OurGlass version 1.00
=====================

Sitting staring at the RISC OS Hourglass endlessly emptying while ChangeFSI
is running made me wish I could redefine it to show something more
interesting (like Repton, for instance) while the machine is busy. Hence
this program.

OurGlass is a little utility which allows you to define your own animated
pointer to replace the default Hourglass. It does this by modifying the
existing Hourglass module to include a series of sprites which you can
supply. To run, just double-click on the icon, and hit <Return> when the
program asks you for a delay time. A new Hourglass module will be created
and loaded, and a short demo will be run to show you how it looks. Now,
whenever any Desktop program invokes the Hourglass, this alternative
animation will be used instead. Note that the supplied animation is not
terribly good, and is intended only as a demo - I'm sure somebody with
more artistic ability than me could do better.
 
A copy of the new Hourglass module is saved inside the OurGlass directory
when the program is run. You can load this in your boot sequence rather than
re-running OurGlass every time you use the Arc. Also in the OurGlass
directory is a sprite file called SpriteFile, which contains the frames of
the pointer animation. You can edit this file to suit yourself - my own
version features Repton in 'paused' mode, looking left and right, but I
can't distribute this since the Repton character is copyright Superior
Software.
 
Any sprites can be used, but they must not be greater than 32 by 32 pixels,
and must be defined in a 4-colour mode - OurGlass will give an error message
otherwise. You can have as many sprites as you like in the animation, (the
practical limit for this program is about 240!) but obviously they must all
be the same size and mode. Only the first sprite in the file is checked for
validity - if one of the others breaks the rules then the behaviour of
OurGlass is undefined. The sprites should also have a palette, since the
pointer is coloured independently of the screen palette. Colour 0 is always
'transparent' in the pointer; the other three colours can be anything you
like. Only the palette of the first sprite is read - if the other sprites
have a different (or even no) palette, this will have no effect.
 
Note that, relative to the order of the sprites in the file, the animation
runs in reverse, because it was easier for me to code that way. Bear
in mind that the pointer size and shape changes depending on screen mode, so
you should define your pointer in a mode with the same size pixels as you
normally work, eg use mode 8 sprites if you normally use modes 12 and 15.
 
When you run OurGlass, it prompts you for the time delay in centiseconds to
use between frames of the animation. Hitting <Return> uses a default value
of 10, but you can modify this to suit your own case. The official Hourglass
uses a delay of 15 centiseconds, so using a smaller value will cause your
programs to run more slowly while the Hourglass is displayed.
 
One consequence of the changes I have made to the Hourglass module to
incorporate the new sprites is that the LEDs and percentages are no longer
available. Any calls to Hourglass_LEDs or Hourglass_Percentage will have no
effect.
 
Lorcan Mongey         CIX             091 390 1244 lorcan@cix.compulink.co.uk
56 Salisbury Court    World of Cryton 0749 670030  lorcan (#237)
Dublin Road           Arcade          081 654 2212 lorcan (#417)
Belfast BT7 1DD
0232 234386
