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"ShowMe Saver"
Ver. 3.71
(c) Copyright 1992-93 Harold Schwartz
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Harold Schwartz
P.O. Box 104482
Jefferson City, MO 65110
Welcome to "ShowMe Saver"!!!
"ShowMe Saver" is a screen saver, but with a difference... "ShowMe Saver"
is a 'message' screen saver. "ShowMe Saver" protects your monitor from
'burn-in' and 'ghosting' damage caused by displaying the same screen image
when your computer is left unattended for long periods of time. It displays
a randomly changing graphic image while showing a message of your choice.
"ShowMe Saver" accomplishes this by watching for periods of keyboard and/or
mouse inactivity. If "ShowMe Saver" detects no keyboard and/or mouse
activity for a period of time which you select, it 'pops up', at random, one
of fifty-four graphic image modules, each of which incorporates your message.
Then, while a graphic saver image is popped up, "ShowMe Saver" again watches
for keyboard and/or mouse activity. If it detects a single keystroke or
mouse button press, "ShowMe Saver" will pop down.
"ShowMe Saver" is a DOS screen saver. It is NOT a Windows screen saver.
"ShowMe Saver" will not pop up over a graphics application. Since Windows is
a graphics application, "ShowMe Saver" disables itself and will not pop up
while Windows is running. "ShowMe Saver" WILL pop up over nearly any DOS
text application. When "ShowMe Saver" pops up over a text-based application,
it 'saves' the application it popped up over, then 'restores' the application
when it pops down. ShowMe Saver is designed to pop up over any of the standard
text-based programs that use the standard text modes 80 x 25, 80 x 43,
80 x 50.
The following sections will explain more of the details about how "ShowMe
Saver" works and how to run "ShowMe Saver" on your system.
--What is included in the "ShowMe Saver" package?...
The "ShowMe Saver" package consists of six files:
SHOMESAV.EXE
REGSHOME.DOC
README.DOC
SHOWCFIG.EXE
README.1ST
INSTALL.EXE
SHOMESAV.EXE is the executable file which you run to
install "ShowMe Saver", README.DOC is the documentation
file you are reading now, and SHOWCFIG.EXE is a config-
Page 2
uration utility that allows the user to change the default
password as well as the hot key for the pop up configura-
tion window and the hot key for forcing immediate pop up
of the saver. "ShowMe Saver" is completely self-contained.
The only file required to install "ShowMe Saver" is
SHOMESAV.EXE. The README.DOC file contains the necessary
instructions for configuring "ShowMe Saver" to fit your needs.
README.1ST contains instructions on the options for installing
ShowMe Saver and INSTALL.EXE is the installation utility pro-
vided to make it easier to get ShowMe Saver up and running on
your computer. REGSHOME.DOC is the registration form.
--Is "ShowMe Saver" ***FREE*** software?...
The bad news is, "ShowMe Saver" is NOT ***FREE***.
The good news is, "ShowMe Saver" is NOT ***EXPENSIVE***.
The development of software is a very time-consuming process.
I have spent many, many hours developing "ShowMe Saver". I
am releasing "ShowMe Saver" in the ShareWare market for a
very moderate price. As ShareWare software, you are
entitled to try "ShowMe Saver" for two weeks to see if you
like it. If you decide to keep "ShowMe Saver" you must
pay for it. The price is $10.00 U.S. NO SHIPPING, NO
HANDLING, just $10.00. Included in the price is the latest
version of "ShowMe Saver". The version that you receive will
NOT have the ShareWare screens which you encounter when
loading or using the pop-up window in the ShareWare version.
Once you have received the latest version, you will be entitled
to any updates at a reduced rate, typically one-half the 'new'
price. Included in this package is a registration form called
REGSHOME.DOC. Print this form and send it with your registra-
tion fee to the address indicated on the registration form or
shown at the beginning of this documentation.
--What kind of system must I have to run "ShowMe Saver"?...
"ShowMe Saver" requires an IBM PC/XT/AT/Portable or
IBM "compatible" computer running MS-DOS or PC-DOS.
"ShowMe Saver" requires an EGA or VGA monitor and a
color video card that supports graphics. Since
"ShowMe Saver" uses page swapping routines in some
of its saver modules, your system must be capable of
multiple page swaps. This generally limits you to EGA
or VGA video modes. "ShowMe Saver" is a swapping TSR
and therefore, will run best on systems with EMS
(expanded) or XMS (extended) memory. However, EMS or
XMS are not a requirement since "ShowMe Saver" is cap-
able of swapping to a hard drive or floppy diskette
(more about the swapping feature later). Version 3.01
and later also support mouse selection in the pop up
configuration window.
Page 3
--How do I install "ShowMe Saver"?...
"ShowMe Saver" can be run from your hard drive or from a
floppy diskette. The best choice is to run "ShowMe Saver"
from a hard drive. If you do not have a hard drive,
"ShowMe Saver" may be run from a floppy drive, however,
performance will suffer considerably. In either case, you
have a couple of options to install "ShowMe Saver".
