About CharmClock v 2.4 Made by: Vegard Riseng Made with: Blitz Basic 2 Date: 8. December 1994 Why a new Workbench clock? -------------------------- Why not? Isn't it nice? The reason why I made CharmClock, is that I wanted a clock that didn't have any annoying window. I Wanted it to fit right into the background. I also wanted a clock where I could select exactly which colours I wanted. All of this, and more, is offered by CharmClock. Lega stuff: ----------- By using CharmClock, you agree in the following: The user (you) assumes all risk for his system. If Charm Clock, alone or together with other programs, should cause a system crash - it is the users responsability. Any damages related to the malfunction of CharmClock is at the users cost. This goes for hardware damage aswell as loss of data. CharmClock is a socalled "FreeWare" product. This means it is free of charge to use and copy. There are no limitations regarding the distribution of the program, except that beeing a "FreeWare"-product means it should not be sold for profit. It is the intention that all who wants to use the program, is supposed to get it free of charge. Magazines and PD libraries are, however, allowed to charge a nominal fee to cover their costs. CharmClock is released "AS-IS", and might be subject to changes without any further notice. The program is belived to be free of errors (except what is specified under "KNOWN BUGS"), but the programmer CAN NOT give any warranties about its functionallity in all configurations. If you disagree in any of the above, you CAN NOT use CharmClock. The functions of CharmClock: ---------------------------- If it's the first time you execute CharmClock, a borderless window will be opened. In this window the clock will be drawn. By clicking on the clock with the mouse, the window is activated. The Screen title will change to "CharmClock v2.4 © 1994 by Vegard Riseng - FreeWare", and the windows menus are now accessable. the "Project" Menu: ------------------- -About CharmClock ...displays a small information requester. -Reset To Default ...resets all the environment variables to default. Thise values are designed for a 4 colours standard/interlaced Workbench screen. -Last Saved ...attempts to read the last saved environment variables from the file "Env:CharmClock.pre". If the file don't exist, CharmClock will try to read the file "EnvArc:CharmClock.pre". If this file don't exist either, the variables will remain unchanged. -Save Settings ...attempts to save the settings as "Env:CharmClock.pre" and "EnvArc: CharmClock.pre". -Quit ...quits the program. The "Settings" menu: -------------------- The 9 -nine- first items in the settings menu, are colour settings. Each of these brings up a submenu with 8 -eight- possible colours. "Pen 0" refers to the first colour in your Workbench palette, "Pen 1" refers to the next and so on. You can't adjust the colours from these settings, as they use colours from the Workbench palette. If CharmClock is opened on a four colour Workbench-screen, "Pen 4" will be the same colour as "Pen 0", even though it will be saved as "Pen 4" in the settings file. "Pen 5" will be the same colour as "Pen 1" and so on. If you open CharmClock on a sixteen colour Workbench-screen, things get a little more complexed. This is because different versions of Workbench behave different. On Workbench 3.0 and higher, the eight colours you can set trough the palette preferences are not placed sequentially after eachother anymore, while Workbench 2.0 allows you to set all the 16 colours manually. If you use sixteen or more colours, the "4 Colours" option described below is handy... The "Window" submenu: --------------------- -4 Colours ...if this option is checked, CharmClock will use only the 4 first colours of the Workbench palette, no matter how many colours Workbench has. -8 Colours ...allows you to use 8 colours, but only if Workbench-screen is in 8 or more colours. -Interlace? ...CharmClock was originally designed to look nice on a DBLPal (Nonflicker) display. To make it look better on standard Workbench screens, some changes were made. CharmClock will figure out for itself if your display is "interlaced" or not. However, some users might wish to change this setting. The setting will NOT be saved in the config-file. -Use Backdrop? ...with this setting checked, CharmClock will use a "Backdrop" type off window. The Backdrop windows are meant to be behind all othe windows and has therefore no depth arranging gadgets. However, while staying behind all other windows, backdrop windows will be infront of anything drawn directly on the screen. -Borderless? ...with this setting checked, the window will open without any frame - which is how it was meant to be. However, some people have advanced background graphics in Workbench. CharmClock will in case of conflict with background graphics appear to have a solid box around it. This is perhaps more annoying than having window borders. If you