You are recommended to read the help for 'Misc' before reading this file.
You can open the Configuration window from the main menu.
{sprite}config
This window is used to configure the options for Black Hole. Using this window you can select you own permanent defaults for all the options. The options determine settings for the features such as the iconbar sprites, and also the behaviour of Black Hole when a file is dragged to the iconbar icon.
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The window contains six icons which relate to the six main things that Black Hole does. These are:
{tab}
{subsub}Wipe Options
Options pertaining to deleting files, such as confirmation and deletion of locked files.
{subsub}Copy Options
Whether to keep copies of deleted files, where to put them and how long to keep them there for.
{subsub}Iconbar Icon
Sprites and animation of
{subsub}Singularity
Controls Singularity, which allows you to keep copies of files which you overwrite with new files, or which you delete without dragging them to the iconbar icon. This has its own help topic.
{subsub}Auto Saver
Two minor configuration options for the Auto Saver, whicb is described elsewhere.
{subsub}Screen Saver
Controls all the settings for BlackOut - the screen saver. This has its own help topic.
{notab}
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The six configuration icons are:
{subhead}Wipe Options:
These options control the way Black Hole deletes files dragged to its icon.
[34]
Black Hole uses the standard RISC OS 3 Filer Action window so that a Black Hole wipe operation will appear the same as any other desktop delete operation.
[234]
{tab}
{subsub}Confirm
Prompts for confirmation of all deletions.
{subsub}Force:
Forces deletion of locked objects.
{subsub}Verbose:
Displays information on each object deleted.
{subsub}Retain Structure:
If this icon is selected, then only directory contents will be deleted. All directories will remain intact, even if empty.
{notab}
{subhead}Copy Options
These icons control the wastebin aspect of Black Hole.
{tab}
{subsub}Retain Copies
Turning this off disables the wastebin aspect of Black Hole - ie it will not copy any files to its Bin Directory, it will just delete them.
Note that files already in the Bin will be overwritten if files with the same names are added later.
Dragging a file or selection of files to the Black Hole while holding down Ctrl will turn this option off for those files.
{subsub}Delete Copies After
If you turn this off, Black Hole will never delete the files from its Bin Directory. They will remain there for ever. One major drawback to this is that your bin directory will eventually fill up. This is not good, it makes life difficult and generally a bit of a downer. So, turn this icon on and type into the small writeable icon the number of days you want files to be retained for.
{subsub}Bin Location
The Bin Directory is, by default, the directory !BlakHole2.BlackHole but this can be changed if desired.
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Simply create a directory (in the normal way) and drag it onto the configuration window, then press OK. That directory will now be the Bin Directory
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To do this, enter the pathname of the directory you wish to use into this box. Pressing RETURN immediately or clicking on the OK icon will make your new directory the Bin Directory.
Dragging a directory to the options window will insert the pathname of that directory as the new Bin Directory and make the change current. Leaving the box empty will cause the default to be restored.
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Clicking select on the iconbar icon opens the current Bin Directory. The 'Empty' or 'Occupied' message below the iconbar icon applies to this directory, as does the 'Delete Copies After' option, if the new bin location is saved permanently.
{notab}
{subhead}Iconbar Icon
This group of buttons control the appearance of Black Hole's iconbar icon.
{tab}
{subsub}Animate Icon
When the pointer is over a BlackHole window or its iconbar icon, the icon will spin round or indulge in some other needless but rather amusing activity. Unless this option is not selected, when it won't.
{subsub}Show Message
By default, the Black Hole icon has the message 'Empty' or 'Full' beneath it. To stop it displaying this message, turn this option off.
{subsub}Sprites
The iconbar sprites used for the animation of the Black Hole can be changed very easily. Clicking the left button over the arrow next to this option opens a menu containing the names of the current sprite files. Select one to change the sprites.
Some of these files are high-res 256 colour animations. They work OK on my RiscPC but I can't guarantee they'll work anywhere else. Many of these came from the Internet. They are public domain but I can't remember where they came from. If they're yours and you'd rather I didn't use them, please let me know.
