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Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.answers,news.answers
Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nic.hookup.net!ames!agate!doc.ic.ac.uk!warwick!nott-cs!lut.ac.uk!ellhw
From: L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk
Subject: Macintosh Screensaver Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions on
Macintosh screensavers, with answers. Before asking a question about
screensavers in this newsgroup, please read this document.
Originator: ellhw@hpl.lut.ac.uk
Message-ID: <CL4v5x.JIs@lut.ac.uk>
Sender: L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 22:44:21 GMT
Expires: Fri, 1 Jul 1994 00:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk (Lloyd Wood)
Nntp-Posting-Host: hpl.lut.ac.uk
Organization: Loughborough University, UK.
Keywords: FAQ, Macintosh, Mac, macintosh, mac, screensaver, After, Dark
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.apps
Lines: 2129
Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu comp.sys.mac.apps:33561 comp.sys.mac.misc:27436 comp.sys.mac.system:24936 comp.answers:3736 news.answers:15110
Archive-name: macintosh/screensaver-faq
Last-modified: 1994/02/10
Version: 2.0
COMP.SYS.MAC FAQ: Screensaver/After Dark answers
Version: 2.0
Last updated: Thursday, 10 February 1994
Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 L. H. Wood <L.H.Wood@lut.ac.uk>.
Not for physical or retail distribution unless I receive a
complimentary copy of the medium. Not for distribution on ZiffNet
until they freely release the modules they create - see Copyright
at end for more.
This is a FAQ - a Frequently Asked Questions list. These are
written and posted to newsgroups to cut down on needless
repetition of questions that everyone, bar the ignorant
questioner, who is never a regular reader of the group, knows the
answer to by heart.
You can find many of the other FAQs in existence by:
a. reading the *.answers newsgroups.
b. searching back through newsgroups for the title 'FAQ'.
c. ftp'ing to rtfm.mit.edu. If you don't know what ftp is, ask
your systems administrator. If you don't know what rtfm means,
you really do need to read some FAQs.
There are a number of Macintosh-specific FAQs, posted regularly
in comp.sys.mac.* and archived at rtfm.mit.edu (directory
pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh), umich and info-mac (directory
info-mac/info). Anyone reading comp.sys.mac.whatever should have
read through these FAQs at some point. Check the FAQs to see if the
question you are about to ask has already been answered for you.
This FAQ list addresses problems Mac screensaver users may have.
In doing this, this also answers some common questions new Mac
users have, which are not related to screensavers, but which are
asked so often it's worth pointing out that the answers are there
for you to find. The answers to these questions have been
prefaced with 'FAQ alert!'. Look for it.
These common questions are:
How can I change the name of my hard disk? Why does my hard disk
look like a blank page? How can I get colour floppy disk icons?
See 'Other things FileTyper is useful for' at the end of (4.0).
How can I get a picture of the screen? With the cursor and menus
visible? See (0.3).
Where can I find system software updates? What reads the disk
images? See (1.1).
What is Macsbug? Where can I find it? What do I do with it? How
do I use it? See (5.0).
Where can I find Mac stuff on ftp sites? What do I need to
interpret the files? How can I send stuff to these ftp sites for
others to share? See Introduction.
Are viruses a problem on the Mac? How can I deal with them? See
the entry for Virex-D under (5.2).
My PowerBook's hard disk spins down. Why doesn't my desktop
Mac's? See (0.0.4).
How do I get a working Brightness control panel? See (0.1.2).
CONTENTS OF THIS FAQ
Revisions
Introduction
Do I need a screensaver? (0.0)
---- What is Energy Star? Can I use it? (0.0.1)
---- What does the 'Screen' control panel do? (0.0.2)
---- Does my PowerBook need a screensaver? (0.0.3)
---- Can I spin my desktop Mac's hard disk down? (0.0.4)
---- What screensavers can I use under A/UX? (0.0.5)
-- What Mac screensavers are available? (0.1)
---- Modular screensavers (0.1.1)
---- Standalone screensavers (0.1.2)
-- How do I write screensaver modules? (0.2)
---- How do I write DarkSide modules? (0.2.1)
---- How do I write After Dark modules? (0.2.2)
---- What can I get for writing a cool module? (0.2.3)
---- Writing your own screensaver (0.2.4)
-- How can I save my screensaver pictures? (0.3)
How can I update my copy of After Dark? (1.0)
-- How can I update my copy of After Dark v1.x? (1.1)
-- How can I update my copy of After Dark v2.x? (1.2)
---- After Dark revision history (1.2.1)
-- How can I update my copy of Star Trek: The Screensaver? (1.3)
-- How can I update my copy of More After Dark? (1.4)
-- How can I update my AD modules or obtain new modules? (1.5)
-- How can I update my copy of DarkSide of the Mac? (1.6)
-- How can I update my copy of NowFun! ? (1.7)
-- How can I update my copy of Moire? (1.8)
Help! I've forgotten my After Dark password! How can I get
control of my Mac back? (2.0)
Where should I put the 'After Dark Files' folder? (3.0)
-- Why do my Star Trek modules say they are 'Out of memory' when
the rest play fine? (3.1)
-- Why does a Disney module say it is 'Out of memory'? (3.2)
-- Where can I find an AD module that shows pictures at random?
(3.3)
-- Where can I find an AD module that plays PICS files? (3.4)
My After Dark control panel and modules have lost their icons!
How do I get them back? (4.0)
-- In list view in the Finder, my modules say they are 'a
particular module' documents! What's up? (4.1)
After Dark crashes my machine! What should I do? (5.0)
-- Modules that don't work under MultiModule or Randomizer (5.1)
-- Modules with other known problems (5.2)
Extension incompatibilities with After Dark (6.0)
-- Known incompatibilities with After Dark (6.1)
Module name changes and similarities (7.0)
-- The name has changed (7.1)
-- Not to be confused (7.2)
Module requests (8.0)
Disclaimer and legal-weaselling
-- Copyright
-- Disclaimer
REVISIONS
In reverse order:
2.0 - Thursday, 10 February 1994
Major revision, with a new improved easier-to-read format.
Pointed out general FAQs answered here. FAQ is now in
info-mac/info/sft and available on the Web (Introduction).
Completely new (0.0) and (0.0.1) - please read. Now Software can
be reached at <now@aol.com> (0.1.1). VAMP contest has closed, but
a book/disk package is under development and wants your AD
modules (0.2.2). Added advice on displaying pictures (3.3) and
playing PICS files (3.4). Barney Blaster's author can be reached
at <Karl_A._Bunker@bcsmac.bcs.org>. Added Sierpinski's Gasket
(5.1). JPEGView's author suggests that an AD module could do
SlideShow screensaves via AppleEvents (8.0).
1.9 - Sunday, 9 January 1994
Found the Monitor Energy Saver's location on AppleLink (0.0.1).
Unlike Brightness, Screen control panel contains startup code
(0.0.2). Saw a copy of Intermission (0.1.1). Added Barney Blaster
(5.1). Teleport menu is incompatible with all sound sampling
software (5.2). Minor changes.
INTRODUCTION
Abbreviations used here:
Mac - Apple Macintosh computer,
the world's premier screensaver platform.
AD - After Dark,
a commercial screensaver package for the Mac.
BS - Berkeley Systems,
the makers of AD.
CRT - Cathode Ray Tube,
found in the traditional, box-like, monitor.
DC - The Disney Collection,
a commercial AD package and modules from BS.
DS - DarkSide of the Mac,
a freeware Mac screensaver that runs AD modules.
ES - Energy Star. Imminent death of the screensaver predicted.
News at (0.0.1).
LCD - Liquid Crystal Diode.
You *can* say LCD display.
MAD - More After Dark,
a commercial pack of extra AD modules from BS.
QT - QuickTime,
Apple's free movie/picture/sound/time-handling extension.
SS - ScreenSavor,
a standalone slideshow saver that includes an AD module.
ST - Star Trek: the Screensaver,
a commercial AD package from BS.
TZ - Twilight Zone,
a free application that runs AD modules in windows.
FAQ alert! The major Mac-specific anonymous FTP sites mentioned
here, which provide the world with Mac freeware and shareware:
sumex-aim.stanford.edu (sumex) - the home of the Info-Mac
archives (info-mac). Many mirror sites worldwide. Any file with a
path starting 'info-mac/...' is on sumex or its mirrors. See the
Info-Mac Digest in comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac
software available here.
mac.archive.umich.edu (umich) - not related to sumex. Many mirror
sites worldwide - ftp to mirror.archive.umich.edu to get to a
mirror in the US. See the regular newfile postings in
comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac software available
here.
ftp.apple.com - Apple's own software archive on the net. Here you
will find system software and updates, utilities and gadgets
written by Apple's engineers, and development material. If you
don't have access to AppleLink, this is *the* place to look for
new system fixes and free copies of system software up to 7.0.1.
A complete list of Mac ftp sites of interest can be found in the
mac.ftp.list in info-mac/info. It is posted regularly to
comp.sys.mac.misc, .apps and .games by Bruce Grubb
<bgrubb@scf.nmsu.edu>, and is available on the Web (see below).
Advice on how to find and download Mac files, and get them into
your Mac, is also given.
This FAQ is crossposted to most of the comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups
on an irregular basis whenever it is updated. A copy can always
be found for anonymous ftp in info-mac/info/sft.
If you have access to the World-Wide Web, you can find this FAQ,
along with other Macintosh FAQs, on it. Here's the URL:
http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/faqs/home-faqs.html
Thanks to Robert Lentz <lentz@rossi.astro.nwu.edu> for providing
this service to the Mac community.
This FAQ answers common questions about screensavers for the Mac.
What's available, where you can get them from, and whether or not
you need a screensaver are covered. Most of this FAQ pertains to
the most popular commercial Mac screensaver - AD from BS, the
modules available for it, and other screensavers capable of using
its modules.
The FAQ details common AD problems and misconceptions,
concentrating on 'Why does AD crash my machine?' The answer is
almost always either 'You need to get and run the free 2.0x
updater' or 'You are using a badly-written third-party module
running under the MultiModule or Randomizer modules'. These
modules impose stricter rules on how a module can run than AD
alone does, and a large number of third party (shareware or
freeware) modules either crash the Mac or won't run as a
sub-module.
How to update AD is given in (1.0). A list of 'problem' modules
that should not be run under MultiModule/Randomizer is given in
(5.0).
