Windows Expert/Windows Expert.iso/desktop/explosiv.zip/EXPLOSIV.DOC

Text File | 1993-11-27 | 19KB | 474 lines

                       Explosiv 2.0TM

                    The DOS and Windows
                    Graphic Screen Saver

                     SHAREWARE VERSION



AS THIS IS SHAREWARE AND NOT FREEWARE, A PAYMENT OF $20.00 U.S.
IS REQUIRED IF YOU USE EXPLOSIV PAST AN INITIAL TRIAL PERIOD
(NOT TO EXCEED 30 CALENDAR DAYS).  SEE THE FILE ORDER.FRM FOR
DETAILS.

THIS VERSION OF EXPLOSIV IS A TRIAL VERSION. IT WILL ONLY FUNCTION
A LIMITED NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE IT HAS TO BE RELOADED INTO MEMORY.
YOU MUST REGISTER TO GET THE UNRESTRICTED VERSION.  THE FULL
VERSION FEATURES EXPLOSIV FOR DOS AND WINDOWS WITH 16 BEAUTIFUL
DISPLAYS.

Explosiv copyright (c) Reidar Gresseth & Chris Hook 1990, 1991.
1992. This product may be distributed freely to users. It may not
be or packaged, either individually, or as part of any other
product without the express written consent of the authors. All
financial remunerations must be paid to the authors. This product
may not be changed or altered and then distributed without the
express written consent of the authors.

DISCLAIMER: Explosiv is offered on an as-is-basis without any
guarantee as to the correct functioning or fitness for specific
purpose. The authors believe this program to work as described
but the program is used at your own risk. The authors
will not be responsible for any hardware or software damage, loss
of data, or incidental or consequential damage that may result
from its use, whether or not such use is in accordance with
the instructions.

All payments and/or enquiries regarding this program should be
send to ( see the file order.frm for details ) :

        Hook and Gresseth
        P.O. Box #3013
        Vancouver, B.C. Canada
        V6B 3X5



INTRODUCING EXPLOSIV 2.0

Explosiv 2.0 is the one screen saver that addresses all your
DOS(R) and Microsoft(R) WindowsTM computing needs. You will
find Explosiv 2.0 both entertaining and practical as
beautiful displays save your computer screen from harmful
burn-in. Compatible on machines running DOS 3.x and up,
Windows 3.x and up, and PC networks, Explosiv 2.0 is designed
to take care of your monitor without getting in the way of the
work you need to do.

The DOS version of Explosiv 2.0 is a TSR (Terminate and Stay
Resident) program that loads into memory when you like (for
example, automatically at boot up time) and stays out of
your way until you want it to come on. Occupying from 1 to
16 KB of memory (which can be loaded above the 640KB limit),
the DOS version of Explosiv 2.0 renders beautifully animated
displays. In fact, if you like, you can invoke the full
screen user interface and just point and click on the displays
you want to see. Just sit back and watch the show!

The Windows version is a full-fledged Windows 3.0 application
that perform the same functionality as its DOS counter
part; that is, to give the user beautiful and animated
displays while adding an important level of protection to
your computer equipment. In addition to a highly intuitive
MS Windows 3.0 standard user interface - complete with
operation and demonstration modes - Explosiv 2.0 for Windows
also includes the additional feature of password protection
- an important security feature for users on stand-alone and
networked PCs who need a level of confidentiality when not
attending their machine.


INSTALLATION

Installation of Explosiv 2.0 for DOS and Windows is quick
and easy.  Simply insert your diskette and type install.
You will then be greeted by a full screen menu that will
request information about the type of installation you would
like best.


The options are:

       1. To install Explosiv for DOS and Windows

       2. Install Explosiv for DOS only

       3. Install Explosiv for Windows only

       4. Reconfigure the DOS version of Explosiv
          (This is especially useful if you find
          Explosiv 2.0 for DOS conflicting with
          another TSR. In that case, try changing
          either/or the Multiplex value or the Hot
          Key assignments).

       5. Exit to DOS ( chose this option to NOT
          install Explosiv 2.0 )


Assuming that you selected one of the install choices 1 - 3,
install then asks a second level of questions:

       1. Which directory on your disk would you
          like to install Explosiv into (if no
          directory of the given name exists, the
          install program will create it).

       2. The directory that is on your named path
          (as defined in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file)
          that the executable DOS file EXPLOSIV.COM
          will be installed into.

       3. The directory where Windows 3.x resides.


NOTE: At all times help is available in the box displayed at
the bottom of the screen. Also, the ESC key may be pressed
at any time to terminate the install process.


Install will now create a custom version of Explosiv 2.0 for
DOS and place it in the directory you have named. If you
selected the Windows version of Explosiv 2.0 to be installed,
Windows will be invoked, a new Windows Group will be created
and Explosiv 2.0 for Windows will be placed in it. When this
is done, windows will exit and you will be returned to the
DOS command line prompt. Installation of Explosiv 2.0 will
now be complete.

If any part of the installation fails, a notice will be
displayed as to what went wrong. You must then remedy the
problem and re-install (from the distribution diskette) the
sections of Explosiv 2.0 you wish.

