Magic is a configurable screensaver utility written specifically for Microsoft Windows 3.0. If left unattended, Magic fills your screen with colourful animation, as well as providing password protection for your computer.
Much thanks to the many users of Magic worldwide who have supported, criticized, and paid shareware fees since our initial release!! You will be pleased to find that V1.11 is fully Win 3-compatible, handles communication ports, and has a better password mode.
A static screen image left unattended for a long time can damage the computer screen as the image gets burned into the display. A screensaver saves the computer monitor from this damage by blanking or changing the display if the computer is left unattended for a set amount of time. After the set amount of time, the computer enters Sleep mode. In Sleep mode, the screen is blanked and a changing moire colour pattern moves around the screen. Since the moire pattern is constantly changing, no spot on your monitor gets burned in, and the computer doesn't look like it is turned off (as simply blanking the screen would do). Any user action (like moving the mouse or pressing a key) brings back (wakes up) the user's normal Windows display.
Screensavers can also provide computer security by requiring a password before waking up from sleep mode. This can prevent unauthorized casual access to your computer while it is running.
Overview of Features
- Saves monitor from damage to due to image burn-in.
- A proper Windows 3.0 application.
- Password protection from casual unauthorized access.
- Stimulating colour screensaver graphics.
- Configurable active icons.
- Intuitive Control Panel for changing Magic options.
- Configurable to not interfere with communication programs.
- Includes an Installer program.
Revision History
Features of Version 1.02
1) Magic 1.02 was written for Windows 2.x and /386, but is Windows 3.0 friendly. V1.02 is more compatible with Win 3.0's enhanced mode than V1.00. Magic 1.00 had to be terminated before Win 3.0 was closed so that it wouldn't crash your system. Version 1.02 exits cleanly from Win 3.0. Version 1.02 makes better use of colour under Win 3.0. The Control Panel can be opened from Magic's system menu in Win 3.0 (not by double-clicking).
2) DOS applications are handled better by version 1.02. V 1.00 would iconize active DOS programs after the Sleep delay, regardless of user keyboard or mouse activity. This occurred because DOS apps don't report messages to Windows. With Version 1.02, Magic does not try to sleep if a DOS program is the active application.
3) The cursor now disappears in Sleep Mode so that it does not interfere with the graphics.
4) Version 1.02 adds password protection for your computer. If Password mode is enabled, Magic will require the correct password (user-selected) before coming out of Sleep mode.
Additions with Version 1.03
1) Magic should now display fonts proportional to any screen size.
2) A slight bug was fixed that showed itself while Magic was closing. It would occur if you tried to end a Win 3.0 session in 'enhanced' mode while a DOS-app was still open. If you closed the DOS-app and tried to re-end the session, Magic 1.02 would hang. This problem is fixed with V1.03 or later.
Additions with Version 1.10
1) V1.10 is a proper Win 3.0 application. Some previous versions (V1.02 or later) were Win 3-friendly (optimized for Win 3), but V1.10 is the first official Win 3 version.
2) Password Mode is now more robust and passwords are encrypted. Magic will now inform you when Password mode is going to be enabled.
3) You can now select 0 lines for Moire Length in Magic's Control Panel. This feature will cause Magic to simply blank the screen in Sleep Mode, without drawing any lines. You can also temporarily select this blank-screen option if you hold down the shift key while manually putting Magic to sleep.
4) The 'Sleep' button replaces the Sleep/Wake Area and Password.. buttons on the Control Panel. The 'Sleep' button leads to the Sleep window, where Sleep/Wake Corners can be selected, and the Password.. button leads to the Password window.
5) All registered copies of Magic now show the name, company, & serial number of the registered user(s) on the Control Panel. All unregistered copies indicate that they are Evaluation Copies.
6) You can now double-click on Magic's icon to open the Control Panel.
7) The cursor now changes to show you when the mouse is in the Wake corner.
Additions with Version 1.11
1) If Magic is not in 'password mode' it will now wake up if an application wants to come to the front. If Magic is in 'password mode' it will remain asleep and a message banner will be scrolled across the top of the screen indicating that an application requires attention.
