Shareware Extravaganza 7/Shareware Extravaganza 8 (Most Significant Bits) (Disc 7).iso/win95a/dsa1296.zip/README.TXT

Text File | 1996-05-08 | 29KB | 558 lines

Damsel Software Group's
DAVID MARTSOLF, SURREALIST, SCREEN SAVER
SHAREWARE EDITION
Compatible with Windows 3.1, 3.11, and Windows 95.

********************************************************
* For Power Users who want to get right to the program *
* the Screen Saver is now loaded. Exit this text file  *
* and go right to where Windows stores its own screen  *
* savers.  This screen saver will be listed in that    *
* group as Surreal Art Share.  Select it. That's it.   *
*   ---> When you want to find out about the additional*
*  pictures you get by registering this program, and   *
*  getting rid of the opening screen, come back and    *
*  read this readme.txt file in the DSA1SHAR directory.*
*******   If you need more help, keep reading.  ********
********************************************************

To read this file easily, click on your
"expand window size" symbol.  Thanks!

This file contains information on the following subjects:

    1.  Product Registration
    2.  The Association of Shareware Professionals
    3.  Copyright Information
    4.  Minimum System Requirements
    5.  Setting Up Your Screen Saver
    6.  Screen Saver Function and Features
    7.  JPEG Image Compression
    8.  Monitor Display
    9.  Wallpaper
    10. Uninstalling Your Screen Saver
    11. Warranty Information
    12. Registration Form

In order to assist the reader, the older Windows 3.x  instructions have been
left intact.  Windows 95 instructions, where different, are either given
their own sentences or are indicated by the use of parentheses.

This is the only time this README.TXT file will appear automatically. In the
future you can read the file by coming back to your Windows 3.x Notepad,
located under Accessories in your Program Manager menu, and opening the
README.TXT file found in the DSA1SHAR directory, or by two clicks on the
filename directly from within File Manager.  In Windows 95 the Notepad is
reached from the Start button followed by Programs\Accessories\Notepad.
You may also read the file from your C:\> DOS prompt by typing
TYPE C:\DSA1SHAR\README.TXT | MORE.  You may exit this file at any time by
clicking on the minus sign of Windows 3.x's Notepad window at the upper
left-hand corner, or by clicking on the "X" Close button in Windows 95's
Notepad upper right-hand corner.

This README.TXT file can be printed in a variety of ways.  In MS-DOS you can
print it at any time from your C:\DSA1SHAR> prompt by typing
COPY README.TXT PRN and pressing Enter.  Within Windows it can be printed
from the Notepad or from any other word processing program that can open a
.TXT file.  In Windows' Notepad you should set File\Page Setup\Left Margin
to as low a value as possible before printing to insure that each line will
print in its entirety.  This text file will not appear during the actual
running of the screen saver.


1.  PRODUCT REGISTRATION

If you like the screen saver and intend to use it now or in the future, you
should register your screen saver within 30 days by sending a check for
$14.95 in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank or by using MasterCard/Visa.
Either method can make use of the Registration Form found at the end of this
file.  Send the completed form to:

            Damsel Software Group
            P.O. Box 713
            Concord, NH 03302-0713

Call our phone/fax at 603 485-2677 if you desire verification.  You may
print out and use the registration form found at the end of this README
file to insure we receive your mailing address.

$14.95 entitles you to a registered copy of Damsel's 27-image David Martsolf,
Surrealist, Screen Saver complete with User's Guide, lifetime tech support,
and a free catalog of Damsel products with future updates for a year or more.
The User's Guide contains a brief description of each of the images.  The
registered version includes the eight images contained in this Shareware
version plus five images in .BMP format suitable for use as Windows wall-
paper.  The Shareware version does not contain any pictures usable as wall-
paper.

The registered version takes up less than 5MB of hard disk space and is
shipped in a handsome CD case on two 3.5" virus-free diskettes.  Send
US$14.95 and get it all, .. PLUS free shipping and handling on this, your
first order.

FLASH !!!

Here's part of what you will find in the catalog!  If you like this screen
saver you can order more great screen savers immediately by writing a check
or money order in U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank, or by using the
MasterCard/Visa section of the order form found at the end of this file.
Send payment and form along with your order to the Damsel address above.

Shipping charges on these orders are:  add $4.00 shipping in the U.S.
                                           $6.00 Canada/Mexico
All screen savers require 386 machines     $8.00 South America
minimum with a 256-color VGA display.     $12.00 All other foreign
                                           for shipping the added order.

And, here's another screen saver deal designed to save you money.  If you
order two additional screen savers, you will get a third one of your choice
   FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE!

