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Text File | 1996-01-15 | 17.6 KB | 485 lines

Seraline Screensaver(TM) v3.6 ============================= Copyright 1995,1996 Seraline Pty. Ltd., Sydney, Australia All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS -------- What is Seraline Screensaver (SSS) Installation Setup Options Password Protection Runtime Options ImageVote(TM) Displaying Bitmaps Registration & Benefits Credit Card Payments & PGP Temporary Registration License Customer Support Availability Version Number Explanation Known Problems History Uninstall ASP Ombudsman Statement Disclaimer WHAT IS SERALINE SCREENSAVER (SSS) ---------------------------------- Seraline Screensaver is a screensaver for Windows. It creates an endless variety of colorful abstract images by combining a wealth of drawing elements. Sometimes it takes a while to generate something interesting, so please give it a few goes and let it run for a while if it is not initially appealing. You can move it along by pressing 'f', or press 'c' to restart it. Supports 16 color VGA, 256 color SVGA, 24-bit color. INSTALLATION ------------ Windows 3.1 1. Copy the file seraline.scr into your windows directory, usually c:\windows. 2. Run Control Panel from the Main group in Program Manager. 3. Double click on the Desktop icon. 4. In the Screen Saver Section, under Name, select Seraline. 5. Press Test to run the screensaver. 6. Press Setup to display registration and support details, and access configuration options. Windows 95 1. Copy the file seraline.scr into your windows\system directory, usually c:\windows\system. 2. Click on Start, then Settings, then Control Panel. 3. Double click on the Display icon. 4. Click on the Screensaver tab. 5. In the Screen Saver list, select Seraline. 6. Click Preview to run the screensaver. 7. Press Setup to display registration and support details, and access configuration options. SETUP OPTIONS ------------- Configuration options are available from the Control Panel/Desktop/Setup screen by pressing the Options button. Available options: HIDE MOUSE Selecting this option means the mouse cursor will disappear while the screensaver is running. SPEED 1 Slow Mode - only the slower drawings are used, making it less distracting if you are trying to work next to the computer. 2 Normal speed - uses all drawings. 3 Fast Mode - uses just the faster drawings, making it more watchable. TEXT MESSAGES You can have your own messages periodically displayed by entering a series of phrases, each separated by a semi-colon, such as "text=My message;Second message;Third;fourth". The messages are displayed at random, and not necessarily immediately or every run. Note that for the unregistered version, the above options only apply to the very next run of SSS, and then they are cleared. SAFE MODE Select this option if SSS occasionally crashes with a General Protection Fault. When selected, SSS will avoid graphics which have caused problems with some video drivers. PASSWORD PROTECTION ------------------- Password protection is only available for Windows 3.1, because under Windows 95, Control+Alt+Delete allows SSS to be cancelled. Warning: the security of your machine is not guaranteed when using the SSS password protection because due to the complexity of the screensaver and different machine configurations, there is the possibility that SSS may crash and leave your machine available. RUNTIME OPTIONS --------------- While the screensaver is running, the following keys can be used: 1,2,3 Selects the speed, as described above under Setup Options. c The Colors being used will be changed and the screen cleared. f The current drawing will Finish. Useful if it appears to be stuck or you want it to move on. h,H For users whose mouse doesn't disappear, possibly because some other program has left the internal Windows mouse counter too high, pressing 'h' decrements the counter. When it reaches zero, the mouse disappears. 'H' increments it. (Registered version only) k Keeps running with the current colors, & avoids clearing the screen so that the image builds on itself as much as possible. (Registered version only) o Displays an order form, which can be printed (Unregistered version only). p Pressing p will cause SSS pause at the end of the current drawing, and not continue until you press 'p' again. This is useful for those times SSS takes a long while to draw something you want to see, but then it wipes it immediately. Or you wish to leave the rrom for a while but still want to see how it ends up. By pausing, the drawing will remain on the screen until you restart SSS by pressing 'p'. (Registered version only) IMAGEVOTE (Registered Version Only) --------- Press the following keys while SSS is running to bias SSS towards images you prefer: F4 Press F4 to vote FOR an image you like. F5 Press F5 to vote AGAINST an image you like. Shift+F5 resets to the system defaults. Voting is a gradual process - it provides a general guideline only to SSS, such as more or less text, faster or slower drawings. Colors are not included in the voting. SSS keeps track of the last few drawings done, and votes are allocated with the later drawings receiving (or losing) more votes. So at times you may be voting for something you may at other times be voting against, but over time, it is expected that the items you prefer will become more