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SETUP.HLP
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1992-05-25
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Runner -- A Desktop Alternative
SETUP
Installation / Picture Setup / Other Help Files
Copyright (C) 1993 by Dave Thorson
Version 1.61 November 18, 1993
Runner v1.6 consists of the following files:
Program and Data Files
RUNNER.PRG - the Runner program file
RUNNER.CFG - sample configuration file (note: unless your hard
disk is set up exactly like mine, you cannot access programs
from the menus in this file -- it's just included so you can
get an idea how I use Runner every day)
RCONVERT.PRG - Converts older RUNNER.CFG files for use with
newer versions (1.50 or higher) of Runner
RPICNAME.PRG - Easy way to assign default pictures for loading
into Runner at startup
RUNR_REG.PRG - Lets you remove the protection from the
"protected" programs included in Runner v1.6 and above, once
you send in the $10-$15 (US) shareware registration fee
Protected Program Files (see OTHERS.HLP for more info)
MINI_RUN.TTP - Mini-Run program, for running large programs
(frees about 80% of memory used by Runner), also can help
correct problems some programs leave behind since it reloads
Runner after the other program exits. (has a looonnnnggg
delay before running programs*)
REGIONS.TTP - Regions program, for defining areas on the screen
that you can click to activate any of Runner's functions,
menus or programs in the menus. (saves disabled*)
RPICSEL.PRG - Create a list of background pictures for each
resolution; Runner randomly selects a picture from the
appropriate list when it starts. (saves disabled*)
* - When you send in the shareware registration fee, you'll be
given a serial number and security code; use these with the
RUNR_REG.PRG program to create fully working copies of these
protected programs.
Documentation Files
READ_ME.1ST - quick start notes for the impatient
OVERVIEW.HLP - Overview of Runner and related programs,
shareware info, miscellaneous stuff, what's next?
RUNNER.HLP - displayed by pressing the HELP key from Runner's
main menu; you may want to print it for reference.
NEWSTUFF.HLP - Summary of features, changes and fixes, by
program version
SETUP.HLP - Description of Runner files and how to set them up
(the very file you are reading now)
STARTUP.HLP - Tells how to start Runner and describes the main
screen
MENU_BAR.HLP - Description of Runner's menu bar functions.
DIALOG.HLP - Explains the Description Dialog Box, including
QuickKeys, Comment/Parameter line, and Installed Applications
FILSELCT.HLP - How to use file selector to run and view programs
and files not in your menus
KEYBOARD.HLP - Keyboard equivalents and other keyboard functions
including color changes, drive select and picture select
OTHERS.HLP - Instructions for MINI_RUN, REGIONS, RPICNAME,
RCONVERT, RPICSEL, RUNR_REG, and any other related programs.
Picture and Picture Configuration Files
(all pictures by Dave Thorson except as noted)
INVASION.PC1/2/3 - Low res version uses color cycling to make
the stars twinkle
BORIS.PC1/3 - I don't know who painted this copy of a Boris
Vallejo pic (or is it just in his style?) but it does make
a nice background!
WORMS.PC1 - demo of animation by color cycling
REGIONS1.PC1/3 - Low res background pic (demo for Regions)
FRIDGE.PC2 - Med res background pic
GRIDLAND.PC3 - High res background pic
HANO.PC1/2 - my attempt at copying a painting by Dan Namingha.
Low res version is closer to original colors.
GUIDE.PI1 - Template for designing low res pictures
GUIDE.PI2 - Template for designing medium res pictures
GUIDE.PI3 - Template for designing high res pictures
*.CF1, *.CF2, *.CF3 - Picture configuration files
$$ Installation
Runner can be run from a hard disk or floppy disk, from any
folder (directory). Copy the file RUNNER.PRG where you want to
start it from (it CANNOT be placed in an AUTO folder).
Runner stores most of its information in a configuration file
called RUNNER.CFG. An example RUNNER.CFG file is provided (play
around with it, add and delete menu entries and so on, but don't
expect any of the listed programs to run unless you have them
stored using exactly the same drive and folder names I use).
