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Make your windows fly with Fenêtres Volantes, a 3D screensaver

For years now, I haven't really been one for screensavers. Ever since I started owning nothing but portable machines with LCDs and I found out that burn-in really doesn't happen anymore, I either opt to let my displays dim and turn themselves off to save power or I simply leave my chat and email apps front and center so I can keep an eye on what's going on. Aside from occasionally turning on Mac OS X's RSS screensaver in a coffee shop to show off a little, I just haven't been that interested in screensavers.

Until TUAW reader Mark Rickert sent us a tip for the Fenêtres Volantes screensaver.

This screensaver takes your idle windows and gives them something to do - by making them fly around your display in 3D space. The effect is really slick and driven by Quartz Composer, which also means the unfortunate lack of anti-aliasing is a ball in Apple's court, not the developer's. The screensaver is fairly customizable, with controls for how many windows to use, how fast to move, whether a second display is involved, and more. Mac OS X 10.4.6 is required, as is a G4, G5 or Intel CPU at 1 Ghz or faster.

Fenêtres Volantes is donationware and available from the author's site at Objective Cocoa.

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Software Odds and ends

For years now, I haven't really been one for screensavers. Ever since I started owning nothing but portable machines with LCDs and I found...
 

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Halopend@gmail.com

Wow, I downloaded this in stores on a 20" iMac and must say this is quite possibly the best screen saver I have ever seen. My favourite part is that when you start to use the computer again it all fly's right back to assemble your computer screen. As a favour to the store I set it as the default screen saver, I'm sure it'll catch a few eyes...

August 01 2006 at 2:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Edward Patel

That was a nice one. I like those a little more discrete screensavers, as one I made, named Void.

http://www.memention.com/void

July 30 2006 at 4:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chris Mt.Pleasant

Great application! I installed it on my new 20" iMacIntel..sweeeeet!! It makes my 256mb video card sing with 10 windows going at once. But the beginning has a slight hesitation and stutter then it smooths right out. Great work! It's well worth a donation.

July 28 2006 at 11:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mrtotes

I didn't think LCDs could burn, but I'm sat right now at work with 6 19" Dell LCDs in front of me all but one burn (it's off most of the time) - I can see the dialogue for perhaps 20 minutes after logging in. Simply awful. Still if I stick to my nice Apple branded LCDs at home I've never seen anything similar at all. ;-)

July 28 2006 at 8:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gerry O'Sullivan

C'est formidable! J'aime beaucoup les fenêtres volantes.

July 28 2006 at 4:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
SMAC

Thank you Thank you Thank you

It is things like this that make me glad to be part of the Mac niche
and to be reading this blog

July 28 2006 at 3:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jmatt1122

Awesome, and for those who didn't know, fenêtres volantes is french for, you guessed it, flying windows!

July 28 2006 at 2:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Radu Dutzan

'Tis awesome. One of the best SS I've ever seen.

July 28 2006 at 2:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
John

Burn-in may not occur on LCDs, but burn-out certainley can. The backlight doesn't last forever, and has a limited number of hours. While it may take years to burn out, my older ones certainly have gotten dimmer over the years.

July 28 2006 at 1:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Pierre

>I wish more screensaver posts and developer sites gave videos of what to expect. Anyone have a video of this one in action?
On the web site of the screen saver, if you run Safari, you can see this in action as a banner header.

July 28 2006 at 12:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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