prominent. DISPLAYING BITMAPS (Registered Version Only) ------------------ Bitmap files created with PaintBrush, or other paint programs, can be displayed periodically by SSS, and then they are merged and colored with the other graphics. For example, you can have your company logo or other advertising material displayed, or perhaps a multi-line name & address which is too long for the message-display option. The Options screen contains a button which brings up a Bitmap entry screen, which lets you enter the name of a disk directory. Any bitmap files in that directory will be displayed at random. Only files with the extension ".bmp" are shown. When running in 256 color mode, the bitmaps will be displayed using the colors SSS is using at the time, and may appear quite different to the original. To display the bitmaps using their own colors, you must run in 32K, 64K or 16M color mode. The bitmap screen also has an option called "Show Often". This will cause SSS to use the bitmaps in every run. REGISTRATION & BENEFITS ----------------------- Seraline Screensaver is "try before you buy" software, and is provided with a free 14-day evaluation period. When you register SSS, it will * display its full range of graphics over time * allow the use of run-time keystroke options listed above * allow password protection (Windows 3.1 only) * save your Setup Options, including your own text messages * use ImageVote to bias SSS towards images you like * allow you to display your own bitmaps, such as logos * remove registration reminder messages... The screensaver occasionally displays registration reminder messages like "Please register SSS". On receipt of your registration fee, you will be mailed, faxed or emailed a code which will remove these messages. This registration code is entered into the Registration field on the Setup screen. Your support through registration is appreciated and will encourage the development of additional graphics, features and products. If you continue to use SSS after 14 days, please send a cheque for US$14.95 (or its equivalent in your currency) to: Seraline P/L, P.O. Box 282, Ryde, NSW 2112, Australia. Other currencies: Australian Dollars: $19.95 United Kingdom: 9.95 pounds. Personal or company cheques in your own currency are accepted. Please make cheques payable to Seraline Pty Ltd. Checks must be in your country's currency. US Dollar checks must be drawn on a US Bank. EuroCheques must be in Australian dollars, not $US. See below for credit card payments. A printable order form in MS Write format is in the file order.wri. An order form can also be displayed and printed from the Control Panel Setup screen, or by pressing 'o' while SSS is running. See the following section regarding temporary registration. Alternatively, you may register SSS on-line on Compuserve. After logging on to Compuserve, enter GO SWREG, and request ID 4667. In order to keep the cost of SSS low, diskettes are not mailed as part of the base registration. The latest version is available on various on-line services as described below. These prices and conditions are valid until 31st January 1997 for this version, and are subject to change with future versions. If you have already paid a fee to others (eg disk or CD vendors) to obtain this evaluation copy, that fee was for their copying and distribution services, rather than a payment for continued use of the program, and the software author does not receive any part of that fee. CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS -------------------- Credit card payments may be made using VISA, Mastercard, or Australian Bankcard. A printable order form in MS Write format is in the file order.wri, which can then be faxed or mailed to Seraline. An order form can also be printed from the Control Panel Setup screen, or by pressing 'o' while SSS is running. The details required are Credit Card type, card number, card expiry date and your signature. These details can be mailed, or faxed to Seraline in Australia +61-2-879-4481. Note that credit cards are billed at exactly $19.95 Australian. For other currencies, the amount appearing on your card will depend on the foreign exchange rate at the time. For example, at rates current in January 1996, this converts to an amount between US$14 and US$15. We support PGP encryption for sending credit card details via email. To receive our public key, send an email message to porum@ozemail.com.au with "send public key" as the subject. On receipt of our key, create a text message containing your name, credit card type (VISA, Mastercard, or Australian Bankcard), credit card number and expiry date. Use PGP to encrypt the message, and email it to porum@ozemail.com.au. TEMPORARY REGISTRATION ---------------------- Because there can be a delay in sending and processing mail registrations, a temporary code can be provided by email. When you have mailed your order, you can also send an email message to porum@ozemail.com.au and a temporary code which expires will be emailed back to you. When your payment is received, a full registration code will be sent. LICENSE ------- Seraline Screensaver is NOT a public domain program. It is copyrighted by Seraline Pty Ltd. This software and accompanying documentation are protected by Australian copyright law and also by international treaty provisions. The registration fee will license Seraline