The first and best option is to run the provided utility,
INSTALL.EXE. INSTALL automates the installation process
and guides you through the steps to successfully get "ShowMe
Saver" up and running on your system. To run the installation
program, simply make the drive that contains your source diskette
the current drive. For instance, if you are installing from the
'A' drive, type A: and press <Enter>. At the 'A' prompt just
type <Install>, press <Enter>, and follow the on-screen instruc-
tions.
NOTE: Remember to make a backup copy of the "ShowMe Saver" diskette
and put the original away in a safe place.
Another option is to manually copy SHOMESAV.EXE to a directory on
the drive from which you plan to run the program. The following
instructions assume that you have a hard drive and that you are
running "ShowMe Saver" from a directory called SHOW. If this is
not the case, you must alter the instructions accordingly. For
example,
COPY A:\SHOMESAV.EXE C:\SHOW\SHOMESAV.EXE
will copy SHOMESAV.EXE to the SHOW subdirectory on your 'C'
drive.
There are two ways to run "ShowMe Saver" once installed. The first
method (and the best method) is to edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to
install "ShowMe Saver" to memory each time you turn on your computer.
(This is done for you automatically if you install using the
INSTALL.EXE utility.) To use this option you must add the line
C:\SHOW\SHOMESAV.EXE [options]
to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (I'll explain the [options] part
later). "ShowMe Saver" can usually tell if it is being
run on a system that is also running other TSR (Terminate
Stay Resident) programs (for instance, SideKick) and will
install itself accordingly. There may be cases
where "ShowMe Saver" detects a problem when installing with
other TSR's and will give an appropriate error message. In
these cases, "ShowMe Saver" may refuse to install itself
into memory. If this happens, you can try changing the
location of the line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file that is
loading "ShowMe Saver". In cases where "ShowMe Saver"
refuses to pop up, this may also correct the problem.
Page 4
NOTE: Some software, notably those programs that play
loose with the DOS interrupts, may not allow "ShowMe Saver"
to function properly.
The second method (not the best method) is to run
"ShowMe Saver" from the DOS prompt. When using this
option, you must manually load "ShowMe Saver" each time
you start your computer. For example, type
C:\SHOW\SHOMESAV.EXE [options]
and press <Enter>.
--How much memory does "ShowMe Saver" use?...
"ShowMe Saver" is a TSR, but don't be misled by the size
of SHOMESAV.EXE. "ShowMe Saver" will swap most of itself
out of memory until it is called to pop up by keyboard or
mouse inactivity. Once resident, "ShowMe Saver" leaves
only a small kernel of about 7K in memory; the rest of the
resident portion is optionally swapped to EMS (expanded)
memory, XMS (extended) memory or to disk. If "ShowMe
Saver" finds EMS memory on your system, it will swap all
but the resident kernel to this memory. If "ShowMe Saver"
finds XMS memory on your system, it will use the XMS memory
for the swap location. If your system has both EMS and XMS
memory available, "ShowMe Saver" will first try to swap to
the EMS memory. If there isn't enough EMS memory available,
"ShowMe Saver" will then try to swap to the XMS memory. If
there is no EMS or XMS memory available in sufficient quan-
tity, "ShowMe Saver" will swap itself to disk. A file will
be created on your 'C' drive to hold the non-resident portion
of "ShowMe Saver" until it is time to pop up. This file is
hidden and will be named SHOMESV1.$$$. It should not be deleted
if "ShowMe Saver" is running on your system. The 'swap' files
also have the system attribute set to avert accidental deletion
while "ShowMe Saver" is running.
In addition, when "ShowMe Saver" pops up it will swap the
session it is popping up over to either EMS memory, XMS memory,
or to a file on your 'C' drive named SHOMESV2.$$$. In the section
showing command line options, I will explain how to force "ShowMe
Saver" to swap to disk, even though your system has EMS memory
and/or XMS memory. Note, however, that best performance will
be obtained by a swap to EMS memory or XMS memory and is the
best option if available.
NOTE: If your machine has extended memory and you want "ShowMe
Saver to use it for the swap location, you must have the DOS
extended memory manager, HIMEM.SYS, installed unless you are
running a third party memory manager, such as QEMM. HIMEM.SYS
is installed by adding a line to your CONFIG.SYS file. See your
DOS manual for instructions on adding this line. "ShowMe Saver"
pops up and down much more quickly if it has EMS (expanded) or
Page 5
XMS (extended) memory available.
The easiest way to remove these temporary swap files from your
system is to unload "ShowMe Saver" with the /U command-line option.
When "ShowMe Saver" is unloaded this way, it "cleans up" after
itself by deleting the temporary swap files.
--What is the password utility included in "ShowMe Saver"?...
