I just want to say that I’m not ignoring your requests for new flags and OS X Intel-compatible version. I have renewed interest in doing an improved artworks with more new flags. I contacted developer of original screensaver Old Glory, Michael Trent, about a possible collaboration for better feature-packaged flag screensaver and OS X Intel update. The reply I received are both good and bad news.
Good news:
Mr. Trent has released an update (v.1.3) for OS X Intel recently. You can download them from Versiontracker.
Bad news:
Mr. Trent do not wish me to distribute my customized version of Old Glory screensaver anymore. Old Glory is not in the public domain and he retains the copyright to them. In respect of his wish I took all of the screensavers down until I get his permission to redistribute them.
What’s coming in the future:
He plans to distribute a separate screen saver module that could be used to display any image but it will be tamper-proof. It’s good that it will finally be user-customizable in preference option but tamper-proof? “DRM-ized” screensaver, especially free one, is pushing it a little too far in my opinion but I really can’t complain, it is his software after all.
So what’s my options? I could either release flag artworks as stand-alone and users will have to replace files themselves (much to developer’s disagreement) or develop my own version using Apple’s Quartz Composer. Latter would be nice but I’ll need to learn how to create screensaver from scratch in QC without borrowing codes from other QC screensavers but with my inability to understand how to create a simple Hello World cocoa app, this will be pretty difficult.
I’d like to see a screensaver with a pirate flag like the one that used to fly over Apple ;-)
http://folklore.org/StoryView.py?p...
Ugh… for crying out loud… what… is he going to charge for the screen saver?
Adam, I would love to see you develop something, but I would rather see you focus your talents on design projects.
Do you have a link to Mr. Trent’s site?
Ah, sheesh!
[thanks Adam, the sheesh was directed at the developer]
Oh thanks Adam for some research in this! The emails where good! And I hope to see a good deal with the creator of the original screensaver.
Wow. That is ridiculous. I really think you should make some of your own custom flags. I’m overly impressed by your work, so I’m sure that your screen savers would rock!
Can we have a link to this guy’s site?
Mr. Trent’s homepage: http://homepage.mac.com/mtrent/Men...
production_coordinator, he said he will never charge for the screensaver due to a conflict of interest between him and his employer. This is what makes it even weirder about his plan of tamper-proofing the free screensaver.
I understand he’s very precious of his work but I don’t get the mentality when there’s better ways to preserve your work’s copyright through public license such as Creative Commons or GPL.
Oh well.
He should be VERY proud of his work… I know I couldn’t do what he does.
That being said, it just doesn’t make sense for him to make the screen saver tamper-proof if he isn’t planning on selling it.
Oh well, to each, their own…
Hi!
Sorry to hear that you won’t be having your excellent flags for download anymore!
I would leave them on the site as desktop images. ;)
I myself would really like a PSD file with the weave pattern as well as the thread style. Then one could try oneself to make some nice flags!:)
Really great work by the way!
//BonneSwe
Hey Adam, Olivier here…
Listen, you have all the talent that’s necessary to go see a developer and team up to release a similar product.
And it doesn’t seem too complex to me. Any OpenGL coder will be able to pull that off (maybe even better implementation??)
Either way, I wish you luck with this project!
Heya, I thought I’d clarify some things, and make some observations.
I have no plans yet to release a new, new version of Old Glory.
Old Glory does one thing, and that’s all I really meant it to do. The fact is, you can modify it to do other stuff. But there are a number of technical problems with getting Old Glory to do this. Two examples are: the module expects the artwork to be a specific size; if you try running two versions of the screen saver module you may crash the screen saver.
I have thought about making a new general purpose module, let’s call it “Flag”, that was a lot more file-format friendly, and that was a lot more savvy about being extended by folk like Adam. It would be released under some creative content license. If I do ever get around to doing this, I might also release a version of Old Glory that only displays “Old Glory”, in some tamperproof way. And that’s the idea that Adam is reacting to here. But, again, I have no plans to do anything at this point.
I have always held the copyright on Old Glory. People have asked me in the past if they could distribute modified versions of Old Glory, and I have always politely declined. But I had no idea that Adam (and others?) had an interest in using Old Glory in this way.
You know, a lot of really cool things have happened in the 5 years since I coded this thing up on my lime green iBook. We have a lot better graphics hardware, we have new Open GL features, we have awesome tools like Quartz Composer. Someone familiar with these new features could really take this to the next level. I agree with Adam, I think you could even make money doing this. For my part, I’d love to see someone take up the challenge. Unfortunately, I can’t be that person for a number of reasons. But I might be able to help in some way.
I also agree with Olivier. This isn’t a complex project. It should be a simple matter to find a programmer to whip up an engine that meets Adam’s needs. And you’ll end up with a better final result.
Thanks for listening!
Oh, a few more things.
Old Glory will alway be free. Free as in, I will not charge money for it. This is because I personally do not want to charge for something that should be free.
In regards to “(much to developer’s disagreement)”: Pragmatically I have no objection to individuals hacking up their copies of Old Glory themselves, so long as they don’t distribute them. Really, screwing around with applications’ private resources is in the DNA of many mac users. In my day we used ResEdit, but now we can just replace images and edit nib files.
Thanks for the clarification Michael! You’re a cool guy!
Adam,
couldn’t you put your wonderful flags (as tiff-files) online again and please with a good tutorial and a layer psd-file as well for us to tamper with?
/BonneSwe
Talkin’ about making your own screensaver. I’ve been working lately on a project called Econ, which takes your application icons and makes a screensaver out of it. I used Quartz Composer with this ScreenSaver, and I’d be wi,ling to help you creat your screensaver. I don’t pretend being absolutly pro at it, but I might be of some help.
Oh: and the link: http://seoxys.info/serv2/econ_13_u...
How about publishing the flag.tiff files and we can fix the “Old glory” by ourselfs? : )
such a shame! not only is Old Glory a great screensaver, but with Adams collaboration this could be really killer!! especially if you could choose your flag from a given set.
Hey Adam, how about giving the flags new life as desktop backgrounds. They are super looking and would rock as a desktop BG.
thanks!
I feel like I missed out on something really cool here, because it has been removed from download.
I too would like to add my plea that you release the photoshop files of the flags so we can all add to the collection.
btw there are some excellent flag sites which have accurate svg versions of virtually every flag out there. Staring with Wkipedia.
I just discovered your site, Adam. You’re a great artist. I, too, would love to see you release the flags as TIFF images. I couldn’t use the screensaver since it runs on a Mac (yeah, I’m a Windows and Linux PC user — don’t flame me please), but I certainly would love to use them as desktop backgrounds.
I’m sure that Macs have a basic slideshow screensaver available. Even if the flag doesn’t wave and move around the screen, a slideshow of these flags would be nice.
Windows NT (ancient history) and a few other releases of Windows included waving flags — of the Windows logos, believe it or not — that you could (legally) pick your own image to display instead. So, yes, I’m sure that if a 1994-era PC could do it, a hobbiest programmer should be able to get a graphical wunderkomputer like a Mac to display a whole field of waving flags while playing the national anthems of the countries. Heh. Or maybe without the music would be better.
Again, nice site. :-)
i asked before 3 months for the iraqi flag screensaver and all the links in your web site is not found hope you could provide me with it…. thanks