@database "Garshneblanker"
@master "Garshneblanker.guide"
@author Michael D. Bayne

@width 80
@wordwrap

@$VER: Garshneblanker 38.3 (4.7.94)
@Remark AmigaGuide database for Garshneblanker

@Node Main "Garshneblanker Documentation"

@{b}Garshneblanker Version 3.3 (38.3)@{ub}

Ok, so I broke down and included some documentation with this release.
This means, of course, that you SHOULD READ IT! :) For the most part,
I've tried to make everything work peachy keen with as little setup as
possible.

So, run the installer script and read what it says while you install it.
Other than that, check out the following things:

     @{" New stuff                          " Link "New"}
     @{" Things to note when using GBlanker " Link "Notes"}
     @{" On the agenda                      " Link "Agenda"}

If  you  have  any  questions,  suggestions  or  other   comments
regarding  Garshneblanker  or  just  the  state  of the universe,
please send them my way at either of the following addresses:

Electronic Mail: mbayne@qualcomm.com

Physical Mail:

Michael D. Bayne
1522 La Playa Apt. 5-110
(Sunny) San Diego, CA
92109

@EndNode

@Node New "New Stuff in This Release"

I've tried to implement all of the suggestions that I have received,
so if you don't see your suggestions in this release (not necessarily
below, I've done more than this, I just don't recall it at the present
moment. :), mail 'em to me just one more time.

Version 38.3

o Random chooses from a subset of the list of blankers
o If the module doesn't respond to a blank request in a timely manner
  (ie. you're compiling and it's being starved because of it's -5
  priority) a black screen is put up.
o When the blankers are running, they call a particular function every
  so often to see if they should unblank. If these are too far and few
  in between, they quit and the main program puts up a black screen.
  This means two things: one, maybe I've got it calibrated for an A3000
  matching my machine's description and this totally won't work on every
  one elses machine (I hope not, I think this should work, give it a chance
  and e-mail me if blankers bail out unnecessarily on your machine), and
  two, if a blanker starts using too much of the CPU time itself (you just
  love to watch Swarm struggle with 500 wasps on your A500) it might quit
  of it's own accord. That's too bad. GBlanker won't load your machine down
  TOO much regardless of what's running. I like this solution because it
  doesn't use any CPU time keeping track of CPU usage. I tried another
  method where I had a low priority task send the main program messages at
  specified intervals and blanked with a black screen if the low priority
  task wasn't getting much CPU time, but that used 50% of the CPU time when
  the machine was idle. Ack. Anyhow, let me know how this works because I've
  moved away from all my beta testers (they're back at school, I'm on the
  other side of the country now, happily employed. :)
o Lots of little changes to the modules that people have suggested. Like
  multiple speed toasters, puzzle moves blocks smoothly, stars are back,
  etc.

@EndNode

@Node Notes "Things to note when using GBlanker"

Ok. The interface is really straightforward. You should be able to figure
all that out, but some things have consistently eluded many people in
previous releases so be sure to note this stuff:

o Look at the tooltypes of the Garshneblanker icon! If those aren't there,
  strange things might happen. (GBlanker is not happy when it doesn't know
  where it's blanker modules are.) Check them out, it should be apparent
  what they are. This is where you can change stuff. If you want to change
  the pop key. Change the CX_POPKEY tool type to the new pop key. This goes
  for all of them. Also, when you click "Save" the location of the window
  is stuck into the WIDTH and HEIGHT tool types and the currently selected
  blanker gets stuck into the BLANKER tool type. The rest don't change.

o When you click on a blanker in the list view, it runs that process. So,
  don't go clicking like a manaic on the list view because DOS has a hard
  time keeping up with loading all those processes and such.

o If a blanker bails out because the CPU load is too high, it quits. So,
  GBlanker will blank with a black screen until you tell it to load another
  module. You can just open up the interface and click on the blanker again
  to load it. Or if you have it on "Random" then it should automatically
  load a new blanker when you try to blank the screen again.

o The "Toggle" button tells GBlanker whether or not you want to consider
  the selected blanker when picking a random blanker. If a blanker is
  shown in parenthesis (ie. "(FlyingToasters)"), then it won't be picked as
  a random blanker. If you parenthesise ALL of them and select "Random",
  Garshneblanker will do strange stuff (it will hang out until you select
  another blanker and then blank with that one). I know. Don't do that.
  (Unless you think it's fun, in which case do it all day long, at least it
  doesn't hurt animals.)

o All the modules will default to the same screen mode as your Workbench
  screen (and differing numbers of colors). Some of them don't look very good
  in HiRes. Until I mess with the BestScreenMode() stuff in V39 intuition,
  try some of the blankers in low-res, they look a lot better and run much
  faster (like Life, Fireworks, Interference, etc.). Resolution is often not
  as important as number of colors. In fact, Plasma looks really cool in 256
  colors on a 160x100 screen (obscure AGA mode).

o Check out the "Info"s on the modules. Some of them say useful things. Also
  they should all give credit to those who have supported Garshneblanker by
  writing their own modules or porting them from other blankers, :).

That's about it. Again if you have any questions comments or suggestions.
E-mail me. I'm more likely to respond to regular postal mail than I was before
but it'll take a heck of a lot longer, so if you can email, do that first.

@EndNode

@Node Agenda "Things on my agenda for Garshneblanker"

Ok. Here's where I get to list all the stuff that would be cool to have. Some
are suggestions from others, so it could be that I've gotten your suggestion
but have simply chosen to ignore it :) or more likely haven't had time to get
to it yet. My damned boss thinks that I should work for him 8 hours a day which
I think is really silly, but I guess I have to put up with it.

Here we go:

From he241sc@unidui.uni-duisberg.de:

- A Tetris blanker
- An Eyes blanker
- Lightning (arcs coming down the screen and flashing)
- Heavy rain (Little circular drops all over the screen)

jayrymal@utcc.utoronto.ca:

- Rushing through parallel squares that form a tunnel

Ken Pierce:

- Falling cow blanker

Numerous:

- Joystick port monitoring
- Password protection

Others who I didn't write down:

- Multiple prefs files for each blanker (like earlier and more complicated
  version 2.0 :)
- Change a .plan file somewhere to reflect that owner is away from machine
  (for netted Amigas)

Stuff I want to do:

- Run MaxxonMAGIC blankers (bastard's are trying to SELL a screen blanker,
  what do they think this is, a Mac?)
- Redo the interface in sizeable Boopsi interface objects (Boopsi's a pain)

If anyone feels up to the adventurous task of writing their own modules. I
suggest the following plan of action. Look at the source code for some of the
simple ones like Fade and Worms. Then change the stuff in one of those to
work for yours (this is really simple) and then clean it up and make the prefs
do what you want and voila! your very own blanker. Then hoard it to yourself or
mail it to me or make it publicly available at your local ftp site. If you send
it to me (and it's relatively bug free :) I'll include it in the distribution.

@EndNode