UI question

[MoRpH]

Just a quick question for the programmers out there....

Does it take more CPU power to have a custom interface like resolume than to have a standard windows interface like SVi or VJo???

Also it begs the question why do software developers not make there software with detachable/floating panels so you can hide/reveal and customise the interface.

[Awax]

Custom build interface are generally more CPU intensive becos you have to override the default UI and implement your own. It could be, in theory, faster but, generally, it is builded on top of the original interface so it is more CPU consuming (some things are also hw accelerated thru DirectDraw so the default UI is 99% the fastest/smallest).

"Also it begs the question why do software developers not make there software with detachable/floating panels so you can hide/reveal and customise the interface." ....
Well, that's the big question : because they didn't think of it. This is the reason I want to build a skinnable soft : build your own interface and keep exactly what you need and just what you need.

[HuoLong]

well, i think it's all bullshit... it comes @ the coder if it's fast or not... you can "EASILY" have a faster GUI not using M$ predefinied shit... the best example i can give is use network communication!!! that way you can have contorls in 1computer and the "visual creation" in another calculator...

ofcourse you can get the "fastest" GUi if you know the secrets of M$...

"ofcourse" it's faster when you use objects that are predefinied in the OS...

but, i think it's all relative 2 HOW you code it...

-huolong

[MoRpH]

Yes true...... but it makes no sense to be to waste processing power on a skinned/custom UI window when you can save the power for your app and use windows standard ones..... also than you could use floating panels and close the ones you don't use/need

[robotfunk]

custom interface does not really matter as long as you dont animate the hell out of it .. anything that moves takes cpu time, anything that is static does not have to be redrawn.

Standard windows GUI is great for spreadsheatophiles :D

[MoRpH]

Hahaha spreadsheet....... Personally I find a UI like VJo or SVi a LOT more useable @ first glance than say that of Resolume (which isn't too bad, but it seems a waste) or Flowmotion....... actually jilt I reinstalled your software yesterday in teh hopes of writing a review but after 5 minutes with the interface I still couldn't make anything happen :( (i'm sure its great software though mate :) but have you ever heard of labels???)

My point is (to all software coders) why not stick with something thats easy and known to ppl and make our lives a little easier (and your product a little more friendly and usable @ a glance) rather than turning your VJ software UI into your latest adstract art piece

[many2]

If you really want to get all the power from your application you have to go the fullscreen output way - no user interface when performing, just when composing ! I know from my video game development experience that you will get much better framerates when your aplication output is fullscreen ! There are so many things you don't need when performing : your desktop, the clock, the taskbar, windows priorities, etc.

Many-2

[MoRpH]

Yeah true many-2 and I know Vjo actually shuts them all when it goes full screen..... but I need and interface to control and monitor things.... thats why I have always used scan convertors with zoom.

Also on that shutting things down note to get the best performance from your machine (even in windowed output mode software), always try to shut down as many of the things running in the background on your machine as possible, I removed the system clock and hide the taskbar, set my desktop to a non-active desktop flat colour... Iguess you can't do much more than that (besides run fullscreen, which is out of the question in my case) or save proccessor by using windows wigets instead of dodgey graphic project UIs :)