Delirium   Copyright Kulture 1997             Version 2.02 - 28th July 1998
========

Delirium is the long awaited screen saver program from Kulture. Delirium has
been developed over a number of years but we've never quite finished it off.
After a recent surge in updating work for the RiscPC and the development of
lots of new RiscPC savers it's finally been released.

I've always wanted a screen saver that uses decent fx. Sliding blocks and
swimming fish fx have been so over used that something very different was
needed. The original idea was to put demo quality effects into a screen
saver program, and that's what we've done. The power of the RiscPC gives us
24bit graphics and full multi tasking. Hopefully the result brings quite a
bit more style to the RiscPC desktop.



Shareware
=========

Delirium is Shareware and if you use it for more than a trial period of 30
days it would be rather nice if you registered with us by sending a cheque
(payable to Paul Wheatley) for 5 pounds sterling to:

   Delirium
   Paul Wheatley
   44 Headford Mews
   Broomsprings
   Sheffield
   S3 7XL

Please include your email address (if you have one). This makes it easier
for us to keep you informed about new savers, etc.

(NOTE : if registering after October 98, please check the Delirium Web site
(address at end of file) for the latest postal address which may have
changed)

We've decided to make Delirium Shareware and to release the full version
with all the savers on the internet and from PD libraries. Delirium has
taken a lot of development time and as far as we're concerned, walks all
over the commercial screen saver programs available for the Acorn. Please
support our choice to make this software Shareware by registering with us.
We're continually developing new saver effects for the program which will be
released on the Web site in the coming months so it would be cool if you
send in the tiny registration fee to pay for all that coffee that keeps us
going during those long nights of coding *:-)
[ Speak for yourself Paul! - J ]

Please support our use of Shareware, and we will continue to produce low
cost software for the Acorn market without resorting to over priced
commercial releases, which sucks really.

The program may be copied freely provided that all files in the main program
are distributed together and that none of them is changed. Individual savers
can also be copied freely as long as they remain unchanged. Distribution is
only allowed if the savers and front end are not sold for profit.

Distribution is only allowed on CDs if we get 3 copies of the CD in
question.



A Brief User Guide
==================

It's very simple to use, after all - it's only a screen saver! However,
here's a little overview of how to use it:

Click Select on the icon bar icon to bring up the configuration window. As
from version two, this window is split into four sections:


Saver

This window contains settings that allow you to select, configure and test
individual saver effects. These are:

         Enable: A quick way to disable Delirium. Should you ever want to!
          Saver: Select the saver you wish to use.
         Config: Brings up a configuration window for the currently selected
                 saver. You must save these settings for them to have any
                 effect on the saver.
           Info: Opens in info window giving a few details/requirements of
                 the selected saver.
           Test: Trial run the current saver with it's current settings.


Dimmer

These allow you to set up aspects of Delirium's dimming. This allows the
monitor to fade out a little after a short period of inactivity (say, about
two minutes), and then have the saver kick in after a longer time.

 Enable dimming: Turns off the dimming and fading routines in Delirium.
                 Useful if you wish to preserver the current Gamma settings
                 and still use the rest of Delirium.
       Dim time: Time before partially dimming the screen.
      Dim speed: The speed at which Delirium dims. The speed also varies
                 slightly depending on the refresh rate of the selected
                 screen mode.
      Dim level: How dark you want the screen when it's in it's semi-dimmed
                 state.


Corners

This lets you specify which corners of the screen are sleep/nosleep corners.

    Corner size: This allows a corner to have a configured 'radius'. This
                 value is in OS units, rather than pixels. You probably
                 don't need to change it.

One note about the sleep corner - once a saver has finished, it is possible
for the pointer to still be in the corner. So, the corner will be
deactivated until the mouse is removed from the corner for a few moments.
This prevents the saver from re-starting immediately after it's been
stopped...


General

A few other bits and bobs that can be set up.

   Desktop icon: This allows you to select between a normal, small or no
                 icon on the icon bar. If 'no icon' is selected, you can
                 bring it back temporarily by re-running Delirium, or by
                 using the star command *Delirium_ShowIcon.
   Extra memory: Delirium will never start a saver if there is insufficient
                 memory for it. This setting allows a configurable buffer of
                 memory on top of the required memory to be reserved before
                 a saver is run. This means there will always be a little
                 memory left over when the screen saver is running, should
                 another application suddenly decide it wants a bit...
Outside desktop: Should Delirium dim/blank the screen if you are outside the
                 desktop (eg., at the command line, or using the PC card).
                 Note: The effects themselves cannot be run outside the
                 desktop, but the dimming/fading can.
 Use AutoVCache: Explained a little later...
   Saver banner: Display the Delirium banner when the screen is dimming
                 prior to a saver starting. Just another blatant plug for
                 the software...
      Start new: If a saver dies for some unexpected reason, Delirium can
                 either simply blank the screen, or it can start another
                 saver, chosen at random from the list specified in the
                 Random saver. This option toggles this action.


