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- Inner Mission -- A deep space screen saver
-
- COPYRIGHT (C) 1990 KEVIN STOKES
-
-
- Description:
- ------------
- Inner mission is a program which occupies the video monitor with a
- relaxing view of stars floating past. The program has many options so
- that the user may adjust the speed, and number of stars, etc. It can
- be loaded into memory as a TSR, or run directly as a normal program.
-
- If loaded as a TSR, the program may be set to pop-up with a hot-key, or
- automatically after an adjustable period of cpu idleness. There are many
- options designed to keep the TSR from interrupting when it is not desired.
-
- There are also some fun special effects possible, including hyperspace,
- time & date written in stars, and user messages (you type in when IM first
- loaded) which float past at various time intervals.
-
- There are two versions of the program, IM.EXE and IMS.EXE. They are
- very similar, but IMS occupies less than half the memory space at the
- expense of the text features. This is for users who have limited memory
- space available for TSR's. (If you are one of these people, note the -E & -Z
- option.)
-
-
- Behavior:
- ---------
- When the program is executed, it gives a signon message, and then
- returns to DOS, having left part of itself in your computer's memory.
- If you leave you computer idle for more than a few minutes, Inner Mission
- will automatically popup, giving a relaxing view of a travel through space.
- When the user returns to the computer, touching the shift key, or the space
- bar will return the computer its original state.
-
- The program may also be popped up manually through typing a combination of
- hot keys. (For example the usual case is holding down both shift keys)
-
- Since the program is designed as a screen saver, (prevents characters from
- being burned into the phosphor of your monitor) Inner Mission will also
- blank the screen if the machine is left untouched while it is busy. This
- is just a blank screen, and no stars show in this case because the stars
- display would interrupt the busy program. When the screen is merely blanked
- there is no halting of the progress of the original program. Again, a tap on
- the shift key will return the computer to its original state.
-
- Even though the Inner Mission program is already loaded into memory, you
- may change various parameters (such as # of stars) merely by typing IM with
- new options selected. The program will find itself in memory, and cause the
- new parameters to be implemented.
-
-
-
- System Requirements:
- --------------------
- Inner Mission requires an IBM or compatible PC/XT/AT/386 with a video
- graphics card compatible with CGA, EGA, MCGA (PS/2), Hercules, or VGA.
-
- Revision History:
- -----------------
- Version 1.5 was the first version released to the public.
-
- Version 1.6 has the following changes and additions:
-
- The options can now be set from a menu, as well as by the command line.
- The menu will appear if there are no options on the command line.
-
- Hercules compatible monochrome graphics cards are now supported.
-
- Bug fixed in IMS where the screen wouldn't save properly.
-
- The font of the float-past characters can now be changed. See Pie.bat for
- an example.
-
- The speed of the stars can now be changed with the keypad +- keys while the
- stars are popped up. The speed may be changed while text is floating past.
-
- IM now detects the trapping of int 9, and will not pop up if another program
- has trapped it.
-
- The default for serial¶llel ports has been changed to no checks. The
- code for this has been made more streamlined.
-
-
- Version 1.7 has the following changes and additions:
-
- Removal of keyboard interrupt bug.
-
- Stars are no longer repeat. As each star passes by, a new star takes its
- place. On previous versions, the star simply repeated the same trajectory
- over and over.
-
- See also:
- ---------
- IM.DOC For detailed description of operation and options
- IMREG.DOC For registration information
- PIE.DWG For info on how to change the font for floating text
- PIE.BAT Same as above
-
- Email address of Pie in the Sky:
-
- Internet : kds@physics.phy.duke.edu
- Prodigy : DWHC72A
- Genie : K.STOKES1
- Compuserve: 74040,3526
-
-