2.5.0 - 15 November 2024

• Now building for modern macOS and arm64 under Xcode.
• Now building for modern Windows and compiling using Visual Studio 2022.
• Addressed stability issues for Win64 Standalone.
• Smoother frame rate regulation on Windows.
• Successful workaround macOS screen saver issues.
• Fixed macOS screen saver not saving prefs.
• Fixed V-Bar not saving prefs on Windows.
• Fixed V-Bar not auto-hiding on macOS.
• Fixed Standalone and V-Bar not requesting audio permission on macOS.

2.5.0 - 26 July 2024

• Now building for modern Windows and compiling using Visual Studio 2022.
• Now building for modern macOS and arm64 under Xcode.
• Fixed instability with Apple Music (iTunes).
• Stay tuned for a big announcement!

2.4.2 - 10 February 2020

• Installer for Windows now handles iTunes installed from Microsoft app store.
• Installer for macOS now better accommodates Mojave and Catalina (to the best that is possible).

2.4.1 - 27 July 2018

• Added setting 'Prevent Display Sleep'
• Improved compatibility with Windows screensavers.
• Addressed JRiver Media Center crash.
• Major updates to Windows no longer require SoftSkies reinstallation.
• Working-around iTunes for Windows issue causing freeze/lockup.
• Fixed OpenGL/Direct3D toggle setting on Windows.
• Fixed macOS screensaver reverting to main display only mode.
• Fixed SoftSkies sometimes not being detected in Windows Media Player or iTunes.

2.4 - 03 January 2018

• Now bundling all-new Windows audio driver called SoundSpectrum Audio Cable, offering audio loopback from the system output to SoftSkies Standalone.
• Added 'Reload Audio Devices' button in Settings.
• On macOS, added control over which displays show the screensaver.
• Addressed retina support on macOS High Sierra.
• Added 64-bit support for J River Media Center!
• Enhanced installer detection on Windows for 64-bit iTunes and Windows Media Player.
• Help windows now stay hidden when closed.
• Fixed iTunes not zeroing audio when paused.
• Updated SoftSkies Standalone docs.

2.3.1 - 22 June 2017

• Fixed screen saver for macOS retina displays.
• Fixed not restoring Direct3D state under VirtualDJ.
• Smarter hotkey support for Winamp and MediaMonkey.
• Fixed audio frozen visually when iTunes is paused.
• Fixed prefs not always being saved when quitting iTunes.

2.3 - 21 April 2017

• Added Retina display support on macOS.
• Enhanced UI support for high resolution displays.
• Fixed not getting keystrokes in full screen mode in iTunes.
• Overhauled support for 'UI Menu Scale' setting.
• Album cover art animation is now resolution independent.
• Improved text anti-aliasing quality on Windows.
• Fixed macOS installer overwriting ~/Library permissions.
• Now bundling Virtual Audio Cable with Platinum on Windows.
• Added shadows to white icons.

2.2 - 12 January 2017

• Fixed erroneous console message "Undefined function Refresh()"
• Fixed flashing of junk frames immediately following a resize or fullscreen change.
• Standalone on Windows nows works with Aero's 'auto-snap'
• Addressed fullscreen mode state issues under iTunes and in Standalone.
• Fixed stability issues for the OS X screen saver.
• Standalone for Windows now only changes the input device volume if below 50%.
• More console messages when in partial or debug console mode.
• Aesthetic tweaks to some track animations.
• For large viewports, UI items now auto-scale up in size (UI.AutoScaleFromHeight).
• Full debug mode no longer generates a debug log file on disk.
• Fixed network-based album cover art not loading on Windows.
• Album cover art now loads more smoothly under Windows Media Player.
• Now looking for album cover art under WMP more aggressively (e.g. folder.jpg).
• Now gracefully handling cover art that fails to load.

2.1.2 - 11 February 2016

• Workaround for iTunes fullscreen mode flag bug that caused cursor to persistently be hidden and ESC fail to exit fullscreen.
• Improved 32-bit iTunes detection for Windows.
• Improved artist string extraction logic for Windows Media Player.
• Track text animation fixes.

2.1.1 - 06 February 2015

• Added 64-bit support for iTunes 12.1 under Windows.
• Fixed case where track text didn't always appear when pressing 'T'.

2.1 - 13 January 2015

• Now using pixel buffer objects for improved performance.
• Improved performance for some render to texture operations under OpenGL.
• Fixed audio processing issue that sometimes impaired live audio responsiveness when running SoftSkies Standalone, V-Bar, or Screen Saver.
• Fixed OpenGL render to texture issue affecting stability.
• Frames are now synchronized with the display device to prevent frame tearing.
• Now supporting VirtualDJ on Windows!
• Now only supporting 10.6 and later on OS X.

2.0.1 - 25 June 2014

• Added 'My Skies' Living Images support.
• Addressed track text animation not appearing under some audio players.
• Addressed compatibility issue under OS 10.5.

