Copyright: CRT Spray Copyright 1995, Charles Mason


Table of Contents

Part 1: Guide

About Shareware

Registering CRT Spray

About screen savers

CRT Spray and screen savers

What's new in this version

Future features

CRT Spray overview/tutorial

Tips and recommendations

Part 2: Reference

The Blank Now menu item

The Setup the current saver menu item

The Options menu item

The Uninstall menu item

The Help menu item

The Registering CRT Spray menu item

The About CRT Spray menu item

The Options dialog box

The Look for more screen savers dialog box

Part 3: Screen Saver Reference

Randomizer

Hippos

Bulldozer

Fireworks

Picture Clock


About screen savers

Screen savers are programs that blank the screen if the computer has been sitting unused for a certain period of time. Blanking the screen in this way has three advantages:

 It hides any sensitive information that may be on the screen. There are corporate spies and NSA people everywhere. Screen savers keep them from accessing your computer when you are away. Screen savers do this by blanking the screen and not letting anyone use your computer unless they have a password. (Password protection is an option that can be disabled if you don't need to be secretive.)

 It prevents phosphor burn. Phosphor burn occurs when an image is on the screen for an extended period of time. If the image stays on too long, the image is literally burned into the monitor. Once that happens the monitor is ruined.

Newer monitors are more resistant to phosphor burn, so screen savers aren't as vital to your computer's well-being as they once were. Still, it's nice to know that your not taking risks. But if your computer has a EGA or Monochrome monitor, then it is susceptible.

 Screen savers look cool! Some just leave the screen blank, but others simulate fireworks or flying hippos.

There are many different types of screen savers. A popular type is After Dark*, made by Berkeley Systems*. Microsoft* Windows* has it's own form of screen savers, commonly called "SCR" screen savers. If your computer runs Windows*, then you can display "SCR" screen savers. There is a third type of screen saver called IdleWild. IdleWild screen savers are included in the Microsoft Entertainment Packs. CRT Spray supports "SCR" screen savers and IdleWild screen savers. Compatibility with After Dark screen savers may be supported by a later version of CRT Spray.

See Also: CRT Spray and screen savers

* After Dark and Berkley Systems are registered trademarks of Berkley systems. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.


CRT Spray and screen savers

CRT Spray is a utility that enhances the capabilities of "SCR" screen savers. Normally you configure "SCR" screen savers in the Control Panel. The Control Panel gives you:

 The ability to blank the screen after a specified period of inactivity.

 Password protection.

 Support for IdleWild screen savers.

 The ability to run screen saver files that are in the windows directory (and only the windows directory).

By using CRT Spray instead of the Control Panel, you can do all the above and more! Here are the features CRT Spray has that Control Panel doesn't:

 Screen savers can be turned on when the mouse cursor is in a corner.

 Screen savers can be turned on when Windows* starts up, forcing a user to enter a password to continue.

 Screen saver files can be run from any directory (or directories) you want.

 Hard drives, floppy drives, CD-ROM drives, and network drives can be scanned for additional screen savers.

 Screen saver settings can be modified more easily.

 5 new, high quality screen savers are bundled with CRT Spray.

To learn to use CRT Spray, see CRT Spray overview/tutorial.

To see a list of features that may be incorporated into future versions of CRT Spray, see Future Features.

 REMEMBER: CRT Spray is distributed under the Shareware concept. If you like it, you should register.

* Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.


What's new in this version

This is the first version of CRT Spray, so there's nothing to report here... yet.

To see a list of features already included, see CRT Spray and screen savers.

To see a list of features that are planned to be incorporated in future versions, see Future features.


Future features

Here's a list of features I'm considering for future releases of CRT Spray. Don't expect all of these to be implemented, but these are the sorts of things that will show up:

 A "no blank" corner, to supplement the "auto blank" corner.

 An enhanced screen saver search capability, with the ability to copy screen savers to a central location if desired. You will also be able to preview screen savers before you add them to the list.

 More high quality screen savers.

 A screen saver hot-key.

 Modifiable descriptions. If you don't like a screen saver's name, then change it!

 A universal password, so you don't have to set up a password for each screen saver.

 "Auto blank" and "no blank" lines instead of corners. For example, if you put the mouse at the top of the screen a screen saver would start.

 A password dialog box that would go away instead of just sitting there, burning a hole in your monitor. (Unfortunately this would only work with CRT Spray's own screen savers -- no one else's)

 A wallpaper changer, that will change your wallpaper each time a screen saver runs.

 Different screen saver groups, so you can sort screen savers into categories.

 Drag and drop support. Simply drag in a screen saver file into CRT Spray to add it to the list.

 A tool that lets you filter out unwanted screen saver entries in CONTROL.INI.

* Windows is a trademark of Microsoft corporation.


