CD Art Display 2.0 Beta 4

CD Art Display 2.0 Beta 4 is now available for all users. After a lot of code review, improvements and several new features CD Art Display is closer to what will be the final 2.0.

The new beta 4 is in fact a major upgrade because it does not only aggragate new functionalities but it also reduces CD Art Display system resources usage, both RAM and CPU. And note that CD Art Display should use RAM as long as they are available and it can release as long as system demands for it.

Along with that CD Art Display 2.0 beta 4 aims better overall responsiveness by isolating modules that require the proceudre to wait for a result before going to the next level (line of code). What does it means? Well, for now on both cover and lyrics searches won't freeze CD Art Display anymore. Following the same line, CD Art Display will also try to avoid several animations at the same time avoiding that slow down feeling, e.g.: when a song changes CD Art Display will first process progress bar animation, then the new cover art and finally the text transition.

Although beta 2 introduced a third party translation engine, beta 4 incorporates a home made one that is more flexible for all CD Art Display needs. Right now only German and Portuguese (Brazil) languagea are updated along with English, the default and hard coded idiom. But now that CD Art Display 2.0 base is ready new translations can be updated because there won't be any drastic changes anymore.

Features? Well CD Art Display 2.0 Beta 4 has a lot of features not only for end users but also for skinners:

100% real time preview Skin Editor
pack a skin using Skin Editor zip feature
drag and drop a zip or rar file over CD Art Display to install a skin
custom picture slideshow when player is stopped or not running
full screen skin
screensaver module
go to beta 4 forum topic for a complete list
As you can see, CD Art Display is now more than a simple cover art displayer over your desktop: it can fit your entire desktop in a beautiful full screen skin like OtisBee ThaWall.

Transform your desktop in a real kiosk including keyboard shortcuts to play, pause, toggle repeat or shuffle, increase/decrease volume and so on (press "H" key to an onscreen help).

A full screen skin can also be triggered by the new CD Art Display screensaver module. The screensaver is like any other one: install by right clicking it or copying it to Windows folder and configure it in Windows Display properties. If CD Art Display is not running then an alternative screensaver can be set.

Not running your player but you can't stand to be apart from CD Art Display (*)? Now a custom picture slideshow can be displayed if your player is stopped or not running. And there's more: if a skin has a Slideshow style than this special style will be automatically loaded to display e.g. your family pictures. Slideshow is also compatible with full screen skins!

Code:

http://www.cdartdisplay.com/index.php?categoryid=14&p2000_sectionid=3