From: l.wood@surrey.ac.uk Subject: Mac Screensaver FAQ 3.0 TEXT version To: Distribute Mac stuff Date: Sun, 20 Nov 1994 22:31:32 +0000 (GMT) Here is more than anyone could possibly want to know about Mac screensavers, with extensive information on Energy Star and DPMS, Apple's screen- and energy-saving software and working with and around it, and the commercial and shareware packages and fun modules. This is the TEXT version, as FAQs, the contents of info-mac/info/sft, and similar information sources are text-readable to be accessible as possible. L. -- ___SatCommsEngMSc___Voicex4233___buildingabetterfuturenow Lloyd Wood Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.answers,news.answers Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.apps Subject: Macintosh Screensaver Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Expires: Fri, 30 Dec 1994 00:00:00 GMT Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions on Macintosh screensavers, with answers. Energy Star, power-saving monitors and modular screensavers for entertainment are discussed in depth. Before asking a question about screensavers in any of these newsgroups, please read this document and look for the answer to your question. Keywords: FAQ, Macintosh, Mac, screensaver, After, Dark, monitor, screen, energy, star Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Archive-name: macintosh/screensaver-faq Last-modified: 1994/11/19 Version: 3.0 Maintainer: L.Wood@surrey.ac.uk COMP.SYS.MAC FAQ: Screensaver/After Dark answers ================================================ Version: 3.0 Last updated: Saturday, 19 November 1994 Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Lloyd Wood . Not for physical or retail distribution without my express permission. See Copyright at end for full conditions of use. Web FAQ archive maintainers, please link to this FAQ as: ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/Current_AfterDark_FAQ instead of storing an out-of-date text copy locally. Even better is to link to the screensaver site: ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/index.html as that way you will access the full HTML version of this FAQ when it appears, instead of doing limited HTML conversion yourself on a locally-stored copy, which will require extra effort on your part, will soon be out of date, and may infringe my copyright by producing a derivative work without my permission as well. This FAQ is crossposted to most of the comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups on an irregular basis whenever it is updated. A copy should be found for anonymous ftp on sumex (info-mac) mirrors, in: info-mac/info/sft/ on umich mirrors, in: mac-umich/misc/documentation/ [I'm not giving full URLs for sites mirrored around the world, as I don't want to load one site unnecessarily. You should find the mirror site closest to you from the regular postings in the comp.sys.mac.digest newsgroup, and use that instead.] on the After Dark programmers' list ftp site in: ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/ and, of course, as it's a FAQ: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/Macintosh/screensaver-faq Email corrections and additions for this FAQ are always welcome, although asking a question already answered here will just get you an emailed copy of the FAQ - I don't repeat myself. Compuserve and ZiffNet/Mac users, email me on 72511,447 and avoid being billed extra for internet mail that shouldn't cost more. Despite the emphasis of this FAQ on After Dark modules, I have no connection with Berkeley Systems or any of the other commercial screensaver publishers, or with Apple Computer, other than as a user of their products. I'm not a contracted beta-tester of their products, and am not subject to non-disclosure agreements. This FAQ constitutes my independent analysis of Mac screensavers, based on talking to screensaver users and makers worldwide. I'm declaring the T-shirts Berkeley Systems and Bit Jugglers gave me for generously saving them a **fortune** in tech support at no charge, though. Nothing underhand here. [I welcome free clothing, and will wear it around a busy campus. I welcome sponsors for my degree course - any satellite or space engineers reading this? As a full-time student with bills, I am willing to consider commercial exploitation of any form.] So what is a FAQ? ================= This is a FAQ - a Frequently Asked Questions list, in this case covering the esoteric topic of Macintosh screensavers. FAQs are written and posted to newsgroups to cut down on unnecessary repetition of questions that everyone, bar the questioner, who never reads the group regularly, knows the answers to by heart. There are FAQs on almost every topic imaginable. 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 or one of its mirrors, or looking through it with Mosaic or gopher. ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/ 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. Start with news.announce.newusers. There are a number of Macintosh-specific FAQs, posted regularly in the comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups and archived on: rtfm.mit.edu and mirrors, in pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh They can be found, along with other useful information files, In: sumex (info-mac) mirrors, in info-mac/info umich mirrors, in mac/misc/documentation If you have access to the World-Wide Web, you can look at the FAQs with Mosaic, MacWeb, lynx, or a similar browser, under one of the following URLs: http://www.apple.com/ http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/macintosh/top.html http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/faqs/home-faqs.html (I suggest the last one, as it's generally more up to date.) Anyone reading comp.sys.mac.whatever should have the courtesy to other readers to read through these FAQs regularly. Stay up-to-date on what's new. Check the relevant FAQ to see if the question you are about to ask has already been answered for you. Easy questions and answers ========================== This FAQ list addresses problems Mac screensaver users may have. Rather than just answering common questions, it attempts to give enough background information to make more sense and rather more interesting reading. In doing that, this also answers some common questions new Mac users have. These questions have nothing to do with screensavers, but are asked so often it's worth pointing out that the answers are here for you to find using this handy index. Posting any of these questions is considered both lazy and rude. These common questions are: Where can I find Apple system software updates? See (15.0) What format are they in? How do I read it? What is a disk image, anyway? See (15.2). Where can I find Mac stuff? See (15.0) What do I need to interpret the files? See (17.0) How can I send stuff to these sites for others to get? See (16.0). Are viruses a problem on the Mac? How can I deal with them? See the entry for Virex-D under (12.2.2). What is Macsbug? Where can I find it? What do I do with it? How do I use it? See (12.2.1). Why are my General Controls colours black and white? How can I fix this? See the entry for Wallpaper under (12.4). 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 (12.3). My PowerBook's hard disk spins down. Why doesn't my desktop Mac's? See (7.4). How can I get a picture of the screen? With the cursor and menus visible? See (12.8). Why does my monitor have a faint line across it? See (4.2). How do I get a working Brightness control panel? See (9.5). How can I read this MacWrite Pro file? See (10.1). Contents of this FAQ ==================== How do I use this FAQ? (0.0) I don't want to read all of this - what's important? (0.1) What do those abbreviations mean? (1.0) Do I **want** a screensaver? (2.0) Do I **need** a screensaver? (3.0) Monitor stuff (4.0) What monitor should I buy? (4.1) Why does my monitor have a faint line across it? (4.2) What screensaver is best for my PC? (5.0) What screensaver is best for my Mac? (6.0) for my brand-new PowerMac? (6.1) for my desktop Mac? (6.2) for my portable Mac? (6.3) for my Newton? (6.4) but I'm running A/UX! (6.5) for the lab network I maintain? (6.6) What is Energy Star, anyway? (7.0) How can I implement Energy Star on my computer? (7.1) by turning off the monitor (7.2) by turning off the computer (7.3) by spinning down the hard disk (7.4) What do these Apple system control panels do? (8.0) CPU Energy Saver (8.1) Auto Power On/Off (8.2) Screen (8.3) PowerBook Display (8.4) Strictly functional savers (9.0) Monitor Energy Saver (9.1) Why isn't it system software? (9.1.1) How can I make it work? (9.1.2) How can I make it sleep properly? (9.1.3) How can I shut off that BEEP BEEP BEEP? (9.1.4) How can I set sensible sleep times? (9.1.5) Radius Power Saver (9.2) Sleeper (9.3) Basic Black (9.4) Twilight (9.5) Connectix Desktop Utilities (9.6) Minutes of pointless fun (10.0) DarkSide of the Mac (10.1) Twilight Zone (10.2) The After Dark family (10.3) After Dark 1.x (10.3.1) After Dark 2.x (10.3.2) Why can't it sleep over 'You may now switch off...'? (10.3.2.1) Why can't it sleep on my networked Mac? (10.3.2.2) Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.2.3) Randomizer crashes my Mac! (10.3.2.4) After Dark 3.0 (10.3.3) Where can I get help with After Dark 3.0? (10.3.3.1) Quick tips (10.3.3.2) Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.3.3) Star Trek: The Screensaver (10.3.4) Why are my Star Trek modules out of memory? (10.3.4.1) How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.4.2) The Disney Collection (10.3.5) Why are my Disney modules out of memory? (10.3.5.1) Why does my sound level get reset? (10.3.5.2) Why does my IIvx/IIvi/Performa 600 crash? (10.3.5.3) How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.5.4) Marvel Screen Posters (10.3.6) Star Trek Screen Posters (10.3.7) The Simpsons (10.3.8) X-Men (10.3.9) Star Trek: The Next Generation (10.3.10) The UnderWare family (10.4) UnderWare (10.4.1) Kids World (10.4.2) The Intermission family (10.5) Intermission (10.5.1) Opus N Bill (10.5.2) Comedy Central CD-ROMs (10.6) NowFun! (10.7) ScreenSavor (10.8) Snoopy (10.9) Wallpaper Light and Dark (10.10) In need of trashing (11.0) Pyro! (11.1) Moire (11.2) Screensaver modules (12.0) Where can I get modules? (12.1) Downloading from archives (12.1.1) The book/disk packages (12.1.2) Why does my fun screensaver crash? (12.2) When I use Randomizer or MultiModule? (12.2.1) At other times? (12.2.2) My modules (and After Dark) lost their icons. Why? (12.3) Which of these modules is latest? (12.4) Which of these modules is which? (12.5) Where can I find a module that plays pictures at random? (12.6) Where can I find a module that plays PICS files? (12.7) How can I save my screensaver's picture? (12.8) Programming screensavers (13.0) How can I write my own screensaver? (13.1) Why write screensaver modules? (13.2) What's the contest worth? (13.2.1) How can I write modules? (13.3) for DarkSide of the Mac? (13.3.1) for After Dark 2.x compatibles? (13.3.2) Got any good ideas for writing modules? (13.4) How can I make my application screensaver-aware? (13.5) Interesting questions I get asked (14.0) What happened about those lawsuits? (14.1) If the screensaver is obsolete, why isn't it dead? (14.2) When is going to be released? (14.3) Where can I find all those files? (15.0) by ftp? (15.1) by gopher? (15.2) by the World-Wide Web? (15.3) by email? (15.4) How can I spread my files to the world? (16.0) I got that file you recommended. How do I open it? (17.0) Copyright Disclaimer How do I use this FAQ? (0.0) ============================ If you're new to Macs, start with (15.0) to (17.0). Otherwise, start with (2.0) and (3.0) to find out which parts are of interest to you. This FAQ is in setext format. The easiest way to read this on a Mac is to use Easy View, the setext browser made popular by TidBITS. info-mac/text/easy-view-250.hqx Drop a copy of the TidBITS file included with Easy View in the same folder as the FAQ and open the copy. This breaks the FAQ into manageable sections and makes it easier to navigate. It looks best if you turn 'Use Styles' on. setext readers for DOS and unix are readily available: ftp://ftp.