Via Nova (TM) 3D Objects Screen Saver I (TM) 1.0 for Windows
NT and Windows 95
Via  Nova  and  3D Objects Screen Saver I are trademarks  of
Zachary Hilbun
Copyright (C) 1995 Zachary Hilbun
All Rights Reserved
Written by Zachary Hilbun,  Dallas,  Texas


OVERVIEW

 
 The  Via  Nova  3D Objects Screen Saver I was  designed  to
produce animated 3D images on a computer in the speed  range
of  a  33MHz  486.   The  screen saver  uses  OpenGL,  a  3D
rendering system which comes with Windows NT and Windows 95.
It will automatically use any OpenGL accelerator board which
is  available.   The  default configurations  were  designed
assuming  a 33MHz 486 computer, and can be improved  if  you
have a faster one.
 
 The  screen  saver  can  also  be  used  as  a  stand-alone
application.  In this mode you can create images  using  the
predefined 3D objects and then watch them be animated.


REQUIREMENTS

 
 Requires Windows NT 3.50 or later, or Windows 95.   Windows
95  requires  that OpenGL be installed on it.  Depending  on
which version of the Via Nova 3D Objects Screen Saver I  you
have, it will install OpenGL on your Windows 95 system.  The
screen  saver  requires  1  megabyte  of  disk  space   once
installed.  The install program will also require some  disk
space during the installation.


DOCUMENTATION TERMS

 
 The following terms are used in this document.

3D  object       An object drawn on a computer screen  which
has a 3D appearance.
rendering      Drawing a 3D object on a computer screen.
OpenGL          A software system supplied by Microsoft  for
3D rendering.
3D  graphics accelerator board A graphics  accelerator board
specially  designed  to accelerate              3D  graphics
such as OpenGL.
Help  file      A documentation file which accompanies  most
Windows  applications.              It  contains  underlined
text,     which     when    clicked,    displays     further
information.
Program  Manager      The  Windows interface  for  executing
applications.
program  group        In  Windows NT, the boxes  with  icons
found  under "Program                         Manager".   In
Windows  95,  use the "Start" button to get  access  to  the
Via Nova application.
dialog  box          A box which contains a title  and  user
input such as buttons, and                   input fields.
registration        Paying for a software product.
SETUP program  An application that automatically installs an
application on a                   computer.
Double-click         To rapidly click the left mouse  button
twice over the same object.
Main            The program group that contains many of  the
standard Windows                   applications.
Control Panel       The program group that contains many  of
the  standard  Windows                    applications  that
control operating system configuration.
Desktop        A dialog box which control the appearance  of
the screen.
drop-down list box  A list of choices, one of which  can  be
selected  by  the user by clicking                   on  it.
The  list  has a downward pointing arrow on its right  side.
When this arrow is clicked by full list is displayed.


INSTALLATION

 
 On  Windows  NT  the  installer must be  logged  on  as  an
administrator.  On Windows 95 this isn't necessary.  Run the
SETUP.EXE  application  using either Program  Manager,  File
Manager,  or  the  MS-DOS command prompt.   When  the  SETUP
program   completes   a  program  group   will   have   been
automatically  created.  Icons will also  be  available  for
uninstall  and  for reading the help file  and  this  readme
file.
 
 When  the SETUP program completes, if you want to save disk
space,  you  can delete the Screen Saver installation  files
that  were  downloaded to your hard disk.  However,  if  you
wish to give a copy of this application to someone else  you
should  save  all  the separate files which  came  with  the
product, or (more easily) save just the self-extracting file
VNSSI.EXE or VNSSId.EXE (this one has the Windows 95 DLL's).
 
 After  SETUP  completes, the screen saver must be  selected
one  time as detailed below before it will become the screen
saver  which  will  automatically be run  by  the  operating
system.  Use the following steps to select the screen saver.
You  may find it easier to print this document and refer  to
it during installation.


SELECTING THIS SCREEN SAVER
 
 Under Windows NT 3.50 or 3.51:

1.Go to the Main program group in Program Manger.
2.Double-click Control Panel.
3.Double-click Desktop.
4.Under  the "Screen Saver" section of the dialog  box  look
  for the drop-down list box labeled "Name".
5.Find the name "Via Nova 3D Objects Screen Saver I" in  the
  list and select it by clicking on it.
6.The  "Delay" time below the "Name" list box is the  number
  of  minutes the computer must be idle before it  activates
  the screen saver.
7.If  the  "Password protected" check-box  is  checked  then
  after the screen saver has been activated a password  must
  be entered before the computer can be used.
8.Select  the  OK  button to exit the Desktop.   The  screen
  saver  will  now be activated whenever there  is  no  user
  input for the specified number of minutes.
 
 Or under Windows 95:

1.Press the "Start" button.
2.Press the  "Control Panel" button.
3.Double-click "Desktop".
4.Under  the "Screen Saver" section of the dialog  box  look
  for the drop-down list box labeled "Name".
5.Find the name "Via Nova 3D Objects Screen Saver I" in  the
  list and select it by clicking on it.
6.The  "Wait"  time below the "Name" list box is the  number
  of  minutes the computer must be idle before it  activates
  the screen saver.
7.If  the  "Password protected" check-box  is  checked  then
  after the screen saver has been activated a password  must
  be  entered before the computer can be used.  If  you  are
  not  using  passwords on your system this option  will  be
  greyed out.
8.Select  the  OK  button to exit the Desktop.   The  screen
  saver  will  now be activated whenever there  is  no  user
  input for the specified number of minutes.


