Software of the Month Club 1995 March/SOFM_Mar1995.bin/pc/win/wwplus/readme.txt

Text File | 1995-01-27 | 25KB | 565 lines

NOTE: THIS PROGRAM REQUIRES VBRUN300.DLL, NOT NECESSARILY
INCLUDED WITH IT.  SEE SECTION V. FILES BELOW FOR DETAILS.

WWPlus
Windows Wallpaper Manager/Changer/Editor

Print this file for easy program instructions.

If you are upgrading from an earlier version, see HISTORY.TXT
for features that have been added or changed.

See the file FORMATS.TXT for information on the graphics
formats recognized by WWPlus and the pros and cons of
using them as Windows wallpaper.

⌐1992-1995 All rights reserved

By Don Bradner
Arcata Pet
600 F Street
Arcata, CA  95521

Compuserve address: 76130,1007
America OnLine: DBirdMan
Internet: [e-mail]

Contents of this file:

   I.  Program Description
  II.  Program Requirements
 III.  Installation
  IV.  Getting Started
   V.  Files that make up WWPlus
  VI.  Troubleshooting
 VII.  Obtaining wallpaper images
VIII.  Registration and distribution

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.

WWPlus is a program for organizing and displaying Windows 3.1
wallpaper files. With this program you can easily maintain a
collection of wallpapers, automatically change them at an
interval you select, and use image formats (GIF, PCX, TGA, TIF,
.ICO and .JPG) that would otherwise be unusable by Windows as
wallpaper. GIF and PCX provide compression of 256-color images,
and .JPG provides compression for 16-million color images, thus
saving disk space.

There is a screen saver module that will turn your wallpaper
files into a screen saver after a period of inactivity.
Extensive setup options, including password protection, are
available both from the Windows Control Panel Desktop icon and
from the main WWPlus screen.

WWPlus has editing features and file conversion routines
built in, which allow you to change images to suit your wallpaper
needs.  You can crop, resize, stretch, rotate, mirror, flip, and
adjust brightness and contrast.

Wallpapers may be tiled (small images displayed in multiples to
fill the entire screen) or not, individually determined.  Each
non-tiled wallpaper may be precisely positioned anywhere on the
screen, not just centered (the Windows default).

Multiple sets of wallpapers called "queues" may be built, with
easy changing of queues.  A wallpaper may appear in more than
one queue.  Some program configuration items are maintained
with the queue, others are "Global."

All of the images installed in a wallpaper queue may be displayed
simultaneously in "thumbnail form" for easy maintenance.  A
single image selection my be previewed on the main screen
before deciding to edit it or make it the current wallpaper.

Changing interval may be as short as 6 seconds (0.1 minutes)
for "slideshow" effect, or as long as 999.9 minutes.

If an active application is maximized (shown full screen), the
program timer will be suspended so as to avoid annoying screen
jumps when the wallpaper changes.

When adding files there is a "preview" option in the dialog
box.  If you do not recognize a file name, you may use this
option to view a thumbnail of the image before choosing to load
it.

There is an additional option to have the icon "disappear" when
the program is running.  If you select this option and then
need to access the program to make changes, open the group
where you have installed WWPlus and double-click the icon.
Instead of starting another copy of the program, the running
version will be restored.

Full documentation is included in the form of a Windows Help
file.  When you desire help, press your F1 function key for
context-sensitive help, or press the help key if you are in a
file dialog box.

II. Program requirements.

WWPlus requires an IBM compatible 286 or better, running
Windows 3.1, with at least 4 megs of RAM and VGA or better
graphics.  Manipulating large images may require 8 megs or more
of memory, and more is always better.  A monitor and video card
capable of 256 colors is recommended for viewing of
photographic images. If your monitor/card setup is capable of
true color (16 million colors), WWPlus will handle files
with that color depth. Generally, such cards will perform best
at 32,000 or 65,000 colors rather than 16 million, and it is
unlikely that any quality will be lost.

Some operations require a mouse.

Graphics files can be quite large, particularly with true-color,
so a large hard disk is recommended.  WWPlus will require
about 1 meg for installation.

