WindowFX adds cool effects to Windows XP

Published on October 2, 2003 By Stardock Central In WinCustomize News

The first public update of WindowFX in over a year is now available. WindowFX is a program that adds special effects to Windows including:

• Shadows under windows
• Minimize/Maximize transition effects (windows can spin into the taskbar amongst other effects)
• Change the desktop icon size to 48x48 while leaving the rest of the Windows icons their normal size.
• 3D icon labels
• Window dragging effects (windows can sway and rotate as they are dragged on the screen).
• Set what resolution a window maximizes to (great for those running 1600x1200 or above)
• And much more!

WindowFX takes advantage of the hardware acceleration on modern video cards. The performance will vary depending on the quality of the video drivers. For example, on an ATI Radeon card with the latest drivers, these effects are done almost completely by the video hardware so that the computer isn’t “slowed down” by the effects.

Version 2.12 enables a bunch of effects to be tried out in the free version and incorporates the window dragging features.

A video of WindowFX in action can be found here:

https://www.stardock.com/video/winfx21.wmv

WindowFX is part of Stardock’s Object Desktop (www.objectdesktop.com) suite of desktop enhancements that includes WindowBlinds, IconPackager, DesktopX, and more.

It requires Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

If you don’t have Object Desktop, you can download WindowFX at:
https://www.stardock.com/products/windowfx

Comments

dagwinn

on Oct 02, 2003

Caveat on this one:

"Change the desktop icon size to 48x48 while leaving the rest of the Windows icons their normal size."

With this option selected, WinFX also "forgets" where you place your desktop icons and every time you reboot or otherwise reset the destkop, all the icons get moved as if you had "autoarrange" selected. You can move them around, but they won't stay where you put them. I've tried it on several different machines, all with the same result.

lalfonsob

on Oct 03, 2003

Also, I have an ATI Radeon 9600 PRO-CATALYST Windows XP 3.7 Drivers! Athlon XP 1600+, 765 MB in RAM and two 20GB Hard Drives. I'm running Windows XP Home Edition SP1.

And in the "Performance Advice" I clicked in "Enable ........"
Also I have the settings running with compatibility in ATI cards and the unlimited thing, I don't remember the names but everything is on place and the animations on windows dragging and windows Max and min are slow!!!!!!!!

Help? I'm testing the shareware version! Thanks!!

dagwinn

on Oct 03, 2003

lalfonsob, you should contact Stardock at support@stardock.com or visit the WinFX newsgroups (direct your newsreader to news.stardock.com). Those are better resources for solving problems with drivers and adapters, etc.

lalfonsob

on Oct 03, 2003

You're right! My bad!!!

I'm going to take a look at those!

Thanks Dagwud!

joetheblow

on Oct 03, 2003

FX is cool.

PhrozenMenace

on Oct 04, 2003

FX is a very cool program...tight effects..great job guys..on the video it almost looked like someone gettin beat up..but thats just me..keep up the good work

marc_wire

on Oct 05, 2003

Latest WindowFX doesnt like when u hide msn 6.1's window frame

http://tha.rotten.apple.org.ru/uvz/msn.JPG

Aqua.

on Oct 06, 2003

Does this release get rid of the spinning pink squares that have plagued earlier releases?

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