Twilight Dream Version 1.00 March 15,1994 by Jim Signorile Copyright 1994 James V. Signorile TWILIGHT DREAM is a 3rd party After Dark (for Windows) screen saver module. It is released as Shareware. TWILIT.ZIP is the BBS filename for the compressed file this came from. TWILIGHT.AD is the After Dark module. TWILIGHT.MID is an accompanying MIDI music file. TWILIGHT.WRI is this file you are reading. Features - 256 color graphics. - Original MIDI music soundtrack. - Special graphics effects. - Custom modules offer. Installation This module requires Berkeley Systems After Dark (for Windows), Version 2.0 or later, screen saver program to run. Once After Dark has been installed on your system, copy the files TWILIGHT.AD and TWILIGHT.MID to your Afterdrk directory (or whatever directory you have After Dark installed in). If you have the Disney Collection, you can put TWILIGHT.MID into the MUSIC sub- directory. MUSIC is a subdirectory of AFTERDRK and was created during the Disney Collection installation. (Or you can create a MUSIC subdirectory on your own and put TWILIGHT.MID into there...but later installing Disney might cause that directory to be overwritten... just be aware!). When adding new modules to After Dark, you must rebuild the control panel for them to show up in the list of screen savers. Rebuild the control panel by holding down the key while double-clicking on the After Dark icon, in either the Program Manager or on the desktop. You can also call up the control panel and rebuild the control panel from the file manager by holding down the key and double clicking on the AD.EXE file (in your AFTERDRK directory). After Dark will display the message "Updating After Dark module settings.." as it rebuilds the control panel. Note: Rebuilding the control panel will reset all modules to their original settings. To keep your module settings, make backup copies of the files ADMODULE.ADS and AD_PREFS.INI, both located in your Windows directory. After rebuilding the control panel, copy these backups back into your Windows directory, replacing the newly created ones. To see Twilight Dream, open your After Dark Control Panel by double-clicking on the After Dark icon from the Program Manager or other desktop shell (or running AD.EXE from the file manager in your AFTERDRK directory). All installed modules will be listed alphabetically. Select Twilight Dream by clicking on the name "Twilight Dream" in the scrollable Module List. This will select twilight.ad as the module to run when After Dark activates. For more information about Twilight Dream, click on the Info triangle at the bottom right corner of the Control panel, or press -H. Click anywhere in the Info box to return to the Control Panel. You can preview Twilight Dream by clicking the Demo button. In this mode you can experiment with the controls for different effects. Try Effects on Bounce to see special image effects. Click Stop to end the demo. For on- line help about how to use After Dark in general, click the "?" button in the lower right corner, or press the key. Twilight Dream uses MIDI sound, therefore a Speaker volume control will appear if your system supports Multimedia sound. The volume can range from loud to very soft. Activate After Dark (and therefore Twilight Dream, if it's currently selected) as described in the After Dark on-line help or manual. MIDI Music Twilight Dream includes a full MIDI music soundtrack of my original composition "Twilight Dream" (hey, good name for a module...). Twilight Dream's music is written in General MIDI format. TO HEAR THIS MIDI MUSIC, YOU MUST BE RUNNING WINDOWS 3.1 OR LATER, AND HAVE A SOUND CARD CAPABLE OF PLAYING MIDI FILES INSTALLED IN YOUR PC (OR AN EXTERNAL MIDI SYNTHESIZER CONNECTED TO YOUR PC). The Sound Blaster Pro, or above, will work just fine. YOU MUST ALSO HAVE YOUR MIDI MAPPER SET UP CORRECTLY FOR YOUR SOUND CARD OR EXTERNAL MIDI SYNTHESIZER INTERFACE CARD. More details on these topics a bit later. There is a slider in the Twilight Dream After Dark Control Panel that controls how many times the music plays -- Never, Once, Twice, Thrice or Always (continuously). The speaker icon arrows raise or lower the volume of the music. (This is true if your MIDI sound card/interface supports volume control...not all of them do...for example, if the MIDI mapper ports are set to SB Pro Stereo FM, volume control will work, but if the ports are set to SB MIDI Out, sending the MIDI to an external MIDI device, the volume will not change...you have to adjust the volume on the external device yourself. In general, internal sound cards will respond to After Dark volume controls, while external MIDI devices will not). If for any reason Twilight Dream can't play the MIDI music (no MIDI device available, MIDI mapper incorrect, MIDI file (twilight.mid) missing, insufficient memory, etc.), the module will still animate, but the music will not play. You probably want to hear the music (I hope!) so on to trouble- shooting some common problems with playing MIDI files. Troubleshooting MIDI Problems - If you don't hear music : First, make sure the file twilight.mid is in the After Dark directory, or in the music subdirectory under it. Then make sure the music volume is turned up (the speaker icon should have "lines" in front of it), the music slider isn't set to Never, and the Mute Sound check box (in the After Dark Control panel Setup... Sound... dialog box) isn't checked. Also in the Setup... Sound... dialog box be sure you have selected for Output Device: Multimedia Windows Sound (Windows 3.1). If these controls are set correctly, and you still don't hear music, read on. - Test Your Sound Hardware : From the Program Manager Main group, double- click on Control Panel, then double-click on Sound. Highlight any .WAV file you have on your disk, and click the Test button. If you don't hear sound from your external speakers, check your speakers, cables, and sound card to make