prefer borders, you will also get some system gadgets. Which gadgets you get, is depending on whether you use a backdrop window or not. -------------------------- -Position/Size ...This function is disabeled if both "Use Backdrop?" and "Borderless?" are unchecked. It allows you to position and size the area CharmClock uses. When you select this option, CharmClock will open a new, blank window on top of itself. Move and resize this window until you are satisfied, then close it by hitting the system "close"-gadget. CharmClock will then resize and move to this new location. -------------------------- The "Sound" submenu: -------------------- Select one of the following: -Off ...for no sound, except for the alarm (See "Alarm") -Every Hour ...for a double beep each hour on the hour. -Every 30 Min ...for a double beep each hour on the hour, and a single beep each half hour. -Every 15 Min ...for a double beep each hour on the hour, a single beep each half hour, and a single beep each quarter to or past the hour. Note: There might be some problem with some programs if sound is on. See: KNOWN BUGS -------------------------- The "Secounds hand" submenu: ---------------------------- Select whether to use a secounds hand or not. The "Alarm" menu: ----------------- -Alarm ...brings up a submenu where the alarm can be turned on or off. -Set Timer... ...brings up a new window where the alarm-time can be set. The time is adjusted by dragging the slider gadgets until the correct time is displayed. By hitting the "Set" gadget, the new alarm time is stored, and the alarm is turned on. The word "Alarm" will apear on the clock, if the size is big enough. By hitting the "Cancel" or system "close" gadget, the window is closed without any change of the settings. The "Task Priority" menu: ------------------------- Select which priority to run CharmClock at. The higher numbers, the higher priority. Since displaying a clock is a task of no importance when things get rough, the highest possible priority is 0. This is the priority most commodities use. Default is -128. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ok, that's about it, but let's have a look at CharmClock: _____ / \ / | \ | Al|rm | | | | | + 8| | / | | /harm | \ / \_____/ This is a clock which is either 7 or 8, So much for my drawing skills.. ;-) As you see on the far right side of the clock, it is the 8th day of the month. The Alarm indicator is on, which means there is something to remeber...?! The word "Charm" is always present, and is simply the brand name... You can remove the word by altering the text colour, but setting the colour for this word also sets the colour for the alarm indicator. ----------------------------------------------------------- When the alarm sounds: ---------------------- ...The word "Alarm" start blinking. It will do so until either the alarm is turnes off, or one hour has passed since alarmtime. ...The alarm will sound. The rapid and constant repeating of a digital beep makes considerable noise for either 6 minutes, or until the alarm is turned off. After one hour, CharmClock will give up it's attempt and turn the alarm off. However, if CharmClock is not running exectly one hour after alarm time, the alarm will not be turned off. This means: If you are 100% certain you turned the alarm on, and CharmClock shows no alarm indicator --- bad luck!!! You have forgotten something! ----------------------------------------------------------- The configuration file: ----------------------- The following information is stored: -The windows positionig and size -Number of colours used. -All the pen settings. -Window type (Backdrop/Borderless) -Alarm time, and whether the alarm is turned on or off. -Task Priority -Sound settings -Secounds on/off Interlace on/off is NOT stored! DO NOT EDIT THE FILE BY HAND!!!! You need to assign "Envarc:" to some directory on your (hard)disk, i.e.: Assign EnvArc: Sys:Prefs/EnvArc/ Preferably, you have this assign aswell: Assign Env: RAM:Env/ ----------------------------------------------------------- Other vital information: ------------------------ KNOWN BUGS: ----------- -Bugs with Eagleplayer. (When beeping) (Shame on me! I do not allocate the audiochannels before I go ahead and use them.... Sorry!!! Will be fixed some time.) TODO: ----- -Add silent alarm option. (Use requester as alarm) -Allocate the audiochannels before use... -Reduce program size! -Increase program speed!! -Other things? Maybe expand to something like "Lotus Organizer"(TM) on IBM and compatibles??? ;-) HOW TO REACH... --------------- Vegard Riseng Krakkeplassvegen 11 N-2900 FAGERNES NORWAY (Sorry! Snail-mail only!) DO NOT SEND: -Pirate copies -Bombs -Your bills... -Any illegal/stolen stuff Please send: -Suggestions on CharmClock or other tools. -Your own programs. -All the PD/SW etc. software you have! I will become very happy if you send: -A lot of money -Nice Hardware for A4000 -Job offers -A new car ...and so on... THE END