CRT Spray overview/tutorial

CRT Spray is displayed as an icon at the bottom of the screen. This is what it looks like:

CRT Spray's menu:

If you click on the icon once, the system menu pops up. From here you can do a number of things. These are listed below.

INSTRUCTIONS: Clicking on the green text will bring up additional information about that menu item. After you have finished reading the additional information, click on the "Back" button at the top of the help window. That will return you to this screen.

Blank Now. This command starts a screen saver.

Setup the current saver... This command brings up a dialog box that lets you adjust the settings for the "current" screen saver.

Options... This command lets you:

 Choose which screen saver to use, set it up, and test it.

 Make the screen saver turn on automatically when Windows starts up.

 Configure the timer delay.

 Configure the Auto blank corner.

 Look for screen savers in other directories, drives, or network servers.

 Remove screen savers.

Uninstall. This command removes CRT Spray from your hard drive.

Help. This command brings up help's table of contents.

Registering CRT Spray. This command begins the registration process.

About CRT Spray. This text brings up CRT Spray's version number, copyright information, etc.

How to do some common tasks:

Explanations for how to do some common tasks are listed below:

Starting a screen saver

There are three ways to start a screen saver:

1. You can start it manually by selecting Blank Now from CRT Spray's menu.

2. You can start it by putting the mouse cursor in the "Auto blank" corner. By default, this is the lower left corner.

3. It will start automatically if there hasn't been any input from the mouse or keyboard for a certain period of time.

Stopping a screen saver

You can stop a screen saver by moving the mouse or by typing something. If password protection has been enabled, you must also enter a password.

Using password protection

You set up password protection in each screen saver's configuration dialog. You can bring up the password configuration dialog by:

1. Double-clicking on CRT Spray's icon. (This brings up CRT Spray's Options dialog)

2. Clicking the "Setup" button in the Options dialog. (This brings up the current screen saver's configuration dialog).

3. Enable password protection by clicking on the "password protected" check-box. (The "password protected" check-box is usually  at the bottom of the dialog.)

4. Click the "Set Password" button. (This brings up the "Change password" dialog.)

5. Type in the old password (if required). Then type the new password.

6. Click OK to clear the "Change password" dialog.

7. Click OK to clear the screen saver's configuration dialog.

8. Click OK to clear CRT Spray's Options dialog.

Other things you should know

There are some things you should know about how CRT Spray operates that may cause problems or confusion down the road. These topics are covered in Tips and recommendations.


Tips and recommendations

Below are some things you should keep in mind when using screen savers with CRT Spray:

 CRT Spray must be loaded at all times to work properly. If it doesn't load automatically at startup, you should add it to Program Manager's StartUp group. Refer to your Windows manual for information on how to do this.

 CRT Spray keeps a database of screen saver files. If you delete any screen saver files, you should follow these directions:

1. Bring up CRT Spray's options dialog.

2. Click the "Refresh the screen saver list" button.

 If you move any screen saver files, you should follow these directions:

1. Bring up CRT Spray's options dialog.

2. Click the "Refresh the screen saver list" button. This makes sure that CRT Spray won't look for the files in their old location.

3. Click the "Look for more screen savers" button, and tell CRT Spray to look in the directory that the files have been moved to.

 It is not recommended that you run screen savers from floppy disks, CD-ROM drives, or network paths. This is because the screen saver files may not be available at all times. Instead, you should copy new screen savers to your computer's hard drive, and run them from there.


About Shareware

Shareware is a marketing concept that lets small fry (like me) get into the software market without having to dish out all kinds of cash for advertising. Here's how it works:

1. User (you) downloads CRT Spray from an on-line service, or gets it from a friend, or buys it from a Shareware distributor.

2. User tries out CRT Spray to see if he/she likes it. If user likes it, then user pays a registration fee.

3. Shareware author (me) receives your money, and promptly mails the latest version of CRT Spray and provides customer support to the user (you).

Shareware is not:

Public Domain software. Public Domain software has no copyright. The author has no legal rights over Public Domain software. Shareware is copyrighted.

Freeware. Freeware is free. Shareware isn't. You are expected to pay the registration fee if you continue using CRT Spray.

Demoware or Crippleware. These software packages lack functionality. Shareware comes complete -- nothing is disabled. (Some people call Demoware or Crippleware Shareware. They are mistaken.)

Olderware. Olderware are older versions of a software package. Shareware isn't. If you receive an older version of CRT Spray, it is only because the place you got it from hadn't bothered to update to the latest version. I always release the latest versions of CRT Spray to the public.

For information on registering, see Registration.