III. Installation.

If you obtained WWPlus by downloading it from a computer
Bulletin Board (BBS) or another online source, one necessary
file may not have been included.  You will need a file called
VBRUN300.DLL, which is almost always available from any source
that would have WWPlus.  On BBS systems the file will
usually be called VBRUN300.ZIP or VBRUN3.ZIP.  If you obtained
the program on disk, the file should be included and may be
called VBRUN300.DL_.  If it is missing, contact the supplier of
the program.  Registered versions obtained from the author
should always include VBRUN300.

To install WWPlus, insert the disk in your computer and
choose File/Run from the Program Manager.  Enter A:Setup or
B:Setup as appropriate and follow the prompts.  At the end of
the setup operation you will be given the option of adding
WWPlus to your Startup Group.  Doing so will cause the
program to start whenever you start a Windows session.  This is
the recommended procedure; you can always delete the icon from
the group at a later time if you wish.

NOTE: Setup will not run if any other program is using
VBRUN300.DLL or any other library file used by the program,
including other versions of WWPlus.  An error message will be
generated, and you must end all such applications before
retrying the installation.  To be safe, it is best to have only
Windows running before installing WWPlus or any other program.
Keep this in mind for the future, particularly if you have
WWPlus running as a hidden Icon - you should end the program
before installing other software.

IV.  Getting Started.

You will need one or more wallpaper images to use with the
program.  These files may be located in any directory on any
drive, but management will be simplified if you place them all
in one directory.  A directory named WALLPAPR is recommended,
either as a root directory on your C: drive or a subdirectory
under the \WWPlus directory.

Windows comes with a few wallpapers in .BMP format.  If you do
not have any other images, you can make some simple drawings
with Windows Paintbrush and save them as either .BMP or .PCX
files.  For further information on obtaining images see section
VII below.

Double-click the WWPlus icon to start the program.  The first
time that the program starts it will be a full program window.
Once you have one or more wallpapers installed, the program
will start as an icon, which you may double-click at any time
to show the main window.  If you have chosen the hidden icon
option, the program will not be visible when started.  Simply
start it a second time; the first instance will become visible
and the second will end itself.

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the program elements
on screen.  If you press the F1 key, a help file will be
displayed, and you may graphically choose different program
elements to see an explanation of their function.

When you move your mouse pointer across the toolbar icons and
some other screen elements a small "smart caption" will appear
to give you a better idea about what the icon does.  You may
turn these captions off when you no longer need them, via the
Preferences menu.

Now click the Add button (or choose Add from the Wallpaper
menu).  Use the dialog box to browse for images in any of the
supported formats.  If you do not know from a file name what
the image looks like, click the preview button and you will see
a small representation of the image.  The size of and number of
colors in the image will be shown below the image.

When you have a desired image, click OK.  The path and filename
will appear in the Wallpaper Queue.  Click once on the listing
to "select" it.  Now click the "Make Current Wallpaper" button
to view the image as a wallpaper.  If it displays as you would
wish, go on to add additional wallpapers.  If you would like to
change the way the image is displayed, you have many options to
choose from, a few of which are explained next.

1.  Positioning.  If the image is not a full screen image you
    may want to change the place where it appears on your screen.
    Select the image in the Wallpaper Queue, and then click the
    position icon. You may now move the image around by dragging
    it with your mouse.  Place the mouse cursor over the image
    and press the left button down.  Holding the button down,
    move the mouse and the image will move with it.

    When the image is where you wish, release the button.  Now you
    may set the position by either pressing the Enter key or
    double-clicking the image.  If you want to abort the
    positioning, press the ESCape key.  The coordinates of the
    upper left corner of the image will show in the X and Y
    boxes at the bottom right of the program screen (you may
    directly alter them if you wish).  From now on whenever the
    image is displayed it will be in the set position.

2.  Tiling.  If a wallpaper image is small, you may wish to
    "tile" it.  This will make the image appear many times to fill
    the screen.  You may adjust the position of the first image in
    the same manner described above; all other images will orient
    to the first.  To make an image tile, select it in the
    Wallpaper Queue and click the "Tiling" icon.  Tiling may be
    turned off in the same way.  The position of the tiled image
    will also be influenced by the X and Y coordinates:  The
    first image will follow the setting, and all other copies
    of the image will orient to the first.

