Copyright: Copyright ®XARA Ltd 1996


Bitmaps you can use

The faces of the cubes are created from bitmaps. You can use any BMP or DIP file (though it must be uncompressed; some bitmap handling programs let you save bitmaps in compressed RLE or uncompressed RGB formats - always select RGB.)

Bitmaps can be any number of colors and any size. It doesn't matter how large you make the bitmaps but ideally they should be square. Also there is a slight speed penalty in using larger bitmaps. Pictures which are about 100 to 200 pixels across work best.

Saving bitmaps as 256 colors (8-bit) rather than true color (24-bit) makes the bitmap file size much smaller and can help the display speed.  Using a painting package to convert true color bitmaps down to 256 colors using an optimized palette gives a quality nearly always as good as true color. However do not convert to dithered 256 color bitmaps as these 'sparkle'. It is better to convert down to palette optimized, non-dithered 256 color bitmaps.

We do not recommend highly detailed bitmaps as such bitmaps tend to 'flicker' or sparkle' and distort slightly as they turn. This is not apparent on most bitmaps but may be noticeable if a bitmap contains small detail. A good way of avoiding the 'sparkle' problem is to smooth the bitmap using the smoothing facility in a painting package, Xara Webster or CorelXARA.

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Related Topics

Defining the faces of the cubes

Previewing your choices


Changing the pictures on the cubes

The bitmaps or movies used are specified in the Faces section of the dialog box. Face 1 is opposite face 6, 2 opposite 4 and 3 opposite 5. All the bitmaps supplied with the screensaver were created with CorelXARA or Xara Webster. For details of what sort of bitmaps are best, see Bitmaps you can use. Once you have customized the screensaver, you can create a single-file distribution of it so others can install it, see Redistributing your screensaver.

To change a bitmap or movie:

1. Click on the required button (named Face1 to Face6). The Image Path field shows the name of the file being used for that face.

2. To change the bitmap or movie either:

type a new file name into this field

or click the Browse button and then select a filename from the browse window.

Tips

For best results use square bitmaps or AVI movies that are around 100 to 200 pixels across. For 256 color bitmaps this gives file sizes of 10K to around 40K.

If your images contain very few shades it may be worth converting them to have less colors as the screensaver will be faster. e.g. converting a picture from 256 colors to 16.

After making changes you can preview the results by clicking on the small animated version of the screensaver in the dialogue box (see Previewing your choices).

Note that you may occasionally see a Xara logo replace one side, as a reminder of who developed the program.

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Related Topics

Setting up the picture cubes


Checking the speed of your computer

The XARA screen saver is a graphically intensive program that relies on a combination of processor power and graphics card accelerator functions. As such it is a good test of the overall performance of graphically intensive programs, such as CorelXARA and Xara Webster.

Note that you will get different results for different screen depths (number of colors displayed on the screen).

The XARASpeed figure produced from this test can therefore be used to rate the graphics performance of your computer against others.

Click Benchmark to run the speed test and display the result.

Typical Values

486 DX2/66	8-bit (256 colors)	  15

Pentium 90	8-bit (256 colors)	  45

Pentium 120	8-bit (256 colors) 	  64

Pentium Pro 200	8-bit (256 colors) 	152


CorelXARA
CorelXARA is an advanced graphics program marketed worldwide by Corel Corporation. It has a host of innovative features such as variable transparency, direct-action tools (just drag to create fills and other effects - no need for complex dialog boxes), in-built bitmap tracer and bitmap effects utilities, unique linked colors that let you change all the tints and hues used in a drawing by one simple operation.

CorelXARA comes with 500 fonts in both TrueType & Type 1 formats, over 10,000 pieces of clipart, 250 high quality scanned natural textures and much more..

There's far more to CorelXARA than we can describe here but if you're on the Internet, visit our web site http://www.xara.com/


Customising the Xara Screensaver
Customizing the Xara Screensaver

You can customize the Xara Screensaver using the settings dialogue box. For example, you can put your own bitmaps or AVI movies on the faces of the cubes. (See Bitmaps you can use for more information on suitable bitmap formats.) You can also configure the number of cubes, their speed and distance apart. The screen saver can also display a number of small colored rectangular boxes that swirl around the screen.

