253 lines
14 KiB
Groff
253 lines
14 KiB
Groff
+ Documentation for DeskColor Control Panel v3.1
|
|
|
|
Here is a Control Panel that allows you to change the color of the IIGS desktop
|
|
from the old periwinkle blue to any pattern or to a picture. Whatever pattern
|
|
or picture you choose or create becomes the new desktop the next time you
|
|
power up the computer, close the Control Panel, or launch another application.
|
|
|
|
I want to thank Vince Cooper for reinspiring me to complete this project.
|
|
His article in Call A.P.P.L.E. got me back on the ball. Look for the
|
|
source code for this utility.
|
|
|
|
Catch me as:
|
|
|
|
America Online: DAVE L32
|
|
GEnie: D.LEFFLER
|
|
Snail Mail: Dave Leffler
|
|
14 I Cape Drive
|
|
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
|
|
|
|
|
|
+ Distribution:
|
|
|
|
This product is classified "Jesus-A-ware". It is the equivalent of FreeWare.
|
|
It is distributed the same as God's Love. That means it's free to anyone
|
|
who'll accept it. It will be given to anyone, regardless of who or what
|
|
you are or have been. It's not where you've been, but where you're going!
|
|
|
|
Everyone is free to use the "JesusAware" name. Spreading the Gospel message
|
|
through Software. This product is free. Give it to everyone, even if
|
|
they don't have a computer! This work is a labor of love for my Lord and
|
|
Savior Jesus Christ! Just as knowing Christ gives you a colorful background,
|
|
this Control Panel gives your IIGS desktop a colorful background.
|
|
|
|
|
|
+ How to Install:
|
|
|
|
Copy the file "Color.CDev" to the "CDEVS" folder in the "SYSTEM" folder of your
|
|
boot disk. You MUST do this with the Finder or another GS/OS compatible
|
|
utility program or it will not copy correctly. It is an extended file. The
|
|
NEXT time you open the Control Panel NDA, you'll see the "DeskColor" icon.
|
|
You do not have to reboot your computer! If you experience problems with the
|
|
Control Panel NDA, you might want to delete the "CDEV.DATA" file found in the
|
|
"CDEVS" folder, since the NDA sometimes has problems when a new Control Panel is
|
|
installed.
|
|
|
|
To keep the same pattern/picture you are using now, (i.e., you're updating to
|
|
this new version) just open this Control Panel after you've installed it (select the
|
|
DeskColor icon), then select another Control Panel or close the Control Panel NDA.
|
|
Your pattern/picture is saved painlessly. Again, if you experience problems with
|
|
the Control Panel NDA, you might want to delete the "CDEV.DATA" file found in
|
|
the "CDEVS" folder, since the NDA sometimes has problems when a new Control Panel is
|
|
installed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
+ How to Use it:
|
|
|
|
Fairly Simple! The type of background can be found in the right hand menu,
|
|
just select the type you'd like to use for a desktop background. You'll notice
|
|
the current desktop type is displayed as the menu choice. The three types
|
|
of backgrounds are Pattern, Graphic, and None. "None" is fairly self-
|
|
explanatory. It removes any desktop messages from the system, and also updates
|
|
the "FINDER.DEF" file on your boot disk to clean up the Finder's desktop.
|
|
|
|
Selecting the "Pattern" menu will display a pattern editor, if it was not
|
|
already active. The pattern editor is divided into the following areas:
|
|
|
|
Upper Left: Current pattern display Upper Right: Grid to design pattern
|
|
Lower Left: Current color Lower Right: Color selection area
|
|
|
|
The scroll bar and two buttons below the current pattern display allow you
|
|
to move between multiple loaded patterns, insert a new pattern, or delete the
|
|
displayed pattern.
|
|
|
|
Please try not to confuse loaded patterns and the file from which they came
|
|
from, and the system pattern. There is only one system pattern and it is
|
|
saved (attached) to the Control Panel file whenever you close the Control
|
|
Panel. Pattern files are only saved/updated when you select the "Save As .."
|
|
commands.
|
|
|
|
To change the current color, click in the color selection area in the
|
|
color you'd like, you'll see the current color change.
|
|
|
|
To fill in the pattern grid with the current color, click in the current
|
|
color area, you'll notice the grid fill with that color and the pattern
|
|
area will also update to reflect this.
|
|
|
|
To change the pattern, click the the appropriate block on the grid, you'll
|
|
notice that block change to the current color and the pattern area will
|
|
show the updated pattern. You may also drag here to "paint".
|
|
|
|
To temporarily change the current desktop to the current color, click in the
|
|
current pattern display. I wouldn't suggest doing this in the Finder, because
|
|
it will cover up ALL the icons. No big loss, just close all the windows, press
|
|
"Open Apple A" to select all icons and it will pull them back to the top. This
|
|
will not actually send the new pattern into the system, but just change this
|
|
desktop. Unless you select "Revert" before you close the Control Panel, this
|
|
temporary desktop will be replaced by the currently selected desktop.
