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OS/2 Help File
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1996-04-01
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ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
presents
Animouse is a fun little program that animates your mouse pointer so that you
can show your friends and co-workers how cool your computer is and how pathetic
theirs is.
With Animouse, you can choose from several already-made animations or you can
even create your own, using OS/2's built in ICON EDITOR and a simple script.
Contents:
Using Animouse
Creating your own Animations
Frequently Asked Questions
Acknowledgements
Obtaining Support
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Using Animouse ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Available Topics:
Selecting an Animation
Previewing an Animation
Turning Animation On and Off
Animation Priority Level
Undo
Default
About
Exit
Popup Menu
Changing Animation Name (Direct Editing)
Changing Animation Icon (Drag/Drop)
Changing the Way Animouse looks
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. Selecting an Animation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Use either the keyboard or the mouse (more fun with the mouse doncha think?) to
select one of the animations from the container at the top. Double click or
press enter to load the animation. Alternatively, you may use the popup
context menu and select Use.
Related Topics:
Popup Menu
Previewing Animations
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Previewing Animations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Once you have selected an animation, you may wish to view all the different
pointer types. You could try moving the mouse pointer around the desktop, but
you probably would not be able to see some of the less frequently used pointer
types, such as move, wait, or illegal.
Fortunately, there is a better way. Simply position the mouse pointer over the
checkbox that corresponds to the pointer type you wish to see animated. If the
script has an animation defined for that type, you will see the animation.
Otherwise, you will just see your normal mouse pointer.
Related Topics:
Selecting an Animation
Frequently Asked Questions
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Turning Animation On and Off ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You may only want to animate some of the pointer types, not all of them. For
instance, it may be annoying to have your main arrow cursor being animated all
the time. You can turn animation on or off for each of the various pointer
types by selecting the appropriate checkbox. In addition, you can entirely
disable all mouse pointer animation by selecting the Animate pushbutton.
Related Topics:
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.4. Animation Priority Level ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The animation thread can be assigned different priorities to determine how
frequently it is serviced by the CPU. If you find that the mouse animation is
stalling during heavy system load, you may want to try raising the 'Animation
Priority' to High. Likewise, if you want Animouse to only operate when other
tasks are idle, select Low. The Default Value is (amazingly enough) Normal.
Related Topics:
Default
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.5. Undo ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Press the Undo button to erase all* changes made since the program was opened.
* Animation name changes made via direct editing are not undone.
Related Topics:
Default
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.6. Default ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Press the Default button to return all settings to their factory set values.
Related Topics:
Undo
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.7. About ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The About button will display a dialog box which gives gives information about
the version of Animouse you are using.
Related Topics:
Introduction
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.8. Exit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Press Exit to close the program. Your previous settings will be saved.
Related Topics:
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.9. The Popup Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
A popup menu is available for each Animation in the container. The menu has 4
choices:
New
Edit
Delete
Use
Related Topics:
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.9.1. New ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Selecting New from the popup menu will create a new animation script template
(complete with helpful comments) and open the Icon Editor for your use.
A new animation icon will appear in the Animouse Window. It will be given a
default icon which you are free (and encouraged) to modify via drag 'n' drop.
It will also be assigned a name, "new1", "new2", "new3", etc. which you may
modify via Direct Editing.
Related Topics:
Creating your own Animation
Direct Editing
Drag 'n' Drop
Popup Menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.9.2. Edit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Select Edit. from the popup menu of the animation that you wish to edit. The
OS/2 Icon Editor and the OS/2 System Editor should load, displaying the
contents of the animation file. You may advance through the pointers in the
Icon Editor by selecting Next from the File menu or using the keyboard shortcut
CTRL-E
The OS/2 System Editor will display the contents of the script file which
controls which pointers are used in the animation. Make any necessary changes
and Select Save from the File menu.
For additional information about how to use the Icon Editor or the System
Editor, please refer to the program's online help, OS/2's manual or one of the
many excellent OS/2 Warp reference books that are available.
Related Topics:
The Script File
The Pointer (*.PTR) files
Popup Menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.9.3. Delete ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
When you select Delete from the popup menu, Animouse will display a dialog box
that confirms your delete action.
Related Topics:
Do you really want to Delete ... ?
Popup Menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.9.4. Use ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Selecting Use will cause the highlighted animation to be loaded.
Related Topics:
Selecting an Animation
Popup Menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.10. Changing Animation Name ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can change the name of an animation in the main window via Direct Editing.
