To Install Flasher
- First uninstall any previous version of Flasher.
- Run the Flasher installation program.
- Open the Display Properties dialog, click on the Screen Saver tab, then set Flasher as your screen saver.
- Open the Flasher Configuration dialog and configure one or more folders to use with Flasher.
To Use Flasher
- After installation, Flasher may be previewed and configured from the Display Properties Screen Saver tab. You can also right-click on the Flasher shortcut created during setup to Test, Configure, or Install Flasher as your default screensaver.
- Use the Display Properties Screen Saver tab to enable, disable, or modify a password for Flasher.
The Flasher Configuration dialog
To open the Flasher Configuration dialog, select Flasher as your screensaver in the Display Properties dialog's Screen Saver tab and then click on the Settings button, or right-click on the Flasher shortcut created during setup and select Configure.
Folder Options - The controls in this section display the options of the currently selected folder and are updated whenever you click on a new folder in the list.
- Folders: This list is unlabeled and shows all the folders currently being used with Flasher. When a folder in the list is selected the Folder Options controls are initialized to reflect the options for the selected folder. Right-clicking on this list (keyboard shortcut: Enter) pops up the folder management menu: "New Folder..." (keyboard shortcut: Ins) allows you to select a single new folder to use with Flasher, "New Folders..." (keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Ins) allows you to select all of a folder's sub-folders to use with Flasher, and "Remove Folder..." (keyboard shortcut: Del) allows you to stop using the selected folder with Flasher. Double-clicking on this list (keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Enter) brings up the Flasher Collections dialog, described below.
- Interval: For static image files, this is the time to display each image file. For sound and video files, this is the time to wait between flashing the next file.
- Centered: Check this box to flash your files in the center of your screen, rather than in random positions. Uncheck this box to flash your files in random positions on your screen.
- Random Order: Check this box to flash your files in random order. Uncheck this box to flash your files in alphabetical order.
- Show Filenames: Check this box for Flasher to display the current file's filename, without the extension, as a caption.
- Background: Click on this button to select a background color for Flasher to use.
- Image Sizing options: This picklist is unlabeled and defaults to "Size Images Down".
The Image Sizing options are as follows,
- Default Size Images: Select this option for Flasher to display images at their default size.
- Size Images Up: Select this option for Flasher to size images up, without distorting the image, to fill as much of the desktop as possible. Only images that have both a width and height that is less than that of your screen resolution will be sized up.
- Size Images Down: Select this option for Flasher to size images down, without distorting the image, to fit within the desktop. Only images that have either a width or height that is greater than that of your screen resolution will be sized down.
- Size Images To Fit: Select this option for Flasher to size images either up or down as needed, without distorting the image, to fill the desktop.
- Video Sizing options: This picklist is unlabeled and defaults to "Default Size Videos".
The Video Sizing options are as follows,
- Default Size Videos: Select this option for Flasher to display videos at their default size.
- Double Size Videos: Select this option for Flasher to display videos at twice their default size.
- Half Screen Videos: Select this option for Flasher to display videos at half of the current screen size.
- Screen Resolution options: This picklist is unlabeled and defaults to the current screen resolution. The options that are available depend on the device capabilities reported by your operating system.
Global Options - The controls in this section display options in effect for all folders used with Flasher.
- Use Special Keys: Check this box to control Flasher playback with your keyboard. When this box is unchecked Flasher will exit if any key is pressed. When this box is checked Flasher may be controlled using the keys shown. You may customize the keys shown by typing over any character with the key of your choice. The Flasher Configuration dialog displays all Special Keys values in uppercase for clarity but the screensaver responds to both uppercase and lowercase keys.
- Pause: When Flasher is running, hit the Pause key to stop Flasher's playback.
- Next: When Flasher is running, hit the Next key for Flasher to move on to the next file in the current folder.
- Previous: When Flasher is running, hit the Previous key for Flasher to move back to the previous file in the current folder.
- Rename: When Flasher is running, hit the Rename key to rename the current file by adding an "_" character to the beginning of the image's filename. After renaming, Flasher moves on to the next image and will skip the display of that file from then on. Whenever Flasher comes across a renamed file the "OM" image will be displayed instead.
- New Folder: When Flasher is running, hit the New Folder key for Flasher to display files from a new, randomly selected folder.
- Filenames: When Flasher is running, hit the Filenames key for Flasher to display the current file's filename as a caption.
- Collection: This unlabeled text box displays a short description of the current Flasher collection, which is used in the Flasher Collections dialog, described below. You can change the description for new collections you create by typing in this box. The description for the default collection, "<default collection>", may not be changed.
- Beep on Special Keys: When checked, your system will beep whenever a Special Key is pressed.
- Start With Random Folder: Check this box for Flasher to use a randomly selected folder each time it runs.
- Mouse Sensitivity: If Flasher seems to quit for no reason, or if you have enabled Password Protection and Flasher always shows the screen saver password dialog, you may need to increase the amount of mouse movement that Flasher reacts to. Moving the Mouse Sensitivity slider to the right makes Flasher less sensitive to mouse movement. You may completely disable Flasher's awareness of mouse movement by moving the Mouse Sensitivity slider all the way to the left - if you do this Flasher will ignore your mouse and you will have to use your keyboard to cancel Flasher.
- OK: Save your changes and close the Flasher Configuration dialog.
- Cancel: Do NOT save your changes and close the Flasher Configuration dialog.
The Flasher Collections dialog
A Flasher Collection is made up of a list of one or more folders that contain media files, and all the Flasher options you select for the files in those folders. Earlier versions of Flasher only supported a single list of folders. To open the Flasher Collections dialog, double-click on the Flasher Configuration folder list (keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Enter).
To Uninstall Flasher
- Use the Add/Remove Programs icon in Control Panel.
Credits
- Flasher would have been a real pain to implement were it not for JDSAVER, a free Visual Basic screen saver source code package, originally ©1996-1997 by Don Bradner and Jim Deutch.
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