Shoutbox

Is there any way to make an OSD script like WLM OSD before?Because this is not compatible with messenger 9..

Yes it is possible actually. Might be something I attempt to do.

Few questions:

• Would this appear only if the Chat Window was minimized?
  
• How long would each message display for
  
• Would there be a limit on how many messages can be displayed or should this and the previous option be configurable?
  
• Should clicking the message or email open the chat window?
  
• Should this only display when running a full screen application (not sure if it is possible would have to check)

1. I dont remember but its a good idea working that way!
2. Configurable yeah it would be great!At first when a new message received it would have some kind of flash or popup or both or something like this.The time i dont know.Maybe until an answer,maybe stays forever as an osd.What do you think?If disappears after a short time it might be good some way to reopen it,if we want to send something and not open the classic wlm window.
3. Configurable too its a good step,like how many lines can be displayed.
4. It depends how the osd will be and how it displays the conversation etc.
5. Generally displaying.Should be an option for fullscreen if its possible and some kind of hotkey(configurable) to reopen or close immediately(if dont want to wait by the time it closes) in fullscreen when disappears.
I think i made it a little complicated

One last thing, should it display multiple messages per chat window or only the last message received?

The OSD would not support multiple monitors and would only display on the primary monitor.

Its ok about the multiple monitors.Personally i dont use more than one
What do you mean by multiple messages per chat window?You mean if someone sends continuously?If yes it would be better to display all of them(if there is a way highlight them until we "get in" the window) but its ok.We see...

The old OSD plugin worked like this:

It displayed x lines of text (irc style), no matter from what chat it came from. When there need to be more than x lines of text to be shown it simply scolled all the lines up and the first line dissapeared.

Aka, it was a list with a fix amount of lines which it could display. This is actually a must, it would not be cool if the thing eventually took over the entire screen when a contact desides to flood you with messages.

The plugin was also not meant as a replacement for a conversation (so no text input required), it purpose was simply to display the new incoming messages in minimized conversations. (not sure about this anymore, but it could also be that it also displayed all incomming messages when your screensaver was active)

The UI was very simply, yet extremely effective: it showed a darkened bar across the lower half of your monitor (with a bit of transparancy), and the shown messages where opaque white. Also note that emoticons or any other graphics were not shown (too keep things simple, clean and slick).

IIRC, the whole bar was only displayed a few seconds and then vanished. When a new message arrived, the whole bar was shown again (incl. previous messages)

I can't remember if clicking on a certain line would have opened and focused the conversation window where that chat line came from. But it would be nice if it did.

The ability to configure the next things would be cool:
- the maximum amount of displayed lines
- the color and transparancy of the background bar
- the color of the text
- the size and font of the text
- the time the OSD is displayed before vanishing again

Note also that one of the 'powerful' and most usefull things about the old OSD plugin was that it displayed on top of everything, including your screensaver! This was what I loved about it, and I would again use something like this if it did the very same thing. Otherwise I don't have a use for it personally.

I still have the plugin and I wouldn't be surprised if it still worked (using a script stub to load it)

The scroll is very creative,but when overflows the x lines and the first line disappears,it must be an option to view the entire conversation,or else we have to go to the wlm chat window to see it.Like a dropdown menu than "slides" from bottom to top.
And one question,in the old wlm osd how you replied?Via the wlm chat or straight from the osd?

About the UI and the Settings CookieRevised said,i post these images found on web:
UI here.
Settings here.

quote:

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Originally posted by PanosGR
The scroll is very creative,but when overflows the x lines and the first line disappears,it must be an option to view the entire conversation,or else we have to go to the wlm chat window to see it.

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That's the whole point of the OSD plugin.
It is/was not meant as a replacement for the conversation window!

Neither meant for looking at the _entire_ convo (which is impossible anyways, since some convo's can span more than the height of your screen), nor meant as a replacement to actually chat.

The purpose is to see incomming messages. If you want to engage into the conversation you will always need to go to the actual conversation window (by either alt-tabbing to it, or maybe by clicking on the OSD line of that conversation).

Compare it to a more elaborate toast when a new message arrives from a minimized convo.

imho, it doesn't make much sense either to create a replacement for the conversation window anyways. If you're behind your keyboard and not using any full screen app or watching a video or something, you might as well open the actual convo and chat in that way, using all the bells and whistles it provides. The OSD is handy if you're in a full screen app, or if you're away from your PC but you can see its screen with the screensaver or something.

Hmm yeah i understand!In any case i'd like to see it!