There may be times that you do not want unauthorized personnel
tampering with your computer while you are away from your
desk or workstation. Your machine can be 'locked' by "ShowMe
Saver". If you enable the password option, a saver module
cannot be popped down unless you enter the password. When a
key or mouse button is pressed, a small window appears and
asks for the password. If you enter the correct password,
the saver will pop down normally. However, if you cannot
give the correct password, the saver module will immediately
pop up again so that the system cannot be accessed.
The password option can be configured in two ways. The
password can be enabled by the inclusion of command line
switches. In addition, you may enable and/or disable, as well
as change the password itself, via the Ctrl + Alt + M pop up
window. These methods for configuring the password option are
outlined in the appropriate sections below.
NOTE -- "ShowMe Saver" starts initially with a default
password of 102582. If you change the password in the
Ctrl + Alt + M pop up window, the new password will only
be in effect as long as "ShowMe Saver" remains in memory.
When you reload "ShowMe Saver" the password will revert
to the default. Included in the "ShowMe Saver" package
is a configuration utility called SHOWCFIG.EXE which
allows you to change the default password. SHOWCFIG.EXE
must be run from the sub-directory where SHOMESAV.EXE is
located. A new default password of up to 8 characters may
be entered in this manner. It is best to store the con-
figuration utility in a safe place along with your backup
copy of "ShowMe Saver". If the SHOWCFIG.EXE file is left
in the location from which "ShowMe Saver" is run, there
is a possibility that unauthorized personnel could tamper
with the default password.
If you enter a new password in the Ctrl + Alt + M pop up window,
the new password is IN ADDITION to the default password. In
other words, when a keystroke or mouse button press tries to pop
down the saver module that is running, you have a choice of which
password to enter. If you have entered a new password in the
Ctrl + Alt + M window, that new password AS WELL AS the default
password will allow you to pop the saver down. The reason for
allowing this option is so that unauthorized personnel cannot use
the Ctrl + Alt + M pop up window to lock you out of your own system.
Page 6
A note of caution is in order:
If you use the password option, DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSWORD,
especially if you are starting "ShowMe Saver" from your AUTO-
EXEC.BAT file with the immediate popup feature enabled. Should
you forget your password, you must have a bootable floppy disk-
ette available in order to regain control of your own system.
--What are the command line options for running "ShowMe Saver"?...
Typing SHOMESAV /? or SHOMESAV -? at the DOS prompt will
display a help screen showing the various command line
options available when starting "ShowMe Saver". The
options are as follows:
/Bx used to prevent screen flash (1 = min.(default) 250 = max.)
/Cnumber specifies Comm Port (1 = Com1 to 4 = Com4)
/D specifies to load saver in 'disabled' status
/E indicates not to use EMS (expanded) memory
/F indicates not to use XMS (extended) memory
/Ix causes immediate popup in x secs. with default password
/L indicates to enable default password
/Mtext specifies text for screen saver message
/N indicates not to use swapping
/O causes saver modules to pop up in order
/Ppathname specifies pathname to use for swapping
/Rx causes saver to cycle 'x' times thru each module
/Scodes specifies saver modules to enable (A - Z,[,\,],^,_,`,a - v)
/Ttime specifies time to pop up saver (1 to 60 min.)
/U removes ShowMe Saver from memory
/X specifies to use XMS (extended) memory first if avail.
/? displays this help screen
The proper use of these command line options is:
SHOMESAV /x
where "x" represents one of the characters shown on the
help screen. Note that /x or -x are both acceptable.
NOTE: If multiple options are included on the command line, you
must separate each option with a space.
A description of each follows:
/Bx -- On some CPU/monitor combinations, especially
newer, higher speed machines, some of the
graphic modules may exhibit an annoying flash.
This flash is due partly to the type of monitor
and partly to the speed of the CPU. This option
can be used to minimize the flash. It can only
be entered as a command-line option when
starting ShowMe Saver. The effect of the option
Page 7
is to slow things down somewhat on some of the
modules. A value of 1 (which is the default
value) has little effect and a value of 250 has
the maximum effect. If you experience flash on
some of the modules, experiment with various
values to find one that works best on your
system.
/Cnumber -- If you use a communications program and you do
not want "ShowMe Saver" to pop up while you
are in the program, then you should use this
command line option to tell "ShowMe Saver"
which serial port your modem is using. This
keeps "ShowMe Saver" from popping up when you
might be doing a data transfer through your
communications program. For instance, a /C1
command line option would tell ShowMe Saver
that your communications program is configured
to use Comm Port 1 or a /C3 command line option
would tell ShowMe Saver that you are using
Comm Port 3 for communicaions.
(NOTE: Some communications programs may not
leave your modem in a configuration that is
recognized by "ShowMe Saver". Should this be
the case, you should not use the /C option.
Instead, use the pop-up configuration window
to disable "ShowMe Saver" while you are in
the communication program, then reenable
after you have exited the program.)
