Info-Mac 3/Info_Mac_1994-01.iso/Information/Software/Screensaver FAQ 1.8

Internet Message Format | 1993-12-30 | 79KB

From: Lloyd Wood <[e-mail]>
Subject: Screensaver/After Dark FAQ 1.8
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 93 18:45:29 GMT

Please replace all copies of 1.7 and earlier with this. Thanks,

 -- L.
_____________________________________________________________________________
[e-mail]    Got a Mac? Got a screensaver? Read the Screensaver FAQ!


COMP.SYS.MAC FAQ: Screensaver/After Dark answers

CONTENTS

REVISIONS

INTRODUCTION

DO I NEED A SCREENSAVER? (0.0)
----Energy Star - save energy, not phosphor (0.0.1)
----Do you have a 'Screen' control panel? (0.0.2)
----PowerBooks and portable Macs (0.0.3)
----Do you use A/UX? (0.0.4)
----Spinning down the hard disk on desktop Macs (0.0.5)
--WHAT MAC SCREENSAVERS ARE AVAILABLE? (0.1)
----Modular screensavers (0.1.1)
----Standalone screensavers (0.1.2)
--HOW DO I WRITE SCREENSAVER MODULES? (0.2)
----Writing DarkSide modules (0.2.1)
----Writing After Dark modules (0.2.2)
----Writing your own screensaver (0.2.3)
--HOW CAN I SAVE MY SCREENSAVER PICTURES? (0.3)

HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK? (1.0)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v1.x? (1.1)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v2.x? (1.2)
----After Dark revision history (1.2.1)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF STAR TREK: THE SCREENSAVER? (1.3)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MORE AFTER DARK? (1.4)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY AD MODULES OR OBTAIN NEW MODULES? (1.5)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF DARKSIDE OF THE MAC? (1.6)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF NOWFUN! ? (1.7)
--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MOIRE? (1.8)

HELP! I'VE FORGOTTEN MY AFTER DARK PASSWORD, AND CAN'T USE MY MAC! (2.0)

WHERE SHOULD I PUT THE 'AFTER DARK FILES' FOLDER? (3.0)
--MY STAR TREK MODULES SAY THEY ARE 'Out of memory', BUT THE REST PLAY FINE!
(3.1)
--A DISNEY MODULE SAYS IT IS 'Out of memory'! (3.2)

MY AFTER DARK CONTROL PANEL AND MODULES HAVE LOST THEIR ICONS! (4.0)
--IN LIST VIEW IN THE FINDER, MY MODULES SAY THEY ARE '<a particular module>
documents'! (4.1)

AFTER DARK CRASHES MY MACHINE! (5.0)
--MODULES THAT DON'T WORK UNDER MULTIMODULE AND RANDOMIZER (5.1)
--MODULES WITH OTHER KNOWN PROBLEMS (5.2)

EXTENSION INCOMPATIBILITIES (6.0)
--KNOWN INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH AFTER DARK (6.1)

MODULE NAME CHANGES AND SIMILARITIES (7.0)
--THE NAME HAS CHANGED (7.1)
--NOT TO BE CONFUSED (7.2)

MODULE REQUESTS (8.0)

DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL-WEASELLING
--COPYRIGHT
--DISCLAIMER



COMP.SYS.MAC FAQ: Screensaver/After Dark answers

Version: 1.8
Last updated: Wednesday, 8 December 1993

Copyright (C) 1993, L. H. Wood <[e-mail]>.
Not for physical or retail distribution unless I receive a complimentary copy
of the medium. Not for distribution on ZiffNet until they freely release the
modules they create - see Copyright at end for more.

This is a FAQ - a Frequently Asked Questions list. These are written and posted
to newsgroups to cut down on needless repetition of questions that everyone
(bar the ignorant questioner, who is usually not a regular reader of the group)
knows the answer to. You can find many of the other FAQs in existence by
searching back through newsgroups for the title 'FAQ', or by ftp'ing to
rtfm.mit.edu. If you don't know what ftp is, ask your systems administrator.
If you don't know what rtfm means, you need to read some FAQs.

There are a number of Macintosh-specific FAQs, and anyone reading
comp.sys.mac.whatever will have read through these FAQs and will be aware of
the information in them. In theory.





REVISIONS
In reverse order:

1.8 - Wednesday, 8 December 1993
Monitor Energy Saver goes into hiding (0.0.1). Added Opus 'n Bill - another
AD-compatible screensaver (0.1.1). Disney modules can run out of memory (3.2).
Added Orbs Return (5.2).

1.7 - Sunday, 14 November 1993
Mentioned SCSISaver (0.0). Underware/E-Machines control panels conflict is
avoidable (0.1.1). NowFun! updater available in info-mac/gui (1.7). Discovered
Steve Henck’s email address (5.1). Many minor changes and tidying up.

1.6 - Sunday, 24 October 1993
Major revision to screensavers list. (0.1.1). Programming info reaches Info-Mac
(0.2.2). System 7 Pro users will require After Dark 2.0x or later. 2.0x itself
requires System 6.0.4 or later (1.2). Even more Macsbug info (5.0). Added
Hearts (5.1). DS's Spectrum does way-cool sound frequency analysis (8.0).

1.5 - Monday, 3 October 1993
Explained why I don't list all the modules I've seen. Mentioned macgifts. How
to find out if your setup is Energy-Star compliant (0.0). Microsoft Word 5.1 is
the biggest, slowest, most bloated screensaver package in existence (0.1.2).
Added the After Dark module programmers' mailing list and updated VAMP info
from new press release (0.2.2). Kings Cross Coke also available as app (5.1).
Walkowski's now at Apple (5.2). MacWrite Pro still doesn't allow AD to sleep
(6.1). Gave an ftp source of Desktop Textures (7.1). More module requests
(8.0).

1.4 - Saturday, 4 September 1993
Apple releases 'Monitor Energy Saver', which will make the screensaver as we
know it obsolete (0.0). Added Citadel, DiskLock, Screensavor and the Disney
Collection (0.1.1). BS has made the programming information publicly available
(0.2.2). Dealt with the 'screen capture' problem (0.3). Made how to update
DarkSide more visible (1.6). Star Trek 'out of memory' explained (3.1).
Mentioned umich more often. Made the copyright clearer.





INTRODUCTION
Abbreviations used here:
Mac - Apple Macintosh computer - the world's premier screensaver platform
AD  - After Dark, a commercial screensaver package for the Mac
BS  - Berkeley Systems, the makers of AD
DC  - The Disney Collection, a commercial AD package and modules from BS
DS  - DarkSide of the Mac, a freeware Mac screensaver that will run AD modules
ES  - Energy Star. Imminent death of the screensaver predicted. News at (0.0.1)
MAD - More After Dark, a commercial pack of extra AD modules from BS
QT  - QuickTime. Apple's free movie/picture/sound/time-handling extension
SS  - ScreenSavor, a standalone slideshow saver that also comes as an AD module
ST  - Star Trek: the Screensaver, a commercial AD package and modules from BS
TZ  - Twilight Zone, a free Machack application that runs AD modules in windows


Mac-specific anonymous FTP sites mentioned here:
sumex-aim.stanford.edu (sumex) - the home of the Info-Mac archives. Many mirror
sites worldwide. Any file with a path starting 'info-mac/...' is on sumex or
its mirrors. See the Info-Mac Digest in comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new
Mac software available here.
mac.archive.umich.edu (umich) - not related to sumex. Many mirror sites
worldwide - ftp to mirror.archive.umich.edu to get to a mirror in the US. See
the regular newfile postings in comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac
software available here.
ftp.apple.com - Apple's own software archive on the net. Here you will find
system software and updates, utilities and gadgets written by Apple's
engineers, and development material. If you don't have access to AppleLink,
this is THE place to look for new system fixes.


This FAQ is crossposted to most of the comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups on an
irregular basis whenever it is updated. A copy can always be found in
info-mac/gui/ad.


This FAQ answers common questions about screensavers for the Mac. What's
available, where you can download them from, and whether or not you need a
screensaver are covered. Most of this FAQ pertains to the most popular
commercial Mac screensaver - AD from BS, the modules available for it, and
other screensavers capable of using its modules.

The FAQ details common AD problems and misconceptions, concentrating on 'Why
does AD crash my machine?' The answer is almost always either 'You need to get
and run the free 2.0x updater' or 'You are using a badly-written third-party
module running under the MultiModule or Randomizer modules'. These modules
impose stricter rules on how a module can run than AD alone does, and a large
number of third party (shareware/freeware) modules either crash the Mac or
won't run as a sub-module.

How to update AD is given in (1.0). A list of 'problem' modules that should not
be run under MultiModule/Randomizer is given in (5.0).

Although many have requested it, this FAQ does not attempt to be a canonical
list of all the AD modules in existence. I don't have access to the online AD
forums in the US. I haven't seen a number of the commercial packages or the
books. I can't sneak into BS's labs, on the other side of the world, in the
dead of night, to look at all the competition entries. (Heck, I couldn't afford
the trip.) I estimate I have seen less than a third of all the shareware
modules in existence - and I've been working at it. A definitive list of
modules is simply not possible. If a module is not mentioned here, that's
either because I haven't seen it, or because I have seen it, but haven't found
a reason to mention it or found a problem with it on the Mac setups available
to me. You might, and I can't call a module 'good' simply because it works fine
for me.

