Contents
Screen Play™ 2.0 User's Guide

Table of Contents

How to Register Only $10 Using Pay-Per-Call Service!
License Agreement
Cats Paw Hand Exerciser New Product!
Roadkill Slots Screen Saver Bonus Module

Introduction
Product Highlights
Getting Started
Choosing a Screen Saver
Adding Additional Modules

Using the Configuration Panel

Helpful Hints
The Power Switch
Basic Setup Panel
General Panel
Installation Panel
Activation Panel
Mouse Corners Panel
Activity Monitor Panel
Power Management Panel
Password Security Panel
Repetitive Stress Panel
Creating Play Lists
Adding Directories
Configuring Stress Breaks

Advanced Topics

Memory Requirements
Removing Screen Play
Display Power Management
Blanking the Screen
Playing Sounds
Network Considerations
Files used by Screen Play

Miscellaneous

World Wide Web
Corporate Site Licenses
Custom Screen Savers
How to Contact PC Dynamics, Inc.

Screen Play™ is a trademark of PC Dynamics, Inc.

© Copyright 1995 PC Dynamics, Inc.
All Rights Reserved


Getting Started
Getting Started!

Using Screen Play is Easy!

You can be up and running with Screen Play in just a few minutes. Follow the easy steps outlined below:

Step 1
Double click on the Screen Play icon in the program manager group to launch the configuration panel. This will allow you to set up Screen Play with all of your personal preferences.

Step 2

Make sure the power switch is set to On.  If you have just installed the product, this should already be set to the correct setting.

Step 3

Press the PgDn key several times to advance to the Installation sub-panel. Click on the Run at Win Start-up option. This will tell Windows to run Screen Play in the background automatically each time Windows is started.

Step 4

Press the PgDn key several times to advance to the Basic Setup sub-panel. Use your mouse to adjust the Sleep after setting to the desired delay before Screen Play automatically activates itself. This delay is the number of minutes since you last pressed a key or moved your mouse.

Step 5

Choose the screen saver module that you'd like to play during your computer's idle time. You'll notice that most modules are configurable using custom controls displayed in the middle screen panel. You can preview the selected module by double-clicking its name in the module list or clicking on the Demonstration button located in the right screen panel.

Final Step!

Click the Ok button with your mouse. This will hide (minimize) the Screen Play configuration panel. Screen Play will then run quietly in the background until it's activated; either manually, or due to the sleep delay timer timing out.

A Few Notes:

• You can set new preferences in the configuration panel at any time simply by displaying the panel and making changes. Your adjustments will be saved automatically.

• Many Screen Play plug-in modules and products come with their own individual help files. This information is easily viewed from the Screen Play configuration panel by clicking on their product logos and module icons.

• Screen Play has many additional features that are not covered in this quick-start tutorial. You may wish to review some of the other help topics to become familiar with the rest of the program.

Table of Contents
Choosing a Screen Saver


Screen Play Icon
This is the Screen Play program icon. In a program group, double-clicking on it will run Screen Play. This same icon is used when Screen Play is running in the backgroun if you haven't enabled the Hide desktop icon control setting.


OKQuit
OK
Sends (minimizes) the Screen Play configuration panel to the background. While in the background, Screen Play will wait quietly for some event to cause it to activate and take over your screen.

Quit
Terminates Screen Play. This is a normal program termination. Once terminated, Screen Play will not save your screens until you run the program again; either manually, or by restarting Windows.

?
Requests help on Screen Play.


Introducing Screen Play
Introducing Screen Play!

Why Screen Savers?

Screen savers became popular several years ago in an effort to prolong the life of computer monitors by displaying moving images during extended periods of idle time. The moving images were required to prevent static images from burning into the tube. Recent improvements in display technology have removed the physical necessity for screen savers; yet somehow, they are more popular than ever before. Why? Because they're fun!

Welcome to Screen Play

Screen Play is the ultimate screen saver manager for Windows and Windows 95. It's compatible with all popular saver file formats (SCR, SVX, AD and IMX) and incorporates extended features such as hot keys, mouse corners, password security, play lists, Energy Star power management and a typing break reminder alarm. Screen saver modules can reside in any directory.

Screen Play is usually set up to run automatically each time you start Windows. This is most-easily accomplished using an option on the main configuration panel, however, placing a copy of Screen Play in your Windows Startup group will have the same result.

Use Screen Play to fully organize and manage all of your screen savers from a single control panel. Gone forever is the need to throw all of your screen savers into your Windows directory. Screen Play lets you choose your own directories. With Screen Play you can create a module play list using simple point-and-click mouse commands. Module play lists are similar to programming music CD play lists - you pick the modules, parameters and play durations. You can even specify that modules be played in random order.

Screen Play also provides you with a variety of options for choosing when to sleep and when to wake up. For example, you can define a special "sleep" hot key for on-demand activation, or  easier yet, just move your mouse into a corner of the screen you've designated as a "sleep now" mouse corner. Of course, activation after a traditional time-out is available as well. Wakeup is just as easy; you choose the mouse and keyboard events that can terminate screen saving mode and redisplay your programs.

If your monitor and video card both support the new Energy Star Display Power Management Specification (DPMS), Screen Play can automatically turn off power to the monitor after a defined delay. This lets you begin screen saving by playing animated modules, and subsequently shut down your monitor to save power if you haven't resumed using your PC within the designated time frame.

Another one of Screen Play's strong points is security. You may optionally require passwords for either configuration changes or terminating a running screen saver. On a Novell network, you can also allow the personal password for the currently logged in use to terminate the saver. As an additional precaution, Alt-Tab task manager switches and Ctrl-Alt-Del sequences can be blocked.

One final feature worth mentioning is the typing break reminder alarm designed to help combat repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. This break reminder can be configured to pop up a small animated window and play an announcement sound when it's time to rest. The frequency and duration of breaks are entirely up to you. If you find yourself spending lots of time at the keyboard, do not overlook this feature - it could save your hands!

This shareware version of Screen Play includes three bonus modules designed to kick off your third-party screen saver collection. Additional modules can be downloaded from our World Wide Web site or from any number of excellent on-line services. You might want to start by downloading our Roadkill Slots screen saver which is unlike any slot machine you've ever seen.

We at PC Dynamics have all the confidence that you'll find Screen Play to be a valuable and entertaining utility. We invite you to try it out and see for yourself that this is a top-notch product worthy of registration. To find out more about ordering a registered copy of Screen Play and the extra benefits you'll receive, see how to order.

System Requirements

Screen Play 2.0 requires either Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 running on a 386 or better CPU (386,486,586,Pentium) with at least 4MB RAM. Individual screen saver modules may also have additional system requirements, such as the need for more RAM, 256-color displays, or a sound card.

Screen Play Supports All Popular Screen Saver Module File Types

Screen Play is capable of running all popular screen saver module file types. This includes standard Windows 3.1 (.SCR)  modules, Berkeley System's AfterDark (.AD) modules, Intermission (.IMX) modules, and of course, PC Dynamics' own (.SVX) modules. This means Screen Play will work with just about every Windows screen saver you can get your hands on.

Compatible with Windows 3.1 and Windows 95

Screen Play  is a 16-bit application which is fully compatible with both Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. Note, however, that 32-bit Windows 95 SCR files will not be recognized as compatible modules since the 16-bit Screen Play runtime engine is unable to manipulate 32-bit programs.  This is an insignificant issue since practically all screen saver modules available today are designed for the 16-bit Windows 3.1 environment.

Typing Break Reminder

One of the most unique features of Screen Play is its typing break reminder alarm. This handy reminder can be configured to warn you when it's time to take well-needed breaks. By resting every 30 to 60 minutes, you significantly reduce your chances of developing a repetitive stress injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome. The alarm frequency and rest periods are completely adjustable. Please, take the time to use this feature. You'll thank us later. Repetitive stress injuries sneak up on you slowly. They're very painful and expensive to treat. And, if not caught soon enough, they can change your life forever. PC Dynamics is proud to be a leader in combatting this serious problem which has plagued our industry. We hope our software will help keep you healthy.  See also Cats Paw product announcement.

Using Screen Play

Using Screen Play is easy. Once installed, Screen Play will run automatically each time you start Windows. It will quietly hide in the background until it's called upon to activate. Activation can be induced either manually (using hotkey or mouse corner) or automatically after an extended period of keyboard or mouse inactivity. All time delays, hotkeys and mouse actions related to activation are completely configurable using the Screen Play configuration panel.

