the author said, in effect, if you don't have MacWrite Pro - tough. That's the only thing he could use easily to show what he wanted to show. [joris]
I used an application called "can opener" and got two pictures out of the documentation One a warning sign, an I inside a triangle, and the other a profile of a man with a balloon with text in it coming out of his mouth.
and the following text: [joris]:
use the screen never to fade. Simply place the mouse in the selected corner and DarkSide will not fade your screen. DarkSide comes set with the lower left hand corner as the “F Default Footerte Doc Helvetica Palatino New Century Schlbk Avant Garde Chicago Courier
Zapf Dingbats LaserWriter SC Driver Tom Dowdy Tom Dowdy BigBottom:Applications: NDowdy
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 1
QuickStart 2
What Is DarkSide? 3
What do I need to run DarkSide? 3
How do I install DarkSide? 4
Automatically starting DarkSide 4
What is a Fader? 4
File Menu 5-6
The settings dialog 7
Fading after a time 7
What is inactivity? 7
Fade now & Fade never 8
Unfade password 9
File sharing 9
Adjust screen depth 9
Finder to the front 10
Confirm before quitting 10
Test fader 10
Sound level 10
Fader settings 11
Fader documentation 11-19
Common questions about DarkSide 2ogrammer’s information 27-30
QuickStart
Here is a list of simple steps so that you can play with DarkSide right away.
1) Copy the DarkSide folder to your hard disk.
2) Launch the DarkSide application by double–clicking.
3) Select the “DarkSide Settings…” item from the “File” menu.
4) Click on the word “Clock” in the scrolling list on the left hand side of the window.
5) Press F to make DarkSide fade your screen.
6) Move the mouse or press any key to unfade the screen.
7) Try out some of the other faders and their settings. What Is DarkSide?
DarkSide is an application that serves as a “screen saver.” Screen savers are used to keep you Macintosh screen from “burning in” – or having one image permanently etched into the phosphors of your screen.
DarkSide works by presenting a series of moving images on the screen – and there are many to choose from – which keeps any one image from damaging your Macintosh screen.
Some screen savers are System Extensions. They work by modifying your Macintosh computer’s operating system – as such they are often prone to breaking with new releases of system software. They also can have bad effects on your applications.
DarkSide is just an application. It does all of its work the way normal Macintosh applications do. Because of this, it should not interfere with other applications on your Macintosh.
What do I need to run DarkSide?
In order to run DarkSide of the Mac 4.0, you must have a Macintosh computer with System 7.0 or greater installed.
DarkSide works on all Macintosh computers, and has been tested by a large group of testers to get rid of as many bugs as possible. It probably isn’t perfect – but few things are.
How do I install DarkSide?
DarkSide is simple to install. Drag the DarkSide folder to wherever you like on your hard disk. DarkSide can be located anywhere.
Automatically starting DarkSide
Since it is most useful to have DarkSide start up when you turn on your Macintosh, you may wish to create an alias to the application and place it in your startup items folder. DarkSide will do this for you – simply select “Install DarkSide…” from the “File” menu. To remove this alias in the future, just use the Finder to throw it away.
What is a small piece of code that is used whenever DarkSi fades the screen. Each fader does something different and interesting. Most faders work on all Macintosh computers, although some only work on color machines.
File Menu
DarkSide has only one menu – most of the settings of DarkSide can be controlled through the settings dialog.
Open Fader…
The “Open Fader…” item allows you to control the folder in which DarkSide looks to find faders. If you have multiple folders of faders, you can use this item to switch between these folders. Only faders from the selected folder will appear in the DarkSide Settings dialog.
DarkSide Settings…
The “DarkSide Settings…” item opens up the settings dialog. From the settings dialog, you can control almost all of the aspects of DarkSide’s operation
Close
The “Close” is used to close windows within DarkSide
Install DarkSide…
This item is used to make DarkSide automatically start up when you tun on your Macintosh.
Fade Now
You can choose “Fade Now”, or press F to cause DarkSide to fade the screen right away.
Quit
e “Quit” item is used to exit from the DarkSide application. The Settings Dialog
Most of the settings in DarkSide are controlled through the settings dialog. You can open the Settings Dialog by choosing “DarkSide Setting” from the “File” menu, or by pressing S.
Fading after a time
DarkSide will automatically fade your Macintosh screen after a set time that you request. DarkSide defaults to fading the screen after 15 minutes of inactivity. You can change this to any value you wish – although numbers between 10 and 15 minutes are probably most useful.
What is inactivity?
DarkSide considers typing, mouse clicks, mouse motion, disk insertion, and modifier keys to be activity. It also will atnot fade when a program is calculating, or doing somethinCPU intensive.
