Table of Contents
Wallpaper Manager Help Index

Introduction

Registering Wallpaper Manager

Running Wallpaper Manager

Switching Modes

Selection Modes

The Main Window

The Gallery Menu

The Setup Menu

The Browse Menu

The Alphabetical/In Sequence Toggle

Main Window Pushbuttons

Adding Wallpapers

Wallpaper File Formats

Color Palette Problems

WALL.INI

Converting Older Version INI Files

Miscellaneous

Error Conditions

Bugs & Incompatibilities


Introduction to Wallpaper Manager

Introduction to Wallpaper Manager (WALL.EXE)

Copyright © 1992 by Curtis Marx. All Rights Reserved.

Wallpaper Manager is a flexible utility for managing and displaying desktop wallpapers in Windows™   3.x. Wallpaper Manager allows you to assemble and edit multiple wallpaper display lists; each list stored in its own Gallery file. Rather than using DOS filenames to refer to these wallpapers you assign each one a descriptive title. Wallpaper Manager offers four Switching Modes governing when new wallpapers are selected and three Selection Modes that determine the order of selection. (See Running Wallpaper Manager). Wallpaper Manager supports BMP, RLE, and BLZ (Lempel-Ziv compressed) format wallpapers.

NOTE: BLZ format support and format conversions are not available in the shareware version of Wallpaper Manager. To obtain these features you must register your copy.

Wallpaper Manager requires Windows™   3.0 or higher running in standard or enhanced mode. The system display should be VGA or higher. A mouse is not required.

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.


Registering Wallpaper Manager

Wallpaper Manager is offered as shareware. You are free to copy it and to pass it on unmodified and complete to others. If you like the program and make regular use of it you are expected to pay $20 to register your copy.

Format conversions and BLZ format support are not available in the shareware version of Wallpaper Manager. Also, the shareware version displays a "nag" message on start up and when changing wallpapers. These are intended as inducements to register your copy if you in fact make regular use of this program; the shareware version is otherwise fully functional.

When you register I will send you the most recent version of Wallpaper Manager with format conversions enabled and no nag message. Please specify 5 1/4" or 3 1/2" diskettes with your order. Registration also entitles you to notification of any major upgrades (if you have a CServe account I can notify you that way if you prefer).

For your convenience an order form is available in this help. Just click below to get to the form. Once there click File/Print Topic in the Help window menu to print a copy.

Click here for Order Form

Comments, suggestions, and bug reports are always welcome. Informal telephone support is available.

Thanks,

Curtis Marx

52 Highland Avenue

Arlington, MA 02174

(617) 648-8919

CServe: [72560, 1110]


Registration Order Form
Wallpaper Manager

Registration Order Form

From:	___________________________________	To:	Curtis Marx

52 Highland Avenue

___________________________________	Arlington, MA  02174

tel:   (617) 648-8919

___________________________________	fax:  (617) 648-8921

CIS: [72560,1110]

___________________________________

Tel: _______________________________	Date:	________________

CIS # (if any): _______________________

Please send me the most recent registered version of Wallpaper Manager.

Media type (please check one):   3.5" (720K) ____     5.25" (360K) ____    5.25" (1.2M) ____

Qty: _____	x	$ 20.00  	=	_______

Mass. Residents add 5% sales tax:	_______

Total:	_______

Make check payable to Curtis Marx and mail with this form to the address above.

Thank you for purchasing a registered copy of Wallpaper Manager!


Running Wallpaper Manager

Starting up: Windows 3.0

Although Wallpaper Manager can be started at any time using File or Program Manager, it is recommended that you list it in the load= line in WIN.INI, e.g.,

load= {other entries} [drive:\path\]WALL

This way Wallpaper Manager will be started automatically whenever you begin a Windows session. You will also want to create an icon for Wallpaper Manager in Program Manager. See your Windows documentation for how to do this.

Starting up: Windows 3.1

Under Windows 3.1 you can start Wallpaper Manager by including its program item (icon) in the StartUp program group. If you do so, you should check the "Run Minimized" box in the Program Item Properties dialog. See your Windows documentation for more information about the StartUp program group and setting icon properties. The WIN.INI load line approach will also work in Windows 3.1.

NOTE: When Wallpaper Manager is started as described above by default it remains hidden and does not display a window or an icon. You can modify this default behavior by checking the Always Iconize Instead of Hide check box in the Setup/Modes... dialog. To pop up Wallpaper Manager's Main Window when it is hidden double click its icon in Program Manager. You can also set a hot key for popping up Wallpaper Manager.

