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- Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.answers,news.answers
- Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nic.hookup.net!ames!agate!doc.ic.ac.uk!warwick!nott-cs!lut.ac.uk!ellhw
- From: L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk
- Subject: Macintosh Screensaver Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions on
- Macintosh screensavers, with answers. Before asking a question about
- screensavers in this newsgroup, please read this document.
- Originator: ellhw@hpl.lut.ac.uk
- Message-ID: <CL4v5x.JIs@lut.ac.uk>
- Sender: L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk
- Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
- Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 22:44:21 GMT
- Expires: Fri, 1 Jul 1994 00:00:00 GMT
- Reply-To: L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk (Lloyd Wood)
- Nntp-Posting-Host: hpl.lut.ac.uk
- Organization: Loughborough University, UK.
- Keywords: FAQ, Macintosh, Mac, macintosh, mac, screensaver, After, Dark
- Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.apps
- Lines: 2129
- Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu comp.sys.mac.apps:33561 comp.sys.mac.misc:27436 comp.sys.mac.system:24936 comp.answers:3736 news.answers:15110
-
- Archive-name: macintosh/screensaver-faq
- Last-modified: 1994/02/10
- Version: 2.0
-
-
-
- COMP.SYS.MAC FAQ: Screensaver/After Dark answers
-
- Version: 2.0
- Last updated: Thursday, 10 February 1994
-
- Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 L. H. Wood <L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk>.
-
- Not for physical or retail distribution unless I receive a
- complimentary copy of the medium. Not for distribution on ZiffNet
- until they freely release the modules they create - see Copyright
- at end for more.
-
-
- This is a FAQ - a Frequently Asked Questions list. These are
- written and posted to newsgroups to cut down on needless
- repetition of questions that everyone, bar the ignorant
- questioner, who is never a regular reader of the group, knows the
- answer to by heart.
-
- You can find many of the other FAQs in existence by:
- a. reading the *.answers newsgroups.
- b. searching back through newsgroups for the title 'FAQ'.
- c. ftp'ing to rtfm.mit.edu. If you don't know what ftp is, ask
- your systems administrator. If you don't know what rtfm means,
- you really do need to read some FAQs.
-
- There are a number of Macintosh-specific FAQs, posted regularly
- in comp.sys.mac.* and archived at rtfm.mit.edu (directory
- pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh), umich and info-mac (directory
- info-mac/info). Anyone reading comp.sys.mac.whatever should have
- read through these FAQs at some point. Check the FAQs to see if the
- question you are about to ask has already been answered for you.
-
- This FAQ list addresses problems Mac screensaver users may have.
- In doing this, this also answers some common questions new Mac
- users have, which are not related to screensavers, but which are
- asked so often it's worth pointing out that the answers are there
- for you to find. The answers to these questions have been
- prefaced with 'FAQ alert!'. Look for it.
-
- These common questions are:
-
- How can I change the name of my hard disk? Why does my hard disk
- look like a blank page? How can I get colour floppy disk icons?
- See 'Other things FileTyper is useful for' at the end of (4.0).
-
- How can I get a picture of the screen? With the cursor and menus
- visible? See (0.3).
-
- Where can I find system software updates? What reads the disk
- images? See (1.1).
-
- What is Macsbug? Where can I find it? What do I do with it? How
- do I use it? See (5.0).
-
- Where can I find Mac stuff on ftp sites? What do I need to
- interpret the files? How can I send stuff to these ftp sites for
- others to share? See Introduction.
-
- Are viruses a problem on the Mac? How can I deal with them? See
- the entry for Virex-D under (5.2).
-
- My PowerBook's hard disk spins down. Why doesn't my desktop
- Mac's? See (0.0.4).
-
- How do I get a working Brightness control panel? See (0.1.2).
-
-
-
-
-
-
- CONTENTS OF THIS FAQ
-
- Revisions
-
- Introduction
-
- Do I need a screensaver? (0.0)
- ---- What is Energy Star? Can I use it? (0.0.1)
- ---- What does the 'Screen' control panel do? (0.0.2)
- ---- Does my PowerBook need a screensaver? (0.0.3)
- ---- Can I spin my desktop Mac's hard disk down? (0.0.4)
- ---- What screensavers can I use under A/UX? (0.0.5)
-
- -- What Mac screensavers are available? (0.1)
- ---- Modular screensavers (0.1.1)
- ---- Standalone screensavers (0.1.2)
-
- -- How do I write screensaver modules? (0.2)
- ---- How do I write DarkSide modules? (0.2.1)
- ---- How do I write After Dark modules? (0.2.2)
- ---- What can I get for writing a cool module? (0.2.3)
- ---- Writing your own screensaver (0.2.4)
-
- -- How can I save my screensaver pictures? (0.3)
-
-
- How can I update my copy of After Dark? (1.0)
- -- How can I update my copy of After Dark v1.x? (1.1)
- -- How can I update my copy of After Dark v2.x? (1.2)
- ---- After Dark revision history (1.2.1)
-
- -- How can I update my copy of Star Trek: The Screensaver? (1.3)
- -- How can I update my copy of More After Dark? (1.4)
- -- How can I update my AD modules or obtain new modules? (1.5)
- -- How can I update my copy of DarkSide of the Mac? (1.6)
- -- How can I update my copy of NowFun! ? (1.7)
- -- How can I update my copy of Moire? (1.8)
-
-
- Help! I've forgotten my After Dark password! How can I get
- control of my Mac back? (2.0)
-
-
- Where should I put the 'After Dark Files' folder? (3.0)
- -- Why do my Star Trek modules say they are 'Out of memory' when
- the rest play fine? (3.1)
- -- Why does a Disney module say it is 'Out of memory'? (3.2)
- -- Where can I find an AD module that shows pictures at random?
- (3.3)
- -- Where can I find an AD module that plays PICS files? (3.4)
-
-
- My After Dark control panel and modules have lost their icons!
- How do I get them back? (4.0)
- -- In list view in the Finder, my modules say they are 'a
- particular module' documents! What's up? (4.1)
-
-
- After Dark crashes my machine! What should I do? (5.0)
- -- Modules that don't work under MultiModule or Randomizer (5.1)
- -- Modules with other known problems (5.2)
-
-
- Extension incompatibilities with After Dark (6.0)
- -- Known incompatibilities with After Dark (6.1)
-
-
- Module name changes and similarities (7.0)
- -- The name has changed (7.1)
- -- Not to be confused (7.2)
-
-
- Module requests (8.0)
-
-
- Disclaimer and legal-weaselling
- -- Copyright
- -- Disclaimer
-
-
-
-
-
-
- REVISIONS
-
- In reverse order:
-
- 2.0 - Thursday, 10 February 1994
-
- Major revision, with a new improved easier-to-read format.
- Pointed out general FAQs answered here. FAQ is now in
- info-mac/info/sft and available on the Web (Introduction).
- Completely new (0.0) and (0.0.1) - please read. Now Software can
- be reached at <now@aol.com> (0.1.1). VAMP contest has closed, but
- a book/disk package is under development and wants your AD
- modules (0.2.2). Added advice on displaying pictures (3.3) and
- playing PICS files (3.4). Barney Blaster's author can be reached
- at <Karl_A._Bunker@bcsmac.bcs.org>. Added Sierpinski's Gasket
- (5.1). JPEGView's author suggests that an AD module could do
- SlideShow screensaves via AppleEvents (8.0).
-
-
-
- 1.9 - Sunday, 9 January 1994
-
- Found the Monitor Energy Saver's location on AppleLink (0.0.1).
- Unlike Brightness, Screen control panel contains startup code
- (0.0.2). Saw a copy of Intermission (0.1.1). Added Barney Blaster
- (5.1). Teleport menu is incompatible with all sound sampling
- software (5.2). Minor changes.
-
-
-
-
-
- INTRODUCTION
-
- Abbreviations used here:
- Mac - Apple Macintosh computer,
- the world's premier screensaver platform.
- AD - After Dark,
- a commercial screensaver package for the Mac.
- BS - Berkeley Systems,
- the makers of AD.
- CRT - Cathode Ray Tube,
- found in the traditional, box-like, monitor.
- DC - The Disney Collection,
- a commercial AD package and modules from BS.
- DS - DarkSide of the Mac,
- a freeware Mac screensaver that runs AD modules.
- ES - Energy Star. Imminent death of the screensaver predicted.
- News at (0.0.1).
- LCD - Liquid Crystal Diode.
- You *can* say LCD display.
- MAD - More After Dark,
- a commercial pack of extra AD modules from BS.
- QT - QuickTime,
- Apple's free movie/picture/sound/time-handling extension.
- SS - ScreenSavor,
- a standalone slideshow saver that includes an AD module.
- ST - Star Trek: the Screensaver,
- a commercial AD package from BS.
- TZ - Twilight Zone,
- a free application that runs AD modules in windows.
-
-
- FAQ alert! The major Mac-specific anonymous FTP sites mentioned
- here, which provide the world with Mac freeware and shareware:
-
- sumex-aim.stanford.edu (sumex) - the home of the Info-Mac
- archives (info-mac). Many mirror sites worldwide. Any file with a
- path starting 'info-mac/...' is on sumex or its mirrors. See the
- Info-Mac Digest in comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac
- software available here.
-
- mac.archive.umich.edu (umich) - not related to sumex. Many mirror
- sites worldwide - ftp to mirror.archive.umich.edu to get to a
- mirror in the US. See the regular newfile postings in
- comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac software available
- here.
-
- ftp.apple.com - Apple's own software archive on the net. Here you
- will find system software and updates, utilities and gadgets
- written by Apple's engineers, and development material. If you
- don't have access to AppleLink, this is *the* place to look for
- new system fixes and free copies of system software up to 7.0.1.
-
- A complete list of Mac ftp sites of interest can be found in the
- mac.ftp.list in info-mac/info. It is posted regularly to
- comp.sys.mac.misc, .apps and .games by Bruce Grubb
- <bgrubb@scf.nmsu.edu>, and is available on the Web (see below).
- Advice on how to find and download Mac files, and get them into
- your Mac, is also given.
-
-
- This FAQ is crossposted to most of the comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups
- on an irregular basis whenever it is updated. A copy can always
- be found for anonymous ftp in info-mac/info/sft.
-
- If you have access to the World-Wide Web, you can find this FAQ,
- along with other Macintosh FAQs, on it. Here's the URL:
- http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/faqs/home-faqs.html
- Thanks to Robert Lentz <lentz@rossi.astro.nwu.edu> for providing
- this service to the Mac community.
-
-
- This FAQ answers common questions about screensavers for the Mac.
- What's available, where you can get them from, and whether or not
- you need a screensaver are covered. Most of this FAQ pertains to
- the most popular commercial Mac screensaver - AD from BS, the
- modules available for it, and other screensavers capable of using
- its modules.
-
- The FAQ details common AD problems and misconceptions,
- concentrating on 'Why does AD crash my machine?' The answer is
- almost always either 'You need to get and run the free 2.0x
- updater' or 'You are using a badly-written third-party module
- running under the MultiModule or Randomizer modules'. These
- modules impose stricter rules on how a module can run than AD
- alone does, and a large number of third party (shareware or
- freeware) modules either crash the Mac or won't run as a
- sub-module.
-
- How to update AD is given in (1.0). A list of 'problem' modules
- that should not be run under MultiModule/Randomizer is given in
- (5.0).
