WB Utils - change window appearance?

[TheBoss]

Here is what mine looks like currently thx to amigasys

[Frog]

if some people with real amiga are interested, i've cybergfx monitor for AGA. It's a hack that force bitmap to be in fastmem, it work nicely. Most of those kind of hack available as for e.g. in Fblit cause troubles. I'm using it since years now and it handle to save the precious chip ram.
I can't remember if it speedup the whole display of the system but it should do.

[Bloodwych]

Frog, I'd love to have that monitor file! FBlit won't work with Scalos, is this compatible? Anyway, can you place it in the zone?

[Frog]

ok a short description about Cyberbugfix:
This program is a CGXAGA companion. If you don't know, CGXAGA is an AGA monitor driver for CyberGraphX package shipped with Phase5/DCE PPC accelerators. This driver is very useful due to brilliant SUPERLAYERS feature
and ChipRAM economy, bit it contains serious bug: ChipRAM leak if it not
enough for bitmaps and screens. CBX was written for fixing this, but after this it was transformed to multifunctional utility, that enhances CGXAGA compatibility with miscellaneous software and economes ChipRAM even more.

-------

@ Bloodwych : Fblit should work with Scalos, it works on my A1200.

List of patch i've in my startup :

Blizkick (to kick a ROM, load libs,device in ram etc...)
Poolmem (memory management)
Idefix (IDE enhancer)
MMuTools (MuMove4K, MuFastZero)
Val (to valide disk quickly when needed)
BlazeWCP (Chunky2Planar patch)
CMQ030 (CopymemQuick)
ENV-Handler (instead of copying all files from ENVARC, it simply copy into ENV: files when they're asked)
FixJump (to prevent screenjump from IPrefs)
FBlit (patch OS function to use CPU instead of blitter)
SystemPatch (patch OS function with faster one)
MathLibsPatch (patch mathematics libs with faster one)
VisualPrefs (modify WB looking but slow down the system)

and of course Scalos (not latest version, V1.2d)

all this patch are more or less useful on a real A1200 030+882, they can be totaly useless on higher processor. I can only advise you to read the docs before using them and to configure them properly (some patch don't like too much other or are simply redudant if not set in the right way)

But even if i used lot of patch, i'm agree with Bloodwych, using too much patch can cause an OS disorder and instead of speeding it up it could slow down the OS. What do you want ? Something which looks like a Ferrari with some pedals or a car when you sit down quietly and drive in full safety

sorry if i've been a bit off topic. You're free to move it in another thread.

[Bloodwych]

Thanks Frog, great informative post and thanks for the file.

There are one or two programs in your startup I've never used before. Looks like you've really put some effort into balancing that workbench out and congratulations on managing to get everything stable!

As for Fblit, we had problems using it for loading icons into fastram under Scalos:

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=11152

After messing around myself, I still couldn't get Fblit to reduce chipram usage until I ran the normal loadwb command.

Frog, I don't think these posts are off topic - the original question has been answered although we're still looking for the "windows contents while dragging" patch.

[Joe Maroni]

@frog

really nice...i´ll have a look at this programs and maybe i´ll put them together with bloodwych´s classic wb on my harddrive...

[Bloodwych]

Ok, to sum-up, and because I have far too much free time until I start my new job on Tuesday, here is my final advice.

Going back to the original question Crs posed about the ClassicWB P96 look, this is how easy it is to change. The top one is the default look. The bottom is the new look after changing wallpapers and the already provided AmiAmp skins after about 5 seconds work.

Basically, without installing anything you can transform the P96 workbench look by:

1) Changing background wallpapers (Scalos Pattern Prefs, available in the top left hand corner "tools" menu)
2) Changing the type of font and font colour (Workbench Prefs, again can be accessed via top left hand corner tools menu)
3) Changing the workbench palette colour (Scalos Palette Prefs)
4) Changing the Amiamp skins to others already provided (pic below)
5) Looking in the "Icons" drawer for replacement drawers. I've included a nice selection of replacements to suit different schemes. Again, look at what MSC managed using the brown folder icons. Hmmm, I'll have to ask him where he got that wallpaper so I can include it in the patterns drawer.

Then, to take things to the next level at the risk of adding hacks and patches go to Aminet and:

1) Install Visual Prefs
2) Install Amistart bar and/or a dockbar
3) Install Birdie
4) Look on the Scalos homepage for useful plugins
5) Have a look at MCP/MCX, but I advise being careful with certain settings
6) Have a look at AmigaSYS (used by Boss above) and one of the original packages AIAB for ideas of other additions from Aminet. Or indeed just use those instead! It's up to you to decide which is better for your needs. Links are right here (click)

[Frog]

AFAIR MCP do the "windows contents while dragging" patch. I don't use MCP myself as i never find it very stable even if there's some nice features. Instead of i've used Scalos released later by the same team.

edit : Redudant info
MCP & MCX do the "windows contents while dragging" as mentionned by BippyM

[Frog]

oh another 'useful' tool i forget : Powersnap, a magic cut'n'paste tool. You can cut'n'paste from anywhere using mouse... available in your aminet shop

[Amiga1992]

One that i hate is Birdy. It makes the OS lookso much like shit IMO...

[Frog]

for me it looks like : i've a gfx card, so let's go with lot of colors,, bitmaps everywhere. In fact when Birdies comes, i though it was a nice tool to show a nice customized wb to pc user.