2) If Magic detects an active communication port, it stops animating the moire patterns until the communication port is freed again.
3) There was a small bug while switching between tasks in Standard or Real mode that has been fixed. Magic's icon would open to a full-screen window that could not be closed.
4) The 'Sleep' and 'Wake' corners have been enlarged slightly so that they are easier to find with your mouse.
5) Magic now includes an installer.
Additions with Version 1.12
1) A bug was fixed that prevented password longer than 6 characters from being stored. The full 10 character password is now used.
How Do I Install It?
Once installed, Magic can run in background without any maintenance from the user at all. Magic is best used as an 'init' program for Windows. That means that it is automatically loaded as Windows boots up and will work as long as Windows is in operation. To install Magic in the Windows boot-up process, do the following:
With the Installer: (Note: You must use the installer if your version of Magic is personalized.)
1) Start up the installer program. Note: The files MAGIC.EXE and MAGICLIB.DLL for the new version have to be in the same directory as the installer.
2) Check the "Modify Win.ini" box [default] if you want to have Magic run automatically every time Windows is started. Note: If the Win.ini file has already been modified, it will not be changed again. The installer will make a backup of your WIN.INI file (WININI.OLD) if it has to be modified.
3) Click on the "Start" button to start the installation process.
Manually:
1) Open the WIN.INI file in your Windows directory with Notepad, or any text-editing program.
2) Several lines down from the top of the file, you will find a line like the following:
load =
These lines tells Windows what programs to load as it boots up. Change this line to read as follows:
load = magic.exe [+any other startup programs]
3) Save WIN.INI and Windows will now know to automatically run Magic. All that's left is to copy the files MAGIC.EXE and MAGICLIB.DLL into the same directory (the Windows directory) as your WIN.INI file.
4) Restart Windows and Magic will start up automatically if you did steps 1-3 correctly.
NOTE: THE MANUAL METHOD DOES NOT ALLOW THE REGISTRATION INFORMATION FROM A PERSONALIZED COPY OF MAGIC TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW VERSION. IF YOU COPY THE NEWER FILES OVER YOUR EXISTING PERSONALIZED FILES, THE PERSONALIZED INFORMATION WILL BE DESTROYED. THE INSTALLER WILL PRESERVE THE REGISTRATION INFORMATION IN A PERSONALIZED VERSION.
Compatibility
Magic takes very little memory and processing time. It should not interfere with well-behaved Windows applications or DOS programs. In fact, Magic only gets processing time when all other applications are idle, such as when a word processing program is waiting for keyboard or mouse input. If you see Magic's animation slow down, it is usually because some other program is busy on your computer (for example, printing a letter). Only when your system is idle will Magic's animation operate at full speed, since it will not be slowing down any other program.
Communications
Previous to v1.11, Magic did not detect communications programs and could slow down serial communications activity. With v1.11 or later, the user can select up to four(4) serial ports for Magic to monitor. If a communication program uses a monitored serial port, Magic stops animating until the serial port is freed again. In this way, Magic does not slow down communications programs (uploads/downloads) on your computer.
By default, Magic doesn't monitor a serial port, but you can select up to four serial ports to be monitored.
Telling Magic to Monitor a Serial Port
All the settings for the Magic program are in the Magic section of the WIN.INI file (in your Windows system directory). You need line(s) like the following in your WIN.INI file to tell Magic to monitor a serial port(s).
[Magic]
..
(other Magic settings)
..
WatchComPorts=n, n, n, n
(where n = 1 for COM1, 2 for COM2,...)
Note: If you use a serial mouse, do not set Magic to monitor the mouse's serial port.
If you do not have a serial port selected for Magic to monitor in your WIN.INI file, Magic won't detect communication activity and may slow down communication programs. By default, Magic does not monitor any serial ports. The Moire icon mode can slow down communication programs. Therefore, when you are going to be using communications, we recommend that you use the Nova or Static modes for the icon. Since printer servers, networks, terminal programs, etc. all use communications, you should use the Nova or Static icon modes for minimum interference.
DOS Apps
Since DOS applications do not report messages to Windows, Magic currently disables its screensaving whenever a DOS program is active.
