Screensaver question: how to configure...

[RGBreality]

Hey, folks!

I'm new at developing screensavers using MMF2 Developer... I've developed a screensaver, but am presently lost how I allow the end user to make configuration changes to the screensaver from the Windows' Control Panel>Display>Screensaver settings.

My question isn't so much how to specify which frame is used for the screensaver display. My question is when the user clicks the "Settings" button, how can I display options to configure the screensaver there?

Presently, my screensaver configuration options are configured from within the screensaver itself (it must already be running); furthermore, the options are accessed from an Active object the user selects to display the options.

When I tried using an "options" frame as the "frame used for screensaver options," it only displayed the options I set up in that frame and could not offer a preview of the screensaver itself.

How can I set things up such that one frame can be used for options, then another to preview the screensaver?

Another question regarding how the screensaver is previewed in Windows' Control Panel: it always previews the screensaver inside a window (and is not full-screen). Yet, if one runs my screensaver from the .SCR file, it does run fullscreen (using a Windows Control object to ensure it displays in the full screen space). So, how can I prevent the preview from running in a window?

Thank you very much for your help!



Most graciously...

RGBreality

[LB]

I am not sure what your problem is. I don't ever have any of the issues you are having. Could you post a small example of the way you are doing it?

[RGBreality]

Hey, LB!

Where would you like me to post my working project?

Thanks, as always, for your help!



Most graciously...

RGBreality

[LB]

Well you can post a small example here if you upload to mfa.aquadasoft.com or in the file archive.

[RGBreality]

Hey, LB.

I'm afraid my MMF2 project is too large to upload to the file archive, and it's too large to upload uncompressed to mfa.aquadasoft.com. (I can compress it to 8 MB, but aquadasoft presently only supports MFA files and not ZIP.)

I have uploaded my MMF2 project (compressed) to this URL:

http://www.mediafire.com/?76gdzcvyl58qwc9

I would welcome any ideas how I can display configuration settings from the "Settings" button in Control Panel>Desktop Display>Screensaver settings.

Thank you again for your help!



Most graciously...

RGBreality

[LB]

That's why I said you should upload a small example of how you normally set it up. And also because I cannot access mediafire... at all.

[RGBreality]

Hey, LB!

I was able to cut apart the screensaver to isolate the code and content that affects the configuration settings. I've uploaded the MFA file to MFArepository. You can download it from here:

View MFA


Please let me know if you're not able to access it.

So, you'll see that the configuration settings (which is just set on top of an Active object) cannot be isolated from the rest of the frame. So while a preview works fine (and one can adjust the settings while running the screensaver), one cannot adjust any settings when the "Settings" button is clicked from the Desktop Settings applet in Control Panel.

One thing I did try to do is use a Sub-application (and a separate frame) to house the configuration settings. But I found that even when using a Windows Shape object, it wouldn't display properly when the Sub-application appeared over the main frame.

If you have any ideas, I would be most welcome to hear them. Thank you! Have a great evening!



Most graciously...

RGBreality

[LB]

Hmm, can't you re-create the option dialog in another frame and set it to "Screen-saver Setup Frame" in the properties? I don't think I understand your problem correctly; is there a reason you cannot do this?

[RGBreality]

I did try that. However, if I do that, then the Preview doesn't work. (The Preview only shows the properties frame and not the screensaver in action.)

So, it seems to be a Catch-22: I can only show one, but not both.

However, I have a couple screensavers installed (made from another tool which only does screensavers) where the "Settings" option displays an "About" screen as well as any options which may be set up (such as muting audio). Yet, if you click the "Preview" button, it displays a standard preview of the screensaver.

So, I'm wondering how I can do the same sort of thing with our screensavers.

Thanks!


RGBreality

[LB]

You have to have two or more frames; the first being the screen saver, and the rest being the frames used by the settings dialog. One of the frames should have the Screen Saver Setup Frame property checked.