In addition, after you have customized the screensaver with your own pictures you can create a disc with it on (including a setup program) so others can install it.

What do you want to do?

Change the pictures on the cubes

Set up the picture cubes (number, size and speed)

Set up the small boxes (number, size, speed and spacing)

Preview your choices

Turn on transparency

Redistributing your screensaver

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Related Topics

Restoring the default settings

Checking the speed of your computer


Introduction

This screen saver demonstrates some of the Xara graphics technology used in products such as CorelXARA and Xara Webster. When you first load the screen saver, it automatically detects the speed and performance of your computer and displays a suitable number of picture cubes and small boxes. You can then use the Settings dialog box to change these settings - including placing your own pictures on the faces of the cubes.

Customizing the screen saver

More about the screen saver

Xara Ltd.

You may copy and distribute this screen saver to third parties without restriction if you include this Help file and the ReadMe file with each copy distributed.

You can reconfigure the screen saver using the options provided by the Settings dialog box. (For example, to include your own logos on the faces of the cubes.) You are not permitted to modify the software in any other way. Nor are you permitted to alter this help file or the readme file in any way.

Corel & CorelXARA are trademarks of Corel Corporation

XARA is a trademark of Xara Ltd.

TrueType is a registered trademark of Apple Computers Inc.

All other products and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

For more information on CorelXARA, see the Xara WWW site at http://www.xara.com/ . For information on Corel products, see http://www.corel.com/

This help file and the software are (c)1998 Xara Ltd, are not public domain and may not be used by any third party programs or reverse engineered.

Your use of this software constitutes agreements with these conditions.


More about the screen saver

This screen saver uses some of the technology used in CorelXARA and Xara Webster, the graphics package written by Xara Ltd. In particular, it shows off the ultra-fast graphics rendering engine that's the secret of CorelXARA's excellent screen redraws. Also, for screen modes above 256 colors, you can see CorelXARA's variable transparency in action.

The screensaver uses anti-aliasing to make the sides of the cube very smooth so the typically computer jagged edges are removed. This is particularly noticeable when the cubes are rotating very slowly. This technique is used in CorelXARA and Xara Webster to significantly increase the quality of the screen display.

The cubes follow a wavy ellipse which is slowly revolving. The small boxes follow a three dimensional rotating and distorting loop.

All the pictures supplied with the screensaver were created with CorelXARA.

Note that the screensaver Settings dialogue box does not appear in the Windows 95 Task List, so it may be possible to "Lose" it behind other windows.


Previewing your choices

The Settings dialogue displays a small version of screen saver so you can see how it looks. If you want to see how the screen saver looks full size, click on the small animated version.

Tip

Move the mouse or press a key to return to the Settings dialogue box.


Redistributing your screensaver

You can redistribute the screensaver with your own set of bitmaps or AVI movies so others can install it.

To create your own distribution

1. Create a new, empty folder (say XaraCube).

2. Copy the original XaraCube installer (XaraCube.exe) to this folder.

3. Copy the bitmaps you want to use into this folder.

4. Create a bitmaps.txt file (see later) so it lists the names of the bitmaps.

Running XaraCube.exe now installs the screensaver with your bitmaps.

Once the screensaver setup program works correctly, the files can be compressed with PKZIP (this is a utility for creating a single, compressed file from a set of files). This means you can distribute the whole screensaver in one file. Note that we do not supply PKZIP.

To create a single file distribution

1. Move to the XaraCube folder.

2. Run the command pkzip -rp xaracube.zip *.* to create an archive of the files and bitmaps.

3. Run the command zip2exe xaracube to turn the archive into an exe file.

To install your screensaver

1. Place xaracube.exe into a temporary folder.

2. Run it

3. Run the setup.exe file.

Notes

The above has been tested with PKZIP 2.04g. For details of this product, see http://www.pkware.com/.

If the screensaver cannot find one or more of the bitmaps, it warns you when you open the Settings dialogue box.

