DesktopVariator

__/What is this?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Desktop Vaiator changes you background wallpaper every time you log 
out or shutdown your computer. You just specify a couple of pictures,
arrange the order, and you're done!
Special features includes preview display with center, tile and 
stretched showstyle, both in window and fullscreen, a very small 
separate memory-resident program for minimal memory usage and a totaly
neat 'About' box. 
Supported picture formats includes Bitmaps (*.bmp), GIF (*.gif) and 
JPEG (*.jpg).

__/Changes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Version 1.03.21
	Added 'Tile'-ShowStyle Preview in window mode.
	Added a dialogbox to DVLoader when saving a temporary bitmap.
	Fixed a bug when loading a picture.
	Fixed a fullscreen preview bug

Version 1.03.18
	Added support for GIF and JPEG pictures.
	Rewrote DVLoader so it temporarily saves GIF and JPEG pictures
	as bitmaps, so Windows can handle them.
	Tried to fix some fullscreen display problems. Still some 
	bugs... (See 'Things You Should Know' below)
	Rewrote the 'Add..' code so you no longer can select files 
	other then picture files.
	Fixed a bug when adding a picture.

Version 1.03.16
	Added option to load the Loader using Windows Registry.
	Added option to unload loaded Loader (!) when the above option
	is turned off.
	Fixed a picture display bug.

Version 1.03.13	(Not released in public)
	Huge remake of entire program.
	Added picture information display.
	Added ShowStyles options.
	Added fullscreen preview.
	Rewrote the way the picture list is saved, so the picture next
	in line to be displayed are the first item, and the current is
	last.
	Due to the new changes, picture lists saved in the previous
	version does not work. No backward compatibility. Sorry.
	Wrote a special memory-resident program, called the 
	DesktopVariator Loader (DVLoader), to save some memory.
	Added the totaly neat 'About' box.

Version 1.01.10
	Initial release.

__/What's in the package?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following files are included in the distribution archive:
	
DesktopVariator.exe	The Main executable.
DVLoader.exe		The Memory-Resident Loader.
DesktopVariator.txt	This file. Contains all vital information.

The following files are used by this program:

DesktopVariator.dat	The file where the picture list is saved. It
			should be in the same directory as the 
			executables. Created when the main executable
			saves the picture list, ie by pressing the
			'Ok' button.
MSVBVM50.DLL		VB5 Run-Time Library. Should be in your 
			Windows\System directory. (See below...)

__/Simple Instructions:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IMPORTANT: This program requires the file MSVBVM50.DLL. If you haven't
got it, download it from my homepage and place it in your 
Windows\System directory. My URL is http://home5.swipnet.se/~w-55489/

Place the program anywhere you want but place all files in the SAME
directory! (Very important!!)

Run the file DVLoader.exe. This is the memory-resident program that
changes your wallpaper when you log out, DesktopVariator Loader.

The first time you run it, you will come to the configuration screen.
Click the Add button and select some pictures (*.bmp, *.gif, *.jpg). 
Multiple selections are allowed. Select the proper ShowStyles, arrange
the list the way you want it and click the save ("Ok") button.

Make sure the "Autostart DesktopVariator Loader" check box is CHECKED.
Otherwise you have to manualy load the Loader each time before you log
out or shutdown.

If you want to enter the configuration screen again, use the file
DesktopVariator.exe. This is the main program, ie the configuration
screen.

__/Things You Should Know:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DesktopVariator can only do it's job if you log out or shutdown 
properly. Otherwise it is unable to save the changes.

The picture list is saved to the file "DesktopVariator.dat" in the same
directory as the programs. If you delete or edit this file, you will
have to select a new list. So far it is saved as ASCII-text.

When selecting a picture larger than the screen and the ShowStyle is
set to 'Tile', Windows displays the picture wrong. DesktopVariator, 
though (ahem), displayed the picture accuratly. The error is that
Windows does not resize the picture, so it displays only the top-left
corner of the picture.

Transparent GIF's flicker a couple of times when previewed Stretched in
fullscreen mode. I do not know why...

DesktopVariator cannot see if a JPEG is saved in grayscale. It will
say that the picture is a 24 Bit picture, even though it's not.

The Loader uses Windows Registry function "Run". It is stronly 
recomended that you uncheck the "Loader" box in the config screen 
before you uninstall DesktopVariator.

When the Loader sets the new Wallpaper, and the picture is GIF or JPEG,
it is saved as a Bitmap (*.bmp), DesktopVariator.bmp, in the same
directory as the Main programs. It is deleted when the Loader sets a
Bitmap as Wallpaper.

The temporary Bitmap, DesktopVariator.bmp, is saved when the Loader 
sets the new Wallpaper, i.e. when Windows shutsdown or you log out. 
If the picture is big, the bitmap could be very large, and it can take
long time to save it. A dialogbox is diplayed while saving the bitmap.

There no Install/Uninstall program. You have to do this manualy. 
Remember to run the Configuration program and uncheck the "Autostart
DesktopVariator Loader" checkbox, so Registry entries are removed
before deleting the programs.

The 'About' box have some hidden functions. Do some tweaking and you
can find a lot of neat stuff...

Even though DesktopVariator have been thoroughly tested, it is possible
that some things does not work everywhere. If this would happen to you
please tell me about it so I can fix the problem for the next release.

__/Distribution Notice:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DesktopVariator is Copyright (C) 1998 Zeshin Shimazu
(C) Zeshin Software
Zeshin Shimazu and Zeshin Software are Trademarks of Eric Lenander

THIS PROGRAM IS FREEWARE!
YOU MAY FREELY DISTRIBUTE IT, BUT IT MUST BE DISTRIBUTED IN THIS
UNCHANGED ARCHIVE AND MAY NEVER BE CHARGED FOR.
THE PROGRAM MAY NOT BE CHANGED OR ALTERED IN ANY WAY.

__/Contact:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author:	Zeshin Shimazu (Eric Lenander)
E-mail:	lenander@mbox301.swipnet.se
Http:	http://home5.swipnet.se/~w-55489/