/D -- Use this option if you want "ShowMe Saver" to
start in the 'disabled' mode. If started with
this command line switch, you must manually
enable "ShowMe Saver" with the shift-shift hot
key or in the Ctrl + Alt + M pop up window.
/E -- This option will tell "ShowMe Saver" not to
use EMS memory when it installs. This forces
"ShowMe Saver" to swap to XMS memory or to
disk. If the /E as well as the /F options are
included on the command line, "ShowMe Saver"
will be forced to swap to disk. (See note above
about configuring XMS memory)
/F -- This option will tell "ShowMe Saver" not to
use XMS memory when it installs. This forces
"ShowMe Saver" to swap to EMS memory or to
disk. By including this option as well as the
/E option, you may force a swap to disk.
/Ix -- This option will cause 'ShowMe Saver" to pop up
immediately (in 'x' seconds) after loading, using
the default password. Use of this option will allow
you to run "ShowMe Saver" from your AUTOEXEC.BAT
Page 8
file with an immediate popup. This enables you to
protect your system from tampering by unauthorized
personnel. In order to use this option, you should
set 'x' to a relatively low number of seconds so
that "ShowMe Saver" pops up immediately after the
machine has completed its boot sequence. In order
to use this option properly you must time your boot
sequence and insure that the number of seconds that
you specify in the /I option is somewhat GREATER
than the maximum time your machine takes to boot up.
This is to keep "ShowMe Saver" from trying to pop up
before the boot sequence is complete.
WARNING -- If you use this option, be certain that
you do not forget the default password. If you
forget the default password, you will lock yourself
out of your own system. You should use this option
ONLY if you are CERTAIN that you have a bootable
floppy diskette stored in a safe place. Do NOT use
this option if you are running "ShowMe Saver" from
a floppy diskette.
/L -- Inclusion of this option causes "ShowMe Saver" to
pop up with the default password enabled. The time
to pop up will be 5 minutes unless you also include
the /T option, in which case the time to pop up will
be the time you specify with the /T option.
/Mtext -- "ShowMe Saver" defaults to a saver message of
'SHOWME SAVER' unless a different message is
given as a command line option, as in
SHOMESAV /MJake
in which case the message displayed would be
'Jake'. A maximum length of twelve characters
is allowed and any longer message will be
truncated. Messages entered from the command
line may contain up to four spaces. (HINT: If
you prefer that no message be displayed, enter
/m with no message as a command line option.)
/N -- "ShowMe Saver" will first try to use EMS
memory for swapping. If EMS memory is not
available on the system, "ShowMe Saver" will
try to swap to XMS memory (see note above). If
XMS memory is not available, "ShowMe Saver" will
then swap to disk. In the event that you do not
want "ShowMe Saver" to swap to EMS, XMS, or to
disk, you may use this option to disable swapping
entirely. However, a word of caution. If you
use this option, "ShowMe Saver" will take a
large bite out of low memory. Depending upon how
your system is configured, this may not leave
enough room in low memory to run many programs.
Page 9
/O -- If you want the saver modules to pop up in a
specific order, you should include this command
line option. If you have specified certain
saver modules to enable using the /Scodes option
described below, the /O option causes "ShowMe Saver"
to cycle through the modules in the order in which
you listed them in the /S option. If you did not
include the /S option on the command line, this
option causes the saver modules to pop up in the
order A through v. This option as well as the /S
option discussed below can be configured in the
Ctrl + Alt + M pop up window.
/Ppathname -- The default pathname used by "ShowMe Saver"
is C:\. If you wish "ShowMe Saver" to swap
to a different location, a different pathname
must be specified as in
/PD:\SHOW\
which would cause "ShowMe Saver" to swap to
the SHOW subdirectory on your 'D' drive.
This option only has an effect, of course,
if "ShowMe Saver" is not using EMS or XMS
memory for swapping. Be certain that the path
that you specify is valid. If the 'SHOW' sub-
directory, as shown in the above example, does
not exist, "ShowMe Saver" will not swap itself
out of memory when it installs. The effect
would be the same as if you had included the
/N option on the command line.
/Rx -- By default "ShowMe Saver" loads so that each
module runs continuously after it is popped up.
After that module pops down by seeing a keystroke
or a mouse button press, it does not pop up again
until its 'turn' comes up again according to where
it is in the list of modules you have enabled. If
you want "ShowMe Saver" to continuously cycle
through the list of modules you have enabled, then
you can include this command line option. For
example
SHOMESAV /R5 /SAEIOU
would cause "ShowMe Saver" to cycle through
modules A, E, I, O, and U five times each, and
then start over at module A again. (This assumes that
you have "ShowMe Saver" configured to use the enabled
modules 'in order'. If configured to run the modules
in 'random' order, the modules would be selected
randomly and run five times each.) "ShowMe Saver"
can be configured to cycle through each module
from 1 to 15 times. This option may also be con-
figured from the pop up configuration window.
