ZooSave 2.0
Index

Introduction
What is ZooSave?
System Requirements
Installation
Configuration
      ZooSave Setup Dialog
      ZooSave Text Setup Dialog
      ZooSave Background Setup Dialog
Problems and Bugs
Distribution
Technical Information
Suggestions
Many Thanks To
Revision History
Contacting Me


Introduction

ZooSave is free for everybody to use. It can be distributed freely provided that all the conditions in the Distribution section are met.

ZooSave is Copyright Ó 1993 - 1997 Andrew Cowley.


What is ZooSave?

ZooSave is a Microsoft Windows screen saver that flashes messages up on the screen in the same way that they were flashed up on the TV screens at a 1992/1993 U2 ZooTV concert.

It has the following features -


System Requirements

ZooSave can be installed on the following operating systems -

ZooSave will not run under Windows 3.0 or earlier.

An installation requires about 1MB of disk space.


Installation

Execute the INSTALL.EXE program and follow the instructions. You will be prompted to enter a directory in which ZooSave will be installed. I strongly recommend using a new directory for ZooSave.

A folder titled ZooSave is created by the installation program. This folder contains icons to start and configure ZooSave and an icon to read this documentation.

The installation program creates a file called INSTALL.LOG in the directory in which you installed ZooSave. This file contains a list of all the modifications made to your system by the installation. You may wish to review this file.

After installing ZooSave you should configure it.


Configuration

ZooSave is configured via the ZooSave Setup dialog. Open this dialog by either double clicking the ZooSave Setup icon in the ZooSave folder or by accessing the list of installed screen savers and then pressing either the Setup... (in Windows 3.x or OS/2) or the Settings... (in Windows 95 or NT) button.

ZooSave Setup Dialog



Overview: This is the main setup dialog. It contains the basic settings and entry points to the other setup dialogs. A brief description of the options available in this dialog follows -

Speed: This scrollbar controls the speed at which ZooSave displays messages.

Message File | Directory: ZooSave looks in this directory for message files. A message file has an extension of .TXT and should consist only of lines of plain text. ZooSave selects at random a message file to use from this directory when it starts. A valid directory must be entered into this edit box.

Message File | Browse: Pressing this button will open a dialog that contains a list of all drives and directories on your system. Selecting a directory from this dialog will transfer the directory into the Message File | Directory edit box.

Other | Text: Pressing this button will open the ZooSave Text Setup dialog.

Other | Background: Pressing this button will open the ZooSave Background Setup dialog.

OK: Pressing this button will save your settings and close the dialog.

Apply: Pressing this button will save your settings and leave the dialog open.

Cancel: Pressing this button will discard any changes you have made to your settings since they were last saved and close the dialog. Note: This function will not discard changes that have been saved by pressing the Apply button. It only discards unsaved changes.

About: Pressing this button will open a dialog that contains information about ZooSave.

ZooSave Text Setup Dialog



Overview: This is where settings related to the text that ZooSave displays are found. A brief description of the options available in this dialog follows -

Font: Use the listboxes in here to set the font name, style and size.

Color | Random: Selecting this checkbox makes ZooSave use random colors for the text. You are unable to set a specific text color (see below) when this checkbox is selected.

Color | Color: Pressing this button will open a dialog that allows you to set the text color.

Effects | Strikeout: Selecting this checkbox applies the strikeout style to the text.

Effects | Underline: Selecting this checkbox applies the underline style to the text.

Other | Wrap long lines: Selecting this checkbox will make ZooSave wrap long lines across the screen so that they can be read in their entirety.

OK: Pressing this button will save your settings and close the dialog.

Cancel: Pressing this button will discard any changes you have made to your settings and close the dialog.

ZooSave Background Setup Dialog



Overview: This is where the settings related to the background picture that ZooSave displays are found. The background picture is either your Windows desktop wallpaper or a picture file chosen at random from the background picture directory. A brief description of the options available in this dialog follows...

