Shark Pit for example..I am given another window showing the dream as a simple screenshot of the dream.

Also still getting the Mpeg2 decoder thing popping up even after installing the community codec pack that was suggested.

Would be nice if once and for all it was explained exactly which dreams do and don't work on XP (and you could tell which are which in the gallery)...and if some specific codec is needed that a link to one that makes these things work was provided.

Mind you I won't lose any sleep over these not working...it's just that if the time is taken for them to work on XP it would be nice if they actually did...rather than just a few. The latest Vintage and example Impulse Hybrid dreams work perfectly by the way. But that seems to be the only ones that do.
on Nov 11, 2009

must delete old version first - reboot - load up new version - so far working good with my win7 ...........

on Nov 11, 2009

WebGizmos
Update: Got version 3.0 installed...I think...and now certain dreams that worked before are no longer working. Shark Pit...Planktonic...to mention a few. Also...when clicking some other deskscapes such as Blissful or Shark Pit for example..I am given another window showing the dream as a simple screenshot of the dream.

Also still getting the Mpeg2 decoder thing popping up even after installing the community codec pack that was suggested.

Would be nice if once and for all it was explained exactly which dreams do and don't work on XP (and you could tell which are which in the gallery)...and if some specific codec is needed that a link to one that makes these things work was provided.

Mind you I won't lose any sleep over these not working...it's just that if the time is taken for them to work on XP it would be nice if they actually did...rather than just a few. The latest Vintage and example Impulse Hybrid dreams work perfectly by the way. But that seems to be the only ones that do.

If you get a window popping up when trying to preview a video dream then you have bad mpeg2 decoders. 

What version did you have installed before and did those dreams work?  Was this before you installed the video codecs?

on Nov 11, 2009

Well, an update for MyColors showed up and that worked fine.  DeskScape still in hung up downloading.  I've reset usage data and reset data a couple of times.  When the update showed up I clicked yes to uninstall the previous or older version.  System rebooted and then that's where the update got stuck or hung up. 

I tried asking in the Stardock channel in IRC but go no response.

Anyone have any ideas as to what to do?

UPDATE:  I had to go to the MySoftware tab and install from there, strange.

on Nov 11, 2009

Yep...went as slick as other downloads have, along with IP5 Update.

Philly...I'd look for the help on irc. Open a ticket too. Maybe the MyColors has problems. It always did for me til I ditched it.

on Nov 11, 2009

Seth, look at my update above.

on Nov 11, 2009
If you get a window popping up when trying to preview a video dream then you have bad mpeg2 decoders.


If you have a link to Mpeg2 decoders that you know are good that would be great. I used a codec pack called "Combined Community Codec Pack" that supposedly had the Mpeg2 codec included.

What version did you have installed before and did those dreams work? Was this before you installed the video codecs?


Neil..Can't recall which version it was since I hadn't used it that much because I've always had problems with anything working. All I remember was that ones that worked before are no longer working. The bouncing box that was installed initially worked and now it didn't...and with the most recent install I see it isn't even there now...as well as a few others.

Here's what just happened...and it's somewhat confusing.

I went to install the newest version 3.0 and before doing that Impulse had it listed as a "Previous Installed Version" which was 2.92...then when I clicked on it to update it I was informed I had to uninstall this previous version...so I went along with this and it supposedly uninstalled and told me I had to reboot...which I did. Then I opened Impulse and it installed the newest version...I think...it installed something. But again it was listed as "Previous Installed Version" so at this point I have no idea what it was doing...so I completely uninstalled Deskscapes and rebooted...then I deleted all the folders for Deskscapes (there were 2) and rebooted again.

Then I opened Impulse and installed what was listed as available version 3.0 and again after the install it was listed as "Previous Installed Version." So now I have no clue as to whats really installed. And when clicking on some dreams I still get this "Activemovie window" popping up.
on Nov 11, 2009

Well, the install went well, but in trying the effects, They're scrambled to the right of "Invert", causing photos and dreams to have effects not as described.

on Nov 11, 2009
Ok...thought I had version 3.0 installed finally but I just opened Impulse again and it says "Previous Version Installed" again. This was after uninstalling Deskscapes...rebooting cleaning out all Deskscape folders and rebooting again.

When I click on this "Previous Version" I get a prompt asking me if I want to uninstall Deskscapes 3.0 first...So I have no idea what the deal is here.
on Nov 11, 2009

So do I have to buy this version? Or will the older version just update to this for free? Because I just re-installed impulse earlier today after setting up my rig with a clean install of Win7 and downloaded DeskScapes but it's Version 2.5.

on Nov 12, 2009
Quick question, but how do we know the 64 bit version is installed on a 64 bit OS? The default install folder is "Program Files (x86)"?
on Nov 12, 2009
no problems for me nice app stardock
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