3.  Altering the image.  You may perform a variety of editing
    functions on an image by selecting it in the Wallpaper Queue
    and then clicking the "Edit" button.  The first time you do
    this, press the F1 key when the editor is visible and browse
    through the help file for explanations of the editing functions.

When you have a few images installed, set the timer to an
appropriate interval and turn it on (if it is not already on).

Once you have everything the way you want it, minimize the
program window (click the down arrow at the upper right of the
program window) and leave it running as an icon.  If you are
not expecting to make changes immediately, you may wish to make
the icon disappear by selecting that option before you minimize
it.  Remember that you can always get the program back by
opening the group where it is installed and double-clicking the
icon.

Preferences:  There are some items which you can set to affect
the way the program operates.  These are found as a Preferences
submenu under the Wallpaper menu.  The first is "Change
Wallpaper at Startup."  If this is not checked, the wallpaper
will be whatever was displayed prior to the program startup.
The second is "Remove Wallpaper at Exit," which will make your
next Windows session start faster.  Next is "Special
'Multipurpose' Icon."  If this menu item is checked the
minimized program icon will be replaced with a miniature button
bar that can be used to perform several functions.  This form
will initially appear at the bottom right of the screen, but
will "remember" any change in its location which you may choose
to make.  Click on the form to change icons, or use the
spacebar if the form is active (top bar highlighted).
Double-Click the form to restore the main program window.  This
option has no meaning if the hidden icon option described above
is in use.

The fourth preference is "Screen Saver Setup," which will
display a dialog for that function's setup and allow testing.
Next is "Display Order," with the choices being
Random or Sequential.  The sixth is "Default Origin," which is
where WWPlus will position your wallpapers unless they
are individually specified.

The seventh is "Smart Captions," which sets your preference for
text boxes to identify the icons.  The final preference is
"Monitor Com Ports."  Because a wallpaper change would likely
disrupt a data transfer by modem, you may choose to have WWPlus
monitor a com port to which the modem is connected.  When
WWPlus detects that the port is opened the timer is disabled.
Choose ports 1 through 4, or None.  The default is None.  If
you choose a port that has a serial device other than an modem
attached, such as a printer, you may get unpredictable results.

V.  FILES THAT MAKE UP WWPLUS.

The following information should be of use if you decide to
uninstall WWPlus.

The files are compressed on the disk.  They are listed here
with their compressed and uncompressed names.  If you remove
WWPlus from your system, be careful about deleting any file
with a .DLL or .VBX extension, since it might be used by
another program (save a copy just in case).  An exception is
WWPLIBR.VBX, which is exclusive to this program. The setup
program only copies a file to your disk if it does not find the
file already or if this file is newer.

References to the WWPlus directory refer to the directory
selected at installation; default is C:\WWPLUS

Compressed      File Name        Type and where installed

WWPLUS.EX_    WWPLUS.EXE   Program, WWPlus directory
WWPSAVER.EX_    WWPSAVER.EXE Screen Saver Program Ditto
WWPSAVR.SC_     WWPSAVR.SCR  Screen Saver Bootstrap Windows directory
WWPLUS.HL_    WWPLUS.HLP   Help file WWPlus directory
SETUPWWP.EX_    SETUPWWP.EXE WWPlus Setup Windows directory
--              SETUP.EXE    Setup Program, not transferred
--          SETUP.LST    Used by Setup
IMK.DL_         IMK.DLL         Library File, Windows\System directory
JPEGIO.DL_      JPEGIO.DLL        Ditto
KNIFE.VB_       KNIFE.VBX         Ditto
SETUPKIT.DL_    SETUPKIT.DLL      Ditto
VER.DL_        VER.DLL           Ditto
WWPLIBR.VB_     WWPLIBR.VBX       Ditto

--              WWP_REG.KEY       Registration key, WWPlus directory
***Note: WWP_REG.KEY included only with registered versions.