Initialization and Help Files

Wallpaper Manager uses an initialization file, WALL.INI, which is normally placed in the Windows directory. Wallpaper Manager will create WALL.INI if it does not find it. The file you are reading, WALL.HLP, is also usually placed in the Windows directory

If you need to put WALL.INI or WALL.HLP somewhere other than the Windows directory you can specify different filenames and paths by setting two environment variables. To change the path and/or name of the initialization file set the variable WPMINIT to the desired path and name, e.g.,

SET WPMINIT=D:\SOME\PATH\[NAME.EXT]

For WALL.HLP set the variable WPMHELP, e.g.,

SET WPMHELP=D:\SOME\PATH\[NAME.EXT]

Typically you would place these lines in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. These variables must be set prior to starting Windows. The name and extension are optional. If unspecified Wallpaper Manager assumes the name WALL for both files, the INI extension for its initialization file, and the HLP extension for its help file.

In addition to WALL.INI, Wallpaper Manager uses gallery files to store wallpaper lists. The first time you start Wallpaper Manager it normally uses the default gallery file, WALL.GAL. However, if you use WPMINIT as described above, Wallpaper Manager would look for the gallery file D:\SOME\PATH\NAME.GAL instead. Once you have explicitly opened a gallery file (see The Gallery Menu) Wallpaper Manager thereafter uses the most recently opened gallery when it is started up. If you do not use WPMINIT, WALL.GAL should be placed in the Windows directory along with WALL.INI. If Wallpaper Manager cannot find WALL.GAL it will create it.

To take advantage of Wallpaper Manager's file compression features make sure that WALLLZS.DLL is accessible. Preferably, this DLL should be placed in the Windows SYSTEM directory. Alternatively, it can be in the Windows directory itself, in a directory listed in the DOS PATH environment variable, or in the same directory as WALL.EXE.

NOTE: WALLLZS.DLL is only included with the registered version of Wallpaper Manager.


Wallpaper Switching Modes
Wallpaper Manager Switching Modes

The Switching Mode determine when Wallpaper Manager selects the next wallpaper to display. Switching Mode is set via the Modes dialog. The Switching Mode setting is specific to each gallery.

Manual	Use Wallpaper Manager in this mode if you only intend to select wallpapers manually.

Startup Only	In this mode Wallpaper Manager will display a new wallpaper on the desktop every time a new Windows session is started.

Timer Only	In this mode Wallpaper Manager puts a new wallpaper on the desktop at fixed intervals.

Startup & Timer	This mode combines the above two so that a new paper appears at the start of every Windows session and thereafter at fixed intervals.

For information on how Wallpaper Manager determines which paper to select next see Selection Modes.

NOTE: If you are going to use Wallpaper Manager in modes other than Manual it is strongly recommended that you include it on the load= line in WIN.INI or in the StartUp program group (Windows 3.1 only). (see Running Wallpaper Manager).


Wallpaper Selection Modes
Wallpaper Manager Selection Modes

The Selection Mode determines the order in which Wallpaper Manager picks wallpapers from its display list. Selection Mode is set via the Modes dialog. The Selection Mode setting is specific to each gallery.

Random	Wallpaper Manager randomly picks a new wallpaper from the display list. The display list order itself is not modified.

Ran/Seq	Wallpaper Manager increments through the display list until it reaches the end. Then it randomly shuffles the list and resumes stepping from the beginning.

Sequential 	Wallpaper Manager increments through the display list but does not reshuffle when it reaches the end.

Wallpaper Manager allows you specify a display sequence in Sequential Mode (using the Order dialog). Hence, you can use Wallpaper Manager as a simple presentation tool if your slides are in a supported format. In Timer Only Mode Wallpaper Manager will flip through your slides automatically.


The Wallpaper Manager Main Window

Menu Bar

Gallery, Setup, Browse, Alphabetical/In Sequence, and Help.

Button Bar

Add, Remove, Display, Hide, and Close.

Upper Message Bar

The left panel lists the current gallery file. The middle panel shows a count of wallpapers in the current gallery. When Wallpaper Manager is running in a timer mode the time remaining until the next wallpaper change is displayed in the right panel.

Wallpaper List Box

This list box shows all the wallpaper titles in the current gallery. Titles can be up to fifty characters in length. You assign titles to wallpapers whenever you add them to the list. You can select titles from this list for editing, removal, or display.

