------------------------------------------------------------------------- WINDOWS SETUP FOR HOP - FRACTALS IN MOTION Version 2.0 / 1994-99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 1994/99 Michael Peters & Randall Scott. All Rights Reserved This text describes how HOP can be set up to cooperate with Windows. Who should read this? --------------------- You should read this text if you want to use HOP as a screensaver for Windows, or if you want to run HOP interactively from Windows. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT -------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Operating Systems Compatibility Can HOP run in Windows? Setting up the screensaver for Windows Starting HOP parameter files directly from Windows About Operating Systems Compatibility ------------------------------------- HOP is a DOS program. (It was written for, and runs under, the MS-DOS operating system.) When the first HOP version was conceived and written (1994), DOS was still a very popular, well-supported, and fast operating system, while Windows was still a relatively new operating system which was less supported, less popular, very complicated to program, and ate up most of the processing power which HOP needed for real-time animation. HOP was also, so to speak, positioned next to the most popular fractal generator of all time, Fractint. Even today, Fractint is still a DOS program - the considerable processing resources that would be necessary for Windows logic can be put to much better use: to speed up calculation. This is also one of the reasons why HOP is still a DOS program. On the other hand, DOS is dead - many of today's computer users have never seen a C:\> prompt, and for good reason: the newer Windows versions have set new standards for usability, hardware compatibility, and even ease of programming. The main reason why no Windows version of HOP exists is that I don't have the time to write it. I'm actually looking for experienced programmers who'd like to contribute to the creation of a Windows-based (or even a hybrid Mac/Windows) version. Please contact me if you are interested. Can HOP run in Windows? ----------------------- HOP should run (interactively and as a screensaver) under native DOS and in DOS sessions under Windows and OS/2 (see chart). However, because there weren't any hardware compatibility norms under DOS, there is a small but existing chance that HOP won't run on your computer because it can't work with your computer's video hardware. Or rather, because your computer isn't HOP compatible. - DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95/98, OS/2: HOP needs a HOP compatible video hardware. Run the small compatibility check program (HOPVTEST.EXE) to make sure that HOP will run on your PC. You also need at least 525k of free conventional DOS memory. If you run OS/2, you need an additional screensaver shell which is available as shareware. Send an email to mpeters@csi.com for more information. Also, in the OS/2 DOS settings, VIDEO_8514A_XGA_IOTRAP must be set to OFF. - Windows NT, Windows 2000: Windows NT is not very patient with DOS programs. HOP might actually run for a while, but it will eventually be kicked out by the system. - all other operating systems: HOP won't run on Atari, Macintosh, Amiga, Unix ... Setting up the screensaver for Windows -------------------------------------- HOP can be used as a screensaver for Windows. This is not automatically set up during setup. Read here how to do it: 1.Make sure that HOP is installed correctly. If you click on the HOP icon, and HOP displays fractals, then it is installed correctly. 2.The files HOPSVR.SCR and HOPSVR.PIF (displayed as "HOPSVR" in Explorer) have to be copied from the HOP directory to the WINDOWS/SYSTEM directory. 3.Open the properties of the file \WINDOWS\SYSTEM\HOPSVR (which is actually HOPSVR.PIF) by right-clicking it, and apply the following changes if necessary: - 'Screen' tab: set usage = Fullscreen. - 'Misc' tab: set 'allow screensaver' = off. - 'Program' tab: set Execute = Maximized, and activate the 'Close on Exit' (or similar) checkbox. - Modifying the command line ('Program' tab) The command line should be 'C:\HOP\HOP.EXE /s', with /s being the parameter that tells HOP to start as a screensaver. If you have installed HOP in a directory other than C:\HOP, you must modify the 'command line' and 'work directory' properties accordingly. You can add more command line parameters here (with a blank between parameters), such as the name of a HOP parameter file (e.g. DEMO.HOP), or even, more precisely, the number of one specific HOP animation you want to run as your screensaver (e.g. DEMO.HOP #5). 4.Set the same properties (Maximized, Fullscreen, Close on Exit, don't allow screensaver) for the HOP executable itself (C:\HOP\HOP.EXE). 5.The HOP screensaver should work correctly now. Right-click on your desktop, go to 'screensaver properties', and choose HOP as your screensaver. The message 'this screensaver has no properties' is correct - HOP is a DOS program and can't be configured directly. 6.If you run Windows 3.x, mouse movements will only end the HOP screensaver if a mouse driver was loaded under DOS. 7.While the HOP screensaver runs, you can press S to disable screensaver mode and run HOP interactively. Starting HOP parameter files directly from Windows -------------------------------------------------- You can launch any Windows program either by clicking on the program icon, or by clicking on one of its associated documents (e.g. clicking a text file will launch Notepad). You can set up the same functionality for HOP. HOP's animations are stored in parameter files - one example is DEMO.HOP. Clicking on a parameter file can launch HOP, but first you have to associate the HOP file extension with the HOP.EXE program (this is not automatically set up during setup): First (if you haven't done so during the screensaver setup as described in the previous paragraph), open the properties of the file C:\HOP\HOP.EXE by right-clicking it. - 'Program' tab: set Execute = Maximized, and activate the 'Close on Exit' (or similar) checkbox. - 'Screen' tab: set usage = Fullscreen. - 'Misc' tab: set 'allow screensaver' = off. Then launch Windows Explorer and do the following: - In Explorer, double-click on C:\HOP\DEMO.HOP - An 'Open with' window comes up. - Enter a description ("HOP parameter file"), then click on the 'Other' button. - Search the file C:\HOP\HOP.EXE and double-click it. HOP will now be launched everytime you click a *.HOP parameter file. --------------------------------------------------------------------------eof