Here are your selections.  Use your scroll bar if you want to move quickly
to the rest of your shareware documentation.

Screen Savers / Wallpaper             Price ($US)
-------------------------             -----------
New Hampsire Wilderness, Vol.I         $14.95

24 640 x 480 scanned photos of mountains, waterfalls, forests and lakes
in JPG format shipped on two 3.5" diskettes in a CD-case, with a User's
Guide containing full documentation on features and functions, including a
short description of each of the 24 scenes.  All images are 256-colors.
Several are in BMP format for use as wallpaper.


Eastern Skies                          $14.95

24 640 x 480 scanned photos of sunrises, sunsets, clouds, storms and
other meterological formations, shipped on two 3.5" diskettes in a CD case,
with a User's Guide containing full documentation on features and functions,
including a short description of each of the 24 scenes.  All images are
256-colors.  Six are in BMP format for use as wallpaper.


New England Wildflowers, Vol.I         $14.95

24 640 x 480 scanned photos of New England's wildflowers from early
summer to late fall in an assortment of colors and shapes, shipped in a
similar package as the Eastern Skies collection, but with only three images
usable as wallpaper.


Neoplastic Designs Collection          $14.95

A collection of 640 x 480 images of original interpretive artworks based on
the style of the early 1900's Dutch abstract painter Piet Mondrian.  This
collection is painted entirely in 16-color format suitable for all computers
running Windows 3.1 or higher, especially early 386-type microprocessors
whose graphics cards cannot display the richer 256-color format.  In this
CD case of two 3.5" diskettes are two independent screen savers, both based
on Mondrian's artistic material.


Damsel Bitmap Collection, Vol. I & II  $14.95 (sold separately)

Collections of 640 x 480 and tiled images of original artwork and
scanned photos representative of the other Damsel collections shown above.
Shipped on two 3.5" diskettes, with a User's Guide, but without a CD case.
Note that Volume I is available as a Shareware product.


Damsel Screen Saver Sampler            $14.95

A collection of 24 640 x 480 images of scanned photos representative of
four of the other Damsel collections shown above.  All images are in the
.JPG format which cannot be used by Windows as wallpaper.  Shipped on two
3.5" diskettes, with a User's Guide, but without a CD case.  Note that this
collection is available as a Shareware product.


2.  THE ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS

Damsel Software Group is a member of the Association of  Shareware
Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle
works for you.  If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem
with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
help.  The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an
ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.
Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI  USA
49442-9427, Fax [phone], or send a CompuServe message via
CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.

THE SHAREWARE CONCEPT

Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying
it.  If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected
to register.  Individual programs differ on details -- some request
registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period.
With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using
the software to an updated program with printed material.

Shareware differs from public domain software in that there is the under-
standing of payment IF the user continues to actively employ the software.
Shareware is also copyrighted where public domain software is not.  Copy-
right restrictions vary from author to author.  Damsel's Bitmap Collection
is copyrighted.  The details of this copyright follow below.

Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software.  You should find
software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or
Shareware.  The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because
you can try before you buy.  Shareware has the ultimate money-back
guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.


3.  COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Once registered, the images contained in Damsel products may be used as
wallpaper or as baseline images for further private or commercial process-
ing.  Your only restriction as a registered purchaser, owner, or user, is
that Damsel products or their individual images not be resold or distributed
in their original unmodified form.  Images may be used unmodified in
commercial publications where they form an integral part of a larger work to
be sold or marketed as such.  The images cannot be resold as stand-alone
graphics without the expressed written consent of Damsel Software Group.
The screen saving functions cannot be redistributed except in Shareware
versions with their original associated Damsel images.


4.  MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

All of the images contained in this Damsel product are built on a 256-color
palette.  A video display board with a minimum of 512K RAM and 256-color
capability for display on a VGA or SVGA monitor is essential for optimal
viewing of these images.

You will need an IBM-compatible PC with a 386 or higher-type microprocessor,
4MB RAM, and a hard disk with 2.5MB free disk space.

Damsel products run with MS-DOS 3.1 or higher using Windows 3.1 or higher.
Damsel products are fully compatible with Windows 95.


5.  SETTING UP YOUR SCREEN SAVER

Exit this README file by clicking on the minus sign or the Close ("X")
button of the Notepad window.  Then, turn off any other screen savers you
may be using unless they are the ones linked directly to your Desktop
(Display) Accessories module, following the manufacturer's instructions.