Lower Message Bar

When you select a title in the list box the left panel shows the bitmap file associated with that title. The center panel shows the size of the file in kilobytes. The right panel shows the wallpaper's display mode, T for tiled or C for centered.

NOTE: The first time you start Wallpaper Manager its wallpaper list will be empty. You must use the Add button to add wallpapers to Wallpaper Manager's display list.


The Gallery Menu

Gallery Files

Gallery files contain a wallpaper list together with Switching Mode, Selection Mode, Duration, and Palette Correction settings to be used with the list. Each gallery also has its own title. This title is displayed in the Main Window caption after the gallery has been opened.

Galleries allow you to organize your overall wallpaper collection into different viewing groups. For example, you can have a working hours gallery that sets a suitably industrious tone during the daylight hours. Then, after 5:00, you can switch to an after hours gallery with more free-wheeling themes.

Gallery Menu Options

New or Clear...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+C)

Open...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+O)

Save As...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+S)

Merge...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+G)

Delete...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+D)

Organize...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Z)

Delete Wallpaper	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+K)


Gallery/Clear
Gallery/New or Clear

The Gallery/New or Clear dialog allows you to create a new, empty gallery or to clear the wallpaper list in an existing gallery (this does not delete the underlying wallpaper bitmap files). The dialog provides file and directory boxes with which you can locate gallery files. If you select a gallery file in the files list its current title is displayed in the Gallery Title box.

To create a new gallery type the new filename in the edit box above the file list. If you do not enter an extension Wallpaper Manager uses .GAL.

If instead you type in the name of an existing gallery or use the files list to pick a gallery then its wallpaper list will be cleared.

Each gallery must have a non-blank title which you enter in the Gallery Title edit box.

The new or cleared gallery inherits the Switching Mode, Selection Mode, Duration, and Palette Correction settings from the current gallery.


Gallery/Open

The Gallery/Open dialog provides file and directory boxes with which you can locate gallery files. When you select a gallery file in the files list its title is displayed in the Gallery Title box. You cannot type into the title or filename boxes in this dialog. The selected gallery is opened and becomes the current gallery.


Gallery/Save As

The Gallery/Save As dialog provides file and directory boxes with which you can locate gallery files. If you select a gallery file in the files list its title is displayed in the Gallery Title box. To save a gallery under a new name just type your selection in the edit box above the file list. If you do not enter an extension Wallpaper Manager uses .GAL.

Each gallery must have a non-blank title which you enter in the Gallery Title edit box.

NOTE: Changes you make to the current gallery are immediately reflected in the underlying Gallery file. This is why there is no Save option in the Gallery menu; it is unnecessary. However, for this reason, if you want to create a new gallery by editing the contents of the current one, first save the current gallery under the new name and then make any changes.


Gallery/Merge

The Gallery/Merge dialog provides file and directory boxes with which you can locate gallery files. If you select a gallery file in the files list its title is displayed in the Gallery Title box. You cannot type into the title or filename boxes in this dialog.

When merging Wallpaper Manager reads in the wallpaper list from the gallery file you select. Wallpapers are only merged in if they are unique as to both title and underlying file. This is the same restriction that applies when adding wallpapers.


Gallery/Delete

The Gallery/Delete dialog provides file and directory boxes with which you can locate gallery files. When you select a gallery file in the files list its title is displayed in the Gallery Title box. You cannot type into the title or filename boxes in this dialog. Click OK to delete the selected gallery. You cannot delete the current gallery.


Gallery/Organize

Overview

The Gallery/Organize dialog allows you to manage the locations and formats of your wallpaper files. With it you can move or copy wallpapers from one directory to another. It also provides an update feature to help you keep galleries which share wallpapers in sync with one another when you move wallpapers around.

Moving or Copying Wallpapers

To move or copy wallpapers first select one or more titles from the Wallpaper Titles box. Hold down the left mouse button to select a range of titles. Hold down CTRL in conjunction with the left mouse button to select additional titles or ranges of titles. You can also use the SHIFT key in conjunction with the movement keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, etc.) to select a range of titles.

If you would prefer to look at wallpaper filenames instead of titles just click the Filenames button on the right. Clicking it again changes the list back to titles.

Pick out a destination directory for the selected wallpapers using the directory and drive lists.

Select a transfer mode. This governs what conversion, if any, to perform during the copy or move operation:

Normal	No conversions.