[If you want to spread good Mac shareware or freeware, including AD modules, to
the world, giving millions of people, including me, the chance to see it,
simply email a binhexed copy of the compacted or stuffited archive to:
[e-mail]
which will distribute it to ftp archives across the world, including the big
ones - sumex, umich, their many mirrors, and comp.binaries.mac.  Don't use
self-extracting archives (SEAs) - Stuffit Expander, Stuffit Lite and Compact
Pro are readily available from these ftp archives, and we all know how to use
them. Dial-up access to ftp sites is on the increase and SEAs run up phone
bills unnecessarily. Find your local sumex (info-mac) or umich mirror, and use
that to download new software, rather than tying up distant sites.]

The information in this FAQ is based on my use of AD, DS, MAD, SS and ST, and
on tidbits I have gleaned from email from many writers and users of
screensavers and AD modules.

I welcome comments and corrections, hints on using specific AD modules, and
tips and compatibility information relating to other Mac screensavers.

Despite the emphasis of this FAQ on AD modules, I have no connection with BS
other than as a user of their products. I'm declaring the free T-shirt they
sent me for generously saving them a fortune in tech support, though. Nothing
underhand here.

This FAQ does not cover the use of AD on the Windows platform - it's for the
Mac version (and other Mac screensavers) only. There is no way to convert
Windows AD modules to Mac AD modules without extensive rewriting of the source
code - it's a job for the authors of that module, and few have experience of
programming Windows AND the Mac. Module ports are unlikely.





DO I NEED A SCREENSAVER? (0.0)
Despite what many people will tell you, the answer is almost certainly 'no'. It
takes a very long time to burn the phosphor on a cathode ray tube with a still
image - accidentally leaving your Mac on all weekend won't do it, so don't
worry if you accidentally did this.

Old Mac Plusses or monochrome Mac monitors that have seen years of service may
have a ghostly bar at the top of the screen from the menu bar, visible when a
menu bar is not present, but that's about it.

The phosphor on colour monitors is even more difficult to burn, making
screensavers even less useful than you may think. Most commercial screensavers
are marketed as entertainment; most standalone downloadable screensavers were
written as programming exercises.

Screensavers are primarily entertaining, decorative things to have around, and
should not be taken seriously. A screensaver can be useful for protecting your
Mac from prying eyes while you are away from it, and many screensavers include
an optional password feature for this, although many security packages offer
better protection. You should want a screensaver for password protection or for
entertainment, rather than for overhyped 'screensaving' abilities. If you want
true 'screensaving', read the sections below.


----Energy Star - save energy, not phosphor (0.0.1)
Running a screensaver, other than an Energy Star saver on an Energy
Star-complaint setup, or a backlight dimmer on an LCD, will not decrease your
monitor's energy consumption. The US Energy Star programme is leading to the
demise of the screensaver as unused monitors power themselves down. On a non-ES
setup, simply turn your monitor off when you're not using the Mac for some
time. It's more convenient than going through lengthy shutdown and startup
processes, saves energy, and protects your phosphor better than a screensaver
might. A conventional monitor uses far more energy than the Mac itself does.

If you use a Quadra, Centris, PowerBook with video-out, LCIII, or Performa
equivalent of one of these models, AND use an Energy Star-compliant monitor
(look for the star logo) off internal video on one of these Macs, you no longer
need a screensaver. Apple's freely-available 'Monitor Energy Saver' package
enables the Energy Star features of your monitor with these Macs. Your monitor
will power down in stages when the Mac is on but not in use, saving on your
electricity bills as well as saving your screen.

'Monitor Energy Saver' (also known by its codename 'DarkStar') is available on
AppleLink, and should be on ftp.apple.com, but wasn't, last I looked. It
appeared as info-mac/cfg/monitor-energy-saver.hqx, but was then removed from
sumex as a breach of copyright. It may still be on some of the smaller info-mac
mirrors. Or ask your Apple dealer for it.

To see if your setup is ES-compliant, install the Energy Saver, restart, and
leave your Mac for an hour or so. If on sleep your hear a degaussing noise, or
on wake the picture takes some time to return to life while your Mac beeps,
your setup is ES-compliant, and you can remove all other screensavers. If the
picture returns instantly after a long sleep, and your Mac *then* beeps, the
Energy Saver won't save you energy with your monitor, and you can use other
screensavers without feeling guilty. Although the Energy Saver blanks the
screen nicely, that beeping is annoying, and other screensavers include a
simple 'Blank' option.

The Apple AudioVision 14" monitor is reported to be ES-compliant, as is newer
production of other Apple monitors - look on the back to check.

ES works by disabling the signals on the horizontal and vertical sync lines, on
Macs that are capable of switching this. An ES monitor detects this, and enters
one of a series of low-power modes; a non-ES monitor loses the picture, and
goes black. (BS tells me that a special version of AD with an ES-like function
called 'Ecologic' is shipped with Nanao monitors.)


----Do you have a 'Screen' control panel? (0.0.2)
If you are using a Mac with an internal colour CRT, like the Color Classic or
LC520, which follow Energy Star recommendations, you should be using the Screen
control panel supplied with the System Software to automatically turn off the
monitor circuitry when the Mac is not in use - you DO NOT need a screensaver to
save your screen, although you may want to 'smooth' the intrusion of the
monitor switching off by using a 'dimmer' like Twilight.


----PowerBooks and portable Macs (0.0.3)
If you own a Mac with an LCD display you are unlikely to need a conventional
screensaver. The only 'screensaver' you would be interested in is one that dims
the backlight after a period of inactivity, to save power when running off the
batteries - included in many PowerBook-specific utility packages. LCDs can
retain the colour they are set to, whether black or white, in a 'memory effect'
that takes time to change, but does fade away. If you use a (probably
unnecessary) screensaver, it has been suggested that it should be one which
flips all of the pixels regularly, to prevent this memory effect. This is
unrelated to the ni-cad battery 'memory effect'. More information on both of
these topics can be found in the PowerBook FAQs of the Mac newsgroups. Read
through comp.sys.mac.portables.

If you are using a monitor connected to your Dock's or PowerBook's external
video, you should be able to use the Energy Saver. Read (0.0.1).


----Do you use A/UX? (0.0.4)
A/UX users may want to use something to cover the login screen. So far Moire
has been reported as the only screensaver doing this. DS and other startup
applications will never do this. Read through comp.unix.aux for more
information on this and other A/UX issues.


----Spinning down the hard disk on desktop Macs (0.0.5)
You may also want to consider saving even more energy and keeping your desktop
Mac quiet by spinning down your hard disks when they are not in use - PowerBook
System Software does this all the time to save on battery power. Although some
drivers, like Silverlining, include this feature, the standard Apple driver
doesn't.

Look at SCSISaver 1.2, by Darrell Pfeifer <[e-mail]>, on umich in
system.extensions/cdevs, which adds this ability to drives that support the
SCSI 'stop' command. If you're using your Mac for filesharing, doing lots of
intermittent disk access with something like AutoDoubler or DiskExpress, or
insist on a new, randomly-chosen, AD module every few minutes, this will be of
no use to you, and you'll find the many pauses as the disk spins back up
irritating. If your Mac is on but idle, with no disk access, for long periods
of time, you may find the silence a relief.

With AutoDoubler 2.0x, setting 999 minutes and using the 'compress corner' on
leaving your Mac will help prevent intermittent disk activity.



--WHAT MAC SCREENSAVERS ARE AVAILABLE? (0.1)
Far too many. This FAQ concentrates on AD because it is the most popular, the
most well-known (being an advertised package), has the most support from other
programmers in the form of different screensaver 'modules', and because there
are many other packages that can run AD modules. It's a standard. AD is
commercial and costs money, although updates, bug fixes, programming
information and third-party shareware modules are freely available online.

If you simply want to play the many shareware/freeware AD modules available
from ftp sites, get DarkSide 4.1 - see below. As AD, Pyro!,  NowFun! and other
commercial packages *are* commercial, they and their commercial modules CANNOT,
and SHOULD NOT, be obtained from ftp sites. Updaters can be obtained by ftp,
but they must update the original package which you have bought. If you want to
use AD (or Pyro!, or NowFun!, or another commercial package) or the modules
supplied with it, you must buy that package.

If you are looking for a screensaver, it is well worth obtaining freeware and
shareware savers, both DarkSide and the standalones listed below, from ftp
sites and evaluating them before considering commercial products. Look in
info-mac/gui, or on umich in util/screensaver.

But first, have you read (0.0)? You may not even *need* a screensaver with your
particular Mac setup.


----Modular screensavers (0.1.1)
This list is now split into the screensavers I've seen, and the ones I haven't.
I make no claims for the completeness of this list - everyone and his
grandmother appears to have written an AD-compatible screensaver, and I can't
keep track. Corrections welcome.
If I haven't seen a package, I won't be able to diagnose problems with it.
You're on your own. Some packages are apparently more AD-compatible than
others, but I'm not able to rate this on the indirect information available to
me.

