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Amiga Collections: MegaDisc
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MegaDisc 36 (1993-11)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 1 of 2)[m doscopy][WB].zip
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MegaDisc 36 (1993-11)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 1 of 2)[m doscopy][WB].adf
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Tutes_&_CLI
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A_Few_Pointers
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A_Few_Pointers
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Text File
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1993-10-22
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7KB
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130 lines
A F E W P O I N T E R S
Mitchel Hopping
Ed: Check out the program SetAmiga on our Extras disk this issue, as well
as Best_of_Fish 14.
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I recently received some pointers about mouse pointers and I thought I
should pass them on to those Megadisc readers who want different mouse
pointers and are, as yet, unaware of how simple a task it is to change
them.
For some time now I have had an inclination to have a mouse pointer
different from the standard arrow. There was an occasion when I tried to
draw one with the Edit Pointer facility in Preferences but my efforts were
not attended with much success. I now have a different pointer for each
family member.
What are friends for?
In the Devs directory of your system disk there is a file called the
system-configuration file. This file contains those things which are set
by Preferences. In particular, it is where the mouse pointer lives. So if
you see on a friend's Amiga a mouse pointer you covet, copy the
system-configuration file onto a blank disk and take it home. Once at
home, copy your own system-configuration file to a blank disk (as a
precaution in case you change your mind and want your old one back), delete
the system-configuration file from your Workbench disk and replace it with
your friend's file. Upon resetting the system, you will have the pointer
you wanted.
The chances are that you haven't finished yet. You have also obtained
your friend's screen colours and if they are not what you want, you will
have to change them to the colours you have become accustomed to. The same
will apply to the preference settings for your printer.
Finding more pointers
Friends are not the only source of replacement mouse pointers. We have all
seen special pointers on other disks. There are probably a number of
desirable designs in everybody's disk box on self-booting disks. If the
disk shows up as a non-dos disk on Workbench, I do not know of a way to
copy the system-configuration file from it because DOS cannot read it.
There are a number of public domain disks from which can be copied the
system-configuration file (though the pointers on many are merely more
arrows). A very attractive hand with pointing finger is to be found on the
disk containing "D-Copy", a public domain copy program, obtainable from
MegaDisc as UT 300. A different looking hand with a button attached to the
end of the pointing finger is to be found on the "Populous" disk, while
"Battle Chess" has a lance-like pointer with a fine point. These last two
are commercial programs and the pointers are no doubt copyright; I mention
them only as examples of what might be found after diligent search.
A configuration for everybody
What happens if you are not the only person to use the Amiga? What if you
have found or created a pointer that suits you right down to the ground but
the other person(s) can't get used to it? Everyone can use a personalized
Workbench disk and reset the computer between users, I suppose, but that is
no solution if there is a hard disk installed. Never fear! The other
"pointer" I was given was the name of a public domain program which will
allow instantaneous changing of system configuration at the click of an
icon.
On Best of Fish 14 is to be found a program named "SetAMIGA". The program
is styled SetPrefs in the disk contents file and on the drawer-icon. It is
also called SetPrefs in the MegaDisc catalogue. Another strange thing on
my copy is that the readme icon calls the wrong readme file. You may know
that Fred Fish includes little text files advising about how he came by the
programs and such matters. These files are normally called "Readme.fnf"
and do not have icons. In this case the icon calls that file and not the
program's text file. The icon must be re-named "Read_Me". There is a trap
awaiting young players in the re-naming of this icon. There are two text
files, named as shown above, and if you use the Rename command on Workbench
it will refuse to rename the icon to the name of the other file. The best
way to rename it is to use a directory utility. To do it on Workbench,
drag-copy the .fnf icon to the Ram: disk; open a CLI (Shell); and type at
the prompt:
Delete RAM:Readme.fnf
this will leave the bare icon in Ram: so that you may now use Rename to
rename it Read_Me and drag it back into the SetPrefs drawer.
SetAMIGA comes with six sample system-configuration files. Each one is
called by clicking its individual icon. I did not find the sample files
attractive as they came to me on the disk because the screen colours used
in the samples are so dark. That can easily be fixed though, if you like
the pointer. Double click the icon, regain your screen colours with
Preferences, save the result by selecting SAVE on the Preferences screen
(which will alter the system-configuration file on your system disk), copy
that configuration file to RAM:, re-name it to the name of the icon you
clicked to get it in the first place (e.g. SamplePref2) then copy that
file to replace the original sample file. The repeated copying is a simple
task for a directory utility, in spite of the several steps involved. Next
time you click that icon, the preferences will be as YOU set them.
Naturally enough, the same technique is used to replace the sample
configuration files with the files you will want to call upon from time to
time (with the special mouse pointers etc.). All this icon manipulation
can be avoided by giving the files meaningful names and using the CLI (or
Shell) to effect the change of configuration.
If you find that you use the program a lot, you will probably want to put
it onto your Workbench disk if yours is a floppy system, or onto the hard
disk. If that is done, it would probably be best to put the SetAMIGA
program in the C directory.
Because the entire system-configuration is replaced each time a SetAMIGA
icon is double clicked it is possible to have a separate file at the ready,
to change colours and preferences for the printer as the need arises, as
well as having mouse pointers to suit all occasions.
Thus it is easy to cater for the idiosyncrasies of divers users and of
changing requirements of individuals such as darker or lighter screen
colours or different printer settings for different programs, all at the
click of an icon.
Mitchel Hopping
June 1993
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