RLECompress	Converts any selected BMP or BLZ files to RLE format. RLE files are transfered normally.

LZCompress	Converts any selected BMP or RLE files to BLZ format. BLZ files are transfered normally.

Expand	Converts any selected BLZ or RLE files to BMP format. BMP files are transfered normally.

Only the Normal transfer mode is available in the shareware version of Wallpaper Manager.

Click the Copy or Move button to begin transferring files.

Updating Wallpapers

Sometimes you may have wallpaper files that are listed in more than one gallery. If you open one gallery and move such multiply referenced wallpapers then any other galleries that include these files will no longer refer to the right locations for them. To update other galleries to changes you make to shared wallpaper files:

1) Open each effected gallery

2) Select the changed files and their destinations

3) Click the Update button instead of Move or Copy.

This updates the gallery's internal wallpaper list without actually moving or copying any files.

Other Pushbuttons

Display	Displays any single selected wallpaper. If multiple wallpapers are selected clicking this button has no effect.

Select All /	Button toggles to select all files in the list or clear them all.

Clear All	Title changes accordingly.

Close	Closes the dialog box. (Hitting the Esc key also closes this dialog).

Help	Gets this help.


Rename Duplicate

This dialog pops up during a Gallery/Organize move or copy operation. It indicates that one of the gallery files being moved or copied would either:

1) duplicate a file or title already in the wallpaper list or,

2) overwrite an existing file in the destination directory.

In the first case you must either type in a new filename (no extension) or else click Skip to skip over this wallpaper and not copy or move it.

In the second case if you click on OK without changing the name, the file in the destination directory is overwritten by the one being moved or copied.


Wallpaper File Formats

Wallpaper Manager can display and convert between wallpaper files in three different formats:

    File

Extension	Format Type

 BMP	Microsoft Bitmap (uncompressed)

This is the most common format for wallpaper files. BMP files are not compressed. As a result, they are normally the least space-efficient of the three formats but, conversely, are the quickest to display.

 RLE	Run Length Encoded Microsoft Bitmap (compressed)

RLE files are generally not as small as BLZ's but are faster to compress and considerably faster to display. Only 16 and 256 color BMP files can be RLE compressed; monochrome and 24-bit "true color" bitmaps cannot.

 BLZ	Lempel-Ziv encoded BMP (compressed)

BLZ files normally achieve the best compression but take longer than RLE's to compress and display. BLZ generally provides compression comparable to CompuServes GIF format. All color resolution BMP files can be BLZ compressed. Note that BLZ file display is not supported in the shareware version of the program.

If you have a registered version of Wallpaper Manager you can use the Gallery/Organize dialog to compress BMP files to either RLE or BLZ formats, to expand RLE and BLZ files back into BMP's, and to convert RLE's to BLZ's. Conversions are not available in the shareware version of the program.

Files compressed to RLE or BLZ format can be significantly smaller than in uncompressed form (better than 60% smaller in some cases). However, the degree of compression depends heavily on the complexity of the image and for certain files these formats can end up being larger than the original file.

When you use the Gallery/Organize dialog to compress BMP files to RLE or BLZ format, Wallpaper Manager will notify you if the compressed file will not achieve at least a 10% size reduction and give you the option to skip the file. You will also be notified when converting directly between RLE and BLZ formats if the target file would be larger than the source.

NOTE: When Wallpaper Manager displays BLZ files and when it converts directly between BLZ and RLE formats it creates a temporary file to hold an uncompressed copy of the wallpaper file. This file is created in your TEMP directory if one is defined. Otherwise it is created in the root directory of the first hard disk on your system. You should make sure that there is enough free space on the temporary file device to hold your largest wallpaper file (in BMP format). See your windows documentation if you need information about creating a TEMP directory.

BLZ format support is provided with the assistance of software from Eschalon Development, Inc. For more information about Eschalon's Lempel-Ziv libraries or other products they can be reached at 110-2 Renaissance Square, New Westminster, BC, V3M 6K3, Canada, Tel: (604) 520-1543, CServe: [76625,1320].

NOTE: I am not affiliated with Eschalon.


Gallery/Delete Wallpaper

This deletes the wallpaper file currently selected in in the Main Window wallpaper list. Unlike the Remove pushbutton this not only removes this wallpaper from the current gallery file's wallpaper list, it also deletes the underlying file from your hard disk.

Like the Move command in the Gallery/Organize dialog this operation should be used with care. Not only does it actually delete files but, also, any other galleries that refer to such deleted files will no longer be able to find them.


