Copyright: AquaScape Help - Copyright 1997, Run Productions


Welcome to AquaScape

Thank you for choosing AquaScape.  You've chosen a leading edge product to add to your screensaver collection.  AquaScape is a fully featured Windows 95/98/NT compliant 32-bit screensaver package that brings the joys and enchantments of an aquarium right to your desktop.  You can easily customize nearly every aspect of your aquarium if you wish to do so.

AquaScape features:

* Vast customization - Almost every aspect of the program can be easily customized and most options can be changed dynamically while the aquarium is running via an easy pull down menu interface.

* Both standard rectangular and circular aquarium views, from partial to full-screen, complete with panning and zooming!

* Realistic air tubes and bubbles, complete with sound effects

* Extensive landscaping abilities with 2 dozen aquatic plants and rocks

* 23 tropical/saltwater fish and 10 other animated creatures to choose from

* 5 colors of water to choose from

* 5 colors of gravel to choose from plus multi-colored gravel

* 9 tank decor borders to choose from

* Swaying plants – configurable in amount and speed

* Several program models to take advantage of maximum performance on anything from a 486 to a fast Pentium

* Runs well in both med-res and hi-res modes and supports both 256 and true color graphics

* Bonus Image gallery featuring 15 beautiful hi-res (1024*768) aquatic photos

* Support for password protection

* Support for DirectX

* Also included is a beginner's guide to starting your own real aquarium

A Demo version of AquaScape is available.  Many features are included in the demo release to enable you to try before you buy, but you must purchase the commercial version to enjoy all the features.  See the Order section for more information.

For easy instructions on installing AquaScape, see the Getting Started section.

Once you’ve installed AquaScape, you can easily configure just about every aspect of the program.  Most settings can be changed dynamically while the aquarium is running via a easy pull down menu interface. Press F1 while the program is running to bring up the pull down menu.  The remainder of this guide focuses on all of the features and options available to you.

Don’t forget to visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.runproductions.com


Getting Started

Installing AquaScape

Run Setup.

Configuring AquaScape

Almost every aspect concerning AquaScape’s performance and features may be configured using the AquaScape Control Center, available from your start menu.  You may also configure AquaScape by bringing up the Windows 95/98/NT screen saver settings (by right-clicking your desktop, choosing properties, and selecting the screen saver tab), choosing AquaScape, and clicking Configure.  Any changes you make in the configuration will be saved automatically when you exit.

You can also make changes to AquaScape while it’s running, using a pull down menu interface or the keyboard keys.  To bring up the pull down menu, press F1 while the aquarium is running.  Note, any changes you make while the aquarium is running will be temporary unless you choose the Save Options menu choice from the pull down menu.

Running AquaScape

If you chose to have AquaScape setup as your default screen saver when you installed it, AquaScape will automatically run when your system is idle for a while.  Otherwise, you can set AquaScape as your default screen saver by right-clicking your desktop, choosing properties, selecting the screen saver tab, and choosing AquaScape in the screen saver list.

You can also run AquaScape anytime you want by choosing it in your start menu or running it from explorer.

Exiting AquaScape

If AquaScape is invoked as a screensaver, simply moving the mouse will cause it to exit.  You can also press the Esc key to exit.  If AquaScape is run from the start menu or from explorer, AquaScape will only exit when you hit the Esc key.


Program Models

AquaScape has several built in program models that automatically set all other options according to a certain theme.  For more information about the options mentioned below, right-click any configuration item in AquaScape.

Important Note: For a significant performance boost, you can also check the “Use DirectX” option in the AquaScape Control Center if you have DirectX installed.  The program models do not change the DirectX setting automatically.

AquaScape comes with the following preset program models:

Ultra-Lite: Equips AquaScape with the fewest features and options, requiring the least memory and CPU power.  Only a few small fish are loaded; water, bubbles, and most plants and rocks are turned off; and the screen mode is set at medium resolution.  With these settings, you'll get the maximum frame rate (animations per second), the fastest loading time, and the lowest memory usage, but you'll get the fewest features AquaScape has to offer.

Lite: Equips AquaScape with typical features.  A few more fish, plants, rocks, and a couple animated creatures are used in the medium resolution screen mode.  Best used when faster loading and low memory usage outweigh bells and whistles.

