@database BackPack.guide $VER: BackPack-Guide/Documentation 1.0 (16.3.94) @node MAIN "BACKPACK DOCUMENTATION" @next INTRODUCTION BACKPACK 1.0 @{" 1. INTRODUCTION " link INTRODUCTION} by Tom Ekstr @{" 2. CONTENTS " link CONTENTS} @{" 2.1. Backdrops " link BACKDROPS} Workbench 3.0 or later required @{" 2.2. Mouse Pointer " link POINTER} @{" 2.3. Startup Picture " link BOOTPIC} @{" 2.4. File Overview " link FILEOVERVIEW} @{" 3. MISCELLANEOUS " link MISC} BackPack is freely distributable and @{" 3.1. Copyright " link COPYRIGHT} Copyright 1994 Tom Ekstr m @{" 3.2. Author info " link AUTHOR} @endnode @node INTRODUCTION "1. INTRODUCTION" @prev MAIN @next CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Tired of that old gray background? BackPack is a collection of nice backdrops to brighten up your Workbench. As a bonus I've also included a high resolution mouse pointer, and a startup picture to be used with BootPic, BootLogo or some similar utility. @endnode @node CONTENTS "2. CONTENTS" @prev INTRODUCTION @next MISC 2. CONTENTS The BackPack package consists of three parts: The backdrops, the mouse pointer and the startup picture. @{" Backdrops " link BACKDROPS} @{" Mouse Pointer " link POINTER} @{" Startup Picture " link BOOTPIC} @{" File Overview " link FILEOVERVIEW} @endnode @node BACKDROPS "2.1. THE BACKDROPS" @prev CONTENTS @next POINTER 2.1. THE BACKDROPS The backdrops can be found in the (surprise, surprise:) 'Backdrops' drawer, organized in subdrawers according to the number of colours they use. You can see a preview of each backdrop pattern by double clicking on its icon. There are 19 backdrops in all. As the installation of the backdrops is very simple, I haven't included any installation script: Just drag and drop them wherever you want them, then adjust your WBPattern and ScreenMode preferences accordingly. If you are unsure of how to do this, consult your Workbench manual. All backdrops wrap around more or less successfully, so they're perfectly useable with any resolution and screenmode. Most of the backdrops were designed to look good on an ordinary high-resolution, non-interlaced screen (or some other screenmode with a similar aspect ratio X:Y of about 2:1, such as SuperHires Laced). Therefore, some of them may look a bit squashed if used on a hires interlaced Workbench, but that's a matter of taste. The only backdrop that doesn't wrap is the 'GoodMorning' backdrop, for which I've included separate versions for interlaced and non-interlaced screenmodes. 'Keyboard 2' is the only backdrop that has the default palette of gray, black, white and blue, so it can be used on an ordinary 4-colour workbech. The other four-colour backdrops can be used on an 8-colour workbench, if the upper four colours of the palette is set to match those of the backdrop. Ready-made 8-colour palettes can be found in the '8_Colour_Palettes' subdrawer. Open the palette using the Palette preferences, then load the backdrop with WBPattern. The four-colour backdrops might be useable on an ECS Amiga with Workbench 2.0 too, with a custom backdrop utility such as NickPrefs by Nicola Salmoria. NickPrefs is not included with BackPack, but it can be found in the AmigaLibDisk library, on Fish disk 780. In any case, increase the number of the colours on your workbench with the ScreenMode preferences program if the backdrop doesn't look right. Note that you can have different backdrops for your workbech and windows. One favourite combination of mine is to use 'CheckerBoard_Large' on workbench and 'CheckerBoard_Small' on the windows, on a 64-colour workbench (eats up a lot of memory though :). @endnode @node POINTER "2.2. MOUSE POINTER" @prev BACKDROPS @next BOOTPIC 2.2. MOUSE POINTER With the AGA chipset and later (optimistic am I not ? :) it is now possible to use a high resolution mouse pointer. For some reason, the default pointer in AGA Amigas is still in low resolution. In the 'Pointer' drawer is a preset file for a high resolution mouse pointer. As the busy image it displays an hourglass. To see a preview of the pointer, just double-click on the preset icon. Due to a bug in the Pointer