I have updated the above battery gauge widget and also created a Yahoo version of the same to show the differences between the two approaches. One uses a core that is bound to a rotator, the other has a pointer image with a central registration point that allows it to rotate. It is rotated by a javascript call to the Yahoo engine's battery API.
Another reason for comparing the Yahoo widget versions with the Xwidgets is to demonstrate how efficient the YWE animations are. When I am running 6 or 7 Xwidget gauges on the desktop with pointer animations turned on then there is a definite decrease in the desktop redraw response times, you can observe white shadows behind the desktop windows as you drag them. This does not occur using YWE animations and you can have multiple gauges on screen with no effect. I think this has to do with the monolthic nature of xwidgets all running in the same process, the effect of screen redraw over the Xwidget 'layer' has to compete for cpu cycles with running widgets. Tony should compare the two engines and look to improving that part of Xwidget.
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