|
|
|
|
If more than one pattern is currently loaded, the scroll bar can be used to
|
|
move between and select the different patterns.
|
|
|
|
If you would like to insert a new pattern, click in the "Ins" button or press the
|
|
"clear" key. A periwinkle blue pattern is inserted before the currently displayed
|
|
pattern. You now have one more pattern contained in the loaded patterns. The
|
|
pattern file is not updated until you use a "Save As .." command.
|
|
|
|
If you would like to delete a pattern, use the scroll bar to select it, then click
|
|
in the "Del" button or press the "delete" key. The currently displayed pattern
|
|
will be deleted from the loaded patterns and you'll be moved to the previous
|
|
pattern. If only one pattern was loaded, it will be cleared to periwinkle blue.
|
|
The pattern file is not updated until you use a "Save As .." command.
|
|
|
|
When you get a pattern you like, you can do several things with it. You
|
|
could see it temporarily on the screen (try it out) by clicking the current
|
|
pattern display. This will not actually send the new pattern into the system,
|
|
but just change this desktop. If you don't do anything, your pattern will be
|
|
sent to the system becoming the system pattern and saved when you close the
|
|
Control Panel NDA or DeskColor Control Panel. You should see the new pattern
|
|
on your desktop immediately. If you were just editing a pattern, you could save
|
|
it to a pattern file. Again a reminder, the pattern files are ONLY updated/saved
|
|
when you use a "Save As .." command. The system pattern is updated when you
|
|
close the Control Panel.
|
|
|
|
To load a picture, select the "Graphic" menu item. You'll be presented with a
|
|
Standard Get File Dialog. The file may be of any SHR type; i.e., Screen
|
|
(PIC, $C0), PackBytes (PNT, $C1, aux $0000), PaintWorks (PNT, $C1, aux $0001),
|
|
Apple Preferred (PNT, $C1, aux $0002), or PaintWorks 640 mode (PNT, $C1,
|
|
aux $8000). You must keep in mind that the picture will be used for both 320
|
|
AND 640 mode, so it should be one that looks okay, even when the colors change.
|
|
I would suggest using my ShowPic NDA to see the pictures and/or modifying them
|
|
first if you don't know what they'll look like. A pattern or some sort of
|
|
design/logo would work very well, but a portrait won't. The new picture will
|
|
be drawn to the screen after you close the Control Panel.
|
|
|
|
The left hand menu is the command menu and it may not be needed. The first
|
|
command "Open" will open a pattern or graphic file depending on the selected
|
|
desktop type. This command is automatically selected when you select 'Graphic'
|
|
from the type menu. When you load in the saved patterns, the file you choose
|
|
will be loaded. You'll then see a dialog asking whether you want to cancel
|
|
loading the pattern file, replace the loaded patterns with the patterns from
|
|
the pattern file, or add the new patterns to the end of the currently loaded
|
|
patterns.
|
|
|
|
The "New" command erases all patterns from memory except the one that is
|
|
displayed. When you next save, it will be a file with only one pattern.
|
|
This command will not change the pattern currently displayed. You would use
|
|
this command if you load a pattern file of 60 patterns just to get one of them
|
|
and then you want to save only that one pattern to a new file. This command
|
|
also reverses the effect of the 'Revert' command (works for graphics also).
|
|
You will notice this displayed with there is only one pattern loaded.
|
|
|
|
The "Save APF" and "Save PTRN" commands work similarly. They each save the
|
|
currently loaded pattern(s) to a file. You will get a Standard Dialog for
|
|
saving a file. If you loaded your patterns from a PaintWorks Graphic or
|
|
other file, please don't replace it. The preferred method of saving is in
|
|
Apple Preferred Format (APF), however the PTRN option saves it as a binary
|
|
file with the "PTRN" and number of patterns header (like Pattern // and
|
|
Desktop Lord use).
|
|
|
|
Use the "Revert" command to prevent your new pattern/graphic from being sent
|
|
to the system. Normally every time you close the Control Panel NDA or
|
|
DeskColor Control Panel, the selected desktop is sent to the system and saved on
|
|
disk. The Revert command can be used for backing out of an experimental editing
|
|
session or any time you change your mind. HOWEVER, if you go back and
|
|
continue editing the pattern or select a new background type, you'll notice
|
|
the "Revert" command goes away. The newly updated desktop will be then sent
|
|
to the system. To reverse the effect of "Revert", you could select the "New"
|
|
command.