Although many have requested it, this FAQ does not attempt to be
a canonical list of all the AD modules in existence. I don't have
access to the online AD forums in the US. I haven't seen a number
of the commercial packages or the books. I can't sneak into BS's
labs, on the other side of the world, in the dead of night, to
look at all the competition entries. (Heck, I couldn't afford the
trip.) I estimate I have seen less than a third of all the
shareware modules in existence - and I've been working at it. A
definitive list of modules is simply not possible. If a module is
not mentioned here, that's either because I haven't seen it, or
because I have seen it, but haven't found a reason to mention it
or found a problem with it on the Mac setups available to me. You
might, and I can't call a module 'good' simply because it works
fine for me.
[FAQ alert! If you want to spread good Mac shareware or freeware,
including AD modules, to the world, giving millions of people,
including me, the chance to see it, simply email a binhexed copy
of the compacted or stuffited archive to:
macgifts@mac.archive.umich.edu
which will distribute it to ftp archives across the world,
including the big ones - info-mac, umich, their many mirrors, and
comp.binaries.mac. Remember to add a text description of the
contents before that long binhex column!
Don't send self-extracting archives (SEAs) - Compact Pro, Stuffit
Expander and Stuffit Lite are readily available from these ftp
archives, and we all know how to use them. Dial-up access to ftp
sites is on the increase and SEAs run up others' phone bills
unnecessarily.
Compact Pro is now at v1.34.
Stuffit Expander and Lite are now at v3.07. The old Stuffit and
Unstuffit v1.5.1 cannot read the new, more efficient 3.0
format. Trash them and upgrade.
Find your local sumex (info-mac) or umich mirror, listed in the
mac.ftp.list detailed above, and use that to download new
software, rather than tying up distant sites.]
The information in this FAQ is based on my use of AD, DS, MAD, SS
and ST, and on tidbits I have gleaned from email from many
writers and users of screensavers and AD modules.
I welcome comments and corrections, hints on using specific
modules, and tips and compatibility information relating to other
Mac screensavers.
Despite the emphasis of this FAQ on AD modules, I have no
connection with BS other than as a user of their products. I'm
declaring the T-shirt BS gave me for generously saving them a
fortune in tech support, though. Nothing underhand here.
[I welcome free clothing, and promise to wear it around a busy
campus. Tap your UK market!]
This FAQ does not cover the use of AD on the Windows platform -
it's for the Mac version (and other Mac screensavers) only. There
is no way to convert Windows AD modules to Mac AD modules without
extensive rewriting of the source code - it's a job for the
authors of that module, and few have experience of programming
Windows AND the Mac. The Windows AD comes with different modules
to the Mac version for this reason. Module ports are unlikely.
DO I NEED A SCREENSAVER? (0.0)
Despite what many people will tell you, the answer is almost
certainly 'no'. Screen phosphor burn-in on CRTs is not the
problem it is made out to be. Damaging a modern CRT with a
burnt-in still image is very difficult to do, and takes a very
long time.
If you really are worried about preserving screen phosphor,
either:
a. Turn your monitor off when you are not using your Mac, so that
the phosphor is not in use at all, and cannot possibly be burnt.
This has the desirable side-effect of saving energy and
decreasing your electricity bills; ES does this for you
automatically. See (0.0.1).
b. Use a simple, boring, black screenblanker, as this does a far
better job of saving phosphor than any animated pattern in a
screensaver package can, and, unlike those fancy screensavers, it
might even save you some electricity and some money. See (0.0.1).
It takes a very long time to burn the phosphor on a cathode ray
tube with a still image - accidentally leaving your Mac on all
weekend won't do it. Old Mac Plusses or monochrome Mac monitors
that have seen years of service may have a ghostly bar at the top
of the screen from the menu bar, visible when a menu bar is not
present, but that's about it.
The phosphor on colour monitors is even more difficult to burn,
making screensavers even less useful than you may think. Anyone
worried about the menu bar burning in on their colour monitor can
use Aurora 3.0 (in info-mac/cp) to give a white-on-black menu bar.
So why do all these screensavers exist? Most commercial
screensavers are marketed as entertainment; most standalone
downloadable screensavers were written as fun programming
exercises. They're entertaining toys to play with.
A screensaver can be useful for protecting your Mac from prying
eyes while you are away from it, and many screensavers include an
optional password feature for this, although many security
packages offer better protection. You should want a screensaver
for password protection or for entertainment, rather than for
overhyped 'screensaving' abilities. If you want true
'screensaving', read the sections below.
---- What is Energy Star? Can I use it? (0.0.1)
The US Energy Star programme is leading to the demise of the
screensaver as unused monitors power themselves down. Running a
screensaver, other than an Energy Star (ES) saver on an
ES-complaint setup, or a backlight dimmer on an LCD, will not
significantly decrease your screen's energy consumption.
A completely black screensaver reduces power consumption on a
standard non-ES monitor by only 23% [Byte, Jan 1994, p204] and
probably by less on the single-gun Trinitrons more common in the
Mac world, whereas consumption is reduced by over 90% with an ES
monitor, and by 100% by pressing the 'off' switch. A 'normal'
animated pattern, fishtank or cartoon screensaver will not
decrease CRT energy consumption.
On a non-ES setup, simply turn your monitor off when you're not
using the Mac for some time. It's more convenient than going
through lengthy shutdown and startup processes, saves energy, and
protects your phosphor better than even a black-screen
screensaver will. Remember that a conventional monitor uses far
more energy than the Mac itself does.
If you use a Quadra, Centris, PowerBook with video-out, LCIII or
later, or Performa equivalent of one of these models, AND use an
Energy Star-compliant monitor (look for the star logo) off
internal video on one of these Macs, you no longer need a
screensaver. Apple's freely-available 'Monitor Energy Saver'
package enables the Energy Star features of your monitor with
these Macs. Your monitor will power down in stages when the Mac
is on but not in use, saving on your electricity bills as well as
saving your screen.
'Monitor Energy Saver' (also known by its codename 'DarkStar') is
rather hard for netters to find. It's available on AppleLink, in
the following path:
Apple Products
Apple SW Updates
Macintosh
Supplemental System Software
Monitor Energy Software (1.0)
I'm told it's on AOL in the System Software area - do a search
for 'star'. It appeared as info-mac/cfg/monitor-energy-saver.hqx,
but was then removed from sumex as a breach of copyright. It may
still be on some of the smaller info-mac mirrors. It really ought
to be on ftp.apple.com, but wasn't, the last time I looked. Or ask
your Apple dealer for it.
Some Monitor Energy Saver users have reported problems with
crashing on wake from sleep, which may go to explain why it is not
widely available. If you have tracked down a conflict, please let
me know.
Speculation suggests that the Energy Saver was produced solely to
meet ES requirements for Apple's US government contract, and that
Apple has no intention of destroying the screensaver market by
actively promoting it and making it widely available. It would be
logical to assume it would be included as part of the expected
System 7.5 release later this year, perhaps integrated with the
'Screen' control panel, thus putting this rumour to rest, but I
have no confirmation of my wishful thinking.
To see if your setup is ES-compliant, install the Energy Saver,
set it to fifteen minutes, restart, and leave your Mac for an
half an hour or so. If on sleep you hear a degaussing noise, or
on wake the picture takes some time to return to life while your
Mac beeps, your setup is ES-compliant, and you can remove all
other screensavers. If the picture returns instantly after a long
sleep, and your Mac *then* beeps, the Energy Saver won't save you
energy with your monitor, and you can use a normal 'blank'
screensaver without feeling guilty. After all, that beeping is
annoying.
The Apple AudioVision 14" monitor is reported to be ES-compliant,
as is newer production of other Apple monitors - look on the back
to check.
ES works by disabling the signals on the horizontal and vertical
sync lines, on Macs that are capable of switching this. An ES
monitor detects this, and enters one of a series of low-power
modes; a non-ES monitor loses the picture, and goes black. (BS
tells me that a special version of AD with an ES-like function
called 'Ecologic' is shipped with Nanao monitors.)
---- What does the 'Screen' control panel do? (0.0.2)
If you are using a Mac with an internal colour CRT, such as the
Color Classic or LC5xx, which follow Energy Star recommendations,
you should be using the Screen control panel supplied with the
System Software to automatically turn off the monitor circuitry
when the Mac is not in use - you DO NOT need a screensaver to
save your screen.
Unlike Brightness, which works from anywhere, the Screen control
panel must be in the Control Panels folder at startup to work
properly. If you want to put Screen somewhere more convenient,
use an alias.
---- Does my PowerBook need a screensaver? (0.0.3)
No. If you own a Mac with an LCD display you are unlikely to need
a conventional screensaver, as you already have sleep mode. The
only 'screensaver' you would be interested in is one that dims
the backlight after a period of inactivity, to save power when
running off the batteries while doing long computations -
included in many PowerBook-specific utility packages. LCDs can
retain the colour they are set to, whether black or white, in a
'memory effect' that takes time to change, but does fade away. If
you use a (probably unnecessary) screensaver, it has been
suggested that it should be one which flips all of the pixels
regularly, to prevent this memory effect. This is unrelated to
the ni-cad battery 'memory effect'. More information on both of
these topics can be found in the PowerBook FAQs of the Mac
newsgroups. Read through comp.sys.mac.portables.
If you are using a monitor connected to your Dock's or
PowerBook's external video, you should be able to use the Energy
Saver. Read (0.0.1).
---- Can I spin my desktop Mac's hard disk down? (0.0.4)
You may also want to consider saving even more energy and keeping
your desktop Mac quiet by spinning down your hard disks when they
are not in use - PowerBook System Software does this all the time
to save on battery power. Although some drivers, such as
Silverlining, include this feature, the standard Apple driver
doesn't.
FAQ alert! Look at SCSISaver 1.2, by Darrell Pfeifer
<pfeifer@camosun.bc.ca>, on umich in system.extensions/cdevs,
which adds this ability to drives that support the SCSI 'stop'
command. If you're using your Mac for filesharing, doing lots of
intermittent disk access with something like AutoDoubler or
DiskExpress, or insist on a new, randomly-chosen, AD module every
few minutes, this will be of no use to you, and you'll find the
many pauses as the disk spins back up irritating. If your Mac is
on but idle, with no disk access, for long periods of time, you
may find the silence a relief.
With AutoDoubler 2.0x, setting 999 minutes and using the
'compress corner' on leaving your Mac will help prevent
intermittent disk activity.
---- What screensavers can I use under A/UX? (0.0.5)
A/UX users will want to use something to cover the login screen.
So far Moire has been reported as the only screensaver doing
this. DS and other startup applications will never do this. Read
through comp.unix.aux for more information on this and other A/UX
issues.
