Crystal-GL

KDE 3.x Window Decorations

Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): Add the source-code for this project on opencode.net

0
5.0
Description:

Crystal-GL is the next generation of my crystal window decoration theme.
By using OpenGL to render itself, it simulates refraction and light mapping! Check out screenshots! NOW!

I name the deco HIGHLY EXPERIMENTAL! Don't blame me, if it brakes your computer into two, if it crashes kde or makes it unusable. THIS IS BETA, NO WARRANTY.
If it breakes kwin, even on startup, remove your ~/.kde/share/config/kwinrc file, to reset the kwin settings to default.

WARNING: You need to have write access to the 3D acceleration device, if exists. I.e.: /dev/dri/* or /dev/nv*. Otherwise the deco or kcontrol may crash.

It looks very similar to crystal, but has more eye-candy and smooth animations.

* Grabs your wallpaper and simulates bended glass, little lighting. You are able to specify the ior. ;)
* Support for button themes. Feel free to swamp me with cool themes. :D The themes are the same than the ones in crystal.
Knifty button theme by Enso

Disadvantages:
* Needs a working GL subsystem!!! Don't blame me, if yours is broken!
* Be careful on nvidia systems, if under load, the gl subsystem may become *real* slow, so my deco.
* Needs KDE >=3.2 and QT>=3.2 to compile.
* May be slower than any other deco
* May be fat
* May make you drool, and you might forget to eat, sleep or even breath!


-- INSTALL -------------------------
Basic Installation (from the console):
- Step 1
$ ./configure
OR: $ ./configure --prefix=`kde-config --prefix`
- Step 2
$ make
- Step 3 (as root)
# make install

If configure fails, check that you have both the Qt and KDE development headers installed. If you used a previous version before, you need to restart kde to use the upgraded version.
------------------------------------


Please give some feedback or tell me some improvement suggestions.
I would be very happy about some packages, like for Mandrake, Debian, Suse, Redhat, etc! PLEASE DON'T POST PACKAGES AS NEW CONTENT, just notify me and mail it to me, and I'll host them.

PROVIDED PACKAGES MAY NOT BE UP2DATE! Check out versions number!

Thanks to bitwit for each others help with the GL-deco stuff!

Enjoy! :)

Check out crystal (non-gl) at:
http://kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=13969


Sascha Hlusiak
Last changelog:

16 years ago

* All packages up to date now

0.8.1:
* Made look antialiased caption damn good. Enabling this is RECOMMENDED now!
* Fixed menu button image bug
* Split up rendering process into four for each border. Maybe speed up or (most likely) speed down. :-/ Should fix nvidia-slowdown-bug on maximized windows.
* Added feature: "Scroll" through windows, by using the mouse wheel on the title bar, as well as an option in the configuration dialog to disable this immediately :>
* Improved config dialog a little


0.8.0:
* Added extreme slick "handpainted" button theme (thank you, Marco)
* Fixed some bugs, which almost drove me crazy on my notebook.
* Little speed up in the initialization
* Improved my "button-rendering-engine" a lot. Now button tinting uses GL, too.
* Added more options for button tinting.
* Added option to make the hover effect fade
* Added option to disable the transparency feature completely (don't dare!)
* Added information of direct rendering and glx version to the control center preview
* Got rid of some unneccessary code, probably put in a lot of more unneccessary code.
* Added a benchmark feature for my internal use (ctrl+alt+shift+RightButton on the title bar)


0.7.5:
* Added Knifty button theme (thanks to Enso)
* Fixed buttons
* Little code rearrangement, nothing visible

175 comments
Comments/Ratings

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hujuice

13 years ago

Crystal-GL is *my* windec, there's no dubt.
I'm using it with nvidia card on both work and home Gentoo (x86_64) systems (generic compiling, not ebuild).
Mmhh.. but here at work (not at home) the antialiasing on the window caption is very bad. Why? Did I have to use the ebuild?

Greets and thanks,
HUjuice

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ih8windoze

13 years ago

I know this is kinda late and may sound stupid, but did you try using the Qt OpenGL module during the development of crystal-gl? I'm just curious because as a "little project" of mine, thats just what I'm going to try to do and was wondering if it was a bit futile.

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C

dralgebra

13 years ago

I tried it and it worked great. I can recommend it, but I had problems with it because there was a deadlock somewhere when using the Qt OpenGL widget in a window decoration during KDE startup. So I had to use some dirty workarounds/hacks. But that has to do with kwin and is not Qt's fault.

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nintendofreq4992

14 years ago

I relly love the Vista buttons you put on the normal Crystal windec. Could you include them or at least show me how to add them myself? I d/led the source for the normal Crystal and have all the Vista button images--how can I add them to GL version?

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dralgebra

14 years ago

Sorry, Crystal got an update to be able to handle every kind of image ratio. Crystal-GL lacks of this, so it can only handle square buttons of a specific size. It's not just to add the images, the functionality is missing too. And it's not just adding code.

You could try to port the crystalbutton.cpp from crystal to crystal-gl. I am very sorry to say, that I don't want to do this at the moment. I abandoned crystal-gl, and don't want to make major changes to it, because I NEVER GOT IT STABLE ON ANY PC. Everywhere there were a lot of problems with OpenGL in the deco, that's why I don't work on it anymore. With AIGLX/XGL this deco will not be necessary anymore.