-
- Although many have requested it, this FAQ does not attempt to be
- a canonical list of all the AD modules in existence. I don't have
- access to the online AD forums in the US. I haven't seen a number
- of the commercial packages or the books. I can't sneak into BS's
- labs, on the other side of the world, in the dead of night, to
- look at all the competition entries. (Heck, I couldn't afford the
- trip.) I estimate I have seen less than a third of all the
- shareware modules in existence - and I've been working at it. A
- definitive list of modules is simply not possible. If a module is
- not mentioned here, that's either because I haven't seen it, or
- because I have seen it, but haven't found a reason to mention it
- or found a problem with it on the Mac setups available to me. You
- might, and I can't call a module 'good' simply because it works
- fine for me.
-
-
- [FAQ alert! If you want to spread good Mac shareware or freeware,
- including AD modules, to the world, giving millions of people,
- including me, the chance to see it, simply email a binhexed copy
- of the compacted or stuffited archive to:
- macgifts@mac.archive.umich.edu
- which will distribute it to ftp archives across the world,
- including the big ones - info-mac, umich, their many mirrors, and
- comp.binaries.mac. Remember to add a text description of the
- contents before that long binhex column!
-
- Don't send self-extracting archives (SEAs) - Compact Pro, Stuffit
- Expander and Stuffit Lite are readily available from these ftp
- archives, and we all know how to use them. Dial-up access to ftp
- sites is on the increase and SEAs run up others' phone bills
- unnecessarily.
- Compact Pro is now at v1.34.
- Stuffit Expander and Lite are now at v3.07. The old Stuffit and
- Unstuffit v1.5.1 cannot read the new, more efficient 3.0
- format. Trash them and upgrade.
-
- Find your local sumex (info-mac) or umich mirror, listed in the
- mac.ftp.list detailed above, and use that to download new
- software, rather than tying up distant sites.]
-
-
- The information in this FAQ is based on my use of AD, DS, MAD, SS
- and ST, and on tidbits I have gleaned from email from many
- writers and users of screensavers and AD modules.
-
- I welcome comments and corrections, hints on using specific
- modules, and tips and compatibility information relating to other
- Mac screensavers.
-
- Despite the emphasis of this FAQ on AD modules, I have no
- connection with BS other than as a user of their products. I'm
- declaring the T-shirt BS gave me for generously saving them a
- fortune in tech support, though. Nothing underhand here.
- [I welcome free clothing, and promise to wear it around a busy
- campus. Tap your UK market!]
-
- This FAQ does not cover the use of AD on the Windows platform -
- it's for the Mac version (and other Mac screensavers) only. There
- is no way to convert Windows AD modules to Mac AD modules without
- extensive rewriting of the source code - it's a job for the
- authors of that module, and few have experience of programming
- Windows AND the Mac. The Windows AD comes with different modules
- to the Mac version for this reason. Module ports are unlikely.
-
-
-
-
-
- DO I NEED A SCREENSAVER? (0.0)
-
- Despite what many people will tell you, the answer is almost
- certainly 'no'. Screen phosphor burn-in on CRTs is not the
- problem it is made out to be. Damaging a modern CRT with a
- burnt-in still image is very difficult to do, and takes a very
- long time.
-
- If you really are worried about preserving screen phosphor,
- either:
-
- a. Turn your monitor off when you are not using your Mac, so that
- the phosphor is not in use at all, and cannot possibly be burnt.
- This has the desirable side-effect of saving energy and
- decreasing your electricity bills; ES does this for you
- automatically. See (0.0.1).
-
- b. Use a simple, boring, black screenblanker, as this does a far
- better job of saving phosphor than any animated pattern in a
- screensaver package can, and, unlike those fancy screensavers, it
- might even save you some electricity and some money. See (0.0.1).
-
- It takes a very long time to burn the phosphor on a cathode ray
- tube with a still image - accidentally leaving your Mac on all
- weekend won't do it. Old Mac Plusses or monochrome Mac monitors
- that have seen years of service may have a ghostly bar at the top
- of the screen from the menu bar, visible when a menu bar is not
- present, but that's about it.
-
- The phosphor on colour monitors is even more difficult to burn,
- making screensavers even less useful than you may think. Anyone
- worried about the menu bar burning in on their colour monitor can
- use Aurora 3.0 (in info-mac/cp) to give a white-on-black menu bar.
-
- So why do all these screensavers exist? Most commercial
- screensavers are marketed as entertainment; most standalone
- downloadable screensavers were written as fun programming
- exercises. They're entertaining toys to play with.
-
- A screensaver can be useful for protecting your Mac from prying
- eyes while you are away from it, and many screensavers include an
- optional password feature for this, although many security
- packages offer better protection. You should want a screensaver
- for password protection or for entertainment, rather than for
- overhyped 'screensaving' abilities. If you want true
- 'screensaving', read the sections below.
-
-
- ---- What is Energy Star? Can I use it? (0.0.1)
-
- The US Energy Star programme is leading to the demise of the
- screensaver as unused monitors power themselves down. Running a
- screensaver, other than an Energy Star (ES) saver on an
- ES-complaint setup, or a backlight dimmer on an LCD, will not
- significantly decrease your screen's energy consumption.
-
- A completely black screensaver reduces power consumption on a
- standard non-ES monitor by only 23% [Byte, Jan 1994, p204] and
- probably by less on the single-gun Trinitrons more common in the
- Mac world, whereas consumption is reduced by over 90% with an ES
- monitor, and by 100% by pressing the 'off' switch. A 'normal'
- animated pattern, fishtank or cartoon screensaver will not
- decrease CRT energy consumption.
-
- On a non-ES setup, simply turn your monitor off when you're not
- using the Mac for some time. It's more convenient than going
- through lengthy shutdown and startup processes, saves energy, and
- protects your phosphor better than even a black-screen
- screensaver will. Remember that a conventional monitor uses far
- more energy than the Mac itself does.
-
- If you use a Quadra, Centris, PowerBook with video-out, LCIII or
- later, or Performa equivalent of one of these models, AND use an
- Energy Star-compliant monitor (look for the star logo) off
- internal video on one of these Macs, you no longer need a
- screensaver. Apple's freely-available 'Monitor Energy Saver'
- package enables the Energy Star features of your monitor with
- these Macs. Your monitor will power down in stages when the Mac
- is on but not in use, saving on your electricity bills as well as
- saving your screen.
-
- 'Monitor Energy Saver' (also known by its codename 'DarkStar') is
- rather hard for netters to find. It's available on AppleLink, in
- the following path:
- Apple Products
- Apple SW Updates
- Macintosh
- Supplemental System Software
- Monitor Energy Software (1.0)
-
- I'm told it's on AOL in the System Software area - do a search
- for 'star'. It appeared as info-mac/cfg/monitor-energy-saver.hqx,
- but was then removed from sumex as a breach of copyright. It may
- still be on some of the smaller info-mac mirrors. It really ought
- to be on ftp.apple.com, but wasn't, the last time I looked. Or ask
- your Apple dealer for it.
-
- Some Monitor Energy Saver users have reported problems with
- crashing on wake from sleep, which may go to explain why it is not
- widely available. If you have tracked down a conflict, please let
- me know.
-
- Speculation suggests that the Energy Saver was produced solely to
- meet ES requirements for Apple's US government contract, and that
- Apple has no intention of destroying the screensaver market by
- actively promoting it and making it widely available. It would be
- logical to assume it would be included as part of the expected
- System 7.5 release later this year, perhaps integrated with the
- 'Screen' control panel, thus putting this rumour to rest, but I
- have no confirmation of my wishful thinking.
-
- To see if your setup is ES-compliant, install the Energy Saver,
- set it to fifteen minutes, restart, and leave your Mac for an
- half an hour or so. If on sleep you hear a degaussing noise, or
- on wake the picture takes some time to return to life while your
- Mac beeps, your setup is ES-compliant, and you can remove all
- other screensavers. If the picture returns instantly after a long
- sleep, and your Mac *then* beeps, the Energy Saver won't save you
- energy with your monitor, and you can use a normal 'blank'
- screensaver without feeling guilty. After all, that beeping is
- annoying.
-
- The Apple AudioVision 14" monitor is reported to be ES-compliant,
- as is newer production of other Apple monitors - look on the back
- to check.
-
- ES works by disabling the signals on the horizontal and vertical
- sync lines, on Macs that are capable of switching this. An ES
- monitor detects this, and enters one of a series of low-power
- modes; a non-ES monitor loses the picture, and goes black. (BS
- tells me that a special version of AD with an ES-like function
- called 'Ecologic' is shipped with Nanao monitors.)
-
-
- ---- What does the 'Screen' control panel do? (0.0.2)
-
- If you are using a Mac with an internal colour CRT, such as the
- Color Classic or LC5xx, which follow Energy Star recommendations,
- you should be using the Screen control panel supplied with the
- System Software to automatically turn off the monitor circuitry
- when the Mac is not in use - you DO NOT need a screensaver to
- save your screen.
-
- Unlike Brightness, which works from anywhere, the Screen control
- panel must be in the Control Panels folder at startup to work
- properly. If you want to put Screen somewhere more convenient,
- use an alias.
-
-
- ---- Does my PowerBook need a screensaver? (0.0.3)
-
- No. If you own a Mac with an LCD display you are unlikely to need
- a conventional screensaver, as you already have sleep mode. The
- only 'screensaver' you would be interested in is one that dims
- the backlight after a period of inactivity, to save power when
- running off the batteries while doing long computations -
- included in many PowerBook-specific utility packages. LCDs can
- retain the colour they are set to, whether black or white, in a
- 'memory effect' that takes time to change, but does fade away. If
- you use a (probably unnecessary) screensaver, it has been
- suggested that it should be one which flips all of the pixels
- regularly, to prevent this memory effect. This is unrelated to
- the ni-cad battery 'memory effect'. More information on both of
- these topics can be found in the PowerBook FAQs of the Mac
- newsgroups. Read through comp.sys.mac.portables.
-
- If you are using a monitor connected to your Dock's or
- PowerBook's external video, you should be able to use the Energy
- Saver. Read (0.0.1).
-
-
- ---- Can I spin my desktop Mac's hard disk down? (0.0.4)
-
- You may also want to consider saving even more energy and keeping
- your desktop Mac quiet by spinning down your hard disks when they
- are not in use - PowerBook System Software does this all the time
- to save on battery power. Although some drivers, such as
- Silverlining, include this feature, the standard Apple driver
- doesn't.
-
- FAQ alert! Look at SCSISaver 1.2, by Darrell Pfeifer
- <pfeifer@camosun.bc.ca>, on umich in system.extensions/cdevs,
- which adds this ability to drives that support the SCSI 'stop'
- command. If you're using your Mac for filesharing, doing lots of
- intermittent disk access with something like AutoDoubler or
- DiskExpress, or insist on a new, randomly-chosen, AD module every
- few minutes, this will be of no use to you, and you'll find the
- many pauses as the disk spins back up irritating. If your Mac is
- on but idle, with no disk access, for long periods of time, you
- may find the silence a relief.
-
- With AutoDoubler 2.0x, setting 999 minutes and using the
- 'compress corner' on leaving your Mac will help prevent
- intermittent disk activity.
-
-
- ---- What screensavers can I use under A/UX? (0.0.5)
-
- A/UX users will want to use something to cover the login screen.
