using .com intros as screensaver
category: general [glöplog]
I wanted to use some 256b intro as screensaver. But .com doesn't want to convert to .scr :(
Does anyone know how I can pull this off?
Does anyone know how I can pull this off?
I've been thinking about something similar, but for VJ purposes, but I don't have the knowledge to put it off.
But basically what you need to do is rewrite a specific intro so that it writes its data to a buffer somewhere in the memory, and then draw that method with your favourite 2D API. It's not impossible, but it will take some effort.
But basically what you need to do is rewrite a specific intro so that it writes its data to a buffer somewhere in the memory, and then draw that method with your favourite 2D API. It's not impossible, but it will take some effort.
(put->pull)
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what you need to do is rewrite a specific intro so that it writes its data to a buffer somewhere in the memory
how about just writing a wrapper exe which calls the com when neccesary (not when previewing etc).
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I don't think WinNT+ likes to have a DOS app running when in screensaver mode. I'm quite convinced that you need to convert it into an actual exe if you want to be able to run it.how about just writing a wrapper exe which calls the com when neccesary (not when previewing etc).
there is no "screensaver mode" if you put a windowed or console application for a screensaver it would just work fine.
1- screensaver spawns actual exe
2- actual exe spawns com
3- (optional) actual exe checks for mouse move or keypress
2- actual exe spawns com
3- (optional) actual exe checks for mouse move or keypress
Hmm... Scr's are regular PE executables, that I know for sure.
However I always thought the wyas of NT was that a screensaver was nothing but a puppet of the OS, so that the OS caught all events, and killed the screensaver process when it wanted to.
I experimented now, and it seems like Windows waits patiently for the app to die.
Next up I will try launching a .com and turning on "Password on resume" and see if I'll get back without rebooting.
However I always thought the wyas of NT was that a screensaver was nothing but a puppet of the OS, so that the OS caught all events, and killed the screensaver process when it wanted to.
I experimented now, and it seems like Windows waits patiently for the app to die.
Next up I will try launching a .com and turning on "Password on resume" and see if I'll get back without rebooting.
You will have to make sure your program isn't already running. Or you will have problems. Browse msdn.
Anyway, I tried making a very simple exe wrapper for a .com smallsize and used as a screensaver, and it worked just the way it was supposed to.
oh can you please put it online somewhere? I'm not a coder myself (well, I do PHP, but I don't see myself coding a .com wrapper in PHP) so it'd be sort of impossible to do it on my own :)
hmm... how about putting dosbox into the process?
stijn: if you can find a php2exe somewhere it would be trivial to launch another application in php.
gargaj: dosbox will need the com file as an argument before running. you probably won't be able to send custom arguments at screensaver launch. (batch files won't work either.)
gargaj: dosbox will need the com file as an argument before running. you probably won't be able to send custom arguments at screensaver launch. (batch files won't work either.)
on the second thought, yup, dosbox reads the conf file automatically, where it can be ordered to mount the folder and launch the com file and exit afterwards.
but you won't be able to disable launch under config screensaver, preview screensaver messages (which are passed as an argument to the application by windows.) which means it even starts when you enter the screensaver options from desktop config dialog.
but you won't be able to disable launch under config screensaver, preview screensaver messages (which are passed as an argument to the application by windows.) which means it even starts when you enter the screensaver options from desktop config dialog.