Fade now
In addition to the “Fade Now” menu, you can tell DarkSide to fade the screen whenever you place the mouse in a given corner – the fade will take place after a two second delay. DarkSide comes set with the upper right hand cornerrn on your Macintosh.
Fade Now
You can choose “Fade Now”, or press F to cause DarkSide to fade the screen right away.
Quit
Th concentrating on reading a long document. You can select which corner will cause the screen never to fade. Simply place the mouse in the selected corner and DarkSide will not fade your screen. DarkSide comes set with the lower left hand corner as the “ as the “Fade Now” corner. Clicking in the center of the monitor icon will turn off the “Fade Now” feature.
Fade never
Sometimes it is useful to have the Macintosh screen never fade – such as when you are the screen never to fade. Simply place the e enabled FileSharing on your Macintosh, DarkSide will automatically enable FileSharing whenever it fades the screen. DarkSide will return FileSharing to its previous state whenever it unfades the screen.
This option is especially useful if you find yourFade Never” corner. Clicking in the center of the monitor icon will turn off the “Fade Never” feature. Unfade Password
Sometimes you want to keep prying eyes away from your Macintosh. If you enter a password into this box, DarkSide will require that that password be entered before the screen will be unfaded. Please note that this password option will not stop determined snoopers from gaining access to your machine.
File sharing
If you check this box and havFile sharing
If you check this box and havself needing a file or two of yours when you are using another person’s Macintosh. With this option checked, your files will be available to you whenever DarkSide has the screen faded.
Adjust screen depth
If you select this option, then DarkSide will a the appearance during the fade. For more information on each fader, see below. Faders are listed alphabetically.
Hint: You can also find out more information about a fader by clicking on the Copyright notice for that fader. This will tell you a little about the fader, and what settings you can change.
Blank screen
This isn’t really a fader – it is built into DarkSide and is used when you have not yet chosen a fader, your chosen fader cannot be used, or you just wish a plain blank screen.
Boids
Boids simulates the flight of a flock of birds. The birds attempt to stay together while chasing a goal around the screen. You can set the number of birds that appear on the screen.
BounceBox
BounceBox just bounces a filled or framed rectangle around the screen. You can set the size of the rectangle.
Channel3
Ever wake up late at night with the television still on? Channel3 runs color test bars, a sweep countdown, and static on your Macintosh screen. If you like, you can have sound as well, but I bet your office mates won’t like it! If you wish fast black and white static – even on color monitors – choose the “Always black and white static” option.
Note that static will not appear while you are testing the fader.
Circuit
This fader draws circuit boards on your screen. You can control the size of the components, and how many of them are packed onto the screen before clearing it.
City
This fader just draws a city skyline at night – with or without stars. Simple, but nice.
Clock
Clock is a simple clock – and it even tells the correct time!
Earth
Earth is a rotating earth bouncing across your screens. Infini-D™ was used to render the frames. Fireworks
Ah yes, fireworks. You can control the number of fireworks, and if the bursts are single colored, or multicolored.
Galaxy
Daniel Lipton gave me this really interesting trig function, and this is what it draws. You have control over the number and maximum size of the galaxies.
Globes
Globes draws any number of 3D–ish looking spheres on your screen. You can also control the overall size of the spheres.
Hieroglyphics
This fader works by drawing a number of characters on top of one another – resulting in interesting looking “glyphs.” For best results, install Symbol, Cairo and Mobile fonts into your system.
Hopalong
Based on another Unix™ program, draws fractal patterns on your screen.
Ico
A classic from the Unix™ world, this is a bouncing polyhedra. You can control the color of the shape.
Invert
Simple – yet possibly the most annoying fader of the lot. Try it – you’ll hate it. Source code to this fader is included – if you are a programmer who’d like to try creating your own.
Kaleidoscope
This fader draws reflections on all of your Macintosh monitors. You can have lines, rectangles, or ovals fill your screen.
Kaos
Kaos uses an Iterative Fractal System to draw wispy colored clouds on the screen. Sorry, but Kaos only works on color Macintosh machines.
Kitten
A kitten chasing a ball of yarn. Kenji Gotoh drew the original icons for his “Neko” desk accessory.
LEDs
If you have an Apple Extended Keyboard, LEDs will cycle the LEDs on the keyboard in several ways, with any speed you choose. If you don’t have an Apple Extended Keyboard, this fader is the same as Blank Screen.
LostInSpace
A simple idea resulted in this fader that reminds me of the opening credits to LostInSpace. Alan Mimms is the clever guy who came up with this one originally.