Normal: Equips AquaScape with standard options.  These settings should allow AquaScape to run well on a Pentium.  Most features are enabled including water, plants, rocks, and bubbles, but not always at their highest settings.  The high-resolution screen mode is used.  The main difference between this mode and the Full mode is that not all fish and animated creatures are loaded.

Full: Equips AquaScape will all features.  All fish and creatures are loaded.  It uses about 10 MB of memory in 8-bit color or DirectX mode.  On slower computers, this may not be the ideal setting when AquaScape is primarily used as a screensaver, as it takes longer to load and requires more memory.

The above program models are preset and cannot be changed.  They are a good place to start if you’re trying to maximize both performance and features according to your system.  After you’ve chosen a model, as soon as you change any of the options, the program model is set to custom.


Gravel

You can equip AquaScape with various colors of gravel, or none at all.  Five colors are available: green, red, tan, blue, and purple.  Additionally, random multi-colored gravel can be selected.  Multi-colored gravel adds greater depth to the bottom of the tank.  You can change the gravel settings at any time while the aquarium is running.  Keys 1-5 choose the gravel color while pressing 6 generates random multi-colored gravel.  The ` key turns gravel off.


Tank Décor

Three categories of tank décors are available.  Each category features three tank décor borders that surround the tank.  Woods, marbles, and alternative décors such as fire or globe are all available at the touch of a key. You can change the decor settings at any time while the aquarium is running.  To cycle to the next décor, press F4.  To turn the décor border off, press 0.  Note that using the decor in the circular aquarium view requires more processing power and might result in slower animation performance on slower computers.  Only the wood category is available in the demo version.


Tank Size

The tank size is variable and has 4 possible settings from small to full screen.  On slower computers, a smaller tank yields a higher animation rate.  You can change the tank size at any time while the aquarium is running.  Keys Shift-1 through Shift-4 control the various sizes.


Tank Layout

You have the choice of either a rectangle or circular aquarium.  The rectangular view creates the look of a standard aquarium landscape while the circular view gives you the sense of looking through an undersea window.  The circular view requires a little more processing power yielding a slightly slower animation rate on slower computers.  Key F5 selects the rectangular tank while F6 selects the circular tank while the aquarium is running.


Water Color

Various waters colors are available including midnight blue, full blue, pond haze, sea foam, or black (none).  Turning the water off yields a slightly higher animation rate on slower computers.  You can change the water color while the aquarium is running by pressing key F3.  To turn the water off, press Shift-0.  Note, the pond haze and sea foam water colors are only available in the commercial version.


Bubbles

Bubbles are a familiar part of most aquariums, as air must be be pumped through the water to maintain a high concentration of oxygen.  AquaScape includes various bubble settings to give you added flexibility.

Airtube Bubbles: Checking this item will cause the air tubes and bubbles to be displayed.  The F8 key toggles this setting while the aquarium is running.

Tank Bubbles: Checking this item will cause bubbles to randomly float up throughout the tank. The F9 key toggles this setting while the aquarium is running.

Bubbles SFX: Now you too can enjoy the sound of an aquarium right from your desktop.  The F10 key toggles the bubble sound effects while the aquarium is running.

Amount of Bubbles: The amount of bubbles can be configured.  'A few' yields a slight trickle of bubbles while 'An absurd amount' yields an absurd amount of bubbles.  Key F7 cycles through these settings while the aquarium is running.  Bubbles require more processing power than many of the other features.  The first two settings don't affect the animation rate much, while an absurd amount of bubbles could significantly reduce the animation rate even on faster computers.

Try turning off the water and turning on the bubbles sometime.  Cool effect.


Screen Mode

Of all the settings, the screen mode has more impact on the animation performance and memory requirements than any other.  AquaScape was designed and optimized for the 800*600 hi-res screen mode in 8-bit 256 colors.  Running AquaScape in any higher resolution or higher color depth will not yield any better results than this mode.

Two screen modes are available to accommodate the speeds of various computer systems and uses of AquaScape.  The medium resolution (640*480) mode requires the least memory and should yield good animation performance even on slower computers.  The high resolution (800*600) mode is a more beautiful higher resolution mode you can enjoy if you have a more powerful PC, such as Pentium 166 or higher, or don't mind a slower animation rate.

