ScreenChooser is a system extension that lets you enhance your boot up process with beautiful images and sounds. Likewise, ScreenChooser lets you replace your desktop pattern with creative and colorful designs. Unlike other desktop enhancing programs, ScreenChooser combines randomization, backdrops, sounds and tiling into a single and convenient package. Once you install ScreenChooser you will never be able to live without it!
ScreenChooser is distributed as Shareware. That is, if you find it useful I ask that you pay a small fee for its use. See the end of this document for pricing and registration information.
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR MACINTOSH OWNERS WITHOUT COLOR QUICKDRAW
If you are running ScreenChooser on a Macintosh without color QuickDraw, ScreenChooser will revert to the mechanism used by older versions and several buttons in the control panel will be dimmed. You will ONLY be allowed to use the B&W StartUp Screen format in such a case and tilings will not be supported.
INSTALLING AND REMOVING SCREENCHOOSER UNDER SYSTEM 6 OR SYSTEM 7
Under System 6.0.x, put ScreenChooser in System Folder along with your other control panel files. Under System 7.0 or greater ScreenChooser will work in the Control Panels folder, but most users will prefer to put it in the Extensions folder, where it will load up earlier on.
To remove ScreenChooser, set the on/off switch to "off" before deinstalling ScreenChooser. If you remove ScreenChooser without turning it off first, the General Controls control panel might not be able to use the regular color patterns and will be restricted to the old style B&W patterns.
COMPATIBILITY NOTES: DiskDoubler users (or users of similar programs) must have the compression extension running BEFORE ScreenChooser since ScreenChooser cannot read the compressed files these utilities generate!
CONFIGURING SCREENCHOOSER FOR USE
Before using ScreenChooser you must configure it to your own needs. Under System 6.0.x configure ScreenChooser by opening the Control Panel desk accessory and select its icon from the scrolling list on the left. If you are running System 7.0 or later, double-click on the ScreenChooser to open its control panel. Brief information on all the items the mouse cursor touches is shown in the "Quick Help" box. The functions of the various options and buttons are explained in detail as follows:
On/Off Toggle Switch - This lets you turn ScreenChooser on and off. Turning ScreenChooser off will enable color pattern editing in the General Control panel so it is extremely important to turn ScreenChooser off before deinstalling it!
Show Icon At Startup - When this is checked, ScreenChooser will display its icon in the usual parade of icons at startup.
Play Attached Sounds - If this is checked, ScreenChooser will attempt to play any sounds attached to the image files.
Stretch Images to Screen Size - If you want ScreenChooser to stretch images to fit the entire screen, check this button. This option does not affect tilings.
Use Tiling/Picture as Desktop Pattern - Check this if you want ScreenChooser to replace the desktop pattern with the chosen image or tiling.
Save Tilings to System File - When this is checked, ScreenChooser will save tilings to the System file. On some Macs this option is not necessary and checking it will only slow down the boot sequence. On most Macs, if this is left unchecked, the tilings will not be preserved as the desktop pattern.
Choose Image Folder - Click on this button to select the folder where you will keep your images. Just find the image folder and double-click on any image file (it does not matter which).
Help - Click this button to view this help screen.
About - Click here for author and Shareware information.
SETTING UP YOUR IMAGE FOLDER
ScreenChooser works by randomly selecting an image from a predetermined set and putting it up during startup. The same image will also be used as your desktop pattern if you choose so when configuring ScreenChooser.
ScreenChooser works with most of the basic Macintosh image file formats. It can read the standard B&W StartUp Screen, B&W MacPaint, color StartUp Screen (PICT resources) and standard PICT files. Non-Macintosh image file formats or program-specific formats are not supported and must be converted to one of the above formats using an appropriate image manipulation or conversion program.
Put all the image files you wish to use in a folder on the same volume or hard disk as your System Folder and use the "Choose Image Folder" button in the control panel to set the folder as the active one, as described above.