Page 10
/Scodes -- If you do not include the /S command line parameter
when starting, "ShowMe Saver" by default loads with
all 54 (A thru X, [, \, ], ^, _, `, a thru v ) saver
modules enabled. If you want certain saver modules
to be enabled on start-up, you may include this option
to enable as many as you wish. For example,
SHOMESAV /SAC\FG[P
would start "ShowMe Saver" with the A, C, \, F,
G, [, and P modules enabled. At any time after
start-up you can change the enabled-modules list
in the Ctrl + Alt + M pop up window. The module
codes are listed below. (Note that the letters
used with the /S switch may be both upper AND
lower case, eg., 'A' signfies the module Orbs and
'a' signifies the module Twirl.)
GRAPHIC SAVER MODULES
A - Orbs B - Pac Man C - Fade Out D - Air Mail
E - Wormy F - Fade In G - Sine Fun H - Black Hole
I - Boxes J - 3D Bars K - Text Pop L - Whole Sine
M - Lines N - Circles O - Twinkler P - Random Lines
Q - Train R - Drained S - Cherry B T - Double Paper
U - Boing V - Planets W - Saturn V X - Bounce Names
Y - Mower Z - Vortex [ - Rolling \ - Passing Thru
] - Quake ^ - Stormy _ - Fireworks ` - Space Flight
a - Twirl b - Spider c - Scotch d - Starstruck
e - Flags f - Watch g - Marquee h - Pulsator
i - Snow j - Blanker k - Searching l - Kaleidoscope
m - Swirl n - Cascade o - Fractal p - Bouncing
q - Orbit r - Tangle s - Cubical t - Cyclatron
u - Doily v - SummerTime
/Tnumber -- The default pop up time used by "ShowMe Saver"
is 5 minutes. If you would like a different
pop up time, you may set it by including a
command line option such as
/T20
This would cause "ShowMe Saver" to pop up after
20 minutes of keyboard or mouse inactivity. The
pop up time may be set from 1 to 60 minutes.
/U -- This option is used to disable "ShowMe Saver" and
remove it from memory, if it is safe to do so. If
"ShowMe Saver" is running on your system, it may be
run again with the /U option, as in
SHOMESAV /U
to remove "ShowMe Saver" from memory and return all
Page 11
memory used by "ShowMe Saver" to the system. If
you have installed other TSR's after loading "ShowMe
Saver", you will probably not be able to unload
"ShowMe Saver" until you have first unloaded those
TSR's. ShowMe Saver detects this and will refuse to
unload the resident copy. When unloaded from memory
with this option, "ShowMe Saver" deletes any tempo-
rary swap files it may have created.
/? -- Displays the help screen.
NOTE -- "ShowMe Saver" automatically watches for printer
activity. If you are sending a long print job to
a printer, "ShowMe Saver" will not pop up until the
entire print job has been sent.
More than one command line option may be used when starting
"ShowMe Saver". For example
SHOMESAV /MJulie Ann /E /PD:\saver /t1 /c2
would set the saver message to 'Julie Ann', tell "ShowMe
Saver" NOT to use EMS memory for swapping, set the location
for the swapping files to the 'SAVER' directory of drive 'D',
set the pop up time to 1 minute, and tell "ShowMe Saver" not
to pop up if you are in a communication program using a modem
that is using serial port 2.
Note that "/" or "-" may be used interchangeably on the command
line to specify options. An examination of the example given
above shows the proper use of spaces between each option used.
There must be a space between each option or ShowMe Saver will
only "see" the first option. Each option must begin with either
an '/' or an '-' and must end with a space (the spaces within a
message when using the /M option are ignored).
--Can I change parameters after installing "ShowMe Saver"?...
Six parameters can be changed after "ShowMe Saver" has been
installed. The message for display can be changed at any
time. A hot key combination will pop up a configuration window
which will allow you to change the message. The window will
show the message currently being used and will prompt for a
different message. When entering a new message in this
manner, any number of spaces may be included, however,
the absolute maximum of twelve characters (including spaces)
is still enforced as mentioned above. (HINT: If you do not want
a message displayed, enter no text at the prompt). The hot key
combination to pop up the message window is CTRL + ALT + M.
(Hold down the 'Ctrl' and 'Alt' keys and press the 'M' key.)
If you want to change the pop up time after "ShowMe Saver" is
installed, you may set the time from 1 to 60 minutes by using
Page 12
the Ctrl + Alt + M pop up window. The window shows the
current pop up time and prompts for a new time.
There may be times when you want to disable "ShowMe Saver"
temporarily after it is installed. For instance, you may be
running a text-based DOS application which cannot be
interrupted. The window which pops up when the Ctrl + Alt + M
hot key combination is pressed also allows you to enable and
disable "ShowMe Saver". The window shows the current saver
status (on or off) and allows you to change the status.
The password utility may also be configured from the pop up
window. The password may be enabled and disabled or the
password can be changed to anything you desire, up to a maximum
of eight characters. Note that many keys may be included in
the password that are not normally associated with text. For
instance, an 'Esc' or 'Backspace' may be included in the pass-
word. Use of these keys produce passwords that are especially
difficult to 'crack'.