Getting Started	(click here for a quick tutorial)


Display Power Management
Display Power Management (DPMS)

Do you have an Energy Star monitor?

The Screen Play configuration panel has a sub-panel for controlling the power consumption of your Energy Star or DPMS compatible monitor. The concept behind display power management is that your computer should be able to detect when you're not  actively working at the keyboard, thereby making it possible to put your monitor into a power-reduced mode.

Windows 95 has built-in support for Energy Star power management. If both Screen Play and Windows 95 have DPMS support enabled, you may see some unexpected behavior from your monitor as the two programs compete for control. Although this behavior won't hurt your monitor, it's a good idea to have only one product's DPMS support enabled.

Both your monitor and video card must support DPMS to take advantage of Screen Play's power management features. The Enable control at the top of this panel will be dimmed if your video card doesn't support DPMS.

DPMS defines four levels of power consumption:

• Fully powered
• Stand-by
• Suspend
• Powered off

All settings except the first result in a black screen.  Each of the levels uses correspondingly less power, and requires correspondingly longer time to get back to full power.  Typically there's no reason to stay at an intermediate level for any significant amount of time.  Normal use would be to drop into Stand-by at the time you first want it black, stay there for just a few minutes (to give yourself time to reactivate it if you really were using it), then drop all the way to off.

To take advantage of the power management features built into Screen Play, press the PgDn key to advance to the sub-panel pictured here. Use your mouse to adjust the controls to desirable values. All times are based upon when Screen Play begins playing its screen saver modules. The top control must be enabled for any of the timer controls to be operational. Screen Play will attempt to detect video cards that don't support the DPMS VESA BIOS extensions and prevent you from enabling these controls.

All times are based upon when Screen Play begins playing its screen saver modules.

See also:

Blanking the Screen


Network Considerations

Using Screen Play on Local Area Networks

Failure to follow these instructions for network installations will usually result in Windows reporting locked scrnplay.ini files.

The primary consideration in regard to deploying a single copy of Screen Play in a generally accessible network directory  is how the INI files are maintained. By default, Screen Play keeps its primary initialization file (scrnplay.ini) in the same directory as its executable file (scrnplay.exe). This has the advantage of not cluttering up your Windows directory and is clearly the preferred method in a single user environment.

When multiple users need to run Screen Play from a common network directory, a problem presents itself such that all users will be attempting to update the same scrnplay.ini file. The solution to this problem is to set use local ini=1 in the network copy of the scrnplay.ini file. By default, this value is 0.

[Network]
use local ini=1

Each time Screen Play starts up it reads the scrnplay.ini file found in the same directory as the program was executed from. If the use local ini keyword is set to 1 then Screen Play will disregard any other settings in that ini file and attempt to locate a private copy of the scrnplay.ini file in the user's Windows directory. If a private copy of scrnplay.ini does not yet exist, then one will be created automatically using values from the network copy as initial settings. This allows network administrators to create a read-only master scrnplay.ini file that each new user will inherit the first time they run Screen Play from the network.

Screen Play also maintains additional ini files in the subdirectories normally created for each add-on product. However, with the use local ini switch enabled, all ini settings normally kept in these separate directories will be relocated to the scrnplay.ini file in each user's Windows directory.

The internal format of a "local" scrnplay.ini file is slightly different from the standard format. You cannot simply copy a non-local version of this file into your Windows directory. You should let Screen Play build this file for you.


Playing Sounds

Do you have a sound card?

Many screen saver modules have embedded WAV sounds. To play these sounds, you must have a properly-installed Windows-compatible sound card. If you do not have a sound card, your modules will still run, but you won't hear any sounds.

The Basic Setup configuration panel contains a volume control slider that can be used to adjust the sound volume for all Screen Play modules. In addition, many modules produced by PC Dynamics (.SVX) also have their own sound enable/disable checkbox.

How to check your sound card configuration
If you are unsure about your sound card configuration, you can see what Windows is reporting to Screen Play by displaying Screen Play's About Box and reviewing the configuration information that is presented.


Custom Screen Savers

Would you like a custom screen saver developed?

PC Dynamics can design customized Screen Play modules for your company to use internally, or to provide to your customers as a promotional premium.

Screen savers are an effective medium for bringing awareness to your company, boosting employee morale, and in general, creating good will.

PC Dynamics can provide complete turn-key screen saver products and services. We can help you with the design, implementation, packaging and manufacturing of just about any kind of screen saver you can dream up. We can even help you with the dreaming...

Check out our Internet page (http://www.pcdynamics.com) for more information about our custom screen savers or call us and we'll see how we can help.

How to Contact PC Dynamics


World Wide Web
World Wide Web On the Internet

Speeding on the Information Superhighway!

PC Dynamics has a home page on the Internet's World Wide Web. Check out our page for new product announcements, downloads, free plug-in modules, module updates and many other fun things.

Use your Internet Web browser to access:

http://www.pcdynamics.com


home page
On the Internet, a home page is a term used to describe the beginning location where specific information is accessed. Each company presenting information on the World Wide Web (a section of the Internet) starts out with a home page. Additional entry points for these companies are usually found on their home pages.


Web Browser
A Web browser is communications software that uses your modem to connect to the Internet and access the World Wide Web.


Corporate Site Licenses

Would you like to standardize on Screen Play?

Attractively-priced corporate site licenses are available for all Screen Play products published by PC Dynamics.

Please contact your local PC Dynamics sales representative for more information on corporate licensing plans.

See also:
How to Contact PC Dynamics
Custom Screen Savers


How to Contact PC Dynamics
How to Contact PC Dynamics, Inc.

We can be reached at the numbers listed below:

Support:	(818)889-1742

Sales:	(818)889-1741
Fax:	(818)889-1014

CompuServe: 	GO PCDYNAMICS
70711,422  (email)

Internet:	info@pcdynamics.com
sales@pcdynamics.com
support@pcdynamics.com

Getting Technical Support

PC Dynamics offers technical support for its products between the hours of 9am and 5pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). Before calling, we encourage you to review the information contained in this User's Guide in order to help leave our support lines open for customers  with special problems.

The number to call is (818)889-1742.

You might also consider using some of the on-line services listed above for answers to common support questions.

If the phone lines are busy, please be patient. Also, we ask that you not call the sales department for technical support as you will only be referred back to the support department.

See also:

World Wide Web on the Internet


Blanking the Screen

Making your screen go completely black

If you have a monitor with power management features, yet you have an older video adapter card without the new VESA DPMS extensions, you can usually still put your monitor into a power-saving mode by forcing your screen to go completely black for a time determined by your monitor (typically three minutes).

The Basic Setup panel has a Black after control setting which is used to set your screen to total blackness after the screen saver modules have been playing for so many minutes. For example, the picture here shows a setting of 90 minutes. This means that Screen Play's animated modules will run for 90 minutes; after which, your screen will turn completely black, thereby enabling your monitor's energy-saving detection logic to activate.

See also:

Display Power Management
Energy Star


Files used by Screen Play

Descriptions of Files used by Screen Play

Listed below are files used by Screen Play:

SCRNPLAY.EXE - Primary executable file

SCRNPLAY.DLL - Helper DLL required to support scrnplay.exe

SCRNPLAY.386 - VxD used for Ctrl-Alt-Del support (optional)

SCRNPLAY.HLP - Screen Play help file

SCRNPLAY.INI - Initialization file (special rules apply for networks)

WAVEMIX.DLL - Sound mixing helper DLL

WAVEMIX.INI - Sound mixing ini file (must reside in Windows directory)

????????.TCX - Screen Play plug-in product table of contents file

????????.HLP - Help files for plug-in products and modules

????????.SVX - Screen Play native plug-in module executable DLL

????????.MMX - Multimedia data file typically associated with an svx file

The last four file types listed above are usually located in subdirectories under the Screen Play base directory (SCRNPLAY). All other files are expected to be located in the same directory as the scrnplay.exe executable.

Module svx files are allowed to be located either within the base Screen Play directory or subdirectories directly under the base. Any svx files located in the base directory will appear under the Screen Play heading in the configuration panel's product selection list. Starting with version 2.0, Screen Play supports a variety of alternate screen saver module file formats, incuding: Windows (SCR), AfterDark (AD) and Intermission (IMX). Screen saver modules may also reside in directories other than under SCRNPLAY by specifying their locations using the Add Directories dialog.