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/local/setext/ I don't want to read all of this - what's important? (0.1) ---------------------------------------------------------- 3.0 was a major update from previous FAQ versions, so it's worth looking through the entire FAQ to see what's new. There's a number of things you do need to know about, though: What Energy Star is and does, and how to get it working properly on your Mac. See (7.0). What the Apple system software you already have does, so you know how to use it effectively. See (8.0). The most useful screensavers for your system. See (9.0). Are you having problems simply because you're not running a recent version of your favourite screensaver? Check the section on your screensaver and see how to update. Are you having problems with your fun screensaver crashing because some of your modules aren't written properly or are plain buggy? See (12.2). Get involved in programming screensavers - but avoid reinventing the wheel. See (13.0). What do those abbreviations mean? (1.0) ======================================= Mac - Apple Macintosh computer, the world's premier screensaver platform. AD - After Dark, a commercial screensaver package for the Mac from BSI. BSI - Berkeley Systems, Inc. The makers of AD. Not to be confused with the British Standards Institute. BJ - Bit Jugglers, the makers of UW. CRT - Cathode Ray Tube, found in the traditional, box-like, monitor. DS - DarkSide of the Mac, a freeware Mac screensaver that runs AD modules. Recommended. DPMS- Display Power Management System. The first phase of ES, often thought of **as** ES. Imminent death of the screensaver predicted. Honest. ES - Energy Star. A US government programme to cut electricity demand. DPMS is the first stage; guidelines on overall system consumption and turning off systems have been produced. KW - Kid's World A screensaver construction kit, from BJ, that includes UW. LCD - Liquid Crystal Display. No screensaver required - just turn off any backlighting. MAD - More After Dark, a commercial pack of extra AD modules from BSI. MES - Apple's Monitor Energy Saver. Partially and inconsistently implements ES on the Mac. QT - QuickTime, Apple's free movie/picture/sound/time-handling extension. TZ - Twilight Zone, a free application that runs AD modules in resizeable windows. URL - Uniform Resource Locator, a standard description of where information is and how to access it, implemented by the World-Wide Web. UW - UnderWare, a commercial screensaver that can run AD modules on your desktop behind your windows. This makes it unique. Do I **want** a screensaver? (2.0) ================================== Do you want to save on your electricity bill by using Energy Star? Read on, particularly (7.0). Do you want some privacy from others and protection for files on your computer, without making data impossible to retrieve? See what screensavers have passwording available in (9.0) and (10.0). Do you want to be entertained? You've come to the right place. Start with (9.0). Do I **need** a screensaver? (3.0) ================================== Not for burn-in. Screen phosphor burn-in on modern CRTs is not the problem it once was, although it's still possible to burn in your menu bar or the 'You may now switch off your Mac' dialog after a **very** long time. You can avoid these problems by: 1. Using Aurora to give a white-on-black menu-bar. info-mac/gui/aurora-302.hqx 2. Buying a soft-power Mac in the first place. You do need screensaving software to enable Energy-Star DPMS features. This software is somewhat different to the traditional screensaver. Using ES software will save you money on your electricity bills and make you feel good for being green. These two benefits far outweigh any perceived benefit from other screensavers, and should take precedence. See (7.0) If you lack an ES-compatible monitor or video output, you can turn your monitor off or use a simple screen blanker. Hardware devices that monitor ADB activity and switch your monitor off and on for you are available, and can pay for themselves in electricity savings - the Monitor Miser, from Inversion Developers, and the Ecoman are two such devices I've been told about, but have not seen. Check a catalogue. If you work with colour professionally, you may be worried about phosphor burning unevenly across the screen, resulting in slight colour variations - use a screen blanker. ES monitors can take a while to restore colour balance after they wake, so you won't like ES or switching your monitor off for that reason; most 21" monitors aren't ES-compliant, anyway. (Whenever uneven colour burn is mentioned, red phosphor is referred to. It may be that that the red phosphor is the most sensitive to burning, explaining the predominance of cyan in UnderWare and in several Disney modules.) For privacy, screensaver passwording gives a basic level of protection, but this can often be easily circumvented by shift- booting or by using a debugger. Not as good as most security packages, which often include hard-disk driver level passwording. Ask yourself whether you need to be entertained by your Mac when you're not using it - or would that be a frivolous waste of disk space and memory that will simply distract you from anything else you are doing? Monitor stuff (4.0) =================== Getting asked questions about monitors goes with the territory. I've included some monitor-related information here, since these questions crop up a lot. What monitor should I buy? (4.1) -------------------------------- If I was buying a monitor, I'd insist on the following features, ranked from most to least important: 1. Multiscan. New Macs' video is very flexible; the new Display Enabler software allows you to change resolutions on the fly. gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/ Apple.Software.Updates/Display&Display.Card.Software/ ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/ Display & Display Card Software/ Limiting that flexible video with a fixed-frequency monitor is wasteful, especially when the monitor will be useful to you far longer than the computer will. So, you want a multiscan or multisync monitor - don't limit yourself to looking at Apple's own, as they are not necessarily the best. I'd want to get 16" resolution (832x624) on a 14 or 15" multiscan monitor. At that screen size, higher resolutions aren't really readable without magnification, so I wouldn't worry about 19" (1024x768) or higher resolutions unless I was using a 17" monitor or larger. However, full-page editing with 1024x768 is very useful, as is switching down to 640x480 for full-screen games that assume that everyone owns a 14" monitor. Monitors that allow you settings (such as horizontal shift) for each resolution are preferable. I'd make sure that the resolutions I want to use most often are displayed at 70Hz or above. Buying a cheap VGA monitor that does 640x480 at 60Hz is a recipe for bad eyeight. 2. Guaranteed Mac compatibility without requiring a sense-pin adapter or sync-on-green adapter (the Liberty adapter allows you to use old monitors requiring sync-on-green with new Macs that don't generate it). Messing around with diodes to tell the Mac what resolutions the monitor supports is not everyone's cup of tea; the monitor should work correctly on your Mac **without** a clunky settings box between the two, supplied or not. 3. DPMS (Energy-Star) compatibility. I want visual indication of the power mode via an LED - monitors, such as Samsung and Sony models, that have red and green LED combinations indicating what power mode they are in, get my vote, and make trouble- shooting problems with the MES from the other side of the planet much easier for me. Some monitors switch off their single power indicator LED when energy-saving, causing you to think that the monitor is turned off and to reach for the power button on your Mac. This is stupid; avoid buying one of these monitors. The monitor should support both standby and off modes, at the very least. Monitors that include their own energy-saving software score points for saving users configuration hassle. Radius includes its own Power Saver, and BSI's After Dark Starter Edition with Ecologic ES software is bundled with a number of monitors, including Nanao's FlexScan range. Apple includes the MES on the Display Software disks for its multiscan monitors, but since that's the MES, source of problems galore, the points scored are in fact negative. 4. Trinitron. I prefer them for the sharp, bright picture, although some of the new flatter, squarer tubes come very close. 5. A decent tilt-and-swivel stand. I had to buy one for my old Apple 13" monitor, and I still can't believe what Apple charged me for it. No, I can't believe I parted with that much money for it. I'm not too fussed about MPR-II compliance, as the jury is mostly out on the physical effects and MPR-II monitors tend to have less shielding, making them far more susceptible to interference from outside than older monitors. I'll take not having a headache from visible interference right now over the effects of cumulative cell damage twenty years from now any day. I'd compare monitors hooked up to Macs running side by side before buying. I'd take a tape measure too - the tube diagonal measurement refers to the entire tube, and not the visible area. Screen area can vary a lot in size, so check what you're paying for, and use the measurement to defend against sales pressures. ('Call this a 15" monitor? Look, it's only 13.5"! What do you mean by calling this a bargain?') Don't rely on reviews of monitor models - you're going to use the monitor day in, day out, so your opinion of the monitor in front of you is all that matters. Why does my new monitor have a faint line across it? (4.2) ---------------------------------------------------------- Because it's a Trinitron monitor. You paid good money to buy a monitor with a sharper display than a normal 'dot-pitch' monitor, and this is necessary for that sharper display. It's not a fault. 'Normal' monitors have a metal 'shadow mask' which is punched with holes that the three guns shoot electrons through, to hit the blurry red/green/blue phosphor triads on the screen. A Trinitron is physically far simpler; a single gun shoots electrons between the thin vertical wires separating stripes of alternating-colour phosphor on the screen. Tap the side of a Trinitron monitor sharply, and you'll see those wires, and the picture, vibrate. That horizontal line is a bracing wire to keep the vertical wires in place. Larger Trinitrons have two. You'll get used to it; after a couple of weeks you'll stop noticing it. What screensaver is best for my PC? (5.0) ========================================= With the plethora of video cards and operating systems on the PC, this is a very loaded question, and I simply don't have enough information to provide a comprehensive answer. ES implementation on PCs is not as standard or as consistent as on the Mac. Do not take this to mean that ES on the Mac is either standard or consistent - there's bad, there's worse, and there's damning with faint praise. Although Windows includes support for its own screensaver modules, they are very poor, so replacement modules, screensavers and modular screensavers are popular. And there's a lot of them. This FAQ does not cover the use of AD and compatibles on the Windows platform - they're entirely different beasts to their Mac counterparts. There is no easy way to convert between Windows and 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 screensavers on both Windows **and** the Mac. Conversion jobs are often advertised on the programmers' mailing list. See (13.2). Like the Mac version, AD for Windows is now 3.0something, and you can get technical support for it by emailing BSI on . Anyone still using AD 2.0 for Windows should be using 2.0c or later - grab the 2.0c updater from BSI's ftp site, or from the WINAPC forum of Compuserve, ln library 4. Users of 2.0c and older can get a cheap upgrade to 3.0 - email BSI for further details of the procedure. Star Trek 1.0 users - email BSI about upgrading to Star Trek 1.0a for free. Don't use that 2.0c updater. After Dark for DOS users - 1.0e has been released. Changes from the original 1.0 are an updated installer to recognize more types of menu program, no need for an environment variable to run, and a fixed CLOCK.ADD, which works properly with daylight savings time. If these fixes affect you, email BSI about a free upgrade. Windows AD users should take a good look at ftp://ftp.berksys.com/pub/AfterDark/win/ for the electronic updater, helpfiles (using AD with OS/2, with Soundblaster, with true-colour video cards, with Delrina FaxPro, etc.), the programming package for those wishing to write Windows AD modules, and for other Windows and PC-related files, including third-party modules. [If someone is willing to put information on other PC screensavers together, I'd be glad to include it here.] What screensaver is best for my Mac? (6.0) ========================================== This depends on what Mac model you are using - there is, unfortunately, no consistent answer for everything, although the Radius Power Saver comes closest for all desktop Macs. for my brand-new PowerMac? (6.1) -------------------------------- All PowerMacs are DPMS-compliant, so the MES should be all you need, along with System 7.5 or the PowerMac 1.0.2 enabler for 7.1. The MES isn't native, but then neither is 99% of your operating system, so don't grumble about it. The MES doesn't impact on PowerMac performance in the slightest. The MES should have been in the 'Apple Extras' folder on your hard disk when you received your PowerMac, if it wasn't on the installer disk. Or get a copy from one of Apple's support sites. See (9.1). If you don't like the MES or can't get it to work satisfactorily, try the Radius Power Saver. See (9.2). You don't need a native screensaver, since a screensaver doesn't eat up a lot of CPU time anyway. However, in the interests of PowerMac users who worry needlessly about these things, and want to say 'Look! My Mac does nothing - **really** quickly!': Avoid AD 2.x, as this patches a lot of native QuickDraw traps with 68K code, causing varying amounts of slowdown. Use DS instead, as it doesn't patch these traps. See (10.1). AD 3.0 doesn't have this problem, and even includes a native PowerMac-only rendered graphics module called Vista. Since AD 3.0 includes Ecologic, a substitute for Apple's Energy Savers with a nicer interface but much the same code, you can buy it with a clear conscience if you so wish, but do read about its conflicts and problems first. See (10.3.3). There are 'fat' modules for DS already available. info-mac/gui/ad/charlies-faders-ds.hqx Tom Dowdy has said that the forthcoming DS 5.0 will be fully fat, making modules like WaveTank far smoother. A number of AD-compatible screensavers supporting AD 3.0's new fat format are under development, although fat and native shareware modules are still very rare. Many old shareware modules are unlikely to ever be recompiled as fat, and would not benefit visibly even if they were. for my desktop Mac? (6.2) ------------------------- If the Mac has an internal colour CRT, you want the Screen control panel, which came with your system software. See (8.3). Otherwise, the MES or similar. If you're running 7.0.1 or earlier, or your old Mac cannot switch video sync lines, a simple screen blanker will do; there are several good ones to choose from. See (9.0). for my portable Mac? (6.3) -------------------------- If you own a Mac with an LCD display you are unlikely to need a conventional screensaver. You already have sleep mode. The LCD is not a phosphor display, and cannot suffer from phosphor burn. 