Modular screensavers, most of which are AD-compatible, with a number of
different effects suplied in separate files, or 'modules', include:

SEEN BY LHW
After Dark (AD) - commercial, from BS <[e-mail]> The most popular.
Has the most modules available, and many third-party savers can run these
modules. Includes the screensaver, modules and programming information.
More After Dark (MAD) is an add-on package from BS that does not include the
screensaver itself - just more modules and an updater for the screensaver.
Star Trek - the Screensaver (ST), also from BS, includes the ST saver and
modules, but not the programming information included in AD.
Note that 'for legal and technical reasons' the ST and DC modules require an AD
2.0x control panel. DS and other AD-compatibles can't see or play these
modules. You need to use the player BS provides in the package.

DarkSide of the Mac 4.1 (DS) -  freeware, by Tom Dowdy, an Apple employee
<[e-mail]>. Plays After Dark modules, unlike DS 3.2 and earlier. Like
AD, DS includes a password feature and a Randomizer. DS runs as a startup
application under System 7. It only patches one trap when it needs to. As it's
an application you can quit it at any time if you need more memory, and restart
it later.
(System 6 users require DS v2.5.).
Some of the forty-odd supplied DS-only modules, e.g. Circuit, LostInSpace and
VaseDance, are very polished, original and well worth a look. Many others, e.g.
Searchlight and Worms, are similar to AD's and Pyro's, but with fewer cute
frills.
An up-to-date DS package is on ftp.apple.com (directory: /dts/mac/hacks). A
copy should also be in the info-mac/gui directory.
A number of people have posted, saying that they own AD and MAD, but that they
prefer to use DS to run their modules.
DS 4.1 uses less memory than AD does to play AD modules, and takes up less disk
space and less CPU time. It is claimed to run all AD modules, with the known
exceptions of the commercial BS ST and DC modules and the SS AD module (version
2.0.1) supplied with SS 3.0.
[KNOWN DARKSIDE PROBLEMS: Darkside's password dialog is incompatible with Okey
Dokey 1.0.1. Try turning off Okey Dokey's countdown timer. Both Dan Walkowski
and Tom Dowdy have been aware of this problem for some time.
The MAD Confetti Factory module crashes under DS 4.0. Get DS 4.1.
If DS still crashes, try giving it slightly more memory (your INITS may be
eating up a lot of program heap space) or trashing the DS Preferences file, and
see if matters improve.
If DS stays at the front on startup, even though you checked 'Finder to front
on startup', look at your Startup Items folder. DS should be there only once.
If you keep your AD and DS modules together, note they both have 'Clock' and
'Puzzle' modules, and that MAD also has a 'Rain' module. Remove or rename one
of each.
To randomize a selection of DS modules, put them or their aliases together in a
folder, and open that folder with Open...
The docs are in MacWrite Pro format. Eventually, an XTND translator for this
should appear. One in the package would be nice. If you want a printed manual,
register your copy of DarkSide.]
If you don't already have a screensaver, want to write screensaver modules, or
are interested in using the wide range of free/shareware AD modules, this is
THE screensaver to get. The price is unbeatable.

Screensavor 3.01 (SS) - Commercial, by MIFP Development
<mbg3b2![e-mail]> or <[e-mail]>. A 'specialist' picture
displayer. Includes a startup application (similar to DS) and an equivalent
module (v2.0.1) that will run under AD or Intermission - the module is
unreliable under DS, judging from the evaluation copy of 3.0 MIFP sent me to
try out.
22 sets of pictures (e.g. landscapes, kittens, the planets, aircraft, golf
courses) also available. Does fades,  zooms, and many other effects. Shows QT
JPEGs and PICTs as well as its proprietary format - *far* more flexible than
the AD Slide Show module. QT required and included.
A demo of the SS AD module (v1.01) is in info-mac/gui/ad, and includes sample
pictures.

Twilight Zone (TZ) - an entry for MacHack 1993 by Steve Falkenburg (no email
address known). Although it isn't a screensaver, this little application will
run AfterDark modules inside individual windows. The modules can be resized,
moved, run in the background, and more than one can be run at once. It won't
run all of the Berkeley Systems modules - it crashes on most - but, as an
example, I had Fractals, Mathos and Spinning Bow Tie running at the same time,
faster than they do when screensaving. A copy can be ftp'ed from umich
(directory: util/screensaver/afterdark). It's an unstable and buggy hack, and
needs work - anyone want to use the source code (included) or know where to
email feedback?


NOT SEEN BY LHW
Citadel 1.2 - commercial, by Datawatch. A security package reported as
including hard disk and partition locking, passwording, file encryption and
destruction as well as an AD-compatible screensaver. I haven't seen a copy of
Citadel, and cannot comment on something I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I know
nothing further.

Disney Collection (DC) - commercial, from BS <[e-mail]>. Like ST,
includes a 2.0x control panel. Like ST, AD compatibles can't play this new
module format. See TidBITS #192 for a review. I haven't seen a copy of DC, and
cannot comment on something I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I know nothing
further.

Intermission - commercial, by ICOM Simulations. I'm told it's an INIT that runs
AD modules, although I've never seen it here in the UK. This was apparently the
first AD-compatible; I'm told it has resurfaced as Opus 'n Bill. More
information welcomed. I know nothing further.

NowFun! - commercial, from Now Software. This 'fun' compilation package is
reported as including FunScreenSavers, an AD-compatible screensaver with thirty
modules (many previously shareware), FunPictures (an updated DeskPict),
FunCursors, FunColors and FunSounds. I haven't seen a copy of NowFun!, but I've
been told by others which (many previously shareware) modules it contains, and
can pass this information on to those interested. Email me for further details
on NowFun! I make no claims for the accuracy of this information.
An updater to take NowFun! to 1.0.1 is available in info-mac/gui and on umich
as /mac/misc/update/nowfun1.01update.sit.hqx.
I know nothing further, since I haven’t seen NowFun!

Opus 'n Bill - commercial, by Delrina. I'm told that it comes with 16
AD-compatible modules, and includes an update service, which you pay extra to
subscribe to, to receive five new AD modules every quarter. Notable for the
lawsuit BS won in San Francisco against Delrina for infringing BS's 'Flying
Toasters' design within the screensaver domain. Delrina's toasters now have
propellers, not wings. Said to use the Intermission engine. I know nothing
further, since I haven't seen Opus 'n Bill.

Pyro! 4.1 - commercial. This was the original 'fireworks' screensaver, and now
comes with 35 modules. The modules are similar in function to the DS and AD
modules, although they lack sound. One or two third-party modules do exist, but
nowhere near the sheer volume AD has - and, unlike the others listed here,
Pyro! cannot play AD modules. DiskLock 1.2 is reported as being a commercial
security program, with similar features to Citadel, that also runs Pyro!
modules. I haven't seen a copy of Pyro! 4.1 or of DiskLock, and cannot comment
on anything I haven't seen - tips welcomed. I know nothing further.

UnderWare - commercial, by Bit Jugglers <[e-mail]>. Includes an
AD-module player, but its main component is an animated desktop that interacts
with your icons and windows. See TidBITS #192 for a review.
I'm told that UnderWare is incompatible with CopyDoubler, both Lite and normal,
but only in 24-bit addressing mode. Although the CopyDoubler 2.0.2 updater says
this is fixed, Bit Jugglers say you will have to wait for 2.0.3.
UnderWare is also incompatible with locking down the menubar when panning on
E-Machines control panels. Turn that option off if you use both.
I haven't yet seen a copy of UnderWare, and know nothing further.

There are also two book/disk packages containing just AD modules:
'Art of Darkness', author Erfert Fenton, Peachpit Press, ISBN 1-56609-012-1.
Ten modules, eight unavailable elsewhere.
'Cool Mac After Dark', author Ross Scott Rubin, Hayden Books, ISBN
0-672-48529-X.  Seventeen previously-shareware modules.
I haven't seen either of these, but I've been told by others what modules they
contain, and can pass this information on to those interested. Email me for
further details on the contents of these books. I make no claims for the
accuracy of this information.


----Standalone screensavers (0.1.2)
There are also a large number of small standalone screensavers to choose from,
and many are present in info-mac/gui. Some of these aim to be as simple, small
and unobtrusive as possible, e.g. TinySaver 3.1, FadetoBlack, BasicBlack.
Popular choices include Eclipse 2.1 and Moire 4.0.1. MacPassword, elsewhere on
info-mac, includes Moire for screensaving.

There are a number of screensavers for Macs that support use of the Brightness
control panel and dim an unused screen, e.g. Twilight. Twilight 7.1.4 onwards
also 'dims' the same way on all other Macs, by allowing you to install the
Brightness driver. The Brightness control panel can then be used on these Macs
as well.

[If you want software brightness control, but don't want to install the system
software driver supplied for Twilight, a copy of the 7.0b1 Brightness control
panel, which works on all Macs, can be found on sumex in cp - someone has added
new icon and version resources.]