The scrnplay.386 VxD is not initially installed into your system.ini file by Screen Play's setup program. Instead, it is added to the [386Enh] section as a device when Screen Play's Ctrl-Alt-Del inhibit feature is enabled for the first time. An information message will be displayed advising you that this feature will not become operational until after Windows is restarted. Screen Play does not remove the VxD if this feature is ever disabled.

Plug-in Products

Screen Play is designed to support an (almost) unlimited number of third-party plug-in products. Each plug-in product is expected to reside in its own subdirectory under the base Screen Play directory. These subdirectories will be searched automatically each time Screen Play is executed in order to dynamically build lists of products and modules. A typical product is comprised of the following files:

• PRODUCT.TCX
• PRODUCT.HLP
• SCRNPLAY.INI
• Multiple module SVX and MMX files

The product.tcx file is the table of contents for a product. This file contains the code and graphics for displaying the product's logo above its list of modules in Screen Play's configuration panel. This file also contains authorship credits.

The scrnplay.ini file is usually created automatically within the product's subdirectory using module-specified defaults the first time the product is accessed from Screen Play's configuration panel. The base name of this ini file will be the same as the base name of the subdirectory in which it resides. Special rules apply for network installations.

The product.hlp file is invoked when you left click within the product's logo displayed in the configuration panel. In addition, when you left click on the module icons for a product, Screen Play will display help for that module (when available).

Screen Play plug-in products work best when their subdirectory names are the same as their product.tcx base file names.  Otherwise, Screen Play will assume that the first tcx file found in each subdirectory contains the product index/logo information. Also, the base names for the tcx and hlp files must be identical for Screen Play to locate plug-in help files.

See also:

Network Considerations


Basic Setup Panel

Using the Basic Setup Panel

Listed below are descriptions for each of the controls located on the Basic Setup panel.

Sleep after
This slider control is used to set the amount of time your keyboard and mouse must both go unused before Screen Play automatically activates itself and takes over your screen.  Each time you press a key or use your mouse an internal countdown timer is reset to the value specified here.

Black after
This slider control is used to specify the amount of time Screen Play should allow its animated modules to play before forcing your screen to go completely black. This feature is useful when using Energy Star or DPMS monitors that require your screen to be black in order to trigger their power-saving modes. Many newer video adapter cards can signal your monitor without the need to black your screen. If you don't desire your screen to go black, move the slider thumb to the never setting at the far right.

Sound volume
The volume control slider is used to specify the volume setting to use whenever a screen play module is running. Setting the slider to 0 will turn off all sounds. Also, many Screen Play plug-in modules have their own individual sound enable/disable checkbox.

Note: Most screen savers require a Windows-compatible sound card for sounds.

See also:

Playing Sounds
Blanking the Screen


Activation Panel

Using the Activation Panel

Listed below are descriptions for each of the controls in the Activation panel.

Wake-up Upon

The checkboxes in this control group are used to indicate which types of input activity should be accepted to terminate screen saver modules once Screen Play has taken over your screen. Note that interactive modules may override some of these settings on an individual basis. By default, all three checkboxes are enabled.

Sleep Now Hotkey

This control group is used to specify a unique hotkey sequence that can be used to manually trigger Screen Play on demand. This feature is useful when you need to leave your computer unattended, yet prefer not to leave your work showing on your screen until the sleep countdown timer elapses. To use this feature, you must enable the Sleep Now Hot Key control in addition to setting the desired hotkey. Hotkeys consist of a Key letter combined with one or more shifted keys (Ctrl, Alt or Shift). To choose a different letter, click on the Key field and use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through a list of acceptable values. You may also type the letter of the desired hot key.

Caution: Be careful not to choose a hotkey sequence that is used by any of your other programs, or else a conflict will result.

See also:

Mouse Corners Panel


Mouse Corners Panel

Using the Mouse Corners Panel

Listed below are descriptions for each of the controls in the Mouse Corners panel.

Mouse corners provide a special way of conveniently controlling Screen Play by moving your mouse cursor to a designated area of your screen. When the Enable corners control is checked (as shown here), one corner of your screen becomes the sleep now area and another corner becomes the sleep never area. The active area of these corners is about the same size as a typical program icon (32x32 pixels). Simply  moving your mouse into one of these corners for the specified delay period will inform Screen Play of your intentions.

Enable corners
This control must be checked in order to enable the mouse corner features.

Sleep Now
The green (plus) square pictured above represents the sleep now corner. Leaving your mouse stationary in this corner for the period indicated by the Delay slider will trigger Screen Play into action. To choose a different corner, use your mouse to drag the square into a different corner.

Sleep Never
The red (minus) square pictured above represents the sleep never corner. Leaving your mouse in this corner prevents Screen Play from activating based upon expiration of the usual countdown timer. To choose a different corner, use your mouse to drag the square into a different corner.

Delay
This slider control is used to specify the number of seconds the mouse cursor must be stationary in the sleep now corner before Screen Play is automatically activated.

See also:

Activation Panel


Installation Panel

Using the Installation Panel

Listed below are descriptions for each of the controls in the Installation panel.

Run at Win start-up
Checking this control will cause Screen Play to place a special command (load=) in your win.ini file which will instruct Windows to run this program quietly in the background each time Windows is started. Another way to run Screen Play whenever Windows is started is to drag a copy of Screen Play's program icon into your Windows Start-up Group.

Hide desktop icon
Checking this control will prevent the minimized Screen Play icon from showing on your desktop background. This is usually desirable in order to reduce desktop clutter.

Icon in Alt-Tab list
Checking this option will allow a reference to Screen Play to be included in the Alt-Tab (fast switch) list. This is a list of currently active programs maintained by Windows. Programs referenced in the list can be jumped to quickly using the Alt+Tab keyboard sequence. Some users prefer to disable this control so they don't have to keep stepping past their screen saver while switching between programs.

Note: For security reasons, Alt-Tab switching is disabled for all programs whenever Screen Play's password dialog box is being displayed.

Ctrl-Alt-Del inhibit
This checkbox is used to specify whether or not the Ctrl-Alt-Del keyboard sequence should be inoperative while a screen saver is running. Checking this control prevents users from typing Ctrl-Alt-Del in order to terminate the Screen Play task, which would result in them being able to access your computer and view documents.

The first time you enable this feature Screen Play will place a reference to its scrnplay.386 VxD in your system.ini file. An information message will be displayed to inform you that you must restart Windows before this feature becomes operational. Screen Play does not insert  this VxD into your system.ini during product installation in order to avoid cluttering up your system with unnecessary code.

Adding New Screen Saver Directories
If you have screen saver modules located in directories other than under the C:\SCRNPLAY base directory, you'll need to tell Screen Play where to look for them. This is done by selecting the Add Directories button on the Installation panel. A dialog window will be displayed allowing you to list all of your directories containing screen savers. To keep this procedure as simple as possible, Screen Play first scans your drives looking for valid screen saver modules. Only directories containing screen savers will be presented for selection in the dialog window. You'll then be given the opportunity to build a list of directories and assign long names to them. Each directory appearing in your final list will appear as a separate entry in Screen Play's main product/directory chooser control found in the upper left portion of the main window.

See also:

Getting Started


General Panel

Using the General Panel

Listed below are descriptions for each of the controls found on the General panel.

Controls in demo
Enable the checkbox to cause Screen Play to display the current module's options control panel while previewing or demonstrating the module. This provides a convenient means of making adjustments and seeing them take effect immediately as you watch. You can use your mouse to drag the control window out of the way if it ever appears in an undesirable place during a demo.

Restart play list each time
This control is used to specify that Screen Play should restart its play list from the beginning each time it takes over your screen. When left unchecked, Screen Play will remember where it left off each time screen saving is interrupted and resume from that point the next time it is activated.

Play List Default - Change after
This slider control is used to specify the default number of minutes Screen Play should play each entry in its play list before moving on to the next module. When modules are added to the play list, you have the option of having them play for a specific amount of time, or default to the time indicated here, using the slider located immediately under the play list window.

See also:

Creating Play Lists


Activity Monitor Panel

Using the Activity Monitor Panel

The controls on the Activity Monitor panel allow you to instruct Screen Play not to activate itself when the sleep countdown timer expires while certain modem and/or printer ports are active.