The Setup Menu

Modes...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+M)

Edit...	(Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+E or Enter. Also, double-click right)

Order...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+R)

Hot Keys...	(Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+H)


Setup/Edit

Radio Buttons

The two radio buttons let you modify the display mode of the selected wallpaper.

Wallpaper Title

Type the new title in the edit box. It must be non-blank and can be up to 50 characters in length. It cannot contain the character | (vertical bar) which is used internally by Wallpaper Manager. It also cannot be the same as any other title already in the list.


Setup/Modes

Radio Buttons

Use the radio buttons to set the Switching and Selection Modes.

Duration

The duration box lets you set the time interval between wallpaper changes for the two timer modes. The duration can be any positive number between 0 and 999. The radio buttons determine whether the value is interpreted as minutes or seconds.

Palette Correction

When checked this box enables Palette Correction. This check box is enabled only under Windows 3.0 and only if you have a 256 color display that supports palettes. Otherwise it will be grayed.

Switching Mode, Selection Mode, Duration, and Palette Correction settings are specific to each gallery file.

Always Iconize Instead of Hide

This checkbox is provided to prevent Wallpaper Manager from running hidden. Check it if you want Wallpaper Manager's icon to remain visible whenever it is running but not popped up. By default Wallpaper Manager runs hidden when you configure it to start up automatically at the beginning of each Windows session (see Running Wallpaper Manager).

When this box is checked both the Hide pushbutton and the Esc key will minimize the program instead of hidding it.

This is a global setting that applies regardless of what gallery is loaded.


Setup/Order
Changing Display Order

The Setup/Order dialog gives you precise control over the sequence in which wallpapers are displayed. Because of the way Wallpaper Manager's Selection Modes operate this dialog is disabled (grayed) when Wallpaper Manager is not in Sequential Mode.

The current display list order is shown in the dialog's list box. You change the order by selecting a title and then pushing the buttons at the right. Up and Down move the title up or down by one place in the list. PgUp and PgDn move the title up or down by several places. Home and End move the title to the beginning or end of the display list, respectively.

Double-clicking left in both the Order and Main Window wallpaper lists will move the list box highlight back to the currently displayed wallpaper.

The Display button functions identically to the one in the Main Window. Push the Close button (or hit Esc) when you are finished arranging the display order.

NOTE: Remember that Ran/Seq Mode can permute the display list order. So, if you do use the Order dialog to specify a preferred display sequence, you may not want to subsequently put Wallpaper Manager in Ran/Seq Mode.


Setup/Hot Keys

The Setup/Hot Keys dialog allows you to define four hot keys. Wallpaper Manager responds to these keys whenever it is running regardless of whether or not its Main Window is visible or has the input focus. The hot key functions are:

Pop Up	Exposes Wallpaper Manager's Main Window and gives it the input focus

even if it was previously hidden or minimized.

Next	Displays the next wallpaper in the display list (same as Browse/Next).

Previous	Displays the previous wallpaper in the display list (same as Browse/Previous).

Correct Palette	This hot key causes Wallpaper Manager to attempt to optimize the Windows palette for displaying the current wallpaper. See also Color Palette Problems.

If Wallpaper Manager is in Random Mode the Next and Previous hot keys both select a wallpaper at random.

Use the combo boxes to select the hot keys you want. The checkboxes determine whether the hot keys work when pressed alone or in combination with the Shift key, the Control key, or both. For combination hot keys depress the Shift and/or Control key(s) first then, with Shift and/or Control still held down, depress the hot key.

Under Windows 3.0 the Correct Palette hot key has no effect unless Palette Correction is enabled. It is also only available for 256 color displays.

Hot Key settings are global and apply regardless of what gallery file is currently loaded.

NOTE: Depending on how your Windows environment is configured it is possible that some hot key assignments will not work properly. If this happens to you try some other keys and Control/Shift settings.


The Browse Menu

Next	Next steps forward through the display list. (Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+N)

Previous	Previous steps backward through the display list. (Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+P)

None	Clears any wallpaper currently displayed and returns the desktop to the default background color. (Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+X)

If Wallpaper Manager is in Random Mode Next and Previous both select a wallpaper at random.


The Alphabetical/In Sequence Toggle

The wallpapers in Wallpaper Manager's Main Window can be listed either in alphabetical order or in display list order.

When wallpapers are listed alphabetically the menu bar will display In Sequence. Selecting it lists the wallpapers in display list order.