- So far Moire has been reported as the only screensaver doing
- this. DS and other startup applications will never do this. Read
- through comp.unix.aux for more information on this and other A/UX
- issues.
-
-
-
- -- WHAT MAC SCREENSAVERS ARE AVAILABLE? (0.1)
-
- Far too many. This FAQ concentrates on AD because it is the most
- popular, is well-established (it has been around for years), has
- the most support from other programmers in the form of different
- screensaver 'modules', and because there are many other packages
- that can run AD modules. It's a standard. AD is commercial and
- costs money, although updates, bug fixes, programming information
- and third-party shareware modules are freely available online.
-
- If you simply want to play the many shareware/freeware AD modules
- available from ftp sites, download the freeware DarkSide 4.1 -
- see below. As AD, Pyro!, NowFun! and other commercial packages
- *are* commercial, they and their commercial modules CANNOT, and
- SHOULD NOT, be obtained from ftp sites. Updaters can be obtained
- by ftp, but they must update the original package which you have
- bought. If you want to use AD (or Pyro!, or NowFun!, or another
- commercial package) or the modules supplied with it, you must buy
- that package.
-
- If you are looking for a screensaver, it is well worth obtaining
- freeware and shareware savers, both DarkSide and the standalones
- listed below, from ftp sites and evaluating them before
- considering commercial products. Look in info-mac/gui, or on
- umich in util/screensaver.
-
- But first, have you read (0.0)? You may not even *need* a
- screensaver with your particular Mac setup.
-
-
- ---- Modular screensavers (0.1.1)
-
- This list is split into the screensaver packages I've seen,
- and the ones I haven't. I make no claims for the completeness of
- this list - everyone and his grandmother appears to have written
- an AD-compatible screensaver, and I can't keep track. Corrections
- welcome.
-
- If I haven't seen a package, I won't be able to diagnose problems
- with it. You're on your own. Some packages are apparently more
- AD-compatible than others, but I'm not able to rate this on the
- indirect information available to me.
-
- Modular screensavers, most of which are AD-compatible, with a
- number of different effects supplied in separate files, or
- 'modules', include:
-
- Seen by me:
- After Dark (AD) - commercial, from BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
- The most popular. Has the most modules available, and many
- third-party savers can run these modules. Includes the
- screensaver, modules and programming information.
- More After Dark (MAD) is an add-on package from BS that does not
- include the screensaver itself - just more modules and an updater
- for the screensaver.
- Star Trek - the Screensaver (ST), also from BS, includes the ST
- saver and modules, but not the programming information included
- in AD.
- Note that 'for legal and technical reasons' the ST modules
- require AD 2.0x, and DC modules require the player included with
- DC. DS and other AD-compatibles can't see or play these modules.
- You need to use the player BS provides in the package.
-
- DarkSide of the Mac 4.1 (DS) - freeware, by Tom Dowdy
- <dowdy@apple.com>.
- Also plays AD modules, unlike DS 3.2 and earlier. Like AD, DS
- includes a password feature and a Randomizer. DS runs as a
- startup application under System 7. It only patches one trap when
- it needs to. As it's an application you can quit it at any time
- if you need more memory, and restart it later.
- (System 6 users require DS v2.5.).
- Some of the forty-odd supplied DS-only modules, e.g. Circuit,
- LostInSpace and VaseDance, are very polished, original and well
- worth a look. Many others, e.g. Searchlight and Worms, are
- similar to AD's and Pyro's, but with fewer cute frills.
- An up-to-date DS package is on ftp.apple.com (directory:
- /dts/mac/hacks). A copy is in the info-mac/gui directory.
- A number of people have posted, saying that they own AD and MAD,
- but that they prefer to use DS to run their modules.
- DS 4.1 uses less memory than AD does to play AD modules, and
- takes up less disk space and less CPU time. It is claimed to run
- all AD modules, with the known exceptions of the commercial BS ST
- and DC modules and the SS AD module (version 2.0.1) supplied with
- SS 3.0.
- [Known DS problems:
- If DS stays at the front on startup, even though you checked
- 'Finder to front on startup', look at your Startup Items folder.
- DS should be there only once.
- To randomize a selection of DS modules, put them or their aliases
- together in a folder, and open that folder with Open...
- DarkSide's password dialog can crash as a result of extension
- conflicts. One known culprit is Okey Dokey 1.0.1. Try turning off
- Okey Dokey's countdown timer. Both Dan Walkowski and Tom Dowdy
- are aware of this problem. Applescript has also been reported as
- causing problems.
- If DS still crashes, try giving it slightly more memory (your
- INITs may be eating up a lot of program heap space) or trashing
- the DS Preferences file, and see if matters improve.
- The MAD Confetti Factory module crashes under DS 4.0. Get DS 4.1.
- DS's Spectrum module, like other sampling software, is
- incompatible with Global Village's Teleport menu.
- If you keep your AD and DS modules together, note they both have
- 'Clock' and 'Puzzle' modules, and that MAD also has a 'Rain'
- module. Remove or rename one of each.
- The manual in MacWrite Pro format. Eventually, an XTND
- translator for this should appear. One in the package would be
- nice. If you want a printed manual, register your copy of
- DarkSide.]
- If you don't already have a screensaver, want to write
- screensaver modules, or are interested in using the wide range of
- free/shareware AD modules, this is *the* screensaver to get. The
- price is unbeatable.
-
- Intermission 1.0 - commercial, by ICOM Simulations
- <ICOM1@aol.com>
- However, ICOM (now Viacom New Media) will direct you to Delrina,
- who have bought the rights to Intermission and use it as the
- screensaver engine in Opus 'n Bill (below). As far as I can tell,
- Intermission has no future - look at Opus 'n Bill instead.
- Intermission comes as an extension, controlled by a desk
- accessory. Plays AD and Pyro! modules, as well as coming with
- over fifty modules in its own format - programming information
- for this included. Its own modules include all the usual - fish,
- worms, spotlights, patterns - as well as originals like Dancing
- Pig, Dragon Kites, and versions of Breakout and Pong. Can't
- display non-text AD About boxes. Has a complicated, Windows-like
- interface with far too many configuration options. Includes
- password and systemIQ features, but passwording and sound were
- unreliable in the copy I tested.
- Put an alias to the Intermission Modules folder in your System
- Folder, and put aliases to your Pyro! and AD Files folders within
- the Intermission folder.
-
- Screensavor 3.01 (SS) - Commercial, by MIFP Development
- <mbg3b2!mifp@uunet.uu.net> or <perednia@ohsu.edu>.
- A 'specialist' picture displayer. Includes a startup application
- (similar to DS) and an equivalent module (v2.0.1) that will run
- under AD or Intermission - the module is unreliable under DS,
- judging from the evaluation copy of 3.0 MIFP sent me to try out.
- 22 sets of pictures (e.g. landscapes, kittens, the planets,
- aircraft, golf courses) also available. Does fades, zooms, and
- many other effects. Shows QT JPEGs and PICTs as well as its
- proprietary format - *far* more flexible than the AD Slide Show
- module. QT required and included.
- A demo of the SS AD module (v1.01) is in info-mac/gui/ad, and
- includes sample pictures.
-
- Twilight Zone (TZ) - an entry for MacHack 1993 by Steve
- Falkenburg (no email address known).
- Although it isn't a screensaver, this little application will run
- AfterDark modules inside individual windows. The modules can be
- resized, moved, run in the background, and more than one can be
- run at once. It won't run all of the Berkeley Systems modules -
- it crashes on most - but, as an example, I had Fractals, Mathos
- and Spinning Bow Tie running at the same time, faster than they
- do when screensaving. A copy can be ftp'ed from umich (directory:
- util/screensaver/afterdark). It's an unstable and buggy hack, and
- needs work - anyone want to use the source code (included) or
- know where to email feedback?
-
-
- Not seen by me:
- Citadel 1.2 - commercial, by Datawatch.
- A security package reported as including hard disk and partition
- locking, passwording, file encryption and destruction as well as
- an AD-compatible screensaver. I haven't seen a copy of Citadel,
- and cannot comment on something I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I
- know nothing further.
-
- Disney Collection (DC) - commercial, from BS
- <brklysystm@aol.com>.
- Like ST, includes its own AD control panel. Like ST, AD
- compatibles can't play this new module format. See TidBITS #192
- for a review. I haven't seen a copy of DC, and cannot comment on
- something I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I know nothing further.
- BS has just launched Marvel Comics Screen Posters, a
- screensaver/desktop-picture package featuring American cartoon
- characters. I know nothing further.
-
- NowFun! - commercial, from Now Software <now@aol.com>.
- This 'fun' compilation package is reported as including
- FunScreenSavers, an AD-compatible screensaver with thirty modules
- (many previously shareware), FunPictures (an updated DeskPict),
- FunCursors, FunColors and FunSounds (an updated SndControl). I
- haven't seen a copy of NowFun!, but I've been told by others
- which (many previously shareware) modules it contains, and can
- pass this information on to those interested. Email me for
- further details on NowFun! I make no claims for the accuracy of
- this information.
- An updater to take NowFun! to 1.0.1 is available in info-mac/gui
- and on umich as /mac/misc/update/nowfun1.01update.sit.hqx.
- I'm told that NowFun's modules work fine individually under AD,
- with the exceptions of MultipleScreenSavers, Projector, and
- Sports!
- I know nothing further, since I haven't seen NowFun!
-
- Opus 'n Bill - commercial, by Delrina.
- Uses the Intermission screensaver engine mentioned above, so
- should be able to also run AD and Pyro! modules. I'm told that it
- comes with 16 modules and includes an update service, which you
- pay extra to subscribe to, to receive five new modules every
- quarter. (As Intermission included over 50 modules, I speculate
- that the update service is the original Intermission modules
- repackaged. More information welcome.) Notable for the lawsuit BS
- won in San Francisco against Delrina for infringing BS's 'Flying
- Toasters' design within the screensaver domain. Delrina's
- toasters now have propellers, not wings.
- I know nothing further, since I haven't seen Opus 'n Bill.
-
- Pyro! 4.1 - commercial.
- This was the original 'fireworks' screensaver, and now comes with
- 35 modules. The modules are similar in function to the DS and AD
- modules, although they lack sound. One or two third-party modules
- do exist, but nowhere near the sheer volume AD has - and, unlike
- the others listed here, Pyro! cannot play AD modules. DiskLock
- 1.2 is reported as being a commercial security program, with
- similar features to Citadel, that also runs Pyro! modules. I
- haven't seen a copy of Pyro! 4.1 or of DiskLock, and cannot
- comment on anything I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I know
- nothing further.
-
- UnderWare - commercial, by Bit Jugglers <juggler@netcom.com>.
- Includes an AD-module player, but its main component is an
- animated desktop that interacts with your icons and windows. See
- TidBITS #192 for a review.
- I'm told that UnderWare is incompatible with CopyDoublerand
- CopyDoubler Lite, but only in 24-bit addressing mode. Although
- the CopyDoubler 2.0.2 updater says this is fixed, upgrade to
- 2.0.3.
- UnderWare is also incompatible with locking down the menubar when
- panning on E-Machines control panels. Turn that option off if you
- use both.
- I haven't yet seen a copy of UnderWare, and know nothing further.
-
-
- There are also two book/disk packages containing just AD modules:
- 'Art of Darkness', author Erfert Fenton, Peachpit Press, ISBN
- 1-56609-012-1. Ten modules from BS, eight unavailable elsewhere.
