ResSwitcher is a Control Panel that allows you to quickly change the resolution (and depth) of certain monitors from any application (rather than having to return to the Finder, open the Monitors Control Panel, pick a depth, click the Options... button, and pick a resolution from the list). A Control Strip module is also provided, which requires the presence of the Control Panel to function.
ResSwitcher requires the Display Manager. This is found in all PowerMac System Software, and on any colour-capable Macintosh running System 7.5 or later. It also requires that your monitor supports more than one resolution - if clicking the “Options...” button in the Monitors Control Panel reveals a list of resolutions, your monitor should be switchable with ResSwitcher. If the Monitors Control Panel does not reveal a list of resolutions, ResSwitcher will not be able to change resolutions (although it will allow you to change the colour depth).
NB - Due to a limitation in older versions of the Display Manager (i.e., version 1.x), ResSwitcher can not change the resolution of anything other than the main monitor, and can not change resolutions if you have more than one monitor attached. This should be worked around in future versions (the problem is caused when the main monitor is switched to a lower resolution, thus creating a gap between the new, smaller, edge of the desktop of the main monitor and the edge of the desktops of the other monitor(s)).
Using ResSwitcher
To install ResSwitcher, drop it into your “Control Panels” folder (or drop it onto your “System Folder” and let the Finder put it where it belongs). ResSwitcher will take effect after you next restart your Mac, and can be configured using the Control Panel.
To install the Control Strip version, drop the “ResSwitcher (Control Strip)” module in your “Control Strip Modules” folder, which is inside your “System Folder”. Do not drop it onto your System Folder - the Finder (at least for 7.5.2) does not know to put it in the correct location. NB - the Control Strip version requires the presence of the ResSwitcher Control Panel to function (even if the Control Panel isn't showing a menu in the menu bar/providing a desktop popup menu).
When ResSwitcher is installed, a menu is provided which lists the available colour depths and resolutions for your main monitor, as well as an item that opens the ResSwitcher Control Panel. Depending on the settings in the Control Panel, this menu can be present in the Menu Bar, as a pop-up menu on the fly, or in the Control Strip bar.
The contents of the menu are identical, regardless of the location of the menu. Selecting a colour from the menu will change the colour depth of your main monitor (holding down the option key will switch to grayscale, rather than the colour mode). Selecting a resolution from the menu will change the resolution of your main monitor. NB - not all depths are available in all resolutions. Changes to depth or resolution are not permanent - use the Monitors Control Panel if you wish to make a change which persists across restarts.
The ResSwitcher Control Panel looks like this:
The “Install at startup” checkbox determines whether ResSwitcher will install itself when the Mac starts up.
The “Always keep to highest depth” checkbox determines ResSwitcher's behaviour when switching resolutions. If this checkbox is on, ResSwitcher attempts to switch to the deepest possible colour depth when changing resolution. If this checkbox is off, ResSwitcher leaves the colour depth untouched (or sets it to the closest depth, if the previous depth is now unavailable).
The “Show icon in Menu Bar” checkbox determines whether the ResSwitcher menu appears in the Menu Bar or not.
The “Pop-Up Menu on mouse-click and:” checkbox determines whether ResSwitcher will display a pop-up menu when you press the mouse in conjunction with certain keys.
The “Shift Key”, “Control Key”, “Option Key”, and “Command Key” checkboxes determine the set of modifier keys to enable the pop-up menu. If no modifier keys are set, the menu will never appear.
Shareware Fee
ResSwitcher is shareware - it is not free. You are allowed to try it out for 30 days, after which time you are expected to register. After registration, you will receive instructions for turning off the shareware reminder. The Shareware fee for ResSwitcher is $15. A site license costs $50, and a world-wide license of $100 is also available. For users within the UK, the $15 fee can be replaced with £10 sterling.
Kee Nethery’s (kee@kagi.com) Kagi Shareware acts as a clearing house for transactions. Using Kagi has two main advantages. Firstly, Kagi offers a multitude of ways to pay for your shareware - by credit card (by post or email <your card details are scrambled prior to transmission>), by cheque, by department invoice, by NetCash, etc. Secondly, it allows me to use a permanent email address (dair@kagi.com), which can be forwarded to my current email address (wherever that might be). If you’re a Shareware author interested in Kagi Shareware’s setup, finger shareware@kagi.com for the details.
If you’re outside the UK, please use the enclosed Register program to submit your payment. If you’re within the UK, you can either use the Register program (to pay by credit card, etc) or you can mail a cheque directly to me. Mailing a cheque to me is both faster and cheaper, and so the single-user fee is reduced to £10 (This applies to UK cheques/cash only).
My current postal address is:
Dair Grant,
11 Garrioch Quadrant,
North Kelvinside,
Glasgow,
Scotland
G20 8RT, UK
Please send email to dair@kagi.com first to confirm this. If you’ve any comments, bug reports, or suggestions feel free to email me.
The wish-list for ResSwitcher currently contains:
- Being able to function when there's more than one monitor attached
- An item in the desktop popup menu for setting the main dispay (i.e., moving the menu bar on the fly)
- Being able to rearrange the Finder's icons when the resolution changes
These will all be worked on as and when I get the time...
By using this software, you agree to absolve Dair Grant, and Purple Shark Software, from any liability to data loss or other problems caused directly or indirectly by any part of this software. If you can not agree, don't use it.