The animation rate is really the frame rate (number of animations per second).  If you are more interested in a high frame rate, with 20 frames/sec being the best frame rate, you may have to skimp on some of the features like screen resolution, plants, and bubbles.  If you are more interested in the graphics and features, you may have to sacrifice the frame rate on slower computers.

DirectX

AquaScape optionally supports DirectX, which is an extension to Windows 95/98/NT that boosts multimedia and animation performance.  If your system normally runs in a 16-bit or higher color screen mode, you may enjoy a 50-100% performance boost by using DirectX.  If you have DirectX installed, be sure to check the “Use DirectX” checkbox in the AquaScape Control Center.  To download a free copy of DirectX, point to http://www.softseek.com/Utilities/System/Review_9136_index.html.

Note: AquaScape will not run with DirectX on some Windows NT systems.  If you find this to be the case, uncheck the “Use DirectX” checkbox in the AquaScape Control Center.

Note: DirectX may interfere with power management events on some systems.  If this occurs and you wish to use power management features of your computer, uncheck the “Use DirectX” checkbox in the AquaScape Control Center.

If you wish to disable any kind of screen changes, check the “Do not change screen mode” option.

** To see what frame rate AquaScape is running at, press F while the aquarium is running.


Other Settings

Activate Zoom Camera: This effect will change the viewpoint from that of the entire aquarium to that of a camera panning randomly throughout the tank while zooming in and out.  Pressing key Z will toggle this feature while the aquarium is running.  When in zoom mode, you can use the arrow keys to influence the camera direction and the + and - keys to zoom in and out.  Pressing Enter while in zoom mode will freeze the camera movement.  While the camera is still, you can still move the camera around and zoom in and out using the previously mentioned keys.

Aquarium Always On Top: Enable this setting to hide the mouse, Win95 start bar, and any other applications that try to stay on top of the desktop such as application launchers and toolbars.  Pressing key O will toggle this feature while the aquarium is running.

Random Changes: Check this option to have AquaScape change a random setting every five minutes.  It will choose from over a dozen settings to change.  This is a good option to enable if you use AquaScape as a screensaver and your screen is unattended for a long time, as a stationary image (such as the border decors) could lead to screen burn-in.

Water Waves: Check this option if you wish to have waves at the top of the water.  This feature is not available in the demo version.


Fish Options

The Fish page allows you to configurable various options for the fish.  You can use these settings to reduce the number of fish, enabling AquaScape to load faster and use less memory.  You can also use these settings to create a particular theme of fish.  Now you'll even have the freedom of mixing freshwater fish and saltwater fish, as well as aggressive and non-aggressive fish.

As you move the mouse over a fish, a cat may attack it (just kidding), an image of the fish in proper scale will come up in the center window with a description of the fish.  In the demo version, unavailable fish will appear in black and white on the main page, but will show up in color in the center window.

Random: Causes AquaScape to load different fish every time it loads.  If this box is checked, all the individual fish settings will be ignored.

All: Click to easily select or deselect all fish.

Fish Checkboxes and Max Fields: To enable an individual fish, check its checkbox.  To specify a maximum amount of an individual fish, enter a number in its 'Max' field.

Total Max Fish: To set a limit on the total amount of fish that can be on-screen at once, enter a number in this field.  A high number of fish on-screen might reduce the animation rate even on fast computers.  14 is a good solid number.  Try 30-40 small fish such as the cardinal tetra sometime for a neat effect.

Themes:  Several preset themes are available so you can easily change all the fish settings at once according to a certain theme, and you can your own themes if you wish.  Click the + button to add or save a theme, and - button to delete the currently selected theme.  You cannot delete preset themes.  Note, once a theme is saved, if you make any changes to it, you must click the + button again or your changes will not be saved in the theme.


Other Creatures

Besides the 23 fish, 10 additional special ‘creatures’ are included with AquaScape.  These 10 creatures are fully animated.  To enable a creature to be loaded, check its checkbox.  You can then enter a maximum amount you’d like the creature to appear on screen at once.  Most of these creatures are larger than the fish so setting the maximum to more than 5 for any given creature may be over doing it.