When wallpapers are listed in display list order the menu bar displays Alphabetical. Selecting it lists the wallpapers in alphabetical order.

The listing mode toggle is a global setting and applies regardless of what gallery file is currently loaded.


Main Window Buttons
Pushbuttons

Add...	This button opens a dialog box which you use to add wallpapers to Wallpaper Manager's list. See Adding Wallpapers.

Remove 	Removes the selected wallpaper from Wallpaper Manager's list. This does not delete the underlying wallpaper file from your hard disk.

Display	Displays the selected wallpaper. BLZ format wallpapers cannot be displayed by the shareware version of the program. (See also Browse).

Hide 	This hides Wallpaper Manager's window without terminating the program. If you are running Wallpaper Manager in a timer mode or want to use its hot keys, you should Hide Wallpaper Manager rather than Close it. If a Pop Up hot key is defined hitting the Escape key will also Hide Wallpaper Manager.

When Always Iconize Instead of Hide is checked in the Setup/Modes... dialog then the Hide button and the Escape key will minimize Wallpaper Manager instead of hiding it.

Close 	This terminates Wallpaper Manager. (Keyboard shortcut: Alt-F4)

Hiding Wallpaper Manager is not the same as minimizing it. When Wallpaper Manager is minimized it remains visible as an icon. However, if you Hide Wallpaper Manager it disappears entirely. You can define a Hot Key for popping it up from this hidden state. Alternatively, just double-click its icon in Program Manager. Double-clicking and the pop up hot key also work when Wallpaper Manager is minimized.


Adding Wallpapers

How to Add Files

The Add button opens a dialog box which resembles a typical Windows File/Open dialog but with some differences. For one, the files list is a multiple selection list. This means you can select more than one wallpaper at a time for adding.

Hold down the left mouse button to select a range of files. Hold down CTRL in conjunction with the mouse to select additional files or ranges of files. You can also use the SHIFT key in conjunction with the movement keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, etc.) to select a range of files. After you have selected the files you want, there are two different ways to actually add them.

Add All Method

If you press the Add All button Wallpaper Manager will add all the selected files to the wallpaper list. It will use default titles formed by taking the filename and upper-casing the first letter, e.g., C:\WIN\BMP\FOOBAR.BMP will get the default title "Foobar". Wallpaper Manager will skip any files which are already in the list or whose default titles are already in the list. Such unprocessed files are left highlighted after the Add All so you can see what was skipped.

Add File Method

An alternative is to use the Add File button. When you press this the cursor moves down to the Wallpaper Title edit box in which is displayed a default title determined as above. The Add File button changes to Accept Title and the Add All button is retitled Cancel Add.

At this point you have the option to type in a longer descriptive title. If you change your mind about adding the file press Cancel Add. Otherwise, press Accept Title and the file will be added with the title you specified.

The Accept Title button will then change back to Add File, Cancel Add will revert to Add All, and the highlight will be cleared from the file just added or cancelled. You can repeat the process for any other files still highlighted.

Wallpaper File Restrictions

The wallpaper files you add must be in one of Wallpaper Managers supported formats: BMP, RLE, or BLZ.

Wallpaper Manager allows up to 1000 wallpapers in a gallery file. However, large galleries can be slow to process during operations such as loading and saving. A 1000 wallpaper gallery takes about 1.5 minutes to load on a typical 33MHz 80386 system (versus a 100 wallpaper file which loads in one or two seconds).

Wallpaper titles must be non-blank and can be up to 50 characters in length. They cannot contain the character | (vertical bar) which is used internally by Wallpaper Manager.

Radio Buttons

The two radio buttons select either tiled or centered display mode for the wallpaper you add.

Other Pushbuttons

Select All /	Button toggles to select all files in the list or clear them all.

Clear All	Title changes accordingly.

Display	Displays any single selected wallpaper to allow you to preview it before adding. If multiple wallpapers are selected clicking this button has no effect.

Close	Closes the dialog box. (Hitting the Esc key also closes this dialog).

Help	Gets this help.


Wallpaper Color Problems
Color Palette Problems

If you are running Wallpaper Manager under Windows 3.0 and have a 256 color display you may notice that your wallpapers do not always display with the right colors after two or more have been selected in succession. Wallpaper Manager offers an option that can usually correct this problem. Try checking the Palette Correction checkbox in the Modes dialog and then displaying a new wallpaper so it can take effect. If you do not have a 256 color display or you are running Wallpaper Manager under Windows 3.1 or higher the checkbox will be grayed.