Moire
This is one of those classic screen savers – a line bouncing around the screen. I can’t say this one is very inspired – but some folks like it.
Movies
If you have QuickTime™ installed on your Macintosh, Movies allows you to play a QuickTime™ movie and move it about the screen. You may need to increase the RAM for DarkSide when viewing very complex movies.
Munch
A classic square filling algorithm from T gives you this nice, simple, fader.
Particles
This fader displays bursting sets of particles on your screen. You can ctrol the maximum number of particles at one time, and the maximum number of bursts that can take place at once.
PictShow
This fader just moves a PICT file around the screen.
Puzzle
Puzzle breaks your screen up into a number of squares and shuffles them around the screen.
Random Fade
“Random Fade” isn’t really a fader – rather it allows you to have DarkSide randomly choose a fader.
You can have DarkSide choose the fader only upon start of the fade, or every so often. DarkSide chooses from the list of faders found within the scrolling list, so you should remove those faders that you do not find interesting.
Note that some faders – such as Puzzle and Searchlight – require some sort of pattern on the screen in order to be interesting. Butomatically adjust your monitor depth to the best one for each fader. DarkSide will restore the previous setting ous setting g after unfading. This allows you to run your Macintosh in
Finder to the front
If you have placed an alias to DarkSide in yoon your Macintosh. You control the number and color of the rain. I personally don’t think that the colors look very nice – but you can decide for yourself.
Rug
Rug draws “Oriental” rug looking patterns on your Macintosh screen. On multiple monitor machines, it alternates between the screens.
RunRun
RunRun requires a color Macintosh. It uses a simple physics equation and some color table animation to draw “lava lamp” images on the screen. Requires at least one screen in 4 or 8 bit mode.
Searchlight
Searchlight moves a number of round spotlights around your Macintosh screens. You can control the number of searchlights, and their size.
SinBounce
Simple trig based patterns. My mom sent me the algorithm. On multiple monitor machines, this fader runs on all of them at once.
Snowblower
Ooo, Ooo! It’s the Binford Turbo 9000 Snowblower, keeping the paths clear of icy particulates.
Spirograph
This fader uses trig to display spiral patterns on the screen. There are a number of types of patterns that you can choose from.
If you are going to be away from your Macintosh for a bit, you can use the String fader to display a message. String lets you have two strings – and will switch between displaying the two of them. You can also use the check boxes to cause only one of the strings to be shown.
Trig
Some simple trig and simple programming resulted in this interesting spiral pattern fader.
Typewriter
Some mean teachers used to make students type what they did over and over again. This person can be set to type well, or very terribly. You can also choose sounds for the typing.
VaseDance
Charlie Reiman wrote this really neat little fader. By changing the settings, you can totally modify what the result looks like. Source code for this fader is available from Charlie himself – those of you with network access can contact him that way.
Worms
Tim Dierks gave me this neat little fader. Pretty cool. Icky color worms roam around your screen.
Zap
Lightning–like patterns. Interesting, but maybe not.
ZoomRects
The Finder zoom code is used to move rectangles around your screen.
Common questions about DarkSide
Here are some common questions people ask about DarkSide.
How much memory does DarkSide require?”
“Why does it take so much?”
DarkSide requires at least 42K in order to run. DarkSide comes set to 64K – because some of the faders need a bit more than others.
It should on, disk insertion, and modifier keys to be activity. It also will attempt not fade when a program is calculating, or doing something background printing or downloads?”
DarkSide does its best to be a well behaved Macintosh application. As such, printing and file downloads should not be interrupted by the fader.
Some faders are fairly intensive CPU users – Snowblower, Channel3, Ico, ais a Fader?
DarkSide has built into it a number of “Faders.” Each fader is a small piece of code that is used whenever DarkSide hem will cause any trouble. I saw a neat screen saver that does XXX, why doesn’t DarkSide do that, too?”
Well, DarkSide is an evolving product, and I can only spend so much of my spare time working on it. I do take suggestions – but I’m only one person, with limits on what I can do.
“I’m having a problem with DarkSide and application YYY? Do you know what is going on?”
DarkSide should not interfere with the operations of other applications. DarkSide is simply a Macintosh application – so problems lbe noted that 64K is much less than most System Extension based screen savers require. Some commercial screen savers require as much as 200K!
Does DarkSide interfere with ory used with previous versions of DarkSide.
Does DarkSide interfere with stem, the application, and any System Extensions or Control Panels you have installed. You should also point out if the problem happens all of the time, or only when using certain faders.
Sometimes when I am typing very slowly, DarkSide will still fade. Why is this?” This question often comes from folks using Unix™ newsreaders.