Interactive help is fully supported, should you need a little more guidance
while using the program.

If in the unlikely situation that Delirium gets confused and leaves the
screen blanked with no obvious way of unblanking it, hold down the 'd' and
'e' keys together on your keyboard for a few moments. This will prompt
Delirium to unblank the screen.


AutoVCache
----------

If you have the AutoVCache module present on your system, Delirium will use
it to speed up some of the effects. It does this by issuing a 'vcache on'
command before a saver starts, and a 'vcache auto' command after it
finishes.

AutoVCache is by Torsten Karworth, and can probably be found on Hensa or
other FTP sites.


Extra Options
-------------

There are one or two extra options for Delirium that can only be changed by
editing the file '!Boot.Choices.Delirium.Delirium' by hand (NB, this file is
created the first time you save the Delirium settings). You are unlikely to
ever need to change these, and certain settings may well cause Delirium to
behave oddly. Please edit with great care.

If you mess up these setting beyond all hope, the way to restore the file is
to: Quit Delirium, Delete the file, Restart Delirium (it'll use default
values), and then Save the settings.



Phoebe Support
==============

Before releasing Delirium we contacted Acorn to see if they wanted to use it
on the new RiscPC II. Despite finding the program "very impressive" they
didn't have anyone working in the Acornsoft department to strike us a deal,
so we decided the go ahead and release it ourselves under a general
shareware release (and hence open it up to RiscPC I users as well).

The new version of RISC OS on the new Phoebe includes support for proper
screen savers, and the idea to support this format was considered. However,
we decided that our format was a bit simpler, making it much easier for
third parties to create their own saver fx (Acorn's format requires each
saver to do a lot of work, and the front end to do very little). We decided
to pretty much ignore Acorn's format, at least for the moment, and press
ahead with ours. As far as we can guess, Delirium will function okay on the
Phoebe and if not, we will work to make it compatible as soon as we can get
our hands on one.



Kulture Screen Savers Available for Delirium (at 24th June 1998)
============================================

All savers are copyright Kulture 1998, and may not be distributed unless all
files remain unchanged.

If you don't have all these savers, or to check out third party screen
savers, see our Web site (or get in touch by post, and we'll send em to
you). The URL is later on in this file.


Blur Cluster
------------

Developed from the pre-RiscPC Flame Cluster effect, Blur Cluster uses a mix
of dot rotation and horizontal blurring for a relaxed and yet quite animated
saver effect. The colour range is enhanced by blurring the separate RGB
elements at different rates, and by altering the dot plot colours depending
on their xyz coordinates. Effect is 100% ARM assembler.

Code/design : Origin


Head Punch
----------

Quite an experimental effect which uses a rather harsh random plotting
routine. For a more laid back Head Punch, or a "Cold Punch" if you will, set
the intensity to about 7. For a much more intense and in your face "Hot
Punch" whack it up to 80. As with Blur CLuster, the blur routine does the
main work, with the colour content being added via rows of transparent
sprite plots or rings.

Code/design : Origin
Silly name and Fine tuning : The Various Artists


Metamorphosis
-------------

A heavily customisable saver that takes a directory of Sprites and displays
them randomly. None of these dodgy Acorn Slideshow mixes however, this uses
full accuracy 24bit picture to picture mixing. Nice and smooth, especially
if you use a screen mode that allows 2 banks of 24bit colour (480x352 is
tops, unless you have a Phoebe). Mix speed, delay time and of course the
images you use are all configurable, but the effect comes complete with a
set of abstract Kulture related images by Origin.

If you use your own sprites, make sure they are all of the same dimensions
(and are dimensions of a usable screen mode like 320x256) and that none of
them have palettes or masks. Oh, and they need to be 32bit sprites as well.
Support for JPEGs should be added soon....

Code/design : Origin
Image design and digital photography : Origin


Spray
-----

One of the original screen saver effects that I wrote on an ARM2 machine,
years back. The effect has been constantly upgraded as I got my hands on new
machines, and now runs in 1024x768 with a tasty 256 colour redefined
palette. The effect has featured in a variety of Quantum and then Kulture
demos in the past, and its very laid back and ambient look makes it ideal as
a screen saver effect.

Code/design : Origin


Shade Cluster (New!)
--------------------

A revision of the old flame cluster effect on which the processor intensive
Blur Cluster effect is based. Shade Cluster uses a little 3D rotation
routine and a tasty random generation routine to create a kind of squirming,
growing virus that mutates around the screen. Or something like that. Now
quite a few people complained on comp.sys.acorn.moaning.people that Delirium
wasn't configurable enough. Hopefully this effect is configurable enough
even for them. You can alter the growth rate, the rotation speeds, the res,
and optionally have trails. But to be frank, the default settings look best.
If ya like it with the trails on, you're best off setting the speeds up a
bit.

Code/design : Origin


Star
----

Another blur effect, this time using sine driven sprites to create a swirly
star kind of effect. Reasonably laid back and the title image and gradual
fading in and out of the sprite plotting rounds it off nicely.