This is the same technique used in standard Workplace Shell Folders to change
the name of an object.
The exact method of doing this is configurable in the Mouse Settings system
object and may change from system to system. However, the default (and most
likely) method is to hold down ALT and select the object with your left mouse
button. The icon text will become outlined and you will be able to change it.
If this does not work then you should try opening your System Setup folder and
double-click on Mouse. Now select the Mappings tab and look at the section
titled "Editing title text". You should be able to determine the proper
procedure based on those settings.
* On FAT file systems, the actual filename will not change if you specify a
name longer than 8 characters.
Related Topics:
Changing Animation Icon
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.11. Changing Animation Icon ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The icon used to represent each animation can easily be changed via drag and
drop. Simply drag any standard Icon or Pointer (*.ICO, *.PTR) file onto the
target animation item, and drop it. The animation item will change to match
the dragged image.
Related Topics:
Changing Animation Text
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.12. Changing the Way Animouse looks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Animouse main window is highly configurable. You can change the fonts and
colors for any of the standard OS/2 controls simply by opening OS/2's font or
color palette and dragging the desired attribute onto the control you wish to
change. Your attributes will be saved upon exit. We recommend placing the font
and color palettes on the launchpad for quick access.
Why might you want to change the attributes?
-The default fonts do not fit your display correctly.
-All that gray hurts your eyes.
-You are bored.
-You are trying to look like you are actually working.
-Make your desktop look better than your neighbor's Win95.
-Just 'cuz it's fun!!
Some Notes and Suggestions
Hold down the CTRL key when dropping the attribute in order to change the
Foreground attribute. Text and button-shadows can be changed in this manner.
The default behavior is to change the Background.
Dropping an attribute on the main window background also updates the rest of
controls -- IF they do not already have that attribute defined. For example,
to make all the text smaller, drop a small font somewhere around the perimeter
of the window, and all the text should change, unless you have already changed
a specific control's font manually.
Attributes for the New Dialogs are saved seperately from the default dialog
attributes, so you can maintain 2 different "looks". Only the standard OS/2
controls will change their background color, so new controls will always
remain gray.
You can select the foreground and background states for the Animate button and
the Icon Container when they are either enabled or disabled. It is possible
to create some neat (to us computer geeks) effects this way. Experiment!
The Default button restores colors and fonts to the default OS/2 system
values.
The Undo button restores colors and fonts to whatever condition they were at
when the program was started.
Related Topics:
Default Dialogs vs. New Dialogs
Undo
Default
Using Animouse
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Creating your own Animation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
First of All....
Creating or editing an animation is very simple and a lot of fun! (well, for
some people anyway.)
Due to the large number of pointers involved, you should create a unique
directory for each animation file you undertake. It will probably be easiest
if this directory is a subdirectory of the Animouse Directory, but this is not
a requirement. If you are editing a pre-existing animation, the directory
should already have been created.
There are 9 pointer types that are widely used in OS/2. A single script file
defines the animations for each of the following types:
Arrow
Text
Wait
SizeNWSE (Northwest, Southeast)
SizeNESW (Northeast, SouthWest)
SizeWE (West, East)
SizeNS (North, South)
Illegal
Related Topics:
The Script File
Example Animation Script
Creating and Editing Pointer files
Distributing your animation creation!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. The Script File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The script file (*.ANM) is a simple ascii text file that "points to" mouse
pointer (*.PTR) files. Each pointer file is a single frame in an animation. The
script file controls which pointers get loaded and how long each one is
displayed for (in milliseconds). The ANM script file (once finished) must be
located in the directory in which you have Animouse installed.
The individual pointer files, however, do not need to be located in the
Animouse directory. Indeed, it will become awfully messy if you do this.
Instead, they should be located in a subdirectory - one for each ANM file.
The best way to understand a script file is simply to look at one. Please do so
now.
Animouse will provide you with a script template when you select New from the
popup menu. This template contains a detailed comment section which should
guide you through the process of creating your animation. As a last resort,
you can always open up an existing animation to see how it was done by
selecting Edit from the animation's popup menu.
You may not even have to create any new pointers. Suppose you like the text
animation from one script file and the Wait animation from another. You can
simply copy the proper section from each file into your own 'new' animation
script. You can also play with the sequence (display order) and the duration
(amount of time) that each frame is displayed for.
