SkinStudio 6 Suggestion

Sometimes, We Won't Want DWM

Published on October 5, 2007 By Josephs In Skinning

Hello Everyone,

This is mainly a suggestion directed at the developers of SkinStudio.

Recently, I've created a UIS1 Skin in SkinStudio Classic, And I've added the additional Vista components using SkinStudio 6. Which is all good, however, I've noticed that SkinStudio and WindowBlinds together use the Aero DWM Interface when applying skins.

This is fascinating, because the nature of the UIS1 Skin is to provide compatibility and performance. I don't see the importance, or use of either if the user is forced to use the Desktop Window Manager with Aero. Both are highly memory consuming, and probably aren't worth the efforts of UIS1.

I think a switch should be implemented, primarily in the skin's default specifications (alongside title, author, copyright, category etc.), which specifies whether the theme will use the Aero DWM, or the Classic DWM.

Who's With Me?
Josephs

(PS: Aero DWM being; Blurring, 3D Task Flip, Taskbar Previews and Per-Pixelness, which uses an average, 40MB of Memory. Classic DWM being similar to Windows XP, providing nothing but the basics. Using an average of 4MB of Memory.)

Comments

Neil Banfield

on Oct 05, 2007

If you have a DWM capable machine then you have no 2D hardware acceleration. So without the dwm on things tend to be rather sluggish when moving windows around.

This is not the case for people who have older graphics cards without DWM support as their drivers DO have 2d acceleration.

Josephs

on Oct 05, 2007

This is not the case for people who have older graphics cards without DWM support as their drivers DO have 2d acceleration.

Which Drivers? Their Video Drivers?
What kind of Video Driver which supports 3D DWM wouldn't have 2D Acceleration..

Perhaps my idea of DWM differs to yours?
All I know, is that when we're talking 3D Aero, we're talking +30MB Memory.
And I also know that when we're using the Windows Classic Scheme, or the Windows Basic Scheme, which is NOT 3D, DWM Uses under 10MB Memory.

I am simply suggesting the implementation of the switch, which explains to WindowBlinds to use the 3D, or 2D Version of DWM. My UIS1 Theme has no characteristics of 3D, Yet the 30MB is in use because of the Flip3D and Translucent parts of DWM. If I could use my UIS1 Theme on the DWM Similar to the Classic or Basic Schemes, Then it'd be more effective.

vStyler

on Oct 05, 2007

Seems like a valid point, I have to wonder why your creating a UIS1 skin in the days of gigs of ram tho?

Neil Banfield

on Oct 05, 2007

If you have a video card capable of running the DWM then the drivers for it provide no 2d HW acceleration. This is a 'feature' of Windows Vista.

So disabling the DWM will in fact slow down your computer vs having the DWM on. To see this open taskmanager and watch the cpu usage when you move a window around.

There is no 2D version of the DWM. The process remains running but it is doing nothing.

If you have XP drivers on Vista then things work like they do under XP and you get most of the 2d HW acceleration you get under XP.

Josephs

on Oct 05, 2007

The process remains running but it is doing nothing.

Exactly, I didn't mean to suggest the termination of DWM.exe, I meant how you've explained with the Basic version of DWM.
(The process remains running but it is doing nothing.)

If this could be equated to a USI1 Skin, then we would use less memory.
What we've figured out here, is DWM Comes in two flavors, Active and Inactive (However, the process is always running).

But Regardless, would you agree with me when I say an Active DWM which is used with Aero would be less appropriate than an Inactive DWM for a UIS1 Skin, ala Classic/Basic?

I have to wonder why your creating a UIS1 skin in the days of gigs of ram tho?

I'm a gamer, I want the most resources I can find, hence UIS1 if any.
We can't just accept Gigs of Ram and move on. UIS1 used to be a feature, and still should be. Honestly, I don't know too many people beefing up their computers just to run WindowBlinds...

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