What's new in this version

WIZARD OPTIMIZATION

Thanks to this change, Wizard will not multiply definition commands for screen saver components (images, WAV/AVI files) if they are to be used more than once for creating action sequences, like it did before, resulting in more compact screen saver .SSD/.SCR/.EXE files. It will also place all definition commands at the beginning making the code easier to read.

RUNTIME WALLPAPER

This new feature is designed as an enhancement to the Image command. With Wallpaper option button you can instruct your screen saver to take current wallpaper image from a desktop of a target computer at runtime and use it later in screen saver itself.

SET DEFAULT SCREEN SAVER DIRECTLY FROM ASSB

You have just finished your screen saver masterpiece. It deserves to be set as default screen saver on your computer without any delay. With this new feature, installing it as a default screen saver is as easy as choosing an option from the File menu. Active ScreenSaver Builder does everything that is necessary: it builds .SCR file, copies it to C:\Windows\System folder, sets it as default screen saver and opens Control Panel / Display / Screen Saver dialog so you can check & adjust other settings immediately.

CREATE INSTALL (.exe) FILE FOR ANY SCREEN SAVER

This little feature is meant to help you to share your favorite screen savers with your friends easier, even when they are not made with Active ScreenSaver Builder. You just have to point on a .SCR file and Active ScreenSaver Builder will create installation .EXE file for it, so anybody can install that screen saver effortlessly.

AVI SUPPORT

Now you can include avi media files in your screen savers just like you have used wav sound files so far. Of course, you will be able to define exact on screen position for your avi sequence.

EFFECTS: TILE/STRETCH

There are two new options for showing images and text messages called Tile end Stretch effects. Using tile effect you can cover the entire screen with image or text message repeating as a pattern. Stretch on the other hand enlarges image or text message so it covers the entire screen.

WIZARD

Active ScreenSaver Builder is a powerful tool for creating screen savers. We are aware that a lot of different commands with numerous options can confuse inexperienced users. Therefore we have put substantial effort to help them as much as possible by introducing Wizard-like user interface. Creating screen savers should now be easier than ever before through its three-step process. We hope that experienced users will love it as well, for they can now quickly create screen saver's base, and then fine tune it working the old way with all options available. Please, do not hesitate to send us comments and propositions on how to make this Wizard work even better in the future.

SCREEN SAVER INSTALL (.exe) FILE

Not all of potential audience for your screen savers know how to install them on their systems. In addition to scr file, Active ScreenSaver Builder can now make exe file too. It will contain screen saver together with automatic installation procedure making it suitable for wide distribution. By starting this exe file user will be able to preview screen saver, install it on its system or simply choose cancel if changed his/her mind. Install option will copy screensaveer to Windows\System folder, open Display / Screen Saver dialogue and set it as active screen saver.

CUSTOM IMAGE IN DISPLAY / SCREEN SAVER

This new feature will allow you to place custom image in preview box of Display / Screen Saver dialogue in Windows Control Panel. That image has to be in bmp format and have following specifications: 96x112 pixels, 256 colours. Apart from that image, preview box now also shows screen saver's name in animated sequence.

START WINDOW

Intended to further improve user interface by bringing up front three possible starting points for every new Active ScreenSaver Builder session. It can be easily disabled/enabled.

JPG SUPPORT

In version 1.0 only bmp image format could be used in Image command. Now you can use both bmp and jpg image formats for creating screen savers with Active ScreenSaver Builder.

KEEP BACKGROUND

This option is available in Move command. When Keep while moving option is checked, image/text being moved will just "float" above background keeping it intact in the moving process.

RESTORE BACKGROUND

This option is available in Show and Move commands. When Restore after hide option is checked, eventual later Hide command for that image/text will restore background image to state before using Show or Move command.

PICTURE AND TEXT CENTERING

Horizontal and vertical centering of image/text have been added in Show and Move commands.

RUNTIME DESKTOP

This is new feature added to Image command. With Desktop option button you can now instruct your screen saver to take desktop screen (as seen just before screen saver starts running) as image to be used later in screen saver itself.

TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND FOR TEXT

This is new feature added to Image command when defining text. Now you can choose between standard or transparent background for displaying text.

NEW FEATURE FOR SHOW COMMAND

New image button has been added to provide direct access to Image command from Show command.