-
- 'Cool Mac After Dark', author Ross Scott Rubin, Hayden Books,
- ISBN 0-672-48529-X. Seventeen previously-shareware modules.
-
- I haven't seen either of these, but I've been told by others what
- modules they contain, and can pass this information on to those
- interested. Email me for further details on the contents of these
- books. I make no claims for the accuracy of this information.
-
- A third book/disk package of AD modules is under development. See
- (0.2.2).
-
-
- ---- Standalone screensavers (0.1.2)
-
- There are also a large number of small standalone screensavers to
- choose from, and many are present in info-mac/gui. Some of these
- aim to be as simple, small and unobtrusive as possible, e.g.
- TinySaver 3.1, FadetoBlack, BasicBlack. Popular choices include
- Eclipse 2.1 and Moire 4.0.1. MacPassword, elsewhere on info-mac,
- includes Moire for screensaving.
-
- If you do think you need a screensaver, look at what's freely
- available from the ftp sites first - particularly DS if you're
- running System 7 or better. You are sure to find something to
- suit you.
-
- There are a number of screensavers for Macs that support use of
- the Brightness control panel and dim an unused screen, e.g.
- Twilight. Twilight 7.1.4 onwards also 'dims' the same way on all
- other Macs, by allowing you to install the Brightness driver. The
- Brightness control panel can then be used on these Macs as well.
-
- [If you want software brightness control, but don't want to
- install the system software driver supplied for Twilight, a copy
- of the 7.0b1 Brightness control panel, which works on all Macs,
- can be found on info-mac in cp - someone has added new icon and
- version resources.
- Using this when you can just turn your monitor down is
- unnecessary.]
-
- Microsoft Word 5.1 includes a simple menu-activated screen saver.
- Add 'Screen Test' to the Work menu using Commands to get ready
- access to it when a document is open. Clicking brings up an
- options box.
-
-
-
- -- HOW DO I WRITE SCREENSAVER MODULES? (0.2)
-
- See (8.0) for ideas that haven't been implemented as modules yet.
- Please don't reinvent the wheel by doing yet another scrolling
- message, spotlight or sliding tiles module. Give yourself a
- challenge!
-
-
- ---- How do I write DarkSide modules? (0.2.1)
-
- If you don't own After Dark or one of the other commercial
- packages, but you have a neat idea for a screensaver and don't
- fancy writing an entire standalone package, look at DS 4.1. All
- the information and code you need to write DS modules is supplied
- within the complete package - for free. I know of only two
- authors who have so far produced a total of four third-party DS
- modules - there's definitely a shareware market window here. See
- the module programming list, below, or address your questions to
- DarkSide's author, Tom Dowdy <dowdy@apple.com>.
-
-
- ---- How do I write After Dark modules? (0.2.2)
-
- You learn to write After Dark modules by examining the example
- code that came with the AD package you bought. This example code
- makes up the Bouncing Ball module. ST does not include
- programming information - BS has posted the programming examples
- and information on AOL, AppleLink, and CompuServe. It's available
- as:
- info-mac/dev/ad-programmers-pckg.hqx
- and on umich as:
- development/source/afterdarkprogramming.cpt.hqx
- This package is also available upon request from BS.
-
- Although some shareware modules do come with source code, it's
- likely to be out of date. Get the latest version of the AD
- package for up-to-date code. If the last version of the code you
- have came with a version of AD earlier than 2.0x, you're building
- modules with obsolete code. Upgrade!
-
- There's an AD module programming list, where you can get feedback
- on your work and discuss problems. This list also deals with DS
- modules. Sample code, such as how to animate your module's About
- box, can be obtained from an ftp site - more details can be
- obtained by joining the list. Email:
- AfterDark-request@clipper.cb.att.com
- to be put on the list, and send announcements for it to:
- AfterDark@clipper.cb.att.com.
-
- If you are writing AD modules, you will want to make sure that
- they will also run without problems (either coding or cosmetic)
- under the freeware DS 4.1, as well as NowFun!, UnderWare and the
- other commercial AD-compatibles. There's no sense in restricting
- your market or in giving yourself tech-support headaches.
-
-
-
- ---- What can I get for writing a cool module? (0.2.3)
-
- An AD module book/disk package is under development. It aims to
- include general advice on screensavers drawn from this FAQ, a
- guide to programming AD modules with hints, tips and sample code,
- and a number of never-before-seen AD modules. If you can write
- good AD modules, contact David Zwiefelhofer <subversive@aol.com>
- for more information.
-
- As an incentive to write AD modules, you can enter programming
- contests - this is why AD dominates. The 1993 contest closed last
- July. That contest had a grand prize of $10,000, with runner-up
- prizes of hardware, for the best AD modules in Mac, Windows, and
- Computer Artist categories. The best Mac module winner, Steve
- Henck, picked up a 2Gb drive for his 'Possessed' module. Email BS
- for details of the next contest.
-
- The first contest led to the creation of the MAD package - all
- modules written by AD users. Since then, BS has done little with
- the modules it has garnered from the contests. Perhaps BS can
- make more money from film tie-ins than from selling packages of
- original modules. If you want others to see your modules,
- consider the book/disk package mentioned above.
-
-
-
- ---- Writing your own screensaver (0.2.4)
-
- Why bother? If you write a module for AD or DS you will have a
- much larger market than for yet another stand-alone screensaver,
- and all the stand-alone niches (smallest, brightness, clock etc)
- have already been filled. You won't have to worry about
- incompatibilities with other software or breaking with the next
- system release - that's the job of the AD or DS authors. And you
- can enter the contests. No-one needs another standalone
- screensaver.
-
- If you want to write something that does interesting things with
- After Dark modules, the code supplied with Twilight Zone should
- be your starting point. If you really want to write your own
- screensaver, The Macintosh C Programming Primer (Vol 1, 2nd ed.)
- contains source code, as does The Macintosh Pascal Programming
- Primer.
-
- After Dark defines a gestalt for screensaving that many other
- screensavers and applications now use. Implementing support for
- this is a *very* good idea - ask the programming list for
- information.
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I SAVE MY SCREENSAVER PICTURES? (0.3)
-
- This is short and simple, so it's here. First, have you tried the
- obvious - pressing command-shift-3? This is the 'Camera' function
- key (FKEY), which captures your screen to disk. [Under System 6,
- this only works in black-and-white. If you're still using S6 on a
- colour Mac (why?), skip ahead to Flash-It!].
-
- Disable your screensaver password if you use one, and set your
- screensaver going. When ready, press command-shift-3 together.
- You should hear a camera shutter click and your screensaver will
- wake. If this is successful, a PICT file called 'Picture
- <number>' will appear in your hard disk's Finder window.
-
- Double-click on this to open it with TeachText and see what you
- have captured.
- If it's the screensaver picture, well and good. This method
- appears to work fine with AD 2.0x under S7.1, although it may not
- work for earlier ADs and/or earlier Systems. This doesn't work
- for DS 4 under S7.1, which wakes before the screen capture takes
- place - you will get a picture of your desktop instead.
-
- FAQ alert! If the Camera FKEY didn't work for you, you need to
- get the shareware Flash-It!, a control panel (v3.0.2 at time of
- writing), from an ftp site - look in info-mac/cp. Drop Flash-It!
- into the 'Control Panels' folder and restart. Choose one of
- Flash-It!'s functions and set the function hotkeys to be
- command-shift-3, replacing the Camera FKEY. Repeat the above
- procedure, and this time you should get your picture.
-
- FAQ alert! Note that Flash-It! is very flexible, and useful for
- grabbing screenshots with menus down or with the cursor visible.
- The Camera FKEY cannot do this.
-
-
-
-
-
- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK? (1.0)
-
- What version of AD do you own? There are two major revisions.
- When someone mentions they own 'After Dark', you can assume they
- mean version 2, of which there have been a number of minor
- revisions in the past few years, listed below. Version 2.0 was
- released back in August 1990, so version 1 is OLD.
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v1.x? (1.1)
-
- An updater to 1.1c is available from sites on the Internet. If
- you are already running 1.1c and wish to upgrade to version 2,
- you can do so by returning your master disk to BS with $15. There
- is NO free updater from version 1 to version 2, and the changes
- are major.
-
- You may find that version 1.1c fails to work on the
- brand-spanking new Mac* you have just bought, or that it won't
- run modules you've downloaded, which require 2.0x. If so, trash
- it, or upgrade to version 2. Or, if you're running System 7.x,
- download the free DS 4.1, which plays AD modules.
-
- *Here, even a clapped-out IIci running System 6.0.5 qualifies as
- 'brand-spanking new'. Version 1 is *old*.
-
- Note that AD 2.0x requires System 6.0.4 or later.
-
- FAQ alert! DART 1.5.3, DiskCopy 4.2 and disk images for system
- software up to 7.0.1 are on ftp.apple.com. Upgrade.
-
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v2.x? (1.2)
-
- An updater to update all the various releases of version 2 to the
- latest revision can always be found in info-mac/gui/ad. The
- latest updater is also on umich as
- /mac/misc/update/afterdark2.0xupdater102.cpt.hqx
-
- BS issues updaters periodically, in line with new Apple machines
- or System software. The updater generally takes up to a couple of
- weeks from release to reach sumex et al, so be patient if you
- have heard rumours of an updater but can't find it yet. BS's
- Disney Collection incudes AD 2.0y, but a 2.0y updater is not yet
- available.
-
- Alternatively, if you don't have access to ftp or an email
- file-server, you can return your master disk to BS to have it
- updated for free. (You do own a master disk, don't you?) MAD
- includes a copy of the AD updater, to 2.0u or later, depending on
- when the MAD disk was mastered.
-
- The updater updates version 2 revisions [NOT version 1 - see
- (1.1)] to the latest revision, currently 2.0x. The 2.0x updater
- updates both the control panel and all of the modules supplied
- with the AD package, making minor updates throughout.
-
- Note that you want the 2.0x updater v1.02. The first release of
- this updater, without a version number, scrambled the password -
- clear the password and turn off passwording to avoid this. The
- second release, again no version number (tut, tut!), fixed this
- by clearing any stored password. v1.02 is the only updater to
- clear the password, add the longer-than-five-minutes Randomizer
- times mentioned in some of the posts about the new features in
- 2.0x, and to fix the -'Fish!' sea-floor showing inverted blocks
- of colour problem- that some users of the earlier updater
- versions experienced, by updating Fish! to v2.01.
-
- There is no reason not to upgrade. The newer your model of Mac
- and/or System, the newer your copy of AD must be to run
- correctly. If you have a problem and you're not running the
- latest version of AD, don't even bother asking about it UNTIL
- you've updated and seen if that fixes it. Experience is that not
- running an up-to-date After Dark is usually the problem, and the
- reported 'problem' is simply a visible symptom of this, which
- vanishes when AD is updated.
-
- This FAQ assumes that you have the latest revision of version 2
- (2.0x, updater v1.02, at time of writing).
-
-
- ---- After Dark revision history (1.2.1)
-
- The version history of the updater releases (not detailing the
- numerous minor improvements, bug fixes, or feature additions to
- modules) is:
- 2.0 - August 1990 - initial release.
- 2.0h - Bug fix relating to using (H)yperCard with AD.
- 2.0s - Bug fix of (s)ound code. Last version where the letter
- meant anything, since they had squandered two-thirds of the
- alphabet already.