Windows Configurations
Users have reported that Magic works well in various configurations of Windows including CGA, EGA, VGA (and higher resolutions), using Pubtech File Organizer, HP NewWave, or off-the-shelf Windows 3.0. However, some unusual high-end Windows video drivers may not be fully compatible. If the Moire pattern looks right, your video driver is fine. Otherwise, let us know, & we'll try to provide a fix.
Magic V1.11 is a fully-compatible Windows 3.0 application. It will run only under Win 3, not under Windows /386 or 2.x (old versions of Windows).
How Do I Use Magic?
Magic's colourful moire animation in Sleep mode both saves your monitor from damage and shows off Windows' graphics capabilities. While no user configuration (beyond installation) is necessary, you can easily configure Magic to suit your work environment and preferences.
After the preset timeout period (in minutes) Magic will go to sleep, blanking your monitor and filling it with the animated moire pattern. As opposed to waiting for the timeout, you can make Magic go to sleep immediately by putting the mouse in the Sleep Corner of your monitor. (see Sleep/Wake Settings). If you move the mouse or hit a key, Magic "wakes up" and returns your normal Windows display.
Note: If you put Magic to sleep manually (putting the mouse in the Sleep Corner), only a mouse movement will wake Magic up. Whether Magic times out on its own or you put it to sleep manually, if you have an evaluation copy of Magic, hitting the spacebar will bring up a credit screen, as opposed to waking up Magic.
In normal operation, Magic appears on the Windows desktop as an icon, but selecting the Control Panel... menu option (or double clicking on the Magic desktop icon) opens up Magic's Control Panel options.
The Control Panel
Magic's Control Panel allows you to change every feature of its operation to suit your preferences.
Sleep Preview Window
At the top of the Control Panel is the Sleep Preview Window. This area shows a preview of the graphics that will fill the screen in Sleep Mode. If you change the moire graphics settings, the Sleep Preview Window will reflect those changes.
About Magic
Below the Sleep Preview Window is the Magic version number and an About button. Clicking on the About button presents more information about Magic, how to contact its creators, and the benefits of registering.
Moire Graphics Control
The moire graphics can be configured to your liking with three scrollbar controls and the Mirror button. The number of lines in the moire pattern can be varied from 1 to 150. The MAX setting (beyond 150) sets the moire to infinite length. The speed of the moire animation and the speed of the colour changes can be varied from 1 to 100%. If the colour speed is set low, the colours change very slowly. You can use the mouse to click on the controls' up and down arrows, or you can use the up and down arrow keys.
The Mirror button allows you to vary the symmetry of the Moire pattern on the screen. Clicking the Mirror button steps you through the mirroring options. You can choose no mirroring, vertical symmetry, horizontal symmetry, or both horizontal and vertical symmetry.
Magic Icon
Magic appears as an icon on the Windows desktop. You can select from 3 different behaviours for the Magic icon. These modes for the icon only affect the icon, not the Sleep animation.
Moire - In this mode, the Magic icon show a miniature moire pattern in the icon (except when the control panel is shown). This animation only occurs when your computer is idle, so it does not slow down processing. If the computer is busy, the icon animation stops until the computer is idle again.
Nova - In this mode, the Magic icon shows a star. As Magic approaches Sleep mode, the star collapses to show how close you are to Sleep mode. As the computer goes to Sleep, the star visually goes Nova and explodes to indicate that Sleep mode is starting.
Static - In this mode, the icon is always the Magic application icon (a rabbit coming out of a Magician's hat) and does not animate on the Windows desktop.
On/Off Switch
Magic resides in background, takes very little memory, and should not interfere with well-behaved software running under Windows. However, programmers developing Windows software may wish to have a completely clear system for debugging their own programs. Therefore, Magic has an on/off switch to completely enable or disable Magic without actually closing it. When the switch is in the OFF position, Magic is totally disabled and will not enter sleep mode or look for a Sleep timeout. When disabled, the Magic icon changes to an overworked software developer catching some much needed rest (Z's).
Sleep Time Setting
The user can set how long the computer must be inactive before entering sleep mode. Similar to changing the Moire graphics settings, the user can click on the arrows or use the arrow keys to change the number of minutes of inactivity before entering sleep mode.