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. There's a basic no-frills one from an Apple staffer: ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/ Utilities/Backlight Control 1.0.hqx Some 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 unneeded) 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. PowerBooks with external video ports can't use the MES, but they can use the PowerBook Display panel in an attempt to accomplish the same thing. Whether you want to is another question entirely. See (8.4). In Powerbook SCSI disk mode the backlight stays on, even though you're only using the PB as an external hard disk. The backlight is at its default level; this is a hardware design fault, and you're stuck with it. At least the screen is showing you the disk's SCSI ID, which is useful to know (avoid 0 and 7, as the other Mac is very likely to be using them). Apple recommends that the PowerBook not be used in the closed position in SCSI disk mode, as the backlight can cause overheating. Again, good hardware design would turn the backlight off when the case is closed. for my Newton? (6.4) -------------------- Do you find the thought of a Newton running a screensaver silly? A waste of battery power, when it could go to sleep instead? Yes? Good. Bear that in mind when asking what your PowerBook should use. but I'm running A/UX! (6.5) --------------------------- The MES doesn't work under A/UX, as different video drivers are present. You will want to use something to cover the login screen. So far Moire has been reported as the only screensaver doing this without complex installation. DS and other startup applications will never do this. Read through comp.unix.aux and see its FAQ for more information on these and other A/UX issues. for the lab network I maintain? (6.6) ------------------------------------- Labs can use screensavers to indicate which Macs are not in use at the moment. First, look at the MES and the Radius Power Saver, and see if one of them will benefit your setup. Educating your users about the MES and its waking habits will take some doing - they tend to wonder why the Mac is beeping and the screen is dead, and thump the reset button. I suggest putting up posters explaining this, just as you have put up posters that explain soft-power, shutting down, saving your work, ejecting disks, and a host of other things they just can't seem to figure out by themselves. DS, AD and the like are unsuitable for your needs, as they are far too configurable, distracting, noisy, and password features allow the possibility of locking up machines. You also want to prevent users from adding buggy modules which hang the Macs. If the MES isn't suitable, look at the standalone screensavers in: info-mac/gui/ Evaluate them all and choose a suitable one - the authors are open to customisation work (e.g. messages) for individual requirements and are happy to negotiate site licences to quiet your conscience. What is Energy Star, anyway? (7.0) ================================== The US Energy Star programme from the Environmental Protection Agency is leading to the demise of the screensaver as unused monitors power themselves down. It aims to avoid building another twelve coal-fired stations in the US by 2000 just to supply energy to unused computers, and is gradually introducing pressure for low-power computers that turn unused parts off. Apart from turning off unused monitors automatically, ES specifies that all computers should use less than 30W when powersaving; this may be tightened in due course, and guidelines for fully turning off unused systems may be enforced. ES for monitors is also known as VESA-DPMS (Video Electronics Standards Association Display Power Management System, an acronym designed by a committee). Some manufacturers market this under their own names - for example, BSI call their implementation in AD 3.0, which includes CPU shutdown and wild estimations of the money you've saved on your electricity bill, 'Ecologic', not to be confused with a brand of Hoover washing machines. Running a screensaver, other than an Energy Star (ES) saver on an ES-compliant monitor and video output, 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 around 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, and doesn't do as good a job of saving your screen as a simple screen blanker. ES works by disabling the signals on the separate horizontal and vertical sync lines, on video outputs that are capable of switching this. An ES-compliant monitor detects this, and enters one of a series of low-power modes, depending on the sync signals: POWER MODE H SYNC V SYNC RECOVERY TIME POWER SAVINGS Active (on) on on - 0% Standby off on rapid 10-30% Suspend on off slow 80-90% Off off off slow 85-98% This is **signalling**. The computer says 'I have been idle long enough; monitor, go to sleep' and the monitor listens and obeys if it can. This has nothing to do with switching power, and you do not have to route the power for the monitor through a switched outlet on the back of the computer to get ES to work. This is a common fallacy. At the moment, the only ES requirement is for computers to implement support for Off, and for monitors to support Standby and Off. This may change in future. Blanking the screen in software is similar to Standby mode, anyway, and avoids problems with multisync monitors that don't support Standby trying to sync to a signal that isn't there, so running a software screen blanker in parallel with your ES saver is a good idea. A non-ES monitor has nothing to sync to, so it loses the picture, and goes black. 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. All new monitors should be ES-compliant - it should be stated on the packaging and on the back of the monitor. How can I implement Energy Star on my computer? (7.1) ----------------------------------------------------- Ideally, you shouldn't have to; ES only applies to new equipment, and as the manufacturers are producing ES-compliant equipment, you just plug and play, right? Ah, no. There are variations in the implementations of the standard, which cause problems to be worked around. The hardware is often ES-compliant, but the manufacturers (Apple being a prime culprit) neglect to give you the software to enable this, so you need to find and install the software yourself. And retrofitting power saving to older computers to save users money holds little profit for the manufacturers, meaning you get to do it yourself. Hence one of the reasons for this FAQ. by turning off the monitor (7.2) -------------------------------- Newer Macs (the LCIII and 4xx, the PowerMac, Quadra, Centris, and all their Performa equivalents) have internal video capable of switching off the sync lines, and capable of implementing DPMS with an ES-compliant monitor. However, they don't include the software to switch the lines for you, so you need to get it yourself. Apple has produced its own Monitor Energy Saver. MES 1.1 is now available online. See (9.1). However, the MES has problems. It doesn't always work; some would call it broken. It's not part of System 7.5 as a result. One freely available alternative is the Radius Power Saver. See (9.2). One of these should work for you. (NEC also produce similar software, not seen. More information welcome.) With one of these ES savers, you shouldn't need another screensaver. However, the ES savers don't implement support for the SAVR gestalt used by After Dark and compatibles, so applications don't know that the monitor has gone to sleep and continue to waste time drawing stuff to the screen, instead of simply refreshing the screen while the monitor wakes. Other screensavers can't detect an ES saver as yet, and will run even though they cannot be seen - although they can, somewhat disconcertingly, be heard. This is silly, and a 'stop animating and blank the screen when the MES comes on after x minutes' option is something the writers ought to add. After Dark 3.0 is the exception here, as it already does this by including its own ES saver, licenced from the MES code. Since the ES savers implement full power off after fifteen or so minutes, and you don't want to be switching your monitor on and off more often than that, running a software screen blanker (that supports the After Dark gestalt) in parallel with the ES saver to give the equivalent of standby mode would appear to be a good idea. [I use DarkSide on its internal 'Blank Screen' option, which allows me a password, quitting to save memory, and running all those AD modules I have to test, too. Since 'Blank Screen' is internal to DS, there's never any disk activity on sleep.] by turning off the computer (7.3) --------------------------------- This is where soft-power Macs have their day. Apple's CPU Energy Saver and Auto Power On/Off control panels do this - see (8.1) and (8.2) - but not particularly well. Apple is now bundling Connectix Desktop Utilities 1.0.4a with high-end Macs. [MacWeek_26/09/94, News: Apple to distribute Connectix Mode32] CDU does the job rather better, as you get a far better interface which works on more Macs. CDU can reload all documents on startup to put you back where you were, allowing the entire computer system to be switched off when you're not using it. [TidBITS 230_13-Jun-94 MailBITS] by spinning down the hard disk (7.4) ------------------------------------ Although the ES specification isn't yet tight enough to include this as standard, 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. Sleeper by Jon Gotow adds this facility, as well as including a gestalt-capable screen dimmer. info-mac/gui/sleeper-102.hqx 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 - and if you have to wait for an ES monitor to come back to life, the spin-up delay is less noticeable. Set a spin-down time of not less than half-an-hour. With AutoDoubler 2.0 and later, setting 999 minutes and using the 'compress corner' on leaving your Mac will help to prevent intermittent disk activity. What do these Apple system control panels do? (8.0) =================================================== Apple supplies a number of bits of system software related to screensaving, but neglects to tell you what they do and what they don't do. This section is here to remedy that. CPU Energy Saver (8.1) ---------------------- Latest known version: 1.0.6 (System 7.5 custom install, first appeared with high-end PowerMacs) ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/ Supplemental System Software/CPU Energy Saver (1.0.6).hqx A control panel that switches off your Mac at set times or after being idle for up to twelve hours. Requires a soft-power Mac. Hobbled to only work on Quadras and PowerMacs due to incomplete testing by Apple - to use it on your soft-power Mac II, open it with ResEdit and delete the 'mach' resource. Has a lousy interface and features overlap with the Auto Power control panel. Badly programmed, too - there's a hideous amount of System 6 glue code in there, which is odd considering how it refuses to work under System 6. Auto Power On/Off (8.2) ----------------------- Latest known version: 1.0 (System 7.5 Custom Install, first appeared with Quadra 840av) Requires one of the very few soft-power Macs that support setting a time to turn the Mac on. Although this feature was standard on the Lisa, the feature wasn't implemented on soft-power Macs until Auto Power appeared for the Quadra 840av and later machines, although the IIsi, IIvx and Quadra 900 and 950 have been confirmed as having the necessary hardware support. Owners of the IIci and earlier soft-power Macs are definitely out of luck. Very badly programmed, breaking Apple's own programming guidelines. Conflicts with 'Network Time' as a result. Has a lousy interface with features overlapping with the CPU Energy Saver. Screen (8.3) ------------ Latest known version: 1.0.4 (Software Update 3.0, System 7.5) This predates the MES, and does exactly the same thing with exactly the same interface, but only works on Macs with an internal colour CRT, such as the Color Classics and the LC5xx family, which follow Energy Star recommendations. (Why wasn't the MES code simply added to Screen so that one control panel did the same thing consistently on all Macs? Why isn't all of this in 'Options' in the Monitors control panel, anyway? Good questions. Go ask Apple.) You don't need another screensaver, but installing a screen blanker in parallel with Screen for more time flexibility and gestalt support is a good idea. If you use an LC575, early versions of Screen use the same PRAM location as other software, so the mac defaults to 45 minutes to sleep. Fix this by using the Screen 1.0.4 control panel, installed by the System Update 3.0 package on all of the Apple sites. This package is a disk image - see (15.2). gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/ Apple.Software.Updates/System Software/System.Update.v3.0/ 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, make an alias of it and use that. PowerBook Display (8.4) ----------------------- Latest known version: 1.1 (Software Update 3.0) PowerBooks with external video out are DPMS-capable, but can't use the MES software, for reasons known only to Apple. Instead, PowerBooks have MES code embedded in the PowerBook Display panel. It's not much of an interface; it may not sleep or may sleep even when you don't want it to. Conventional wisdom says trash PowerBook Display, because it's not worth the bother; Connectix PowerBook Utilities is often named as a useable alternative. Sensible functional savers (9.0) ================================ The savers listed in this section are all you really need. Monitor Energy Saver (9.1) -------------------------- Latest known version: 1.1 (free) Apple's own ES saver. Requires System 7.1; may require an updated enabler or 7.5 to work properly. The MES 1.1 includes fixes to the activity-sensing INIT code in 1.0. ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/ Display & Display Card Software/Monitor Energy Saver (1.1).hqx It's in the Apple support forums on the commercial online services. Or ask your Apple dealer for it. Why isn't it system software? (9.1.1) Speculation suggests that the MES was produced solely in order meet ES requirements to secure renewal of Apple's US government contract (Apple's hardware was ES-capable for two years before the enabling software turned up), and that Apple has no intention of being unpopular and destroying the screensaver market by actively promoting it and making it widely available. All indications are that Apple is shooting itself in the foot very effectively here. Or it could be that Apple is anticipating the death of the CRT as portable sales blossom. Or it could be that they have no intention of having their lines tied up with tech-support calls for it as users get another piece of confusing system software to play with. How can I make it work? (9.1.2) You need System 7.1 or later. You need a newish Mac. The LCIII and 4xx, the PowerMac, Quadra, Centris, and all their Performa equivalents have internal video capable of switching off the sync lines, which is required by ES. A non-Apple video card may require its own ES software. Radius cards need the Radius Power Saver, for example. How can I make it sleep properly? (9.1.3) If the MES is not making the monitor sleep properly on a PowerMac, check the version of your PowerMac system enabler. 