- [BS didn't make this mistake with the Windows version - after 2.0
- came 2.0a....]
- 2.0t - September 1991 - Supports new System 6.0.7 sound code.
- 2.0u - June 1991 - First fully System 7.0 compatible release.
- Understands new System Folder layout. Much faster when only the
- Finder is running.
- 2.0v - August 1991 - First fully '040-cache compatible release.
- 2.0w - September 1992 - First fully System 7.1-compatible
- release. Added 'All' and 'None' buttons to the Randomizer.
- Prevents Randomizer and MultiModule recursively launching each
- other. [Updater 2.0w is unique in only updating the control
- panel, MultiModule and Randomizer, and not other modules.]
- 2.0x - February 1993 - new control panel icon, updater clears
- password (first release of updater scrambled it - see above),
- more 'When' options, muting sound via the control key. Slide Show
- (updated to 2.1) now works with QT without crashing. Some
- recognition of aliases of modules. Brings AD and the ST package
- into line with each other feature-wise. AD can now play ST
- modules.
- Longer Randomizer times, but only with v1.0.2 of the updater
- updating a non-2.0x Randomizer (Fish! is updated to 2.01 from a
- previous 2.0x update).
-
- Note that AD 2.0x requires System 6.0.4 or later.
-
- DART 1.5.3, DiskCopy 4.2 and disk images for system software
- before 7.1 are on ftp.apple.com. Upgrade.
-
- *** System 7 Pro users require AD 2.0x or later ***
-
- [Updater release info from Jim Tso at BS]
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF STAR TREK: THE SCREENSAVER? (1.3)
-
- At time of writing, by applying a revision 2 updater LATER THAN
- 2.0w, i.e. 2.0x or later. This will update the control panel and
- modules shared in common with the AD package (Randomizer and
- MultiModule).
-
- At time of writing, there is no updater for the ST modules. A
- ResEdit template for extracting PICT resources from the ST files
- is available from a number of ftp sites, for use by the
- inquisitive.
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MORE AFTER DARK? (1.4)
-
- There isn't an updater for these modules, and there are no plans
- for one at present, although I have heard reports of
- incompatibilities between some MAD modules and System 7 Pro.
- There was a minor revision of MAD from 1.0 to 1.0a to fix some
- obscure bugs - this is only available by returning your disk to
- BS. I haven't yet seen this revision.
-
- The changes in 1.0a are:
- Mowin' Man bug-fix. With some large monitors and video cards,
- Mowing Man could crash if the mower started from the top right of
- the screen.
- Tunnel bug-fix. With some video cards, Tunnel could crash if the
- Round Rectangle setting was used.
- Virex-D was removed from MAD 1.0a as it was no longer up-to-date
- - see (5.2).
-
- [MAD revision info from Jim Tso at BS]
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY AD MODULES OR OBTAIN NEW MODULES? (1.5)
-
- If the modules are part of the AD package which you bought, you
- need the updater that also updates the control panel - see (1.2).
- If they are part of the MAD package which you bought, you can
- return your disk to BS to get 1.0a - see (1.4). If they are
- shareware or freeware, look in info-mac/gui/ad or on umich
- (directory: util/screensaver/afterdark) to see if a later version
- has been released. These are also the place to look for new
- modules.
-
- If you are having problems with a particular third-party module,
- see first if a later version is available from an ftp site like
- info-mac. If not, mail or email the author of the module about
- the problem. Authors do appreciate feedback and fan-mail, if not
- cold hard cash.
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF DARKSIDE OF THE MAC? (1.6)
-
- An up-to-date DS package can be ftp'ed from ftp.apple.com
- (directory: /dts/mac/hacks). A copy should also be in
- info-mac/gui. The Apple site always gets a new release first,
- direct from Tom Dowdy, who works there.
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF NOWFUN! ? (1.7)
-
- An updater to take NowFun! from 1.0 to 1.01 is in info-mac/gui
- and on umich as /mac/misc/update/nowfun1.01update.sit.hqx.
- I don't know what it fixes - I haven't seen NowFun!
-
-
-
- -- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MOIRE? (1.8)
-
- If you've been using Moire for years, and then move it to a new
- Mac, you will need to update to Moire 4.0.1. It's available in
- info-mac/gui.
-
- If you find that 'Finder Shortcuts' vanishes from the Finder's
- Balloon Help menu, or that restarts or shutdowns are slow, an old
- copy of Moire is probably the problem. Upgrade to Moire 4.0.1.
-
- If you are using Moire simply because it also includes a menu-bar
- clock, consider getting the free SuperClock! 4.0.4 control panel,
- which is far better, and another screensaver. Moire is also
- available as an AD module - you can run it under DS 4.1.
-
-
-
-
-
- HELP! I'VE FORGOTTEN MY AFTER DARK PASSWORD! HOW CAN I GET
- CONTROL OF MY MAC BACK? (2.0)
-
- A common problem. If you are using System 7, hold down the shift
- key on restart (press the reset button, or control-command-power
- on newer Macs - don't turn the Mac off and on!) to disable all
- extensions and control panels, including AD. If you are running
- System 6, you will need to startup from a floppy disk instead of
- holding down the shift key. If you have an 'extensions manager'
- installed, use that to disable AD instead. (I suggest Extensions
- Manager 2.01 by Ricardo Batista, an Apple employee. It's a free
- control panel on all the ftp sites.)
-
- Note that you must fully disable AD. If you don't, the password
- information will be carried over to the fresh control panel as a
- security measure. Simply turning off AD with its on-off switch
- does NOT disable it, and won't do you any good. If you can open
- any copy of the AD control panel, you haven't disabled AD on
- startup, and the password will be carried over.
-
- Throw away the control panel and replace it with a fresh,
- unopened, copy installed from your master disk. Restart and then
- enter a new password.
-
- If you have misplaced your AD master disk, you could try grabbing
- a copy of the 2.0x (or later) updater and updating the control
- panel instead of replacing it. 2.0x is the first updater to clear
- the password on updating the control panel - see (1.2).
-
-
-
-
-
- WHERE SHOULD I PUT THE 'AFTER DARK FILES' FOLDER? (3.0)
-
- If AD can't find the modules that are sitting as they should be
- in the 'After Dark files' folder, you probably need to update AD.
- Versions 2.0u and later of AD will recognise the folder in System
- 7's Control Panels folder, in the Extensions and System folder,
- and on the Desktop, whereas 2.0t and before expected the AD
- control panel and files folder to be in the same place. (This is
- detailed in the MANUAL that came with the AD PACKAGE that you
- BOUGHT. No 'Can you tell I'm a pirate?' questions, please.)
-
- If you are using AutoDoubler, you can try putting the AD files
- folder on the Desktop - that's next to your hard disk, OUTSIDE
- all folder windows - so that AutoDoubler can compress it. This
- works well as long as MultiModule and Randomizer are not
- deliberately compressed while in use, and doesn't require an
- alias to the AD files folder within the System Folder. If a
- module then crashes your Mac, you can often find out what module
- it was by looking in the AutoDoubler Temporary Items folder on
- restart, as AutoDoubler put copies of all open compressed files
- there.
- [AutoDoubler 1.0x users should see the comments on the PowerDown
- module in (5.2) as well].
-
-
-
- -- WHY DO MY STAR TREK MODULES SAY THEY ARE 'Out of memory' WHEN
- THE REST PLAY FINE? (3.1)
-
- This is answered here because, like the 'After Dark Files' folder
- question above, it's a matter of getting the files in the right
- place. The ST modules have a lot of pictures, sounds and features
- in common, and to save space these are provided by a number of
- files in a 'Shared Resources' folder, which, like the modules,
- must be in the 'After Dark Files' folder.
-
- The Star Trek package installs everything correctly, so this
- really shouldn't be a problem.
-
-
-
- -- WHY DOES A DISNEY MODULE SAY IT IS 'Out of memory'? (3.2)
-
- Try reducing the number of characters appearing in that module.
- At least, I'm told that that's what the card BS puts in the box
- says. Check out (3.1), too.
-
-
-
- -- WHERE CAN I FIND AN AD MODULE THAT SHOWS PICTURES AT RANDOM?
- (3.3)
-
- The Slide Show module is part of the commercial AD package from
- BS. It displays pictures chosen at random from a folder. If you
- don't have AD, but you're familiar with QT, just save all your
- pictures as single-frame movies (Print2Pict, a chooser device on
- all the ftp sites, allows you to print to movie, disk, etc. from
- any application) and use one of the free movie-playing modules to
- do the same job as Slide Show. See Movies 'Til Dawn under (5.2).
-
- Displaying pictures at random is ScreenSavor's sole purpose. See
- its entry under (0.1.1).
-
-
-
- -- WHERE CAN I FIND AN AD MODULE THAT PLAYS PICS FILES? (3.4)
-
- The PICS Player module is part of the commercial AD package from
- BS. It displays a PICS file - AD includes a simple wireframe cube
- PICS file. More interesting files, such as Rob's Eye's (bloodshot
- rendered eyes) and Santa's Sleigh are available from ftp sites -
- look in info-mac/gui/ad.
-
- If you don't have AD you can open the PICS file with Simple
- Player, and you will be given the option to turn it into a QT
- movie. The movie will be far more compact, but may require more
- disk access to play back. Use one of the free movie-playing
- modules to do the same job as PICS Player. See Movies 'Til Dawn
- under (5.2).
-
-
-
-
-
- MY AFTER DARK CONTROL PANEL AND MODULES HAVE LOST THEIR ICONS!
- HOW DO I GET THEM BACK? (4.0)
-
- There are a couple of modules floating around that have
- accidentally had their 'bundle bits' set, and you have either
- just obtained one of these modules or just rebuilt your desktop,
- bringing the problem to light.
-
- The 'bundle bit' of a file tells the Finder that the file has
- icon information the Finder must show. A module with a bundle bit
- set causes its (non-existent) icon information to replace AD's
- correct icon information - hence the 'blank' generic icons you
- are seeing.
-
- To fix this, you need a utility that will show file flags, such
- as the shareware FileTyper 4.1 (on info-mac and umich) or ResEdit
- 2.1.1 (on ftp.apple.com). Go through all your modules, bringing
- up the file flag information (This is the 'Has BNDL' box under
- the 'Get File/Folder' option in ResEdit 2.1.1's File menu) and
- make sure the bundle bit is cleared. If it isn't, clear it and
- save that file. Alternatively, just drop all of your modules on
- FileTyper, clear a bundle bit and 'change all' - a simple drag
- and drop operation. (Check that the AD control panel *does* have
- a bundle bit - if it doesn't, the Finder won't know about its
- icons.)
-
- Once you have cleared that bundle bit, restart and hold down
- option and command to rebuild your desktop files. If you haven't
- found a set bundle bit, it's possible that something like Norton
- Utilities found and fixed the bundle bit a while back, in which
- case you merely need to rebuild your desktop. You should then see
- the AD icons in all their glory. (AD doesn't have ics resources
- for the modules - although DS and ST do - or for MultiModule
- documents. No, I don't know why!)
-
- If you have Twilight Zone, the AD control panel will look like a
- blank document and your AD modules will become TZ modules, so
- that double-clicking on a module launches it in a TZ window. If
- you rebuild your desktop, they'll look like TZ documents. This is
- normal behaviour - remove TZ and rebuild the desktop to revert
- everything to standard AD.