The Sign: Well, the sign isn’t exactly a creature, but it does give you the ability to say whatever you want in your tank.  You can also choose from several preset sign messages which are often popular in real aquariums.  In addition, you can choose to place the sign in the back or front of the tank.  Try to position it so that some plants and rocks are around it for a neat effect.

The Treasure Chest: This treasure chest has a mind of its own.  Periodically, it will open to expose its treasure and release some air bubbles.  You can place it in the front or back.  Surrounding it with plants yields a nice view.

Performance Tip: If you’re concerned about performance such as loading time and memory usage, choose these creatures sparingly.  Because they are fully animated, they use about 3-5 times the memory of a single fish and thus will take longer to load.


Landscaping

Plants and rocks are an essential part of a real aquarium, whether real or fake, as they add variety, shelter, and food for the fish.  14 plants and 10 rocks are available to help you decorate your aquatic landscape.  You can completely customize the size, location, and depth of up to 16 plants and 10 rocks.  In addition, this latest version of AquaScape now features swaying plants, configurable in amount and speed.

To Add a Plant: Click the Add Plant button.  You’ll then be shown a page featuring all the plants from which you can choose.  From that page, click the plant you wish to add.  Your new plant will appear somewhere in the tank above.  You can then move the plant by clicking and dragging it in the tank. You can also adjust the depth of the plant.

To Add a Rock: Click the Add Rock button.  You’ll then be shown a page featuring all the rocks from which you can choose.  From that page, click the rock you wish to add.  Your new rock will appear somewhere in the tank above.  You can then move the rock by clicking and dragging it in the tank. You can also adjust the depth of the rock.

To Move a Plant/Rock: All plants and rocks appearing in the aquarium preview can be repositioned.  Just click the plant or rock you want to move.  The chosen object will change colors.  Simply drag the plant or rock to its new location.  Note: If an object is in the back, it may be difficult to reach.  You will need to temporarily move foreground objects away or set them to the background to reach some background plants and rocks.

To Delete a Plant/Rock: Click on the desired object in the tank.  You may have to temporarily move other objects to the background to reach the plant or rock you want.  Once you’ve chosen an object, the it  will appear either lighter or a different color.  Once chosen, click the scissors button to delete it.

To Delete All Plants and Rocks: Click the X button.

To Copy an Object: Once you've customized a plant or rock, you can duplicate it by clicking the copy button to the left of the scissors button.

To Resize an Object: Click on the desired plant or rock and then use the + and - magnifying glass buttons to enlarge or reduce the size of it.

To Change the Depth of an Object: The depth of an object refers to the position of the object from front to back.  Use the depth slider bar to adjust the depth of a plant or rock.  Plants and rocks in the back of the tank will not require additional processing to draw as they are drawn only once on the backdrop and are not redrawn every frame.  If you have a lot of plants and rocks, try placing some in the back to improve animation performance.

To Generate a Random Landscape: Click the Random Rocks or Random Plants button. Once a random landscape is generated, you can perform all the above mentioned customizations on any of the plants or rocks.  In addition, you can generate a random plant landscape while the aquarium is running by pressing key R or press Shift-R to generate a random rock landscape.  Alternatively, you can press B to generate both random rocks and plants at once while the aquarium is running.  To toggle the plants on and off, press P.  To toggle the rocks on and off, press K.

Themes: The plant Themes work similar to the fish themes on the fish page.  Several preset themes are available.  To add or save a custom theme, click the + button.  To delete the currently select theme, click the - button.  Preset themes cannot be deleted.

Swaying Plant Options: Plants may appear as static images, or dynamic swaying plants, depending on your preferences.  If you wish to enable swaying plants, be sure the Amount option under the Swaying Plants is set to a setting other than None.  Then, you may set the speed from slow to hurricane speed under the Speed setting for the Swaying Plants.  Note, when swaying plants are enabled, all plants are drawn in the foreground, so performance may suffer a little on slower computer systems.  You may also change these settings while the Aquarium is running by using the pull-down menu interface available by pressing F1.

Randomizing Swaying Plants: While the aquarium is running, you may press S to randomize the swaying location of each plant (how far to the left or right it is currently swaying).