    *** ACCESS IN WINDOWS 3.X ***

To access your Damsel screen saver from Windows' Program Manager,

1.  Double click on your Main icon.
2.  Double click on the Control Panel icon.
3.  Double click on the Desktop icon.
4.  Once you are in the Desktop dialog box open the list
    in the Screen Saver area by clicking the button at the right
    of the box titled "Name:" (or by pressing TAB several times to go to
    the box, followed by ALT+DOWN ARROW).
5.  Scroll on the slide bar until you find the screen saver titled
    "Surreal Art Share".  Click once on the title to select it.  You may
    also select the "Delay" time (of inactivity) in minutes which will
    precede the initiation of any screen saver selected.  Password
    protection is also available and is described in the next section.
6.  After selecting the Surreal Art Share screen saver choose OK in the
    upper right-hand corner of the dialog box and exit back to the opening
    screen.  The screen saver will now appear after the initial chosen
    period of inactivity passes.

    *** ACCESS IN WINDOWS 95 ***

1.  Press or click your mouse on the Task Bar's Start button.
2.  Highlight or click on Settings, from the first menu.
3.  Click on Control Panel, from the second menu.
4.  When the Control Panel window opens, double click on the Display icon.
5.  Click on the tab titled Screen Saver.
6.  Scroll down the list of screen savers and click on the name "Surreal Art
    Share".  At this point you can also set the screen saver's "Wait"
    time or enter a password. Password details are available in the next
    section.

To identify the subject matter of each bitmap file in the DSA1SHAR
directory, refer to the following guide.  Descriptions of this kind are
provided in the User's Guide for all images contained in the 27-image
registered version.

A. The registration reminder screen appears each time the screen saver
   commences for approximately 12 seconds.  The scene is a detail from the
   oil painting titled, "Ferris Wheel".  The bust is the head of the Roman
   emperor Constantine from a gigantic larger statue, here colorized as it
   might have been in the early years after the death of Christ.
   Its filename in this screen saver is DSA1SHAR.BMP.

B. Filename DSA1020.JPG  "Portents of Genius"  acrylic on canvas  1976
   'Portents' begins to unite Martsolf's own abstract drawing style with
   the unambiguous light that illuminates all of his work.  Martsolf draws
   two self-portraits.  The left seated figure has begun to break out of his
   confines with an ice pick.  The painting within the painting contemplates
   the connection of the physical world to the mystical through the
   genitalia.  For Martsolf, the urges of the flesh are kept in perspective
   as one of God's infinite paths to understanding, as well as a wellspring
   of recreativity.

C. Filename DSA1051.JPG  "The Cosmologist"  oil on canvas  1977
   The cosmologist leans out into space to contemplate the mysteries of
   eternity and infinity.  Behind him explodes the Crab Nebula, a star that
   has died and is rejoining the cosmic atmosphere.  The seated figure
   beyond the horizon is joined by the Orion Nebula, a nearby birthplace of
   stars.  A future disassembled Arecibo radio telescope is meant to let the
   observer know that science is just one way to understand the universe.
   It is not the only way.  And the universe is not always what it seems.

D. Filename DSA1060.JPG     "Mother and Child"  oil on canvas  1978
   To Martsolf and many others, the view of our own Earth from outer
   space brings a sense of fragility and the need for stewardship of our
   planet.  The child is also being shown the Earth in the sense that all
   its wonders lie before him to do with as he may.  It is a universal theme
   of nascent hope.

E. Filename DSA1090.JPG     "Umbilical Cord"  oil on canvas  1979
   Another in Martsolf's early series of direct colorized transcriptions of
   original pen and ink drawings done on 5" x 7.5" paper.  In this work
   the small floating embryonic organism connects loosely to the world
   of a nightmarish dream island.  Martsolf remembers these worlds fondly.

F. Filename DSA1150.JPG  "Wilderness"  oil on canvas  1981
   Martsolf's fascination with unexplored wilderness continues with this
   imaginary landscape originally drawn with ball-point pen on paperboard.
   Studying examples of this same style from American painters of the 1800's
   such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, Martsolf travels in his mind to
   places unseen and unexplored.

G. Filename DSA1210.JPG  "Illumination Beyond Ursa Major" oil on canvas    1982
   The reference to Ursa Major, the constellation of the Big Bear (contain-
   ing the Big Dipper), stems from the inclusion of the M81 spiral galaxy,
   similar in size and shape to our own Milky Way, located a relatively
   nearby 10 million light years away.  In this distant realm the universal
   struggles of life are played out by the light of an invisible source held
   in the lap of regeneration.