Code/design : Origin


Haze
----

Very simple code but serious design is the explanation behind this effect's
heavy use of BASIC. Probably the most laid back effect of the bunch, Haze
steadily builds a picture on the screen by plotting rows of 45 degree shaded
lines in 24bit colour. The effect runs for around ten minutes (depending on
screen rez and processor speed) before screen clearing and starting again.
An essential for uses who find the more animated effects too distracting.

Code/design : Origin


Blank
-----

Your bog standard blank task. Unexciting, but used by Delirium if you don't
have enough memory to run the selected saver. Oh yes, it's really that
clever.

Code : Joe


Delirium Banner
---------------

As with "Blank" another low memory screen saver that bounces the loading
banner around the screen. Doesn't alter screen mode, so you can pop straight
back to the desktop instantly.

Code : Joe
Gfx : Origin


Random (Improved for version 2!)
--------------------------------

This saver allows you to select a list of your favourite savers from a menu,
and it'll choose one of them randomly each time. It tries to ensure that the
same saver is never used twice in a row, too.

Code : Joe


Third Party Savers
------------------

A number of third party savers have been written. At the time of writing
this help file, I am aware of the following savers:

  Blur Space, by Tom Thorne
  Dali Clock, by Steven Singer
  Dots, by Robin Watts and Steven Singer
  Fireworks, by Matthew Bloch
  Juliana, by Robin Watts, Jan Vlietinck and Jamie Lokier
  Scope, by David Brookes

All of these should be available from our Web site. If they aren't, they
will be soon...


More Savers
===========

Kulture will be continually supporting Delirium and adding new savers as we
come up with new fx. Unfortunately Origin won't be developing any more fx as
he's gone to work for Gremlin Interactive, but new savers from the rest of
the group will be appearing. Check the Delirium Web site for the latest
range of effects to download.

For information about writing your own savers to use with Delirium, see the
Docs directory inside the !Delirium application.



Disclaimer
==========

The Software is supplied "as is", the Authors make no warranty, express or
implied, as to the merchantability or its fitness for any particular
purpose. It may or may not perform in accordance with the documentation or
your expectations.

In no circumstances will the Authors be liable for any damage, loss of data,
profits, goodwill or for any indirect or consequential loss arising out of
the use of the Software, or inability to use the Software, even if the
Authors have been advised of the possibility of such loss.

Please note that the ideal saver to prevent burn in on your monitor is the
blank task and that if the other savers are left running for long enough,
your monitor may still burn in (although its gonna take a long time). We
make no claim that Delirium is guaranteed to protect your monitor against
burn in - but at least it looks nice! :-)



Contact
=======

Comments, bug reports and slaggings off about Delirium should be directed to:

	delirium@various-artists.demon.co.uk

Any email will be forwarded to (and ignored by ;) the most appropriate of
Delirium's authors.


The Delirium Web site is at:

	http://www.various-artists.demon.co.uk/delirium/


Contact Paul (Origin) on email at : unclepaul@arcade.demon.co.uk
              Or by snail mail at : Paul Wheatley
                                    44 Headford Mews
                                    Broomsprings
                                    Sheffield
                                    S3 7XL



Thanks
======

Cheers to all the people who assisted with the development of the program,
including:

Joe for the nice front end.
Stu for the extra graphics engine fx. (when we get them!)
Stu M. for starting me on the path of the machine code, and for being crazy.
The Various Artists for comments and suggestions.
Paul Solecki for the original front end which we didn't use, that got a bit
out of date.
All the people including the man himself JS, on Digi who tested the
pre-RiscPC development.
All those people who I've forgotten who put in comments and suggestions.
...and Planet Earth for those rotating dance floor moments.

I (Joe) would like to thank Stewart Brodie for module writing advice, and
most of c.s.a.p for putting up with me.

Thanks also to the team of highly trained, brave-as-you-like beta testers,
some of whom were very helpful! (in no particular order): Mike Enderby,
Jason Perry, Robin Watts, Alasdair, David Brooks, 'MattBee', Matthew
Hambley, Paul Vigay, Rob, Sam Smith, Malcolm Hill, Adrian Hunter. I think!


Hellos
======

Hellos from Uncle Paul go to :

Steve "The boy" Hodgson for having innuendo on tap.
Chris "G Man" Gilmartin for having the flux in the Tux.
James "Rogan" Burke for keeping us (in)sane.
...and Paula for distracting me when I should have been coding.


Do I (Joe) get some hellos too? If so: [ Oh okay then - Unc ]

Hi to all the guys Paul just mentioned (but for completely different
reasons, of course), and also:

The Various Artists (they know who they are), and Sam (who has managed to
remain without mention thus far) [ Oooops, sorry. - Unc ]

If not, then well - what can I say?
[ If you weren't allowed then surely you wouldn't be able to say anything
anyway? - Unc ]