If you do think you need a screensaver, look at what's freely available from
ftp sites first - particularly DS if you're running System 7 or better. You
will find something to suit you.

[Microsoft Word 5.1 includes a simple menu-activated screen saver.
Add 'Screen Test' to the Work menu using Commands to get ready access to it
when a document is open. Clicking brings up an options box.]



--HOW DO I WRITE SCREENSAVER MODULES? (0.2)
----Writing DarkSide modules (0.2.1)
If you don't own After Dark, but you have a neat idea for a screensaver and
don't fancy writing an entire standalone package, look at DS 4.1. All the
information and code you need to write DS modules is supplied within the
complete package. I know of only two third-party DS modules - there's
definitely a market window here. See the module programming list, below.


----Writing After Dark modules (0.2.2)
You learn to write After Dark modules by examining the example code that came
with the AD package you bought. This example code makes up the Bouncing Ball
module. ST does not include programming information - BS has posted the
programming examples and information on AOL, AppleLink, and CompuServe. It's
available as info-mac/dev/ad-programmers-pckg.hqx and on umich as
development/source/afterdarkprogramming.cpt.hqx
This package is also available upon request from BS.

Although some shareware modules do come with source code, it's probably out of
date. Get the latest version of the AD package for up-to-date code.

There's an AD module programming list, where you can get feedback on your work
and discuss problems.  This list also deals with DS modules. Sample code, such
as how to animate your module's About box, can be obtained from an ftp site.
Email [e-mail] to be put on the list, and send
announcements for it to [e-mail].

As an incentive to write AD modules, you can enter programming contests - this
is why AD dominates. The 1993 contest closed on 15 July 1993. It had a grand
prize of $10,000, with runner-up prizes of hardware, for the best AD modules in
Mac, Windows, and Computer Artist categories. Contact BS for details of the
next contest.

The BS contest concentrates on good-looking modules. If you'd rather show off
your programming skills, consider an alternative Dutch contest, organised by
VAMP (Vereniging Actieve Mac Programmeurs) - cash prizes and a Symantec Mac
development setup are on offer, with the chance of getting your modules
published on CD-ROM. Entries will also be seen by BS. Closes 31 December 1993,
judged by April 1994.

Further details from [e-mail] - automatic response.
Email your entries (AD 2.0w or better, S6.0.7 or better, not previously
submitted, and with source code and build instructions) to
[e-mail].

If you are writing AD modules, you will want to make sure that they will also
run without problems (either coding or cosmetic) under the freeware DS 4.1, as
well as NowFun!, UnderWare and the other commercial AD-compatibles. There's no
sense in restricting your market or giving yourself tech-support headaches.


----Writing your own screensaver (0.2.3)
Why bother? If you write a module for AD or DS you will have a much larger
market than for yet another stand-alone screensaver, and all the stand-alone
niches (smallest, brightness, clock etc) have been filled. You won't have to
worry about incompatibilities with other software or breaking with the next
system release - that's the job of the AD or DS authors. And you can enter the
contests. No-one needs another standalone screensaver.

If you want to write something that does interesting things with After Dark
modules, the code supplied with Twilight Zone should be your starting point. If
you really want to write your own screensaver, The Macintosh C Programming
Primer (Vol 1, 2nd ed.) contains source code, as does The Macintosh Pascal
Programming Primer.

After Dark defines a gestalt for screensaving that many other screensavers and
applications now use. Implementing support for this is a very good idea.



--HOW CAN I SAVE MY SCREENSAVER PICTURES? (0.3)
This is short and simple, so it's here. First, have you tried the obvious -
pressing command-shift-3? This is the 'Camera' function key (FKEY), which
captures your screen to disk. [Under System 6, this only works in
black-and-white. If you're still using S6 on a colour Mac (why?), skip ahead to
Flash-It!].

Disable your screensaver password if you use one, and set your screensaver
going. When ready, press command-shift-3 together. You should hear a camera
shutter click and  your screensaver will wake. If this is successful, a PICT
file called 'Picture <number>' will appear in your hard disk's Finder window.

Double-click on this to open it with TeachText and see what you have captured.
If it's the screensaver picture, well and good. This method appears to work
fine with AD 2.0x under S7.1, although it may not work for earlier ADs and/or
earlier Systems. This doesn't work for DS 4 under S7.1, which wakes before the
screen capture takes place - you will get a picture of your desktop instead.

If the Camera FKEY didn't work for you, you need to get the shareware
Flash-It!, a control panel (v3.0.2 at time of writing), from an ftp site - look
in info-mac/cp. Drop Flash-It! into the 'Control Panels' folder and restart.
Choose one of Flash-It!'s functions and set the function hotkeys to be
command-shift-3, replacing the Camera FKEY. Repeat the above procedure, and
this time you should get your picture.

[Note that Flash-It! is very flexible, and useful for grabbing screenshots with
menus down or with the cursor visible. The Camera FKEY cannot do this.]





HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK? (1.0)
What version of AD do you own? There are two major revisions. When someone
mentions they own 'After Dark', you can assume they mean version 2, of which
there have been a number of minor revisions in the past few years, listed
below. Version 2.0 was released back in August 1990, so version 1 is OLD.



--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v1.x? (1.1)
An updater to 1.1c is available from sites on the Internet. If you are already
running 1.1c and wish to upgrade to version 2, you can do so by returning your
master disk to BS with $15. There is NO free updater from version 1 to version
2, and the changes are major.

You may find that version 1.1c fails to work on the brand-spanking new Mac* you
have just bought. If so, trash it or, better, upgrade to version 2. Note that
AD 2.0x requires System 6.0.4 or later. Or, if you're running System 7.x,
download the free DS 4.1, which plays AD modules.

*Here, even a clapped-out IIci running System 6.0.5 qualifies as
'brand-spanking new'. Version 1 is THAT OLD.



--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF AFTER DARK v2.x? (1.2)
An updater to update all the various releases of version 2 to the latest
revision can always be found in info-mac/gui/ad. The latest updater is also on
umich as /mac/misc/update/afterdark2.0xupdater102.cpt.hqx

BS issues updaters periodically, in line with new Apple machines or System
software. The updater generally takes up to a couple of weeks from release to
reach sumex et al, so be patient if you have heard rumours of an updater but
can't find it yet.

Alternatively, if you don't have access to ftp or an email file-server,  you
can return your master disk to BS to have it updated for free. (You do own a
master disk, don't you?) MAD includes a copy of the AD updater, to 2.0u or
later, depending on when the MAD disk was mastered.

The updater updates version 2 revisions [NOT version 1 - see (1.1)] to the
latest revision, currently 2.0x. The 2.0x updater updates both the control
panel and all of the modules supplied with the AD package, making minor updates
throughout.

Note that you want the 2.0x updater v1.02. The first release of this updater,
without a version number, scrambled the password - clear the password and turn
off passwording to avoid this. The second release, again no version number
(tut, tut!), fixed this by clearing any stored password. v1.02 is the only
updater to clear the password, add the longer-than-five-minutes Randomizer
times mentioned in some of the posts about the new features in 2.0x, and to fix
the -'Fish!' sea-floor showing inverted blocks of colour problem- that some
users of the earlier updater versions experienced, by updating Fish! to v2.01.

There is no reason not to upgrade. The newer your model of Mac and/or System,
the newer your copy of AD must be to run correctly. If you have a problem and
you're not running the latest version of AD, don't even bother asking about it
UNTIL you've updated and seen if that fixes it. Experience is that not running
an up-to-date After Dark is usually the problem, and the reported 'problem' is
simply a visible symptom of this, which vanishes when AD is updated.
This FAQ assumes that you have the latest revision of version 2 (2.0x, updater
v1.02, at time of writing).


----After Dark revision history (1.2.1)
The version history of the updater releases (not detailing the numerous minor
improvements, bug fixes, or feature additions to modules) is:
2.0 - August 1990 - initial release.
2.0h - Bug fix relating to using (H)yperCard with AD.
2.0s - Bug fix of (s)ound code. Last version where the letter meant anything,
since they had squandered two-thirds of the alphabet already.
[BS didn't make this mistake with the Windows version - after 2.0 came
2.0a....]
2.0t - September 1991 - Supports new System 6.0.7 sound code.
2.0u - June 1991 - First fully System 7.0 compatible release. Understands new
System Folder layout. Much faster when only the Finder is running.
2.0v - August 1991 - First fully '040-cache compatible release.
2.0w - September 1992 - First fully System 7.1-compatible release. Added 'All'
and 'None' buttons to the Randomizer. Prevents Randomizer and MultiModule
recursively launching each other. [Updater 2.0w is unique in only updating the
control panel, MultiModule and Randomizer, and not other modules.]
2.0x - February 1993 - new control panel icon, updater clears password (first
release of updater scrambled it - see above), more 'When' options, muting sound
via the control key. Slide Show (updated to 2.1) now works with QT without
crashing. Some recognition of aliases of modules. Brings AD and the ST package
into line with each other feature-wise. AD can now play ST modules.
Longer Randomizer times, but only with v1.0.2 of the updater updating a
non-2.0x Randomizer (Fish! is updated to 2.01 from a previous 2.0x update).
Note that 2.0x REQUIRES System 6.0.4 or later.