Each time the sleep timer expires, Screen Play will see if any ports are currently opened by other application programs. If so, and you have checked the corresponding port control on this panel, then Screen Play will not take over your screen.

There is usually no need to enable any of the controls in this panel since Screen Play will typically yield to other applications needing CPU time. However, the controls are here should you decide that you need the extra flexibility.

Caution: If your mouse is attached to COM1 and you check the COM1 control here, Screen Play will never activate - because this port will always be held open by Windows.


Password Security Panel

Using the Password Security Panel

Screen Play provides a full set of password security features which allow you to hide your work from prying eyes when you're away from your computer. Although this security system is by no means iron clad, it certainly is good enough for most business environments. The network support makes it especially useful in helping to secure LANs when unattended computers are left logged into a network server.

Listed below are descriptions for each of the controls on the Password Security panel.

Always require a password to wake up
Checking this control will cause Screen Play to prompt for a password each time you attempt to interrupt the screen saver. If you haven't yet established a password when you enable this feature, the Set Password dialog box will be displayed automatically upon clicking the checkbox. If you're on a local area network, you may want to also enable the Allow net  or personal passwords to wake up feature described below.

Screen Play will automatically bring down the wake-up password dialog box and resume screen saver animation if it doesn't detect keyboard or mouse activity within the dialog for more than 15 seconds.

For compatibility, Screen Play uses the same password location and encryption as that used by Windows' stock screen savers. This means that the password you use for your Windows screen savers will also be used by Screen Play.  If you change the password, it will be changed for both Screen Play screen savers and Windows screen savers.

Allow net or personal password to wake up
Checking this option will allow Screen Play to accept your network password in response to the wake-up password dialog box described above.  You must be logged into the net for this feature to work.

Supported networks:	• Novell

Screen Play does not presently support using your Windows 95 personal password to terminate screen saving.

Configuration panel requires password
Checking this option will force Screen Play to prompt for a password each time you attempt to bring up its configuration panel. If you haven't already established a password, the Set Password dialog box will be displayed automatically when this feature is enabled.

Set /Change Password
Clicking on this button brings up a dialog box that allows you to specify your Windows/Screen Play screen saver password.

Note: If you forget your password, you can erase the current setting by pressing  and holding down the Ctrl key and clicking the Set Password button. Although this may seem to some to be a security breach, it really isn't. Windows keeps your password encrypted in the control.ini file. Anyone with access to this file can easily blow away the password. We just make it a little easier.


Creating Play Lists

How to Create and Use Play Lists

One of the most interesting features of Screen Play is its ability to create a play list. This allows you to pre-program a sequence of modules to be played either in order, or randomly, using individually set play durations and module options. Pictured here is the play list panel as it generally appears when you press the Play List button (see Step 1 below). Module names preceded with an asterisk (*) have custom options defined. Screen Play will even allow you to mix modules from multiple products in the same play list, and include the same module multiple times using different option values. It's all up to you!

Setting the Default Play Duration

Adjust this slider (located on the General panel) to change the default amount of time each screen saver in the play list will be run. You can override this value for individual modules using the Play duration slider located under the play list as described in Step 3 below.

Building Your List

Follow the steps below to add modules to your play list.

Step 1

Click this button to display the current play list in the middle panel.

Step 2

Highlight the desired module in the left-hand list box, then click this button to add the module to the end of the play list. Any options defined for the module will be set initially to the same values as those from the left-hand list box. You can change the module options for an individual play list entry by double-clicking its name in the play list. Modules with custom option values are noted with an asterisk (*) in front of their names.

Step 3

You can specify a separate play duration for each module. Initially, the duration is set to the default period. To change, highlight the desired module and adjust this slider control (located under the play list).

Step 4

Make final adjustments to your play list order by using these buttons to move items within the list. You can also Remove items.

Step 5

You're done! Click Ok to hide the Screen Play configuration panel.

See also:

Helpful Hints


Remove Button
To remove an item from the play list, position the highlight over its name and click this button.


Choosing a Screen Saver

So many modules to pick from...
The Screen Play configuration panel can support an almost unlimited number of plug-in products and modules. Pictured here is the module chooser which is divided into three sections: product logo, product selection combo box, and module list box. The product logo always corresponds to the currently selected product, whose name is shown in the combo box just below. To select a different product, click on the drop-down arrow to view a list of available names. The module list box displays all known modules for the current product. Many modules have optional adjustments you can make to personalize them to your own liking. These options are displayed in the middle panel of the configuration window. You can preview the effect of your current settings by double-clicking on a module's name, or by selecting the Demonstration button on the far right panel.

By default, Screen Play displays the optional controls for modules during demonstration mode. The control window can be dragged to a new location using your mouse if it's blocking something you'd like to see. If you prefer not to see the control window during demonstrations, you should disable the Controls in demo checkbox located on the General sub-panel (press PgDn to advance through the various sub-panels on the right side of the configuration window).

Which module will be my screen saver?

There will always be one module in the list box with either a blue selection bar or outline. In the absence of a play list (which we'll get to below), this is the module that Screen Play will use as your screen saver whenever it's time to take over your screen. Once you've highlighted the desired module, click the Ok button in the lower right corner of the configuration window to cause Screen Play to hide itself and wait quietly in the background until it's time to activate your module.

How do I play more than one screen saver at a time?
Once you get the hang of using Screen Play, you'll quickly decide that it's much more fun to have a variety of modules play during idle time instead of just one. No problem. What you need is a play list. A play list in Screen Play works just like you may already be used to for your music CDs. You simply choose the modules, their order and play times. You can even mix modules from multiple products in the same play list. There's even a randomizer.

Help on Products
Many Screen Play plug-in products have corresponding help files that can be displayed by clicking on their respective product logos when showing in the configuration panel.

Help on Modules
Many Screen Play plug-in modules have corresponding sections or topics within a private or shared help file. When available, you can usually jump directly to the desired help screen by clicking on the module's icon located above the module options panel.

Who made this thing...
Want to know who designed a specific product or module? You can usually right click on icons and logos to see a list of credits.

See also:

Basic Setup Panel
General Panel
Installation Panel
Activation Panel
Creating Play Lists
Adding Directories


The Power Switch

Using the Power Switch

The power switch in the upper right corner of the configuration panel is used to completely enable or disable the screen saver. Normally, this switch should be set to On. When the switch is Off, Screen Play is completely disabled. The primary purpose of this control is to provide a convenient means of turning the screen saver on and off without requiring you to change your Screen Play or Windows configuration files.

Want to redecorate?
Right clicking on the power switch will change its appearance.


Adding Additional Modules

How to Add Additional Screen Saver Modules

The Screen Play configuration panel is designed to handle an almost unlimited number of plug-in products and modules. These new files can come from CD roms, computer BBS's, on-line services, the Internet, and of course - computer stores.

As a full-featured screen saver manager, Screen Play is able to run all popular 16-bit screen saver module file types. This includes files with the following extensions: SCR, SVX, AD and IMX. This version of Screen Play cannot run 32-bit Windows 95 SCR files since its run-time engine is a 16-bit program. Screen Play can, however, run Windows 3.1 16-bit modules under Windows 95. This is important since the vast majority of screen savers are designed to be compatible with Windows 3.1.

Where to look for downloads by modem

There are hundreds of good places to look for hot screen saver modules. The best places are usually on the commercial on-line services, private BBS's or on the Internet.

For starters, be sure to check out PC Dynamics' site on the Internet:

Internet ftp:	ftp.pcdynamics.com

World Wide Web:	http://www.pcdynamics.com  HOT!

What You'll Find at Our Web Site:

• RoadKill Slots Screen Saver
• Energizer Bunny Screen Saver
• Popeye the Sailor Screen Saver
• NASCAR "Official" Screen Saver
• Lots of links to rich screen saver sites...

The Internet World Wide Web and FTP sites maintained by PC Dynamics are located on the same host computer and generally share the same file  information. Given a choice, most people find it easier to retrieve files from the World Wide Web using a good Web browser.

Plug-in Products
In Screen Play terminology, a plug-in product is simply a collection of related (plug-in) modules that are usually accompanied by a Table of Contents (tcx) file and a help (hlp) file. The table of contents file is mainly responsible for keeping the code and graphics used to display  the product's logo above its list of modules when presented in the Screen Play configuration panel. The help file is a normal Windows help file that contains descriptions for each of the product's modules.