You may notice some interaction with other applications when Palette Correction is enabled. In particular, if Wallpaper Manager initiates a wallpaper change while you are working in another application, that application will momentarily lose the input focus. The same momentary loss of focus will occur when you use the Correct Palette hot key.

It is normal for running applications to affect wallpaper colors, especially color intensive applications such as paint programs. Also, some programs may leave wallpaper colors scrambled after they have finished running. Under Windows 3.0, if Palette Correction is enabled, and at all times under Windows 3.1 you can use the Correct Palette hot key to quickly reset the wallpaper colors. Likewise, popping up Wallpaper Manager's Main Window willl also usually unscramble color mix ups.

Microsoft in effect built wallpaper Palette Correction into Windows 3.1 which is why Wallpaper Manager disables this feature when running under it. However, some Windows applications can still jumble the wallpaper palette even under Windows 3.1. So, you may still find yourself occassionally having to use the Correct Palette hot key or to pop up Wallpaper Manager to fix the problem.


Wallpaper Manager Error Conditions
Error Conditions

Wallpaper File Problems

Wallpaper files can cause problems for at least three reasons.

1) a file may be moved or deleted after being added to Wallpaper Manager's list.

2) a file given to Wallpaper Manager may not be in valid BMP, RLE, or BLZ format.

3) a wallpaper's pixel dimensions or color resolution may be greater than your display device can produce.

Wallpaper Manager deals with the first two errors by looking for the next good wallpaper in its list and if none are usable reverting to background color. The third problem can be trickier. If the dimensions of a wallpaper are too large some display drivers will either generate a UAE or lock up the system. Higher color resolutions usually will display successfully (if less colorfully). However, 24-bit color wallpapers have been known to cause problems on some drivers. Wallpaper Manager does not check whether wallpaper files exceed your display's pixel dimensions or color resolution.

A related problem can occur if the startup wallpaper file listed in WIN.INI is invalid for one of the reasons discussed above. In this case, windows may not start at all or hang during loading. If it does start the desktop will display its background color (like Browse/None).

Also, wallpaper colors may not produce correctly in some circumstances. See Color Palette Problems.

BLZ Display Problems

If Wallpaper Manager seems to be unable to display a BLZ format wallpaper that you know is OK check to make sure that your TEMP directory device has enough free space. When displaying BLZ files Wallpaper Manager uses the TEMP directory to store a temporary copy of the file in uncompressed BMP format. Many people set up a RAM drive to hold their TEMP directory to improve system performance. This is fine as long as the RAM drive has enough extra space to hold your biggest BLZ compressed Wallpaper in uncompressed from.

Fatal Errors

Wallpaper Manager can detect several unexpected conditions from which there is no easy way to recover gracefully. In these cases the program puts up a message box with a cryptic description of the error and then terminates. While Windows will probably be stable in the aftermath of these errors it's always a good idea to clean up and restart. Please make a note of any such error messages if you intend to report a bug.

If the initialization file, WALL.INI, or the current gallery file becomes corrupted Wallpaper Manager may not operate correctly. Wallpaper Manager responds to some gallery file problems by creating an empty, temporary gallery. This allows the program to at least start up in this situation.

If Wallpaper Manager behaves strangely you may want to take a look at these files in an ASCII test editor such as Windows Notepad. If they appear garbled the simplest solution is to just delete them. Wallpaper Manager will then make a new WALL.INI and a new, empty gallery, WALL.GAL, the next time you start it.

NOTE: If you have used the WPMINIT environment variable to rename or relocate WALL.INI then Wallpaper Manager will use that name and path when it recreates the file. (See Running Wallpaper Manager)


Bugs and Incompatibilities

V1.50 and prior:  Due to a bug in the Windows API function WritePrivateProfileString Wallpaper Manager could occassionally corrupt Program Manager's program group files. A work around for this API bug has been implemented post V1.5. This API bug was fixed under Windows 3.10.

V1.70: Another bug in WritePrivateProfileString could cause large gallery files not to clear properly and sometimes generate a UAE. This was observed under Windows 3.10.061d. Under Windows 3.00a this may also have alse caused problems with Program Manager (this latter side effect has not been confirmed, however). A work around for this bug has been implemented post V1.70.