The steps needed to manually install Explosiv 2.0 are:




       a) Create a directory on your hard drive
          where you wish to install the program
          files.  Assume that this directory is
          C:\EXPLOSIV.

       b) Copy all the files from the Explosiv
          disk(s) into that directory.

       c) Configure Explosiv for DOS so that it
          knows where to find the screen saver
          modules. This is done with the INSTALL
          command followed by the location of
          EXPLOSIV.COM and finally followed by the
          directory where the screen saver modules
          have been placed. In our example the
          command will be:

          C:\EXPLOSIV> INSTALL EXPLOSIV.COM C:\EXPLOSIV

       d) Copy EXPLOSIV.COM to a directory in your
          path.

       e) If you want Explosiv to run automatically
          when you boot your machine insert the line
          "EXPLOSIV -" in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

       f) If you want Explosiv to run automatically
          when you run windows then append
          "C:\EXPLOSIV\WX.EXE" to your load line in
          WIN.INI.

       g) Start Windows and create the Explosiv
          Program Group using the Windows Program
          Manager.



USING EXPLOSIV 2.0

THE DOS VERSION

Explosiv 2.0 consists of two different products. First there
is Explosiv 2.0 for DOS, a modular TSR screen saver with a
full screen interface. To invoke the DOS version of Explosiv
simply go to the DOS command line prompt and type:

C:\> EXPLOSIV

and the full screen interface will be invoked. Or alternatively,
to invoke Explosiv 2.0 for DOS WITHOUT invoking the menu system,
simply enter:

C:\> EXPLOSIV -

If the full screen method of starting Explosiv 2.0 for DOS
is used, then a combination of mouse and/or keyboard strokes
will allow you to move about the menu and make the desired
choices. The choices to be made are:

       1. Which display you want to select as the
          active screen saver.

       2. How many things you want Explosiv 2.0
          for DOS to save for you once it becomes
          active as a screen saver.
          NOTE: Most of the selections in this box
          will be set for you automatically. If,
          for example, you find that you are exper-
          iencing certain restoration problems,
          such as a loss of special fonts or mouse
          pointers after returning from Explosiv,
          then set the "font" option. As a side
          effect, Explosiv will become larger in
          memory.

       3. Determine what display parameters you
          want to set. Explosiv sets reasonable
          parameters by default, but you can make
          some of the displays faster, slower,
          denser, or sparser by modifying these
          controls.

       4. Determine at what time you wish Explosiv
          to be invoked (i.e., after what period
          of inactivity).

       5. Save the new settings, or Cancel and
          leave the settings unchanged.


The full screen interface for Explosiv 2.0 for DOS can also
be used as a module demonstrator if you wish. Simply invoke


Explosiv and select a particular display by clicking the
mouse on the display name, or by hitting the RETURN key once
the cursor is on top of the desired display. A demonstration
of the display will be shown (in full screen mode) until you
hit a mouse button or keyboard key.


THE WINDOWS VERSION

To start the Windows version of Explosiv 2.0, do one of the
following:

       1. Choose Explosiv 2.0 For Windows to be
          activated during the install procedure.

       2. Modify you WIN.INI file (usually found
          in your WINDOWS directory) with an ASCII
          editor (such as EDIT.COM as provided
          with MS-DOS 5.0) and append the name
          WX.EXE at the end of the load = line.
          For example, if you installed Explosiv
          2.0 into the Hard Disk directory
          C:\EXPLOSIV, you would then append
          C:\EXPLOSIV\WX.EXE at the end of the
          WIN.INI file line that starts with the
          keyword load = .

       3. Invoke Explosiv 2.0 for Windows by double
          clicking on the icon within the Explosiv
          group in the Windows Program Manager.
          This will run Explosiv 2.0 for the current
          Windows session ONLY.


Once started, you can set, modify, and view all parameters
through the Explosiv Icon menu-driven Dialog Boxes.
There are two important menu choices to be made after clicking
on the Explosiv Icon:


       1. The Explosiv Setup Icon Menu Choice:
          This leads to a group of three Dialog
          Boxes; the Main Box (displayed after
          clicking on the Icon Menu choice), the
          Display Options Box (displayed after
          clicking on the Options... button in the
          Main Dialog Box), and the Password Box
          (displayed after clicking on the
          Password... button).

       2. The About Explosiv Icon Menu Choice:
          This displays a simple box that gives
          reference to Date and Authors of Explosiv 2.0.



The Setup Dialog Box controls are similar in functionality
to those from the DOS version of Explosiv 2.0. To begin
with, the Select Display: Box contains a scrollable list of
display choices. Clicking the mouse on a choice makes that
choice the active display. The Select Time: Box contains a
scrollable list of times, ranging from 1 to 30 minutes.
Clicking on a value causes that time to be the time to
activation for Explosiv. The Screen Saver On: Box indicates
whether or not Explosiv will come on as a Screen Saver at
the Activation Time. Clicking on this Box toggles the Screen
Saver On and Off. The Demo Button lets you get a preview of
any of the selected displays. This button should be clicked
On SLOWLY.