Screen Play expects each product to be located in its own subdirectory.

If you purchase a Screen Play compatible plug-in product, the setup program will usually copy all the new files into an appropriate subdirectory under the SCRNPLAY base directory.

If you download products from a BBS, America OnLine, CompuServe or the Internet, you should create a separate subdirectory dedicated to that product under the SCRNPLAY base directory.

Each time Screen Play starts up it will scan all of the subdirectories in the SCRNPLAY base directory to dynamically build the list of product and module names it displays in the configuration panel.

If the subdirectory you create is not under the SCRNPLAY base directory, then you'll need to let Screen Play know its location by using the Add Directories dialog which is accessed from the Installation Advanced Setup panel. This is necessary since Screen Play's automatic new module detection works only for new products and modules which reside within or under its base directory.

Plug-in Modules
In addition to acquiring complete self-contained plug-in products, you will likely come across dozens of individual modules that you'll want  to add to your Screen Play collection.

When adding individual modules, you may either:

• Copy them into the SCRNPLAY base directory;

• Copy them into a subdirectory you've created under SCRNPLAY;

• Copy them to some other directory and use the Add Directories dialog to inform Screen Play of its location.

In the first two of these methods, Screen Play will automatically find the modules and present them for selection in its configuration panel. The only difference between these two methods is that modules found in a subdirectory will be grouped together and presented in a separate module list - just like a plug-in product. In this case, the subdirectory name will appear as one of the items in the product selection combo box.

The third method for locating new files requires a little bit more work on your part, but offers greater flexibility in terms of where files can reside on your hard disk or network.

The only real difference between plug-in modules and plug-in products is that  products usually include a couple extra files (tcx, hlp) which the configuration panel uses to grab logos, programming credits, long names and and so forth. Screen Play will work just fine without these files (using default information) if they're not available.

See also:

World Wide Web
Roadkill Slots Bonus Module
Adding Directories
Files used by Screen Play


Helpful Hints

Here's a few hints...

Some of the more important configuration panel buttons are described below:

This button is located on the Basic Setup panel and is used to preview the currently selected screen saver module.

The Controls in demo checkbox is used to specify that Screen Play should show the module options window during screen saver previews/demonstrations. If you prefer not to see this window over your preview screens, uncheck this field.

This button is used to overlay the controls on the right-most panel with a series of sub-panels containing a variety of additional configuration controls.

This button is used to display the module play list in the middle window panel. Play lists allow you to play programmed sequences of selected modules during idle time instead of just a single module. See Creating Play Lists

This button is used to add modules to the play list. The play list does not need to be visible. To add a module, position the selection bar over the module's name in the left-hand list box and click this button. The module will automatically be added to the end of the list.

When the play list is showing, this button will delete the current selection from the list. The current selection will be indicated using either a blue outline or solid highlight bar.

These buttons are used to reposition the selected item in the play list. The left button moves the item up, and the right button moves it down.

This button will send (minimize) the configuration panel to the background where it will wait until it's time to save your screen.

This button will terminate Screen Play. All current control settings will be preserved.

This Power Switch must be on for Screen Play to save  your screens during idle time.

If you want Screen Play to run automatically each time you start Windows, be sure to check this option. See Getting Started


Memory Requirements

How much memory is required?

Screen Play screen saver modules typically contain lots of animation and sound data that must be loaded into memory when they are being played. If there isn't enough memory available, some of these graphics and sounds will be lost. This problem is usually corrected by increasing the size of your Windows virtual swap file.

The minimum recommended combined size of your swap file and physical RAM memory is 16MB. For example, on a PC with 4MB of installed RAM, your swap file should be at least 12MB. The size of your swap file can be adjusted using the Windows Control Panel (see 386 Enhanced icon for Windows 3.x).

If your display is configured to show more than 256 colors or you are in a video resolution greater than 640x480, you may need a larger swap file or additional RAM to run certain modules.


Removing Screen Play

How to Remove Screen Play from your System

Follow these steps to cleanly remove Screen Play from your computer.

1.	Make sure the Run at Win Startup option on the Installation panel is off. This removes Screen Play from being referenced on the LOAD= line of your WIN.INI file.

2.	If you had ever enabled the Ctrl-Alt-Del Inhibit feature on the Installation panel, you'll need to manually remove the VxD it installed into your SYSTEM.INI file. Use NOTEPAD to delete the line: device=c:\scrnplay\scrnplay.386.

3.	Use your Windows File Manager to delete the Screen Play base directory (usually SCRNPLAY) and its subdirectories, as well as all the files contained within them.

Screen Play also uses a file named WAVEMIX.INI located in your Windows directory. This file could potentially be shared by another sound-intensive program or game. We recommend that you not delete this file unless you are sure that it isn't required by another application.


Repetitive Stress Panel

Using the Repetitive Stress Alarm

Repetitive stress injuries  such as carpal tunnel syndrome have become a major problem for computer users. These injuries are extremely painful and are typically caused by spending long hours at your computer without taking appropriate breaks. Although experts don't necessarily agree on how often and how long these breaks should be, they all do seem to agree on one thing: take a break, please!

To help toward this end, Screen Play incorporates a unique reminder alarm to warn you when it's time to take a break. This animated alarm is completely adjustable and includes a variety of essential features to help conform to your existing work habits with minimal inconvenience.

Each time the alarm goes off a small window (shown at left) pops up on your screen showing a countdown timer with the length of the recommended break period. This reminder window will not restrict your typing or impede your work in any way. It's simply a reminder that it's time to rest based upon parameters set by you. Your break will begin as soon as you stop using your keyboard and mouse for a few seconds. If the alarm ever goes off at an inconvenient time, you can select either Skip Break or Snooze to remove the window. If you type or click your mouse during a break, the program will assess a small penalty to the time remaining on your break for each key or mouse action. The break reminder window will disappear automatically when your break is over.

How Long and How Often?

There are many differing opinions on the recommended length and frequency of breaks. The stress alarm built into Screen Play is extremely flexible in that it does not force or impose any particular break model. If you already have symptoms of repetitive stress (numbness, tingling, sore hands), you should consider taking frequent breaks; possibly a five-minute rest every 15 or 20 minutes. Otherwise, a good starting point might be to take a five or ten minute break once an hour. In the end, it all comes down to personal preferences. Pick a starting point, and if it feels either too short or too long, simply change the settings using the break configuration dialog.

Configuring the Break Reminder

The first step in setting up your break reminder is to display the Repetitive Stress panel (shown below) under the Advanced Setup options and activate the Enable stress alarm control.

Next, click on Configure to display the Configure Stress Monitor dialog box. This dialog contains a variety of controls which allow you to adjust  the break reminder to your personal preferences.

You can simulate a break based upon the current configuration by clicking on the Test Stress Break button.

See Also
Configure Sress Monitor
Cats Paw Hand Exerciser


Skip Break

Cancels the current break and resets the stress level to zero. The stress alarm will behave as though you took your break and will continue normally from that point on -- accumulating more stress.


Snooze

The Snooze control works just like a snooze bar on an alarm clock. Pressing this button puts the break reminder window to sleep for the specified number of minutes; after which, it will pop back up again.

The +/- buttons to the right of the Snooze button can be used to adjust the length of the snooze.


Configure stress break
Configure Stress Monitor

How to Configure Stress Breaks

One of the best things you can do for yourself to help avoid developing a repetitive stress injury from using your computer is to take regular breaks. The stress alarm built into Screen Play helps remind you when it's time to rest by displaying the pop-up window shown at left. The frequency and length of your breaks can be configured based upon your personal preferences and work habits.

IMPORTANT: If you are already experiencing RSI symptoms such as numbness, tingling or sore hands, do not use this stress alarm as a substitute for seeing a doctor. See carpal tunnel syndrome.

Follow the steps below to configure your breaks:

Step 1.

The first thing you need to do is turn on the stress alarm feature by activating the Enable stress alarm control located on the Repetitive Stress setup panel.

Next, click the Configure button to display the Configure Stress Monitor dialog box.

Step 2.