You can also create a new RUNNER.CFG file from scratch, within
Runner, simply by renaming my RUNNER.CFG to something else like
RUNNER.DLT so no RUNNER.CFG file is found by Runner. Remember
to save your work before exiting Runner (select "Save config"
from the "File" menu). You can use names other than RUNNER.CFG
but that's the filename Runner looks for when it starts. Files
with other names can be loaded from within Runner later (use the
"Load config" option in the "File" menu).
When you start Runner, it searches for RUNNER.CFG in the
following sequence:
1. in the current directory (folder), where RUNNER.PRG is
2. in the root directory (outside all folders) of the current
disk (the disk RUNNER.PRG was loaded from, such as D:\ )
3. in a folder in the root directory of the current disk called
Runner (ex: D:\RUNNER\ )
$$ Home Directory * * * IMPORTANT CONCEPT! * * *
If RUNNER.CFG is found, that directory (folder) is assumed to be
Runner's "home" directory. Whenever you save or load a
configuration file or load a picture file, Runner takes you to
that directory by default. If RUNNER.CFG is NOT found, then the
root directory of the current drive becomes Runner's home
directory.
If you have MINI_RUN.TTP and REGIONS.TTP, they MUST also be
placed in this home directory. Runner won't find them anywhere
else, and they CANNOT be run like other programs!
$$ Picture Files
After loading (or trying to load) RUNNER.CFG, Runner next looks
for a picture file to load from Runner's home directory. Runner
can use any Degas-compatible (.PI1/.PI2/.PI3) or Degas-Elite
compressed (.PC1/.PC2/.PC3) pictures as a background. To
autoload a picture when Runner starts, copy a picture to
Runner's home directory and rename it to one of the following,
depending on the screen resolution for the picture:
RUNNER.PI1 (or .PC1) for low resolution
RUNNER.PI2 (or .PC2) for medium resolution
RUNNER.PI3 (or .PC3) for high resolution
Use the pictures included with Runner (who knows what possessed
me to paint them), or use the guide pictures provided to create
your own. The names above are used for automatically loading a
background picture, so to autoload one of your own works of art,
simply rename your picture to RUNNER.PIx ("x" is 1, 2 or 3) or
RUNNER.PCx, as appropriate. You should also rename any
RUNNER.CFx (see below) file in the same manner.
There IS an easier way to define autoload pictures: Run the
RPICNAME.PRG program and select the picture you want for each
resolution. The name and location of the picture is written to
RUNNER.PIx rather than picture data, and runner will load your
selected pictures on startup. This way you don't lose track of
the real name of the picture in RUNNER.PI1 or don't need two
copies of the same picture file, one named RUNNER.PI1! Another
option is to use RPICSEL.PRG. RPICSEL will let you create a
list of pictures from which Runner will randomly pick the
startup pic. See OTHERS.HLP for more information.
If Runner cannot find the appropriate file for the current
resolution, no picture is loaded.
Note: if you hold Control key when Runner starts, Runner will
not look for a picture file to load.
$$ Picture Configuration Files
Starting with Runner v1.4, pictures can have configuration files
associated with them, independent of the RUNNER.CFG files
described above. These files contain info on altered colors,
menu positions, and any REGIONS information for the picture.
They are named after the picture's filename, and must be kept in
the same directory as the picture file. If you have a picture
called E:\PICS\FLOWER.PC1, its associated configuration file
would be E:\PICS\FLOWER.CF1. The number (1, 2 or 3) matches the
resolution number of the picture file, and CF stands for
ConFiguration. Picture config files are automatically saved
when you save your current Runner configuration, IF any picture-
related data has been changed. You can also force Runner to
save only the picture configuration file (whether it needs to or
not) by holding down the Control key when selecting "Save
config" from the "File" menu.
Version 1.60c added the ability to use .CFx files -without- a
picture file in memory. This means you can use Regions to set
up areas on the screen where a mouse click will do anything you
can do in Runner and more, and set up an Autorun program that
will be run when Runner starts, all without using a background
picture (yes, memory is often a precious commodity). If you do
not use a RUNNER.PIx or RUNNER.PCx file, you can still use a
RUNNER.CFx file at startup. To create one, copy a .CFx file for
a picture to RUNNER.CFx, or start Runner, go to Regions, set up
everything the way you like, exit Regions, and use Save or
Control/S to save the Regions information. It will go into a
file called NO_PIC.CFx if no picture is in memory. Rename this
file to RUNNER.CFx if you like. You can also load .CFx files
instead of .PIx or .PCx using the Background command.