Sleep Button & Sleep Window
You may wish Magic to enter Sleep mode on command. By putting the cursor in the Sleep Corner (of your screen), Magic enters Sleep mode immediately. You can also invoke Password mode by holding the Ctrl key down when putting Magic to sleep manually.
You may also wish to leave a display on the screen and not go to sleep, regardless of Magic's timeout. By putting the cursor in the Wake Corner, Magic will be inhibited from going to sleep. If you have put the cursor in the Wake Area, the cursor will change to a small 'W' to show that Wake Mode is set. It will stay as a 'W' for five seconds, then revert to normal.
The 'Sleep' button leads to the Sleep window, where the Sleep/Wake Corners can be set, and you can enter the password window.
Sleep/Wake Corners
The Sleep window shows the current Sleep Corner and Wake Corner settings on 2 rectangles which each represent your monitor. The smaller squares in the corner of each 'monitor' represent the Sleep & Wake corners respectively. By clicking the mouse in a different corner of the rectangle (representing your monitor), you can move the Sleep & Wake corners. Magic will not allow you to set the Sleep & Wake corners to be the same.
For example, if the Sleep Corner is set for the lower left corner of the Sleep rectangle (in the Sleep Window), this means that placing the mouse in the lower left corner of your monitor will put Magic to Sleep immediately.
The Wake Corner works similarly with the Wake rectangle in the Sleep Window. By default, the Wake Corner is the lower right corner of your monitor. Placing the mouse in the Wake corner of your monitor keeps Magic from going to Sleep. If you put the mouse in the Wake Corner, the cursor changes to a 'W' for a couple of seconds to show that you are in the Wake Corner.
Password Protection
Magic can be used for computer security, as well as saving your screen. If Password mode is enabled, the correct password must be entered before Magic will come out of Sleep mode back to your Windows display.
Clicking on the Password... button (in the Sleep window) opens the Password Configuration dialog where you can type in a new password or toggle Magic's Password mode. When entering a new password, all keypresses show up as asterisks (*) for security. You must type the password in both the Password and Confirm fields to ensure that it is correct. When what you type in the Confirm field matches what you typed in the Password field, the OK button will be enabled. Clicking on the OK button stores the changes you have made to the Password settings. The Cancel button disregards any changes and reverts to the previous password (if any).
The Always Use Password checkbox allows you to toggle Magic's password mode. If checked, Magic will always require your password to wake up.
Leave the box unchecked if you only occasionally want Magic to require a password. To invoke password checking with this mode, hold down the Ctrl key and put the mouse in the Sleep area. You must hold the Ctrl key down until Magic falls asleep to enable password checking.
To let you know that you do have password mode enabled when Magic goes to sleep, Magic will display "Password Mode will be Enabled.." on your screen for 3 seconds before starting the moire animation.
You can also select a blank screen mode for the screen saver by holding down the Shift key while you manually put Magic to sleep. This mode is only temporary in that you have to hold down the Shift key each time Magic is put to sleep. By selecting a Moire Length of 0 in the control panel, Magic will always use the plain blank screen while asleep.
Who Made Magic?
The Magic ScreenSaver is a shareware program by Bill Stewart and Ian MacDonald of Dynamic Information Systems. Much thanks to the many users and programmers who have supported our efforts, given programming hints, & provided constructive criticism from around the world.
As shareware, you are entitled to try an evaluation version of Magic out for 15 days free, upload it to online services, and give copies to associates, subject to the following conditions:
1) A lot of time and effort went into writing and testing Magic. If you don't use Magic, you'll throw it out. If you do use it, pay the modest shareware fee of $25 US (or equivalent) to the authors. By paying the shareware fee, you will become a registered user of Magic, receive notice of all upgrades, and receive a personalized version of Magic (without the periodic "payup" screen) in the mail.
Paying the small shareware fee for something you find useful encourages the free exchange of information currently enjoyed by the software community. It also encourages us, the authors, to support and upgrade the program. Not paying is both unlawful and uncool.