Choose your stress threshold. You'll notice that there are two slider controls: one for your keyboard, and another for your mouse. This lets you adjust the sensitivity of the keyboard and mouse alarm levels separately. Moving the sliders to the right (higher numbers) increases the duration between breaks. If you're not already experiencing pain from repetitive stress, a good starting value is somewhere between 30 and 50. We refer to this setting as a stress threshold instead of a more familiar measurement such as "minutes" because the formulas used by Screen Play to determine your current level of stress take a variety of factors besides time into account. For now, consider the stress threshold to be the approximate number of active typing or mouse input minutes between breaks. Screen Play will automatically adjust this number as necessary in real time to account for natural breaks (such as when you answer the phone) or periods of increased activity.

Step 3.

Choose the length of your rest periods. Many experts recommend at least 10 minutes per hour. This could be accomplished either as a single 10-minute break once per hour, or as two or three smaller breaks spread evenly throughout that same period.

Step 4.

Choose the sounds you'd like Screen Play to use to announce the beginning and end of your breaks. If you don't have a sound card installed, your choice of sound will be limited to the standard system speaker beep you've come to know and love. In addition to any of Screen Play's built-in sounds, you also have the option of playing custom WAV files. This lets you be as creative as you'd like in choosing your announcements.

Step 5.

The Stress Level Meter slider at the bottom of the configuration dialog provides several options for helping you monitor your stress accumulations in real time. Normally this slider control should be set to Off. However, if you're having trouble determining the best stress threshold settings to use for your work habits, you can use this slider to enable a floating meter window similar to that shown below. You can watch this meter as you work to see how Screen Play is attributing stress to your various activities. Once you've arrived at your optimal threshold configuration, you'll likely want to disable this feature so the meter doesn't clutter your display.

To assist your experimentation with this meter,  you can adjust the current stress accumulation up or down by moving your mouse over either of the two bar graphs and holding the Shift key down while right or left clicking. Each click will add or subtract about a minute worth of stress to the running totals maintained inside the program. This capability is only for testing.

Step 6.

You're done, press OK.

See Also
Repetitive Stress Panel
Stress Monitor: The complete picture
Cats Paw Hand Exerciser


Advanced Stress Threshold Adjustments
Stress Monitor: The complete picture

How Screen Play Calculates Stress

Most people don't need to know the intricate details of how the stress monitor works; only that it does work.  But for those of you who insist on knowing exactly what's going on, or desire to alter the calculations, we've prepared this section just for you.

How the Stress Monitor works:

The Stress Monitor measures stress by maintaining stress counts for keyboard activity, mouse activity, and total activity.  The count represents roughly the number of minutes of continuous activity.  When a count reaches a user-determined threshold, the Stress Break window is displayed.

How a stress count is calculated:

Each minute the stress monitor observes keyboard or mouse activity it calculates a penalty or credit to be added to the three running stress accumulations (keyboard, mouse and total).  Each minute is broken into ten intervals.  The stress monitor determines whether there was keyboard and/or mouse activity in each interval.  If there was no activity, the number of consecutive intervals with no activity is used to determine any credits.  Note that the number of busy intervals for the total stress count is the number of intervals in which there was keyboard or mouse activity.

The number of busy intervals out of the minute is used to categorize the activity as none, low, medium, or high.  The SCRNPLAY.INI file settings low max busy and medium max busy determine the cutoff points between the levels.  Any penalty to be assessed is then determined by the INI file settings low cost, medium cost, and high cost.

Once the penalty for each type of activity is calculated, it is multiplied by a fatigue multiplier.  The fatigue multiplier is one plus the INI file setting fatigue multiplier as a percentage multiplied by the number of previous minutes during which there was activity, since the last completely idle minute.  For example, if the INI file setting fatigue multiplier is 2, and prior to this minute there were 6 minutes with some kind of activity since the last idle minute, the fatigue multiplier is 1.12.  Once the penalty is multiplied by the fatigue multiplier, it is added added to its corresponding stress count.

How credits are calculated:

A micro credit is assigned for the first ten idle intervals in a row.  The value credited is determined by the INI file setting micro credit.

A full credit is assigned for a sequence of idle intervals long enough to meet the time set on the Rest time slider.  A full credit resets the stress count to zero.

A mini credit is assigned each time the count of idle intervals meets the INI file setting mini length percentage of the full credit time.  The mini credit value is the INI file setting mini credit percentage multiplied by the stress threshold.  For example, if the rest time is 8 minutes, the mini break length is 25, the mini break credit is 20, and the current keyboard stress level is 1000, a sequence of 20 idle intervals (2 minutes) would gain a credit of 200 (20 percent of 1000).  (This ignores the micro credit, which would have already credited 100 at the 10-interval mark.)  In the same scenario, at 40 intervals and 60 intervals the stress level would again be reduced by 20 percent of the current level.  At 80 intervals, the full credit would kick in and empty the stress count.

How a stress threshold is calculated:

The threshold for mouse activity and keyboard activity is the mouse or keyboard threshold slider value multiplied by the penalty for a high activity minute, as determined by the INI file setting high cost.  The threshold for total activity is the larger of the mouse or keyboard thresholds.

What the Stress Level meter shows:

The stress level meter shows the current stress count and stress threshold for the lower of the mouse or keyboard thresholds, and for the total.

How the Stress Break dialog works:

Whenever the stress count for mouse keyboard, or total reaches or exceeds its corresponding threshold, the Stress Break window is displayed.  The window shows a countdown time which starts at the Rest Time set in the configuration dialog.  As soon as the user is idle for a minimum of 2 seconds, the counter begins to count downward.  Any key press or mouse click adds 10 seconds to the remaining time, but it won’t exceed the initial Rest Time value.

The Stress Break window contains a Skip Break button which causes the Stress Monitor to act as if the break has taken place.  Normally this means resetting the stress counts to 0.  The INI file setting empty on skip determines the percentage of the stress count that will be subtracted when the user hits Skip Break on the Stress Break dialog.  If it’s changed from its default value of 100 percent, the Stress Monitor will not empty the stress levels completely, but will instead reduce them by the indicated percentage.  For example, if the current total stress count is 1000, the total stress threshold is 400, and the empty on skip setting is 50, the new total stress level will be 500.  As this is still in excess of the total stress threshold, the Stress Break window will immediately reappear.

The Stress Break window contains a Snooze button which causes the Stress Break window to be hidden for the length of time indicated.  Snooze lengths can be set using the + and - buttons to the right of the Snooze button.  The minimum length is 2 minutes, and the maximum is 60 minutes.  Pressing Snooze allows the user to go on using the computer without resetting the stress counts or seeing the Stress Break window.  Note that the Stress Break window is still active while hidden - if the user rests for the appropriate amount of time, the window will disappear, and never wake up from the snooze.

Other INI file settings:

The settings keyboard threshold, mouse threshold, break time, start break sound, break over sound, show stress level, and volume represent the current settings of the controls in the Configure Stress Monitor dialog.

The setting snooze length represents the current value shown on the Snooze button.

The setting sound device id determines the ordinal of the sound device which the sound volume should control.  It’s necessary because Windows doesn’t provide a way to determine where a sndPlaySound( ) call will actually play.  In almost all cases the default value of zero will be correct, but in systems with multiple sound devices, it may be necessary to increment it until the volume slider controls the correct device.


Product Highlights

Screen Play is the Ultimate Screen Saver Manager

Here are just a few of Screen Play's most exciting features:

• Runs .SVX animated modules from PC Dynamics, Inc.

• Runs standard Windows 3.1 .SCR screen saver modules

• Runs .AD modules for AfterDark (Berkeley Systems International)

• Runs .IMX modules for Intermission (Delrina/Symantec)

• Fully compatible with both Windows 3.1 and Windows 95

• Allows screen savers to be located in any directory

• Supports module "Play Lists" using sequenced or random selection

• Screen saving can be activated using user-specified hot key

• Screen saving can be activated or prevented using mouse corners

• Takes up very little memory

• Does not interfere with printing, faxing or modem operations

• Provides security by use of personal or network passwords

• Includes support for Energy Star (DPMS) compliant monitors

• Can be run silently and automatically each time Windows is launched

• Contains an advanced repetitive stress typing break reminder module

• Users can be prevented from using Ctrl-Alt-Del to terminate a saver

• Very simple to use

Table of Contents

AfterDark is a registered trademark of Berkeley Systems International

Intermission is a registered trademark of Delrina


Roadkill Slots
Roadkill Slots Bonus Module!!!

Visit our World Wide Web home page and download this FREE bonus module just for stopping by.

