I’ve put together a new site, with a forum and source code, for my goofy sprites program:

http://sprites.caustik.com/

The project has ended up being a good demonstration for using node.js to host a server for C++ clients. The sprites program uses a node.js server to automatically pair up anyone running the program, so sprites you throw off either side, top or bottom, of your desktop are thrown onto another person’s desktop. The network topology is generated by the server using a novel match-making algorithm. It’s pretty fucking cool, actually.

There have also been a great deal of Windows programming nuances to get the layered window animations working smooth as butter. The whole thing is optimized to perform well with over a hundred sprites at a time. This is done via caching all the animation data, deferring window repositioning, synchronization with DWM refresh, and other techniques.

Anyway, download it, install it, register for the forum and give some feedback IF you don’t mind. It’s a very young project and really benefits a lot from feedback and people trying it out.

If you happen to be the first person to see this blog post and install it, you have the unique opportunity to flood my desktop with a metric ton of Mario sprites. Otherwise, you still have the opportunity to flood some random other person’s desktop, but just be prepared to expect the same in return 😛