1.0.2, which is later than the 1.0.1 supplied as part of System Update 3.0, includes fixes that should make the MES drop both sync lines, instead of just the one. gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/Apple.Software.Updates/ System.Enablers/PowerPC 1.0.2.enabler/ ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/ Supplemental System Software/System Enablers/PowerPC Enabler (1.0.2).hqx I've been receiving reports that the MES only dropping one sync line is not confined to PowerMacs - the monitor doesn't support the ES mode produced, and spends its time trying to sync to a non-existent signal instead of sleeping. Upgrading to 7.5 may fix this; some success has been reported with trashing the MES and using the Radius Power Saver instead. See (9.2). If you don't have success, talk to the makers of your monitor. Find out why you're having trouble - is the monitor to blame (unlikely, but possible) or the MES? (far too likely indeed) Ask them for software that will do the same job as the MES. How can I shut off that BEEP BEEP BEEP? (9.1.4) Annoying, isn't it? Ideal for the busy shared office. And the beeps are three times longer than the maximum monitor wake I've come across - what **was** Apple thinking of, when it stopped you from doing anything until the beeps finished? Beep Saver will fix that. Just drop it into your system folder and restart. info-mac/cfg/beep-saver-11.hqx Or just use the Radius Power Saver instead, as it doesn't beep. See (9.2). Alternatively, if you're familiar with ResEdit, select the contents of the snd -440 resource inside the MES, and cut it out, making the size zero. Just deleting the sound doesn't work, as the MES then uses your system beep. How can I set sensible sleep times? (9.1.5) Fifteen-minute pauses are pretty sensible as minimum intervals between powering your monitor on and off, and I wouldn't want to be switching it any more often. It would be bad for monitor life. Run a screen blanker in parallel with the MES, set to the three or so minutes you desire. Think of it as roughly equivalent to the standby mode that the MES doesn't bother to implement. Radius Power Saver (9.2) ------------------------ Latest known version: 1.2.1 (free) This is a desirable ES saver lacking a number of the problems that are associated with the MES, making it a worthwhile alternative. It's not just for Radius monitors - remember that DPMS is a standard, that Radius monitors can be hooked to your Mac's internal video, and that there's no way your Mac knows what make your monitor is. So, Power Saver handles internal video and Radius cards, making it a superset of the MES functionality. And it happily blanks the screen on older Macs, although it does not appear to be SAVR-gestalt aware. More useful than the MES for a mixed-Mac environment trying to standardise on installed software. If you're unhappy with the MES, grab a copy and try this out. ftp://ftp.radius.com/pub/radius/software/mac/PowerSaver/ Note the following, though: On PowerMacs the Power Saver will need enabler 1.0.2 to work, just as the MES does. You can't run the Power Saver and the MES together, even with the MES turned off. You'll have to remove the MES and shutdown before using the Power Saver. That button in the Power Saver indicates the current state. Pressing a button marked 'Off' to turn something on is not ideal, and is right up there with using 'Put Away' instead of 'Eject Disk' to eject disks properly and putting the power button under the disk drive on the 610 box. Sleeper (9.3) ------------- Latest known version: 1.0.2 (shareware) info-mac/gui/sleeper-102.hqx Combines a SAVR-gestalt aware screen dimmer with the ability to spin down your desktop Mac's hard disk, saving more energy and quieting your Mac. Requires System 6.0.7 or later; includes a useful hot-key feature. The easiest way to spin your desktop Mac's hard disk down to save energy. See (7.4). Basic Black (9.4) ----------------- Latest known version: 1.4.1 (free) info-mac/gui/basic-black-141.hqx A screen blanker, with a number of options, that supports the AD SAVR gestalt. Well-supported, with a loyal user base and a proven history. Localised French version: mac-umich/util/screensaver/basicblack1.41fr.cpt.hqx Twilight (9.5) -------------- Latest known version: 7.2.1 info-mac/gui/twilight-721.hqx A simple screen dimmer, notable for including software to allow the Brightness control software to function on any colour Mac. Connectix Desktop Utilities (9.6) --------------------------------- Latest known version: 1.0.4a (commercial, not seen) This is a commercial package, but rates a mention here because, as noted in (7.3), Apple is bundling it with high-end Macs as it's rather more ES-compliant and has a better design than Apple's own efforts. The same can also be said when comparing Connectix PowerBook Utilities to Apple's PowerBook Display. In fact, all Connectix products appear better-engineered than the Apple equivalents, for once bearing out the maxim "you get what you pay for". Minutes of pointless fun (10.0) =============================== There are a lot of animated entertaining screensaver packages out there. Most are AD-compatible. AD is the most popular, is well- established (it has been around since 1989), has the most support from other programmers in the form of different screensaver modules, and AD-compatible screensavers and modules have become another branch of the California entertainment industry, commercialized, with movie tie-ins galore. This is all completely unnecessary for your computer, you know. Still, there's no accounting for taste. If you simply want to play the many shareware/freeware AD modules available from ftp sites, download the freeware DS and TZ, below. As there are a few hundred modules out there, working your way through those will take some time. Any AD-compatible screensaver package you buy will play those shareware/freeware modules, so look at the modules supplied with the package and any additional features when weighing them up. Note that AD, UnderWare, Opus N Bill 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 UnderWare, or Opus N Bill, or one of the other commercial packages) or the modules supplied with it, you must buy that package. You'll find that many package modules only work with the player supplied with the package, limiting your choice. UnderWare can't play Disney modules, and vice versa. I haven't seen all of the packages detailed below; I may not have heard of some packages. Do not consider this list to be complete. Everyone and his grandmother appears to have written an AD-compatible screensaver, and I can't keep track. Corrections and additions 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, since I haven't seen all of them. DarkSide of the Mac (10.1) -------------------------- Latest known version: 4.2 (free) A complete screensaver package that comes with many of its own fader modules, but also plays the AD 2.x standard modules. Localised for many foreign languages, too. A must-have bargain. Upgrade by downloading the latest package. There are no separate updaters. mac-umich/util/screensaver/darkside/darkside4.2.sit.hqx Since it's written by Tom Dowdy , an Apple staffer who worked on QuickDraw GX, new DS releases always appear on the Apple developer site first. For example, DS 4.2 first appeared as ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/hacks/darkside-of-the-mac-4-2.hqx Some of the forty-odd supplied DS-only modules, such as 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, but with fewer cute frills. Includes very basic passwording and a Randomizer function. It's a startup application that only patches one trap when it needs to, so you can quit if you require that last 64K of memory. Uses less memory than AD 2.x does to play AD modules (64K plus module, against AD's 140K or so plus module), and DS takes up less disk space and less CPU time. I'm told that some AD modules are incompatible with accelerators like Rockets when run under AD, and that you're better off running them under DS instead. DS's manual is in MacWrite Pro format. There are as yet no ftpable Claris translators for MacWrite Pro. If you do not own MacWrite Pro and wish to read the DS documentation, which includes some programming information, either: 1. Register DarkSide, which gets you a printed copy of the manual. [Registering also lets you stay ahead of the crowd - 4.2 was finished in April 94, but not released for ftp until August.] 2. Download the MacWrite Pro demo, which will let you view it. ftp://ftp.claris.com/pub/2.Trial_Software/Macintosh/MacWritePro.sea.hqx 3. Buy DataViz Translators 7.5, which can read MacWrite Pro files. 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... 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. WaveTank, a new fader as of DS 4.2, is a very demanding fader that can crash DS. Try giving DS more memory, or avoid running WaveTank. If DS wakes up unexpectedly, you have the Unfade sound level, a new feature as of 4.2, set too low. Note that DS can hear itself, so that making a noise can make it wake itself up. DarkSide's password dialog can crash as a result of extension conflicts. If you use Greg's Buttons, a popular shareware 3D buttons and interface adjuster, upgrade to Greg's Buttons 3.2 or later. info-mac/gui/gregs-buttons-351.hqx Another culprit is Okey Dokey 1.0.1, which presses default buttons in dialogs for you after a while. Try turning off Okey Dokey's countdown timer. Okey Dokey Pro 2.0 is nearing release as I write, and fixes this. Look for it. info-mac/gui/ (when it's released) If DS 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. Update DS. DS's Spectrum module, like other sampling software, is incompatible with Global Village's Teleport menu. If you don't already have a screensaver, want to write screensaver modules, or are interested in using the wide range of free- and shareware AD modules, this is **the** screensaver to get. The price is unbeatable. Twilight Zone (10.2) -------------------- TZ was an entry for MacHack 1993 by Steve Falkenburg or Bollinger - I've seen attributions to both. Like many MacHacks, it's never been revised or polished. (freeware) mac-umich/util/screensaver/afterdark/twilightzone.sit.hqx 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, but, as an example, I had Fractals, Mathos and Spinning Bow Tie running at the same time, faster than they do when screensaving. [Tip: In order to run BSI modules, the TZ documentation suggests you copy the 'ADex' resource from the AD control panel into TZ, using ResEdit. I have found that best results are obtained using the 'ADex' resource from AD 2.0*v*, rather than a later version which has changes that TZ does not know about, and which causes crashes as a result. I do not recommend doing this, as you may infringe copyright. I've had no problem running most BSI 2.0x and third-party modules under TZ plus the 2.0v 'ADex' resource.] TZ is a bit of a hack, and could do with updating - anyone want to use the source code (included) or know where to email feedback? If you like the while-you-work ability of Twilight Zone, but find it unreliable, take a good look at UnderWare. The After Dark family (10.3) ---------------------------- by BSI. Technical-support questions to . ftp support from ftp.berksys.com. (commercial) The king of Mac screensavers - AD defined the standard for modules and is extremely popular, to the extent that every other fun screensaver in existence has to be AD-compatible. After Dark 1.x (10.3.1) This screensaver is dead. It is no more. It has ceased to be. It won't work with anything as new as system software barely remembered by some as being obsolete. Either see what BSI will give you if you upgrade to AD 3.0, or, if you're running System 7 (which you can download from ftp.support.apple.com), upgrade to DS. See (10.1). After Dark 2.x (10.3.2) This is the de-facto standard 'modular' screensaver. You should be running 2.0x or later, which requires System 6.0.4 or later. The 2.0x updater v1.02 has been available online since February 1993: info/mac/gui/ad/after-dark-20x-updt-102.hqx Every so often, someone inside BSI mumbles something about releasing a 'final' 2.0z updater, now that 3.0 is out, but I haven't seen it yet. Older versions need updating to stay compatible with system software. However, if you insist on using ancient system software, AD 2.0w works all the way back to System 4.2, but needs System 6.0.3 for sound. Email and ask them for the 2.0w updater. If you're running an earlier version of 2.0, new 2.0x features include a new control panel icon, clearing the password (the first release of the updater scrambled it), more 'When' options, muting sound via the control key, recognizing System 7 aliases, and playing Star Trek (the 60s series package) modules. The 2.0x update includes fixes and improvements to almost every module. Fixes to note: Slide Show (now 2.1) now works with QT JPEGs without crashing. Allows longer Randomizer times, but only with v1.0.2 of the updater updating a non-2.0x Randomizer. Only the 1.02 updater gives you Fish! 2.01. Now AD 2.0x and later finally support aliasing the modules folder under System 7, so you can keep an alias of the folder in the System folder, and the modules folder outside - ideal for those running AutoDoubler. Both the alias in the System folder and the folder itself must be named 'After Dark Files'. Note that the 2.0x updater gets confused by the alias - put the updater in the After Dark Files folder and put the folder back in the System Folder if you need to run the updater on a module. After updating you can move the modules folder out and put the alias back again. AD 2.x reserves as much memory as the current module says it needs at next startup to ensure that it will run okay, and this memory is not reclaimable. So, if you pick a large module then restart, all your memory vanishes. This has given AD 2.x a reputation for eating memory. AD 3.0 uses memory differently, and doesn't have this problem; neither does DS. Why can't it sleep over 'You may now switch off...'