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tester

15 years ago

Just so superb!! really , this kde window decoration is a wonderful item by you!!

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zigver

15 years ago

I love this window deco but it's been a while since we had an update and you say it's highly experimental and not stable (although for me it's been quite stable). Are you planning on maintaining it or is this it?

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C

dralgebra

15 years ago

I have no plans for the future, and I don't want to maintain it, because it caused a lot of problems, which I could not handle. Sorry.

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zigver

15 years ago

This is such a great theme. I'm gonna cry when it eventually no longer works.

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CHRiSNEW

15 years ago

i want to use the gl version, but on debian 3.1 it wont work... as root it ain't work too.
did anyone get it running under debian? plz send experiences about it

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CHRiSNEW

15 years ago

update!
use the new driver 81xx by nvidia.. damn it, that is fast^^

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LightBeam

15 years ago

Debian package on ubuntu distro won't work (keep plastik deco...)
When I try to install by source I have this error :
crystalclient.moc:130: error: 'KDecoration' has not been declared
Needs KDecoration to work ?

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CHRiSNEW

15 years ago

i needed to compile kdecoration headers from the source. i took it from kde 3.4.3 source.. compiles, but crashes, if i try to start it (kwin, kcontrol)

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Marsjannno

15 years ago

OK i had CrystalGL on my Old kubuntu 5.4. But now after I installed CRYSTALGL from deb file, and when i turn to window deco menu, and when i set CrystalGL, there is nothing in that window- it doesen't work. I am pretty sure I installed qt cause my PSI works. I have Nvidia drivers, and i added myself into a video group. I only dont know what with OpenGL. In fact i am linux newbie. Help if you can.

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shine07

15 years ago

very very nice, better than 'plain' crystal version. Looks wonderful on my Suse with direct rendering enabled, it is not slow.

In my humble opinion, however, the black border (on left and right) are too bold, too wide..

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bushwakko

15 years ago

how about making crystal-gl draw from composite instead of a bitmap?

that should be great!

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bram85

15 years ago

Some drivers *shrug*ATI*shrug* don't support composite yet, so I'm still fine with bitmaps.

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bushwakko

15 years ago

how about an option?

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dralgebra

15 years ago

Since KDE 3.5 every window decoration will be able to use COMPOSITE, I mean, every deco can be translucent, not only crystal. Check it out, no need for special code.

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bushwakko

15 years ago

well, that's kinda brute force to enable kompmgr, it's better to implement the level of compositing in the deco, so you can do deco-independent stuff, like transforms on it, and perhaps gradient transparency and stuff, and non-transparent buttons, you get the picture.

But back to my original question, couldn't you add composite support, like have both, use composite if available. would be great! composite is soon non-experimental in xorg, and then ati will make support.

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dralgebra

15 years ago

No way for Decos in KDE<3.5 to make individual use of composite. This will be a KDE 3.5 feature only (if it is even possible), and I will look into thism, when 3.5 is released.
And ATI has linux support?? Can't believe it. o_O But they should improve their 3D drivers first...

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slightcrazed

15 years ago

For those of you running on Nvidia systems, your user needs to be part of the 'video' group in order for this to work correctly. All of the Nvidia device files (/dev/nvidia*) are permissioned to root and the group called video. This window decoration apparently needs access to these device files. I was getting the same error that everyone else is complaining about, Kcontrol crashes immediately with a segfault when trying to select this window deco. Just do this as root:

usermod -G video 'yourusername'

and you should be fine. A restart (of KDE at least) may be necessary, I can't remember.

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woutermense

15 years ago

Didn't work at all... Kontrol Center still just crashes. My user is member of the video group, nv* files in /dev are permissioned as follows:

crw-rw-rw- 1 root video 195, 0 2005-11-06 22:16 nvidia0
crw-rw-rw- 1 root video 195, 255 2005-11-06 22:16 nvidiactl

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musicmaker

15 years ago

don't work :(
When I select crystal gl - kkontrol was crashed!

Open GL is enabled
Video - NVidia GeForce 6600

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woutermense

15 years ago

Mine too. The KDE Control Center just segfaults as soon as you select the deco. It compiled ok, though.

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16 years ago

* All packages up to date now

0.8.1:
* Made look antialiased caption damn good. Enabling this is RECOMMENDED now!
* Fixed menu button image bug
* Split up rendering process into four for each border. Maybe speed up or (most likely) speed down. :-/ Should fix nvidia-slowdown-bug on maximized windows.
* Added feature: "Scroll" through windows, by using the mouse wheel on the title bar, as well as an option in the configuration dialog to disable this immediately :>
* Improved config dialog a little


0.8.0:
* Added extreme slick "handpainted" button theme (thank you, Marco)
* Fixed some bugs, which almost drove me crazy on my notebook.
* Little speed up in the initialization
* Improved my "button-rendering-engine" a lot. Now button tinting uses GL, too.
* Added more options for button tinting.
* Added option to make the hover effect fade
* Added option to disable the transparency feature completely (don't dare!)
* Added information of direct rendering and glx version to the control center preview
* Got rid of some unneccessary code, probably put in a lot of more unneccessary code.
* Added a benchmark feature for my internal use (ctrl+alt+shift+RightButton on the title bar)


0.7.5:
* Added Knifty button theme (thanks to Enso)
* Fixed buttons
* Little code rearrangement, nothing visible

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0.8.1
updated Jan 26 2005
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