[Updater release info from Jim Tso at BS]

*** SYSTEM 7 PRO USERS WILL REQUIRE 2.0x or later ***



--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF STAR TREK: THE SCREENSAVER? (1.3)
At time of writing, by applying a revision 2 updater LATER THAN 2.0w, i.e. 2.0x
or later. This will update the control panel and modules shared in common with
the AD package (Randomizer, MultiModule).

At time of writing, there is no updater for the ST modules. A ResEdit template
for extracting PICT resources from the ST files is available from a number of
ftp sites, for use by the inquisitive.



--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MORE AFTER DARK? (1.4)
There isn't an updater for these modules, and there are no plans for one at
present, although I have heard reports of incompatibilities between some MAD
modules and System 7 Pro. There was a minor revision of MAD from 1.0 to 1.0a to
fix some obscure bugs - this is only available by returning your disk to BS. I
haven't yet seen this revision.

The changes in 1.0a are:
Mowin' Man bug-fix. With some large monitors and video cards, Mowing Man could
crash if the mower started from the top right of the screen.
Tunnel bug-fix.  With some video cards, Tunnel could crash if the Round
Rectangle setting was used.
Virex-D was removed from MAD 1.0a as it was no longer up-to-date - see (5.2).

[MAD revision info from Jim Tso at BS]



--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY AD MODULES OR OBTAIN NEW MODULES? (1.5)
If the modules are part of the AD package which you bought, you need the
updater that also updates the control panel - see (1.2). If they are part of
the MAD package which you bought, you can return your disk to BS to get 1.0a -
see (1.4). If they are shareware or freeware, look in info-mac/gui/ad or on
umich (directory: util/screensaver/afterdark) to see if a later version has
been released. These are also the place to look for new modules.

If you are having problems with a particular third-party module, see first if a
later version is available from an ftp site like info-mac. If not, mail or
email the author of the module about the problem. Authors do appreciate
feedback and fan-mail, if not cold hard cash.



--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF DARKSIDE OF THE MAC? (1.6)
An up-to-date DS package can be ftp'ed from ftp.apple.com (directory:
/dts/mac/hacks). A copy should also be in info-mac/gui. The Apple site always
gets a new release first, direct from Tom Dowdy, who works there.



--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF NOWFUN! ? (1.7)
An updater to take NowFun! from 1.0 to 1.01 is in info-mac/gui and on umich as
/mac/misc/update/nowfun1.01update.sit.hqx.
I don’t know what it fixes - I haven’t seen NowFun!


--HOW CAN I UPDATE MY COPY OF MOIRE? (1.8)
If you've been using Moire for years, and then move it to a new Mac, you will
need to update to Moire 4.0.1. It’s available in info-mac/gui. If you find that
'Finder Shortcuts' vanishes from the Finder's Balloon Help menu, or that
restarts or shutdowns are slow, an old copy of Moire is probably the problem.
Upgrade to Moire 4.0.1.

If you are using Moire simply because it also includes a menu-bar clock,
consider getting the free SuperClock! 4.0.4 control panel, which is far better,
and another screensaver. Moire is also available as an AD module - you can run
it under DS 4.1.





HELP! I'VE FORGOTTEN MY AFTER DARK PASSWORD, AND CAN'T USE MY MAC! (2.0)
A common problem. If you are using System 7, hold down the shift key on restart
(press the reset button, or control-command-power on newer Macs - don't turn
the Mac off and on!) to disable all extensions and control panels, including
AD. If you are running System 6, you will need to startup from a floppy disk
instead of holding down the shift key. If you have an 'extensions manager'
installed, use that to disable AD instead. (I suggest Extensions Manager 2.01
by Ricardo Batista, an Apple employee. It's a free control panel on all the ftp
sites.)

Note that you must fully disable AD. If you don't, the password information
will be carried over to the fresh control panel as a security measure. Simply
turning off AD with its on-off switch does NOT disable it, and won't do you any
good. If you can open any copy of the AD control panel, you haven't disabled AD
on startup, and the password will be carried over.

Throw away the control panel and replace it with a fresh, unopened, copy from
your master disk. Restart and then enter a new password.

If you have misplaced your AD master disk, you could try grabbing a copy of the
2.0x (or later) updater and updating the control panel instead of replacing it.
2.0x is the first updater to clear the password on updating the control panel -
see (1.2).





WHERE SHOULD I PUT THE 'AFTER DARK FILES' FOLDER? (3.0)
If AD can't find the modules that are sitting as they should be in the 'After
Dark files' folder, you probably need to update AD. Versions 2.0u and later of
AD will recognise the folder in System 7's Control Panels folder, in the
Extensions and System folder, and on the Desktop, whereas 2.0t and before
expected the AD control panel and files folder to be in the same place. (This
is detailed in the MANUAL that came with the AD PACKAGE that you BOUGHT. No
'Can you tell I'm a pirate?' questions, please.)

If you are using AutoDoubler, you can try putting the AD files folder on the
Desktop - that's next to your hard disk, OUTSIDE all folder windows - so that
AutoDoubler can compress it. This works well as long as MultiModule and
Randomizer are not deliberately compressed while in use. If a module then
crashes your Mac, you can often find out what module it was by looking in the
AutoDoubler Temporary Items folder on restart, as AutoDoubler put copies of all
open compressed files there.
[AutoDoubler 1.0x users should see the comments on the PowerDown module in
(5.2) as well].



--MY STAR TREK MODULES SAY THEY ARE 'Out of memory', BUT THE REST PLAY FINE!
(3.1)
This is answered here because, like the 'After Dark Files' folder question
above, it's a matter of getting the files in the right place. The ST modules
have a lot of pictures, sounds and features in common, and to save space these
are provided by a number of files in a 'Shared Resources' folder, which, like
the modules, must be in the 'After Dark Files' folder.

The Star Trek package installs everything correctly, so this really shouldn't
be a problem.



--A DISNEY MODULE SAYS IT IS 'Out of memory'! (3.2)
Try reducing the number of characters appearing in that module. At least,
that's what the card BS puts in the box says.





MY AFTER DARK CONTROL PANEL AND MODULES HAVE LOST THEIR ICONS! (4.0)
There are a couple of modules floating around that have accidentally had their
'bundle bits' set, and you have either just obtained one of these modules or
just rebuilt your desktop, bringing the problem to light.

The 'bundle bit' of a file tells the Finder that the file has icon information
the Finder must show. A module with a bundle bit set causes its (non-existent)
icon information to replace AD's correct icon information - hence the 'blank'
generic icons you are seeing.

To fix this, you need a utility that will show file flags, such as the
shareware FileTyper 4.1 (on info-mac and umich) or ResEdit 2.1.1 (on
ftp.apple.com). Go through all your modules, bringing up the file flag
information (This is the 'Has BNDL' box under the 'Get File/Folder' option in
ResEdit 2.1.1's File menu) and make sure the bundle bit is cleared. If it
isn't, clear it and save that file. Alternatively, just drop all of your
modules on FileTyper, clear a bundle bit and 'change all' - a simple drag and
drop operation. (Check that the AD control panel *does* have a bundle bit - if
it doesn't, the Finder won't know about its icons.)

Once you have cleared that bundle bit, restart and hold down option and command
to rebuild your desktop files. If you haven't found a set bundle bit, it's
possible that something like Norton Utilities found and fixed the bundle bit a
while back, in which case you merely need to rebuild your desktop. You should
then see the AD icons in all their glory. (
AD doesn't have ics resources for
the modules - although DS and ST do - or for MultiModule documents. No, I don't
know why!)

If you have Twilight Zone, the AD control panel will look like a blank document
and your AD modules will become TZ modules, so that double-clicking on a module
launches it in a TZ window. If you rebuild your desktop, they'll look like TZ
documents. This is normal behaviour - remove TZ and rebuild the desktop to
revert everything to standard AD.

[Aside -  Now drop a floppy disk on FileTyper, set hasCustomIcon, drag the disk
to the trash and then reinsert it. No INITs needed to give you colour floppy
disk icons! And, while we're talking lost icons, if your hard disk is showing a
blank piece of paper as its icon, you need to drop it on FileTyper to clear
hasCustomIcon to get it back to a white box after restart, then repaste that
icon you spent ages designing and kept a backup copy of. In an ideal world,
setting hasCustomIcon on a hard disk would give you a grey-shaded box... Oh,
and if you can't rename your hard disk you are probably using filesharing,
which prevents renaming so that the network doesn't get confused. Turn off
filesharing to rename your hard disk. If filesharing isn't on, use FileTyper to
clear the disk's 'nameLocked or isSystem' field, then restart. Isn't FileTyper
wonderful?]



--IN LIST VIEW IN THE FINDER, MY MODULES SAY THEY ARE '<a particular module>
documents'! (4.1)
Congratulations on spotting the 'bundle bit' problem early - see (4.0). That
particular module has (or, in the past, had) its 'bundle bit' set, and if you
were to rebuild your desktop you could lose your AD icons. Check the bundle
bit, as detailed above. If you want 'After Dark document' back, you'll have to
rebuild your desktop once you've cleared that bundle bit - although you may
want to check all your other modules for set bundle bits first, to save you
finding another module with a set bundle bit and having to rebuild the desktop
files again.