The Options... Button opens up a new Dialog Box, which contains
more customized controls, if the user so wishes.


The Display Options Dialog Box contains two Mouse Corner
groups. Clicking on any one corner will make the corresponding
corner on the screen either :

       1. The corner in which the screen saver is
          INSTANTLY activated from (the group to
          the left indicates this action).

       2. The corner in which, if the mouse is so
          placed, the screen saver will NEVER come
          on, even at the activation time.


Next are two scrollable boxes that allow:

       1. The rate of Delay to be set. If you find
          a particular display too fast to your
          liking, increase the Delay Rate from between
          0 to 3.

       2. The Number of Objects. This is not active
          in all displays, but the displays that do
          use this control will increase the number
          of displayed objects as the number value
          selected increases (ranging from 1 to 9).
          NOTE: For many of the displays, selecting
          a value GREATER THAN 6 will give you a
          randomly varying display. This is especially
          effective in the GYRO display.

Finally, there is the Detect Mouse Movement Box. Toggling
this On or Off (by clicking on it with the Mouse) either
Enables or Disables the screen saver to turn off via a
movement of the mouse. This is especially useful for unstable
situations, such as laptop computing. Also, some Graphics
Co-Processor boards work better when the Mouse Movement
Detection is turned off.


The Password Dialog Box, the last of the Dialog Boxes, is
opened up by clicking on the Password... Button. To enter a
BRAND NEW password, type in your new password in the Enter
Password: Box, then repeat it in the Confirm Password: Box.
Finally, Click on the Accept button to permanently set your
new password. If you made a mistake in either your original
or confirmation entries, a failure sign will show up on the
Accept button. Just start all over again. If your password
was successfully entered, the Accept button will display a
Success message.

NOTE: Passwords can be up to 9 characters in length, and can
be any combination of ASCII characters, including numbers
and symbols. Also, upper and lower case of the same letter
are seen as two different values to the password program.

To change a password, first enter your old password in the
Old Password: Box, and then proceed as outlined above for
entering a FIRST TIME new password. If any error is made
(i.e., the Accept button indicates a Failure), just start
the entire process over again.

After you have successfully entered (or changed) a password,
the Password On: Button is enabled. If this button is selected,
then a Password Box will pop up and ask you for your password
every time an activated screen saver display is halted (eg., by
a mouse movement, button click, or keyboard key press). At
that time, you enter your password and then click on the
Accept button, or click on the Cancel button to immediately
start the screen saver display again. If nothing happen, the
Password Prompting box disappears after 8 seconds, and the
screen saver display resumes activity.


SPECIAL THINGS TO WATCH FOR

Some special things to be aware of include:


       a. When a DOS program is running in graphics
          mode, Explosiv 2.0 for DOS WILL NOT display
          the currently selected module, but rather
          will simply blank the screen.  This insures
          the best possible restoration of any given
          graphics state (this may occur even in text
          mode if Explosiv cannot reliably determine
          the systems' graphic state).

       b. Explosiv 2.0 for Windows DOES NOT WORK
          in Real Mode (with or without expanded
          memory) in Windows 3.0. It is to be used
          in Standard or Enhanced Modes only. If
          you try to start Explosiv 2.0 for
          Windows in Real Mode, Explosiv will
          simply terminate itself with a
          explanitory message.

       c. Explosiv 2.0 for Windows may cause a
          problem when returning from a DOS Prompt
          session on some machines running Windows 3.0
          in STANDARD MODE (this restriction does NOT
          apply to 386 or Enhanced mode Windows).
          To avoid this situation, close Explosiv 2.0
          before you click on the DOS Prompt icon.
          After returning from the DOS Prompt session
          under Windows Standard mode, simply
          click on the Program Manager's Icon of
          Explosiv 2.0 and Explosiv will pick up
          immediately where you last left off.

       d. Explosiv 2.0 for DOS will NOT ACTIVATE
          when Windows 3.0 is running unless Windows
          is running in Real Mode. To disable
          this (as it could produce undesirable
          side effects), enter the line:
          EXPLOSIV OFF
          before you start up windows in Real Mode
          (i.e., win /r), and then enter:
          EXPLOSIV ON
          after exiting the Windows Real Mode
          session. This could easily be made into
          a batch file if need be.

       e. If you are doing large file transfers
          over a serial communication line in
          Windows, it is advised that you use the
          CLOCK display.

          This display will not impede your file
          transfers to any noticeable degree. The
          discus display may slow the transfers
          down to some degree.

       f. If you are using a Hercules monochrome
          display and are unsure as to whether or
          not your program is in graphics mode,
          set Explosiv off before starting the
          program to give maximum compatibility
          with the underlying program
          (alternatively, you can try the +on and
          -on option as well).

       g. Explosiv 2.0 for DOS has certain Hot Key
          assignments that are very important.
          They are:

          1. Ctrl-Alt-Shift.  This key combination
          starts Explosiv 2.0 immediately.

          2. Ctrl-Alt-E. This key combination
          temporarily disables Explosiv 2.0 for
          DOS.

          3. Ctrl-Alt_B. This key combination
          Enables Explosiv 2.0 for DOS after it
          had been previously disabled.