DarkSide doesn’t patch anything, but tries its best to see every keystroke. If you are typing very infrequently, it can miss those keystrokes. There are three ways around the problem: a) increase the time before fade, b) hold down a modifier key (such as shift) while “reading”, c) place the mouse in the “fade never” corner. Getting the latest version of DarkSide
There are two ways to get the latest version of DarkSide of the Mac:
1) Get a copy from a friend, a network, or bulletin board. DarkSide is freeware, so you can distribute it all you want – provided it is not for profit, and you distribute the entire disk together.
2) If you would like a printed manual and the latest copy of DarkSide, send $15 in US funds to the author. This will also make you a registered user of DarkSide, and you will be made aware of updates through mailings – I’m also more likely to listen to your suggestions.
Restrictions
You may copy DarkSide and distribute it, provided you do not charge for the distribution.
Electronic services which charge connect time may make DarkSide available. Services that charge per download, or for the right to download, may not include DarkSide without first contacting the author.
Companies such as EDUCORP, which charge money for disks with the purpose of making a profit may not include DarkSide on their disks, without first contacting the author.
User groups such as BMUG, SMUG, and BCS, which distribute disks for cost of media, are allowed to distribute DarkSide. Source code
The source code to DarkSide 3.2 (version before 4.is available to you – including all faders except VaseDance. However, please read the following section before ordering.
Theource code to DarkSide is almost a megabyte of MPW C code showing many aspects of Macintosh programming. This source code is made available on an as–is basis. Most of the source code is well commented – but parts of it are not – the faders in particular have the most variety in terms of quality. The intent is to provide working code to help you in writing your own code – or to get you started on a fader which is a modification of an existing one.
Any product which you distribute in any way must consist of greater than 50% of your own code. If more than 50% of the code is taken from the DarkSide code, you must contact me prior to release. You may not redistribute any DarkSide source code. I also reserve the right to not provide the source code in the future, or to anyone who I feel will not abide by the above agreement.
That said – the source code disk is $35 US Funds. If you would like to become a registered user of DarkSide as well, the total price is $40 US Funds.
If you have read and understood the above restrictions, sign a letter stating your intent, and enclose it along with your order.
Author’s Note: Sorry to be so hard–nosed about this. But I don’t want someone recompiling my source and selling it as “Fred’s Screen Saver”. Contacting the author
I love to hear from folks who use and enjoy DarkSide. If you have a suggestion, would like to become a registered user, or just want to say thanks, drop me a line:
Tom Dowdy
1610 Kamsack Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
AppleLink: DOWDY1
Interike this should be very rare. A more likely cause is a System Extension you have installed into your system.
If you still have trouble, please send more information about what version of DarkSide, the SyyyyykSide, the Syhat version of DarkSide, the Synd RunRun are about the worst. Some faders are extremely friendly – Clock, BounceBox, Black screen, and Rain are about the best.
The remaining faders take CPU time if they can get it – but give it up if someone else needs it. For most users, none of ttnet: dowdy@apple.com
I’m sorry, but time does not permit me to duplicate disks sent from unregistered users of DarkSide. If you send me a disk without being a registered user, I’ll just keep it.
About the author
Tom Dowdy has been an Apple engineet the author
Tom Dowdy has been an Apple engineer for six years – since graduation from Notre Dame in 1987. He majored in electrical engineering – but his real goal was to learn Macintosh programming. Freeware, Shareware & Public Domain
I’d like to clarify that point, DarkSide was converted over to be System 7.0 dependent. This allowed the large number of new features in 3.2 to be created. Freeware, Shareware & Public Domain
I’d like to clarify the differences between freeware, shareware, and public domain for you.
Shareware is a great idea. A person creates a useful program, and allows you to get a copy for free. If you use it, and agree with the author that the program is useful to you, you pay some small fee to the user. If you have Shareware software that you currently use on a regular basis – please send the author the requested money.
Freeware is software that is released for free. You can copy it for free, and you may use it for free. The author retains rights to the software, so that others may not make money on it (as he, himself, is not making money from it).
Public Domain software is free software that the author “releases” into the public domain. Anyone may obtain copies of the software, and do whatever they wish with it, including selling copies for $600 a piece.
DarkSide of the Mac is freeware. This means that I let people use my software for free – but it is still my software. I choose to restrict distribution to free after unfading. This allows you to run your Macintosh in a low bit depth (such as 1 bit) for speed, but still have pretty screen savers.
Finder to the front
If you have placed an alias to DarkSide in your Startup Items folder, you may wish that the Finder would be in the front after you start your Macintosh. Checking this box will cause DarkSide to automatically bring the Finder to the front whenever it is launched.