Registration

If you use CRT Spray for more than 30 days, you must register it. Registration costs $20 US. When I receive the money, I'll send the latest version of CRT Spray (just in case you're using an out-dated version). You will also receive product support by phone and e-mail. Shipping and handling are included in the price. Here's how to register:

1. Double-click on the CRT Spray icon. (The monitor and spray can thingy at the bottom of your screen. Here's what it looks like:)

2. Click on the "Registration" button.

3. A word-processor will pop up with the registration form loaded into it. Fill out the form, print it, and mail it in with your check or money order. There are additional instructions on how to do this on the form.

You can also register using the Registering CRT Spray menu item, or by clicking the Register now button on CRT Spray's about dialog box.


Blank Now

This menu item starts the current screen saver.

There are two other ways to start a screen saver. They are usually easier to use than the Blank Now menu item:

1. Put the mouse cursor in the "hot corner". By default the hot corner is the lower left-hand corner of your screen.

2. Don't use the computer for a specified amount of time. Then the screen saver will start automatically. You can set how long CRT Spray must wait in the options dialog.


Setup the current saver...

This menu item brings up the current screen saver's configuration dialog box.

A screen saver's configuration dialog box lets you change the screen saver's options. It is also where you turn on and configure password protection.


Options...

This menu item brings up the options dialog. The options dialog lets you do several things:

 It lets you change the current screen saver.

 It lets you start a screen saver when Windows* starts. This forces someone to enter the password before they can do anything else. (Provided that the password protection is turned on.)

 It lets you change the idle time required for the screen saver to start.

 It lets you configure the hot corner.

 It lets you look for more screen savers.

 It lets you delete screen savers.

 It lets you test and configure the current screen saver.

There are two ways to get to the options dialog.

1. You can bring up CRT Spray's menu, and then select the Options... menu item, or

2. You can double-click on CRT Spray's icon.

For more information, see the Options dialog box.

* Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.


Help

This menu item brings up help's Table of Contents.

You can also get help at any time by pressing the F1 key. Many dialog boxes have help buttons, too.


About CRT Spray

This menu item brings up CRT Spray's credits. The dialog itself looks like this:

You can register CRT Spray from this dialog. To do this, click the Register now button. You should register CRT Spray if you have used it for more than 30 days. This is because CRT Spray works on the shareware marketing concept.

For more information about the registration process, see Registering CRT Spray .

For more information about the shareware marketing concept, see About Shareware .


Looking for screen savers

The dialog below lets you choose a directory that CRT Spray will search:

You bring up the dialog by:

1. Selecting the "Options..." menu item.

2. Clicking on the "Look for more screen savers" button, located at the bottom of the options dialog.

To select a directory to search, click on it. Then click "Search" to begin the search.

To list the sub-directories in a directory, or to look in another drive, double-click on the desired directory or drive.

If you want CRT Spray to look at all the nested files in a directory's sub-directories, then check the "Look in subdirectories" check-box.

To clear the dialog without performing a search, click "Cancel".


Options dialog box
The Options dialog box

The Options dialog box looks like this:

Name is the name of the current screen saver. You can change it by clicking on the down arrow and choosing a new name from the provided list.

If the Blank at startup checkbox is checked, then the current screen saver will load when windows is started. If this option is used and password protection in enabled, the person operating the computer will be forced to enter a password before entering Windows*.

Delay is the period of inactivity that must pass before the current screen saver starts.

If the Enable/disable time delayed blanking checkbox is not checked, then the current screen saver won't load after a period of inactivity.

The Upper left, Lower left, Upper right and Lower right radio buttons select which corner becomes the auto blank corner. Enable/disable corner makes the corner available or unavailable.

The Look for more screen savers button brings up the Look for more screen savers dialog box.

The Remove the current screen saver button removes the current screen saver from the list. It does not delete any screen saver files, however.

The Refresh the screen saver list button verifies that all the screen saver files are where they are expected. If they are not, then the screen saver(s) in question are removed from the list. This is useful if you have deleted some screen savers and you don't want them to show up in the list anymore.

The OK button saves all the changes you have made in the Options dialog.

The Cancel button clears the Options dialog without saving any of the changes that may have been made.

The Test button starts the currently selected screen saver.

The Setup button brings up the current screen saver's configuration dialog.

The Help button brings up this help screen.

The Registration button begins the registration process. For more information about registration, See Registering CRT Spray .

* Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.


Uninstall

This command removes CRT Spray. Uninstall does the following:

1. It deletes the CRT Spray program. (As well as a number of associated files.)

2. It deletes all 5 CRT Spray screen savers.

3. It turns off SCR screen saver activity. (You can re-enable it from the Control Panel if desired.)


Randomizer

Overview

Randomizer itself doesn't display anything. Instead, it selects another screen saver and passes control over to it. There are two methods that Randomizer uses when selecting a screen saver to launch:

1. It can cycle through the list of screen savers sequentially, or

2. It can pick a screen saver randomly.

You can also tell Randomizer to never use certain screen savers.