preferences however, some pixels are chopped off from the left and bottom edges if you install it this way (at least it does this on my machine). A better (and more permanent) way to install the pointer is to drag and drop the pointer icon into the 'Prefs'->'Presets' drawer on your Workbench. Next, start the Pointer preferences program, and open the pointer preset file (select 'Open' from the 'Project' menu). Then just click on 'Save' if you want to get the new pointer automatically each time you reboot your Amiga, or 'Use', if you want it just for this session. @endnode @node BOOTPIC "2.3. STARTUP PICTURE" @prev POINTER @next FILEOVERVIEW 2.3. STARTUP PICTURE The second bonus in the BackPack package is a picture meant to be used with a utility such as BootPic or BootLogo (not included), that display an IFF picture instead of the ordinary white screen while booting. BootPic (by Markus Illenseer) and BootLogo (by Andreas Ackermann) can be found in the AmigaLibDisk library, on Fish Disk 754 and Fish Disk 963, respectively. Consult the documentation of these utilities to install and use the startup picture. This one is in high resolution interlaced, but take a look anyway if you're using a non-interlaced workbench. I think the flimmering actually suits the feeling of the picture :). It's a bit different than the usual Windows-inspired logos. @endnode @node FILEOVERVIEW "2.4. FILE OVERVIEW @prev BOOTPIC @next MISC 2.4. FILE OVERVIEW This is a listing of all files in the BackPack 1.0 package. All files must be included in a distribution of BackPack. See @{"Copyright" link COPYRIGHT} for more information. BackPack/ BackDrops.info BackPack.doc.info BackPack.guide.info Pointer.info BackPack.doc BackPack.guide BootPics.info BackPack/BackDrops/ 16_Colour.info 4_Colour.info 8_Colour.info BackPack/BackDrops/4_Colour/ 8_Color_Palettes.info Keyboard1 Keyboard2.info SummerLeaves AutumnLeaves Keyboard1.info Keyboard3 SummerLeaves.info AutumnLeaves.info Keyboard2 Keyboard3.info BackPack/BackDrops/4_Colour/8_Color_Palettes/ AutumnLeaves_Palette.pre Keyboard3_Palette.pre AutumnLeaves_Palette.pre.info Keyboard3_Palette.pre.info Keyboard1_Palette.pre SummerLeaves_Palette.pre Keyboard1_Palette.pre.info SummerLeaves_Palette.pre.info BackPack/BackDrops/8_Colour/ CheckerBoard_Small IntoTheBlue Letters CheckerBoard_Small.info IntoTheBlue.info Letters.info BackPack/BackDrops/16_Colour/ Bathroom GoodMorning_Lace Stone1 Wood1 Bathroom.info GoodMorning_Lace.info Stone1.info Wood1.info CheckerBoard_Large Sand Stone2 Wood2 CheckerBoard_Large.info Sand.info Stone2.info Wood2.info GoodMorning SandStone Wallpaper GoodMorning.info SandStone.info Wallpaper.info BackPack/Pointer/ Pointer.pre Pointer.pre.info BackPack/BootPics/ SunnyWelcome SunnyWelcome.info @endnode @node MISC "3. MISCELLANEOUS" @prev CONTENTS @next MISC 3. MISCELLANEOUS This section contains the copyright notice and some information about the author. @{" Copyright " link COPYRIGHT} @{" Author " link AUTHOR} @endnode @node COPYRIGHT "3.1. COPYRIGHT" @prev MISC @next AUTHOR 3.1. COPYRIGHT NOTICE BackPack is freely distributable and copyright 1994 Tom Ekstr m. It can be distributed under the following conditions: (1) The BackPack package must be distributed in its entirety, without deletions, additions or modifications of any kind. The entire package may be compressed with an archiver (such as LhArc or Zoo) before distribution, however. (2) No profit may be made for distributing BackPack. A reasonable copying and handling charge for the media is acceptable, however. (3) No part of BackPack may be included in a commercial product without my written permission. (4) Explicit permission is granted to distribute BackPack on InterNet/FTP, public access BBS's, and to Fred Fish in his AmigaLibDisk library. @endnode @node AUTHOR "3.2. AUTHOR" @prev COPYRIGHT @next AUTHOR 3.2. AUTHOR I can be reached by paper mail at the address: Tom Ekstr Tiilentekij nkatu 16 as.10 FIN-20810 Turku FINLAND (Europe) or by e-mail at the address: litoek@kielo.uta.fi All comments and bug reports (?) are welcome. Enjoy life! It's never too late to have a happy childhood. @endnode