You are recommended to read the help for 'Misc' before reading this file.
You can open the Configuration window from the main menu:
This window is used to configure the options for Black Hole. Using this window you can select you own permanent defaults for all the options. The options determine settings for the features such as the iconbar sprites, and also the behaviour of Black Hole when a file is dragged to the iconbar icon.
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This window is divided into two sections. The options are contained within the scrollable section of the window. The outside portion of the window contains two buttons - click OK to close the window, or Save to store the current settings as permanent defaults. You can also drag the resize box to alter the height of the window.
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The scrollable panel is divided into four sections. These are:
{subhead}Default Wipe Options:
{sprite}wipe
These options control the way Black Hole deletes files dragged to its icon.
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Black Hole uses the standard RISC OS 3 Filer Action window so that a Black Hole wipe operation will appear the same as any other desktop delete operation.
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{tab}
{subsub}Confirm
Prompts for confirmation of all deletions.
{subsub}Force:
Forces deletion of locked objects.
{subsub}Verbose:
Displays information on each object deleted.
{subsub}Retain Structure:
If this icon is selected, then only directory contents will be deleted. All directories will remain intact, even if empty.
{notab}
{subhead}Copy Options
{sprite}copy
These icons control the wastebin aspect of Black Hole.
{tab}
{subsub}Retain Copies
Turning this off disables the wastebin aspect of Black Hole - ie it will not copy any files to its Bin Directory, it will just delete them.
Note that files already in the Bin will be overwritten if files with the same names are added later.
Dragging a file or selection of files to the Black Hole while holding down Ctrl will turn this option off for those files.
{subsub}Delete Copies After
If you turn this off, Black Hole will never delete the files from its Bin Directory. They will remain there for ever. One major drawback to this is that your bin directory will eventually fill up. This is not good, it makes life difficult and generally a bit of a downer. So, turn this icon on and type into the small writeable icon the number of days you want files to be retained for.
{subsub}Bin Location
The Bin Directory is, by default, the directory !BlakHole2.BlackHole but this can be changed if desired.
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Simply create a directory (in the normal way) and drag it onto the configuration window, then press OK. That directory will now be the Bin Directory
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To do this, enter the pathname of the directory you wish to use into this box. Pressing RETURN immediately or clicking on the OK icon will make your new directory the Bin Directory.
Dragging a directory to the options window will insert the pathname of that directory as the new Bin Directory and make the change current. Leaving the box empty will cause the default to be restored.
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Clicking select on the iconbar icon opens the current Bin Directory. The 'Empty' or 'Occupied' message below the iconbar icon applies to this directory, as does the 'Delete Copies After' option, if the new bin location is saved permanently.
{notab}
{subhead}Iconbar Icon
This group of buttons control the appearance of Black Hole's iconbar icon.
{tab}
{subsub}Animate Icon
When the pointer is over a BlackHole window or its iconbar icon, the icon will spin round or indulge in some other needless but rather amusing activity. Unless this option is not selected, when it won't.
{subsub}Sprites
The iconbar sprites used for the animation of the Black Hole can be changed very easily. (Black Hole is supplied with five sets of sprites.) Clicking the left button over the arrow next to this option opens a menu containing the names of the current sprite files. Select one to change the sprites.
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To define your own sprites, you need a sprite file containing nine frames of animation named !black0 through !black8 inclusive. Mode 12 sprites should be around 34 x 17 pixels. Mode 20 sprites should be around 34 x 34. Save the sprite file into the directory !BlakHole2.Sprites and it will appear on the Sprites menu. You can open this directory by clicking on the 'Open Dir' icon.
The standard RISC OS 3 *IconSprites convention is used for these files; i.e. the same animation can have low res. (Mode 12), high res. (Mode 20) and high res. monochrome sprites defined. The Mode 12 sprites should be saved as whatever you want to call them, the mode 20 ones should have the same name with a 22 appended. Black Hole will ignore any files ending in 22 or 23 on its sprite menu, but RISC OS 3 will automatically select the correct one for the current mode. The default sprites (BlakHole) are defined this way. If you select the 'Update on mode change' option, then Black Hole will automatically update its sprites to suit the new resolution when you change to a new screen mode, subject to a suitable sprite file being available.
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{notab}
{subhead}Singularity
Singularity is the tiny Black Hole. It does some interesting things. It has its own help topic, so read that.
{subhead}Auto Saver Options
These two options refer to the Auto Saver part of Black Hole which is described more fully in the appropriate help.
{tab}
{subsub}Confirm before Saving
This will ask whether you are sure before saving anything. It will also tell you if the file already exists.
{subsub}Open Destination when Saved
This will open the destination directory when a file is saved into it using the Auto Saver.
{notab}
{subhead}Blackout
This controls the Blackout screen saver which is now distributed as part of Black Hole II. For more information, choose the 'Blackout' option from the help window.
Blackout is unlike any other screen saver in that I wrote it.
It also doesn't need any extra memory, until you run it. This saves you from having to run a screen saver program which takes up extra memory. You can also write your own screen savers for it.
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To make life simple for you, I haven't explained things on a 'This bit does this' basis, but on a 'How do I do this?' basis.
{subsub}How do I tell Black Hole how long to keep files in the Bin?
To do this, you find the bit in the Configuration window which says 'Delete Copies After:'. You make sure this option is turned ON, then you enter the number of days to keep the files for in the icon to the right.
{sprite}copy
{subsub}Can I tell Black Hole to NOT keep a copy of a file?
If you drag a file to Black Hole while holding down the Ctrl key, no copy of that file will be kept by Black Hole.
{subsub}Can I move the Bin Directory somewhere else?
You can indeed. Just create the new directory wherever you want it, and drag it onto the Configuration window.
{subsub}Can I set Black Hole to tell me what it's doing?
In the Configuration window is a section called 'Default Wipe Options'. The 'Verbose' option will make Black Hole tell you what it's doing. The 'Confirm' option will make Black Hole ask you if it's OK before doing anything.
The 'Force' option will make Black Hole delete even those files which are locked against deletion. Don't worry about 'Retain Structure', just leave it OFF.
{sprite}wipe
{subsub}Can I change the animation of the Iconbar sprites?
Again, yes. There is a section labelled 'Sprites'. Click on the little menu icon and you'll get a list of animations.
{subsub}Can I get Black Hole to make dinner for me?
No.
{subhead}Other bits.
Enough Questions. Here's some more stuff.
The bit labelled 'Singularity' I would ignore if I were you. Make sure all the options except 'Remove at Exit' are OFF and ignore the rest.
The bit labelled 'Auto Saver Options' is for the Auto Saver, so read the help for that bit.
The bit labelled Blackout controls the Blackout Screen Saver. This will display pretty patterns on your screen if you leave your computer unattended for a while. This also has its own, sepatarate help.
That's enough for now. Try the next technical help level if you want to know more.