"ShowMe Saver" by default starts with all 54 saver modules
enabled. If you only wish certain modules to pop up, you
may enable them from the pop up window. You may enable from
1 to 54 (A to X, [,\,],^,_,`, a to v) at any time. The names
for each module are shown in the pop-up 'pick' window shown
below which appears when the '(E)nable' option is selected.
----------------------------------------------------------
| -----------------> MODULE SELECTION <------------------- |
||--------------------------------------------------------||
|| <Orbs> Pac Man Fade Out <Air Mail> ||
|| <Wormy> Fade In Sine Fun Black Hole ||
|| Boxes <3D Bars> <Text Pop> Whole Sine ||
|| Lines Circles Twinkler Random Lines ||
|| Train Drained Cherry B Double Paper ||
|| <Boing> Planets Saturn V Bounce Names ||
|| Mower <Vortex> <Rolling> <Passing Thru> ||
|| Quake Stormy Fireworks Space Flight ||
|| Twirl <Spider> <Scotch> <Starstruck> ||
|| Flags Watch Marquee Pulsator ||
|| Snow Blanker Searching Kaleidoscope ||
|| Swirl Cascade <Fractal> <Bouncing> ||
|| Orbit Tangle Cubical Cyclatron ||
|| Doily SummerTime ||
||--------------------------------------------------------||
| - CTRL-ENTER = Toggle All ----- SPACEBAR = Toggle Item - |
----------------------------------------------------------
An examination of the example pick window above shows that
some of the module names in the window are enclosed in
brackets (for example, <Orbs> ). The brackets indicate that
this module is selected for pop up. As few as one of the
modules may be 'selected' or all of them may be selected.
When you first enter this pick window, if you wish to change
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the modules selected for pop up, you must FIRST deselect all
of the modules. As shown in the lower left of the window
frame, pressing <CTRL-ENTER> will deselect all modules or,
placing the mouse cursor on the <CTRL-ENTER> area and pressing
the left button will do the same thing. Then, you may
select those modules that you wish to be enabled. If you wish
all modules to be enabled but in no specific order, the
<CTRL-ENTER> key combination can be used to toggle all items
off then back on.
Modules are selected in one of two ways. The highlight bar
may be moved around the window using the arrow keys and, when
a selection is highlighted, pressing the spacebar will toggle
that item on. If you have a mouse installed, double-clicking
an item with the left button will also select the item. When
selecting modules, if you want them to pop up in a specific
order, they must be 'selected' in that order. However, if you
decide to change the order of pop up, you should deselect all
items and start the selection process over.
Once your selection is complete, pressing <ENTER>, <ESC>, or
clicking the right mouse button will exit the pick window and
enable for pop up all of the modules that were selected.
Once you begin to use the 'pick' window to enable modules, you
will quickly become accustomed to it, whether you are using the
keyboard or a mouse.
The '(O)rder' option toggles between 'In Order' and 'Random'.
'In Order' indicates that the saver modules shown as 'Enabled'
will pop up in the order shown. Once you have cylcled through
the 'Enabled' list, pop up returns to the start of the list.
'Random' indicates that the saver modules enabled will pop up
at random.
The '(C)ycling of saver modules' option configures 'ShowMe Saver"
to cycle through the modules you have enabled in the module
selection window. If the 'Module cycling' option is set to 'YES'
as shown in the upper portion of the pop up configuration window,
selecting 'C' or clicking on the option with the mouse will set
the cycling option to 'NO' which indicates that once a module pops
up, it will stay up until popped down. If the 'Module cycling'
option is set to 'NO', selecting 'C' or clicking on the option
with the mouse will give a prompt to 'Enter the number of cycles
(1 to 15)...'. You may then enter the number of times you want each
module to run before it pops down and the next one pops up.
At any point while in the pop-up window, you may exit and leave
all parameters unchanged by pressing <Esc>. Be aware, however,
that any changes made while in the pop-up configuration window are
in effect only while in the current session. If you turn off or
re-boot your computer, the default options will be in effect.
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The configuration pop up window now supports a mouse. All of
the options available can be accessed with either the keyboard
or the mouse. If you have a mouse installed on your system,
it will be detected automatically and will become active when
the pop up window is called. A little experimentation will
show the capabilities of the mouse. In general, the left
button is used for selection of options. The right button is
used as either the <ESC> key if you are in the main window, or
the <ENTER> key if you are in the secondary module selection
window.
There are two additional hot-key combinations available while
"ShowMe Saver" is installed:
Shift + Shift -- Depressing both the left and right 'shift' keys
allows you to quickly disable "ShowMe Saver".