This interactive slot machine screen saver is nothing short of extreme!  Lots and lots of great sounds and animations as you play this one-arm bandit with your mouse and go after the ultimate roadkill prize. Yes, line up three of a kind and SPLAT!  It's all part of the big circle of life...

Filesize is about 1MB so it may take several minutes to retrieve depending upon your modem speed. Requires 256 colors. Sound card recommended.

How to download Roadkill Slots:

1. On the Internet, use your Web browser to view our home page located at http://www.pcdynamics.com

2. Select the link to our Screen Saver area.

3. Locate and download the self-extracting compressed file named ROADKILL.EXE.

4. Uncompress  the file into your Screen Play directory  (normally named c:\scrnplay) by running the ROADKILL.EXE program.

5. The Roadkill module will appear automatically in the configuration panel the next time Screen Play is started.

Other Great Things at  Our Web Site:

• Energizer Bunny Screen Saver
• Popeye the Sailor Screen Saver
• NASCAR "Official" Screen Saver
• Lots of links to rich screen saver sites...

See Also
Adding Additional Modules


DPMS
DPMS is an abbreviation for Display Power Management Specification. Monitors which support this specification can be signaled through the video cable to put themselves into a reduced power state.


Energy Star
Energy Star is a specification established by the federal government outlining acceptable power consumption limits and guidelines for personal computers,  peripherals, and other related office equipment. The premise of Energy Star is to encourage manufacturers to develop power-efficient products.


svx
SVX is the file extension associated with native Screen Play animated screen saver plug-in modules.


License Agreement
Software License Agreement

Shareware Notice and Terms

INTRODUCTION

USE OF THIS PRODUCT BINDS YOU TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT.  PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY.  IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, THEN YOU MAY NOT USE THIS PRODUCT IN WHOLE OR PART IN ANY MANNER.   IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, CONTACT PC DYNAMICS, INC. AT 818-889-1742 OR VIA THE US MAIL AS DESCRIBED HEREIN.

THE SCREEN PLAY  PRODUCT IS A PROTECTED SOFTWARE PRODUCT AND IT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.  THIS PRODUCT IS AVAILABLE ONLY UNDER A LICENSE AGREEMENT.  IF YOU DO NOT ENTER INTO A LICENSE AGREEMENT, THEN YOU MAY NOT USE THIS SOFTWARE PAST THE SPECIFIED DEMONSTRATION PERIOD.

Please feel free to upload this software in its entirety to any electronic bulletin board.  Please feel free to download this software in its entirety from any electronic bulletin board. Please feel free to demonstrate this product on your computer for a period of 30 days prior to registering. Please feel free to give copies to others for their use in accordance with the terms of this license agreement.

COPYRIGHT

This software is protected by United States copyright laws and international trade and treaty provisions.  PC Dynamics stipulates that NO interest or title to intellectual property or inventions associated with this product is transferred to any individual or organization under the terms of this agreement.  All users agree to retain all copyright notices and restrictions which appear on the software.

RESTRICTIONS

1.    Individuals may use this software on ONE computer for an evaluation period not to exceed 30 days.  After 30 days, users are required to either register their use by submitting applicable registration payments, or to cease all use of this product.

2.    Companies may use this software on TWO computers for an evaluation period not to exceed 30 business days.  After 30 business days, companies must purchase registered copies from PC Dynamics, Inc. by submitting applicable purchase payments, or to cease all use of this product.

3.    Users may without charge reproduce and distribute evaluation copies of this product subject to the restrictions herein contained.  Copies of this software may be distributed on CD ROM in accordance with the current guidelines for such as published from time to time by the Association of Shareware Professionals and ONLY if written permission is obtained from PC Dynamics in advance of publication.

4.    This product may not be sold or otherwise provided as a part of a larger system, service, or in any other consideration that can be considered commercial benefit without a license agreement with PC Dynamics authorizing such activity.

5.    If this product is acquired for Department of Defense usage by government or civilian contractor, the terms of this license are superseded by 252.227-7013 or 52.227-19.

6.    This agreement will be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of California.

WARRANTY

PC Dynamics warrants that the software will perform substantially in accordance with the specifications of the licensed versions for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of user or company registration.

PC Dynamics will not warrant the product in any form prior to registration.

DISCLAIMER

NO OTHER WARRANTIES APPLY.  IN NO EVENT WILL PC DYNAMICS, INC. OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, SHAREHOLDERS, OR OTHER RELATED PARTIES BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY AT ANY TIME FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, LOSS OF REVENUES, LOSS OF GOODWILL, OR ANY OTHER LOSS, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE PRODUCT, OR RESULTING FROM A FAILURE IN THE PRODUCT FOR ANY CAUSE.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW FOR SOME  EXCLUSIONS, SO THESE RESTRICTIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

PC DYNAMICS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE IS ERROR FREE, OR THAT IT PERFORMS COMPLETELY AS DESIRED BY THE USER.  PC DYNAMICS DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, INCLUDING BUT NOT RESTRICTED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS.

CONTACT

All registered users may ask questions of PC Dynamics, Inc. during normal business hours, at 818-889-1742. Technical Support will not be given to unregistered users. The principal mailing address is 31332 Via Colinas, Suite 102, Westlake Village, CA 91362-3910. FAXed inquiries may be directed to 818-889-1014.

SEVERABILITY

In the event of invalidity of any provision of this agreement, the parties agree that such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this license.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

User and appropriate company personnel acknowledge that you have read this License Agreement, understand it, and that it is the complete and exclusive statement of your agreement with PC Dynamics concerning this evaluation of Screen Play.  This agreement supersedes prior agreements, written or oral, and any other correspondence or communications between PC Dynamics, Inc. and the user relating to the product discussed or the subject of this agreement.

VALUE ADDED RESELLERS AND MANUFACTURERS

Please contact PC Dynamics to find out about our attractive VAR and OEM distribution licenses.

How to Order


How to Order
How to Order Screen Play™

Screen Play 2.0 Screen Saver Manager

This copy of Screen Play is "Shareware." It is not "Public Domain", and it is not "Freeware." The purpose of this Shareware version is to allow you to evaluate the product for 30 days, after which time you must either purchase a registered copy, or delete the software from your system and discontinue use.

In the spirit of Shareware's "try before you buy" philosophy, this copy of Screen Play is fully operational (not crippled) and identical to its commercial counterpart except for the registration reminder window which is displayed every so often, and the repetitive stress break reminder features which are configurable, yet not available at run-time.

See our License Agreement for further details on shareware.

Save 50% by Registering via our 24HR 900-line Service!!!

Register your current copy of Screen Play in less than two minutes using PC Dynamics' exclusive 24-hour pay-per-call 900 telephone service. To encourage you to register electronically, we cut the price in half. That's right. Register using our pay-per-call service and pay only $10. This amount will be charged to your phone bill just like any other pay-per-call service you might already be familiar with. Simply run the REGISTER.EXE program located in the same directory as Screen Play and follow the on-screen instructions.You don't need a modem, but you will need a pencil to write down the four-digit activation code you'll be given over the phone. It really is that easy!

Need more details? Click Here.

Why Register?

1. To stop the program from displaying Shareware reminder messages.

2. To fully enable the repetitive stress break reminder features.

3. Because you enjoy using the product.

Need the latest diskette?

If you prefer not to register using our pay-per-call service, or wish to have us send you the latest copy of  Screen Play on diskette, read on...

We certainly understand that using pay-per-call telephone services doesn't appeal to everyone. Not to worry. PC Dynamics will glady accept your order via any of the traditional methods described below. We'll even send you the latest copy of the product on 3 1/2" diskette within a few days after receiving your order and payment.

Mail Order Pricing:  $20 (U.S.) each plus $5 Shipping
Canadian orders require $10 shipping
CA 8.25% Sales tax will be added where required.

When ordering by mail or email, please be sure to include your name, complete postal mailing address, phone number and payment. We can accept MasterCard, VISA or personal checks as payment for your order. Credit card orders must include the exact name printed on the card, account number and expiration date. Orders will usually be shipped via U.S. Mail within seven days after receipt.

We have many products - be sure to mention Screen Play on your order.