-- WHAT MAC SCREENSAVERS ARE AVAILABLE? (0.1)
Far too many. This FAQ concentrates on AD because it is the most
popular, is well-established (it has been around for years), has
the most support from other programmers in the form of different
screensaver 'modules', and because there are many other packages
that can run AD modules. It's a standard. AD is commercial and
costs money, although updates, bug fixes, programming information
and third-party shareware modules are freely available online.
If you simply want to play the many shareware/freeware AD modules
available from ftp sites, download the freeware DarkSide 4.1 -
see below. As AD, Pyro!, NowFun! and other commercial packages
*are* commercial, they and their commercial modules CANNOT, and
SHOULD NOT, be obtained from ftp sites. Updaters can be obtained
by ftp, but they must update the original package which you have
bought. If you want to use AD (or Pyro!, or NowFun!, or another
commercial package) or the modules supplied with it, you must buy
that package.
If you are looking for a screensaver, it is well worth obtaining
freeware and shareware savers, both DarkSide and the standalones
listed below, from ftp sites and evaluating them before
considering commercial products. Look in info-mac/gui, or on
umich in util/screensaver.
But first, have you read (0.0)? You may not even *need* a
screensaver with your particular Mac setup.
---- Modular screensavers (0.1.1)
This list is split into the screensaver packages I've seen,
and the ones I haven't. I make no claims for the completeness of
this list - everyone and his grandmother appears to have written
an AD-compatible screensaver, and I can't keep track. Corrections
welcome.
If I haven't seen a package, I won't be able to diagnose problems
with it. You're on your own. Some packages are apparently more
AD-compatible than others, but I'm not able to rate this on the
indirect information available to me.
Modular screensavers, most of which are AD-compatible, with a
number of different effects supplied in separate files, or
'modules', include:
Seen by me:
After Dark (AD) - commercial, from BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
The most popular. Has the most modules available, and many
third-party savers can run these modules. Includes the
screensaver, modules and programming information.
More After Dark (MAD) is an add-on package from BS that does not
include the screensaver itself - just more modules and an updater
for the screensaver.
Star Trek - the Screensaver (ST), also from BS, includes the ST
saver and modules, but not the programming information included
in AD.
Note that 'for legal and technical reasons' the ST modules
require AD 2.0x, and DC modules require the player included with
DC. DS and other AD-compatibles can't see or play these modules.
You need to use the player BS provides in the package.
DarkSide of the Mac 4.1 (DS) - freeware, by Tom Dowdy
<dowdy@apple.com>.
Also plays AD modules, unlike DS 3.2 and earlier. Like AD, DS
includes a password feature and a Randomizer. DS runs as a
startup application under System 7. It only patches one trap when
it needs to. As it's an application you can quit it at any time
if you need more memory, and restart it later.
(System 6 users require DS v2.5.).
Some of the forty-odd supplied DS-only modules, e.g. Circuit,
LostInSpace and VaseDance, are very polished, original and well
worth a look. Many others, e.g. Searchlight and Worms, are
similar to AD's and Pyro's, but with fewer cute frills.
An up-to-date DS package is on ftp.apple.com (directory:
/dts/mac/hacks). A copy is in the info-mac/gui directory.
A number of people have posted, saying that they own AD and MAD,
but that they prefer to use DS to run their modules.
DS 4.1 uses less memory than AD does to play AD modules, and
takes up less disk space and less CPU time. It is claimed to run
all AD modules, with the known exceptions of the commercial BS ST
and DC modules and the SS AD module (version 2.0.1) supplied with
SS 3.0.
[Known DS problems:
If DS stays at the front on startup, even though you checked
'Finder to front on startup', look at your Startup Items folder.
DS should be there only once.
To randomize a selection of DS modules, put them or their aliases
together in a folder, and open that folder with Open...
DarkSide's password dialog can crash as a result of extension
conflicts. One known culprit is Okey Dokey 1.0.1. Try turning off
Okey Dokey's countdown timer. Both Dan Walkowski and Tom Dowdy
are aware of this problem. Applescript has also been reported as
causing problems.
If DS still crashes, try giving it slightly more memory (your
INITs may be eating up a lot of program heap space) or trashing
the DS Preferences file, and see if matters improve.
The MAD Confetti Factory module crashes under DS 4.0. Get DS 4.1.
DS's Spectrum module, like other sampling software, is
incompatible with Global Village's Teleport menu.
If you keep your AD and DS modules together, note they both have
'Clock' and 'Puzzle' modules, and that MAD also has a 'Rain'
module. Remove or rename one of each.
The manual in MacWrite Pro format. Eventually, an XTND
translator for this should appear. One in the package would be
nice. If you want a printed manual, register your copy of
DarkSide.]
If you don't already have a screensaver, want to write
screensaver modules, or are interested in using the wide range of
free/shareware AD modules, this is *the* screensaver to get. The
price is unbeatable.
Intermission 1.0 - commercial, by ICOM Simulations
<ICOM1@aol.com>
However, ICOM (now Viacom New Media) will direct you to Delrina,
who have bought the rights to Intermission and use it as the
screensaver engine in Opus 'n Bill (below). As far as I can tell,
Intermission has no future - look at Opus 'n Bill instead.
Intermission comes as an extension, controlled by a desk
accessory. Plays AD and Pyro! modules, as well as coming with
over fifty modules in its own format - programming information
for this included. Its own modules include all the usual - fish,
worms, spotlights, patterns - as well as originals like Dancing
Pig, Dragon Kites, and versions of Breakout and Pong. Can't
display non-text AD About boxes. Has a complicated, Windows-like
interface with far too many configuration options. Includes
password and systemIQ features, but passwording and sound were
unreliable in the copy I tested.
Put an alias to the Intermission Modules folder in your System
Folder, and put aliases to your Pyro! and AD Files folders within
the Intermission folder.
Screensavor 3.01 (SS) - Commercial, by MIFP Development
<mbg3b2!mifp@uunet.uu.net> or <perednia@ohsu.edu>.
A 'specialist' picture displayer. Includes a startup application
(similar to DS) and an equivalent module (v2.0.1) that will run
under AD or Intermission - the module is unreliable under DS,
judging from the evaluation copy of 3.0 MIFP sent me to try out.
22 sets of pictures (e.g. landscapes, kittens, the planets,
aircraft, golf courses) also available. Does fades, zooms, and
many other effects. Shows QT JPEGs and PICTs as well as its
proprietary format - *far* more flexible than the AD Slide Show
module. QT required and included.
A demo of the SS AD module (v1.01) is in info-mac/gui/ad, and
includes sample pictures.
Twilight Zone (TZ) - an entry for MacHack 1993 by Steve
Falkenburg (no email address known).
Although it isn't a screensaver, this little application will run
AfterDark modules inside individual windows. The modules can be
resized, moved, run in the background, and more than one can be
run at once. It won't run all of the Berkeley Systems modules -
it crashes on most - but, as an example, I had Fractals, Mathos
and Spinning Bow Tie running at the same time, faster than they
do when screensaving. A copy can be ftp'ed from umich (directory:
util/screensaver/afterdark). It's an unstable and buggy hack, and
needs work - anyone want to use the source code (included) or
know where to email feedback?
Not seen by me:
Citadel 1.2 - commercial, by Datawatch.
A security package reported as including hard disk and partition
locking, passwording, file encryption and destruction as well as
an AD-compatible screensaver. I haven't seen a copy of Citadel,
and cannot comment on something I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I
know nothing further.
Disney Collection (DC) - commercial, from BS
<brklysystm@aol.com>.
Like ST, includes its own AD control panel. Like ST, AD
compatibles can't play this new module format. See TidBITS #192
for a review. I haven't seen a copy of DC, and cannot comment on
something I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I know nothing further.
BS has just launched Marvel Comics Screen Posters, a
screensaver/desktop-picture package featuring American cartoon
characters. I know nothing further.
NowFun! - commercial, from Now Software <now@aol.com>.
This 'fun' compilation package is reported as including
FunScreenSavers, an AD-compatible screensaver with thirty modules
(many previously shareware), FunPictures (an updated DeskPict),
FunCursors, FunColors and FunSounds (an updated SndControl). I
haven't seen a copy of NowFun!, but I've been told by others
which (many previously shareware) modules it contains, and can
pass this information on to those interested. Email me for
further details on NowFun! I make no claims for the accuracy of
this information.
An updater to take NowFun! to 1.0.1 is available in info-mac/gui
and on umich as /mac/misc/update/nowfun1.01update.sit.hqx.
I'm told that NowFun's modules work fine individually under AD,
with the exceptions of MultipleScreenSavers, Projector, and
Sports!
I know nothing further, since I haven't seen NowFun!
Opus 'n Bill - commercial, by Delrina.
Uses the Intermission screensaver engine mentioned above, so
should be able to also run AD and Pyro! modules. I'm told that it
comes with 16 modules and includes an update service, which you
pay extra to subscribe to, to receive five new modules every
quarter. (As Intermission included over 50 modules, I speculate
that the update service is the original Intermission modules
repackaged. More information welcome.) Notable for the lawsuit BS
won in San Francisco against Delrina for infringing BS's 'Flying
Toasters' design within the screensaver domain. Delrina's
toasters now have propellers, not wings.
I know nothing further, since I haven't seen Opus 'n Bill.
Pyro! 4.1 - commercial.
This was the original 'fireworks' screensaver, and now comes with
35 modules. The modules are similar in function to the DS and AD
modules, although they lack sound. One or two third-party modules
do exist, but nowhere near the sheer volume AD has - and, unlike
the others listed here, Pyro! cannot play AD modules. DiskLock
1.2 is reported as being a commercial security program, with
similar features to Citadel, that also runs Pyro! modules. I
haven't seen a copy of Pyro! 4.1 or of DiskLock, and cannot
comment on anything I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I know
nothing further.
UnderWare - commercial, by Bit Jugglers <juggler@netcom.com>.
Includes an AD-module player, but its main component is an
animated desktop that interacts with your icons and windows. See
TidBITS #192 for a review.
I'm told that UnderWare is incompatible with CopyDoublerand
CopyDoubler Lite, but only in 24-bit addressing mode. Although
the CopyDoubler 2.0.2 updater says this is fixed, upgrade to
2.0.3.
UnderWare is also incompatible with locking down the menubar when
panning on E-Machines control panels. Turn that option off if you
use both.
I haven't yet seen a copy of UnderWare, and know nothing further.
There are also two book/disk packages containing just AD modules:
'Art of Darkness', author Erfert Fenton, Peachpit Press, ISBN
1-56609-012-1. Ten modules from BS, eight unavailable elsewhere.