Randomizer's Configuration Dialog

Randomizer's configuration dialog looks like this:

The Modify Candidate list button brings up a dialog box that lets you choose which screen savers Randomizer will choose from. For more information about this dialog, see Modifying the Candidate list below.

The Go through the list sequentially and Go through the list randomly radio buttons let you select which method Randomizer will use when deciding which screen saver to start.

The area marked "THIS SPACE RESERVED FOR FUTURE FUNCTIONALITY" will contain a feature that I haven't implemented yet, but will appear in CRT Spray version 2.0.

Modifying the Candidate list

When you click the Modify candidate list button in Randomizer's configuration dialog, the following dialog box pops up:

As you can see, this dialog is composed of two lists. The list of the left contains screen savers that Randomizer will never use. The list of the right contained screen savers that Randomizer can use.

To move a screen saver from the left column to the right column, select it (by clicking on it) and click on the Add >> button.

To move a screen saver from the right column to the left column, select it and click on the << Remove button.

When you've finished selecting screen savers, click OK to save the changes you have made. Click Cancel to exit the dialog without saving the changes.


Hippos

Overview

This screen saver invades your screen with hordes of flying hippos.

Hippos' Configuration Dialog

Hippos' configuration dialog looks like this:

Number of hippos refers to the number of hippos that are on the screen at any one period of time. You can have no more than 20 hippos present at any moment.

Refresh screen every XXX ms. refers to how fast the animation is. 1000 ms equals one second. The lower the number, the faster the animation. 55 ms. is the fastest speed available. At this speed the animation is running at 18 frames per second. To give you an idea of how fast that is, Television runs at 25 frames per second.

If the Sound effects check-box is checked, then the hippos will periodically snort.

If the Password protection check-box is checked, then password protection is enabled. You can change the password by clicking on the Set Password button.


Bulldozer

Overview

This screen saver bulldozes your screen away.

Bulldozer's Configuration Dialog

Bulldozer's configuration dialog looks like this:

Refresh screen every XXX ms. refers to how fast the animation is. 1000 ms equals one second. The lower the number, the faster the animation. 55 ms. is the fastest speed available. At this speed the animation is running at 18 frames per second. To give you an idea of how fast that is, Television runs at 25 frames per second.

If the Sound effects check-box is checked, then the bulldozer's diesel engine will thrum monotonously.

If the Password protection check-box is checked, then password protection is enabled. You can change the password by clicking on the Set Password button.


Fireworks

Overview

This screen saver fills your screen with a fireworks display.

Fireworks' Configuration Dialog

Fireworks' configuration dialog looks like this:

If the Fountains checkbox is checked, then fountains will periodically appear. If the Rockets checkbox is checked, then rockets will periodically explode. At least one of these check-boxes must be checked.

If Strobe sparkles is checked, then some rockets will have those cool strobe sparkle things.

Number of sparks refers to the number of sparks each firework can contain. You can have as little as 50 sparks, or as many as 500. Number of fireworks refers to the number of rockets or fountains that are visible at any one time. You will want to configure these two settings according to the speed of your computer. For example, my 486 chokes when trying to display 3 fireworks containing 500 sparks each. 3 fireworks containing 120 sparks each is a better match for my computer's capabilities.

If the Sound effects check-box is checked, then firework sound effects will be enabled. I strongly recommend turning this on. You'll need a sound card to do it, though.

If the Password protection check-box is checked, then password protection is enabled. You can change the password by clicking on the Set Password button.


Picture Clock

Overview

This screen saver takes your favorite bitmap and turns it into an analog clock-face. You can also choose from several pictures included with the screen saver (Discus is my favorite).

Picture Clock's Configuration Dialog

Picture Clock's configuration dialog looks like this:

The Bitmap Options section of the dialog lets you choose which picture to use. You can choose from:

 Clock face: A 3D clock face showing the hours.

 Rowboat: A rowboat and a lighthouse-topped spit. Available in 2 and 256 colors.

 Discus: A tropical freshwater fish found in the Amazon Basin and fish tanks everywhere.

 Fractal: Your typical mandelbrot fractal.

 Other: Any 2, 16, or 256 color bitmap file. Just type in the filename in the space provided. The bitmap can't be smaller than 100 pixels by 100 pixels, or larger than the dimensions of your screen minus 100 pixels (each way).

Move bitmap every XX seconds lets you select how often the clock moves. The clock must move in order to ensure that there is no phosphor burn.

If the Ticking sound check-box is checked, then the second hand will make a ticking sound when it moves.

If the Border on/off check-box is checked, then there will be a border around the picture. The width of the boarder is specified by the Width option.

The color of the border and the clock hands can be changed by modifying the Red, Green and Blue values.

If the Password protection check-box is checked, then password protection is enabled. You can change the password by clicking on the Set Password button.