Please use any of the following methods to place your order:

• Send Internet Mail order to sales@pcdynamics.com

• Send CompuServe Mail order to 70711,422

• Send order by U.S. Mail to:

PC Dynamics, Inc.
31332 Via Colinas, #102
Westlake Village, CA 91362

• Fax your order to (818)889-1014

• Place your order by phone to (818)889-1741

PC Dynamics offers several volume puchase discount plans, including corporate site licenses and OEM distribution agreements. Please call us if you would like more information on any of these programs.

Thank you!


Pay-Per-Call Registration

How to Register Screen Play by Phone

You can register your existing copy of Screen Play using any touch-tone telephone 24 hours a day using PC Dynamics' exclusive pay-per-call 900-line service. No modem is required.

This service is not available outside the United States.

Here's how it works...

First, run the REGISTER.EXE program that's located in your Screen Play directory. The easiest way to do this is to double-click on the icon that was created for it when you installed Screen Play. This program contains a single dialog box that displays the four-digit product code for Screen Play as well as a unique four-digit number that identifies your personal computer. There's also a place for you to type in the activation code you'll receive when you call the 900 service. You do not need to be sitting at your computer when you call, but you will need to have these numbers available and be prepared to write down your activation code. Once you enter your code, the program will create a file named scrnplay.key in your Screen Play directory containing all the information needed to see that you've registered. From then on, you won't see any more Shareware reminder notices and you'll have full access to the repetitive stress break reminder features built into the product.

This whole process only takes two minutes. The phone number to call and the special codes are all on one screen. When you call the service you'll be given the opportunity to verify each of the numbers you key in, and the final activation code will be repeated twice. If you're not at your computer when you call, you can rerun the REGISTER program and enter your activation code at a later time. The REGISTER program will report the same numbers to you each time it is run to make it easy for you to simply run it again if something goes wrong. Even if you enter the wrong code, you won't have to call the 900 service a second time if you have the right code written down. Just run REGISTER again and input the correct numbers.

The billing for this automated registration will appear on your next phone bill just like any other 900 pay-per-call services you may already be familiar with. The cost of the call is a flat $10. There are no per-minute charges. Take as long as you need to answer the prompts correctly and confirm your choices.

When done, you may want to make a backup of the scrnplay.key file that was created in case you ever delete it by mistake. As long as you've got this file, you'll never have to call and get another activation code. Also, if you save your activation code, you'll be able to recreate the key file from scratch whenever necessary by running REGISTER on the same computer it was run from originally.

If you ever change computers or reformat your hard drive, you won't need a new activation code as long as you've kept a copy of scrnplay.key along with the rest of your Screen Play files.


Adding Screen Saver Directories

Adding a New Screen Saver Directory

If you have screen saver modules located in directories other than under the C:\SCRNPLAY base directory, you'll need to tell Screen Play where to look for them.

To add a directory to the search list:

Step 1.

Click the Add Directories button located on the Installation setup panel. Screen Play will scan your computer looking for directories containing screen saver modules and present  the results for editing.

Step 2.

If the directory you wish to add is one of these special areas that Screen Play already knows about, all you have to do is check the appropriate box to the left of the directory's description.

Step 3.

If the desired directory is not listed in the group from Step 2, then locate its name in the drop-down list control pictured below and choose Add. This will add the directory's name to Screen Play's list of search paths at the bottom of the dialog. By default, the directories presented here will not include network drives. If the directory you're looking for is located on a network, check the Include network drives box and select Rescan drives.

Step 4.

Once you've added the directory to the search list, you can optionally specify a long name to use in place of the directory's real name when displayed in Screen Play's main configuration window. This is done by clicking on its name in the list box and typing the new name into the Product Name edit control as shown below. If you make a mistake, you can select Reset Name to change the name back to its original value. You can remove unwanted directories by clicking on their names and choosing the Remove button.

Step 5.

You're done, press OK.

See Also
Adding Additional Modules


Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

What You Should Know About CTS

Information contained on this page has been excerpted from document #705001 published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In recent years, reports of repetitive motion injuries have risen dramatically in workplaces across the country. These problems, frequently termed Cumulative Trauma Disorders are being reported at alarming rates in all types of workplaces - from meatpacking plants to newspaper pressrooms. Of all these disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome is the condition most frequently reported.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel receives its name from the 8 bones in the wrist, called carpals, that form a tunnel-like structure. The tunnel is filled with flexor tendons which control finger movement. It also provides a pathway for the median nerve to reach sensory cells in the hand. Repetitive flexing and extension of the wrist may cause thickening of the protective sheaths which surround each of the tendons. The swollen tendon sheaths, or tenosynovitis, apply increased pressure on the median nerve and produce carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

What are the Symptoms of CTS?

The symptoms of CTS often first appear as painful tingling in one or both hands during the night; frequently painful enough to disturb sleep. Accompanying this is a feeling of uselessness in the fingers, which are sometimes described as feeling swollen, even though little or no swelling is apparent. As symptoms increase, tingling may develop during the day, commonly in the thumb, index and ring fingers. A decreased ability and power to squeeze things may follow. In advanced cases, the thenar muscle at the base of the thumb atrophies, and strength is lost.

Many patients with CTS are unable to differentiate hot from cold by touch, and experience an apparent loss of strength in their fingers. They appear clumsy in that they have trouble performing simple tasks such as tying their shoes or picking up small objects.

What Causes CTS?

As stated earlier, swelling of the tendons that line the carpal tunnel causes CTS. Although there are many reasons for developing this swelling of the tendon, it can result from repetitive and forceful movements of the wrist during work and leisure activities. NIOSH research indicates that job tasks involving highly repetitive manual acts, or necessitating wrist bending or other stressful wrist postures, are connected with incidents of CTS or related problems. Moreover, it is apparent that this hazard is not confined to a single industry or job, but occurs in many occupations -- especially those in the manufacturing sector. Indeed, jobs involving cutting, small parts assembly, finishing, sewing and cleaning seem predominantly associated with the syndrome. The factor common in these jobs is the repetitive use of small hand tools.

How Large of a Problem is CTS?

In the past ten years, more and more cases of workers afflicted with CTS have been reported in medical literature. One reason for this increase may be that automation and job specialization have fragmented workers' tasks to the point where a given job may involve only a few manipulations performed thousands of times per workday. Increased public awareness of work related risk factors has led to an increased number of requests for NIOSH health hazard evaluations (HHEs) to investigate suspected problems.

Prevention

NIOSH recommendations for controlling carpal tunnel syndrome have focused on ways to relieve awkward wrist positions and forceful arm and hand movements. NIOSH recommends redesigning tools or tool handles to enable the user's wrist to maintain a more natural position during work. Other recommendations have involved modified layouts of work stations. Still other approaches include altering the existing method for performing the job task, providing more frequent rest breaks, and rotating workers across jobs. Tool and process redesign are preferable to administrative means, such as job rotation, as a means of prevention.

Treatment

The treatment of CTS may involve surgery to release the compression on the median nerve and/or use of anti-inflammatory drugs and hand splinting to reduce tendon swelling in the carpal tunnel. Cases of CTS may cost as much as $30,000 to treat.

See Also
Cats Paw Hand Exerciser


Cats Paw Announcement
Announcing the Cats Paw® Hand Exerciser!

A Revolutionary Technique for the Prevention and Relief of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The Cats Paw hand exerciser exercises the opening muscle groups of your hands and arms. This restores the natural biomechanical balance that your hands have lost due to typing or repetitive overuse in the closing direction.

Using the Cats Paw on a regular basis will strengthen your hands and help protect you from developing painful repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Exercising is Easy! Simply insert your fingertips into the holes and stretch the neoprene fabric outward by opening your hand while spreading your fingers.

The Cats Paw offers a safe and effective exercise program which can be performed at home, at work, or just about anywhere. Keep a Cats Paw next to your computer to use during breaks. This is especially effective when used in conjunction with the break reminder capabilities included with Screen Play.

Retail Price $12.95

Ask for the Cats Paw at computer and drug chain stores or call 1-800-CATSPAW to locate a dealer in your area.

Corporate Safety Programs
PC Dynamics has developed a series of effective corporate safety programs designed to help employers educate  and encourage employees to take positive steps toward preventing hand-related stress injuries. These programs include interactive training materials, customized screen savers, Cats Paws and a host of other essential tools for maintaining a healthy workplace. To find out more about how your company can be a leader in the fight against repetitive stress injuries call 1-800-CATSPAW.

Cats Paw is a registered trademark
U.S. Patent 5,366,436