_____Bitmaps.txt_____

picture1.bmp

picture2.bmp

picture3.bmp

picture4.bmp

picture5.bmp

picture6.bmp

FixedFace

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FixedFace is optional. It prevents the user changing the first bitmap. This is useful if you want the first bitmap to always show your logo or message.


Restoring the default settings

When you first load the screen saver, it intelligently selects values based on the specification of your machine to give a flowing, smooth animation.

Clicking the Reset button in the Settings dialogue box reruns this test to reselect the original values. Clicking the OK button will then use these settings.

Tip

Clicking the Reset button doesn't change the bitmaps - this is useful if you've customized the cubes with your own bitmaps.


Setting up the picture cubes

Number

This sets the number of cubes displayed.

Speed

This sets the speed the cubes move at. Set it to the same value as Small boxes if you want the cubes to move at the same speed as the boxes.

Size

This sets the size of the picture cubes. On a 15" monitor, a size of 1 is approximately 1".

Tips

After making changes you can preview the results by clicking on the small animated version of the screensaver in the dialogue box (see Previewing your choices).

Remember that if you have more than a couple of large cubes the display may not be as smooth.

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Related Topics

Defining the faces of the cubes

Setting up the small boxes


Setting up the small boxes

As well as the picture cubes you can also display one or more rectangular boxes. The colors on the faces are fixed.

Number

This sets the number of small boxes displayed.

Speed

This sets the speed of the small boxes. Set it to the same value as that in the Picture cubes section if you want the boxes to move at the same speed as the picture cubes.

Size

This sets the size of the small boxes. On a 15" monitor, a size of 1 is approximately 1". We recommend making the small boxes smaller than the picture cubes.

Spacing

This  controls the distance between the boxes. A small spacing (0.01) gives you a flowing line of boxes. Large spacings (above 15) make the boxes appear to follow a random path.

Tip

After making changes you can preview the results by clicking on the small animated version of the screensaver in the dialogue box (see Previewing your choices).

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Related Topics

Setting up the picture cubes


Turning on Transparency

With transparency on, the cubes and boxes appear semi-transparent and you can see objects behind them. This feature shows CorelXARA's unique graduated transparency capability.

Note

The Transparency is only really visible when the cubes cross each other.

After making changes you can preview the results by clicking on the small animated version of the screensaver in the dialogue box (see Previewing your choices).

You can only select the transparency option if your screen has 16-bit (thousands of colors) or 24-bit (millions of colors).


Xara Ltd

Xara was started in 1993 to develop innovative software products for the PC market. Its first product, Xara Studio, was launched in 1995 to excellent magazine reviews and enthusiastic user response. It wasn't just magazines and customers who were impressed either because a few months after the launch of Studio, Corel Corporation (the developers of CorelDRAW) took it on as one of their own products. Corel renamed it CorelXARA and are now marketing it worldwide.

Xara has also developed Xara Webster, an advanced drawing package for creating Internet and screen based graphics.

Although Xara Ltd. is a relatively young company, its has its roots in another software company, Computer Concepts Ltd. which was founded way back in 1981. It has several years experience developing 32-bit windowing based applications for RISC based computers. This has given us an unrivaled experience of developing microcomputer application software. This experience predates the arrival of 32-bit Windows based environments by many years.

The arrival of 32-bit Windows programming environments has meant we can now exploit that experience in the wider PC and Windows market, rather than the more niche markets we occupied before.

     	Xara Ltd

Gaddesden Place

Hemel Hempstead

Hertfordshire HP2 6EX

United Kingdom

Tel:	01442 350000

outside UK +44  1442  350000

Fax:	01442  350010

outside UK +44  1442  350010

WWW	http://www.xara.com/

http://www.corel.com/

Email	info@xara.com


Xara Webster
Xara Webster is an advanced drawing package primarily aimed at creating Internet and screen-based graphics. It has many of the advanced features of CorelXARA, such as graduated transparency and advanced color controls.

There's far more to Webster than we can describe here but if you're on the Internet, visit our web site http://www.xara.com/