-
- FAQ alert! Other things FileTyper 4.1 is useful for:
- Colour floppy disk icons. Drop a floppy disk onto FileTyper, set
- hasCustomIcon, drag the disk to the trash and then reinsert it.
- You don't need SpeedyFinder or Discolour.
-
- Fixing colour icons. If your hard disk is showing a blank piece
- of paper as its icon, drop it on FileTyper, clear hasCustomIcon
- and restart to get it back to a white box. Then repaste that icon
- you spent ages designing and kept a backup copy of. If you see
- 'The command could not be completed, because it cannot be found'
- when trying to paste an icon on a folder, hasCustomIcon is set
- but the icon file is missing. Clear hasCustomIcon with FileTyper.
-
- Renaming your hard disk. If you can't rename your hard disk you
- are probably using filesharing, which prevents renaming so that
- the network doesn't get confused. Turn off filesharing to rename
- your hard disk. If filesharing isn't on and you still can't
- rename it, use FileTyper to clear the disk's 'nameLocked or
- isSystem' field, then restart. Disk First Aid 7.2, included as
- part of the Software Update Package 2.0.1 on ftp.apple.com, now
- fixes this, along with vanishing files and other disk-related
- problems.
-
-
-
- -- IN LIST VIEW IN THE FINDER, MY MODULES SAY THEY ARE 'a
- particular module' DOCUMENTS'! WHAT'S UP? (4.1)
-
- Congratulations on spotting the 'bundle bit' problem early - see
- (4.0). That particular module has (or, in the past, had) its
- 'bundle bit' set, and if you were to rebuild your desktop you
- could lose your AD icons. Check the bundle bit, as detailed
- above. If you want 'After Dark document' back, you'll have to
- rebuild your desktop once you've cleared that bundle bit -
- although you may want to check all your other modules for set
- bundle bits first, to save you finding another module with a set
- bundle bit and having to rebuild the desktop files again.
-
-
-
-
-
- AFTER DARK CRASHES MY MACHINE! WHAT SHOULD I DO? (5.0)
-
- Are you sure that your problem is caused by After Dark?
- If you are running the latest version of AD - see (1.0) -
- it's almost certainly an individual module rather than the AD
- control panel itself.
-
- This section deals with AD modules known to crash AD. AD modules
- known to crash DS, other than these, are given in the DS
- information in (0.1). I don't have the knowledge of other
- AD-compatible screensavers to detail modules known to cause
- problems with them, but not with AD or DS. Use this list and its
- troubleshooting advice as a guide for finding any specific
- problems you may have.
-
- First, if you are using AD, are you running the latest version of
- AD? If not, try updating a copy with the free updater detailed in
- (1.0), and see if the problem goes away. This is likely to solve
- the 'AD doesn't work at all on my setup!' problem.
-
- If you are already running the latest version, are you using a
- just-released Mac or just-released System? If so, an update may
- be in the works - just email BS. If not, is the problem with a
- specific module, and can you isolate it by trying out different
- modules? Is SystemIQ enabled? If not, is there a specific reason
- why not? Things generally run better with SystemIQ on, and the
- SystemIQ setting can affect some systems.
-
- If the problem is with a module written by BS, well and good,
- provided that the module is *not the Randomizer or MultiModule*.
- Email them about it, at brklysystm@aol.com.
-
- If the module is from a third party, and you cannot find a later
- version anywhere, email or mail the author of the module about
- the problem.
-
- If you are having trouble with the Randomizer or MultiModule, you
- need to track the problem down. A large number of third-party
- modules don't work well under these, often causing crashes, and
- giving AD an undeserved reputation for crashing in the process -
- this is analogous to buggy shareware system extensions giving
- Macs a reputation for being crash-prone. Choose the software you
- use carefully. If it causes crashes, avoid it.
-
- If you ARE NOT running any third-party modules under the
- MultiModule or Randomizer, you can grumble at BS. If you ARE,
- look at the list below to see if the problem has been
- encountered. Look around the net for a later (bug-fixed) version
- of the module. See if writing to the author of the module helps.
- Try out each After Dark module in turn under these so that you
- know EXACTLY what causes the problem.
-
- When trying out a new AD module, try it as the only module
- selected in the Randomizer, and see how well it behaves. If you
- use the Randomizer a lot, this is an easy way of spotting problem
- modules before they crash your machine and lose you work. Most
- modules that crash under the MultiModule or Randomizer will do so
- immediately they are selected - no waiting around needed.
-
- To see if any modules you already have cause problems under the
- Randomizer, select the Randomizer module, set the delay to ten
- seconds, select 'in order', select Choose... and press the All
- button to choose All modules. [If you do not see an All button,
- you need to update your copy of AD - see (1.0)]. Close AD, go
- into screensave, and watch to see which modules crash your Mac,
- usually as the module starts. Restart [by control-command-power,
- or the interrupt switch on older Macs - Macsbug will let you
- recover from the crash smoothly, but AD will usually be disabled
- until restart], remove the badly-written module, and repeat until
- there are no crashes. (If you use Have-a-Blast or Off the Air,
- see below.)
-
- Removing modules that crash your Mac is a very good idea -
- although you may know not to use them under MultiModule or
- Randomizer, other users won't, and you know they'll fiddle with
- the AD settings...
-
- If you must keep particularly impressive 'bad' modules around, a
- neat trick with AD 2.0x under System 7 is to make aliases of the
- offending modules. Keep the 'bad' modules in another folder, and
- their aliases with the other modules in the AD Files folder. AD
- can then see the aliased modules, but Randomizer and MultiModule
- can't, and crashes are avoided. Until someone 'tidies up' your
- 'unnecessary' aliases, of course... removing the bad modules is
- far better.
-
-
- [FAQ alert! If your Mac is crash-prone, for whatever reason, you
- should install Macsbug 6.2.2 (except on Centris 610s and other
- FPU-less 68LC040 Macs, which have a special version of Macsbug -
- both are on ftp.apple.com in /dts/mac/tools/macsbug), which will
- allow you to exit from most crashes without needing to restart
- (type 'es'), or to smoothly restart without minutes of
- disk-checking (type 'rs'). Shut down by typing 'g power'. Press
- escape to toggle between the debugger and a screen showing what
- the Mac was doing *before* it crashed. Type 'help' for more info.
-
- The only downside to Macsbug is that any 'Type x error' will put
- you into Macsbug, needing 'es' to continue, making the Mac less
- idiot-proof. Don't worry - that's just Macsbug doing its job.
- Macsbug is not an extension. It lives loose in the System Folder,
- not in the Extensions folder, and it won't cause extension
- clashes - it just highlights the ones you already have, allowing
- you to work around them.
-
- If your Mac locks up, invoking Macsbug (by pressing the interrupt
- switch, or command-power on newer Macs) and then typing 'es' can
- save you a lot of trouble.
-
- With its white screen, Macsbug makes AD Randomizer crashes
- noticeable as soon as they happen. Good for troubleshooting.]
-
-
- AND IF THE ABOVE ADVICE IS NOT ENOUGH...
- If you have encountered *specific* problems with a module *not*
- mentioned in this FAQ, please let me know by email (and, if
- possible, include a binhexed copy of the module so I can try it
- out) and I'll update this list for others to share in your
- knowledge. Ditto for updates to the modules here - I'm not
- omniscient, and may have missed a bug-fix or two.
-
- Please do not email me with a long list of modules you're using
- (many of which are mentioned here already), say vaguely that your
- Mac crashes under Randomizer, and ask for my advice. You won't
- get it - that's what this FAQ is for, and I don't repeat myself.
- Self-help is the key here. Use the information provided here to
- eliminate the source(s) of the crashing detailed in the FAQ. If
- it still crashes, use the troubleshooting information to discover
- when and why it crashes. If you discover something new as a
- result, then email me so that I can let others share your find.
-
-
-
- -- MODULES THAT DON'T WORK UNDER MULTIMODULE OR RANDOMIZER (5.1)
-
- This list has been compiled from information mostly obtained by
- running AD along with lots of other extensions on single-screen
- internal-video Mac IIsi and LC setups that have run Systems 7.0
- through to 7.1. AD 2.0t to x were used. Although some modules do
- have problems with large or multiple-monitor setups, detailed
- information is lacking, since I can't test for it. Anyone want to
- supply a list of 'problem' modules for unusual multiple/large
- monitor setups? Ditto for modules that may have '040 cache
- problems, or problems with 16- or 24-bit deep screens.
-
- This list details modules that 'work fine' except when run under
- MultiModule or Randomizer, or both. I started this list when I
- was running Randomizer, randomizing a lot of modules every
- fifteen minutes, in parallel with Dan Walkowski's PowerDown,
- which shuts off an unused Mac, under MultiModule. This caught
- more problem modules than most, and I gradually weeded out the
- sources of crashes. Your mileage may vary, and you may not
- encounter some of these problems on your set-up, particularly if
- you are using a Classic or Plus. These days, I'm running a screen
- blanker along with the SCSISaver and Auto Power On/Off control
- panels. Once my 'After Dark Files' folder grew above 12Mb, I
- decided that I was addicted to screensaver modules, and that I
- needed to go cold turkey. The folder has since grown back to 2Mb
- of modules, for playing with in idle moments.
-
- Some modules misbehave under MultiModule only under very specific
- conditions - size of allocated area, covered or not, system setup
- - and a list of these is impossible. Troubleshooting MultiModule
- settings is left as an exercise for the reader.
-
- Modules whose latest versions worked fine when this FAQ began,
- but whose earlier versions didn't, are not listed here, as that
- would entail a full version history report of every AD module
- I've seen - difficult and impossible to complete. Modules that
- have had problems corrected during the history of this FAQ are,
- however, mentioned for completeness, under the heading of the
- latest version known. Go and get it. If the module you are having
- a problem with is not mentioned here, see if a later version is
- available. If not, contact the author of the module about the
- problem, and please let me know, too.
-
-
- MULTIMODULE AND RANDOMIZER
- If you use both of these, make sure you have the latest revision
- of AD. Versions earlier than 2.0w would crash if MultiModule
- included Randomizer and Randomizer included MultiModule in their
- selections, whenever the Randomizer tried to run the MultiModule
- which was already running. (Say 'recursion', people.) 2.0w and
- later detect this and add incredibly useful 'All' and 'None'
- buttons to the Randomizer [but still no support for my extended
- keyboard's extra cursor-control keys, unlike the control panel
- itself. Grumble.]
-
-
- THIRD-PARTY MODULES WITH RANDOMIZER
- And now, that faulty third-party module list, in alphabetical
- order:
-
- Balloons - BugByte, Inc, 1991 (no email address given)
- A very large (340K) module, advertising a HyperCard stack on
- tying balloons into knots to make figures, that demonstrates some
- balloon shapes with accompanying sound effects. Does not run
- under Randomizer, claiming that not enough memory is available.
- Does not appear to crash.
-
- Barney Blaster 1.0.1 - Karl Bunker
- <Karl_A._Bunker@bcsmac.bcs.org>
- A dancing pink dinosaur explodes. 1.0.1 is said to fix 1.0's
- crashing on some Macs and in 16-bit depths, but 1.0.1 does not
- allocate enough memory to run under Randomizer, and can crash as
- a result.