V2.04: A bug was discovered when compressing BMP to RLE files under Windows 3.1 using the distribution VGA driver. This is related to a Windows bug in the GetDIBits function. V2.04 and previous also had a problem with 24-bit BMPs. Attempting to RLE convert such files resulted in an application error. The correct behavior should be to message the user that such conversions are not supported. This has been fixed post v2.04.

Norton Desktop for Windows v2.0 and Windows 3.1: If you are using Norton Desktop for Windows version 2.0 with Windows 3.1 you may notice that wallpaper colors are more likely to get jumbled than is the case when using Program Manager as shell. You can usualy correct this by using the Correct Palette hot key or by popping up Wallpaper Manager. This seems to be a Norton bug since it can occur even when Wallpaper Manager is not running. The Refresh function in the Norton Desktop also seems to fix color scrambling. (See also Color Palette Problems)


The WALL.INI Initialization File
WALL.INI

Wall uses an initialization file called WALL.INI which contains the global configuration settings for the hot keys, listing mode, and Always Iconize switch as well as a pointer to the current gallery file. These settings as well as data and settings in the gallery file are automatically updated whenever you make any changes to them.

WALL.INI is an ASCII text file in Windows Profile format (like WIN.INI). The distribution copy of WALL.INI contains comments which describe the format and interpretation of the various entries. You can edit this directly in Windows Notepad or any other ASCII text editor.

CAUTION: WALL.EXE may behave unpredictably in the face of unexpected text or formatting errors in WALL.INI. Hence, you may wish to make a backup copy of WALL.INI before editing it. Also, Wallpaper Manager must not be running while you are editing WALL.INI or it may overwrite your changes.

Gallery files are also in profile format and the same caveats apply if you choose to edit them directly. A fully commented empty gallery file, WALL.GAL, is distributed with the other Wallpaper Manager files.

If Wallpaper Manager does not find WALL.INI or WALL.GAL it will create new ones. However, these will not have any of the comments included in the distribution versions.


Converting Older Version INI Files

Wallpaper Manager is distributed with latest format Initialization (INI) and Gallery (GAL) files. The distribution versions, of course, do not contain any wallpaper information. If you are using an older, pre-galleries version INI file with lots of wallpapers defined, you may find it simpler to let Wallpaper Manager convert your old INI file to the new format rather than re-entering everything.

If you want to do this first rename the distribution INI and GAL files to something Wallpaper Manager will not look for (e.g., WALLNEW.INI, WALLNEW.GAL). You can keep these around for their commenting. Your old WALL.INI file should be located in the Windows directory unless you are using WPMINIT to relocate and/or rename it. (See also WALL.INI)

The first time Wallpaper Manager starts up it will scan your old INI file and determine that it is in the older (pre-galleries) format. You will then be prompted if you want the conversion to be done (clicking No gets you to this help and terminates Wallpaper Manager). If you click Yes, Wallpaper Manager converts WALL.INI into a new format initialization file and creates a gallery file, WALL.GAL, that contains your original wallpaper list.

If you have used WPMINIT to relocate or rename WALL.INI to say, MYWALL.FOO, then the new INI file will have the same name and the new gallery will be MYWALL.GAL. Both will be in whatever directory you specified in WPMINIT.


Miscellaneous

1) The timer is disabled, regardless of Switching Mode, while any of Wallpaper Manager's dialog boxes are showing.

2) The timer is also disabled when there are no wallpapers in the display list.

3) Although the Wallpaper Manager Main Window has sizing handles it cannot be re-sized.

4) There is an obscure problem that can occur when Wallpaper Manager is minimized, Palette Correction is enabled, and Wallpaper Manager's minimized icon is active. In this situation Palette Correction will not operate. This is an unusual situation since one rarely has much use for activated icons in Windows. This is not a problem in Windows 3.1.

FYI: Single clicking an icon will make it the active "window" and cause it to display its system menu. Single clicking again hides the menu but leaves the icon active.


Wallpapers

Wallpapers are bitmap picture files that Windows can display on the desktop as a background to your application windows. Several are included with the retail Windows distribution disks.

Wallpaper Manager supports bitmaps in standard BMP format as well as two compressed formats, RLE and BLZ.


Display Mode

Windows can display wallpapers in either centered or tiled modes.

In centered mode the wallpaper is centered on the screen and, if it does not occupy the entire display, the gap between the edges of the wallpaper and the edges of the screen will be drawn in the desktop background color.

In tiled mode the wallpaper is duplicated and tiled to cover the entire display surface.

If the wallpaper is exactly the same size as the display then the display mode setting has no effect.