The effect is the same as if you used the pop
up window to disable "ShowMe Saver", but much
faster. Depressing shift-shift again will
reenable "ShowMe Saver", thus the shift-shift
hot key acts as a 'toggle' to turn "ShowMe
Saver OFF and/or ON quickly. If you forget
what the present status is, just pop up the
configuration window and check the 'STATUS'
entry.
Ctrl + Alt + Rt. Shift -- Pressing the right 'Shift' key while
holding down the 'Control' and 'Alt'
keys will force "ShowMe Saver" to pop
up immediately.
(NOTE: The three hot key combinations discussed so far are the
default hot keys enabled when you get "ShowMe Saver".
See the section below entitled "Can I change the hot keys
used by "ShowMe Saver?" for information on changing them.)
--What are the saver modules used in "ShowMe Saver"?...
The current version of "ShowMe Saver" contains fifty-four
different saver image modules. They are:
Orbs -A- Your message popping to the screen on spheres
of various colors and shapes.
PacMan -B- Your message being gobbled up by PacMan and
then spit back at you.
FadeOut -C- Your message disintegrating.
Air Mail -D- Your message being towed by the ShowMe
Saver airplane.
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Wormy -E- Your message being carried by the "ShowMe"
wooly worm.
Fade In -F- Your message gradually fading in.
Sine Fun -G- Your message disappearing in a multicolored
tunnel of sine waves.
Black Hole -H- Your message being sucked down a black hole
along with an entire solar system.
Boxes -I- Your message displayed in various formats
while being blasted by multicolored cubes.
3D Bars -J- Your message popping up on vari-colored 3D
cubes in many colors.
TextPop -K- Your message popping to the display
in various sizes and at random
locations.
Whole Sine -L- Your message under a changing pattern of
circles, boxes, and ellipses.
Lines -M- Your message being displayed over random
lines in various colors and locations.
Circles -N- Your message displayed in various
multi-colored circles and spheres.
Twinkler -O- Your message disappearing under an
exploding display of colored stars.
Random Lines -P- Your message being covered and uncovered
by a random line in a continuously
changing color and direction.
Train -Q- Your message being hauled by the "ShowMe" train.
Drained -R- Your message slowly going down the drain.
Cherry B -S- Your message exploding on a "Cherry Bomb"
firecracker.
Double Paper -T- Your message displayed between two
multicolored bands of paper.
Boing -U- Your message bouncing around the screen.
Planets -V- Your message on the surface of planets
floating through space.
Saturn V -W- A Saturn V rocket crashing into your
message in space.
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Bounce Names -X- Your message bouncing onto the screen
in various colors and at various
locations.
Mower -Y- Your message being uncovered by a couple of
hard-working fellows.
Vortex -Z- Your message displayed on the fringes of a
swirling vortex.
Rolling -[- Your message rolling through the screen from
both directions.
Passing Thru -\- Your message sliding across the screen
from every direction.
Quake -]- Your message shaken up by an earthquake.
Srormy -^- Your message appearing beneath flashes of
lightening in a dark sky.
Fireworks -_- Your message on a billboard with multi-
colored fireworks bursting overhead.
Space Flight -`- Your message speeding by as you hurtle
through space.
Twirl -a- Your message being surrounded by brightly
colored swirling designs.
Spider -b- The "ShowMe" spider slowly spinning a multi-
colored web around your message.
Scotch -c- Plaid patterns slowly woven across the screen
around your message.
Starstruck -d- Your message in the marquee lights with
the stars.
Flags -e- Your message popping to the screen on various
"ShowMe Saver" flags along with "Old Glory".
Watch -f- The "ShowMe Saver" watch, personalized with
your message, bouncing around the screen.
Marquee -g- Your message exploding onto the screen amid
the marquee lights.
Pulsator -h- Your message coming and going and coming and
going.
Snow -i- Gently falling snowflakes cascading around your
message.
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Blanker -j- Just a plain Jane blanker... No message, just
a blank screen. Included because of numerous
requests.
Searching -k- Searchlights constantly scanning the screen
for you message.
Kaleidoscope -l- Your message displayed above and below a
kaleidoscope of color.
Swirl -m- Swirling, twirling, pshchedelic patterns cover
your message.
Cascade -n- Cascading cones and circles covering your
messsage
Fractal -o- Your message framed by a multicolored fractal
pattern.
Bouncing -p- Bouncing balls carrying your message through
from both directions.
Orbit -q- Your message being orbited by multicolored
spheres.
Tangle -r- Your message overlain by cascading retangular
patterns.
Cubical -s- A cubical pattern revealing your message.
Cyclatron -t- Your message at the center of a cyclatron
being bombarded by quarks and leptons.
Doily -u- Your message in the center of a fractal doily.
SummerTime -v- A fractal scene of a tree, complete with
birdhouse and swing. Your message takes a
ride.
--Can I change the hot keys used by "ShowMe Saver?...
Yes. Since there are many applications that make the use of hot
keys, a conflict may occur between the hot keys used by "ShowMe
Saver" and those used by an application you may be running. If
this is the case, the default configuration utility, SHOWCFIG.EXE,
may be used to change two of the default hot-key combinations.
