-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello and thanks for unpacking this archive and reading this text. First I'd like to introduce myself: my name is Milan Belic and I'am from Yugoslavia. I'am Amiga owner for last 7 years. I'am using my Amiga for different tasks: music, sequencing, drawing, word processing, design, etc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reason I made this little "design" of "new" AmigaOS is that Amiga OS is very functional but not very good looking, actually it's a bit ugly. When you look at Windows95, MacOS or any other 'serious' operating system you'll notice that they look perfect (not). »»» I'll say nothing about their functionality :) ««« And when you look at AmigaOS (standard 4 color setup) you don't know what you see. Icons are ugly and all have different size, requesters look awful, windows are thin and flicker like hell withou AGA or CGFX card, some setups for same device (printer, screen) are split in more separate utilities.... AmigaOS doesn't look great, that's true. Even allmighty AmigaOS 3.0 didn't get proper graphic interface. Many people tryed their best to improve original 4 colour graphic interface using tons of utilities, backgrounds, icons..... But there was only one problem, all this was not originally supported by AmigaOS, and some applications had severe problems with this, and even worse it's real pain in the back configuring them. I'am not saying that all atention should be payed on outside of AmigaOS and to forget about it's funcionality. But people are sheeps, yes sheeps, and they would buy (they are buying) peace of CONCRETE block if you paint it nicely and (laudly) say "This is our new 32 bit multitasking, Plug-and-pray, super-mega-turbo-giga-ultra computer/OS". That's why when you show Amiga & PC (equally equipped) to some totaly computer ignorant person, and ask him wich computer is more powerfull in 101% he will say: "PC,... it looks more professional." That's why Amiga Technologies (or VIScorp. (guess I spell that right :P ) or whoever owns our Amiga) sholud think of improving AmigaOS GUI, I'm not saying that should be changed completely and going to something else, just a little facelifting and that's all. One of possible solutions could be in this archive, or this could lead YOU to some great solution. Well it's enough for introduction. This is how I did what I did. IMPORTANT: I saw some ideas how new Workbench (AmigaOS) should look, and to be honest my work looks awful comparing to work of some people. But those are ARTISTS views of new WB (as some authors mentioned). This is USERS view of new WB. I tryed to create new WB look for all Amigas existing (maybe not stock A500). I agree that there are fantastic ideas of WB in 800x600 24bit, but what kind of machine will be able to run it? (not my A4000/40). To be honest I don't see much need for more then 256 colours on Workbench. You anyway use Workbench for operating with Amiga, if you need 24bit screen for, e.g., Photogenics, you just open one. Systems like Pee Cee are using different Windows/Screen 'systems', and they don't open screens (only one), so they need main screen in 24bit. One more reason for using less colours for WB is this: 800x600 in 256 colours takes roughly 470 kb of memory, 800x600 in 24bit takes almost 1 MEGABYTE MORE. Imagine just opening these two screens in the same time - talking about SERIOUS memory consumption or what? Enough about that. This text is about what I've done, not about will you use 24bit or 8bit Workbench. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Being bored, as ussually, I was playing with some screen grabbers. And grabbed picture of Workbench in Hires and 256 colours, NewIcons installed and some nice backgrounds, then some ideas came in my mind. Thing that's annoying me the most, are those non-proportional resolutions (640x256). At first I just wanted to see how it looks when you change windows to look normally in 640x512 or 640x480. Then added something here and something there and found myself thinking: "Would be nice to redesign Workbench." So I did. I started redesigning Workbench and some other programs. First changed thing were those silly window sliders. When working in proportional resolutions horisontal slider is thin and it's hard to find it with pointer, same thing happens when you try to find window gadgets. Then I got my hands on window titlebar, first of all I added new font, Topaz is nice but in HIResLace looks quite ugly and unprofessional. I had two choices, creating Topaz proportional font or adding some of existing. Lack of font editor made me use second option, and there it is ))))) Helvetica 13, not the pritiest but still looking good (It should be BOLD). When you look at the pictures in this archive you'll notice that window titlebar gadgets (close, size and position) are not part of titlebar - they are ON the titlebar, this was one of the solutions (other was leaving them where they were - And there is a picture WorkbenchALT.iff showing how it could look). Other thing is colour of selected window, I changed it from bluish to dark blue, and when window is selected it's font is white. Often happens that you need to know what time is it, and there is no clock arround computer or in the room. Possible solution is typing DATE on any CLI window, or chasing thru some application (like DO) for timer. Much easier would be if there was timer on Workbench titlebar, so I added one. Next to the timer is new gadget called ICONIFY (DPaint.iff), this gadget enables you to iconify current application and to free some of memory, as application writes all data from memory to the disk (creates TEMP file). Reason for implementig this gadget were some very hungry applications like AD Pro, ImageFX, Brilliance...... TEMP file should be of an MEMORY DUMP type, it means if you shut down the computer while some applications are iconified, on next powerup you should be able to run application and reload data from where you have stopped (must be done with application programers). When you iconify application it's icon appears on Workbench