|
|
|
|
The "Update Init" command is used to save the currently select desktype to
|
|
the DeskColor Temporary Init file. The init file is much smaller to use,
|
|
but doesn't provide any way to edit the desktop. I would suggest using it
|
|
only after you have decided which desktop you want to live with. The
|
|
first desktop loaded will be the one used. I would suggest only having
|
|
the Control Panel or Init active on your boot disk. If you don't have enough
|
|
space on your boot disk, get the Control Panel up running first (even if you
|
|
have to leave off all your favorite NDA's and Control Panels), select DeskColor
|
|
Control Panel, choose a desktop, then Update the Init. You may then remove the
|
|
Control Panel from your boot disk and use the Init file. The "Color.Init" file
|
|
should be placed in the "SYSTEM.SETUP" folder in the "SYSTEM" folder of your
|
|
boot disk. Depending on the catalog order (not alphabetized order) of the
|
|
"SYSTEM.SETUP" folder, the Control Panel (CDEV.INIT) or Init (Color.Init)
|
|
whichever is first, will be the desktop used. DeskColor DOES NOT update the
|
|
desktop when booting if another utility has ALREADY set the desktop. However,
|
|
the desktop WILL be updated everytime you close the DeskColor Control Panel,
|
|
unless you have selected the "Revert" command.
|
|
|
|
The menus should be fairly accurate. The type menu ALWAYS displays the current
|
|
background type or the one you've requested. The command menu will display
|
|
"Revert" until you select "New" or "Open" or draw in the pattern. If you close
|
|
the Control Panel with either "New" or "Open" displayed, the new desktop is sent
|
|
to the system. If "Revert" is displayed, the desktop is not changed. If you
|
|
have selected "Pattern", "Open" means more than one pattern is loaded, and "New"
|
|
means a single pattern is loaded.
|
|
|
|
Keep in mind that a picture message takes up 32K of memory and will also
|
|
take up almost as much disk space when saved. This makes the Control Panel file
|
|
grow up to 50K when you have selected a picture. A pattern/color is 1000
|
|
times smaller to store. To be honest a graphic desktop takes up over 64K of
|
|
memory, so if you have memory shortage problems, use a pattern instead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
+ Known Quirks:
|
|
|
|
There is a big difference between the way 320 and 640 mode work. You'll
|
|
notice that the colors change on pictures, but the shapes stay the same.
|
|
There are 16 colors in 320 mode and 4 colors and some mixes in 640 mode.
|
|
Patterns are also different. In 320 mode a pattern is 8 points by 8 points
|
|
with 16 colors. In 640 mode a pattern is 8 points by 8 points with 4
|
|
colors, but to get 16 mixed colors it goes to 4 points by 8 points. You'll
|
|
notice the different displays when you bring up the editor in 320 mode
|
|
and 640 mode. The 640 mode pattern is always the top half of the 320 mode
|
|
pattern when switching. Meaning, a box pattern drawn in one mode will be a
|
|
uniquely odd pattern in the other mode with different colors. When editing
|
|
a pattern in 640 mode a copy is placed in the bottom half of the pattern
|
|
for 320 mode to create a symetrical pattern. You may modify the bottom four
|
|
lines of the 320 mode pattern WITHOUT affecting the 640 mode pattern. I
|
|
personnaly first create a good looking 640 mode pattern, save it, go to 320
|
|
mode and edit the bottom 4 rows for a good 320 mode pattern.
|
|
|
|
To obtain a consistent pattern in both 320 AND 640 mode (like Graffiti), use
|
|
your favoite paint program. Select your pattern and fill the full screen, then
|
|
save that file. You can then load that graphic file into DeskColor. That's
|
|
basically how Graffiti does it, not with patterns, but with graphics.
|
|
|
|
Earlier versions of ProSel 16 (pre-8.54?) wipe out the desktop message
|
|
when launching a ProDOS 8 program. Glen mistakedly used the same
|
|
message number as the desktop uses. I would suggest updating to the
|
|
most current version of ProSel 16 anyway, especially if you are experiencing
|
|
any problems.
|
|
|
|
The Finder draws it's own desktop. To get it updated, you may have to select,
|
|
then close DeskColor up to three times. This should work with graphics, but
|
|
it is pretty picky when it comes to updating to a new pattern. The easiest
|
|
way is to click in the current pattern area, which covers all the icons, then
|
|
Close All windows, then Select All to bring the icons to the front.
|
|
|
|
AppleWorks GS seems to have problems sometimes if you are using a picture.
|
|
I don't know if this only affects ROM 03 machines or other also. I have
|
|
never had a problem with this myself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
+ Look for the source code somewhere nearby. It's in ORCA/C v1.3 with
|
|
APW v1.1 Rez files and ORCA/M for the picture loading routines.
|
|
|
|
This program contains material from the ORCA/C
|
|
Run-Time Libraries, copyright 1987-1989
|
|
by Byte Works, Inc. Used with permission
|
|
|
|
|
|
+ Future Additions:
|
|
|
|
- Ask! You've got my addresses. |