Simply place SHOWCFIG.EXE in the same directory as SHOMESAV.EXE,
MAKE THAT DIRECTORY THE CURRENT DIRECTORY, and start the configura-
tion program by typing 'showcfig' and pressing 'enter'. Use of the
utility is relatively intuitive. You are initially presented with
five options:
Page 18
<C> to change hot key for pop-up configuration window
<I> to change hot key for immediate pop up
<P> to change default password
<S> to save configuration changes
<ESC> to quit without saving changes.
If you wish to change the hot key for immediate pop up, press 'I'
and you will be presented with another menu allowing you to select
the hot key you desire:
1) CTRL-ALT-RIGHT SHIFT
2) ALT-LEFT SHIFT
3) CTRL-LEFT SHIFT
4) NONE
Option 1) is the default for this hot key when you get "ShowMe Saver".
You are allowed to select any one of the three hot keys shown or to
disable the immediate pop-up hot key entirely.
If you wish to change the hot key for the pop up configuration
window, press 'C' and you will be presented with another menu which
allows you to select the hot key you want:
1) CTRL-ALT-M
2) CTRL-LEFT SHIFT-HOME
3) CTRL-DEL
4) ALT-RIGHT SHIFT-*
5) CTRL-LEFT SHIFT->
6) CTRL-BACKSPACE
Option 1) is the default for this hot key when you get "ShowMe Saver".
You are allowed to select any one of the six hot keys shown.
After making your selections, you must choose the
<S> to save configuration changes
option to save your changes. If you press <ESC>, you will exit the
configuration program without saving any of the changes you made.
(NOTE: SHOWCFIG.EXE is NOT compatible with versions of "ShowMe
Saver" earlier than version 3.01.)
--Is "ShowMe Saver" compatible with Microsoft Windows?...
Yes. We have encountered no compatibility problems when switching
between DOS and 'Windows'. As mentioned above, if you are currently
running a 'Windows' session, "ShowMe Saver" will disable itself and
will not attempt to pop up. If you are also running a 'Windows'
screen saver, it will continue to operate normally while you are in
the Windows session. When you leave the 'Windows' session and return
to DOS, "ShowMe Saver" will re-enable itself and continue to pop up
normally.
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--What do I get with the registered version of "ShowMe Saver"?...
You will get the latest version of "ShowMe Saver". This version
will NOT have the opening ShareWare screen NOR will it have the
ShareWare screens that you see when you exit the pop-up window.
--How do I register "ShowMe Saver"?...
The easiest way to register "ShowMe Saver" is to print out the
registration form in REGSHOME.DOC, fill it out and send it, along
with the $10.00 registration fee, to
Harold Schwartz
P.O. Box 104482
Jefferson City, MO 65110
Printing the form is easy. Just type
COPY REGSHOME.DOC PRN
and press <enter>. Send in the completed form and $10.00 U.S.
to the address given above.
Thanks and ***ENJOY*** "ShowMe Saver".
--Acknowledgements...
"ShowMe Saver" was written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 and assembly
language.
In this documentation, references are made to several products:
Turbo Pascal and Sidekick are registered trademarks of Borland
International.
QEMM is a registered trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems.
DOS refers to either PC-DOS or MS-DOS.
PC-DOS is a registered trademark of International Business
Machines Corporation.
MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
***** DISCLAIMER *****
(please read)
"ShowMe Saver" is a powerful program. While I have
attempted to build in reasonable safeguards, as with
any useful computer software, "ShowMe Saver" may
contain errors in the program or documentation. The
author does not give any warranty, either expressed or
Page 20
implied, to anyone using this program other than for
the replacement of defective media. In no event
shall the author be liable for any damages, including
loss of profits or anticipated profits, lost savings,
or other incidental or consequential damages arising
out of the use or inability to use this program. The
program comes "as is" and it is the user's responsi-
bility to determine whether the program is suitable
for his or her computer system and software needs.
***** COPYRIGHT *****
Copyright (c) 1992-93 Harold Schwartz. All Rights
Reserved. You may copy "ShowMe Saver" for backup
purposes, and you may give copies of the unregistered
version to other individuals, which they may also use
and copy under the terms of this agreement. If you
copy the unregistered version of "ShowMe Saver" for
others, you must include all of the files distributed
with it. "ShowMe Saver" may not be sold, licensed,
or a fee charged for its use. If a fee is charged in
connection with the unregistered version of "ShowMe
Saver", it must cover the cost of copying or dissemina-
tion only. Such charges must be clearly identified as
such by the originating party. Under no circumstances
may the purchaser be given the impression that he is
buying "ShowMe Saver" itself.
The author encourages BBS operators to post the
unregistered version of the "ShowMe Saver" package
on their systems for download by users wishing to
evaluate it. No other reproduction or use is
authorized without the express prior written consent
of the copyright owner.