-
- Bat Signal 1.1 - subversive software <subversive@aol.com>
- A Spotlight-like module, but using the Bat Signal, and with the
- coolest about box yet. There are at least two pre-1.0 versions of
- this module in existence with no version numbers - one of those
- didn't work under Randomizer. Replace with 1.1. Well worth
- seeing, *especially* for the about box. Bat Signal Returns is
- under development.
-
- Blackboard 1.0 - Mark Malamud and Susan Hautala
- (markmal@microsoft.com 73760.1275@compuserve.com
- FullMoon@applelink.apple.com)
- Pupil drawing on a chalkboard - either punishment or equations.
- 0.9 won't run under Randomizer, claiming not enough memory.
- Doesn't appear to crash. 1.0 is said to work correctly, but is
- only available with the 'Art of Darkness' book/disk package
- mentioned in (0.1.1). Mark said that a shareware 2.0 will be
- released late in 1993; I haven't seen it.
-
- Cards - Chris Christensen (no email address given)
- Puts playing cards at random places on the screen. Refuses to run
- under Randomizer, claiming 'Bouncing Ball: Sorry, there is not
- enough memory.' (and showing its code origins. At 225K, it's
- obese, too - the Klondike 5.1 game takes under 100K, and you can
- *play* that). Does not appear to crash.
-
- Chomp! - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
- This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Bites
- are taken out of the screen with a chomping sound. Causes the
- System 7 Finder to quit when run under Randomizer with AD v2 on
- my setups. No longer supported by BS and should probably be
- trashed. Although other modules from the same era, like TacTiles
- and Shapes, seem to work fine for me, treat them with caution.
-
- EarthSplash 1.1 - Chuan Y. Fu <tron@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
- (Previously Earthbounce 1.0). Unstable under Randomizer - seen to
- crash in _MakeRGBPat. The author claimed he was working on an
- update.
-
- Faces in the Dark 1.0 - Geoffrey Hutchison (no email address)
- Draws b/w face doodles. Occasionally 'freezes' under Randomizer -
- cmd-opt-esc recovers to Finder.
-
- Frect 1.0 - Adam Miller <AMILLER@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.edu>
- Produces 'fractal rectangles'. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit
- when run under Randomizer.
-
- Gates Does Windows 1.0.2 - Robert Gibson, Mark Simmons
- (72511.345@compuserve.com, 72511.256@compuserve.com)
- Bill Gates appears as a window cleaner. Very large and
- impressive, but 1.0.1 crashed under Randomizer as it runs out of
- memory. Version 1.0.2 fixes this crashing, but behaves oddly on
- some systems under Randomizer. This module is a 'ZiffNet
- exclusive', so it can't be put on ftp sites. You'll have to ask
- someone for it - but not me. I had to do a lot of asking around
- to track this module and its reported problems down, and I'm
- annoyed with ZiffNet as a result.
-
- Hearts 2.0 - Josh de Cesare <jd5v@andrew.cmu.edu>
- Large (453K), visually impressive module where rendered hearts
- grow, spin and move around the screen. Doesn't appear to allocate
- enough memory under Randomizer, and crashes badly under
- MultiModule. No reply from the author at the address he gives.
-
- HolisticSofa 0.94 - Alan Keahey (tkeahey@cs.indiana.edu or GEnie:
- A.Keahey)
- This module explores the sofa-on-stairs problem detailed in
- Douglas Adam's 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'. It
- crashes under the Randomizer on most newer Macs. The author wrote
- it on a Plus, which it didn't crash on, and can't duplicate the
- problem. Another Plus owner has reported crashing under
- Randomizer.
- [Also available as a standalone screensaver.]
-
- Kablooie 1.0 - Adam Miller and Jakub Buchowski
- <amiller@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu>
- A customisable fireworks module for AD - just what it needs to
- get one over on Pyro!'s main selling point [DS and Intermission
- include fireworks modules]. Puts up 'Kablooie:' running under the
- Randomizer and nothing else. Adam Miller knows of the problem,
- but no fix has appeared.
-
- Kings Cross Coke 1.0 - John Rotenstein (PO Box 165, Double Bay
- NSW 2028, Australia)
- Shows logos and illuminates them as if they were flashing/cycling
- neon signs. Includes a scrapbook feature to choose images from.
- Has memory problems - crashes under Randomizer and MultiModule,
- and is pretty flaky on its own, especially when cutting and
- pasting in the scrapbook. Spectacular, but risky.
- [Also available as a stand-alone application (v2.0) in
- info-mac/grf]
-
- Millions of Colors 0.5 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle,
- SLP@vax1.Mankato.msus.edu)
- Bands of colour. Doesn't work under MultiModule. Email will be
- passed on by Mark Hatle. Package includes source code - anyone
- want to fix it?
-
- Nebulae 1.0 - Bryan & Lisa Gibson-Winge (Compuserve: 72677,3222)
- Complains of not enough memory to run under MultiModule or
- Randomizer. Doesn't appear to crash.
-
- Off The Air 1.0 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle,
- SLP@vax1.Mankato.msus.edu)
- Simulates a noisy television channel after the station has gone
- off air. Under Randomizer changing modules every few minutes,
- causes a crash a few modules AFTER it has run. (Trashing memory?
- Finding this one took ages.) The 'Set Monitor Depth' feature is
- bad ju-ju and can also crash the Mac. Email will be passed on by
- Mark Hatle.
-
- Punkin Patch - Steve Henck <actionvrb2@aol.com>
- A 'Halloween' module. Cute graphics. Won't run under Randomizer,
- claiming not enough memory for off-screen graphics. Doesn't
- appear to crash.
-
- Rrrring! - Steve Henck <actionvrb2@aol.com>
- Assorted deaths to ringing telephones. Cute graphics. Won't run
- under Randomizer, putting up 'Randomizer:'. Doesn't appear to
- crash. Included in the 'Cool Mac After Dark' book/disk package
- mentioned in (0.1.1).
-
- Shredded Crystals - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
- This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Jagged
- shapes appear on screen. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit when
- run under Randomizer with AD v2 on my setup. No longer supported
- by BS, and should probably be trashed. Although other modules
- from the same era, like TacTiles and Shapes, seem to work fine
- for me, treat them with caution.
-
- Sierpinski's Gasket 1.1 - David L. Thompson, WinterBright
- Software <dthompsn@cs.umt.edu>
- The author confirms reports that this can crash under MultiModule
- when running with MAD's Satori. The reason is unknown. I can't
- duplicate this problem.
-
- Sparkler 1.0 - Mike Wessler
- Pixels explode off the screen. Crashes under Randomizer. [Not to
- be confused with the catherine-wheel-like Sparklers 1.0, by Frank
- Kubin, which works fine under both MultiModule and Randomizer.]
-
- TerrainMaker 2.0 - Adam Miller and Jakub Buchowski
- <amiller@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu>
- Reported as just saying 'Randomizer:' under Randomizer on an
- unusual video setup - a IIcx with PCPC Nubus card and 19"
- monitor. Appears to work fine on more standard video setups.
-
- VectorBalls 1.0 - Mark Adams, Maverick Software
- (maverick.sft@applelink.apple.com marka38@aol.com)
- Very impressive bouncing sets of crystal-lattice-like 3D balls.
- Crashes under Randomizer and MultiModule. The author claims the
- crash occurs in a ROM routine he calls, and is not sure why. With
- the crashing fixed, and a 'Random Shapes' option, this module
- would be a must-have.
- Reported as being included in the NowFun! screensaver mentioned
- in (0.1.1) - version unknown.
-
-
-
- -- MODULES WITH OTHER KNOWN PROBLEMS (5.2)
-
- In alphabetical order:
-
- Have a Blast 1.0.1 - Alan Goates, Otherware
- <agoates@nyx.cs.du.edu>
- 1.0 could crash on wake (moving the mouse or Randomizer choosing
- another module) if 'Repair Damage' was chosen. 1.0.1 fixes this.
-
- Hopper 1.0.1 - Rob Snevely, Wild Nobility Productions
- Under later versions of AD, this module only displays its
- generated pattern in the bottom-right quadrant of the screen. It
- uses the whole screen under DS, though. Very strange. Anyone have
- an email address for these guys?
-
- Movies 'til Dawn 1.01 - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
- 1.01 works with all versions of QT, unlike 1.0, which stopped
- working at QT 1.5. Get 1.01 and trash 1.0.
- Playing movies is pointless for a screensaver, since it may save
- your screen, but kills your hard disk through overwork and keeps
- your CPU running at full speed - important on a portable. If you
- *must* play movies, make sure you have QT 1.6.1 or later. Far
- less disk access and memory is used than with 1.5 or earlier.
- There's also Movies in the Dark 1.0 by Maurice Volaski and the
- OURA QT (say each letter!) movie player 1.0d2 module by Laurence
- d'Oliveiro. There's a Bouncing Movie module, but it's a quick
- hack that no longer works. Trash it and get one of the others.
- Note that Slide Show 2.1 (with 2.0x or later) can display QT
- JPEG-compressed PICT files, which is far more useful than playing
- movies. Slide Show 2.0 or earlier will hang on the second
- screensave if a QT JPEG is used.
- If you use JPEG pictures with Slide Show 2.1, remember that
- pictures are uncompressed with a blank all-colours-are-black
- screen. AD will not wake until QT has finished decompressing the
- picture, so you may spend time staring at a black screen. If you
- have the password feature enabled, you may have to type the
- password blind, and then wait for QT to finish decompressing the
- picture - a similar problem to using 'FadeAway' down to 0% with
- the password enabled.
- [And you know about QT's 'Startup Movie' feature, right?]
-
- Orbs Return 2.0.2 - Stephen Linhart <stephen123@aol.com>
- Crashes in 16- and 24-bit colour depths. Version 3.0 is available
- as part of the NowFun! package mentioned in (0.1.1), and does not
- have this problem.
-
- Paw-Paw 1.3b3 - Aaron Barnet <c2mxbar@fre.fsu.umd.edu>
- Version 1.2b had known memory problems, most visible when running
- with Microsoft Excel or Word (like a lot of Mac software - blame
- Microsoft's un-Mac programming methods). Get Paw-Paw 1.3b3 or
- later (in info-mac/gui/ad) which fixes these problems, and trash
- 1.2b.
-
- PowerDown 1.1 - Dan Walkowski <walkowsk@apple.com>
- Shuts off an unattended Mac after a pre-set time. Ideal for Macs
- with full 'soft' power on and off.
- DS 4 users can get the same functionality with Fabrizio Oddone's
- DarkShutdown 2.1 DS module, which works nicely with the Shutdown
- Delay 2.0.1 control panel. IIsi, IIvx and Q840av users gain
- additional functionality with the Auto Power On/Off control panel
- first supplied with the av machines. Note that Auto Power is
- incompatible with Network Time.
- Running PowerDown in parallel with Randomizer under MultiModule
- with the AD files folder on the Desktop so that AutoDoubler
- 1.0.7i could compress it (whew!) led to extra copies of the
- modules running when PowerDown shuts down being put in an
- AutoDoubler Temporary Items folder. There was no crash or other
- undue behaviour. Telling AutoDoubler not to compress PowerDown,
- Randomizer and MultiModule prevented this from happening -
- AutoDoubler always puts copies of compressed files open at
- shutdown in the Items folder These modules were running at
- shutdown, and weren't closed properly.
- If you are using PowerDown, look at the Okey-Dokey 1.01 control
- panel from the same author, which presses the default button in a
- dialog after a pre-set time. This allows you to have open
- documents in most applications saved automatically on shutdown,
- which would otherwise stop at the first dialog. DarkShutdown
- handles this itself.