? (10.3.2.1) Because your AD, ST, Disney or Marvel saver only sleeps here on Macs it knows it can sleep on, and your model of Mac is newer than your version of After Dark. If you're already running 2.0x or later and this really bothers you, email for a fix. Oh, and kick yourself for not buying a 'real' soft-power Mac. BSI tells me that AD 3.0 checks for the existence of soft power support, instead of attempting to maintain a feature list for every Mac model in existence, as their programmers switched to using gestalts when they rewrote the engine. Why can't it sleep on my networked Mac? (10.3.2.2) If you have two or more servers open and AD, ST or Disney won't sleep, it's because SysIQ is being too sensitive to network activity. Email for a fix. Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.2.3) 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. 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. The 2.0x updater clears the password on updating the control panel. AD Read 1.0a is an application that will tell you what your AD password is by looking inside the AD control panel. I haven't seen this. BSI have asked that ftpable copies of this be deleted, and have changed the password system for AD 3.0. Or, if you have an 'extensions manager' installed, use that to disable AD instead. I suggest Extensions Manager 2.01: gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/Apple.Software.Updates/ Unsupported SW/Extensions.Manager.2.0.1/ ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/Utilities/ Extensions Manager 2.0.1.hqx [A cut-down version of Extensions Manager, including a cut-down version of Find Pro III, is included in System 7.5.] Randomizer crashes my Mac! (10.3.2.4) Third-party modules that crash Randomizer are discussed in detail in (12.2.1). Note that the Randomizer 2.3 supplied as part of AD 2.0x may crash your Quadra av. [If your Randomizer is earlier than this, you need to run the 2.0x updater. See (10.3.2).] You need to update Randomizer. To obtain the latest version of Randomizer, version 2.32 or later, email BSI at , and ask them to email you a binhexed copy of the latest Randomizer. In your email, tell them the problem you are having (that you have Disney, or a Quadra av, or both) and tell them that you saw it here first. After Dark 3.0 (10.3.3) Version 3.0b, later revisions possible. (Commercial, not seen). The long-awaited rewrite of AD 2.x, unique for being ES-compliant. Plays modules on sleep for x minutes, then the Ecologic DPMS system cuts in and powers the monitor down. Can turn off your Mac after x minutes being idle, too. So, it aims to replace Apple's CPU Energy Saver and Monitor Energy Saver (albeit with licenced MES code) and to be the only screensaver you ever need. If you've upgraded from an old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to 3.0, you will need to run the 2.0x updater to update old modules. See (10.3.2). Where can I get help with After Dark 3.0? (10.3.3.1) Unfortunately, AD 3.0 has incompatibility problems with other software. BSI has released a list of known and suspected conflicts, with causes and workarounds. info-mac/info/sft/after-dark-30-bugs.txt They've also promised an updater to registered users. To register, send email to , including your After Dark serial number, and your full name, address, and daytime phone number. Questions can be directed to BSI's technical support team at . [TidBITS_245 26-Sep-94 After Dark 3.0 Problems] Since that conflicts list was released, BSI has released 3.0b, which fixes a number of the problems (3.0a was an international installer fix only), so you should be using 3.0b or later. Quick tips (10.3.3.2) Check the After Dark Online Manual included on your installer disks for other hints and conflict information. You could try trashing the Module Settings, Preferences and Visual Client files in the After Dark Preferences folder in the Preferences folder of your System folder, if you have a problem not mentioned in the conflicts list. AD 3.0 will rebuild those files. Don't open AD 3.0 or 3.0a with ResEdit, as they contain resources with duplicate IDs. This confuses ResEdit, and can wipe out the control panel. This is fixed in 3.0b. Don't run the old 2.x Randomizer and MultiModule modules under 3.0. Fish! 3.0 can't import Fish! 2.x third-party fish. That's a good reason to keep Fish! 2.01 from AD 2.0x around. Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.3.3) 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. Open the After Dark Preferences folder in the Preferences folder of your System folder. Throw the Preferences file in the Trash. Restart. Star Trek: The Screensaver (10.3.4) Version 2.0x/ST or later. No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to ST. See (10.3.2). Why are my Star Trek modules out of memory? (10.3.4.1) 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. (Why does 'Ion Storm' need those resources? Good question.) So you're just seeing a very poor error message. The Star Trek package installs everything correctly, so this really shouldn't be a problem. How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.4.2) Open ResEdit's Preferences (using ResEdit), and create two RMAP resources named 'PiCT' and 'SiCT'. Open them, and set MapTo to PICT. Save changes to Preferences. The Disney Collection (10.3.5) Version 2.0y or later. No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to Disney. See (10.3.2). Why are my Disney modules out of memory? (10.3.5.1) If you're using 16- or 24-bit colour mode, reduce the screen depth. Try lowering the number of characters appearing in that module. At least, I'm told that that's what the card BSI puts in the box says - and, as I haven't seen Disney, that's all I can suggest. I'm told Little Mermaid and Sorcerer require the most memory, needing 2.5Mb to run and an extra 1Mb for the music, so these are the most likely to say this. If all the modules say they are out of memory, the problem might be far simpler - the reason detailed in (10.3.4.1). If the only module that refuses to run is Donald Paints, you have an early version of Disney. Email BSI for an upgrade. Why does my sound level get reset? (10.3.5.2) Randomizer 2.31, supplied as part of the Disney package, alters the Mac's volume setting to match its own, as the result of a minor incompatibility with Sound Manager 3.0, which is now standard system software. Upgrade to 2.32 or later. To obtain the latest version of Randomizer, version 2.32 or later, email BSI at , and ask them to email you a binhexed copy of the latest Randomizer. In your email, tell them the problem you are having (that you have Disney, or a Quadra av, or both) and tell them that you saw it here first. Why does my IIvx/IIvi/Performa 600 crash? (10.3.5.3) You've got an early production Mac with old ROMs containing buggy sound routines. To prevent the crashes, turn off the music and mute the sound. To have sound without crashing, you need to install Sound Manager 3.0, which is rolled into System 7.5 and supplied with the System Update 3.0 package. You will need to do a custom install to install the Sound Manager 3.0. Then do an easy install to get the other fixes that your Mac needs. You now need the latest Randomizer, to fix a minor incompatibility with the Sound Manager 3.0 that you installed to prevent the major incompatibility with your Mac's early ROM. See (10.3.5.2). How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.5.4) In the same way you get to see Star Trek's pictures. See (10.3.4.2). Marvel Screen Posters (10.3.6) Version 2.0y+ or later. No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to Marvel. See (10.3.2). Star Trek Screen Posters (10.3.7) Version 2.0z or later. No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to Marvel. See (10.3.2). The Simpsons (10.3.8) Uses the AD 3.0 engine. See (10.3.3) for a discussion of problems. X-Men (10.3.9) Uses the AD 3.0 engine. See (10.3.3) for a discussion of problems. Star Trek: The Next Generation (10.3.10) Uses the AD 3.0 engine. See (10.3.3) for a discussion of problems. The UnderWare family (10.4) --------------------------- by Bit Jugglers. (commercial) The only screensavers to run on the desktop while you work - quite an impressive feat. Contact techsupport at . UnderWare (10.4.1) Latest known version: 1.0.1 (commercial) An updater to upgrade UW from 1.0 to 1.0.1 is available as: info-mac/gui/underware-10-101-updt.hqx ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/juggler/underware_updter_1.0.1.hqx (Set binary transfer mode to download the smaller .bin package.) As I first saw UW 1.01, I haven't tested this updater. See the included readme for instructions and details of new features and bugfixes. Ostensibly a screensaver, but its main selling point is an animated desktop that interacts with your icons and windows. See TidBITS_192 for a preview. I'm impressed by the evaluation copy of UW 1.01 that BJ sent me to try out. The 26 supplied desktop animation modules are very well done. The ability to have AD modules running instead of a still desktop pattern is still unique (although AD 3.0's Bad Dog module attempts to emulate this effect), and makes this package stand out. You can have a different module as a screensaver, and the supplied animations can do different things when screensaving. A desktop pattern utility and patterns, on a par with Desktop Textures [see entry for Wallpaper under (7.2)] is also included. UW can also give you a full-screen backdrop, a la Decor and other utilities. While-you-work animation leads to fairly high system requirements. A 68020 or better Mac running System 7 or better is essential. BJ say a 4Mb Mac is required - I'd say 8Mb if you want full-screen animations, and far more if you want them on a large/deep monitor. My IIsi can lose a megabyte to UW with a 640x480 8-bit full-screen display. Desktop animations need far more memory than screensavers do. In my opinion, the effect is worth it - but only if you have a 640x480 monitor. UW fares badly on bigger screens, as it doesn't understand on-the-fly-resolution switching or multiple screens, introduced with Apple's new Display Software. Parts of UnderWare assume that monitor sizes and positions are fixed on startup, even though UW's 'Options...' boxes show updated on-the-fly monitor positions, so it's quite possible to get UW to draw in the corner of a large screen or on no visible screen at all. This is rumoured to be fixed in the next release. If you're buying a new Mac, you should get a multisync monitor to make the most from the Mac's video capabilities - see (4.1). The Display Software is extremely useful - avoid frustration by avoiding using UW 1.0.1 with it. Minor caveats: AD About boxes aren't shown. There is no continuously-visible notification of alerts during screensaves. No visible indication of typed password. No included programming information, so we can't write our own desktop animations - although Kid's World makes customised animations possible, they're not standalone. No balloon help, even though UW requires System 7. No random selection for the desktop patterns or for the desktop animation or screensaver modes - again rumoured to be fixed in the next release. Compatibility: UW is incompatible with CopyDoubler and CopyDoubler Lite 2.0.2 and earlier in 24-bit addressing mode. Upgrade CopyDoubler: info-mac/cmp/disk-doubler-pro-11-updt.hqx Connectix Powerbook Utilities (CPU) 2.0 is incompatible with UW. Upgrade to 2.0.1 or later - CPU has reached 2.04. Hints and tips: Version 1.01 supports aliases - I suggest that you move the 'UnderWareTM files' folder out of the Preferences folder, and put an alias, named the same, there instead. That way AutoDoubler can transparently compress it. I suggest dropping this folder in the 'After Dark files' folder, which is where UW expects to find AD modules. You'll need an alias of 'After Dark files' in the System folder too. WindowShade, included with System 7.5, will make it easy to see UW. info-mac/gui/window-shade-12.hqx Download DS to see the About boxes that UW won't show you and to give decent notification when screensaving. Kids World (10.4.2) Latest known version: 1.0.1 (commercial) Aimed (surprise!) at children, you get seven 'scenarios' (the Wild West, dinosaurs, farms, camping, space, backyard and haunted) that you can populate with animated figures and set running to watch the figures interact. A primitive drawing package is included for drawing and modifying the backgrounds, but there are no sprite-editing routines. The result is that a four-year old can produce something impressive, but the temptation to slam every sprite down for maximum effect and minimum product longevity is hard to resist. Comes with three example modules showing what is possible; modules can be saved in UW format for use with the supplied UW control panel, or in AD format, but you'll still need to own Kids World and its 'Shared Resources' folder to run them - Bit Jugglers have taken a leaf from BSI's book there. This isn't a full UW programming kit. Created modules fill a 640x480 screen, and don't scale up on larger monitors; the editing area lives in the top left of big screens. Being kid-friendly means it has large controls and is difficult to switch out of; perspective effects are handled automatically, making any efforts look good. It kept several twentysomething year-olds busy for over four hours. Interactive entertainment. The Intermission family (10.5) ------------------------------ Rather a chequered history here. Intermission (10.5.1) Latest version 1.0 (commercial) Delrina bought the rights to Intermission from Viacom New Media 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 modules Mac users have come to expect - 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. Download DS to see the animated About boxes that Intermission can't show you. Opus N Bill (10.5.2) Latest version ? (commercial, not seen) 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 lawsuits it sparked off - see (14.1). I know nothing further, since I haven't seen Opus N Bill. Comedy Central CD-ROMs (10.6) ----------------------------- by Time Warner Interactive (commercial). Email Dating and Mating; It's all Relative (and Sports Shorts, not seen) Each contains fifty QT movie clips of various American standup comedians, talking for a few minutes on the subject matter (Each CD is about half-full). Comes with a standalone application that allows you to select clips, with neat backgrounds, and with an AD-compatible screensaver module that lets you play clips from the CD-ROM as a screensaver. 