Searching for ghost window software

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andy
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Andy

I'm looking for some software that will let me run a video on my computer
that is always on top and full screen, but still allows me to work on the
windows underneath. I'm having a hard time figuring out what exactly to
search for. My search for "ghost windows" brings up results for people
having windows that remain on their screen, people who took pictures of
windows with actual ghosts in them, and various other ghost images.

There was a product called GhostIt which would allow you to create these
types of windows, but it wasn't compatible with any window that used
hardware acceleration. Since I want to play a video, it won't work.

I've searched for "ghost windows", "window ghosting", "transparent window
overlay", and some others. I'd like to know the best description for what I
want so that I can do a proper and quicker search. Any suggestions for a
product that does this would be welcome as well.


Andy
 
Andy said:
I'm looking for some software that will let me run a video on my
computer that is always on top and full screen, but still allows me to
work on the windows underneath. I'm having a hard time figuring out
what exactly to search for. My search for "ghost windows" brings up
results for people having windows that remain on their screen, people
who took pictures of windows with actual ghosts in them, and various
other ghost images.

There was a product called GhostIt which would allow you to create these
types of windows, but it wasn't compatible with any window that used
hardware acceleration. Since I want to play a video, it won't work.

I've searched for "ghost windows", "window ghosting", "transparent
window overlay", and some others. I'd like to know the best description
for what I want so that I can do a proper and quicker search. Any
suggestions for a product that does this would be welcome as well.


Andy
Click to expand...
Andy,

ATI MediaCenter use to have a setting were you could put the video as
the desktop. Allowing your icons and such to be visible and still work
on applications. I don't know if that is still the case or not. Or
weather it is what you are asking for.

James
 
James, I believe that would be a video background with all other windows and
icons being on top and in the way of the video. I want to view the video in
fullscreen translucently while continuing to work. This requires the video
to be always on top. I found how to create video backgrounds all over the
internet, but they don't do what I'm looking for. Thanks for responding
though.

Andy
 
KDE said:
If your video is full screen and on top, how do you see what you're working
on underneath ?
Click to expand...

I think what he may be looking for is an application that will make the
movie full screen in the foreground and translucent; so he can see the
items underneath the video.
It is a very unusual setup; which may be why he hasn't found any
applications that perform these on the video.
I'm also not sure if it will work on Windows, since usually the window
on top usually has the focus to.

James
 
I think what he may be looking for is an application that will make the
movie full screen in the foreground and translucent; so he can see the
items underneath the video.
It is a very unusual setup; which may be why he hasn't found any
applications that perform these on the video.
I'm also not sure if it will work on Windows, since usually the window
on top usually has the focus to.

James
Click to expand...

What the OP wants is a pipe dream. As you correctly said any window
"on top" will by it's very nature obscure all other windows underneath
and have the focus. As soon as you click on some other window that
window will get the focus and the previous full screen window will no
longer have it.

While you can have some arrangement where multiple windows willingly
coexist side by side, you can't have then stacked and have two or more
have focus. While there have been hacks to simulate an active
background (not a foreground) doing something like what the OP wants
simply isn't possible.

Further if the intended transparency is some video, while it or parts
of it can with some tweaking be made transparent or semi-transparent
you still run into the same issue. Whatever 'window' such a video
would run it can not itself be made transparent. As close as Vista
comes is it's cheesy Aero effect where some window's Title Bar, not
the body of any window below it can become semi-transparent.
 
Ringmaster said:
What the OP wants is a pipe dream. As you correctly said any window
"on top" will by it's very nature obscure all other windows underneath
and have the focus. As soon as you click on some other window that
window will get the focus and the previous full screen window will no
longer have it.

While you can have some arrangement where multiple windows willingly
coexist side by side, you can't have then stacked and have two or more
have focus. While there have been hacks to simulate an active
background (not a foreground) doing something like what the OP wants
simply isn't possible.

Further if the intended transparency is some video, while it or parts
of it can with some tweaking be made transparent or semi-transparent
you still run into the same issue. Whatever 'window' such a video
would run it can not itself be made transparent. As close as Vista
comes is it's cheesy Aero effect where some window's Title Bar, not
the body of any window below it can become semi-transparent.
Click to expand...

You seem to be so confident in your answer, yet you are so wrong. How it
this not possible? It requires 3 things: Transparency, mouse click through
(ghost), and always on top, all of which are very possible.

To the OP: I know this is a bit old but you can use a program called "Actual
Transparent Window 5.2" to do what you want. Right click on the window,
select Actual Transparent Window->Create New Specific Settings and you can
adjust the degree of transparency, ghost, and stay on top settings.
 
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