H. Filename DSA1171.JPG  "The Last Supper"  oil on canvas  1982
   While not subscribing to any specific religion, Martsolf was raised as a
   Lutheran Christian.  As a result, religious symbolism figures in many of
   his works.  In this variation on the classical theme, Martsolf places the
   observer in Christ's position.  When the observer leaves the gallery
   perhaps this experience will influence future interactions with other
   lifeforms.  Respect, understanding and forgiveness are three of the
   traits Martsolf finds most appealing in the Christian tradition.

I. Filename DSA1251.JPG  "Surface Tension"  oil on canvas  1983
   Many art historians saw the development of Impressionism, Cubism and
   Abstract Expressionism as a progression of artistic movements that was to
   sound the death knell for realism as the highest form of painting and
   other associated two-dimensional artforms.  The theory went that since
   the canvas is flat, creating a three-dimensional picture space through
   the use of perspective, shading, etc., was, at most benign, simple
   trickery and, at worst, utter heresy to the two-dimensional mediums of
   the graphic arts.

   Regardless of this intellectual posturing, realism has not been killed.
   It's life carries forward in every medium because it continues to
   provide a connection to the real world and mankind's fascination with the
   boundaries of reality in the space-time continuum.

   Martsolf plays on the dualism of the flat canvas and the imaginary depth
   of realistic forms in this almost life-size painting of friends at a
   summer picnic.


6.  SCREEN SAVER FUNCTION AND FEATURES

All of Damsel's screen savers have preset display times and transition
effects (the methods used to transition between one image and the next).
This screen saver's image files are stored in the JPEG format.  The length
of time required to decompress each image and perform transition effects
will depend directly on the size and speed of your microprocessor (386, 486,
or Pentium class) and the power of your video graphics card.

Damsel has set the display times to be approximately 30 seconds for each
image using a 486-type machine running at 33 Megahertz.  Faster 486 and
Pentium machines will exhibit slightly shorter display times.  Users with
386-type machines will notice display times of up to one minute and an
initial blank screen lasting up to one minute as the microprocessor
decompresses the first image.  Some blank screen time will also appear
between transition effects on slower machines.

To access the Mouse Aware \ Mouse Ignore setup choices click on the Setup
(Settings) button of the Screen Saver section of the Desktop (Win95's
Display) dialog box (accessed by the Program Manager\Main\Control Panel\
Desktop command sequence in Windows 3.x, or by Windows 95's Start\Settings\
Control Panel\Display\Screen Saver command sequence).  Once there, the
choices are found on the left side of the upper tool bar.  The Mouse icon
on the upper horizontal tool bar is a toggle switch.  A box at the lower
left of the screen will tell you which mode you have chosen.  Click on the
exit icon or the Windows' "X" at the upper right-hand corner to leave this
box.  Before leaving you may wish to set a password.

Damsel screen savers have incorporated the same Password protection scheme
offered by the original Windows screen savers.  This feature is also found
in the Setup (Settings) dialog box of the Screen Saver section of the
Desktop (Display) dialog box.  A click on the Password button brings up a
screen with the "Enter New Password" entry line.  As you type in your
selected password, asterisks will appear for each letter.  Clicking on the
OK button will bring up a confirmation screen where you will be asked to
reenter the same password.  Clicking the OK button here will return you to
the original Setup (Settings) screen.  Note that if you have several Damsel
products, they will all use the same password.  A change to a password for
one screen saver will affect them all.

Exiting will activate your password protection. With the screen saver
activated, any motion of the mouse in the Mouse Aware mode or keyboard entry
in the Mouse Ignore mode will bring up an Enter Password dialog box.  The
password must be correctly entered in order to gain access back to the
active Windows environment. If you forget your password your best option
is to copy PGX.INI from your original Disk #1 directly to your WINDOWS
directory and then enter a new password, if desired.

If you wish to change or remove the password you must return to the Setup
(Settings) screen of the Screen Saver section of the Desktop (Display)
dialog box.  To enter a new password follow the same procedure as described
above.  To remove the password simply click on the OK button of both the
Enter New Password input screen and the Reenter New Password screen without
filling in the input line.


7.  JPEG IMAGE COMPRESSION

In order to save space on your hard disk Damsel uses JPEG graphics file
compression techniques on images used in this screen saver.  JPEG, a
standard developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, is a complex
compression method that gives the developer control over the degree to which
a file is reduced in size for storage.  This method does result in loss of
image fidelity since individual pixel data is not maintained.  At high
compression ratios , the mathematical algorithms average large groups of
pixels resulting in a reduced number of colors and image blockiness when
displayed.

Any developer using this method must make judgment calls concerning image
quality versus file size.  A full 640 X 480  256-color image in Microsoft
BMP format (used in Windows wallpaper) is over 308K bytes in size.  By
contrast, 640 x 480 JPG (JPEG) image files used in a screen saver such
as Microsoft's "Scenes" average around 33K bytes per image.