sure all the hardware is installed and connected properly. If your sound card has a volume wheel on it (as on the back of the Sound Blaster), be sure it is turned up. See the hardware manufacturer's instructions for more information. - Test your MIDI Configuration : After making sure your sound hardware is set up correctly, open the Program Manager Accessories group (or the group where you have Media Player) and double-click on Media Player. From the Windows directory, open the file Canyon.mid (a MIDI file that comes with Windows), and click on the Play button (the button with the triangle pointing to the right). If you don't hear music, go to the Program Manager Main group, double-click on Control Panel, and double-click on MIDI Mapper. Choose a different setting from the Name: pull-down menu, and close the MIDI Mapper. Go back to the Media Player, and try playing Canyon.mid again. Keep trying different settings within the MIDI Mapper (closing it each time) until you find a setting that will play Canyon.mid correctly (it should play, and play correctly...that is, it should sound nice). If you try all of the settings and you still can't play Canyon.mid, reinstall the sound software that came with your sound card. ***************************************************************************** RECOMMENDATION If you're using a Sound Blaster Pro or Sound Blaster Pro Basic, you might want to log onto the Creative Labs Compuserve forum (GO BLASTER), and download the latest Windows 3.1 drivers for the Sound Blaster Pro. Select library section 3 (Updates and Fixes), and download the file "SBPWU.EXE" (it's a self-extracting archive). Create a new subdirectory on your hard disk, copy sbpwu.exe into it, and run sbpwu.exe to cause the archived files to be created into your subdirectory. Just follow the instructions in the included README.TXT file, and your MIDI system (including the MIDI mapper) should be set up fine to play Twilight Dream. There are also files in this same library for other Sound Blaster Cards (SB Pro 2, SB 16, SB 16 ASP, Wave Blaster. etc.), so you will want to download the drivers appropriate for the sound card you have. Leave a message on the Creative Labs forum if you're not sure which file(s) to download. If you have other brands of sound cards, see if those companies have Compuserve forums, or other BBS access where you can obtain the latest sound driver software. ***************************************************************************** - Once Your Hardware and MIDI are Working : Once Canyon.mid plays correctly through your external speakers, close the Media Player (make sure the MIDI Mapper is also closed), and open the After Dark Control Panel. Select Twilight Dream, make sure that the music volume is turned up, the music slider isn't set to Never, the Mute Sound check box isn't checked, and Multimedia Windows Sound is selected, then use the Hot Key or Sleep Corner to put your screen to sleep (and to let it begin "Twilight Dream"ing). If you still don't hear music, reinstall your latest version of After Dark. If All Else Fails If you have performed the tests and procedures described above, and everything is working correctly, but you still don't hear music from Twilight Dream, please contact me at my Compuserve or Internet address listed at the end of this file. I will try to help you solve your problem. The Shareware Story The Twilight Dream After Dark Screen Saver module is a shareware program by Jim Signorile. Many thanks to the wonderful Beta Testers all over the U.S. who tested this program & provided constructive criticism and helpful suggestions. As shareware, you are entitled to try an evaluation version of Twilight Dream out for 15 days free, upload it to online services, and give copies to associates, subject to the following conditions: 1) Much time and effort went into writing and testing Twilight Dream. If you don't use Twilight Dream, you promise to throw it out. If you do use it, you promise to pay me the modest $10 (U.S.) shareware fee. By paying the shareware fee, you will become a registered user of Twilight Dream. You can send whatever you think Twilight Dream is worth, but if you send at least $10 U.S., you will be eligible for the option of having custom modules created for you as described below. Paying the small shareware fee for something you find useful encourages the free exchange of information currently enjoyed by the software community. It also encourages me to support and upgrade the program. Not paying is both unlawful and hurts everyone involved in the shareware effort (and it's really not very nice). 2) You may give an evaluation copy (non-personalized) of Twilight Dream to others, but you may not distribute Twilight Dream for direct or indirect profit by any means, except through expressed written agreement with James V. Signorile. 3) You may not alter TWILIGHT.AD, TWILIGHT.MID, or TWILIGHT.WRI (this documentation) in any way. When distributing Twilight Dream, you must include this documentation with the package. 4) While every effort has been made to test Twilight Dream in various environments, I am not liable for any damages caused directly or indirectly through the use or misuse of Twilight Dream. Twilight Dream is provided *as is*, and I provide no guarantee that any specific features will be added in the future, nor any guarantee of its fitness for any specific purpose. I do not guarantee compatibility with future versions of system software, Windows, After Dark, or any other products, although future versions of Twilight Dream will be upgraded to stay current with changes in Windows and After Dark for Windows, if I continue to receive user support through shareware fees and registration. The Shareware Fee If you send me $10 U.S. or more, you will become a registered (and authorized) user of Twilight Dream, and as such, you are eligible for the Custom Module offer described below. I also offer