Image Gallery

The image gallery contains fifteen high-resolution 24-bit true color aquatic-related images.  Each image can be enlarged by left-clicking it.  To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, right-click it.  In addition, you can choose to have it zoom out when viewing the enlarged image.

Well, okay, the cat picture might not seem wildly aquatic, but the cat is on a waterbed.  The cat’s name is Dagwood, and he is my (somewhat) faithful pet.

NOTE: The images in the image gallery are for personal use only, and are not royalty-free.  Duplication in any form for any reason other than for personal use is strictly prohibited.  Usage in publications may be granted if authorization is obtained first.  Low fee extended licenses for commercial use are available for individual images from Run Productions.


Aquarium Guide

The Aquarium Guide includes 7 chapters providing helpful information on starting your own real aquarium.  To display a topic, just click its title.


Order Information

The demo version of AquaScape has been made available to give you the chance to evaluate it before purchasing.  Many, but not all of the features are included in the demo version.  The full commercial version of AquaScape includes these additional bonus surprise awards:

* 10 additional fish, for a total of 23 to choose from!

* 8 additional aquatic plants and 7 additional rocks!

* 6 additional tank décor borders!

* 4 additional fully animated creatures, each with lots of personality!

* 2 additional water colors!

* 15 beautiful 24-bit color hi-res (1024*768) aquatic images, great for use as wallpaper!

* A customizable underwater sign and treasure chest!

* Optional water waves

* A bonus guide to help you get started in setting up your own real aquarium!

* Free upgrades to future versions via the Internet.

AquaScape is available for only $19.95 plus $5.60 S/H*.

* Special Internet Discount Available:

The Internet allows us to save on shipping, handling, and materials cost. To pass these savings on to you, those who elect to receive the commercial version via the Internet can avoid paying the $5.60 S/H cost.  To be eligible for this discount, you may order using any of the following methods, but you must be reachable by email and agree to download the commercial version from our web site (you'll be emailed with instructions).  This results in the greatest efficiency and delivery speed.

Orders outside the U.S. and Canada must add $4 ($29.55 total) if you want to receive the commercial version via mail.

TO ORDER SECURELY ONLINE, go to our Secure Internet Form at http://www.runproductions.com/aquaorder.htm.  You’ll be able to pay using a credit card or electronic check.

TO ORDER BY PHONE, contact our vendor, NorthStar Solutions, at 1-800-699-6395 (US) or 1-803-699-6395 from 9 AM – 7 PM CST Mon-Fri.  Prices are slightly higher with this vendor.  Please have your address and credit card info handy.  Note, technical support is NOT available from this vendor.  For technical support, please email support@runproductions.com.

TO ORDER BY MAIL, please mail the Order Form with payment (check, money order, or credit card info) to Run Productions, 2608 South Miller Drive, Ste. 202, Lakewood, CO 80227 USA.

Note: A purchase of one AquaScape license entitles you to use of AquaScape on only ONE computer.  A discounted dual license is available that will allow you to use AquaScape on two computers, for example, one at work and one at home.  Discounted site licenses or bulk purchases are also available.

For more information, please Email: sales@runproductions.com


Order Form

For your convenience, AquaScape may be ordered securely online and downloaded immediately at http://www.runproductions.com/aquaorder.htm   For more information, please see the Order Information section.

- - - - - -  A Q U A S C A P E    O R D E R    F O R M  - - - - - -

Name:______________________________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________________

City:______________________ State:___________ ZIP/Postal Code:_____________

Country:________________ Delivery Method: [ ] Internet D/L  [ ] Postal Mail

Phone #: (     ) _________________ Email:__________________________________

Payment Method: [ ] Credit Card: [ ] VISA/MasterCard   [ ] American Express

                    Card #: _______________________ Exp Date:______________

                [ ] Check/Money Order payable in $U.S.

                [ ] U.S. Cash

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| Product Description                                            |  Price |

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| 1 AquaScape License (for use on ONE computer)                  | $19.95 |

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| 2 AquaScape Licenses (for use on TWO computers)                | $32.95 |

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                                       Sub Total $_________

       Shipping/handling, if delivery method postal mail ($5.60) $_________

 Extra International Shipping outside U.S. or Canada (add $4.00) $_________

                                                     Grand Total $_________

* Note, for Internet Download delivery method, you must have access to the Internet and email.