256 colours only; the American humour didn't travel that well across the Atlantic, and the clips soon palled. I suspect a video of your favourite comedian would be better value for money than excerpts from stand-up shows that lose the atmosphere of the show and feel disjointed. NowFun! (10.7) -------------- by Now Software Latest version: 1.0.1 (commercial, not seen) An updater to take NowFun! to 1.0.1 is available on: info-mac/gui/now-fun-10-to-101-updt.hqx I don't know what it fixes - I haven't seen NowFun! Techsupport can be reached at or . ScreenSavor (10.8) ------------------ by MIFP Development. Latest known version 3.01 (commercial) Details/support from or . 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 - this module is unreliable under DS, judging from the evaluation copy of 3.0 MIFP sent me to try out, but works under UnderWare. 22 sets of professional-quality digital photographic images (e.g landscapes, kittens, the planets, aircraft, golf courses) are also available - you might think of ScreenSavor as a novel way for a good photographer to sell his efforts. Does fades, zooms, and many other effects. Shows QT JPEGs and PICTs as well as its own proprietary format - *far* more flexible than the AD Slide Show module. QT is both required and included. A demo of the SS AD module (v1.01), with sample pictures, is available: info-mac/gui/ad/screen-savor-101-demo.hqx Snoopy (10.9) ------------- by Image Smith. Latest version ? (commercial, not seen) Includes custom icons, desktop patterns and 8 modules featuring the Peanuts characters. I'm told it's AD-compatible (Image Works licensed the BSI 2.0y engine) but that it has a buggy installer. Wallpaper Light and Dark (10.10) -------------------------------- by Thought I Could. Latest version ? (commercial, not seen) A desktop pattern utility that I'm told includes the DS engine for screensaving, along with a module that does neat things with desktop patterns. I haven't seen this package, but I would expect it to be outshone by the combination of the freeware Desktop Textures and the full DS, or by UW. In need of trashing (11.0) ========================== It's no longer supported. It hasn't seen an update in ages. Running it may decrease the reliability of your system. Trash it and get something else. Pyro! (11.1) ------------ Last version: 4.1 (commercial, 4.01 seen) This was the original 'fireworks' screensaver, predating AD. It peaked at 4.1, where it came with 35 modules. When Symantec took over ownership of Pyro! a couple of years back they did nothing with it. It's dated, and will crash your av or PowerMac. Use is not recommended. Intermission (and presumably Opus N Bill) will run Pyro! modules. DiskLock is reported as being a commercial security package that also runs Pyro! modules. Or just upgrade to DS. Moire (11.2) ------------ Last version: 4.0.1 (shareware) If you've been using Moire for years, and then move it to a new Mac, you will have to update to Moire 4.0.1: info-mac/gui/moire-401.hqx 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 could well be the problem. Update to Moire 4.0.1. Moire does not support the screensaver gestalt used by AD and compatibles, Basic Black, Sleeper, SuperClock! and many applications. As a result, it does not always hide things, such as SuperClock!, correctly. The fix? Get another screensaver. Moire is also available as an AD module which runs happily under DS. Screensaver modules (12.0) ========================== The things that are actually entertaining - the screensavers just run them. People write these things for fun; DS will play almost all the modules you can download. Where can I get modules? (12.1) ------------------------------- Shareware modules for AD and DS are being written all the time. DS modules can eventually become part of the DS distribution package; once a year, after the BSI contest results are announced, a number of AD modules that were unsuccessful entrants appear online, and the usual steady trickle becomes a sudden flood. Downloading from archives (12.1.1) New AD modules posted to macgifts will appear in: info-mac/gui/ad/ mac-umich/misc/screensaver/afterdark/ New DS modules will appear in: info-mac/gui/ umich-mac/misc/screensaver/darkside/ No-one writes Pyro! modules these days - tough - and the UW module format is, alas, not available to programmers. The screensaver site acts as a repository of modules; 'under development' modules can often be picked up here to give feedback to the authors before a general release. ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/HQX/ The book/disk packages (12.1.2) Apart from the screensavers talked about in (10.0), there are a number of module packages, some given more weight with a book. More After Dark (MAD) A commercial disk package from BSI containing a number of modules, some being contest winners, along with an updater for AD 2.x - 2.0u or later, depending on when the disk was mastered. 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 BSI, and you'll only need it if you have the problems listed below. 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, pretty well useless, and BSI's licence has expired. There isn't an updater for these modules. There were reports of incompatibilities between some MAD modules and System 7 Pro [TidBITS_197]. Some MAD modules will be revised - see the AD 3.0 conflicts list. The modules are available on the BSI AD CD-ROM, along with 3.0, the Art of Darkness and the 2.x modules, the Windows versions, audio tracks and other stuff. [MAD revision info from Jim Tso at BSI] Art of Darkness author Erfert Fenton, Peachpit Press, ISBN 1-56609-012-1. A lightweight five-minute read book from BSI, with eight rather good modules (plus the freeware Movies 'Til Dawn and a very primitive Flying Toasters called ProtoToasters). The modules are available on the BSI AD CD-ROM, along with MAD (see above). [Tip: Try Fractal Forest on Christmas Day.] Cool Mac After Dark author Ross Scott Rubin, Hayden Books, ISBN 0-672-48529-X. A third-party lightweight book, with seventeen previously- shareware modules revised for the book. Why does my fun screensaver crash? (12.2) ----------------------------------------- Are you running the latest version of your screensaver? Check the section on your screensaver and see. Is it a problem with your screensaver, or with a module your screensaver is running? Can you isolate the problem to a specific module? If the problem is with a module written by BSI, well and good, provided that the module is *not the Randomizer or MultiModule*. Email them about it, at . If you run modules under Randomizer or MultiModule, you're far more likely to have problems, as a number of third-party modules aren't well-written and can crash under the more stringent memory conditions running as a sub-module requires. This gives the screensaver an undeserved reputation for crashing in the process - analogous to buggy shareware system extensions giving Macs a reputation for being crash-prone. So a list of modules to avoid running under Randomizer or MultiModule is given below. And some modules just crash. I have a list of those, too. If you've found a crashing problem with a module not on the list, do the following: 1. Look for an updated version of the module. 2. If you can't find one, email the author, and see if there's a fix. 3. If you have no luck, let me know full details and I can document it here. The lists concern modules running under AD only - we're assuming that AD-compatibles are fully compatible, and we're not making allowances for any differences. (Although programmers often have to.) Although it's been asked for, I'm not creating a canonical list of every AD module in existence with compatibility comments. I don't have access to many of 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 BSI'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 tenth of all the 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, either I don't know about its problems or I simply haven't seen it. Modules that 'fail safe' and display error messages, as opposed to crashing, are no longer listed, due to space constraints. You're on your own troubleshooting them. When I use Randomizer or MultiModule? (12.2.1) 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 as soon as they are run - 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 Randomizer to 2.3 or later and your copy of AD to 2.0x or later. [AD 3.0 includes Randomizer and MultiModule internally - don't run the 2.x equivalents under it.] Close AD, go into screensave, and watch to see which modules crash your Mac, usually as the module starts. If you have Macsbug installed, pressing Escape when the crash has dropped you into Macsbug will show you what happened last, usually the last module to run successfully. Restart [by using control-command-power, or the interrupt switch - 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 have Have-a-Blast or Off the Air present, see (12.2.2). 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. If you're running an AD-compatible in parallel with the MES, having Randomizer on anything other than 1 module duration is wasteful. [If your Mac is crash-prone, for whatever reason, you should consider installing Macsbug to help you track the cause down. ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/tools/macsbug/ This 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 cheaper 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.] Here's that list of modules to avoid under Randomizer and MultiModule. 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 obscure MultiModule settings is left as an exercise for the reader. Barney Blaster 2.0.1 - Karl Bunker 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. A fixed version 2.0.1 is out. [TidBITS_250 MailBITS] Bat Signal 1.1a - subversive software A Spotlight-like module, but using the Bat Signal, and with the coolest animated About box yet seen. There are at least two pre-1.0 versions of this module in existence with no version numbers - one of those crashed under Randomizer. Replace with 1.1. Well worth seeing, **especially** for the About box. Bat Signal Returns is under development. Chomp! - BSI 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 BSI 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 (Previously Earthbounce 1.0). Unstable under Randomizer - seen to crash in _MakeRGBPat. The author claimed he was working on an update - a couple of years ago. Faces in the Dark 1.0 - Geoffrey Hutchison (no email address) Draws b/w face doodles. Can occasionally 'freeze' under Randomizer - command-option-escape recovers to Finder. Frect 1.0 - Adam Miller Produces 'fractal rectangles'. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit when run under Randomizer on my systems. Gates Does Windows 1.0.2 - Robert Gibson (72511.345@compuserve.com> and Mark Simmons <72511.256@compuserve.com> Bill Gates appears as a window cleaner. The graphics are 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 with ZiffNet/Mac access for it - there's a QuickTime movie of the animation, too. Worth a look if you want a Gates parody but can't find an early copy of Opus N Bill. You'll find it in the ZiffNet/Mac MacUser forum, in MacUser utilities [3], as BillDK.CPT. The QT movie is there as BILLQT.CPT. Hearts 2.1 - Josh de Cesare Large, visually impressive module where rendered hearts grow, spin and tumble around the screen. 2.0 crashed under MultiModule or Randomizer, and 2.1 fixes this. The initial release of 2.1 (Now Compress archive, module size 597K) was, among other things, too big. Second 2.1 release (Stuffit archive, module size 451K) is the one to get. The author says there's a hidden easter egg. HolisticSofa 0.94 - Alan 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 A customisable fireworks module for AD. Reported as crashing on a PowerMac 6100. Puts up 'Kablooie:' running under the Randomizer and nothing else on my systems. Adam says that the sound definitely doesn't work under Randomizer, and blames Jakub! 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. Better to use the stand-alone application (v2.0): info-mac/grf/kings-cross-coke.hqx Off The Air 1.0 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle ) 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. Shredded Crystals - BSI 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 BSI, 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 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.] Torgo - Brandon Plays MOD SoundTracks while animating a character from Mystery Science Theatre 3000, an American television programme. Cannot find its MOD file under Randomizer - beeps three times and puts up an error message. Twisture 1.0b1 - Steve Bushell Can't find its internal picture under Randomizer and drops into the debugger. The author knows of this problem. No fix seen. VectorBalls 1.0 - Mark Adams of Maverick Software 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. A later version is reported as being included in the NowFun! screensaver package At other times? (12.2.2) Here the list of modules with problems where Randomizer or MultiModule are not required: Have a Blast 1.0.1 - Alan Goates, Otherware 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? Strange Attractors, with the Art of Darkness book, creates the same pattern, but better. Movies 'til Dawn 1.01 - BSI A free demonstration module. One of the smaller movie-players in existence. 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; 2.0 or later is preferable. Far less disk access and memory is used than with 1.5 or earlier. Alternatives to Movies 'til Dawn include: Movies in the Dark 1.0 by Maurice Volaski (reachable via ) OURA QT (say each letter!) movie player 1.0d2 by Laurence d'Oliveiro. Bouncing Movie - Trash this 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. 