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!

 (*) sorry about the exaggeration

 Well, there are much more to talk about but I think the best way to explore the new features is use them! So go to Download section and try CD Art Display 2.0 beta 4 right now!

Finally, I'd like to thank all Premium Users for the awesome feedback and specially OtisBee and Operator for testing even unstable builds.

 Have fun!

CD Art Display 2.0 (CAD) development started right after 1.0 release last year. Initially it was labeled 1.1 but the number of features are too high for such small increment. Yes! 2.0 fits better indeed.

Right now there are tons of new and improved features in CAD 2.0 (beta 2) and, of course, bugs fixed. Here just a small list:

• Skin Editor with real time preview: if making a skin for CAD was not that hard now it's really easy because if you make a setting change you will see it in your skin in the same time! As part of making skinner life easier CAD 2.0 beta introduces a new Batch Tool so you can assign some setting for several styles at the same time! OtisBee's Avalon skin was the inspiration for such tool... Guess why!
• Mouse over: I remember OtisBee once asked me about a mouse over effect in his awesome thaSphere skin. Well, now CAD has several mouse over effects all over its interface: rating, hotspot, toolbar, progress bar and volume. All with a nice and customized fade in/out effect.
• More buttons: the toolbar has now 10 buttons that a skinner can use including close CAD, minimize, lyrics, show/hide player and more.
• Engines: CAD 2.0 has updated and added several new internal engines to better handle text (shadow and smooth scrolling with mask/overlay features), progress bar and volume (now what you can see in your image editor is what CAD will reproduce) and skin transition (no more image number limitation).
• Special Effect and Windows Vista Aero Blur are the new items you can use to give an extra touch to your skin

That's it! Go and download CAD 2.0 beta 2 and if you like go and join Premium User group to help keep this project on line.

 Have fun!

In a way to say thank you for those who are directly supporting CD Art Display a new site/forum member group was created: Premium User 

A Premium User will have access to some of the beta/builds before all other users. But after a certain time all users would be able to download as always. This time will just depend on developement stage.

If you have already donated for some of the freewares (not only CD Art Display) just send me a PM and you'll be set as a Premium User.

CD Art Display 2.0 beta 1 will be available soon for Premium Users and later for all users.

To join the Premium Users group just make a donation via PayPal (*).

(*) U$ 5.00 or more due PayPal fees.

Other ways to get a Premium User status are being planned too (e.g. skinner that makes full featured skins). 

Again, thank you for those who are supporting our freeware. Your help made a better site with more resources possible!

Discuss this article in the Forum!

First of all, welcome everyone to the new CD Art Display website! 

There are a lot of new features including:

• Skin Gallery: download, preview, filter, rate and comment skins
• Your Screenshots: post your CD Art Display desktop screenshot in the new Image Gallery
• Blog: stay tuned with the latest news and commet using your existing forum username and password
• More to come!

Our forum is already running and just a few issues you may experience since we have in a new domain. Yes! Now is just www.cdartdisplay.com

However, you'll still be able to download all other softwares like Macro Runner, Clip Helper and DeskPhoto!

Have fun!

Jorell - October 31, 2007 I really like the new site and forum Carlos. Nice work!

Carlos - October 31, 2007 Thank you Jorell!

neFAST - November 7, 2007 Hey to you plan to add rss feeds?

Carlos - November 7, 2007 RSS feeds: Blog/Article/News: http://www.cdartdisplay.com/plugins/p47_rsssyn/rssfeed.php Forum: http://cdartdisplay.com/forum/index.php?type=rss;action=.xml

GibMonkey - November 14, 2007 I can't seem to donate? Any reason as to why?

Carlos - November 16, 2007 GibMonkey Contact me if you have any question about it: support [at] cdardisplay.com

Sorry, your account does not have access to post comments.

The first CD Art Display alpha version was released in 25Feb2005.

Yes! More than two years ago.

Then after beta, release candidate and preview stages CD Art Display 1.0 is ready.

It’s really stable and it has a lot of graphic improvements and features such as mirror, rotation, shear, round corners, text soft shadow, text texture, text scrolling, mouse over and mouse down effects, cover blend and skin transition and a lot more.

The final version is also a result of CD Art Display users feedback.

Thank you all and thanks OtisBee for helping me with the hard work of testing several special builds, making skins and screenshots and modarating the Forum.

Finally, there are more than 60 1.0 ready skins that you can check in the Skin Gallery. Download now at FileForum. Have fun!!