-
- Virex-D (MAD 1.0) - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
- Virex-D, one of the MAD 1.0 modules, was an advertisement for the
- commercial Virex virus-killer. As the D indicates, Virex-D
- DETECTS viruses - it does not remove viruses or repair damage
- caused by viruses. Virex-D has not been updated recently and is
- no longer distributed with MAD 1.0a. It SHOULD NOT be used for
- virus protection. It wears your disk unnecessarily, too.
- FAQ alert! Use the freeware Disinfectant application (version 3.3
- as I write) and Gatekeeper system extension (version 1.3 as I
- write), available from all good Mac ftp sites, to combat Mac
- viruses.
- A commercial package is not a requirement for protection from
- viruses. Remember that the few Mac viruses in existence are
- mostly benign and are very rarely seen - this is not something to
- even think about if you have an up-to-date virus-killer, and
- Disinfectant and Gatekeeper are far more than adequate, not to
- mention completely free. Read the excellent Disinfectant on-line
- help for complete information on Mac viruses.
- If you have access to the World-Wide Web, you can get hold of
- Disinfectant and John Norstad's other Mac software creations with
- the following URL:
- http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/jlnstuff
- Simply click on Gatekeeper's title box to have it launch NCSA
- Mosaic and find Chris Johnson's area of the Web.
-
- VoiceWaker 1.07 - Alessandro Levi Montalcini <Fricci@Polito.IT>
- This module works with a microphone to wake up a Mac when you
- shout at it. (A neat trick - just say 'Wake up!' and pretend you
- own a Quadra av :-) All versions seen, including 1.07, crash the
- Mac on screensave if a Global Village Teleport ADB modem is in
- use and the Teleport menu is present - the Teleport menu appears
- to be incompatible with all sampling software. 1.07 is included
- in the NowFun! screensaver. It remains at 1.07 after using the
- NowFun! 1.0->1.01 updater.
-
-
-
-
-
- EXTENSION INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH AFTER DARK (6.0)
-
- There are few extension, INIT or control panel conflicts with AD
- - most problems originate with badly-written AD modules, listed
- above. DS conflicts are listed in (0.1).
-
-
-
- -- KNOWN INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH AFTER DARK (6.1)
-
- In alphabetical order (well, there are only three I know of):
-
- Attention 1.02 <piovanel@ghost.dsi.unimi.it>
- This control panel allows you to select a sound other than the
- presently-selected 'beep' sound for notification alerts.
- 1.0 prevented AD from sleeping if 'Always Audible' was selected
- and had minor incompatibilities with CarpetBag.
- 1.01 and 1.02 fix this, but may cause crashes with the new
- StyleWriter II driver's beep-after-printing feature. Use with
- caution.
-
- MacWrite Pro (Claris)
- It's reported that AD cannot automatically sleep when any version
- of MacWrite Pro (latest is 1.0v4) has a document open.
- Speculation is that MacWrite Pro is doing background processing
- when not being typed into.
- I'm told that sleep can occur if you use AD's 'sleep' corner, or
- place the pointer on the menu-bar or the document title-bar.
-
- TouchBase Pro (After Hours Software)
- TouchBase Pro 2.0 won't let After Dark sleep if it is running,
- either in foreground or background. After Hours say that this is
- fixed in 2.0.1.
-
-
-
-
-
- MODULE NAME CHANGES AND SIMILARITIES (7.0)
-
- Over the years, a number of AD modules have changed their names
- to avoid being confused with other products. Also, some modules
- out there have similar names, but are not related. This should
- help clear all that up.
-
-
-
- -- THE NAME HAS CHANGED (7.1)
- Names on the left are old -> changed to names on the right. Look
- out for the new AD modules, and trash the old ones once you've
- got their replacements. Listed in alphabetical order of the old
- names.
-
- EarthBounce 1.0 -> EarthSplash 1.1
- Has Randomizer problems. See above.
-
- MacTabloid 2.0 -> Headlines 1.0.1
- MacTabloid 2.0 is a third-party hack of Headlines 1.0.1. The size
- of its word database appears to give it problems Headlines does
- not have. MacTabloid runs out of memory under Randomizer - the
- memory requirements do not appear to have been adjusted upwards
- for the larger database. Avoid it - Headlines 1.0.1 is the
- latest, most stable, official, version.
-
- Mandelbrot -> Fractals 1.33
- Alessandro Levi Montalcini's 'Mandelbrot' underwent a name change
- when Hoffman and Hartshorne's 'Mandelbrot' module appeared as
- part of the MAD package. It's now the shareware Fractals 1.33,
- and is a full-fledged configurable fractal generator, whereas
- MAD's commercial 'Mandelbrot' just shows you the set and some
- expanded detail. A later version of Fractals, 2.1.2, is reported
- as being included in the NowFun! screensaver.
-
- Wallpaper 1.0 -> Mathos (no version, Oct. 1, 92 given in about
- box, but released May, 93)
- Generates fractal 'wallpaper' patterns. Name changed to avoid
- confusion with Thought I Could's commercial 'Wallpaper'
- desktop-pattern utility. (I'm a fan of the far cheaper Desktop
- Textures 2.1, on info-mac, and on microlib.cc.utexas.edu as:
- /microlib/mac/app/desktop-textures-21.hqx
- myself.)
- A number of versions of the Wallpaper module were released
- without version numbers and as versions 1.0 - with and without a
- separate coprocessor-only Wallpaper881 module - so upgrading to
- Mathos or Mathos881 (together in one archive) will solve your
- 'what version is this?' problem for now.
-
-
-
- -- NOT TO BE CONFUSED (7.2)
-
- These AD modules have similar names, but are different!
-
- Lines by Charles Clarke, ArtLines by AC Capehart, LineCA 1.0.1 by
- WildMan Software, Quantum Lines by Scott Berfield and Roaming
- Lines 1.1c by David Bau.
- Lines simply fills the screen with coloured lines, ArtLines adds
- blanking frequency and line thickness controls, LineCA is a
- scrolling one-dimensional Life-like cellular automata generator,
- Quantum Lines is bouncing twisting pattern, and Roaming Lines is
- a variation on Berkeley's String Theory with some neat options.
-
- Maze (the first version) 1.0 by David Bau, and (Calico) Maze
- 1.1.1 by Richard Lesh.
- Two different maze builders/solvers. Bau's Maze lacks colour, but
- has an interesting maze-drawing method. Calico Maze has more
- colour and more choice of maze sizes than the very similar MAD
- Snake module, and is well worth a look as the 'definitive' Maze
- module.
-
- Messages by BS, and Random Messages 1.0 by Paul Russell.
- Two modules that choose a string from a message-list and display
- it on screen. MAD includes the polished Say What?, but the
- out-and-out-winner has to be Headlines 1.0.1 by Jamie McCarthy,
- which, like the unix spew it's based on, generates hilarious
- random headlines from a topical database.
-
- Sparkler 1.0 by Mike Wessler, and Sparklers 1.0 by Frank Kubin.
- Sparkler has Randomizer problems. See above. Two totally
- different modules and effects.
-
-
-
-
-
- MODULE REQUESTS (8.0)
-
- Right, this is the part where you send in your neat ideas for
- screensaver modules, in the hope that someone will turn them into
- reality. Requested are:
-
- A 'Sequencer' module that lets you control the order and timings
- of your AD modules, so that you can have following modules
- perform interesting effects with the stuff left on the screen.
- Randomizer just doesn't cut it - Murphy's Law dictates that
- Puzzle ends up shifting a blank screen around, for example.
- (Intermission includes a basic 'Sequencer' module that does this,
- but it requires Intermission to run.)
-
- A SoundTracker MOD file player, ideally incorporating graphics
- like DS's Spectrum's. One has been developed, but has not yet
- been released to macgifts. (Tracker/ProTracker-playing code is
- readily available. ST includes a straightforward sound- and
- SoundEdit-file playing module.)
-
- A screensaver that creates realistic-looking Finder windows with
- icons, and has the mouse pointer doing operations, so that you
- can claim that your Mac is working even when you are not.
- (AppleEvents on a scriptable Finder?) Underware and DC do this
- to some extent, but it's rather obvious that a screensaver is
- running.
-
- A GIF picture viewer. Slide Show does PICTs and JPEGs (with QT)
- but not GIFs. Aaron Giles <giles@med.cornell.edu>, the author of
- JPEGView, suggests that all a module need do is send AppleEvents
- to JPEGView to control its SlideShow feature as a screensaver.
- Contact him for details. MIFP, the makers of ScreenSavor, are
- considering adding GIF support if user demand warrants it. What
- the world *really* needs, though, is a GIF translator plug-in for
- QT.
-
- A 'starfield' module that simulates Doppler shift accurately,
- which neither Star Trek, 'Warp Factor' or 'Warp!' do.
-
- A neko or gengi-type module featuring puppies, not kittens.
-
- A 'dancing bear' module.
-
- Tetris. It runs under everything else...
-
- Exact copies of the Sun screensavers, so Macs can pretend to be
- workstations.
- Exact copies of the default screensavers supplied with Windows,
- so that Macs can lurk better in PC-dominated offices.
-
- A module giving filesharing information - who's using your Mac?
-
- Curtains pulling across the screen.
-
- More modules featuring domestic appliances. We have Flying
- Toasters, fridges and washing machines (Major Metaphysical
- Appliances, with the Art of Darkness) but no steam irons,
- blenders, tumbler dryers or cats in microwave ovens.
-
- And fixes to all those still-buggy modules listed above, of
- course. Please...
-
-
-
- DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL-WEASELLING
-
- -- COPYRIGHT
-
- This work is Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 L. H. Wood. Permission is
- hereby granted to distribute this unmodified document provided
- that no fee in excess of normal on-line charges is required for
- such distribution. Permission is NOT granted to services who
- charge and make a profit for information or for access (e.g.
- variable download rates depending upon download speed, or a
- standing charge), as this is in excess of normal on-line charges.
- Such services wishing to distribute this FAQ must negotiate a
- suitable fee with me first for my services.
- Permission is specifically not granted to ZiffNet, who give me a
- headache trying to track down and test the AD modules they
- 'release'.
-
- Portions of this document may be extracted and quoted free of
- charge and without necessity of citation in normal on-line
- communication provided only that said quotes are not represented
- as the correspondent's original work. Permission for quotation of
- this document in printed material and edited on-line
- communication (such as the Info-Mac Digest and TidBITS) is given
- subject to normal citation procedures, i.e. I demand an
- attribution or credit.
-
- I DO NOT PERMIT DISTRIBUTION ON CD-ROM, DISKS FOR SALE (e.g.
- SHAREWARE CATALOGUES OR MAGAZINE COVER DISKS) OR ANY OTHER
- CARRIER UNLESS I RECEIVE A COPY OF EACH CD-ROM, DISK, OR STORAGE
- MEDIUM UPON WHICH THIS WORK APPEARS.
-
- If you wish to republish this FAQ in a modified form or on a
- physical medium, please contact me with specific details and get
- my permission.
-
-
- -- DISCLAIMER
-
- I do my best to ensure that information contained in this
- document is current and accurate, but I can accept no
- responsibility for actions resulting from information contained
- herein. This document is provided as is and with no warranty of
- any kind.
-
- END.
-