Related Topics:
Example Animation Script
Pointer File (*.PTR) information
Creating your own animation
Changing Animation Name (Direct Editing)
Changing Animation Icon (Drag/Drop)
Popup Menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Example Animation Script. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Animation_Script
;-------------------------------
; FileNames | Durations |
;-------------------------------
ARROW:
.\MyAnim\arrow1.ptr 1000
.\MyAnim\arrow2.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow3.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow4.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow5.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow6.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow7.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow8.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow9.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow10.ptr 100
.\MyAnim\arrow11.ptr 100
END:
TEXT:
.\MyAnim\text1.ptr 300
.\MyAnim\text2.ptr 300
END:
WAIT:
.\MyAnim\wait1.ptr 200
.\MyAnim\wait2.ptr 200
.\MyAnim\wait3.ptr 200
.\MyAnim\wait4.ptr 200
.\MyAnim\wait5.ptr 200
.\MyAnim\wait6.ptr 200
END:
NWSE:
.\MyAnim\NWSE3.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\NWSE2.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\NWSE1.ptr 250
END:
NESW:
.\MyAnim\NESW3.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\NESW2.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\NESW1.ptr 250
END:
WE:
.\MyAnim\WE3.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\WE2.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\WE1.ptr 250
END:
NS:
.\MyAnim\NS3.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\NS2.ptr 250
.\MyAnim\NS1.ptr 250
END:
;We left the Illegal pointer blank,
;so it will not be animated.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. The Pointer (*.PTR) files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The largest part of the job is creating all the necessary pointers. It is not
necessary to create an animation for each pointer type (the program won't crash
if you don't) but please don't distribute ANM Scripts unless they have an
animation for each type. Use the Icon Editor (or equivalent program) to edit
the pointers. Make sure you save them as a .PTR file and not an .ICO file.
Also, make sure that for each pointer type (arrow, wait, etc) that each frame
(.PTR file) has the hotspot located in the same place. Failure to do this will
result in a mouse pointer that jumps around (it centers on the hotspot).
It is recommended that you start out simple. Try a small animation with just 2
pointers for each type. After you make sure you know what you are doing, go
for the gold!
Tip 1: In the Icon Editor, copy the current pointer to the clipboard and then
start a new pointer. Now paste the old image into the edit area and modify.
Tip 2: Use descriptive filenames. (arrow1.ptr, text1.ptr, etc).
Tip 3: Omit the number from the first frame of each pointer type. Then you can
select Load Set in the system Mouse Settings object to automatically load those
pointers when Animouse is not running.
Tip 4: Make sure you are using the default OS/2 color palette or weird colors
may result.
Tip 5: Remember to use CTRL-E to advance through the pointers in the Icon
Editor.
Related Topics:
Creating your own animation
Understanding animation scripts
An example script
Distributing your animation creation
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. Distributing your animation creation!. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Having used IBM's Webexplorer a lot, I like how many people have created their
own animations for use on their (and other's) Web pages. I have also seen
icons and mouse pointer sets uploaded to various ftp sites. I know there is a
lot of creative talent and energy out there. It is my hope that people will
create Animouse animations and distribute them for all to use.
There are just a few requirements:
1) The Animation must be complete. Please do not distribute animations
that are missing any pointer types.
2) You may not charge for the animation in any way.
3) You must notify the Animouse author (dandaman@aloha.com) of the
animation's location on the net. I would like to create a web page with
pointers to user created animations, and this is a necessary
prerequisite.
That's it! Be creative! I can think of a lot of wacky animations I would
like to create if I had any artistic talent.
Related Topics:
Creating your own animation
Understanding the Script File
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Animouse Notifications ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. "Unable to Load Pointer" Notification ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Animouse was not able to load one of the pointer files listed in the script
file.
There may be a syntax error in the script file or something wrong with the
pointer file.
Select Keep Trying to continue loading the script or Nevermind to abandon the
load operation.
If an error occurs, you should check the script file to make sure it is correct
and that the pointers it refers to actually exist.
Related Topics:
Opening an Animation file for Editing
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Do you really want to Delete ... ? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Since each animation consists of many files, you may not want to delete
everything. For example, several Animation scripts could refer to the same
Pointer (.PTR) files.