2.0 - 16 May 2014

• Major improvements and enhancements to SoftSkies stability and aesthetics.
• All-new track text and album cover art animation.
• Major enhancements to the UI and Screen Saver.
• Major editorial edits and additions to Formations.
• All-new "Nighttime" mode of night skies
• All-new "Time of Day" mode that displays blue skies, sunsets, or nighttime skies based on the current time of day.
• Fixes and improved support for jetAudio, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, RealPlayer, J River Media Center, and iTunes.
• On OS X, now using Apple's new flat package format, requiring OS 10.5 for installation.
• Added album cover art and extended track info support for Winamp.
• Added drawer integration support for Winamp.
• Added debug 'HUD' to display performance metrics (via SHIFT+D).
• Fixes and enhancements to international support.

1.7 - 6 December 2011

• FFT audio data is now auto-normalized, offering automated visual response sensitivity adjustment based on incoming audio. This ensures that you get a visually responsive experience no matter what you're listening to.
• Added audio auto-detect, which auto-scans all audio input sources for an active audio source. This new feature is enabled by default for the screen saver and can be enabled for the V-Bar and Standalone.
• Added UI elements in the screen saver control panel/settings to set the audio auto-detect, the preferred audio source, the frame rate, and the current visual preset.
• Improved screen saver and V-Bar support, including the internal sharing of audio devices so that multiple engine instances can now visualize the same audio source.
• The V-Bar for Windows now supports multiple display devices.
• Fixes to tile modes in the V-Bar.
• Added 64-bit support for iTunes and Standalone on OS X.
• Added 64-bit support for Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center.
• Addressed an issue where SoftSkies would hang on exit due to a deadlock.
• Now mangling ObjC classnames to prevent OS X namespace collisions within iTunes and the OS X screen saver subsystem.
• Fixed issue where clicks were not hitting UI elements.
• Improved OS X and Windows audio input source detection and handling.
• Fixed issue under Windows where the full screen resolution selection list was empty.
• Various install/uninstall fixes for J. River Media Center.
• Addressed issue where license code validation would mistakenly fail or the engine would mistakenly report that it needs to be reinstalled.
• OS X and Windows installer improvements for better compatibility.
• Removed Google Desktop support (it has been discontinued by Google).
• Now using the new iTunes visual API in iTunes 10.5 and later.
• Enhanced error handling support for the OS X installer under PowerPC.
• Fixed 'Reset All Settings' in the Settings menu.

1.6.1 - 11 April 2011

• Fixed screen saver support error message on 64-bit OS X systems.
• Fixed bug where the engine would check for updates on every launch instead of honoring the period specified in the prefs.

1.6.0 - 25 March 2011

• Now using OpenGL shading language instead of ARB.
• Major internal revisions and numerous fixes.
• Improved performance and visual quality at the cost of legacy compatibility.
• Added 64-bit screen saver support for OS X.
• Added support for J. River Media Center 15.
• Fixed full screen and possible hang issues under iTunes.
• Fixed RealPlayer support.
• Various fixes to full screen mode on OS X.
• Fixed hang on exit under OS X if the local network doesn't have an internet connection.
• Now signing all executables on Windows to prevent anti-virus false positives.
• Resolved switch to full screen mode issues on multiple display device setups.

1.5.2 - 26 March 2010

• Fixed fail to enter to full screen mode in the Standalone app on OS X.
• Fixed issue where clicking 'Settings' would result in an error on non-English setups.
• Fixed screen saver on OS X appearing pixelated and/or blank.
• Added support for J. River Media Center 15.
• Now using Python 2.6.5.

1.5.1 - 12 March 2010

• Now using OpenGL 'framebuffer_object' extension for improved offscreen rendering stability and performance.
• Fixed case where the screen saver would crash under OS X.
• Fixed 'Scene Interval' integer conversion causing it to be saved as 0, resulting in flashing or erratic frames.
• Addressed the "black screen" issue in Windows Media Center (caused by an issue in WMC under Windows 7).
• Addressed WMP issue where double-clicking would cause a blank screen or crash.
• Fixed issue where pressing the 'Shuffle' button would sometimes fail and show an error message.

1.5 - 29 December 2009

• Internal implementation and performance enhancements.
• Higher quality cloud transitions.
• Added install support for non-ASCII OS X user names.
• The 'Natural' set has been split into Blue Skies, Sunsets, and Storms.
• The GUI controls now detect the presence of WMP 12 (and move to where they can be clicked).
• Fixed issue where SoftSkies wouldn't install properly under Vista x64.
• Addressed issue where SoftSkies would fail to start if the x86 version of WMP is run on Vista x64 system under a non-admin user.
• By popular request, SoftSkies no longer overrides the right-click menu in Windows Media Player.
• Fixed issue where SoftSkies for iTunes would sometimes fail to be properly registered if installed by a non-admin user on Windows.
• Windows Media Center and Windows Media Player compatibility enhancements.
• Added support for J. River Media Center 13.
• Pref keys are now strings (rather than four character strings).
• Fixed broken screen shots under OS X.
• Each Living Image now has its own icon.