'Cool Mac After Dark', author Ross Scott Rubin, Hayden Books,
ISBN 0-672-48529-X. Seventeen previously-shareware modules.
I haven't seen either of these, but I've been told by others what
modules they contain, and can pass this information on to those
interested. Email me for further details on the contents of these
books. I make no claims for the accuracy of this information.
A third book/disk package of AD modules is under development. See
(0.2.2).
---- Standalone screensavers (0.1.2)
There are also a large number of small standalone screensavers to
choose from, and many are present in info-mac/gui. Some of these
aim to be as simple, small and unobtrusive as possible, e.g.
TinySaver 3.1, FadetoBlack, BasicBlack. Popular choices include
Eclipse 2.1 and Moire 4.0.1. MacPassword, elsewhere on info-mac,
includes Moire for screensaving.
If you do think you need a screensaver, look at what's freely
available from the ftp sites first - particularly DS if you're
running System 7 or better. You are sure to find something to
suit you.
There are a number of screensavers for Macs that support use of
the Brightness control panel and dim an unused screen, e.g.
Twilight. Twilight 7.1.4 onwards also 'dims' the same way on all
other Macs, by allowing you to install the Brightness driver. The
Brightness control panel can then be used on these Macs as well.
[If you want software brightness control, but don't want to
install the system software driver supplied for Twilight, a copy
of the 7.0b1 Brightness control panel, which works on all Macs,
can be found on info-mac in cp - someone has added new icon and
version resources.
Using this when you can just turn your monitor down is
unnecessary.]
Microsoft Word 5.1 includes a simple menu-activated screen saver.
Add 'Screen Test' to the Work menu using Commands to get ready
access to it when a document is open. Clicking brings up an
options box.
-- HOW DO I WRITE SCREENSAVER MODULES? (0.2)
See (8.0) for ideas that haven't been implemented as modules yet.
Please don't reinvent the wheel by doing yet another scrolling
message, spotlight or sliding tiles module. Give yourself a
challenge!
---- How do I write DarkSide modules? (0.2.1)
If you don't own After Dark or one of the other commercial
packages, but you have a neat idea for a screensaver and don't
fancy writing an entire standalone package, look at DS 4.1. All
the information and code you need to write DS modules is supplied
within the complete package - for free. I know of only two
authors who have so far produced a total of four third-party DS
modules - there's definitely a shareware market window here. See
the module programming list, below, or address your questions to
DarkSide's author, Tom Dowdy <dowdy@apple.com>.
---- How do I write After Dark modules? (0.2.2)
You learn to write After Dark modules by examining the example
code that came with the AD package you bought. This example code
makes up the Bouncing Ball module. ST does not include
programming information - BS has posted the programming examples
and information on AOL, AppleLink, and CompuServe. It's available
as:
info-mac/dev/ad-programmers-pckg.hqx
and on umich as:
development/source/afterdarkprogramming.cpt.hqx
This package is also available upon request from BS.
Although some shareware modules do come with source code, it's
likely to be out of date. Get the latest version of the AD
package for up-to-date code. If the last version of the code you
have came with a version of AD earlier than 2.0x, you're building
modules with obsolete code. Upgrade!
There's an AD module programming list, where you can get feedback
on your work and discuss problems. This list also deals with DS
modules. Sample code, such as how to animate your module's About
box, can be obtained from an ftp site - more details can be
obtained by joining the list. Email:
AfterDark-request@clipper.cb.att.com
to be put on the list, and send announcements for it to:
AfterDark@clipper.cb.att.com.
If you are writing AD modules, you will want to make sure that
they will also run without problems (either coding or cosmetic)
under the freeware DS 4.1, as well as NowFun!, UnderWare and the
other commercial AD-compatibles. There's no sense in restricting
your market or in giving yourself tech-support headaches.
---- What can I get for writing a cool module? (0.2.3)
An AD module book/disk package is under development. It aims to
include general advice on screensavers drawn from this FAQ, a
guide to programming AD modules with hints, tips and sample code,
and a number of never-before-seen AD modules. If you can write
good AD modules, contact David Zwiefelhofer <subversive@aol.com>
for more information.
As an incentive to write AD modules, you can enter programming
contests - this is why AD dominates. The 1993 contest closed last
July. That contest had a grand prize of $10,000, with runner-up
prizes of hardware, for the best AD modules in Mac, Windows, and
Computer Artist categories. The best Mac module winner, Steve
Henck, picked up a 2Gb drive for his 'Possessed' module. Email BS
for details of the next contest.
The first contest led to the creation of the MAD package - all
modules written by AD users. Since then, BS has done little with
the modules it has garnered from the contests. Perhaps BS can
make more money from film tie-ins than from selling packages of
original modules. If you want others to see your modules,
consider the book/disk package mentioned above.
---- Writing your own screensaver (0.2.4)
Why bother? If you write a module for AD or DS you will have a
much larger market than for yet another stand-alone screensaver,
and all the stand-alone niches (smallest, brightness, clock etc)
have already been filled. You won't have to worry about
incompatibilities with other software or breaking with the next
system release - that's the job of the AD or DS authors. And you
can enter the contests. No-one needs another standalone
screensaver.
If you want to write something that does interesting things with
After Dark modules, the code supplied with Twilight Zone should
be your starting point. If you really want to write your own
screensaver, The Macintosh C Programming Primer (Vol 1, 2nd ed.)
contains source code, as does The Macintosh Pascal Programming
Primer.
After Dark defines a gestalt for screensaving that many other
screensavers and applications now use. Implementing support for
this is a *very* good idea - ask the programming list for
information.
-- HOW CAN I SAVE MY SCREENSAVER PICTURES? (0.3)
This is short and simple, so it's here. First, have you tried the
obvious - pressing command-shift-3? This is the 'Camera' function
key (FKEY), which captures your screen to disk. [Under System 6,
this only works in black-and-white. If you're still using S6 on a
colour Mac (why?), skip ahead to Flash-It!].
Disable your screensaver password if you use one, and set your
screensaver going. When ready, press command-shift-3 together.
You should hear a camera shutter click and your screensaver will
wake. If this is successful, a PICT file called 'Picture
<number>' will appear in your hard disk's Finder window.
Double-click on this to open it with TeachText and see what you
have captured.
If it's the screensaver picture, well and good. This method
appears to work fine with AD 2.0x under S7.1, although it may not
work for earlier ADs and/or earlier Systems. This doesn't work
for DS 4 under S7.1, which wakes before the screen capture takes
place - you will get a picture of your desktop instead.
FAQ alert! If the Camera FKEY didn't work for you, you need to
get the shareware Flash-It!, a control panel (v3.0.2 at time of
writing), from an ftp site - look in info-mac/cp. Drop Flash-It!
into the 'Control Panels' folder and restart. Choose one of
Flash-It!'s functions and set the function hotkeys to be
command-shift-3, replacing the Camera FKEY. Repeat the above
procedure, and this time you should get your picture.
FAQ alert! Note that Flash-It! is very flexible, and useful for
grabbing screenshots with menus down or with the cursor visible.
The Camera FKEY cannot do this.
HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK? (1.0)
What version of AD do you own? There are two major revisions.
When someone mentions they own 'After Dark', you can assume they
mean version 2, of which there have been a number of minor
revisions in the past few years, listed below. Version 2.0 was
released back in August 1990, so version 1 is OLD.
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v1.x? (1.1)
An updater to 1.1c is available from sites on the Internet. If
you are already running 1.1c and wish to upgrade to version 2,
you can do so by returning your master disk to BS with $15. There
is NO free updater from version 1 to version 2, and the changes
are major.
You may find that version 1.1c fails to work on the
brand-spanking new Mac* you have just bought, or that it won't
run modules you've downloaded, which require 2.0x. If so, trash
it, or upgrade to version 2. Or, if you're running System 7.x,
download the free DS 4.1, which plays AD modules.
*Here, even a clapped-out IIci running System 6.0.5 qualifies as
'brand-spanking new'. Version 1 is *old*.
Note that AD 2.0x requires System 6.0.4 or later.
FAQ alert! DART 1.5.3, DiskCopy 4.2 and disk images for system
software up to 7.0.1 are on ftp.apple.com. Upgrade.
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v2.x? (1.2)
An updater to update all the various releases of version 2 to the
latest revision can always be found in info-mac/gui/ad. The
latest updater is also on umich as
/mac/misc/update/afterdark2.0xupdater102.cpt.hqx
BS issues updaters periodically, in line with new Apple machines
or System software. The updater generally takes up to a couple of
weeks from release to reach sumex et al, so be patient if you
have heard rumours of an updater but can't find it yet. BS's
Disney Collection incudes AD 2.0y, but a 2.0y updater is not yet
available.
Alternatively, if you don't have access to ftp or an email
file-server, you can return your master disk to BS to have it
updated for free. (You do own a master disk, don't you?) MAD
includes a copy of the AD updater, to 2.0u or later, depending on
when the MAD disk was mastered.
The updater updates version 2 revisions [NOT version 1 - see
(1.1)] to the latest revision, currently 2.0x. The 2.0x updater
updates both the control panel and all of the modules supplied
with the AD package, making minor updates throughout.
Note that you want the 2.0x updater v1.02. The first release of
this updater, without a version number, scrambled the password -
clear the password and turn off passwording to avoid this. The
second release, again no version number (tut, tut!), fixed this
by clearing any stored password. v1.02 is the only updater to
clear the password, add the longer-than-five-minutes Randomizer
times mentioned in some of the posts about the new features in
2.0x, and to fix the -'Fish!' sea-floor showing inverted blocks
of colour problem- that some users of the earlier updater
versions experienced, by updating Fish! to v2.01.
There is no reason not to upgrade. The newer your model of Mac
and/or System, the newer your copy of AD must be to run
correctly. If you have a problem and you're not running the
latest version of AD, don't even bother asking about it UNTIL
you've updated and seen if that fixes it. Experience is that not
running an up-to-date After Dark is usually the problem, and the
reported 'problem' is simply a visible symptom of this, which
vanishes when AD is updated.
This FAQ assumes that you have the latest revision of version 2
(2.0x, updater v1.02, at time of writing).
---- After Dark revision history (1.2.1)
The version history of the updater releases (not detailing the
numerous minor improvements, bug fixes, or feature additions to
modules) is:
2.0 - August 1990 - initial release.
2.0h - Bug fix relating to using (H)yperCard with AD.
2.0s - Bug fix of (s)ound code. Last version where the letter
meant anything, since they had squandered two-thirds of the
alphabet already.
[BS didn't make this mistake with the Windows version - after 2.0
came 2.0a....]
2.0t - September 1991 - Supports new System 6.0.7 sound code.