Screensaver for use on any computers in your home, and on one computer at work on which you are the main user. Seraline Pty Ltd grants you a limited license to use this software for evaluation purposes for a period not to exceed fourteen days. If you continue using this software after the fourteen-day evaluation period, you MUST make a registration payment to Seraline Pty Ltd. You may not use, copy, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile, disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed program except as provided in this agreement. Any such unauthorized use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this license. Registered users will be licensed to use, free of charge, any version 3.nn of SSS, and they will be notified by email of any significant 3.nn updates. Registered users will also be advised by email when the major upgrade to version 4 becomes available. Distribution license details for vendors are in the accompanying file VENDINFO.DIZ. Seraline Pty Ltd may revoke any permissions granted here, by notifying you in writing. All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to Seraline Pty Ltd. CUSTOMER SUPPORT ---------------- Seraline provides its registered users with free support via email or mail. If you have a question, please send mail to the address listed above, or send email to: Internet: porum@ozemail.com.au Please note that although SSS is released with no known defects that cause crashes, because of the extensive calculations and graphics and many permutations, it may still crash occasionally due to incompatibilities with video drivers. You should use the evaluation period to check that SSS does not cause problems with your system. See KNOWN PROBLEMS below for some work-arounds. If it crashes each day, there may be an incompatibility, although this shouldn't cause any other problems apart from stopping the screensaver. If it crashes Windows, stop running SSS. AVAILABILITY ------------ The very latest version is available on Seraline's WWW Home Page: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~porum Compuserve: Library 20 (Screensavers) in the WINAV Forum, file name SERAL.ZIP. Internet: Available on SimTel and its mirror sites in the directory win3/scrsaver. File name seral36.zip. FTP from ftp.coast.net, directory /SimTel/win3/scrsaver, file seral36.zip VERSION NUMBER EXPLANATION -------------------------- SSS's version number is in four parts: A.B.C.D A The major version number - changed for major upgrades. Notification is sent by email to registered users. B Minor version number - changed when there have been significant enhancements to the graphics. Email notification sent. C Minor changes to the graphics. Usually only uploaded to the Web page, and no announcement is made. D Minor changes to the documentation. KNOWN PROBLEMS -------------- Some video drivers seem to get a GP Fault when too much stretching or shrinking is applied to fonts or images. If you find you get several GP Faults, then try selecting Safe Mode on the Options screen under Control Panel/Desktop/Setup. If there are still GP Faults, try adding the line "fonts=no" to the Seraline Screensaver section in your c:\windows\control.ini, using Notepad. There is a small chance that SSS may crash and leave you without a mouse until you restart Windows. Crashes are unlikely, but there are a lot of permutations, and the Seraline Screensaver is not guaranteed to never crash. Should this be a problem, you can have the cursor always displayed by de-selecting "Hide Mouse Cursor" on the Options screen. Any screensaver as calculation-intensive as SSS may slow down other running tasks such as printing or faxes. If there is such a problem with printing, you can try increasing the priority of the printing by running Print Manager from the Main group in Program Manager, and selecting the menu Options/Background Printing, and select High priority. HISTORY ------- v3.1 Feb 95 First Shareware release as Frenetic Screensaver. v3.2 Apr 95 Minor changes to graphics. All options and registration now available through the Control Panel/Desktop Setup screen. Workarounds for some incompatibilities. More frequent yielding of the CPU to background tasks. Faster waking-up when exiting the screen saver. v3.3 Jun 95 New graphics. Added Pause button. v3.4 Aug 95 New graphics. Support for 24-bit color. v3.5 Oct 95 New graphics Password protection (Windows 3.1) v3.6 Jan 96 New graphics Name changed to Seraline Screensaver ImageVote Display your own bitmaps UNINSTALL --------- To uninstall SSS, delete the file seraline.scr from your Windows or Windows\System directory. ASP OMBUDSMAN STATEMENT ----------------------- This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. DISCLAIMER ---------- SERALINE SCREENSAVER IS SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OR MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. IN NO EVENT SHALL SERALINE P/L OR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE SERALINE SCREENSAVER. IN NO EVENT SHALL SERALINE P/L'S LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES EVER EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF CLAIM. THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISKS AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NSW, AUSTRALIA, AND ANY ACTION BY EITHER PARTY SHALL BE BROUGHT ONLY IN A COURT LOCATED IN NSW, AUSTRALIA.