To install AutoMenus, place the AutoMenus extension/cdev file onto the System Folder icon. If your using System 7, you will be asked if you wish AutoMenus to be placed into the Control Panels folder. Click 'OK'.
Restart your machine.
If you are replacing an earlier version of AutoMenus with v5.4 or later, be sure you restart your machine before attempting to access the Control Panel. Your machine won't bomb, but you could get some strange results.
NOTE: YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE AUTOMENUS CONTROL PANEL UNLESS YOUR MAHCINE WAS BOOTED WITH AUTOMENUS IN ITS SYSTEM FOLDER.
Configuring
NOTE: ALL CHANGES MADE IN THE CONTROL PANEL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RESTART TO SEE CHANGES.
Now that you have intalled AutoMenus you will need to configure it to your needs.
Open the AutoMenus Control Panel. The Control Panel should look similar to this:
 
The 'AutoMenus On' checkbox determines whether AutoMenus is currently enabled. If you uncheck this control, AutoMenus will no longer function. Rechecking it will turn AutoMenus back on.
If 'Show Icon' is checked, the AutoMenus icon will appear at startup notifying you of its proper installation.
Pressing the 'Options' button will produce the following dialog.
 
The Menu Activation Time (MAT) is how long AutoMenus will wait until it pulls the menu down for you once the mouse cursor is positioned in the menu bar. It is only needed when the Automatic Selection feature is enabled. The MAT is measured in 60th's of a second. You might want to have this set between 2 and 10 for fast work, or maybe 60 if your not in a big hurry. You cannot set a MAT lower than "1". Once the cursor is placed in the menu bar, AutoMenus checks to see if the mouse cursor is in within 2 pixels of the original placement before selecting a menu. So, if you have a MAT of say 10, the cursor must remain in the same place for 10/60th's of a second before the menu will be displayed. This is to prevent inadvertent menu/window selection.
Automatic Dismissal is a special option for the user. If this check box is checked, when ever the mouse is dragged outside the menu area (it’s rectangle) the menu will automatically be dismissed. In other words, you don’t have to click the mouse any more if you decide you don’t want to select a menu item. AutoMenus compensates for scrolling menus by not dismissing it when the mouse cursor goes outside the bottom of the menu and adds a little extra cushion at the top.
In order to escape from a scrolling menu, you must either press the mouse button or move the cursor to the left, top, or right of the menu.
Automatic Selection. Many of you expressed a desire to have the ability to disable automatic menu selection. When this checkbox is not checked, a single click of the mouse button will pull the menu down and hold it for you.
Reserve Top Pixel. This is for users who use utilities which make the entire screen scroll such as SteppingOut II or MAZ. It is not available if the Automatic Selection feature is not enabled. Users not using such a utility do not need this item checked.
Select Balloon/App Menus. This option is for System 7 users. When this option is enabled, the Balloon help and Applications menus will select automatically just like regular menus. This item is not available under
System 6.
Extend Menu Bottoms. When this is checked, AutoMenus will add extra space to the bottom of menus. It is only available when the Automatic Dismissal feature is enabled. Select this option to help prevent against accidentally dismissing the menu by moving the mouse cursor outside the menu area while trying to select the last menu item (like Quit in the file menu).
When you have made your desired selections, press 'OK' to save them. The changes made will take affect immediately.
To configure the special modifier key press the 'Keys' button.
By pressing this button, you will be presented with a dialog allowing you to set the special modifier key.
 
The special modifier key is the one you hold down while clicking in the menu bar to display AutoMenus pop-up menu. This pop-up menu is used to disable and enable AutoMenus 'on the fly' without having to open the Control Panel. This is for applications which might not be so nice as to work with AutoMenus.
Auto Termination. Pressing the 'Auto Termination' button will produce the dialog below. The Auto Termination feature will prevent you from accidentally "stalling" your Mac. When ever the mouse button is pressed, or a menu is down, your Mac stops processing other tasks. If you were downloading a file and the mouse pointer was put into the menu bar, your Mac would essentially freeze up and the download would stop until the menu is dismissed.
AutoMenus can be set to "let go" of a menu when a user definable time has elapsed, freeing up your Mac to process other tasks.
 
If you never want AutoMenus to terminate menu activations, then you can turn it off by choosing 'Auto Termination Off'.