2.0u - June 1991 - First fully System 7.0 compatible release.
Understands new System Folder layout. Much faster when only the
Finder is running.
2.0v - August 1991 - First fully '040-cache compatible release.
2.0w - September 1992 - First fully System 7.1-compatible
release. Added 'All' and 'None' buttons to the Randomizer.
Prevents Randomizer and MultiModule recursively launching each
other. [Updater 2.0w is unique in only updating the control
panel, MultiModule and Randomizer, and not other modules.]
2.0x - February 1993 - new control panel icon, updater clears
password (first release of updater scrambled it - see above),
more 'When' options, muting sound via the control key. Slide Show
(updated to 2.1) now works with QT without crashing. Some
recognition of aliases of modules. Brings AD and the ST package
into line with each other feature-wise. AD can now play ST
modules.
Longer Randomizer times, but only with v1.0.2 of the updater
updating a non-2.0x Randomizer (Fish! is updated to 2.01 from a
previous 2.0x update).
Note that AD 2.0x requires System 6.0.4 or later.
DART 1.5.3, DiskCopy 4.2 and disk images for system software
before 7.1 are on ftp.apple.com. Upgrade.
*** System 7 Pro users require AD 2.0x or later ***
[Updater release info from Jim Tso at BS]
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF STAR TREK: THE SCREENSAVER? (1.3)
At time of writing, by applying a revision 2 updater LATER THAN
2.0w, i.e. 2.0x or later. This will update the control panel and
modules shared in common with the AD package (Randomizer and
MultiModule).
At time of writing, there is no updater for the ST modules. A
ResEdit template for extracting PICT resources from the ST files
is available from a number of ftp sites, for use by the
inquisitive.
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MORE AFTER DARK? (1.4)
There isn't an updater for these modules, and there are no plans
for one at present, although I have heard reports of
incompatibilities between some MAD modules and System 7 Pro.
There was a minor revision of MAD from 1.0 to 1.0a to fix some
obscure bugs - this is only available by returning your disk to
BS. I haven't yet seen this revision.
The changes in 1.0a are:
Mowin' Man bug-fix. With some large monitors and video cards,
Mowing Man could crash if the mower started from the top right of
the screen.
Tunnel bug-fix. With some video cards, Tunnel could crash if the
Round Rectangle setting was used.
Virex-D was removed from MAD 1.0a as it was no longer up-to-date
- see (5.2).
[MAD revision info from Jim Tso at BS]
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY AD MODULES OR OBTAIN NEW MODULES? (1.5)
If the modules are part of the AD package which you bought, you
need the updater that also updates the control panel - see (1.2).
If they are part of the MAD package which you bought, you can
return your disk to BS to get 1.0a - see (1.4). If they are
shareware or freeware, look in info-mac/gui/ad or on umich
(directory: util/screensaver/afterdark) to see if a later version
has been released. These are also the place to look for new
modules.
If you are having problems with a particular third-party module,
see first if a later version is available from an ftp site like
info-mac. If not, mail or email the author of the module about
the problem. Authors do appreciate feedback and fan-mail, if not
cold hard cash.
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF DARKSIDE OF THE MAC? (1.6)
An up-to-date DS package can be ftp'ed from ftp.apple.com
(directory: /dts/mac/hacks). A copy should also be in
info-mac/gui. The Apple site always gets a new release first,
direct from Tom Dowdy, who works there.
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF NOWFUN! ? (1.7)
An updater to take NowFun! from 1.0 to 1.01 is in info-mac/gui
and on umich as /mac/misc/update/nowfun1.01update.sit.hqx.
I don't know what it fixes - I haven't seen NowFun!
-- HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MOIRE? (1.8)
If you've been using Moire for years, and then move it to a new
Mac, you will need to update to Moire 4.0.1. It's available in
info-mac/gui.
If you find that 'Finder Shortcuts' vanishes from the Finder's
Balloon Help menu, or that restarts or shutdowns are slow, an old
copy of Moire is probably the problem. Upgrade to Moire 4.0.1.
If you are using Moire simply because it also includes a menu-bar
clock, consider getting the free SuperClock! 4.0.4 control panel,
which is far better, and another screensaver. Moire is also
available as an AD module - you can run it under DS 4.1.
HELP! I'VE FORGOTTEN MY AFTER DARK PASSWORD! HOW CAN I GET
CONTROL OF MY MAC BACK? (2.0)
A common problem. If you are using System 7, hold down the shift
key on restart (press the reset button, or control-command-power
on newer Macs - don't turn the Mac off and on!) to disable all
extensions and control panels, including AD. If you are running
System 6, you will need to startup from a floppy disk instead of
holding down the shift key. If you have an 'extensions manager'
installed, use that to disable AD instead. (I suggest Extensions
Manager 2.01 by Ricardo Batista, an Apple employee. It's a free
control panel on all the ftp sites.)
Note that you must fully disable AD. If you don't, the password
information will be carried over to the fresh control panel as a
security measure. Simply turning off AD with its on-off switch
does NOT disable it, and won't do you any good. If you can open
any copy of the AD control panel, you haven't disabled AD on
startup, and the password will be carried over.
Throw away the control panel and replace it with a fresh,
unopened, copy installed from your master disk. Restart and then
enter a new password.
If you have misplaced your AD master disk, you could try grabbing
a copy of the 2.0x (or later) updater and updating the control
panel instead of replacing it. 2.0x is the first updater to clear
the password on updating the control panel - see (1.2).
WHERE SHOULD I PUT THE 'AFTER DARK FILES' FOLDER? (3.0)
If AD can't find the modules that are sitting as they should be
in the 'After Dark files' folder, you probably need to update AD.
Versions 2.0u and later of AD will recognise the folder in System
7's Control Panels folder, in the Extensions and System folder,
and on the Desktop, whereas 2.0t and before expected the AD
control panel and files folder to be in the same place. (This is
detailed in the MANUAL that came with the AD PACKAGE that you
BOUGHT. No 'Can you tell I'm a pirate?' questions, please.)
If you are using AutoDoubler, you can try putting the AD files
folder on the Desktop - that's next to your hard disk, OUTSIDE
all folder windows - so that AutoDoubler can compress it. This
works well as long as MultiModule and Randomizer are not
deliberately compressed while in use, and doesn't require an
alias to the AD files folder within the System Folder. If a
module then crashes your Mac, you can often find out what module
it was by looking in the AutoDoubler Temporary Items folder on
restart, as AutoDoubler put copies of all open compressed files
there.
[AutoDoubler 1.0x users should see the comments on the PowerDown
module in (5.2) as well].
-- WHY DO MY STAR TREK MODULES SAY THEY ARE 'Out of memory' WHEN
THE REST PLAY FINE? (3.1)
This is answered here because, like the 'After Dark Files' folder
question above, it's a matter of getting the files in the right
place. The ST modules have a lot of pictures, sounds and features
in common, and to save space these are provided by a number of
files in a 'Shared Resources' folder, which, like the modules,
must be in the 'After Dark Files' folder.
The Star Trek package installs everything correctly, so this
really shouldn't be a problem.
-- WHY DOES A DISNEY MODULE SAY IT IS 'Out of memory'? (3.2)
Try reducing the number of characters appearing in that module.
At least, I'm told that that's what the card BS puts in the box
says. Check out (3.1), too.
-- WHERE CAN I FIND AN AD MODULE THAT SHOWS PICTURES AT RANDOM?
(3.3)
The Slide Show module is part of the commercial AD package from
BS. It displays pictures chosen at random from a folder. If you
don't have AD, but you're familiar with QT, just save all your
pictures as single-frame movies (Print2Pict, a chooser device on
all the ftp sites, allows you to print to movie, disk, etc. from
any application) and use one of the free movie-playing modules to
do the same job as Slide Show. See Movies 'Til Dawn under (5.2).
Displaying pictures at random is ScreenSavor's sole purpose. See
its entry under (0.1.1).
-- WHERE CAN I FIND AN AD MODULE THAT PLAYS PICS FILES? (3.4)
The PICS Player module is part of the commercial AD package from
BS. It displays a PICS file - AD includes a simple wireframe cube
PICS file. More interesting files, such as Rob's Eye's (bloodshot
rendered eyes) and Santa's Sleigh are available from ftp sites -
look in info-mac/gui/ad.
If you don't have AD you can open the PICS file with Simple
Player, and you will be given the option to turn it into a QT
movie. The movie will be far more compact, but may require more
disk access to play back. Use one of the free movie-playing
modules to do the same job as PICS Player. See Movies 'Til Dawn
under (5.2).
MY AFTER DARK CONTROL PANEL AND MODULES HAVE LOST THEIR ICONS!
HOW DO I GET THEM BACK? (4.0)
There are a couple of modules floating around that have
accidentally had their 'bundle bits' set, and you have either
just obtained one of these modules or just rebuilt your desktop,
bringing the problem to light.
The 'bundle bit' of a file tells the Finder that the file has
icon information the Finder must show. A module with a bundle bit
set causes its (non-existent) icon information to replace AD's
correct icon information - hence the 'blank' generic icons you
are seeing.
To fix this, you need a utility that will show file flags, such
as the shareware FileTyper 4.1 (on info-mac and umich) or ResEdit
2.1.1 (on ftp.apple.com). Go through all your modules, bringing
up the file flag information (This is the 'Has BNDL' box under
the 'Get File/Folder' option in ResEdit 2.1.1's File menu) and
make sure the bundle bit is cleared. If it isn't, clear it and
save that file. Alternatively, just drop all of your modules on
FileTyper, clear a bundle bit and 'change all' - a simple drag
and drop operation. (Check that the AD control panel *does* have
a bundle bit - if it doesn't, the Finder won't know about its
icons.)
Once you have cleared that bundle bit, restart and hold down
option and command to rebuild your desktop files. If you haven't
found a set bundle bit, it's possible that something like Norton
Utilities found and fixed the bundle bit a while back, in which
case you merely need to rebuild your desktop. You should then see
the AD icons in all their glory. (AD doesn't have ics resources
for the modules - although DS and ST do - or for MultiModule
documents. No, I don't know why!)
If you have Twilight Zone, the AD control panel will look like a
blank document and your AD modules will become TZ modules, so
that double-clicking on a module launches it in a TZ window. If
you rebuild your desktop, they'll look like TZ documents. This is
normal behaviour - remove TZ and rebuild the desktop to revert
everything to standard AD.
FAQ alert! Other things FileTyper 4.1 is useful for:
Colour floppy disk icons. Drop a floppy disk onto FileTyper, set
hasCustomIcon, drag the disk to the trash and then reinsert it.
