Re: pseudo transparency

[jg pa dec com (Jim Gettys)]

I don't know if Keith montitors this list or not.

To do proper transparent windows  (for real, rather than the hack
Keith did for demo purposes) requires redoing the DIX layer of the
server (while maintaining the XAA device interface).

When I've chatted with him about this recently, the design was still 
purcolating through his head, rather than his fingers.  It isn't that 
it is that much code (the device independent part of the X server is some 
tens of thousands of lines, not hundreds), but getting the design right 
is non-trivial.  (Note that the current design, done by Phil Karlton and 
Susan Angebranndt has served us very well, and given its constraints, 
is a very well done piece of code).  This will also help the issues
around backing store / saveunder support, etc, which have always been
somewhat problematic.

So given the release schedules for XFree86, the earliest you could
expect translucent windows is of order a year from now (XFree86 4.2 is
about to hit the streets; a change like this can only go in early in
the release schedule, for obvious reasons, and I doubt the code could
appear early in the next one, given the importance of getting the font
stuff done).

Hope this information helps the the discussions around whether
cludges in the meanwhile are needed....
					- Jim

--
Jim Gettys
Cambridge Research Laboratory
Compaq Computer Corporation
jg pa dec com