****************** S U N S E T - R E A D M E ****************
Version 1.0.0 July, 16 1997
1. INTRODUCTION
SUNSET is a disk- and memory-friendly screensaver application. It shows an ever changing Moire-like pattern, also known as Dyson’s Folly, on your screen.
Sunset is neither an Init nor an Extension, it is just a small application that does not patch any system trap. Hence it does not interfere with your system and can be quitted at any time.
2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
SUNSET takes only 13k on disk and about 70k of system memory depending on the complexity of the pattern. It should work on a multi-monitor system (not tested!), although the animations are only drawn on the monitor that owns the menubar; the other ones are just blanked. SUNSET is tested under System 7.1, 7.5 and 7.6.
SUNSET comes in three flavours: as an 68k application, as a PPC-native application and as a 68k Darkside-of-the-Mac plug-in module (named Polygons).
3. DESCRIPTION
SUNSET draws a number of bouncing polygons on the screen. The pattern is similar to the Dyson’s Folly pattern produced by the program Moiré by John Lim. The polygons are drawn in slowly changing colours or in B&W if the appropriate box is checked.
4. PREFERENCES
Under the File-menu there exists a Preference item that will show a dialog window.
There are four text entries that determine the shape and amount of polygons:
Corners: The number of corners of a polygon (2-10);
Polygons: The number of polygons that are on the screen (1-99);
Spacing: The distance between subsequent polygons (2-20);
Width: The linewidth of the polygon (1-10).
You should try various combination of the parameters, e.g. larger width and smaller spacing or a few polygons compared to a large number.
If you check the Randomize box, SUNSET will randomize the four values above.
If you check the Black&White box, SUNSET will draw in black and white. Surprise uh?
If you check the Kaleidoscope box, the patterns will be mirrored in the four major quadrants of the screen. This together with some twenty to thirty polygons is my favourite setting. Note the large difference in appearance between this setting and the one with only five polygons and no Kaleidoscope.
The Minutes before Fading box (1-59) speaks for itself as do the Sleep and Awake corners.
The Speed entry (1-10) determines the drawing speed. B.t.w. the drawing speed is almost independent of your processor. I use SUNSET native on a PowerMac 8500/180 MHz as well as on a Powerbook 160/25MHz in the 68030-mode and both run quite at the same speed.
5. AUTHOR
For comments (positive and/or negative) please don’t hesitate to contact me
Evert-Jan Nijhof (e.j.nijhof@fys.ruu.nl)
Helmholtz Institute for Autonomous Systems Research