--            README.TXT     This file WWPlus directory
--        HISTORY.TXT    version history   ditto
--        FORMATS.TXT    explanation of graphics formats ditto
--         SCANNING.TXT   details on scanning service  ditto
--        FILE_ID.DIZ    program description for BBS use
--        VENDOR.DOC     program description for shareware vendors

VBRUN300.DL_    VBRUN300.DLL   Library File, Windows\System directory
***note:  VBRUN300.DLL may not be included if the program was
obtained from an online source.  It will have to be obtained to
run the program and the setup program.  From on-line sources,
it is usually VBRUN300.ZIP or VBRUN3.ZIP.  If the program was
obtained on disk then the file should be included; if not,
contact the source of the disk.  If the file is obtained
separately, it must be installed in your Windows\System
directory BEFORE you run setup.

If the program is obtained on disk there may be images
included, usually in an \images directory.  These are not
installed by the program.  There may be a Rights.TXT file with
the images to establish their usage rights.

FILES CREATED BY WWPLUS:

All of the following are in your Windows directory and should
not be moved.

*.QUE  These data files hold lists of the images that you
have selected as wallpapers, as well as some of your program
settings.

WWPLUS.BMP  This is a "temporary" file that WWPlus uses
to translate non-standard images so that they can be used by
Windows.  It is destroyed and recreated each time the wallpaper
changes unless the new image is a .BMP file.

*.TIF  This is a multiple image file that is used to speed
the display of thumbnail images.  The name will correspond to
the queue name.

WWPlus also creates some other temporary files with .TMP
extensions, as well as a WWPLTEMP.TIF file.  Under normal use,
the program will clean these up when it exits.  If the program
crashes, it will clean them up the next time it is run and then
exited normally.

FILES ALTERED BY WWPLUS:

CONTROL.INI  WWPlus will add a section called
[ScreenSaver.WWPSaver].  Global parameters for both the program
and the screen saver module are stored here.

VI.  Troubleshooting.

If you receive a message which says something like "Unable to
install VBRUN300.DL_" during the program install, it means that
you have a version of WWPlus that originally included the
VBRUN file but it is not present.  You can solve this two ways:
copy VBRUN300.DLL to the directory where the rest of the
distribution files are and rename it VBRUN300.DL_, or else use
a text editor (such as Windows Notepad) to edit the file
SETUP.LST.  Remove the listing for VBRUN300.DL_ and save the
file.  The VBRUN file will still have to be located in your
Windows\System directory, but the setup won't try to reinstall
it.

The most common problems with WWPlus occur when the
WWPLUS.INI file becomes corrupted in some way.  If you are
having problems, try deleting this file (located in your
Windows directory).

If you have followed the recommendation of saving the Queue
file, you may rebuild the WWPLUS.INI file to the condition of
the last saved queue by selecting "Queues - Change Queues" from
the Wallpaper menu.  ANSWER NO when prompted to save the
current settings, then load the queue again (or a different
one).

USERS THAT ROUTINELY CHANGE DISPLAY COLOR-DEPTHS SHOULD PAY
PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING ITEM:

If you are using a display of more than 256 colors, and you
have a wallpaper loaded that is true color (16 million colors),
if you then change display drivers to a 256-color driver,
Windows will hang during its load.  If this happens, you should
run setup from the DOS prompt within your Windows directory,
change to a 16 color driver or a true color driver, and reload
Windows. Clear the wallpaper and then proceed to change to the
256 color driver.  You can also simply wait it out, which could
be many minutes.  Windows will eventually usually load.

If you are using the Thumbnail option to look at all of your
installed files, and it does not appear to show them all in
proper order, then the thumbnail file has become corrupted.
Simply choose the "Build new display" option from the File menu
on the thumbnail screen.

If you have an image that WWPlus will not display, it may be in
a format that cannot be used.  There are some variations of
.GIF and .PCX that are known to make problems for WWPlus.
There are many non-standard versions of JPEG that will cause
problems.  If you can load them into another image editing
program you may be able to save it in a usable format.

WWPlus expects image file names to match their formats.
If you have a .BMP image but give it a .GIF name, the program
will not be able to read it.