An AquaScape License entitles you to use of AquaScape on only ONE computer.  Discounted site licenses or bulk purchases are available.  Please email sales@runproductions.com for more information.

Please print this form and send payment to the address below.  Check and money orders must be payable in $U.S. drawn by a U.S. bank, or they will be returned.  Eurochecks are not acceptable.

Run Productions

2608 South Miller Drive, Ste. 202

Lakewood, CO 80227 USA

Thanks for your order!


Contact Information

Run Productions may be contacted via:

Email Steve Barber at: support@runproductions.com

or

Internet: http://www.runproductions.com

or

Postal mail:

Run Productions

2608 South Miller Drive, Ste. 202

Lakewood, CO 80227

We appreciate any comments, suggestions, or any other feedback you have to offer!


Troubleshooting

When starting AquaScape, if it reports fatal error messages or locks up your system, it is most likely due to trying to run AquaScape with DirectX support when you do not have DirectX installed.  Try disabling the “Use DirectX” option from the AquaScape Control Center.  You might also try checking the “Do not change screen mode” box if AquaScape still doesn’t work.

If you’re running Windows NT, be sure and uncheck the “Use DirectX” box in the AquaScape Control Center, as AquaScape will not work with DirectX on some Windows NT systems.

If the screen only shows wavy lines or other “noise” when AquaScape is run, check the “Do not change screen mode” box in the AquaScape Control Center.

If you find power management events don’t work properly with AquaScape, disable the “Use DirectX” option in the AquaScape Control Center.

For information on fine tuning AquaScape for maximum performance, see the Performance Tips section.

If you experience any other problems, please contact Run Productions.


Performance Tips

In order for you to get the most enjoyment out of AquaScape, we’ve compiled a list of tips that will help you fine-tune both your computer and AquaScape for maximum graphics performance.

AquaScape’s performance will vary greatly from computer to computer.  While most computer systems in the same class perform similarly, graphics cards’ performance vary tremendously.  AquaScape uses extensive graphics animation and image manipulation, thus its performance is directly dependent on your graphics card.  When it comes to graphics and animation, a Pentium 90 with a fast graphics card may well outperform even a Pentium 166 with a slow graphics card.  Fast graphics cards usually rely on fast graphics memory and onboard acceleration techniques to take a load off the main processor .  The fact of the matter is, every graphics card varies tremendously in speed, acceleration techniques, and the type of graphics memory used.  You’ll need to experiment with all of the following suggestions to maximize performance with your particular computer and graphics card.

To determine exactly how well AquaScape is performing, press F while the aquarium is running to view the animation frame rate, which is the number of animation frames/second.  15 or more frame/second is a good frame rate with 20 (maximum) being ideal.

1.  First, ensure that graphics acceleration is set to full in Windows 95/98/NT.  This can be verified by opening the control panel, choosing system and then the performance tab, clicking graphics, and making sure that hardware acceleration is set to full.  This will enable the use of the graphics card’s services for work that the main processor would normally have to handle.  Each graphics card varies in the acceleration services it offers.

2.  Probably the most significant factor affecting animation performance is the screen mode.  Try running AquaScape is Medium Resolution Mode (accessible from the Control Center) if performance is lacking.  Also, changing your normal display mode to 256 colors will usually improve performance by 50-100%.

3.  Using DirectX could result in a 50-100% performance boost.  Be sure to check the “Use DirectX” option if you have DirectX installed.  DirectX is a multimedia/animation extension to Windows 95/98/NT and can be downloaded free from http://www.softseek.com/Utilities/System/Review_9136_index.html.

4.  Once you’ve determined which screen mode you want AquaScape to run in, you can further fine-tune performance by toggling water, plants, rocks, bubbles, and swaying plants on/off.

5.  The rectangular tank generally requires a little less processing power than the circular tank.   Similarly, reducing the size of the tank may increase the frame rate slightly.  On a few systems, animation performance is actually best with the largest, full-screen tank with no border.  It depends on your graphics card and its acceleration techniques.

6.  For a good start on maximizing animation performance, choose the Ultra-Lite program model from the AquaScape Configuration.  Beyond that, experiment to determine which features affect the animation performance the most with your graphics card and computer.