Your options are:
ΓöîΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÉ
ΓöéYes, Everything ΓöéDeletes Animation Script and Γöé
Γöé Γöéall Pointer files referenced Γöé
Γöé Γöéin it. Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéYes, Script Only ΓöéDeletes only the Animation Γöé
Γöé ΓöéScript,leaving the pointers Γöé
Γöé Γöéintact. Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéYes, Pointers Only ΓöéDeletes only the Pointer Γöé
Γöé Γöéfiles,leaving the Animation Γöé
Γöé ΓöéScript intact. Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéNo! Cancel ΓöéCancels the entire delete Γöé
Γöé Γöéoperation. Γöé
ΓööΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö┤ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÿ
Related Topics:
Delete popup menu item
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Frequently Asked Questions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓöîΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÉ
Γöé Where can I find more animations? Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
Γöé I have the <any type> pointer Γöé
Γöéchecked, but it is not animated. Γöé
ΓöéWhy? Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
Γöé Why do I get an error message whenΓöé
Γöéloading an animation? Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
Γöé Why aren't my regular pointers Γöé
Γöérestored properly sometimes? Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
Γöé How come my dialogs don't look Γöé
Γöélike the ones on the box? Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
Γöé Can I use Animouse without the Γöé
ΓöéWorkplace Shell? Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
Γöé How can I create my own animation?Γöé
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Γöé How can I edit one of the suppliedΓöé
Γöéanimations? Γöé
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Γöé How can I change an animation's Γöé
Γöétitle? Γöé
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Γöé How can I change an animation's Γöé
Γöéicon? Γöé
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Γöé What do the priority settings do? Γöé
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Γöé How can I use a different editor? Γöé
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Γöé Why does the animation sometimes Γöé
Γöé'flicker' or 'blink'? Γöé
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Related Topics:
Using Animouse
Obtaining Support
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Getting more animations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
If you have internet access, you can visit our home page on the World Wide Web.
Otherwise, please be sure to fill out your user registration card and you
should be receiving an offer for more animations in the near future.
Related Topics:
Frequently Asked Questions
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Pointer checked but not animated ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Each animation script can have animations defined for all or only some of the
standard OS/2 pointer types. If there is no animation defined in the script
file, then that pointer type is not animated, regardless of the current
setting. Still, you are free to select it because the next animation you load
may very well animate that pointer type.
Related Topics:
Understanding the Script File
Frequently Asked Questions
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.3. Custom pointers not restored ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Animouse is supposed to restore your custom OS/2 system pointers when you exit
or turn off animation.
There are times however, when Animouse is not exited properly. The most likely
cause is an improper system shutdown due to power failure or user initiated via
CTRL-ALT-DEL or hard reset.
If this happens, then when your desktop reappears, it will be using whichever
pointers Animouse last had loaded.
The next time Animouse is started, it will detect that it was not shut-down
properly and will restore your old pointers before beginning animation. The
next time you exit Animouse, you should find your custom or default OS/2
pointers restored properly.
In the event that they are not restored properly, you can always go to the
Mouse Settings object, located in the System Setup folder and reset the
pointers manually. Be sure that Animouse is not running when you do this.
Related Topics:
Pointer File (*.PTR) information
Frequently Asked Questions
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.4. Which dialogs to use? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Animouse comes with two sets of dialogs.
Default Dialogs
The default dialogs conform to Common User Access (CUA) guidelines and use
standard OS/2 Presentation Manager controls. These dialogs are loaded by
default to ensure compatibility with as many video devices as possible.
Enhanced Dialogs
The enhanced dialogs use non-standard controls created with the DrDialog
utility provided (but not supported) by IBM. These dialogs have more of a
sculpted look and feel. In addition, the about box is animated. These
controls do not display properly on all video cards and are not fully CUA
compliant. They also use more memory than the default dialogs. If you would
like to try these dialogs, close Animouse and restart it with the "-NewDialogs"
parameter.
For more information on using command-line parameters, please refer to the OS/2
manual or online help.
Related Topics:
Changing the Way Animouse looks
Frequently Asked Questions
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.5. Using Animouse without WPS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Animouse does not require the WPS for proper operation. It does, however,
require that you be using the Presentation Manager which is the windowing
subsystem used in OS/2. Just about any shell that works with Presentation
Manager should also work with Animouse.
Limitations when not using the WPS:
Drag / Drop of icons will not work unless your shell supports it.
There is no startup folder, so you may want to place a reference to
Animouse in startup.cmd or use a "RUN=" statement in your config.sys.
You will not be able to drag/drop colors and fonts onto Animouse.