Damsel Software Group has elected to set the trade-off between disk space
and image quality a bit more in the direction of high image quality.
Damsel's JPG format results in file sizes averaging 59K bytes per image for
this Shareware screen saver.  Each image is manually optimized to meet image
resolution requirements without sacrificing valuable hard disk space.


8.  MONITOR DISPLAY

The program configures the image display to your screen by first reading
your on-line graphics display format.  If your monitor is not configured
for 256 colors, the program will display 256-color images by constructing a
16-color standard VGA dithered image from the colors available in this
format.  Usually, the result of this mathematical process is visually grainy,
looking much like a needlepoint design for the images in this screen saver.

If you find the images barely recognizable and you have a minimum of 512K
RAM on your video display board, there is probably a driver you can load
which will support 256-color display.  Consult your machine and Windows
documentation for more information regarding your specific situation.


9.  WALLPAPER

To use image files ending with the .JPG file extension as wallpaper for
Windows the picture file format must be changed from JPG to Microsoft BMP
format.  Your Windows program does not have this capability, it must be
purchased from a third party vendor.  These programs can be purchased as
stand-alones for under US$100.00.  However, once an image has been
compressed by JPEG it cannot be returned to its original pristine condition,
no matter what the format.  Five of the images in the registered version of
this screen saver are supplied in the .BMP file format so that they may be
used as Windows wallpaper.


10.  UNINSTALLING YOUR SCREEN SAVER

Your screen saver has been loaded to a directory named DSA1SHAR unless you
chose otherwise during the installation procedure.  In order to enable you
to access the screen saver Damsel has loaded two additional files into your
WINDOWS directory, DSA1xxxx.INI and DSA1xxxx.SCR, where 'x' is any number.
If you have chosen a password, the program has also copied PGX.INI to the
WINDOWS directory.

To remove the screen saver from your hard disk simply delete all files in
the DSA1SHAR directory (or your own directory name chosen during installa-
tion) and the DSA1xxxx.INI and DSA1xxxx.SCR files located in your WINDOWS
directory. This can be done quickly from your Windows 3.x File Manager,
found in your Program Manager's Main menu, or from your Windows 95
My Computer or Explorer applet.

Also, remove PGX.INI if present.  If PGX.INI contains an active password
and you do not remove the file, the next time you load any Damsel screen
saver you will find that the old password has immediately been attached to
it.  If you have forgotten that old password, you will have to manually
copy the new PGX.INI file into your WINDOWS directory in order to overwrite
the old password.  You can find this screen saver PGX.INI file either in
the DSA1SHAR directory or on your original installation disk.


11.  WARRANTY INFORMATION

The publisher makes no warranty concerning the function or fitness of any
programs or graphics files reproduced on diskettes included in this package.
Neither Damsel Software Group, or its authorized agents shall be held liable
for consequential, special, indirect, or other similar damages or claims,
including loss of profits or any other commercial damages, and in no event
will the liability for any damages to the purchaser or any other person ever
exceed the price paid for the license to use the software, regardless of
any form of the claim, even if Damsel Software Group has been advised of the
possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other party.  Damsel
Software Group  specifically disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied,
including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose or application.


Windows and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.


12. REGISTRATION FORM

- - Cut - - here  - - for - - registration - - form - - - - - - - - - - - -

DAMSEL SOFTWARE GROUP                                     REGISTRATION FORM
P.O. Box 713
Concord, NH  03302-0713                    phone/fax [phone]

DAVID MARTSOLF, SURREALIST                     SPECIAL  INTRODUCTORY  OFFER

Yes, I want to receive a registered version of Damsel's David Martsolf,
Surrealist, Screen Saver, and take advantage of lifetime technical support,
a free catalog with updates, and free shipping, all for only $14.95 in
U.S. currency drawn either on a U.S. bank or ordered by MasterCard or Visa.
I understand the collection will be shipped only on 3.5" diskettes.

Additional screen savers may also be ordered following the guidelines
presented in Section 1.

I have enclosed $ _________________ in U.S. funds as a check or money order.

or, I have elected to order with ____ MasterCard or ____ Visa (check one).


MasterCard/Visa orders require: Card Expiration Date: __________


Card Number:  __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __  __ __ __ __


Cardholder Signature: __________________________________________


        Please ship my 3.5" diskettes and other documentation to:

       Name ___________________________________________________________

       Address ________________________________________________________

       City, State, ZIP _______________________________________________


DAMSEL SOFTWARE GROUP                    DAMSEL SOFTWARE GROUP

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