You don't need SpeedyFinder or Discolour.
Fixing colour icons. If your hard disk is showing a blank piece
of paper as its icon, drop it on FileTyper, clear hasCustomIcon
and restart to get it back to a white box. Then repaste that icon
you spent ages designing and kept a backup copy of. If you see
'The command could not be completed, because it cannot be found'
when trying to paste an icon on a folder, hasCustomIcon is set
but the icon file is missing. Clear hasCustomIcon with FileTyper.
Renaming your hard disk. If you can't rename your hard disk you
are probably using filesharing, which prevents renaming so that
the network doesn't get confused. Turn off filesharing to rename
your hard disk. If filesharing isn't on and you still can't
rename it, use FileTyper to clear the disk's 'nameLocked or
isSystem' field, then restart. Disk First Aid 7.2, included as
part of the Software Update Package 2.0.1 on ftp.apple.com, now
fixes this, along with vanishing files and other disk-related
problems.
-- IN LIST VIEW IN THE FINDER, MY MODULES SAY THEY ARE 'a
particular module' DOCUMENTS'! WHAT'S UP? (4.1)
Congratulations on spotting the 'bundle bit' problem early - see
(4.0). That particular module has (or, in the past, had) its
'bundle bit' set, and if you were to rebuild your desktop you
could lose your AD icons. Check the bundle bit, as detailed
above. If you want 'After Dark document' back, you'll have to
rebuild your desktop once you've cleared that bundle bit -
although you may want to check all your other modules for set
bundle bits first, to save you finding another module with a set
bundle bit and having to rebuild the desktop files again.
AFTER DARK CRASHES MY MACHINE! WHAT SHOULD I DO? (5.0)
Are you sure that your problem is caused by After Dark?
If you are running the latest version of AD - see (1.0) -
it's almost certainly an individual module rather than the AD
control panel itself.
This section deals with AD modules known to crash AD. AD modules
known to crash DS, other than these, are given in the DS
information in (0.1). I don't have the knowledge of other
AD-compatible screensavers to detail modules known to cause
problems with them, but not with AD or DS. Use this list and its
troubleshooting advice as a guide for finding any specific
problems you may have.
First, if you are using AD, are you running the latest version of
AD? If not, try updating a copy with the free updater detailed in
(1.0), and see if the problem goes away. This is likely to solve
the 'AD doesn't work at all on my setup!' problem.
If you are already running the latest version, are you using a
just-released Mac or just-released System? If so, an update may
be in the works - just email BS. If not, is the problem with a
specific module, and can you isolate it by trying out different
modules? Is SystemIQ enabled? If not, is there a specific reason
why not? Things generally run better with SystemIQ on, and the
SystemIQ setting can affect some systems.
If the problem is with a module written by BS, well and good,
provided that the module is *not the Randomizer or MultiModule*.
Email them about it, at brklysystm@aol.com.
If the module is from a third party, and you cannot find a later
version anywhere, email or mail the author of the module about
the problem.
If you are having trouble with the Randomizer or MultiModule, you
need to track the problem down. A large number of third-party
modules don't work well under these, often causing crashes, and
giving AD an undeserved reputation for crashing in the process -
this is analogous to buggy shareware system extensions giving
Macs a reputation for being crash-prone. Choose the software you
use carefully. If it causes crashes, avoid it.
If you ARE NOT running any third-party modules under the
MultiModule or Randomizer, you can grumble at BS. If you ARE,
look at the list below to see if the problem has been
encountered. Look around the net for a later (bug-fixed) version
of the module. See if writing to the author of the module helps.
Try out each After Dark module in turn under these so that you
know EXACTLY what causes the problem.
When trying out a new AD module, try it as the only module
selected in the Randomizer, and see how well it behaves. If you
use the Randomizer a lot, this is an easy way of spotting problem
modules before they crash your machine and lose you work. Most
modules that crash under the MultiModule or Randomizer will do so
immediately they are selected - no waiting around needed.
To see if any modules you already have cause problems under the
Randomizer, select the Randomizer module, set the delay to ten
seconds, select 'in order', select Choose... and press the All
button to choose All modules. [If you do not see an All button,
you need to update your copy of AD - see (1.0)]. Close AD, go
into screensave, and watch to see which modules crash your Mac,
usually as the module starts. Restart [by control-command-power,
or the interrupt switch on older Macs - Macsbug will let you
recover from the crash smoothly, but AD will usually be disabled
until restart], remove the badly-written module, and repeat until
there are no crashes. (If you use Have-a-Blast or Off the Air,
see below.)
Removing modules that crash your Mac is a very good idea -
although you may know not to use them under MultiModule or
Randomizer, other users won't, and you know they'll fiddle with
the AD settings...
If you must keep particularly impressive 'bad' modules around, a
neat trick with AD 2.0x under System 7 is to make aliases of the
offending modules. Keep the 'bad' modules in another folder, and
their aliases with the other modules in the AD Files folder. AD
can then see the aliased modules, but Randomizer and MultiModule
can't, and crashes are avoided. Until someone 'tidies up' your
'unnecessary' aliases, of course... removing the bad modules is
far better.
[FAQ alert! If your Mac is crash-prone, for whatever reason, you
should install Macsbug 6.2.2 (except on Centris 610s and other
FPU-less 68LC040 Macs, which have a special version of Macsbug -
both are on ftp.apple.com in /dts/mac/tools/macsbug), which will
allow you to exit from most crashes without needing to restart
(type 'es'), or to smoothly restart without minutes of
disk-checking (type 'rs'). Shut down by typing 'g power'. Press
escape to toggle between the debugger and a screen showing what
the Mac was doing *before* it crashed. Type 'help' for more info.
The only downside to Macsbug is that any 'Type x error' will put
you into Macsbug, needing 'es' to continue, making the Mac less
idiot-proof. Don't worry - that's just Macsbug doing its job.
Macsbug is not an extension. It lives loose in the System Folder,
not in the Extensions folder, and it won't cause extension
clashes - it just highlights the ones you already have, allowing
you to work around them.
If your Mac locks up, invoking Macsbug (by pressing the interrupt
switch, or command-power on newer Macs) and then typing 'es' can
save you a lot of trouble.
With its white screen, Macsbug makes AD Randomizer crashes
noticeable as soon as they happen. Good for troubleshooting.]
AND IF THE ABOVE ADVICE IS NOT ENOUGH...
If you have encountered *specific* problems with a module *not*
mentioned in this FAQ, please let me know by email (and, if
possible, include a binhexed copy of the module so I can try it
out) and I'll update this list for others to share in your
knowledge. Ditto for updates to the modules here - I'm not
omniscient, and may have missed a bug-fix or two.
Please do not email me with a long list of modules you're using
(many of which are mentioned here already), say vaguely that your
Mac crashes under Randomizer, and ask for my advice. You won't
get it - that's what this FAQ is for, and I don't repeat myself.
Self-help is the key here. Use the information provided here to
eliminate the source(s) of the crashing detailed in the FAQ. If
it still crashes, use the troubleshooting information to discover
when and why it crashes. If you discover something new as a
result, then email me so that I can let others share your find.
-- MODULES THAT DON'T WORK UNDER MULTIMODULE OR RANDOMIZER (5.1)
This list has been compiled from information mostly obtained by
running AD along with lots of other extensions on single-screen
internal-video Mac IIsi and LC setups that have run Systems 7.0
through to 7.1. AD 2.0t to x were used. Although some modules do
have problems with large or multiple-monitor setups, detailed
information is lacking, since I can't test for it. Anyone want to
supply a list of 'problem' modules for unusual multiple/large
monitor setups? Ditto for modules that may have '040 cache
problems, or problems with 16- or 24-bit deep screens.
This list details modules that 'work fine' except when run under
MultiModule or Randomizer, or both. I started this list when I
was running Randomizer, randomizing a lot of modules every
fifteen minutes, in parallel with Dan Walkowski's PowerDown,
which shuts off an unused Mac, under MultiModule. This caught
more problem modules than most, and I gradually weeded out the
sources of crashes. Your mileage may vary, and you may not
encounter some of these problems on your set-up, particularly if
you are using a Classic or Plus. These days, I'm running a screen
blanker along with the SCSISaver and Auto Power On/Off control
panels. Once my 'After Dark Files' folder grew above 12Mb, I
decided that I was addicted to screensaver modules, and that I
needed to go cold turkey. The folder has since grown back to 2Mb
of modules, for playing with in idle moments.
Some modules misbehave under MultiModule only under very specific
conditions - size of allocated area, covered or not, system setup
- and a list of these is impossible. Troubleshooting MultiModule
settings is left as an exercise for the reader.
Modules whose latest versions worked fine when this FAQ began,
but whose earlier versions didn't, are not listed here, as that
would entail a full version history report of every AD module
I've seen - difficult and impossible to complete. Modules that
have had problems corrected during the history of this FAQ are,
however, mentioned for completeness, under the heading of the
latest version known. Go and get it. If the module you are having
a problem with is not mentioned here, see if a later version is
available. If not, contact the author of the module about the
problem, and please let me know, too.
MULTIMODULE AND RANDOMIZER
If you use both of these, make sure you have the latest revision
of AD. Versions earlier than 2.0w would crash if MultiModule
included Randomizer and Randomizer included MultiModule in their
selections, whenever the Randomizer tried to run the MultiModule
which was already running. (Say 'recursion', people.) 2.0w and
later detect this and add incredibly useful 'All' and 'None'
buttons to the Randomizer [but still no support for my extended
keyboard's extra cursor-control keys, unlike the control panel
itself. Grumble.]
THIRD-PARTY MODULES WITH RANDOMIZER
And now, that faulty third-party module list, in alphabetical
order:
Balloons - BugByte, Inc, 1991 (no email address given)
A very large (340K) module, advertising a HyperCard stack on
tying balloons into knots to make figures, that demonstrates some
balloon shapes with accompanying sound effects. Does not run
under Randomizer, claiming that not enough memory is available.
Does not appear to crash.
Barney Blaster 1.0.1 - Karl Bunker
<Karl_A._Bunker@bcsmac.bcs.org>
A dancing pink dinosaur explodes. 1.0.1 is said to fix 1.0's
crashing on some Macs and in 16-bit depths, but 1.0.1 does not
allocate enough memory to run under Randomizer, and can crash as
a result.
Bat Signal 1.1 - subversive software <subversive@aol.com>
A Spotlight-like module, but using the Bat Signal, and with the
coolest about box yet. There are at least two pre-1.0 versions of
this module in existence with no version numbers - one of those
didn't work under Randomizer. Replace with 1.1. Well worth
seeing, *especially* for the about box. Bat Signal Returns is
under development.