Related Topics:
Changing Animation Icon via Drag/Drop
Using WPS font and color palettes
Frequently Asked Questions
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.6. Using another editor ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
By default, Animouse will load the OS/2 System Editor and the Icon Editor which
should be in your path as: "E.EXE" and "ICONEDIT.EXE" respectively. If you
wish to use another editor you will need to place that editor before the system
provided editor in your path and rename it to either "E.EXE" or "ICONEDIT.EXE",
depending on its function.
For more information regarding paths please refer to your OS/2 manual or online
help.
Related Topics:
Editing animations
Frequently Asked Questions
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.7. Flickering and Blinking ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
OS/2 works with a staggering number of different video cards, screen
resolutions, and color depths. However, not all of the video cards and drivers
are on a par. While we have done our best to eliminate flickering and blinking
of the mouse pointer in Animouse, we are limited by the capabilities of the
video drivers and display cards. If your mouse appears to blink constantly, we
recommend that you check to make sure you are using the most current version of
display drivers available for your card.
Some things to be aware of:
A small amount of flicker is normal on most video cards that do not have
hardware cursors. This is due to the internal mechanisms used by OS/2 to
update the screen with the mouse pointer. It should not be considered a
problem unless there is a very noticeable blink.
Many newer video cards have a hardware cursor built into the card. This
feature, IF the driver takes advantage of it, will take the burden of
displaying the pointer away from OS/2 and perform the necessary steps in
hardware, completely eliminating any flicker or blink whatsoever. To date, most
cards only support 2-color hardware cursors, so you may find that Black/White
animations tend to be more stable than the colored animations, especially when
placed over a section of screen that is being updated (e.g. a clock or a game).
Currently, we are not aware of any cards that support color hardware cursors
under OS/2, but it should simply be a matter of updating the drivers to take
advantage of this new feature.
The default VGA display drivers shipped with OS/2 Warp perform very poorly with
Animouse. The blink is so bad that the mouse pointer may actually become
noticeably transparent. For this reason, we recommend that Animouse be used
only with 256 colors or greater. Hopefully, this will be corrected in a later
version of OS/2.
The Comet Cursor in OS/2 Warp may cause your animation to flicker badly. If
this happens, you may want to try:
- Using a B/W animation (see above).
- Turning the arrow animation off.
- Turning the Comet Cursor off.
Related Topics:
Frequently Asked Questions
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Thank-you, Thank-you... ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The people that started it all
IBM created this wonderful operating system and conveniently left mouse
animation out, giving us something to do.
People who have been very helpful
Alexander Antoniades has been a great source of information. Watch for
his always insightful articles in OS/2 Magazine.
Bradley Wardell and Stardock Systems pioneered the commercial OS/2
entertainment software market and proved it exists.
Gary Morton
All the folks on #OS/2 (IRC) have helped us while away countless
otherwise-productive hours discussing OS/2, programming, and other less
mentionable topics.
People that contributed artwork
Kris Kwilas
Kevin Yank
Alan Fronshtein (AKA highlandr)
David D'Antonio
Non-People
OS2bot -- Who says 'bots don't have feelings?
Mages/2 (now defunct Internet Programming Group) People
Driss Zouak
Massimiliano Marsiglietti
Dan Libby
Bernie Wong
Thank-you all!
Related Topics:
Introduction
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Support. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Sentience Software's phone number is:
+61-49-57-7487
Additionally, electonic help is available via the internet. If you have a
problem, make sure that you have first taken a look at the frequently asked
questions list. The most recent information may be found on the Sentience
Software home page.
Send comments, questions, and (detailed) problem reports to:
sensoft@sentience.com.au
Or via snail-mail:
Sentience Software
PO Box 185
Adamstown, NSW
2289
Australia
Related Topics:
Frequently Asked Questions
Problem Report Form
Introduction
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1. Problem Report Form. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Name:
e-mail address:
Phone # (optional):
Accept collect call (YES/NO):
Version # of Animouse software:
Processor:
Amount of memory (RAM):
System Bus Type:
Video Card:
Video Chipset:
Video Driver/Revision:
Version of OS/2:
Fix Level:
File System Format (hpfs, FAT):
Description of the Problem:
Please be very specific. Describe what actions you performed before, during,
and after the problem occurred. Describe the system load. Name, if you can,
any other applications running at the time.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
http://www.sentience.com.au