1.4.5 - 13 August 2008

• Improved support for Windows Media Center.
• Stability enhancements for Windows Media Player.
• Living Images no longer use the .sstome format, allowing easy access to add, edit, or remove Living Images.
• Improved Windows Vista installation support.

1.4.4 - 11 July 2008

• Improved full screen support under Windows.
• Fixed stability issue triggered when a version update was detected.

1.4.3 - 07 July 2008

• Cosmetic enhancements to the UI.
• Improved OS X installer permissions handling.

1.4.2 - 27 June 2008

• Three all-new Living Images sets containing over 75 high-quality images!
• New Windows screen saver "Display on all monitors" mode.
• Fixed issue that was causing multi-account installations to fail under OS X.
• Improved frame rate regulation (preventing frame rate degradation on certain Windows systems).
• Fixed installer issue that was sometimes causing SoftSkies to not appear in J. River Media Center.
• Improved OS X full screen support for non-standard display devices.
• Fixed issue that was causing the V-Bar to crash when running under Vista or when switching users.
• Enhanced performance in iTunes.

1.4.1 - 13 May 2008

• Fixed Living Images "black background" problem on PowerPC systems.
• Fixed OpenGL texture stability issue triggered on machines having a texture width limit of 2048 or less.
• Fixed Windows installer issue where a message would appear on startup saying that an error occurred and to contact SoundSpectrum support.
• Added workaround for a Mac OS 10.3 installer issue where files from a previously installed version were not being overwritten by the files from a newly installed version.
• The default full screen resolution mode is now the display device's currently set resolution mode (rather than a preset factory value).
• Fixed "error 18" issue occurring on certain Mac OS X systems.

1.4 - 30 April 2008

• OpenGL performance fixes and enhancements.
• Fixes and enhancements to fullscreen support.
• Fixed stability issue present under QMP, Winamp, and iTunes.
• Screen saver fixes and improved multiple display device support.
• Fixed several Windows Vista compatibility issues.
• The installer is now VirtualStore aware, meaning that Windows' default behavior of retaining previously stored installations of SoftSkies will no longer corrupt newly installed versions (which was resulting in numerous problems on certain systems).

1.3.1 - 20 December 2007

• Multiple internal fixes and stability enhancements.
• Fixed "no clouds" problem on certain systems.
• Due to multithreaded-related issues in QuickTime for Windows, SoftSkies no longer uses QuickTime.
• Added preset "set" button.
• Compatibility fixes for J. River Media Center 12.
• Improved fullscreen support under Windows.
• Fixed cases where SoftSkies would choose the incorrect display device when entering full screen mode on a multi-display Windows setup.
• Fixed keyboard and mouse focus issues in the Mac OS X Standalone.
• Worked around stability issue imposed by RealPlayer.

1.3 - 10 October 2007

• Numerous stability and performance enhancements.
• Added new "Formations" feature, which shows shapes in the clouds.
• Added access to "Online Extras" via SoftSkies menus.
• Startup preset choice now used in all players.

1.2 - 04 April 2007

• Improved performance of non-shader rendering mode.
• Added improved visual rendering mode for non-shader rendering ("High Quality").
• New "Clock" config shows the current time in the clouds.
• Added shuffle options for Living Images user images set.
• Added improved cloud horizon and perspective effects.
• SoftSkies screensaver no longer blocks usage of the Apple Remote.
• Fixed case where SoftSkies would fail to exit from fullscreen mode in iTunes.
• Added anonymous usage stats reporting (which is enabled via a checkbox in the Windows installer).

1.1.1 - 27 December 2006

• Fixed interface menu triggered freeze.
• Fixed Windows fullscreen problem after changing screen resolution.

1.1 - 21 December 2006

• Users can now add their own Living Images.
• Fixed "black background" problem found on some non-English Windows locales.
• Fixed missing cloud problem on Intel Mac Minis and MacBooks.
• Various minor bug fixes.
• In Windows, now using a child window scheme when using OpenGL, improving stability in fringe usage scenarios and environments.
• When running on an Intel Mac, SoftSkies now uses native 32 bit pixel format (vs. big endian pixel format), enhancing texture upload performance.
• Improved audio hardware support on Windows for certain hardware manufacturers.
• Fixed permissions problems in the Mac OS X installer for Mac OS 10.3.
• Added support for QCD.
• The platinum installer now installs the screen saver (so platinum users no longer need to separately download and install the screen saver).
• Added "Show Titles" preference setting to enable/disable config title display.
• Added "Startup Config" preference setting.
• Better detection of support for high quality cloud rendering.
• Made the SoftSkies menu no longer appear in Windows Media Center.

1.0.0 - 07 November 2006

• First public release