After a lot of long months of occasional hard work, Randopatamizer is here. An admittedly unimpressive yet small and useful program that will enhance your life. Here's the deal:
To run Randopatamizer, you need System 7 and a color Mac, plus a file with some resources of type 'ppat' in it. ('ppat' = desktop pattern.) Good examples of a ppat file are any of the shareware pattern utilities (like Before Dark) and the Desktop Patterns application in your Control Panels folder if you have System 7.5. (More on that later.)
Randopatamizer is mind-bogglingly simple to use. Double-click on it the first time you use it, and you will be asked to pick a source file. You will be presented with the standard file open dialog. You can pick files of type 'rsrc' (ResEdit files), 'APPL' (applications), 'PREF' (some preference files), 'ppat' (if someone had a type called that), 'PPAT' (ditto), and 'cdev', 'INIT' and 'dfil' (control panels, extensions, and desk accessories). If there are no ppats in the file you choose, Randopatamizer will gently let you know. Randopatamizer will then pick a pattern out of the file you choose and set it as the desktop pattern.
Now whenever Randopatamizer is opened, it will pick you a new pattern. This breaks up the monotony of the same boring pattern day in and day out. The only snag is that if, for some reason, Randopatamizer can't open your chosen file (for example, if it's been moved or it's busy or damaged), it will prompt you for a new one.
If you wish to choose a new ppat file, simply hold down the mouse button as Randopatamizer starts up.
Here's a handee tip: For some reason, the Desktop Patterns application that comes with System 7.5 stores all the original ppats that came with it in the application. Even the junky ones which you have deleted. What's more, if you paste any new patterns in, they're not in the application file -- they're in the preferences file in the Preferences folder in the System Folder. Dumb, eh? No matter. Just select the Desktop Patterns Prefs file in the Preferences folder to use all the good patterns that you know and love.
Randopatamizer is free for all -- pass it around! Questions, comments, chitchat, whatnot, email me at fizzbomb@aol.com.
Spaysheeal thanks to Craig Marciniak (templardev@aol.com), author of Before Dark, for his help with my project…
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