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 Crashes in 16- and 24-bit colour depths. Version 3.0 is available as part of NowFun!, and does not have this problem. Paw-Paw 1.4 - Aaron Barnet 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, which fixes these problems, and trash 1.2b. Virex-D (MAD 1.0) - BSI Virex-D, one of the MAD 1.0 modules, was an advertisement for the commercial Virex virus-killer. As the D indicates, Virex-D **detected** viruses - it did not remove viruses or repair damage caused by viruses. This is not useful. Virex-D has not been updated recently and has not been distributed with MAD 1.0a since the licence expired in December 1992. Virex-D SHOULD NOT be used for virus protection. It's completely useless. It wears your disk unnecessarily, too. Use the freeware Disinfectant application (version 3.5 as I write) and Gatekeeper system extension (version 1.3 as I write) to combat Mac viruses. info-mac/vir/disinfectant-35.hqx info-mac/vir/gatekeeper-130.hqx 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 and accurate information on Mac viruses. http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/jlnstuff Click on Gatekeeper's title box to have it launch NCSA Mosaic and find Chris Johnson's Web pages. VoiceWaker 1.07 - Alessandro Levi Montalcini 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 your humble LC runs PlainTalk) 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. As of version 4.2, DS incorporates the same functionality. WakeUp! 1.3 can add this ability to other screensavers. info-mac/gui/wake-up-13.hqx My modules (and After Dark) lost their icons. Why? (12.3) --------------------------------------------------------- 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, with one of these modules around, 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. Check a list view of your modules. If they say they're ' documents' you've found the first culprit. To fix this, you need a utility that will show file flags, such as the shareware FileTyper or ResEdit. info-mac/disk/file-typer-412.hqx ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/ Utilities/ResEdit (2.1.3).hqx 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'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 while holding 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. 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. Other things FileTyper 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 and restart. 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 now fixes this, along with vanishing files and other disk-related problems. ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/ Utilities/Disk First Aid (7.2).hqx Which of these modules is latest? (12.4) ---------------------------------------- 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 (12.2.1). 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. 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. The name was changed to avoid confusion with Thought I Could's commercial 'Wallpaper' desktop-pattern utility. I'm a fan of the far cheaper and better Desktop Textures 2.1, myself. info-mac/gui/desktop-textures-21.hqx Desktop Textures includes a 'Deinstall texture' command that will let your General Controls panel give you back a colour palette for your desktop patterns. The comprehensive Desktop Textures online help explains this and other desktop pattern issues.] Which of these modules is which? (12.5) --------------------------------------- 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 BSI, 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 (12.2.1). Two totally different modules and effects. Color Swarm! 1.2 by Dan Walkowski, and The Swarm 1.0 by Leo Breebaart. Both are xswarm ports. Color Swarm! was first; The Swarm is far slicker (check out that animated About box), but less controllable. The comprehensive documentation for The Swarm details the differences between the two. Torgo by Brandon, and Trigo 1.2 by Ernst 'pooh' Mulder. Torgo plays MOD SoundTracks. See its entry under (12.2.1). Trigo draws animated patterns based on a mathematical function. It's a truly wonderful module, and I'm not saying that just because Ernst begged me for an entry in this FAQ for over a year and then only wrote one module as payment. I'm saying that because I'm expecting more modules from him. Where can I find a module that plays pictures at random? (12.6) --------------------------------------------------------------- The Slide Show module is part of the commercial AD package from BSI. 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, allows you to print to movie, disk, etc. from any application. info-mac/prn/print-2-pict-35.hqx Then use one of the free movie-playing modules to do the same job as Slide Show. See Movies 'Til Dawn under (12.2.2). Displaying pictures at random is ScreenSavor's sole purpose. See (10.8). Where can I find a module that plays PICS files? (12.7) ------------------------------------------------------- The PICS Player module is part of the commercial AD package from BSI. It displays a PICS file - AD includes a simple wireframe cube PICS file. More interesting files, such as Rob's Eyes (bloodshot rendered eyes) and Santa's Sleigh are available online. info-mac/gui/ad/robs-eyes.hqx 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 (12.2.2). How can I save my screensaver's picture? (12.8) ----------------------------------------------- Later versions of AD include WallZapper, which will do this for you. If you don't have that available, let's fall back on the system. 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. Yet another reason to grab System 7.0.1 from ftp.support.apple.com] 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 ' 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 under S7.1, which wakes before the screen capture takes place - you will get a picture of your desktop instead. If the Camera FKEY didn't work for you, look at using Snapz instead: mac-umich/system.extensions/cdev/snapz1.00.cpt.hqx Snapz is good at getting the picture under adverse conditions. Rather more useful for general work is Flash-It!, especially when you set its function hotkey to be command-shift-3, replacing the Camera FKEY. mac-umich/system.extensions/cdev/flashit3.02.sit.hqx These utilities are very useful for getting screenshots with menus down or the cursor visible, for when you're doing documentation. The Camera FKEY can't do that. Programming screensavers (13.0) =============================== You'd be amazed at the number of people who want to do this. Where else can so little programming have so much visible effect on so many people? How can I write my own screensaver? (13.1) ------------------------------------------ Don't bother. The world doesn't need another screensaver. If you write a module for AD or DS you will have a much larger market than for yet another standalone screensaver, and all of the standalone niches (smallest, brightness, clock etc.) have already been filled. You can worry less about conflicts with other software or breaking with the next system release - making sure that the activity-sensing code works is the job of the saver authors, so you can get on with the effects and avoid reinventing the wheel. (And, if you don't want to solve incompatibilities with AD-compatible packages, make sure you write DS modules.) Writing AD modules means you can enter the annual contests, too. Of course, if you think you can write a better ES-compliant saver than the Monitor Energy Saver that also includes gestalt support, go right ahead. If you want to write something that does interesting things with AD modules, the code supplied with TZ should get you started. 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, but this code is well out of date - you should be writing an application of some form without patching traps. AD defines a gestalt for screensaving that many other screensavers and applications now use. Implementing support for this in your screensaver is **essential** - see (13.5). Why write screensaver modules? (13.2) ------------------------------------- Fame. Fortune. Boredom. Something to do in those long and lonely winter nights. A way of self-expression. An attempt to win the BSI programming contest, thus scooping the first two in this list in one go. What's the contest worth? (13.2.1) $10,000. Plus a variety of runner-up prizes in various categories, some of which only require artistry and no programming. The last contest closed on October 14, 1994; results have not yet been announced. Expect another contest next year. To see who won what and why, check out ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/index.html [TidBITS_241 29-Aug-94 - After Dark Contest] How can I write modules? (13.3) ------------------------------- Pretty easily. A number of people have started off Mac programming by writing screensaver modules. for DarkSide of the Mac? (13.3.1) Writing DS modules is a good bet, since everyone's downloaded DS to play AD modules anyway, so there's a large installed base. As there's only one DS, this saves you from tearing your hair out wondering why your AD module crashes under the three AD-compatible packages you don't own. Life is much simpler. All the DS programming examples and information you need are provided in the DS package - read the documentation for additional hints and tips, and Tom Dowdy , the author, is the ultimate expert on writing DS modules. for After Dark 2.x compatibles? (13.3.2) Download the latest AD 3.0 programming kit. If your copy of AD is so old that it came with the programming kit, download the new, updated package. ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/ADM3SDK.sit.hqx This includes example code for a 2.x-compatible module for most compilers, as well as information on 3.0 features like the resized About box and animated thumbnails. Essential. Join the AD module programming list, where you can get feedback on your work and discuss problems. This list also deals with anything else to do with Mac screensavers. Send email to to join. Look at sample code, such as how to animate your module's About box, from the list's ftp site: ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/ If you're writing an AD module, unless you're allocating memory yourself using temporary memory (a very good idea - see the source code to 'The Swarm' for an example of how to do this), you must include a 'sysz' resource so that memory for the module is allocated correctly under AD 2.x, especially under MultiModule and under Randomizer. Note that AD 2.x reserves as much memory as is specified in the current module's 'sysz' resource at next startup to ensure that it will run okay, and that this memory is not reclaimable. This explains AD's reputation for eating memory. You must fine-tune the 'sysz' resource so that your module has enough memory to run correctly under all conditions that you can test for, but no more. This FAQ was filled with modules which set 'sysz' just a little too small, until I gave up trying to list them all - temporary memory is a far more flexible approach, without these drawbacks. Do test your module under MultiModule (at a variety of window sizes, opaque and transparent, behind and in front of a number of other modules) and under Randomizer, and under MultiModule running under Randomizer, and under Randomizer running in parallel with other modules under MultiModule. Make sure it's **reliable**. Check for memory leaks, and fix them. To do this: 1. Run your module, then wake it. 2. Drop into MacsBug. Do hx until you're in the system heap. Do ht and check the numbers. The interesting ones are the top one (free memory) and the last one (heap size). Note them. 3. Repeat. It may take a while to settle down, but the numbers should be consistent. If the free space is constantly dropping, you have a memory leak. Fix it! Memory leaks are more of a problem if you are using temporary memory, as AD cleans up its heap in some circumstances, notably under Randomizer. Make sure that your module will run without problems (either coding or cosmetic) under other AD-compatible screensavers, particularly the freeware DS and TZ. There's no sense in restricting your market or in giving yourself tech-support headaches or lots of email bug-reports to answer. If you're working from the BSI generic module, look at what's in of the 'ADrk' resource. You don't need to include that, do you? Some simple non-programming things help too: Include decent documentation, detailing requirements, known problems, contact details and so on. See the documentation to 'The Swarm', 'Screenflip' and 'Buzzz!' as good examples. Make sure your module has version resources - you may want to issue an update, and as AD 2.x and compatibles write preferences into the module, relying on the modification date is a bad idea. Include your email address in the module About box. Textfiles get lost; Mac users don't look at who uploaded the file in archive abstracts. The most common excuse I get from module writers is 'No-one reported any problems' because no-one knew where to mail. [Intermission 1.0 only shows text About boxes; UnderWare 1.01 shows only the two-line strip. You'll still need separate documentation for users of those packages.] Putting an email address within your module ensures feedback. To be AD 3.0-friendly, include an animated thumbnail - see the AD 3.0 programming package for details and 'Buzzz!' for a real live example - and bear the change in size of the window for About picts in mind. Consider a fat compile if your module does enough to warrant it. Putting balloon help in dialogs and adding polish with a custom Finder icon scores bonus points. Got any good ideas for writing modules? (13.4) ---------------------------------------------- Loads. If you want a module written, your best bet is to send an email detailing your idea to the mailing list, which you have of course joined in order to get news of new screensavers and modules before they are released. Offering money guarantees attention, too - the mailing list is the clearing house for AD programmers willing to slave away to produce modules for that movie you've just licensed the computer tie-in rights for. 