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To define your own sprites, you need a sprite file containing as many frames of animation as you like.
The first one should be named !black0, the next !black1 etc. When you reach !black9 you must use the following sequence:
!black:
!black+
!black<
!black=
!black>
!black?
!black@
!black<open square bracket>
!black\
!black<close square bracket>
!black^
!black_
!black`
!blacka
and so on. This is basically ASCII order, except for the + sign and the fact that the upper case letters are missed out. Don't ask why it's like this. It just is, OK? Look in the supplied file 'Fire'.
The standard RISC OS 3 *IconSprites convention is used for these files; i.e. the same animation can have low res. (Mode 12), high res. (Mode 20) and high res. monochrome sprites defined. The Mode 12 sprites should be saved as whatever you want to call them, the mode 20 ones should have the same name with a 22 appended. Black Hole will ignore any files ending in 22 or 23 on its sprite menu, but RISC OS 3 will automatically select the correct one for the current mode. The default sprites (BlakHole) are defined this way. If you select the 'Update on mode change' option, then Black Hole will automatically update its sprites to suit the new resolution when you change to a new screen mode, subject to a suitable sprite file being available.
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{notab}
{subhead}Singularity
Singularity is the tiny Black Hole. It does some interesting things. It has its own help topic, so read that.
{subhead}Auto Saver Options
These two options refer to the Auto Saver part of Black Hole which is described more fully in the appropriate help.
{tab}
{subsub}Confirm before Saving
This will ask whether you are sure before saving anything. It will also tell you if the file already exists.
{subsub}Open Destination when Saved
This will open the destination directory when a file is saved into it using the Auto Saver.
{notab}
{subhead}Screen Saver
This controls the Blackout screen saver which is now distributed as part of Black Hole II. For more information, choose the 'Blackout' option from the help window.
Blackout is unlike any other screen saver in that I wrote it.
It also doesn't need any extra memory, until you run it. This saves you from having to run a screen saver program which takes up extra memory. You can also write your own screen savers for it.
[1]
To make life simple for you, I haven't explained things on a 'This bit does this' basis, but on a 'How do I do this?' basis.
{subsub}How do I tell Black Hole how long to keep files in the Bin?
To do this, you find the bit in the 'Copy Options' window which says 'Delete Copies After:'. You make sure this option is turned ON, then you enter the number of days to keep the files for in the icon to the right.
{subsub}Can I tell Black Hole to NOT keep a copy of a file?
If you drag a file to Black Hole while holding down the Ctrl key, no copy of that file will be kept by Black Hole.
{subsub}Can I move the Bin Directory somewhere else?
You can indeed. Just create the new directory wherever you want it, and drag it onto the Configuration window.
{subsub}Can I set Black Hole to tell me what it's doing?
In the Configuration window is a section called 'Wipe Options'. Click on this and another window opens. This window contains some options. The 'Verbose' option will make Black Hole tell you what it's doing. The 'Confirm' option will make Black Hole ask you if it's OK before doing anything.
The 'Force' option will make Black Hole delete even those files which are locked against deletion. Don't worry about 'Retain Structure', just leave it OFF.
{subsub}Can I change the animation of the Iconbar sprites?
Again, yes. There is a section labelled 'Iconbar Icon'. Click on the little menu icon and you'll get a list of animations.
{subsub}Can I get Black Hole to make dinner for me?
No.
{subhead}Other bits.
Enough Questions. Here's some more stuff.
The bit labelled 'Singularity' I would ignore if I were you. Make sure all the options except 'Remove at Exit' are OFF and ignore the rest.
The bit labelled 'Auto Saver' is for the Auto Saver, so read the help for that bit.
The bit labelled 'Screen Saver' controls the Blackout Screen Saver. This will display pretty patterns on your screen if you leave your computer unattended for a while. This also has its own, sepatarate help.
That's enough for now. Try the next technical help level if you want to know more.
