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DECOR.TXT
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1993-06-16
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* * * WIN DECOR * * *
This month we offer our first Windows 3.1 program.
Win Decor lets you have a different Wallpaper
backgound for Windows each time you run Windows.
Wallpaper backgrounds can be either tiled or
centered. Tiled backgrounds repeat a .BMP file from
the top left of the screen until the screen is full.
Centered backgrounds take a .BMP file and center
the image on the screen.
There are several shareware programs that allow
you to randomly choose a background, but most of
them either tile everything, or use some sort
of arbitrary method to decide whether to tile
or center the Wallpaper backgrounds.
Win Decor puts YOU in charge. You can select
whether to tile or center individual images,
regardless of their size or name. You can also
choose any combination of .BMP files to include
in the random search.
Introduction
Win Decor is a Windows utility that was specifically
created to give you more power over your Windows
wallpaper. Use Win Decor to select a group of bit
mapped graphics (.BMP files). Every time you boot
Windows, Win Decor will randomly select a .bmp to
display as your wallpaper. You never know which
graphic Win Decor will display next! You can add Win
Decor to your Windows Startup so that it will run
automatically each time you boot or reboot Windows, or
you can run Win Decor like any other program.
Remember, Win Decor not only adds an element of
surprise to Windows computing, but it allows you to
control the surprise!
How To Install
Step 1 -- Use the File Manager to copy DECOR.EXE and
DECOR.HLP into your Windows directory.
Step 2 -- Close the File Manager and return to the
Program Manager.
Step 3 -- Open the "Main" Program Group window from the
Program Manager.
Step 4 -- Under the File Menu, select "New."
Step 5 -- In the "New" dialog box that appears, select
"New Program Item."
Step 6 -- In the "New Program Item" dialog box that
appears, fill in the matching blanks with the
information that follows:
Description: Win Decor Configuration
Command Line: decor.exe
Step 7 -- Press OK to create the "New Program Item."
Step 8 -- Close the "Main" Program Group window.
Note: Steps 9-12 add Win Decor to Windows Startup so
that Win Decor will automatically display a new .BMP
every time you boot Windows. If you do not wish to
change your current setup, ignore the remaining steps.
Step 9 -- Open the "Startup" Program Group window from
the Program Manager or create a "Startup" Program Group
if your current Windows setup does not include one.
Step 10 -- Under the File Menu, select "New."
Step 11 -- In the "New" dialog box that appears, select
"New Program Item."
Step 12 -- In the "New Program Item" dialog box that
appears, fill in the matching blanks with the
information that follows:
Description: Win Decor Startup
Command Line: decor.exe /s
Note: You must type a space before the slash (/), when
you type "decor.exe /s" in the command line blank
above.
Note: To de-install Win Decor without actually
removing it from your hard drive, either delete the
program item "Win Decor Startup" from your Startup
Group or move it to another group. This will keep Win
Decor from running every time you reboot Windows.
How To Configure
First, run the "Win Decor Configuration" item
by double-clicking on its icon in the Program
Manager.
When you ran Win Decor, it "scanned" your Windows
directory for .BMP files. These appear in the File
List on the left side of the Win Decor configuration
dialog box. The total number of .BMP files found by
Win Decor is shown just below the file list. The first
time you run Win Decor, all are "selected," so the
number in Selected Files should match the number in
Total Files.
You may now select a group of .bmp files that Win Decor
can access. You do this by "excluding" those .BMP
files that you do not want Win Decor to display. Each
time you boot Windows, Win Decor will display one of
the .bmp files you included in this group as your new
wallpaper.
Step 1 -- Highlight a .BMP file that you wish to
include or exclude.
Step 2 -- Select Include or Exclude (located to the
right of the File List in the Status section of Current
Selection). Please note that the "+" or "-" symbol
located beside each .BMP filename illustrates its
status.
Step 3 -- Select the way you want the .BMP to display -
- TILE (the graphic repeats to fill the entire screen)
or CENTER (one copy of the graphic is centered on your
screen). The display method of each .BMP is denoted by
a "T" or a "C" beside the .BMP filenames in the File
List.
Step 4 -- Repeat Steps 1-3 for each .BMP file that you
want to change.
Step 5 -- Select OK to save the current settings and
exit, or select Cancel to discard the changes you've
made.
-- BUTTONS --
There are a total of nine buttons in the Win Decor
Configuration dialog box. One button, located in the
Current Selection area, allows you to use a selected
.BMP file as your current Windows Wallpaper. Four
buttons provide you with shortcuts for "including" or
"excluding" all .BMP files and for "tiling" or
"centering" all .BMP files. These are located directly
under the Current Selection area. Four other buttons
allow you to access Help or information about Win Decor
and to OK new settings or cancel any changes you've
made to the settings.
Use As Current Wallpaper -- Select this button to use
the highlighted .BMP file as your current Windows
Wallpaper. Hint: it also provides you with a way to
view files when trying to decide whether to include
or to exclude them from the Win Decor "pool."
Include All -- Select this button to include all the
listed .BMP files in the "pool" of files from which Win
Decor will make a random selection each time you boot
Windows. A "+" sign will be placed in front of each
filename. Use this when you want to include all files
or when you want to include all but a few files.
Exclude All -- Select this button to exclude all the
listed .BMP files from the "pool" of files from which
Win Decor will make a random selection each time you
boot Windows. A "-" sign will be placed in front of
each filename. Use this when you want to exclude all
files or when you want to include just a few files.
Tile All -- Select this button to tile each .BMP file.
A "T" will be placed in front of the filename and after
the "+" or "-".
Center All -- Select this button to center each .BMP
file. A "C" will be placed in front of the filename
and after the "+" or "-".
About... -- Select this button to access version,
credit and copyright information in the About Box.
Help... -- Select this button to access the Contents
Page of Win Decor Help.
Cancel -- Select this button to exit without saving any
changes to Win Decor's settings.
OK -- Select this button to save the current settings
and exit Win Decor.
We hope you enjoy this program. We are currently
working on a Windows "To Do" program, and we'll have
that on a soon to be published issue of ODM.
--END--