Category : Windows 3.X Files
Archive   : FIRE54.ZIP
Filename : FIRE54.WRI

1¾«44889:;< FIREWORKS TM -- A Screen saver program for Microsoft Windows
© 1988-1991 Kim Levitt -- Synergistic Enterprises
Version 5.40 (Freeware) -- 02/17/91

The enclosed program FIREWORK.EXE and it's accompanying dynamic link library file FIRELIB.DLL together make up a program for Windows which will blank out your screen after a specified interval of time without any keyboard input or mouse movement and display a fireworks simulation to let you know your computer hasn't "died" and to entertain you. (It was inspired by a similar screen blanker for the Macintosh known as "Pyro".)

One feature included is the ability to turn the automatic blanking on and off. To turn blanking off, you press the Auto Blank Off key (normally ALT- Keypad-Minus). To turn auto blanking back on, enter the Auto Blank On key, (normally Alt-Keypad-Plus). This is for temporary disabling of the auto blanking only. You can also set the delay time to 0 to disable auto blanking completely. When in Excel (or other programs using the Multiple Document Interface standard), pressing the Alt-minus key will bring down the current child window's system menu. Simply press escape to make this menu go away.

In addition to the auto blanking feature, you can use another "hot key" to enable blanking at any time. Simply press the Blank Key (normally Alt-Control). When blanking is enabled, no cursor is visible. Press any key, mouse button or move the mouse to disable blanking and Fireworks will return to the icon state. (Recommended you use the "shift" key as it will not do anything other than restore the screen.)

This version (v5.40) will run under Windows v3.00 and up only. It uses 32K or less of memory when run in Standard or 386 mode. A new feature added in Fireworks v5.10 is more colors (14) are now used. (Versions previous to 5.1 used only 7 colors.) Fireworks v5.30 monitors mouse movement and will not blank the screen if the mouse is in use (unlike vers 5.10). All known bugs have been eliminated. (Bug re: Alt-Home/Alt-End keypad selections fixed in v5.40). The ability to "unblank" the screen using the mouse was new to version 5.30, as was proper display of icons on monochrome systems. Also added to version 5.30 is proper support for "mouseless" systems, and the addition of Alt-F7 and Alt-F8 as possible hot keys. (If you had previously defined hot keys, you should check them when updating. As of version 5.30, it is now possible to blank the screen by placing the mouse in the lower left hand corner of the screen when Fireworks is in icon form and auto blanking is enabled. New for version 5.40: if auto blanking is disabled, the mouse can be moved into the lower left corner without triggering a screen blank, useful for when you must do something with the mouse in that corner.

If any command line parameters (such as "FIREWORK /B") are given when Fireworks is initially started, as of v5.30, Fireworks will blank immediately. (Useful if you want your system to come up already blanked.)

A new feature that was added to version 5.00 is the ability to define the "Hot Keys" which are used to enable and disable auto blanking and turn on blanking immediately. Select "Setup..." "Hotkeys..." and use the "combo list boxes" to select the keys you wish to use. This was added as the standard controls conflict with some software.

There is a "full screen" mode which can be triggered (when Fireworks is running in a window) by entering "Setup" "Full Screen" (Alt-S-F) or control-F. To exit full screen mode, enter a control-F.

To install or update Fireworks, copy FIREWORK.EXE to your WINDOWS subdirectory. Copy FIRELIB.DLL to your WINDOWS subdirectory or to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. WIN87EM.DLL should be present in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory or your WINDOWS directory. To have Fireworks come up automatically when you start Windows, edit your WIN.INI file LOAD= line to include FIREWORK. When you start Windows, Fireworks will appear as an icon at the bottom of the screen. Double click on it to open the window and choose "Setup" "Screen Save Delay..." to specify the number of minutes of system inactivity you want Fireworks to wait before blanking out the screen. You may also want to use the "Hotkeys..." function to redefine the standard Hot Keys. When you are done, use "Alt-Spacebar N" to restore Fireworks to an icon. (Fireworks will only auto blank the screen when running as an icon.)

Fireworks will not blank while there is keyboard activity or mouse movement. It uses Windows GDI calls to blank the screen and should therefore work on any system running Windows. (No hardware specific code.) (This also means however, that Fireworks will not work when full screen "OldApps" are running.) It will also not blank the screen when the Excel CBT program is running or when Excel is graphing.

Fireworks will NOT blank out any windows you may have (like the one in Command Post) which tries to keep itself visible. If you don't want the Command Post clock to show up, set it so it only shows minutes and not seconds.

When running in "normal mode" as a window, you may notice the cursor changes into an airplane.. (Cute huh?) Try pressing a button...

Fireworks uses the WIN87EM.DLL file which comes with Windows, which allows the use of 80x87 math coprocessors. If your system doesn't have a math chip, Fireworks will run using the WIN87EM.DLL emulation. The display is speeded up considerably by adding a math chip if your system lacks one.

Fireworks has only minimal system impact when running in icon state. It checks for system inactivity only once every second.

Fireworks v5.40 is being released as a "freeware" program, which means you do not have to pay the author or register the program. You are free to use and copy this program to share with friends, but no money other than a minimal amount to cover duplicating costs should be charged and I ask that this document file be included unaltered, along with the FIRELIB.DLL dynamic link library file.

If you have a modem, by all means check out the Synergistic Enterprises BBS system at (213) 653-6398. Set your modem to 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. The system is up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except during maintenance).

Enjoy!!
-- Mr. Kim Levitt
Synergistic Enterprises
02/17/91
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To install or update Fireworks, copy FIREW Tms Rmn Helv subdirectory. Copy FIRELIB.DLL to your WINDOWS subdirectory or to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. WIN87EM.