AFTER DARK CRASHES MY MACHINE! (5.0)
No. If you are running the latest version of AD - see (1.0) - it's almost
certainly an individual module rather than the AD control panel itself.

This section deals with AD modules known to crash AD. AD modules known to crash
DS, other than these, are given in the DS information in (0.1). I don't have
the knowledge of other AD-compatible screensavers to detail modules known to
cause problems with them, but not with AD or DS. Use this list and its
troubleshooting advice as a guide for finding any specific problems you may
have.

First, if you are using AD, are you running the latest version of AD? If not,
try updating a copy with the free updater detailed in (1.0), and see if the
problem goes away. This is likely to solve the 'AD doesn't work at all on my
setup!' problem.

If you are already running the latest version, are you using a just-released
Mac or just-released System? If so, an update may be in the works - just email
BS. If not, is the problem with a specific module, and can you isolate it by
trying out different modules? Is SystemIQ enabled? If not, is there a specific
reason why not? Things generally run better with SystemIQ on, and the SystemIQ
setting can affect some systems.

If the problem is with a module written by BS, well and good, provided that the
module is NOT the RANDOMIZER or MULTIMODULE. Email them about it - the address
is below.
[They request that mail from the Internet is sent to [e-mail]]

If the module is from a third party (shareware/freeware) and you cannot find a
later version anywhere, mail or email the author of the module about the
problem.

If you are having trouble with the MULTIMODULE OR RANDOMIZER, you need to track
the problem down. A large number of third-party modules don't work well under
these, often causing crashes, and giving AD an undeserved reputation for
crashing in the process. If you ARE NOT running any third-party modules under
the MultiModule or Randomizer, you can grumble at BS. If you ARE, look at the
list below to see if the problem has been encountered. Look around the net for
a later (bug-fixed) version of the module. See if writing to the author of the
module helps. Try out each After Dark module in turn under these so that you
know EXACTLY what causes the problem.

When trying out a new AD module, try it as the only module selected in the
Randomizer, and see how well it behaves. If you use the Randomizer a lot, this
is an easy way of spotting problem modules before they crash your machine and
lose you work. Most modules that crash under the MultiModule or Randomizer will
do so immediately they are selected - no waiting around needed.

To see if any modules you already have cause problems under the Randomizer,
select the Randomizer module, set the delay to ten seconds, select 'in order',
select Choose... and press the All button to choose All modules. [If you do not
see an All button, you need to update your copy of AD - see (1.0)]. Close AD,
go into screensave, and watch to see which modules crash your Mac, usually as
the module starts. Restart [by control-command-power, or the interrupt switch
on older Macs - Macsbug will let you recover from the crash smoothly, but AD
will usually be disabled until restart], remove the badly-written module, and
repeat until there are no crashes. (If you use Have-a-Blast or Off the Air, see
below.)

Removing modules that crash your Mac is a VERY good idea - although YOU may
know not to use them under MultiModule or Randomizer, other users won't, and
you know they'll fiddle with the AD settings...

If you must keep particularly impressive 'bad' modules around, a neat trick
with AD 2.0x under System 7 is to make aliases of the offending modules. Keep
the 'bad' modules in another folder, and their aliases with the other modules
in the AD Files folder. AD can then see the aliased modules, but Randomizer and
MultiModule can't, and crashes are avoided. Until someone 'tidies up' your
'unnecessary' aliases, of course... removing the bad modules is far better.

[If your Mac is crash-prone, for whatever reason, you should install Macsbug
6.2.2 (except on Centris 610s and other FPU-less 68LC040 Macs, which have a
special version of Macsbug - both are on ftp.apple.com in
/dts/mac/tools/macsbug), which will allow you to exit from most crashes without
needing to restart (type 'es'), or to smoothly restart without minutes of
disk-checking (type 'rs'). Shut down by typing 'g power'. Press escape to
toggle between the debugger and a screen showing what the Mac was doing
*before* it crashed. Type 'help' for more info.

The only downside to Macsbug is that any 'Type x error' will put you into
Macsbug, needing 'es' to continue, making the Mac less idiot-proof. Don't worry
- that's just Macsbug doing its job. Macsbug is not an extension. It lives
loose in the System Folder, not in the Extensions folder, and it won't cause
extension clashes - it just highlights the ones you already have, allowing you
to work around them.

With its white screen, Macsbug makes Randomizer crashes noticeable as soon as
they happen. Good for troubleshooting.]

AND IF THE ABOVE ADVICE IS NOT ENOUGH...
If you have encountered *specific* problems with a module NOT mentioned in this
FAQ, please let me know by email (and, if possible, include a binhexed copy of
the module so I can try it out) and I'll update this list for others to share
in your knowledge. Ditto for updates to the modules here - I'm not omniscient,
and may have missed a bug-fix or two.

DO NOT simply email me with a long list of modules you're using (many of which
are mentioned here already), say vaguely that your Mac crashes under
Randomizer, and ask for my advice. You won't get it - that's what this FAQ is
for, and I don't repeat myself. Self-help is the key here. Use the information
provided here to eliminate the source(s) of the crashing detailed in the FAQ.
If it still crashes, use the troubleshooting information to discover WHY it
crashes If you discover something new, THEN email me.



--MODULES THAT DON'T WORK UNDER MULTIMODULE AND RANDOMIZER (5.1)
This list has been compiled from information mostly obtained by running AD
along with lots of other extensions on single-screen internal-video Mac IIsi
and LC setups that have run Systems 7.0 through to 7.1. AD 2.0t to x were used.
Although some modules do have problems with large or multiple-monitor setups,
detailed information is lacking, since I can't test for it. Anyone want to
supply a list of 'problem' modules for unusual multiple/large monitor setups?
Ditto for modules that may have '040 cache problems, or problems with 16- or
24-bit deep screens.

This list details modules that 'work fine' EXCEPT when run under MultiModule or
Randomizer, or both - I currently runs Randomizer, randomizing a lot of modules
every fifteen minutes, in parallel with Dan Walkowski's PowerDown, which shuts
off an unused Mac, under MultiModule. This catches more problem modules than
most - your mileage may vary, and you may not encounter some of these problems
on your set-up, particularly if you are using a Classic or Plus.

Some modules misbehave under MultiModule only under very specific conditions -
size of allocated area, covered or not, system setup - and a list of these is
impossible. Troubleshooting MultiModule settings is left as an exercise for the
reader.

Modules whose latest versions worked fine when this FAQ began, but whose
earlier versions didn't, are not listed here, as that would entail a full
version history report of every AD module I've seen - difficult and impossible
to complete. Modules that have had problems corrected during the history of
this FAQ are, however, mentioned for completeness, under the heading of the
latest version known. Go and get it. If the module you are having a problem
with is not mentioned here, see if a later version is available. If not,
contact the author of the module about the problem, and please let me know,
too.


MULTIMODULE AND RANDOMIZER
If you use both of these, make sure you have the latest revision of AD.
Versions earlier than 2.0w would crash if MultiModule included Randomizer and
Randomizer included MultiModule in their selections, whenever the Randomizer
tried to run the MultiModule which was already running. (Say 'recursion',
people.) 2.0w and later detect this and add incredibly useful 'All' and 'None'
buttons to the Randomizer [but still no support for my extended keyboard's
extra cursor-control keys, unlike the control panel itself. Grumble.]


THIRD-PARTY MODULES WITH RANDOMIZER
And now, that faulty third-party  module list, in alphabetical order:

Balloons - BugByte, Inc, 1991 (no email address given)
A very large (340K) module, advertising a HyperCard stack on tying balloons
into knots to make figures, that demonstrates some balloon shapes with
accompanying sound effects. Does not run under Randomizer, claiming that not
enough memory is available. Does not appear to crash.

Bat Signal 1.1 - subversive software <[e-mail]>
A Spotlight-like module, but using the Bat Signal, and with the coolest about
box yet. There are at least two pre-1.0 versions of this module in existence
with no version numbers - one of those didn't work under Randomizer. Replace
with 1.1. Well worth seeing, *especially* for the about box. Bat Signal Returns
is under development.

Blackboard 1.0 - Mark Malamud and Susan Hautala ([e-mail]
[e-mail] [e-mail])
Pupil drawing on a chalkboard - either punishment or equations. 0.9 won't run
under Randomizer, claiming not enough memory. Doesn't appear to crash. 1.0 is
said to work correctly, but is only available with the 'Art of Darkness'
book/disk package mentioned in (1.5). Mark says that a shareware 2.0 will be
released late in 1993.

Cards - Chris Christensen (no email address given)
Puts playing cards at random places on the screen. Refuses to run under
Randomizer, claiming 'Bouncing Ball: Sorry, there is not enough memory.' (and
showing its code origins. At 225K, it's obese, too - the Klondike 5.1 game
takes under 100K, and you can PLAY that). Does not appear to crash.