CUSTOM PALETTES, IMAGE TILING AND SOUNDS
Color images with custom palettes will always be shown in their intended palette during startup. If the "Use Tiling/Picture as Desktop Pattern" option is checked ScreenChooser will try to dither the image into the system palette before using it as the desktop replacement. Since dithering is unavailable under System 6.0.x, images with custom palettes may look muddy if used as desktop replacements.
ScreenChooser can use any image as a tiling pattern. This is analogous to having a lot of small patterned bathroom tiles and using them to cover a larger surface, such as that of a wall. Any image can be used as a tiling pattern by appending the extension ".tile" to its file name. For best performance, the width and height of images should be equal and be a power of two greater than eight. Examples of good dimensions would be 8 x 8, 16 x 16, 32 x 32, 64 X 64 or 128 x 128. Images with irregular width and heights will be drawn with a very inefficient method and should be avoided at all costs. On the other hand, images with the sizes listed above will be drawn smoothly and nearly instantaneously.
ScreenChooser can optionally play a sound when putting up an image or tiling. Both System 7.0 sound files or ' snd' containing resource files can be used (ScreenChooser cannot read SoundMaster type sound files). To attach a sound file to a screen simply put it in the image folder and name it the same as the screen (or tiling) you want to attach it to, appending ".snd" to the name. For example, to attach a sound to a image file named "Country Road", name the sound file "Country Road.snd". Likewise, to attach a sound file to a tiling named "bricks.tile", name the sound file "bricks.tile.snd". Alternately, sound resources can be pasted directly into the resource fork of the images. ScreenChooser will NOT play any sounds if the "Play Attached Sounds" check box is left unchecked.
THIS PROGRAM IS SHAREWARE...
ScreenChooser is Shareware. This means you are allowed to try it out a few weeks. If you enjoy it, you are asked to send in a small payment to encourage me to continue writing programs such as this. So, if after trying out ScreenChooser, you decide to keep it, I ask that you send me a check in the value of $20 to the following address:
Marcio Luis Teixeira
P.O. Box 271603
Fort Collins, CO 80527-1603
USA
Please write "ScreenChooser V2.2" in the memo field of your check so I can keep my records straight! Thanks in advance for your contributions!
If you decide against registering ScreenChooser, please delete all your copies of ScreenChooser or, better yet, pass it on to a friend. If it is not too much of a inconvenience, a small postcard explaining why you decided not to keep ScreenChooser would be appreciated and I will take your opinions in consideration when releasing further versions of ScreenChooser. Your opinions are appreciated!
REGISTERED USERS OF SCREEN CHOOSER V1.x! SPECIAL OFFER!
If you are a registered user of ScreenChooser 1.x before April 30, 1993, pay only ten additional dollars to upgrade to version 2.x and save five dollars off the full registration. Thank you very much for making this version possible!
TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION
This program may be distributed freely in it's unaltered form provided it is not sold for a profit or used as an incentive to buy another product without the written consent from the author. This program may be uploaded to bulletin board services or online services provided that no charge is issued to obtain it other than the regular connect charges for accessing the service or board.
WANT MORE FUN AND USEFUL STUFF? I'VE GOT IT....
Through the years I have written several programs ranging from cool and fun stuff (such as this) to educational HyperCard stacks (what else can a high school student do with his spare time?). If you are interested in receiving a disk containing all of my programs, please send a check of $5 to the address given above to cover for the cost of a floppy disk and the shipping. Please write "Shareware Disk Request" in the memo field of your check and allow 4-5 weeks for delivery. Thanks!
REACHING ME FOR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS AND BUG REPORTS
In addition to reaching me at the address above, you can reach me at America Online at MarcioT or via Internet at marciot@aol.com . Thank you!
THIS PRODUCT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO WARRENTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THIS SOFTWARE, IT'S PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILTY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES RESULTING FROM THE USE OR MISUSE OF THIS PRODUCT EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH.