VIEWING THE SCREEN SAVER

 
 The  screen  saver has default settings which  control  how
the  3D  objects are animated on the screen.  Each 3D object
has  it  own 2 default settings.  Depending on the  computer
the  screen saver is running on, the 3D object may  spin  or
move  more rapidly than you want.  As an example, the teapot
is  intentionally drawn slowly so that you can see it  being
constructed.   You can change this and other characteristics
of a 3D object through configuration as explained later.  If
you  install  the screen saver on a network server  you  may
want  to  use the "Delay" option to insure that  the  screen
saver  doesn't  interfere with processing  network  traffic.
The  quality of the 3D objects displayed will depend on your
screen  resolution and the number of colors your video  card
is  configured to display.  A video card which is configured
to  display  256 colors will produce acceptable colors,  but
configuring  it to display more colors will result  in  much
better images.  If you would like to view the results of the
3D object's settings:
 
 On Windows NT:

1.Go to the Via Nova program group in Program Manger.
2.Double-click the "Screen Saver" icon.
 
 On Windows 95:

1.Press the "Start" button.
2.Select "Programs".
3.Select "Via Nova".
4.Select "Screen Saver".
 
 Then:

1.Click  "Test  Next"  to  view the result  of  the  current
  screen  saver  configuration for a  3D  object.   Clicking
  "OK"  or  pressing Enter will stop the  test.   The  mouse
  pointer  is only visible when it is over the message  box.
  It  may take a few seconds for the 3D object to stop being
  drawn  and control returned to the dialog box.  Each  time
  "Test  Next"  is  pressed  it will  display  the  next  3D
  object.   If  you repeatly press the Enter  key,  the  1st
  press  will  display the next 3D object,  the  next  press
  will  stop the test.  You can see all the 3D objects  this
  way.
2.Select  the  OK  button  to exit the  "Select  Menu  Item"
  dialog box.


DOCUMENTATION

 
 You  don't  have to modify the configuration of the  screen
saver  in order to use it.  If you would like to modify  the
default  settings  for  the  3D objects  you  will  have  to
configure  them using dialog boxes.  A screen  saver  "Help"
file  is available which describes how to do this and  gives
other information, such as how to register the product.
 
 For  full documentation, including context sensitive  help,
press  the  "Help"  button found when the dialog  boxes  are
displayed.  A "Help" item is also found in the program group
automatically  created  by the installation.   To  read  the
screen saver "Help" file:
 
 On Windows NT:

1.Go to the Via Nova program group in Program Manger.
2.Double-click the "Help" icon.
 
 On Windows 95:

1.Press the "Start" button.
2.Select "Programs".
3.Select "Via Nova".
4.Select "Help".
 
  Under "Contents" you will find the following headings:


REQUIREMENTS

 
 This  lists the hardware and software required to  run  the
screen saver.


REGISTRATION

 
 This  describes  the  process to  buy/register  the  screen
saver.


CONTACT INFORMATION

 
 Gives information on contacting Via Nova.


TUTORIAL

 
 This  is  a  tutorial on configuring the  screen  saver  to
change  its appearance.  It is best to read the tutorial  in
sequential  order.   You can do this  by  using  the  browse
buttons.   Click  ">>" to see the next "Help"  topic,  click
"<<" to go back to the last "Help" topic.  You can also  get
to  the  next  topic by clicking the first  underlined  text
after  "See Also", then click the first underlined  text  on
the new screen.


UNINSTALL

 
 Instructions on how to uninstall the screen saver.


UPGRADE

 
 Instructions on how to upgrade the screen saver to a  newer
version.


COPYRIGHT LICENSE/WARRANTY AGREEMENT

 
 The   copyright  notice  for  the  screen  saver  and   the
license/warranty agreement.


REGISTRATION

 
 After  the  screen saver is installed it will operate  with
partial  functionality.  A 3D object will  be  drawn  a  few
times and then a registration reminder will be displayed.  A
password supplied by Via Nova will allow full functionality.
The "Help" file describes the registration process.


UNINSTALL

 
 On  Windows  95 use the Add/Remove Programs application  in
Control Panel.  On Windows NT use the uninstall icon in  the
Via  Nova  program group.  After the uninstall,  delete  any
installation directories not automatically deleted.


FILE LIST

 
 The  application install directory contains  the  following
files:

1.read_me.tx_    Read me file.
2.read_me.wr_    Read me file in Write format.
3.licence.txt         License agreement/warranty
  disclaimer.
4.vendor.txt          Information for Shareware
  Distributors.
5.file_id.diz         Description for bulletin boards.
5.order.txt      Price and sample order form.
6.setup.exe      Setup program.
7.setup.hl_      Setup program help file.
8.fimain.ex_          Install program
9.llatsni3.ex_        Uninstall program.
10.    lzpunz32.dll   Decompress dll.
11.    ctl3d32.dl_         DLL for 3D look in dialog boxes.
12.     GLU32.DL_     Microsoft OpenGL DLL for Windows 95
  (may not be present).
13.     OPENGL32.DL_  Microsoft OpenGL DLL for Windows 95
  (may not be present).
14.     SS_I.hl_      Screen saver "Help" file.
15.     SS_I.sc_      Screen saver executable.

     If  you  did not receive all these files please contact
Via Nova using the addresses in the "About" Box.