screen and it 's possible to run other application(s). What might be dangerous is trying to uniconify application when other is running and you're short on memory (OS programers check this out). But I hope when AmigaOS with memory protection comes arround there will be no problem. If you look at requesters, (file, question, .....) you'll find them very poor looking. Especially FONT requester which is capable of showing only 24point fonts in window. My idea was, (for OS programers) to create one base library which would hold only file requester, and to create plugins which will add some features (to understand what I mean look at Dpaint pic). There you see normal file requester, and preview plugin. FONT requester would have file requester, and font preview plugin. Also there are some new gadgets/butons (one with "YES" and "NO" signs) which may be used if you want. These little pics should be allready created (save, !, question mark....) and used by some application (if it's programmer wants to use them). Windows and all gadgets generally are 1 point thicker from each side. It's just an option, possible is to leave them thin as they used to be, but in LACED modes thick (2point) lines much less flicker then thin (1point) ones. Which is MORE THAN IMPORTANT IF YOU WANT TO CREATE HOME VIDEO MACHINES. Screen fonts. Well, as usefull as can be Topaz font is not so nice when you switch to proportional resolutions. Possible solution would be creating Topaz PROPORTIONAL in sizes 8,9,11,14,20 and 24 (for 1600x1280), and keeping Topaz nonproportional 8,9,11 and adding 14,20,24. Icons implemented in AmigaOS 3.0 are awful, just 2 colours (+black & white). There are some additional icon packs if you want to make your WB looking nice. There are two best: Martin Huttenloher's MagicWB and Philippe Vedovatti's, Nicola Salmoria's & Roger McVey's NewIcon. Both these pack's are looking good, but I'll turn my head towards NewIcon, it has lot's of features, SUPPORTS RTG, and I hope something like this will be new WB icons. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW AmigaOS SuMMARY: SCREEN - All screens should be designed for proportional resolutions. RETARGETABLE GRAPHIC IS A MUST!! That's why NewIcons-alike system should be implemented. Icons should have ENLARGE option for 1280x1024 resolution. Everything else is shown in the pictures. New Workbench should work with 16 AND MORE colours. FONTS - Amiga should be capable of reading CompuGraphic Intellifont, TrueType and bitmap fonts. Fonts directory should have following subdirectories: Screen - screen fonts, bitmaped, max size 24 points. There's no need for screen fonts to be larger then 24 points (even when used on 1280x1024 screens) CG - Compugraphic Intellifont TrueType - TrueType fonts. Bitmap - Bitmap Fonts, Colour fonts,..... PREFS - Prefs driver is a real mess. It really bad organized (Amiga OS 3.x), some devices have several setup utilities. So if you try to setup printer you'll have amusment for quite some time. Same thing for ScreenMode, OverScan, palette... Put it one utility called Screen. NETWORKING - Well not much of a design but.... Networking is another must for Amiga. Some new Amiga models should come with built-in ethernet port. Support for Microsoft Network (if you can't beat 'em join 'em), Novell NetWare, UNIX,... it's WANTED. WINDOWS - When you activate window he pops in front. When you click with RMB on WB window title it should bring out WINDOW pop-up menu. When doing the same above the icon it should bring ICON pop-up menu. Enlarge gadget should enlarge window to maximum (full screen) when you click RMB on it. GENERALY - New Amiga OS **should** come on CD. It should be full of utilities, fonts, WB games, preview programs, drivers,.... Using old utilities like MEmacs is not very nice. IT's ALL THAT I CAN THINK OF RIGHT NOW. But I promise in next version I'll come up with something new :). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After you take a look at pictures in this archive, you might say: "It looks just like Win95". Well the fact is that Win95 reeeeeaaaaalllly looks like AmigaOS 3.0. So if you change just a bit AmigaOS it will look like Win95. If you don't belive me just look at some Win 3.x screens and Win95 screens, you'll find very very very very very very very large difference. That's why I included Windaz95.IFF in this archive, just to remind some people what Amiga HAD 6 years ago (and still has). This complete new Workbench look was designed by me, and it's created for proportional resolutions like 640x512/480 or 800x600 and really looks great on 800x600. I didn't include new look for 640x256 (or other non-prop resolutions) becouse I have no real solution. Feel free to dezign one for yourself, (please send it to me). If you have any comments, ideas, bug reports (- he, he :) ), WarpEngines, CyberStorms, want to swap ideas with me, or anything else - send it to: Milan Belic Koste Nadja 9 21240 Titel YUGOSLAVIA Or use this e-mail (IT'S MY FRIENDS - JUST PUT NOTE THAT IT'S FOR ME): sentinel@eunet.yu This complete archive is JUST FOR YOU and your Amiga, copy it if you want. Only pay atention that this is my idea, and if you want to use it plase send me a note. ========================================================================== PLEASE !!! If YOU are someone that is in some way associated to Amiga Technologies or VIScorp. (Especially if YOU ARE Amiga Technologies or VIScorp.) And YOU like what I've done, PLEASE contact me. I have A LOT of ideas for new Amiga and new AmigaOS, and I'm ready to do something with them. ========================================================================== In this archive you should find following files: DPaint.iff - Pic Of Redesigned DeLuxePaint User Interface NewWB.txt - This Txt File NewAmigas.txt - New Amigas??? PrinterPrefs.iff - New Printer Preferences Real3D.IFF - Real 3D Rendering Setup Screen In New Clothes Windaz95.iff - Win95 Screenshot Workbench.iff - Workbench In New Clothes Workbench8x6.iff - Same as above but 800x600 screen Have fun using your Amiga >:) /* Really sorry for my BAD English