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 has the terminal disadvantage of needing Intermission.) Torgo will play MOD soundtracks, but as it looks for a single file in the System Folder, it's awkward to use. There's an opening here. (Tracker/ProTracker-playing code is readily available. Star Trek includes a simple 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 Disney 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 , 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. Honest. A 'starfield' module that gives you a 3D effect thanks to red/blue images (Doppling is boring thanks to black-body radiation; BSI's ST:TNG package features a 'special effect' module.) A module that moves you rapidly down a 3D maze, or along an alley or trench (like Star Wars, which has been rumoured as a package for about a year now, but has only just been released). A module based on Frank Zappa's "The Dangerous Kitchen". Bread, fruit and cheese appear on your screen, and slowly go mouldy. (This was suggested by someone at Apple - you'd think he'd be capable of writing it himself...) A neko or gengi-type module featuring puppies, not kittens. A module featuring Benny Hill, late British comedian and legendary fastest milkman in the west. 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. Anvils falling on lusers. And fixes to all those still-buggy modules listed above, of course. Please... How can I make my application screensaver-aware? (13.5) ------------------------------------------------------- If you write Mac applications doing anything unusual with graphics like writing direct to the screen, you will want to support the screensaver gestalts used by all the screensaver packages that matter. This will prevent your mailbox being flooded by hundreds of users complaining that garbage appears on the screen. Get the Gestalt Selectors List. This explains both the SAVC and SAVR gestalt selectors. Obtain it by emailing , or ftp it: info-mac/dev/info/gestalt-selectors-26.hqx It will point you towards the AfterDarkGestalt.h with the AD programming package: ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/AfterDarkGestalt.h If you're writing a full-screen game for the Mac, support of these selectors is **essential**. It's possible to do some interesting things with gestalts - look at Coffee Break as an example of what can be done. info-mac/app/coffee-break-11.hqx Interesting questions I get asked (14.0) ======================================== This section is a completely transparent attempt to decrease the size of my mailbox. What happened about those lawsuits? (14.1) ------------------------------------------ Delrina launched Opus N Bill, which included a module where Opus shoots down flying toasters with a shotgun. BSI claimed that this was an infringement of their trademark, sued, and won. The judge ruled that the Opus N Bill module wasn't a parody, as Opus N Bill competed directly with After Dark, for profit. Product confusion was possible. The toasters in Opus N Bill now have propellors, not wings; both sides got a lot of free publicity. Opus N Bill is also notable for the sudden disappearance of a Bill Gates parody module, and early Opus N Bill packages with winged toasters and a nerdy Gates are apparently valued collectors' items. (As I haven't seen Opus N Bill, I'm unable to give a critic's opinion.) Getting wind of all this, and scenting money, Jefferson Airplane sued BSI, claiming that the flying toaster was theirs in the first place, as flying toasters feature on the cover of their 1973 final album 'Thirty Seconds over Winterland'. The case was dismissed, as the album cover was declared incidental to the copyright on the album, which concerned the music. The cover had not been separately copyrighted (old US copyright law required copyright to be filed; they fell in line with the rest of the world recently). Jefferson Airplane has had five years to sue BSI over those toasters, anyway; they were way too late. In an unrelated move, Software Advertising, of La Costa, California, has patented any system integrating advertisements into computer software without changing the software's function. They're demanding royalties from PC Dynamics, who make a PC-based screensaver featuring the Energizer Bunny, even though PC Dynamics pays a licence to the owners of the Bunny trademark [Chaos Manor, Jerry Pournelle, Byte, July 1994.] Only in the USA. If the screensaver is obsolete, why isn't it dead? (14.2) --------------------------------------------------------- A triumph of marketing and of the human condition over common sense. Why didn't TV kill cinema? Why didn't the Mac kill Windows? Humans are highly illogical. Besides, it's a new, interactive, artform. Humans like art and pay hideous amounts for it. Energy Star confuses a lot of people, too, and is nowhere near as interesting as all those animated screensavers it supposedly made obsolete. When is going to be released? (14.3) --------------------------------------------------------- I have absolutely no idea, since I'm not in California and don't know which film tie-in is up for grabs at the moment. The 'Star Wars' screensaver that has been rumoured for over a year has finally been released. I know nothing about it. A 'Grateful Dead' package using the BSI package is rumoured for the end of the year. I'm told that this satisfies the request for a 'dancing bear' module. I do know that AD 3.0 is being revised to fix the conflicts, and I'd expect an electronic updater at some point. UnderWare will be revised to fix the Display Enabler problems and throw in a randomizer. I'm expecting a fat DS 5.0 pretty soon (which should support fat AD modules), and another load of shareware After-Dark compatible modules to be released to the sites as soon as the winners of the recent contest are announced. The number of fat and native AD modules should increase as people upgrade their compilers. I'm not expecting fixes to any of the Apple system software. Ever. I am expecting a few more AD-compatible packages to appear. I don't know anything else. Where can I find all those files? (15.0) ======================================== Here's a quick summary of where to look for most of the things discussed in this FAQ. by ftp? (15.1) -------------- The major Mac-specific anonymous FTP sites, which provide the world with Mac freeware, shareware, updates, and useful information no Mac user can afford to be without: 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, and for regular postings giving info-mac mirror locations. You will find screensavers are in info-mac/gui/ and all the After Dark modules are in info-mac/gui/ad/ mac.archive.umich.edu (umich-mac or "umich") - unrelated to sumex, althought they work from the same submitted files. Many mirror sites worldwide - ftp to mirror.archive.umich.edu to get to a mirror in the US. Any file with a path starting 'umich-mac/...' is on umich or its mirrors. See the regular newfile postings in comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac software available here. mac-umich/util/screensaver is the place to look - lots of standalone screensavers, and AD and DS get their own subdirectories: mac-umich/util/screensaver/afterdark/ msc-umich/util/screensaver/darkside/ ftp.support.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. This is **the** place to get new system fixes and free copies of system software up to 7.0.1. Information on new files made available is given in postings to comp.sys.mac.announce. This site has pathnames with spaces in them - you'll need to put quotes around them to change directory, eg: cd "Really Stupid Pathname with lots of non-standard characters" Other Apple sites to look at for Apple software: ftp.info.apple.com - PR, mission statements, pointers. ftp.apple.com - developer material seeding.apple.com - mainly communications stuff And, if you're particularly interested in screensavers, check out BSI's own ftp site, and the screensaver site: ftp://ftp.berksys.com/pub/ ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/ A complete list of Mac ftp sites of interest can be found in the mac-ftp-list in info-mac/info/comm/ This is posted regularly to comp.sys.mac.misc, .apps and .games. Advice on how to find and download Mac files, and get them uncompressed, converted and into your Mac is also given, although you'll find the basics in (15.2). Find your **local** sumex (info-mac) or umich mirror, listed in the mac.ftp.list and in the regular mirror information postings in comp.sys.mac.digest. Use gopher if you can. Don't tie up distant sites when there's a mirror just down the road, and don't keep ftping to sumex-aim and then complaining that you can never get in simply because you can't be bothered to find a decent mirror. [UK users should be gophering to phoenix.ic.ac.uk or ftping to src.doc.ic.ac.uk - if you're in the UK, email me for more information on gzip and the features of that mirror.] If you have internet access, accessing the mirrors is well worth doing - the wealth of knowledge, information and software eclipses anything on any of the commercial services. by gopher? (15.2) ----------------- If you have gopher, use it instead of ftp. You're much more likely to get through. Start by gophering to info.hed.apple.com, Apple's Higher Education Server. You'll find links to mirror sites, Apple software and lots of Apple information here. For umich, you can gopher straight to gopher.archive.umich.edu. Look under Software Updates. by the World-Wide Web? (15.3) ----------------------------- There are some obvious starting points: http://www.apple.com/ http://www.info.apple.com/ Everything Mac-related should be indexed under there somewhere. For Apple system software and updates the site of choice is: http://www.support.apple.com/ Take a look at the After Dark/screensaver site and home of the mailing list, where modules galore and example code can be found: ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/index.html by email? (15.4) ---------------- If all you have is email, see news.announce.newusers for details of mail ftp servers, such as the one maintained by DEC, where you send your ftp commands to the server, it treats them as ftp commands at the ftp site of your choice, and mails you the files you request. The umich server is an obvious choice. Simply email with a message containing the word "help". How can I spread my files to the world? (16.0) ============================================== Do you have an email account? Do you know what binhex is? Congratulations, you too have qualified to be an unsung hero. 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 compressed archive to . This will copy it to Mac-related ftp archives around 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 saying what the software is, giving name and version number, to the start of the file before that long binhex column. Give a meaningful Subject: heading, too. Compress and binhex the file with one of the following: Compact Pro: info-mac/cmp/compact-pro-134.hqx Stuffit Lite is at 3.0.7 (don't forget that binhex update) info-mac/cmp/stuffit-lite-307.hqx info-mac/cmp/stuffit-lite-binhex4-307a-updt.hqx DropStuff 3.5.1 may be all you need. info-mac/cmp/drop-stuff-with-enhancer-351.hqx Don't use Stuffit 1.5.1 or Classic - they are incredibly inefficient at file compression and waste time, disk space, and money on phone bills when downloading. Trash them and update. Don't submit self-extracting archives (SEAs) or obscure archive formats - 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. I got that file you recommended. How do I open it? (17.0) ========================================================= This is a pretty basic question, covered in all those other Mac FAQs you must have missed. Better catch up on your reading. The combination of Aladdin's Stuffit Expander and DropStuff will handle almost everything you throw at it, including the common .cpt, .sit, .bin and .hqx files and MIME, although you may find yourself editing multi-part binhex postings together by hand, and the uudecoder won't handle everything you can find to throw at it. Get them both. info-mac/cmp/stuffit-expander-351.hqx info-mac/cmp/drop-stuff-with-enhancer-351.hqx The exception to 'almost' everything is .image, which requires ShrinkWrap. info-mac/disk/shrink-wrap-112.hqx The .image file can be in either Disk Copy or DART format - two Apple utilities designed to ensure that software reaches users in a pristine this-is-the-disk-we-relased condition, without having files 'improved' or removed as 'unnecessary' along the way. gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/ Apple.Software.Updates/Utilities/ ftp://ftp.support.apple.com//pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/Utilities/ Although it's not Apple software, ShrinkWrap, like DART, handles both formats, without the problems caused by anything with a name containing 'Mount' or 'Image'. It benefits from DropStuff, too. (Anyone distributing .image files in DiskDup+'s own obscure format should be taken out and shot.) info-mac/disk/disk-dup-plus-25.hqx If you still think Stuffit 1.5.1 or Classic is all you need, you're wrong, and we're not going accommodate you. Update. Copyright ========= Lloyd Wood asserts the right to be identified as the author of this work, and claims the moral rights of paternity and integrity, in accordance with the UK Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988. This work is Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Lloyd Wood. Permission is hereby granted to distribute this unmodified document without my express permission, provided that no charge is made for access to this document. Services charging a fee for information or for access to this FAQ (e.g. membership fees to access a members-only file area) require my express permission to publish my FAQ in this manner. Such services wishing to obtain permission to distribute this FAQ must first negotiate with me concerning payment for my services. I DO NOT PERMIT PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION ON FLOPPY DISK OR ANY OTHER NON-ELECTRONIC MEDIUM. IF YOU WANT TO PUBLISH, YOU NEED MY PERMISSION. I WILL DEMAND A COPY OF ANY CD-ROM THIS FAQ IS PUBLISHED ON AS MINIMUM REDRESS FOR INFRINGEMENT OF MY COPYRIGHT. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY RIGHT TO FURTHER REDRESS. Portions of this document may be extracted and quoted free of charge and without necessity of citation in normal online 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 online communication (such as the Info-Mac Digest and TidBITS) is given subject to normal citation procedures, i.e. I demand an attribution or credit. Disclaimer ========== I do my best to ensure that the 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. With each new computer screen The world tells me I'm more green -- "Stuck in the 90's", Moxy Fruevous.