Blackboard 1.0 - Mark Malamud and Susan Hautala
(markmal@microsoft.com 73760.1275@compuserve.com
FullMoon@applelink.apple.com)
Pupil drawing on a chalkboard - either punishment or equations.
0.9 won't run under Randomizer, claiming not enough memory.
Doesn't appear to crash. 1.0 is said to work correctly, but is
only available with the 'Art of Darkness' book/disk package
mentioned in (0.1.1). Mark said that a shareware 2.0 will be
released late in 1993; I haven't seen it.
Cards - Chris Christensen (no email address given)
Puts playing cards at random places on the screen. Refuses to run
under Randomizer, claiming 'Bouncing Ball: Sorry, there is not
enough memory.' (and showing its code origins. At 225K, it's
obese, too - the Klondike 5.1 game takes under 100K, and you can
*play* that). Does not appear to crash.
Chomp! - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Bites
are taken out of the screen with a chomping sound. Causes the
System 7 Finder to quit when run under Randomizer with AD v2 on
my setups. No longer supported by BS and should probably be
trashed. Although other modules from the same era, like TacTiles
and Shapes, seem to work fine for me, treat them with caution.
EarthSplash 1.1 - Chuan Y. Fu <tron@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
(Previously Earthbounce 1.0). Unstable under Randomizer - seen to
crash in _MakeRGBPat. The author claimed he was working on an
update.
Faces in the Dark 1.0 - Geoffrey Hutchison (no email address)
Draws b/w face doodles. Occasionally 'freezes' under Randomizer -
cmd-opt-esc recovers to Finder.
Frect 1.0 - Adam Miller <AMILLER@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.edu>
Produces 'fractal rectangles'. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit
when run under Randomizer.
Gates Does Windows 1.0.2 - Robert Gibson, Mark Simmons
(72511.345@compuserve.com, 72511.256@compuserve.com)
Bill Gates appears as a window cleaner. Very large and
impressive, but 1.0.1 crashed under Randomizer as it runs out of
memory. Version 1.0.2 fixes this crashing, but behaves oddly on
some systems under Randomizer. This module is a 'ZiffNet
exclusive', so it can't be put on ftp sites. You'll have to ask
someone for it - but not me. I had to do a lot of asking around
to track this module and its reported problems down, and I'm
annoyed with ZiffNet as a result.
Hearts 2.0 - Josh de Cesare <jd5v@andrew.cmu.edu>
Large (453K), visually impressive module where rendered hearts
grow, spin and move around the screen. Doesn't appear to allocate
enough memory under Randomizer, and crashes badly under
MultiModule. No reply from the author at the address he gives.
HolisticSofa 0.94 - Alan Keahey (tkeahey@cs.indiana.edu or GEnie:
A.Keahey)
This module explores the sofa-on-stairs problem detailed in
Douglas Adam's 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'. It
crashes under the Randomizer on most newer Macs. The author wrote
it on a Plus, which it didn't crash on, and can't duplicate the
problem. Another Plus owner has reported crashing under
Randomizer.
[Also available as a standalone screensaver.]
Kablooie 1.0 - Adam Miller and Jakub Buchowski
<amiller@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu>
A customisable fireworks module for AD - just what it needs to
get one over on Pyro!'s main selling point [DS and Intermission
include fireworks modules]. Puts up 'Kablooie:' running under the
Randomizer and nothing else. Adam Miller knows of the problem,
but no fix has appeared.
Kings Cross Coke 1.0 - John Rotenstein (PO Box 165, Double Bay
NSW 2028, Australia)
Shows logos and illuminates them as if they were flashing/cycling
neon signs. Includes a scrapbook feature to choose images from.
Has memory problems - crashes under Randomizer and MultiModule,
and is pretty flaky on its own, especially when cutting and
pasting in the scrapbook. Spectacular, but risky.
[Also available as a stand-alone application (v2.0) in
info-mac/grf]
Millions of Colors 0.5 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle,
SLP@vax1.Mankato.msus.edu)
Bands of colour. Doesn't work under MultiModule. Email will be
passed on by Mark Hatle. Package includes source code - anyone
want to fix it?
Nebulae 1.0 - Bryan & Lisa Gibson-Winge (Compuserve: 72677,3222)
Complains of not enough memory to run under MultiModule or
Randomizer. Doesn't appear to crash.
Off The Air 1.0 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle,
SLP@vax1.Mankato.msus.edu)
Simulates a noisy television channel after the station has gone
off air. Under Randomizer changing modules every few minutes,
causes a crash a few modules AFTER it has run. (Trashing memory?
Finding this one took ages.) The 'Set Monitor Depth' feature is
bad ju-ju and can also crash the Mac. Email will be passed on by
Mark Hatle.
Punkin Patch - Steve Henck <actionvrb2@aol.com>
A 'Halloween' module. Cute graphics. Won't run under Randomizer,
claiming not enough memory for off-screen graphics. Doesn't
appear to crash.
Rrrring! - Steve Henck <actionvrb2@aol.com>
Assorted deaths to ringing telephones. Cute graphics. Won't run
under Randomizer, putting up 'Randomizer:'. Doesn't appear to
crash. Included in the 'Cool Mac After Dark' book/disk package
mentioned in (0.1.1).
Shredded Crystals - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Jagged
shapes appear on screen. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit when
run under Randomizer with AD v2 on my setup. No longer supported
by BS, and should probably be trashed. Although other modules
from the same era, like TacTiles and Shapes, seem to work fine
for me, treat them with caution.
Sierpinski's Gasket 1.1 - David L. Thompson, WinterBright
Software <dthompsn@cs.umt.edu>
The author confirms reports that this can crash under MultiModule
when running with MAD's Satori. The reason is unknown. I can't
duplicate this problem.
Sparkler 1.0 - Mike Wessler
Pixels explode off the screen. Crashes under Randomizer. [Not to
be confused with the catherine-wheel-like Sparklers 1.0, by Frank
Kubin, which works fine under both MultiModule and Randomizer.]
TerrainMaker 2.0 - Adam Miller and Jakub Buchowski
<amiller@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu>
Reported as just saying 'Randomizer:' under Randomizer on an
unusual video setup - a IIcx with PCPC Nubus card and 19"
monitor. Appears to work fine on more standard video setups.
VectorBalls 1.0 - Mark Adams, Maverick Software
(maverick.sft@applelink.apple.com marka38@aol.com)
Very impressive bouncing sets of crystal-lattice-like 3D balls.
Crashes under Randomizer and MultiModule. The author claims the
crash occurs in a ROM routine he calls, and is not sure why. With
the crashing fixed, and a 'Random Shapes' option, this module
would be a must-have.
Reported as being included in the NowFun! screensaver mentioned
in (0.1.1) - version unknown.
-- MODULES WITH OTHER KNOWN PROBLEMS (5.2)
In alphabetical order:
Have a Blast 1.0.1 - Alan Goates, Otherware
<agoates@nyx.cs.du.edu>
1.0 could crash on wake (moving the mouse or Randomizer choosing
another module) if 'Repair Damage' was chosen. 1.0.1 fixes this.
Hopper 1.0.1 - Rob Snevely, Wild Nobility Productions
Under later versions of AD, this module only displays its
generated pattern in the bottom-right quadrant of the screen. It
uses the whole screen under DS, though. Very strange. Anyone have
an email address for these guys?
Movies 'til Dawn 1.01 - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
1.01 works with all versions of QT, unlike 1.0, which stopped
working at QT 1.5. Get 1.01 and trash 1.0.
Playing movies is pointless for a screensaver, since it may save
your screen, but kills your hard disk through overwork and keeps
your CPU running at full speed - important on a portable. If you
*must* play movies, make sure you have QT 1.6.1 or later. Far
less disk access and memory is used than with 1.5 or earlier.
There's also Movies in the Dark 1.0 by Maurice Volaski and the
OURA QT (say each letter!) movie player 1.0d2 module by Laurence
d'Oliveiro. There's a Bouncing Movie module, but it's a quick
hack that no longer works. Trash it and get one of the others.
Note that Slide Show 2.1 (with 2.0x or later) can display QT
JPEG-compressed PICT files, which is far more useful than playing
movies. Slide Show 2.0 or earlier will hang on the second
screensave if a QT JPEG is used.
If you use JPEG pictures with Slide Show 2.1, remember that
pictures are uncompressed with a blank all-colours-are-black
screen. AD will not wake until QT has finished decompressing the
picture, so you may spend time staring at a black screen. If you
have the password feature enabled, you may have to type the
password blind, and then wait for QT to finish decompressing the
picture - a similar problem to using 'FadeAway' down to 0% with
the password enabled.
[And you know about QT's 'Startup Movie' feature, right?]
Orbs Return 2.0.2 - Stephen Linhart <stephen123@aol.com>
Crashes in 16- and 24-bit colour depths. Version 3.0 is available
as part of the NowFun! package mentioned in (0.1.1), and does not
have this problem.
Paw-Paw 1.3b3 - Aaron Barnet <c2mxbar@fre.fsu.umd.edu>
Version 1.2b had known memory problems, most visible when running
with Microsoft Excel or Word (like a lot of Mac software - blame
Microsoft's un-Mac programming methods). Get Paw-Paw 1.3b3 or
later (in info-mac/gui/ad) which fixes these problems, and trash
1.2b.
PowerDown 1.1 - Dan Walkowski <walkowsk@apple.com>
Shuts off an unattended Mac after a pre-set time. Ideal for Macs
with full 'soft' power on and off.
DS 4 users can get the same functionality with Fabrizio Oddone's
DarkShutdown 2.1 DS module, which works nicely with the Shutdown
Delay 2.0.1 control panel. IIsi, IIvx and Q840av users gain
additional functionality with the Auto Power On/Off control panel
first supplied with the av machines. Note that Auto Power is
incompatible with Network Time.
Running PowerDown in parallel with Randomizer under MultiModule
with the AD files folder on the Desktop so that AutoDoubler
1.0.7i could compress it (whew!) led to extra copies of the
modules running when PowerDown shuts down being put in an
AutoDoubler Temporary Items folder. There was no crash or other
undue behaviour. Telling AutoDoubler not to compress PowerDown,
Randomizer and MultiModule prevented this from happening -
AutoDoubler always puts copies of compressed files open at
shutdown in the Items folder These modules were running at
shutdown, and weren't closed properly.
