Re: weird morphing animation question!! Any ideas? Thank you :)

From the top of my head, a hack comes to mind:
Create a projector (really tiny) that loads a MIAW the size of the desktop. Just before this happens, take a screenshot of the desktop (triggered from the projector). Dump the screenshot onto the newborn MIAW as its background image. Play the animation you describe inside the MIAW, using the ordinary Director tools. Let the last frame of the animation end in another MIAW, which is the actual application. Close the first MIAW ("fake desktop background"). When the actual desktop is revealed, you shouldn't notice the difference.

I have severely limited knowledge to any deep OS programming (C++ and even machine-code for all I know), but I have a suspicion that this is not too far from what those guys actually do, conceptually. They call it a "frame buffer", not MIAW with a screenshot etc.

All of this can be done with non-esoteric Lingo. You need to know your MIAWs however; how to make it borderless etc. You may also need an Xtra for taking that screen-shot. If you make it work, I would love to hear about it and see some details!