group licenses for sites or LANs that have many Twilight Dream users. The sliding fee scale makes Twilight Dream less expensive per user as the size of your group increases. Twilight Dream Group License Fee Scale (See Register On-Line for On-Line Registration.) # of Users Cost per User (U.S.) 1-19 $10.00 20-49 $ 7.50 50-99 $ 6.00 100 or more $ 5.00 The costs listed in my fee scale include one master disk. Add $2.50 for each additional master disk you require. If you do not specify your disk preference, I will use 3.5 inch 1.44 MB (High Density) disks. Upgrades will be posted on Compuserve and other online services and BBS's. Registered users can use these services to get new versions. If you do not have access to online services, you can request that I mail out the new version (send $5 for the disk & shipping and handling). Twilight Dream, and upgrades, will also be available on "The Country Post" a BBS with sections dedicated to 3rd party After Dark Modules. The number is 603-424-8367, and it's N,8,1 at 14,400. It's a great place to look for all your non-commercial After Dark needs! How to Pay I can accept payment in the following ways: a) Checks in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank. b) Money orders in U.S. funds (from any country) c) U.S. Cash currency (from any country) d) Register On-Line - Log onto The Country Post and register on-line. Go to the Country Store and charge your registration to Visa or Master Card. Registering on line gets you a number of benefits : 1) A registered version of Twilight Dream (from Jim Signorile). 2) A FREE collection of over 35 Third Party After Dark Modules (by various authors). 3) One Year of complete access to the BBS with one hour of connect time per day. 4) The chance to BETA test new modules (must have programmers permission). 5) News of upcoming modules and events concerning After Dark. And more... Cost to register on line is $20. Even if you do not register on-line you are welcome to use the BBS as a non-registered user. To register by mail please fill out the registration form (at the end if this file) and include it with your payment. To register by mail as an authorized user of Twilight Dream, send your shareware fee of $10 U.S. payable to: James V. Signorile 12 E Maple St Teaneck, NJ, 07666-3802 Other Opportunities and Offers Here's the really good part! If you send in the shareware fee, and are a registered user of Twilight Dream, you become eligible to have custom modules built just for you! For an additional fee of $20 U.S. (plus $5 for a Disk & Shipping and Handling), you can send me a photograph or bitmap you like, and I will rebuild Twilight Dream to include your picture instead of mine in the module. (Please no "obscene" or otherwise objectionable pictures...they will just be returned to you and your money refunded). If you have a favorite picture of your spouse, or kids, or dog/cat, or landscape, or sunset, or whatever, you can send me either a photograph (I'll do my best to return it unharmed, but I can't guarantee that..sender beware!) or a bitmap of up to 256 colors, and I will mail back to you your own module, customized just for you (you can even pick your own name and Control Panel info for it). I might consider writing custom music to replace "Twilight Dream" to go with your module, but that is a large task, and we would have to talk to decide on a price for it. Also, more than one picture could be included in the module (picture switching when it bounces off the side), but that would also require us to discuss pricing, based on the number of pictures you would want used. Company's and businesses : If you would like to have your company logo or trademark floating around your offices, or those of your customers and clients, I'd be happy to site license larger numbers of custom modules for you, and if they all use the same picture, I will apply the sliding scale below: Site License Custom Module Fee Scale (all using the same picture) # of Modules Cost per Module (U.S.) 1-4 $20.00 5-19 $15.00 20-49 $10.00 50 or more $ 5.00 Add to the costs listed in my fee scale $5.00 for one master disk & Shipping and Handling. Add $2.50 for each additional master disk you require. If you do not specify your disk preference, I will use 3.5 inch 1.44 MB (High Density) disks. This is a unique and exciting shareware offer, and I hope many of you will take advantage of it. Try it, you'll like it! Feedback I appreciate and encourage all user feedback that will help me improve this product. For any questions or comments, you can contact me by mail, or online services as detailed below: Jim Signorile 12 E Maple St Teaneck, NJ, 07666-3802 Compuserve: 70743,454 Internet signoril@sun490.fdu.edu Thanks!!! This documentation would not be complete without my again thanking those Beta Testers who gave of their time to make this product as good as possible. My gratitude to: Andy McBride Bill Bowlus Scott Garcia Bob Loeffler Gerry "Dad" Rossi Gene "Bob" Spiller Andrew "Bob" and Marylou "Bob" Ferguson Dave "Bob" Rupert Special thanks to Larry Widing for his Bitmap expertise and assistance. And very special thanks to Bill Stewart without whose help I could never have completed this module in the first place! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Registration Form To register as an authorized user of Twilight Dream, please send your shareware fee of $10 U.S. payable to: James V. Signorile 12 E Maple St Teaneck, NJ, 07666-3802 Please include the following information with your shareware fee to help me make Twilight Dream even better. It will also make it easier for me to inform you of upgrades, etc. Twilight Dream: 1.00 Name: Company: Address: Compuserve ID: Internet Address: Phone No: (voice) Phone No: (fax) Where you obtained Twilight Dream: Questions/Feedback: Thanks for your support and Enjoy!!! -- Jim Signorile ----------------------------------------------------------------------------