This comes up alot, and I should add it to the FAQ. Here's the explanation.
Transpency, or the perception of it, comes in two flavors. Pseudo-transparency and Alpha-Channel Translucency (or Real-Transparency). The method used by most systems today is Pseudo-Transparency. This is the method of asking X or the Window Manager for the pixmap used for the background image (wallpaper), the application then figures out where it is positioned on the desktop, how big it is, etc, and then renders as it's background just the portions of the background that should be under itself. So it's a big fake out. Real transpancy is provided by assigning RGBA (A for Alpha, just like a PNG) value to every pixel on the desktop, so that any given window or part of a window can show bits under it just by modifying it's alpha value. Currently each window has it's own X drawable, usually, and therefore each window is seperate from whats beside or below it. This is just an overview with alot of holes in it, it's not even a a very good explanation but should give you a ballpark idea of how it works and why we don't have it. KeithP, formerly of the XFree86 project, had made modifications to XFree86 that were never commited for the public that allows REAL transparency... where you could watch a movie in MPlayer below a terminal that you were using actively, for instance. But one thing you'll find is that it's a serious strain on your eyes when you do it, and not as appealing as you'd think. One way you can use real-transparency now is to use DirectFB with X. It's a real pain to do, and we (or many other people) won't be able to help you because it's such a hack and a pain, but you can get it to work. The performance is fairly poor and the problem with this method even if you do use it is that it's an all or nothing proposition. That is, you can't just say portion X of this window is transparent, the borders aren't. When you do it with DirectFB you make entire windows transparent. Speaking from personal experience, the DirectFB method is alot of work and is really kool for about 10 minutes before you get tired of straining your eyes and go back to the normal method. Beware, however, there are some people out there who have doctored screenshots, or have come up with hackish methods to pump up psueduo-transparency (for instance, taking a screenshot every 1-2 seconds and using that as your background so that Eterms or some other apps pseudo-trans pics it up) but they all are a big overhead or only look kool untill you move a window. Probly the most important thing to emphisis is that while we all want real transparency to be a reality it's not going to come from the window managers, it's going to need to come from X itself. So send KeithP some money and beer and beg him to make it a reality, just be kind and curtious to him if you do. You can find a paper on the subject here: http://keithp.com/~keithp/talks/KeithPackardAls2000/ If anyone wants to append or elaborate on this please do so. benr. <quote who="Justin Parker"> > I'm trying to find out if Eterm can be configured to be transparent. I > realize it can be transparent to the desktop but can it be transparent > to other applications and windows? > > Justin > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.net email is sponsored by: The SF.net Donation Program. > Do you like what SourceForge.net is doing for the Open > Source Community? Make a contribution, and help us add new > features and functionality. Click here: http://sourceforge.net/donate/ > _______________________________________________ > enlightenment-users mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/enlightenment-users -- //Ben Rockwood - UNIX Systems Admin //email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] //web: www.cuddletech.com //-> We do what we can, We give what we have, //-> Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task, //-> The rest is the madness of Art. //-> -Henry James ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: The SF.net Donation Program. Do you like what SourceForge.net is doing for the Open Source Community? Make a contribution, and help us add new features and functionality. Click here: http://sourceforge.net/donate/ _______________________________________________ enlightenment-users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/enlightenment-users