2) You may give an evaluation copy (non-personalized) of Magic to others, but may not distribute Magic for direct or indirect profit by any means, except through agreement with the authors.
3) You may not alter MAGIC.EXE, MAGICLIB.DLL, or this documentation in any way. When distributing Magic, you must include this documentation with the package.
4) While every effort has been made to test Magic in various environments, neither the authors nor Dynamic Information Systems are liable for any damages caused directly or indirectly through the use or misuse of Magic. We provide Magic *as is*, & provide no guarantee that any specific features will be added in the future, nor any guarantee of its fitness for any specific purpose. We do not guarantee compatibility with future versions of system software, Windows, or any other products, although future versions of Magic will be upgraded to stay current with changes in DOS and Windows if we continue to receive user support through shareware.
The Shareware Fee
To register as an authorized user of Magic, send us the modest shareware fee. If you send us $25 US, you will be registered, we will notify you of all upgrades (in advance of their release), and we will mail you a personalized copy of the most recent version of Magic (without the periodic "payup" screen). Users who have already sent us $20 US are still registered, but if you send an additional $5 U.S. (to cover the cost of the disk and shipping) we will send you a personalized copy of the latest version of Magic (with a serial number and without the periodic "payup" screen).
Due to great demand, we now offer group licenses for sites or LANs that have many Magic users. The sliding fee scale makes Magic less expensive per user as the size of your site increases. The fee scale is as follows:
# of Units Cost per Unit (U.S.)
1-9 $20
10-19 $15
20-49 $13
50-99 $11
100-199 $9
200-499 $7
500 or more $5
All licenses of 10 or more units include 1 disk. Please add $5 U.S. to any order for each additional master disk you require. Also, please specify the size and format (DSDD 3.5 inch, for example) of the disks you need. If you do not provide your disk preference, we will use DSDD 3.5 inch disks.
Once you receive your personalized copy of Magic, you will be able to update to later versions by downloading the new version from online services. If you have a personalized copy of Magic, the version you download will be personalized (no "payup" screen), as well. Minor upgrades will be posted on all major online services. Registered users can use these online services to get new versions. Therefore, users do not need to keep sending us $5 every time there is a new release. If you do not have access to online services, you can request that we mail (or courier) out new versions (at your expense).
Users who have not received a personalized copy will also be able to download new versions from online services, but they will still have the periodic credit screen interrupting the Moire animation. We apologize to registered users for the hassle of sending another $5, but it's required to cover the shipping & handling of your personalized master disk.
We prefer payment by cheque in US or Canadian dollars, or pounds sterling, since these currencies are the easiest to negotiate. If using a currency other than US dollars, calculate the registration fee in US dollars and send us the equivalent in your currency.
To register as an authorized user of Magic, send your shareware fee payable to:
Dynamic Information Systems
Unit 4, 3530 15th Street SW
Calgary, Alberta
CANADA T2T 4A3
Our aim is nothing less than to make Magic the ULTIMATE Windows screensaver. Therefore, we appreciate and encourage all user feedback that will help us improve the product. For any questions, comments or complaints, you can contact us by mail, voice, or online services as detailed below:
Dynamic Information Systems
Unit 4, 3530 15th Street SW
Calgary, Alberta
CANADA T2T 4A3
Voice: (403) 243-0296
CompuServe: 71621, 1163
Connect: STEWART1
GEnie: XTX22699
AOL: ZenMaster3
There are additional benefits to becoming a registered user of Magic.
1) Only registered users can get our screen saver development kit, including screensaver guidelines, example source code, development tools and a programmer's manual.
2) Registered users can receive minor upgrades for free and will receive substantial discounts for new versions.
To help our efforts to map out who is using Magic & on what hardware/software, please include the following information with your shareware payment to help us make Magic even better. It will also make it easier for us to inform you of upgrades, etc.
Name:
Company:
Address:
Online Accounts:
Phone No: (voice)
Phone No: (fax)
Computer:
Amt of Memory:
Graphics Card:
How you obtained Magic:
Concerns, Questions, Feedback:
Note: If you are interested in creating graphic screen saver modules, please let us know when you register. You will be informed of the screen saver developer kit's completion and how to obtain a copy.