Chomp! - BS <[e-mail]>
This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Bites are taken out
of the screen with a chomping sound. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit when
run under Randomizer with AD v2 on my setups. No longer supported by BS and
should probably be trashed. Although other modules from the same era, like
TacTiles and Shapes, seem to work fine for me, treat them with caution.

EarthSplash 1.1 - Chuan Y. Fu <[e-mail]>
(Previously Earthbounce 1.0). Unstable under Randomizer - seen to crash in
_MakeRGBPat. The author claimed he was working on an update.

Faces in the Dark 1.0 - Geoffrey Hutchison (no email address)
Draws b/w face doodles. Occasionally 'freezes' under Randomizer - cmd-opt-esc
recovers to Finder.

Frect 1.0 - Adam Miller <[e-mail]>
Produces 'fractal rectangles'. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit when run
under Randomizer.

Gates Does Windows 1.0.2 - Robert Gibson, Mark Simmons
([e-mail], [e-mail])
Bill Gates appears as a window cleaner. Very large and impressive, but 1.0.1
crashed under Randomizer as it runs out of memory. Version 1.0.2 fixes this
crashing, but behaves oddly on some systems under Randomizer. This module is a
'ZiffNet exclusive', so it can't be put on ftp sites. You'll have to ask
someone for it - I had to do a lot of asking around to track this module and
its reported problems down, and I’m annoyed with ZiffNet as a result.

Hearts 2.0 - Josh de Cesare <[e-mail]>
Large (453K), visually impressive module where rendered hearts grow, spin and
move around the screen. Doesn't appear to allocate enough memory under
Randomizer, and crashes badly under MultiModule. No reply from the author at
the address he gives.

HolisticSofa 0.94 - Alan Keahey ([e-mail] or GEnie: A.Keahey)
This module explores the sofa-on-stairs problem detailed in Douglas Adam's
'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'. It crashes under the Randomizer on
most newer Macs. The author wrote it on a Plus, which it didn't crash on, and
can't duplicate the problem. Another Plus owner has reported crashing under
Randomizer.
[Also available as a standalone screensaver.]

Kablooie 1.0 - Adam Miller and Jakub Buchowski <[e-mail]>
A customisable fireworks module for AD - just what it needs to get one over on
Pyro!'s main selling point [DS has a fireworks module]. Puts up 'Kablooie:'
running under the Randomizer and nothing else. Adam Miller knows of the
problem, but no fix has appeared.

Kings Cross Coke 1.0 - John Rotenstein (PO Box 165, Double Bay NSW 2028,
AUSTRALIA)
Shows logos and illuminates them as if they were flashing/cycling neon signs.
Includes a scrapbook feature to choose images from. Has memory problems -
crashes under Randomizer and MultiModule, and is pretty flaky on its own,
especially when cutting and pasting in the scrapbook. Spectacular, but risky.
[Also available as a stand-alone application (v2.0) in info-mac/grf]

Millions of Colors 0.5 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle, [e-mail])
Bands of colour. Doesn't work under MultiModule. Email will be passed on by
Mark Hatle. Package includes source code - anyone want to fix it?

Nebulae 1.0 - Bryan & Lisa Gibson-Winge (Compuserve: 72677,3222)
Complains of not enough memory to run under MultiModule or Randomizer. Doesn't
appear to crash.

Off The Air 1.0 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle, [e-mail])
Simulates a noisy television channel after the station has gone off air. Under
Randomizer changing modules every few minutes, causes a crash a few modules
AFTER it has run. (Trashing memory? Finding this one took ages.) The 'Set
Monitor Depth' feature is bad ju-ju and can also crash the Mac. Email will be
passed on by Mark Hatle.

Punkin Patch - Steve Henck <[e-mail]>
A 'Halloween' module. Cute graphics. Won't run under Randomizer, claiming not
enough memory for off-screen graphics. Doesn't appear to crash.

Rrrring! - Steve Henck <[e-mail]>
Assorted deaths to ringing telephones. Cute graphics. Won't run under
Randomizer, putting up 'Randomizer:'. Doesn't appear to crash.

Shredded Crystals - BS <[e-mail]>
This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Jagged shapes appear
on screen. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit when run under Randomizer with AD
v2 on my setup. No longer supported by BS, and should probably be trashed.
Although other modules from the same era, like TacTiles and Shapes, seem to
work fine for me, treat them with caution.

Sparkler 1.0 - Mike Wessler
Pixels explode off the screen. Crashes under Randomizer. [Not to be confused
with the catherine-wheel-like Sparklers 1.0, by Frank Kubin, which works fine
under both MultiModule and Randomizer.]

TerrainMaker 2.0 - Adam Miller and Jakub Buchowski
<[e-mail]>
Reported as just saying 'Randomizer:' under Randomizer on an unusual video
setup - a IIcx with PCPC Nubus card and 19" monitor. Appears to work fine on
more standard video setups.

VectorBalls 1.0 - Mark Adams, Maverick Software
([e-mail] [e-mail])
Very impressive bouncing sets of crystal-lattice-like 3D balls. Crashes under
Randomizer and MultiModule. The author claims the crash occurs in a ROM routine
he calls, and is not sure why. With the crashing fixed, and a 'Random Shapes'
option, this module would be a must-have.
Reported as being included in the NowFun! screensaver - version unknown.



--MODULES WITH OTHER KNOWN PROBLEMS (5.2)
In alphabetical order:

Have a Blast 1.0.1 - Alan Goates, Otherware <[e-mail]>
1.0 could crash on wake (moving the mouse or Randomizer choosing another
module) if 'Repair Damage' was chosen. 1.0.1 fixes this.

Hopper 1.0.1 - Rob Snevely, Wild Nobility Productions
Under later versions of AD, this module only displays its generated pattern in
the bottom-right quadrant of the screen. It uses the whole screen under DS,
though. Very strange. Anyone have an email address for these guys?

Movies 'til Dawn 1.01 - BS <[e-mail]>
1.01 works with all versions of QT, unlike 1.0, which stopped working at QT
1.5. Get 1.01 and trash 1.0.
Playing movies is pointless for a screensaver, since it may save your screen,
but kills your hard disk through overwork and keeps your CPU running at full
speed - important on a portable. If you MUST play movies, make sure you have QT
1.6.1 or later. Far less disk access and memory is used than with 1.5 or
earlier.
Also look at Movies in the Dark 1.0 by Maurice Volaski or the OURA QT (say each
letter!) movie player 1.0d2 module by Laurence d'Oliveiro. There's also a
Bouncing Movie module, but it's a quick hack that no longer works. Trash it and
get one of the others.
Note that Slide Show 2.1 (with 2.0x or later) can display QT JPEG-compressed
PICT files, which is far more useful than playing movies. Slide Show 2.0 or
earlier will hang on the second screensave if a QT JPEG is used.
If you DO use JPEG pictures with Slide Show 2.1, remember that pictures are
uncompressed with a blank all-colours-are-black screen. AD will not wake until
QT has finished decompressing the picture, so you may spend time staring at a
black screen. If you have the password feature enabled, you may have to type
the password blind, and then wait for QT to finish decompressing the picture -
a similar problem to using 'FadeAway' down to 0% with the password enabled.
[And you know about QT's 'Startup Movie' feature, right?]

Orbs Return 2.0.2 - Stephen Linhart <[e-mail]>
Crashes in 16- and 24-bit colour depths. Version 3.0 is available as part of
the NowFun! package, and does not have this problem.

Paw-Paw 1.3b3 - Aaron Barnet <[e-mail]>
Version 1.2b had known memory problems, most visible when running with
Microsoft Excel or Word (like a lot of Mac software - blame Microsoft's un-Mac
programming methods).  Get Paw-Paw 1.3b3 or later (in info-mac/gui/ad) which
fixes these problems, and trash 1.2b.

PowerDown 1.1 - Dan Walkowski <[e-mail]>
Shuts off an unattended Mac after a pre-set time. Ideal for Macs with full
'soft' power on and off.
(DS 4 users can get the same functionality with Fabrizio Oddone's DarkShutdown
2.0 DS module, which works nicely with the Shutdown Delay 2.0.1 control panel.
IIsi, later ‘soft-power’ Macs and Q840av users gain additional functionality
with the Auto Power On/Off control panel supplied with the av machines.)
Running PowerDown in parallel with Randomizer under MultiModule with the AD
files folder on the Desktop so that AutoDoubler 1.0.7i could compress it
(whew!) led to extra copies of the modules running when PowerDown shuts down
being put in an AutoDoubler Temporary Items folder. There was no crash or other
undue behaviour. Telling AutoDoubler not to compress PowerDown, Randomizer and
MultiModule prevented this from happening - AutoDoubler always puts copies of
compressed files open at shutdown in the Items folder These modules were
running at shutdown, and weren't closed properly.
[If you are using PowerDown, look at the Okey-Dokey 1.01 control panel from the
same author, which presses the default button in a dialog after a pre-set time.
This allows you to have open documents in most applications saved automatically
on shutdown, which would otherwise stop at the first dialog. DarkShutdown
handles this itself.]