Confirm before quitting
This option causes Dar
Test fader
If you would like to tesr to the front whenever it is launched.
Confirm before quitting
This option causes DarkSide to confirm with you when you choose the “Quit” command from the File menu.
Test fader
If you would like to test out setting for a particular fader, you can press the Test fader button. During the fade, you can change the settings to see what they do. To finish with the testing, press the button again.
Sound level
Some DarkSide faders have sounds during the fade process. This control adjusts the volume level used for all sounds within DarkSide faders. Since when your screen is being saved you typically aren’t around, do your co-workers a favor by le Fader settings
Each fader can have its own settings to contrr – called by DarkSide just prior to putting up the fade window. A good thing to do here is to initialize any global variables.
• InitializeFader – called by DarkSide right after putting up the fade window. A common thing to do here is to clear the window.
• IdleFader – called by DarkSide while your fader is running. Do whatever clever thing you wish to here.
• UpdateFader – called when DarkSide receives an update event.
• DisposeFader – clean up after yourself. Don’t forget to dispose of any handles or pointers you create!
• HitFader – called when the user is clicking in the dialog. You only need to write code here if you have special needs in the dialog. Globals and storage
The sample code provided uses some features of the MPW environment to allow the use of global variables. Programmers who use one of the Think programming environments may wish to use Think’s “A4 Global” code in order to allow the use of globals.
Programmer’s who use other environments, or who wish not to use globals, may use the a5World parameter for any pointer or handle that they see fit to place there.
Dialogs and settings
DarkSide provides standard handling of most dialog items through the use of the ‘DCTL’ resource. Note that all fader resources should be in the ID range from 5000 and up. DarkSide expects your fader’s DITL and DCTL resource to be both ID 5000.
Here’s a description of the contents of the ‘DCTL’ resource:
• the item ID this is for. If this item ID is 0, this group is defining a cluster of radio buttons – and in this case the next two shorts are taken to be the range of this cluster of radio buttons.
• refCon1 – for text items this can be the ID of a ‘HELP’ resource for a string to be displayed when clicked upon. For control items, it indicates the kind of control. For clusters, it is the minimum index for the cluster. refCon2 – for clusters, this is the maximum value. For check boxes, this indicates the bit within the settings that represents this value
• where to store – values from 0-19 represent the values within theShorts array, values from 20-23 indicate strings within theStrings array.
Example dialog control resource
resource ‘DTCL’ (5000) {
{
// about this fader static text
// item 1 about ID ignored ignored
1, 5000, 0, 0;
// radio button cluster, stored in first short
// a cluster from 2 to 3 short
0, 2, 3, 0;
// two checkboxes, stored in second short
// item 4 checkbox mask short
4, 1, 0x0001, 1;
// item 5 checkbox mask short
5, 1, 0x0002, 1;
// an edit text item, stored in the first string
// item 6 ignored ignored string
6, 0, 0, 20;
};
};
Sample source
You can find example MPW C source on the release disk with DarkSide. This is the actual source to Invert.
Let me know how you’re doing…
If you produce an interesting fader, I’d be very excited to hear from you. If you wish that your fader be included in future releases of DarkSide, just let me know.
DarkSide of the Mac and this documentation was produced MIT gives you this nice, simple, fader.
Particles
This fader displays bursting sets of particles on your screen. You can con
Prentirely using Macintosh technology. It was printed on a LaserWriter Pro 630 ved you typically aren’t around, I recommend that you do your co-workers a favor by leaving the volume off or low.
Fader settings
Each fader can have its own settings to control ecause of this, they aren’t usually as interesting when used with the Random Fade option.
You can also choose to have the faders cycle through in sequence rather than at random. Rain
Raindrops are falling r” is selected. Rain
Raindrops are falling public means, and by my own distribution of disks. Hints & Tricks
+ DarkSide will run aliases to faders as well. You can use to group faders together to make sets for the Random fader.
+ The icons on the left side tell you the kind of fader: DarkSide0) is available to you – including all faders except VaseDance. However, please read the following section before ordering.
The s system fader, DarkSide custom fader, or AfterDark™ module.
New for DarkSide 4.0
+ DarkSide windows are now totally modeless.
+ DarkSide can now run most AfterDark™ modules – however, this does require that DarkSide patch a single trap wht only when actually running the module.
+ DarkSide now uses a custom segment loader, allowing lots of bug fixes and features, while keeping the application size dowe dowormation
DarkSide faders are small, standalone code modules – and it is easy to write your n to 64K