Background Picture | Display background picture: Selecting this checkbox enables all the background picture options. Deselecting it means that ZooSave will not attempt to display any background picture when it starts.

Background Picture | Picture Source | Use desktop wallpaper: Selecting this checkbox will cause your Windows desktop wallpaper to be used as the background picture. You are unable to set a background picture directory (see below) when this checkbox is selected.

Background Picture | Picture Source | Directory: ZooSave looks in this directory for background picture files. A background picture file has an extension of .BMP and must be a valid bitmap file. ZooSave selects at random a background picture file to use when it starts. A valid directory must be entered into this edit box.

Background Picture | Picture Source | Browse: Pressing this button will open a dialog that contains a list of all drives and directories on your system. Selecting a directory from this dialog will transfer the directory into the Background Picture | Picture Source | Directory edit box.

Background Picture | Display Options: Use these options to specify how the background picture will be displayed. It can be centered or tiled or stretched to fill the screen.

Clear Screen | Clear screen first: Selecting this checkbox will make ZooSave clear the screen when it starts. The screen is painted with either a specific or random color (see below).

Clear Screen | Random: Selecting this checkbox makes ZooSave select a background color at random when it starts. You are unable to set a specific background color (see below) when this checkbox is selected.

Clear Screen | Color: Pressing this button will open a dialog that allows you to set the background color.

OK: Pressing this button will save your settings and close the dialog.

Cancel: Pressing this button will discard any changes you have made to your settings and close the dialog.


Problems and Bugs

I have tested ZooSave as best I could and found no problems or bugs. Please e-mail me if you find a problem or bug. Include a description of your system and accurate description of what happened. I can then try to resolve the problem.


Distribution

ZooSave can be distributed freely, provided that -

  • No charge or fee is involved.
  • All the files listed below are distributed -

             APPSETUP.INF
             CTL3D.DLL
             INSTALL.EXE
             INSTALL.TXT
             README.1ST
             ZOOSAVE.SCR
             ZOOSAVE.EXE
             ZOOSAVE.HTM
             SETUP1.GIF
             SETUP2.GIF
             SETUP3.GIF
             ZOOTV.TXT
             ZOOTV1.BMP
             ZOOTV2.BMP
             ZOOTV3.BMP
  • The files are packaged up in a single archive without any other files.
  • The files are not modified in any way.
It is reasonable (even desirable) to want to distribute extra message and bitmap files with ZooSave. When doing this, you must place these files into a separate archive. Do not place them into the archive described above. Include a readme file in the separate archive describing where to place the message and bitmap files.


Technical Information

ZooSave was written in C++ using the Borland ObjectWindows Library (OWL). It is a 16 bit application.

It was compiled with Borland C++ 3.1 for Windows. The dialogs were built with the Borland Resource Workshop 1.02.

The code for the Borland C++, OWL and Microsoft CTL3D runtime libraries is statically linked directly into the application. This means that ZooSave does not require any separate DLL's.

The installation program was built with InstallWare 4.2. InstallWare is Copyright Ó1994, 1995 by Bob Dolan.


Suggestions

I'm open to suggestions. If you think of something that you would like to see in ZooSave then e-mail me with your suggestion. I might implement your suggestion in a future version.


Many Thanks To

John Kinsella whose ZOOSCREEN program inspired me to write ZooSave.

The people from whose web sites I grabbed the ZooTV pictures from.

Bob Dolan for his wonderfully simple yet powerful InstallWare installation program.


Revision History

Version 1.0 - October 1993: First version. Very simple. Adjustable speed and font only.

Version 2.0 - April 1997: A complete rewrite. Added lots of new options including background bitmaps, wrapping of long lines, multiple message files, adjustable text attributes, adjustable background color and more. Added an About dialog box. Created an installation script for use with Bob Dolan's InstallWare program.


Contacting Me

You can reach me on the Internet at -

andrewc@f1.net.au (preferred)
cowleya@vnet.ibm.com

If for some reason you can't reach me at either of these addresses then post a message on Wire (The U2 Mailing List) asking for me. You will always find me there.