Virex-D (MAD 1.0) - BS <[e-mail]>
Virex-D, one of the MAD 1.0 modules, was an advertisement for the commercial
Virex virus-killer. As the D indicates, Virex-D DETECTS viruses - it does not
remove viruses or repair damage caused by viruses. Virex-D has not been updated
recently and is no longer distributed with MAD 1.0a. It SHOULD NOT be used for
virus protection. It wears your disk unnecessarily, too.
Use the freeware Disinfectant application (version 3.3 as I write) and
Gatekeeper system extension (version 1.3 as I write), available from all good
Mac-support ftp sites, to combat Mac viruses
A commercial package is not a requirement for protection from viruses. Remember
that the few Mac viruses in existence are mostly benign and are very rarely
seen - this is not something to even think about if you have an up-to-date
virus-killer, and Disinfectant and Gatekeeper are far more than adequate, not
to mention completely free. [Read the excellent Disinfectant on-line help for
more information.]

VoiceWaker 1.07 - Alessandro Levi Montalcini <[e-mail]>
This module works with a microphone to wake up a Mac when you shout at it. (A
neat trick - just say 'Wake up!' and pretend you own a Quadra av :-) All
versions seen, including 1.07, crash the Mac on screensave if a Global Village
Teleport ADB modem is in use and the Teleport menu is present. 1.07 is included
in the NowFun! screensaver. It remains at 1.07 after using the NowFun!
1.0->1.01 updater.





EXTENSION INCOMPATIBILITIES (6.0)
There are few extension, INIT or control panel conflicts with AD - most
problems originate with badly-written AD modules, listed above. DS conflicts
are listed in (0.1).



--KNOWN INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH AFTER DARK (6.1)
In alphabetical order (well, there are only three I know of):

Attention 1.02 <[e-mail]>
This control panel allows you to select a sound other than the
presently-selected 'beep' sound for notification alerts.
1.0 prevented AD from sleeping if 'Always Audible' was selected and had minor
incompatibilities with CarpetBag.
1.01 and 1.02 fix this, but may cause crashes with the new StyleWriter II
driver's beep-after-printing feature. Use with caution.

MacWrite Pro (Claris)
It's reported that AD cannot automatically sleep when any version of MacWrite
Pro (latest is 1.0v4) has a document open. Speculation is that MacWrite Pro is
doing background processing when not being typed into.
I'm told that sleep can occur if you use AD's 'sleep' corner, or place the
pointer on the menu-bar or the document title-bar.

TouchBase Pro (After Hours Software)
TouchBase Pro 2.0 won't let After Dark sleep if it is running, either in
foreground or background. After Hours say that this is fixed in 2.0.1.





MODULE NAME CHANGES AND SIMILARITIES (7.0)
Over the years, a number of AD modules have changed their names to avoid being
confused with other products. Also, some modules out there have similar names,
but are not related. This should help clear all that up.



--THE NAME HAS CHANGED (7.1)
Names on the left are old -> changed to names on the right. Look out for the
new AD modules, and trash the old ones once you've got their replacements.
Listed in alphabetical order of the old names.

EarthBounce 1.0 -> EarthSplash 1.1
Has Randomizer problems. See above.

MacTabloid 2.0 -> Headlines 1.0.1
MacTabloid 2.0 is a third-party hack of Headlines 1.0.1. The size of its word
database appears to give it problems Headlines does not have. MacTabloid runs
out of memory under Randomizer - the memory requirements do not appear to have
been adjusted upwards for the larger database. Avoid it - Headlines 1.0.1 is
the latest, most stable, official, version.

Mandelbrot -> Fractals 1.33
Alessandro Levi Montalcini's 'Mandelbrot' underwent a name change when Hoffman
and Hartshorne's 'Mandelbrot' module appeared as part of the MAD package. It's
now the shareware Fractals 1.33, and is a full-fledged configurable fractal
generator, whereas MAD's commercial 'Mandelbrot' just shows you the set and
some expanded detail. A later version of Fractals, 2.1.2, is reported as being
included in the NowFun! screensaver.

Wallpaper 1.0 -> Mathos (no version, Oct. 1, 92 given in about box, but
released May, 93)
Generates fractal 'wallpaper' patterns. Name changed to avoid confusion with
Thought I Could's commercial 'Wallpaper' desktop-pattern utility. (I'm a fan of
the far cheaper Desktop Textures 2.1, on info-mac, and on
microlib.cc.utexas.edu as /microlib/mac/app/desktop-textures-21.hqx, myself.) A
number of versions of the Wallpaper module were released without version
numbers and as versions 1.0 - with and without a separate coprocessor-only
Wallpaper881 module - so upgrading to Mathos or Mathos881 (together in one
archive) will solve your 'what version is this?' problem for now.



--NOT TO BE CONFUSED (7.2)
These AD modules have similar names, but are different!

Lines by Charles Clarke, LineCA 1.0.1 by WildMan Software, Quantum Lines by
Scott Berfield and Roaming Lines 1.1c by David Bau
Lines simply fills the screen with coloured lines, LineCA is a scrolling
one-dimensional Life-like cellular automata generator, Quantum Lines is
bouncing twisting pattern, and Roaming Lines is a variation on Berkeley's
String Theory with some neat options.

Maze (the first version) 1.0 by David Bau, and (Calico) Maze 1.1.1 by Richard
Lesh.
Two different maze builders/solvers. Bau's Maze lacks colour, but has an
interesting maze-drawing method.  Calico Maze has more colour and more choice
of maze sizes than the very similar MAD Snake module, and is well worth a look
as the 'definitive' Maze module.

Messages by BS, and Random Messages 1.0 by Paul Russell
Two modules that choose a string from a message-list and display it on screen.
MAD includes the polished Say What?, but the out-and-out-winner has to be
Headlines 1.0.1 by Jamie McCarthy, which, like the unix spew it's based on,
generates hilarious random headlines from a topical database.

Sparkler 1.0 by Mike Wessler, and Sparklers 1.0 by Frank Kubin
Sparkler has Randomizer problems. See above. Two totally different modules and
effects.





MODULE REQUESTS (8.0)
Right, this is the part where you send in your neat ideas for screensaver
modules, in the hope that someone will turn them into reality. Requested are:

A 'Sequencer' module that lets you control the order and timings of your AD
modules, so that you can have following modules perform interesting effects
with the stuff left on the screen. Randomizer just doesn't cut it - Murphy's
Law dictates that Puzzle ends up shifting a blank screen around, for example.
A SoundTracker MOD file player, ideally incorporating graphics like DS's
Spectrum's. (Tracker/ProTracker-playing code is readily available. Star Trek
includes a straightforward sound- and SoundEdit-playing module.)
A screensaver that creates realistic-looking Finder windows with icons, and has
the mouse pointer doing operations, so that you can claim that your Mac is
working even when you are not. (AppleEvents on a scriptable Finder?)
A GIF picture viewer. Slide Show does PICTs and JPEGs (with QT) but not GIFs
(MIFP, the makers of ScreenSavor, are considering adding GIF support if user
demand warrants it, but what the world *really* needs is a GIF translator
plug-in for QT).
A 'starfield' module that simulates Doppler shift accurately, which neither
Star Trek, 'Warp Factor' or 'Warp!' do.
A neko or gengi-type module featuring puppies, not kittens.
A 'dancing bear' module.
Tetris. It runs under everything else...
Exact copies of the Sun screensavers, so Macs can pretend to be workstations.
Exact copies of the default screensavers supplied with Windows, so that Macs
can lurk better in PC-dominated offices.
A module giving filesharing information - who's using your Mac?
Curtains pulling acrosss the screen.

And fixes to all the still-buggy modules listed above, of course. Please...



DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL-WEASELLING
--COPYRIGHT
This work is Copyright (C) 1993 by L. H. Wood. Permission is hereby granted to
distribute this unmodified document provided that no fee in excess of normal
on-line charges is required for such distribution. Permission is NOT granted to
services who charge and make a profit for information or for access (e.g.
variable download rates depending upon download speed, or a standing charge),
as this is in excess of normal on-line charges. Such services wishing to
distribute this FAQ must negotiate a suitable fee with me first for my
services.
Permission is specifically not granted to ZiffNet, who give me a headache
trying to track down and test the AD modules they 'release'.

Portions of this document may be extracted and quoted free of charge and
without necessity of citation in normal on-line communication provided only
that said quotes are not represented as the correspondent's original work.
Permission for quotation of this document in printed material and edited
on-line communication (such as the Info-Mac Digest and TidBITS) is given
subject to normal citation procedures (i.e. I demand an attribution or credit).


I DO NOT PERMIT DISTRIBUTION ON CD-ROM, DISKS FOR SALE (e.g. SHAREWARE
CATALOGUES OR MAGAZINE COVER DISKS) OR ANY OTHER CARRIER UNLESS I RECEIVE A
COPY OF THE CD-ROM, DISK, OR STORAGE MEDIUM UPON WHICH THIS WORK APPEARS.
(I wouldn't mind an Info-Mac CD or two :-)



--DISCLAIMER
I do my best to ensure that information contained in this document is current
and accurate, but I can accept no responsibility for actions resulting from
information contained herein. This document is provided as is and with no
warranty of any kind.

END.