Speed vs compression: Compressed files will take noticeably
longer to load than uncompressed (.BMP).  .GIF files provide
the greatest amount of compression, and take the longest to
change.  .PCX files provide moderate compression with faster
change.  During the change, there will be a short few seconds
when the computer will "hang" and you must wait for the
completion.  If you are working on something critical, you may
wish to turn off the timer so that the wallpaper will not
change.  Alternatively, Maximize the program that you are
working on, and the WWPlus timer will be suspended until
the program is reduced to less than full screen size.

Note for users of compressed disk programs (Stacker, DOS 6
DoubleSpace, etc):  There is no space advantage to using
compressed file formats with compressed drives (other than JPEG
- see the FORMATS.TXT file).  You will lose the speed without
gaining space, since your compression program cannot further
compress a .GIF file.  Use .BMP in this case.

If you have chosen a wallpaper file with more colors than your
display can show there will be significant delay while the
program changes the color depth.  If you intend to use the
image regularly you should edit the image to lower the color
depth to match your display.

VII. Obtaining wallpaper images.

Any image that can be displayed on your computer may be used as
wallpaper.  If you regularly use Computer BBS systems or online
sources such as Compuserve, Genie, America Online, etc. you
will find a wealth of images that can be downloaded.  These
images are usually in the .GIF format to reduce download time.

If you obtained this program on disk, there may be images
included, usually in an \images directory.  A RIGHTS.TXT file
may be included in this directory describing the user's rights
to the images included.

You may use Windows Paintbrush to create images, or other
similar programs.

By far the greatest enjoyment of WWPlus will come if you
can use photographs that you own or have taken.  If you do not
have access to a scanner, there are a number of services which
offer scanning, including one run by the author of WWPlus.  For
details, including a free scan offer for registrants of the
program, see the file "SCANNING.TXT."

VIII.  Registration and Distribution.

WWPlus is shareware, and may be registered for $15.  California
registrants are asked to add $1.09 sales tax, and foreign
registrants should include $1.00 for airmail shipping.  All
funds should be drawn on a US Dollar account. A convenient form
for registration is included below and in the Help file (and
may be printed from there).  Until you register, there will be
a startup screen asking you to register which you will have to
respond to.  When you register, this annoyance will go away.
Otherwise, this version is complete and un-crippled in any way.

Commercial use:  WWPlus may be used commercially, as long
as there is a registered copy for each computer/terminal that
is using it.  The author is willing to discuss customization of
the program for commercial/large scale application, including
use as presentation software.

You may freely distribute WWPlus as long as no fees are
charged for the program, and all necessary files are included.
If you are a registered user, do not distribute the file
WWP_REG.KEY, which identifies you as the user (This
identification shows up in the "About" box).

The author is very interested in feedback from users.  Please
feel free to make contact at the address shown at the beginning
of this file with any comments/questions/problems.

WWPlus version 1.43
Registration Form

Thank you for registering.  There are several registration
methods available:
With a credit card you may order by FAX: [phone]
               or Phone: [phone] PST, ask for Don.

By mail, with check, credit card, or money order in US Dollars
To:    Don Bradner
    Arcata Pet
    600 F Street
    Arcata, CA 95521-6301

Compuserve members may register on-line: GO SWREG, program
registration number is 2213.  Note that this costs US$20.00
(includes any sales tax or Air Mail costs).  This is a slightly
higher price than by other methods, due to added costs imposed
by Compuserve.

Registration price is US$15.00, including postage within the US.

Number of registrations desired_______x 15.00 =   $____________
  California residents add $1.09/registration sales tax________
  Non-US add $1.00 per registration for air mail   ____________
                                      Total       $____________
Software will be sent on 1.44 meg 3-1/2 inch disk.

Registrants Name:     __________________________________________

Mailing Address:      __________________________________________

City & State:         __________________________________________

Phone number (         )______________________

If paying with a credit card:
Card type:  _VISA    _MasterCard   _AMEX    _Discover

Card Number:  _______________________________Exp Date: _________

Signature to authorize charge: _______________________________

(Optional) Where did you get WWPlus?
__BBS or on-line service  Which one?___________________________

__Software/Shareware service  Which one?________________________

__Shareware CD-ROM  Which one?_________________________________

__Friend

__Other ____________________________________

(optional) What do you like about WWPlus:

_______________________________________________________

(optional) What would you like added or changed in WWPlus:

_______________________________________________________