If you are using PowerDown, look at the Okey-Dokey 1.01 control
panel from the same author, which presses the default button in a
dialog after a pre-set time. This allows you to have open
documents in most applications saved automatically on shutdown,
which would otherwise stop at the first dialog. DarkShutdown
handles this itself.
Virex-D (MAD 1.0) - BS <brklysystm@aol.com>
Virex-D, one of the MAD 1.0 modules, was an advertisement for the
commercial Virex virus-killer. As the D indicates, Virex-D
DETECTS viruses - it does not remove viruses or repair damage
caused by viruses. Virex-D has not been updated recently and is
no longer distributed with MAD 1.0a. It SHOULD NOT be used for
virus protection. It wears your disk unnecessarily, too.
FAQ alert! Use the freeware Disinfectant application (version 3.3
as I write) and Gatekeeper system extension (version 1.3 as I
write), available from all good Mac ftp sites, to combat Mac
viruses.
A commercial package is not a requirement for protection from
viruses. Remember that the few Mac viruses in existence are
mostly benign and are very rarely seen - this is not something to
even think about if you have an up-to-date virus-killer, and
Disinfectant and Gatekeeper are far more than adequate, not to
mention completely free. Read the excellent Disinfectant on-line
help for complete information on Mac viruses.
If you have access to the World-Wide Web, you can get hold of
Disinfectant and John Norstad's other Mac software creations with
the following URL:
http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/jlnstuff
Simply click on Gatekeeper's title box to have it launch NCSA
Mosaic and find Chris Johnson's area of the Web.
VoiceWaker 1.07 - Alessandro Levi Montalcini <Fricci@Polito.IT>
This module works with a microphone to wake up a Mac when you
shout at it. (A neat trick - just say 'Wake up!' and pretend you
own a Quadra av :-) All versions seen, including 1.07, crash the
Mac on screensave if a Global Village Teleport ADB modem is in
use and the Teleport menu is present - the Teleport menu appears
to be incompatible with all sampling software. 1.07 is included
in the NowFun! screensaver. It remains at 1.07 after using the
NowFun! 1.0->1.01 updater.
EXTENSION INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH AFTER DARK (6.0)
There are few extension, INIT or control panel conflicts with AD
- most problems originate with badly-written AD modules, listed
above. DS conflicts are listed in (0.1).
-- KNOWN INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH AFTER DARK (6.1)
In alphabetical order (well, there are only three I know of):
Attention 1.02 <piovanel@ghost.dsi.unimi.it>
This control panel allows you to select a sound other than the
presently-selected 'beep' sound for notification alerts.
1.0 prevented AD from sleeping if 'Always Audible' was selected
and had minor incompatibilities with CarpetBag.
1.01 and 1.02 fix this, but may cause crashes with the new
StyleWriter II driver's beep-after-printing feature. Use with
caution.
MacWrite Pro (Claris)
It's reported that AD cannot automatically sleep when any version
of MacWrite Pro (latest is 1.0v4) has a document open.
Speculation is that MacWrite Pro is doing background processing
when not being typed into.
I'm told that sleep can occur if you use AD's 'sleep' corner, or
place the pointer on the menu-bar or the document title-bar.
TouchBase Pro (After Hours Software)
TouchBase Pro 2.0 won't let After Dark sleep if it is running,
either in foreground or background. After Hours say that this is
fixed in 2.0.1.
MODULE NAME CHANGES AND SIMILARITIES (7.0)
Over the years, a number of AD modules have changed their names
to avoid being confused with other products. Also, some modules
out there have similar names, but are not related. This should
help clear all that up.
-- THE NAME HAS CHANGED (7.1)
Names on the left are old -> changed to names on the right. Look
out for the new AD modules, and trash the old ones once you've
got their replacements. Listed in alphabetical order of the old
names.
EarthBounce 1.0 -> EarthSplash 1.1
Has Randomizer problems. See above.
MacTabloid 2.0 -> Headlines 1.0.1
MacTabloid 2.0 is a third-party hack of Headlines 1.0.1. The size
of its word database appears to give it problems Headlines does
not have. MacTabloid runs out of memory under Randomizer - the
memory requirements do not appear to have been adjusted upwards
for the larger database. Avoid it - Headlines 1.0.1 is the
latest, most stable, official, version.
Mandelbrot -> Fractals 1.33
Alessandro Levi Montalcini's 'Mandelbrot' underwent a name change
when Hoffman and Hartshorne's 'Mandelbrot' module appeared as
part of the MAD package. It's now the shareware Fractals 1.33,
and is a full-fledged configurable fractal generator, whereas
MAD's commercial 'Mandelbrot' just shows you the set and some
expanded detail. A later version of Fractals, 2.1.2, is reported
as being included in the NowFun! screensaver.
Wallpaper 1.0 -> Mathos (no version, Oct. 1, 92 given in about
box, but released May, 93)
Generates fractal 'wallpaper' patterns. Name changed to avoid
confusion with Thought I Could's commercial 'Wallpaper'
desktop-pattern utility. (I'm a fan of the far cheaper Desktop
Textures 2.1, on info-mac, and on microlib.cc.utexas.edu as:
/microlib/mac/app/desktop-textures-21.hqx
myself.)
A number of versions of the Wallpaper module were released
without version numbers and as versions 1.0 - with and without a
separate coprocessor-only Wallpaper881 module - so upgrading to
Mathos or Mathos881 (together in one archive) will solve your
'what version is this?' problem for now.
-- NOT TO BE CONFUSED (7.2)
These AD modules have similar names, but are different!
Lines by Charles Clarke, ArtLines by AC Capehart, LineCA 1.0.1 by
WildMan Software, Quantum Lines by Scott Berfield and Roaming
Lines 1.1c by David Bau.
Lines simply fills the screen with coloured lines, ArtLines adds
blanking frequency and line thickness controls, LineCA is a
scrolling one-dimensional Life-like cellular automata generator,
Quantum Lines is bouncing twisting pattern, and Roaming Lines is
a variation on Berkeley's String Theory with some neat options.
Maze (the first version) 1.0 by David Bau, and (Calico) Maze
1.1.1 by Richard Lesh.
Two different maze builders/solvers. Bau's Maze lacks colour, but
has an interesting maze-drawing method. Calico Maze has more
colour and more choice of maze sizes than the very similar MAD
Snake module, and is well worth a look as the 'definitive' Maze
module.
Messages by BS, and Random Messages 1.0 by Paul Russell.
Two modules that choose a string from a message-list and display
it on screen. MAD includes the polished Say What?, but the
out-and-out-winner has to be Headlines 1.0.1 by Jamie McCarthy,
which, like the unix spew it's based on, generates hilarious
random headlines from a topical database.
Sparkler 1.0 by Mike Wessler, and Sparklers 1.0 by Frank Kubin.
Sparkler has Randomizer problems. See above. Two totally
different modules and effects.
MODULE REQUESTS (8.0)
Right, this is the part where you send in your neat ideas for
screensaver modules, in the hope that someone will turn them into
reality. Requested are:
A 'Sequencer' module that lets you control the order and timings
of your AD modules, so that you can have following modules
perform interesting effects with the stuff left on the screen.
Randomizer just doesn't cut it - Murphy's Law dictates that
Puzzle ends up shifting a blank screen around, for example.
(Intermission includes a basic 'Sequencer' module that does this,
but it requires Intermission to run.)
A SoundTracker MOD file player, ideally incorporating graphics
like DS's Spectrum's. One has been developed, but has not yet
been released to macgifts. (Tracker/ProTracker-playing code is
readily available. ST includes a straightforward sound- and
SoundEdit-file playing module.)
A screensaver that creates realistic-looking Finder windows with
icons, and has the mouse pointer doing operations, so that you
can claim that your Mac is working even when you are not.
(AppleEvents on a scriptable Finder?) Underware and DC do this
to some extent, but it's rather obvious that a screensaver is
running.
A GIF picture viewer. Slide Show does PICTs and JPEGs (with QT)
but not GIFs. Aaron Giles <giles@med.cornell.edu>, the author of
JPEGView, suggests that all a module need do is send AppleEvents
to JPEGView to control its SlideShow feature as a screensaver.
Contact him for details. MIFP, the makers of ScreenSavor, are
considering adding GIF support if user demand warrants it. What
the world *really* needs, though, is a GIF translator plug-in for
QT.
A 'starfield' module that simulates Doppler shift accurately,
which neither Star Trek, 'Warp Factor' or 'Warp!' do.
A neko or gengi-type module featuring puppies, not kittens.
A 'dancing bear' module.
Tetris. It runs under everything else...
Exact copies of the Sun screensavers, so Macs can pretend to be
workstations.
Exact copies of the default screensavers supplied with Windows,
so that Macs can lurk better in PC-dominated offices.
A module giving filesharing information - who's using your Mac?
Curtains pulling across the screen.
More modules featuring domestic appliances. We have Flying
Toasters, fridges and washing machines (Major Metaphysical
Appliances, with the Art of Darkness) but no steam irons,
blenders, tumbler dryers or cats in microwave ovens.
And fixes to all those still-buggy modules listed above, of
course. Please...
DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL-WEASELLING
-- COPYRIGHT
This work is Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 L. H. Wood. Permission is
hereby granted to distribute this unmodified document provided
that no fee in excess of normal on-line charges is required for
such distribution. Permission is NOT granted to services who
charge and make a profit for information or for access (e.g.
variable download rates depending upon download speed, or a
standing charge), as this is in excess of normal on-line charges.
Such services wishing to distribute this FAQ must negotiate a
suitable fee with me first for my services.
Permission is specifically not granted to ZiffNet, who give me a
headache trying to track down and test the AD modules they
'release'.
Portions of this document may be extracted and quoted free of
charge and without necessity of citation in normal on-line
communication provided only that said quotes are not represented
as the correspondent's original work. Permission for quotation of
this document in printed material and edited on-line
communication (such as the Info-Mac Digest and TidBITS) is given
subject to normal citation procedures, i.e. I demand an
attribution or credit.
I DO NOT PERMIT DISTRIBUTION ON CD-ROM, DISKS FOR SALE (e.g.
SHAREWARE CATALOGUES OR MAGAZINE COVER DISKS) OR ANY OTHER
CARRIER UNLESS I RECEIVE A COPY OF EACH CD-ROM, DISK, OR STORAGE
MEDIUM UPON WHICH THIS WORK APPEARS.
If you wish to republish this FAQ in a modified form or on a
physical medium, please contact me with specific details and get
my permission.
-- DISCLAIMER
I do my best to ensure that information contained in this
document is current and accurate, but I can accept no
responsibility for actions resulting from information contained
herein. This document is provided as is and with no warranty of
any kind.
END.