$$ Possible Setups
I have Runner set up for my system as follows:
Top (root) directory
of drive D: Runner's "home" directory:
D:\RUNNER.PRG D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.CFG
D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.PI1
D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.CF1
D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.PI2
D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.CF2
D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.PI3
D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.CF3
D:\RUNNER\RUNNER.HLP
D:\RUNNER\MINI_RUN.TTP
D:\RUNNER\REGIONS.TTP
D:\RUNNER\RPICNAME.PRG
RUNNER.PRG is in the root directory of drive D: (outside of any
folders). All other files are stored in a folder called Runner
which appears in the window when drive D: is first opened from
the desktop (it's a folder within the root directory of drive
D:). "D:\RUNNER\" is considered to be Runner's home directory
in my setup.
For floppy disks, you may want a Runner disk with all the Runner
files in the root directory. This disk must be in the drive
whenever you ask for help (or else your help request will be
ignored). On a two drive system you can keep MINI_RUN.TTP in
the drive where Runner started, and put application disks in
drive B. Or, place Mini-Run in the root directory of your
application disks in drive A (assuming you started Runner so
that RUNNER.CFG was in the root directory of drive A). Then
Mini-Run will be found and can load your application. Be sure
to replace your Runner disk in drive A before exiting the
application. Of course, if you don't use Mini-Run then you
don't need to mess with most of this....
Floppy disk users may also want to keep Runner files in a
"\RUNNER\" directory. Once Runner locks in on "A:\RUNNER\" as
its home directory, it doesn't care if you switch disks. You
could put RUNNER.PRG, RUNNER.CFG, and your startup picture files
on one disk in a "\RUNNER\" directory. Another disk could
contain more picture files in a "\RUNNER\" directory. Another
could hold REGIONS.TTP, the .HLP files, and RPICNAME.PRG in its
own "\RUNNER\" directory. Finally, create a "\RUNNER\"
directory on every disk containing a program you want use with
Mini-Run, and place MINI_RUN.TTP in each of those folders (it's
small, don't worry). Runner will be able to find all these
files even though you change disks.
I use HeadStart (version 1.1) from the experts at CodeHead
Software to start Runner whenever my ST is turned on. A file
called HEADSTRT.DAT goes in the root directory of my C: drive,
and HEADST11.PRG is in the AUTO folder of the C: drive.
HEADSTRT.DAT contains the line:
D:\RUNNER.PRG
HeadStart reads its data file, and loads Runner after the
desktop appears. I no longer need to open any desktop windows
at all! HEADST11.PRG is available on GEnie and possibly
Compuserve, or contact CodeHead Software at: (213) 386-5735. It
may also be in the library of your local Atari User's Group.
The only * required * files needed are RUNNER.PRG and your
RUNNER.CFG file, although you may want the RUNNER.HLP file for
on-line help, MINI_RUN.TTP to save space for larger programs,
and your favorite background picture files and related .CFx
files.... REGIONS.TTP is only needed if you want to create or
edit screen regions and their functions, or save a background
picture with the current colors -- it's not needed to use screen
regions once you've saved them in a picture config file.
This ends the discussion on setting up Runner. To get acquainted
with using the program, you can try banging keys and selecting
menu options, or you can read the following files in this
recommended sequence (where have I seen this list before?):
OVERVIEW.HLP - Overview of Runner and related programs,
shareware info, what's next?
STARTUP.HLP - Tells how to start Runner and describes the main
screen
MENU_BAR.HLP - Description of Runner's GEM menu bar functions
(how to Load, Save, Add, Change, Drop, select color palettes
and other useful goodies)
DIALOG.HLP - Explains the Description Dialog Box, including
QuickKeys, Comment/Parameter line, and Installed Applications
(you'll see this box anytime you add or change a program,
menu or title)
FILSELCT.HLP - How to use file selector to run and view programs
and files not in your menus
KEYBOARD.HLP - Keyboard equivalents and other keyboard functions
including color changes, drive select and picture select
OTHERS.HLP - Instructions for MINI_RUN, REGIONS, RPICNAME,
RCONVERT, RPICSEL, RUNR_REG and any other related programs.
[end of file SETUP.HLP]