To:       Galaxies Enthusiast
From:     Patrick Grengs, application author
Subject:  How to Run the Galaxies product -- and other good things
Date:     Monday, January 1, 2001

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Program:  Galaxies
Version:  4.1

Purpose:  Display 3D Galaxy Effects by setting numerous properties.
          Define the Galaxy Types as well as how the Galaxies should be
          dispersed throughout the Universe.  Watch as the camera tours
          the Universe, visiting the Galaxies.
 
          Properties can be saved as Templates for later use.
          You can configure the product as your Screen Saver.
          Notes appear below.

Status:   This is a Shareware product.
          You may distribute it without cost.
          All rights are reserved by the Author.
          See the Registration window to register the product.
          Contact the Author if you would like to distribute the
          product via CD-ROM or create a link to it on your Web page.

Contact:  You may contact the Author with your comments, questions or
          concerns.  Please be as specific as possible.

          Email:  pixelate@owt.com

          Web:    http://users.owt.com/pixelate/savers.htm
          FAQ:    http://users.owt.com/pixelate/faq.htm

          Pmail:  Patrick Grengs
                  P.O. Box 4361
                  West Richland, WA  99353  USA

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Install Galaxies by following these steps:

1.  If you have downloaded and installed the ~2MB file, then you should
    have all the necessary DLLs.  If you downloaded the ~350K ZIP file,
    then you may need to download the necessary DLLs if they are not
    already on your machine.  In any case, if you are warned of missing
    DLLs, you may follow these steps.

    A.  Goto this Website:  http://solo.abac.com/dllarchive/
    B.  Locate and download these DLLs:
        -  MSVBVM60.DLL (version 6.00.8495)
        -  OLEAUT32.DLL (version 2.40.4275)
    C.  Unzip the files if necessary.
    D.  Place the DLLs into your C:\Windows\System or C:\WinNT folder, 
        depending on your operating system.  Windows NT users will use
        the WinNT folder.  Others should be able to use the
        \Windows\System folder.

2.  If you have downloaded the ~350K ZIP file:
    A.  Unzip the file.
    B.  Place the contents:
        -  Galaxies 41.SCR
        -  Galaxy41.HLP
        -  Galaxy41 Readme.TXT
        into the C:\Windows\System directory or C:\WinNT directory
        as appropriate.

3.  Follow these steps to select Galaxies as your screen saver:
    A.  Click the Windows Start button.
    B.  From Start, select Settings, then Control Panel.
    C.  Double-click the Display Icon in the Control Panel.
    D.  Select the Screen Saver tab from the from the 
        Display Properties window.
    E.  Select Galaxies 41 from the Screen Saver list.
        An explosion should appear in the Preview window.
        Galaxies should coalesce out of the universe explosion.
    F.  Click the Settings button to display the Galaxy Properties
        window.  From this window, you can change the attributes of
        each Galaxy and the Universe in general.  The window may be
        resized so as to increase the size of the preview window.
    G.  Click the Preview button to see a preview of the Galaxies
        screen saver with the current settings.

4.  To start the Galaxies screen saver, do one of the following:
    A.  Double-click on the Galaxies 41.SCR icon.
    B.  Create a shortcut to Galaxies and place it on the desktop.
        Double-click the shortcut to start the screen saver.
    C.  Right-click on the Galaxies 41.SCR icon.  This will display a
        popup menu.
        -  Click Test to display the screen saver.
        -  Click Configure to display the Galaxies Properties window.
        -  Click Install to set Galaxies as your selected screen saver.

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Run Galaxies by following these steps:

1.  Double-click on the Galaxies 41.SCR file.

2.  You should see the display clear to a black background followed by
    a large burst of stars from the screen's center.  The stars will 
    coalesce into several Galaxy formations.  The camera will take a
    tour of the Universe, visiting each Galaxy in turn.  If the product
    is running as a Screen Saver, then moving the mouse or pressing a
    key will stop the effects.  

3.  To create a stand-alone version of the product:
    -  Create a copy of the *.SCR file.
    -  Rename the copy to Galaxy.EXE.

    When running the stand-alone EXE, you have a few options:
    -  Press the Escape key to end the effects.
    -  Press the F5 key to refresh the effects.
    -  Press the Spacebar (or other key) to display the Galaxies
       Properties dialog.  From this dialog, you can change several
       variables to describe the Universe and the Galaxies.

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Register Galaxies by following these steps:

1.  Click the Windows Start button.
2.  From Start, select Settings, then Control Panel.
3.  Double-click the Display Icon in the Control Panel.
4.  Select Screen Saver tab from the from the Display Properties window.
5.  Select Galaxies 41 from the Screen Saver list.
6.  Click the Settings button to display the Galaxies Properties window.  
7.  Click the Register button located at the bottom-left area of the
    Galaxies Properties window.
8.  Follow the instructions on the Registration window.
    Registration will remove the message at the top of the display.

Please send payment of $10 (US) check, cash or money order to:
Patrick Grengs
P.O. Box 4361
West Richland, WA  99353   USA

Cheers.

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Notes:

1.  The product has been tested on:
    Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT 4 (SP5).

2.  Default settings have been optimized for a 400 MHz CPU.

3.  Context sensitive help is available.  Click the question mark icon
    located in the upper-right corner of the dialog.  Then, click on a
    field of interest.  A help window will popup.  You can also get to
    the Help Index from the Help main menu.

4.  The Effects look best when displayed with the High Color Setting.
    To change your Windows Color Settings:
    -  Right-click on the Windows Desktop.
    -  Select the Properties menu.
    -  Select the Settings tab.
    -  Select "High Color (16 bit)" from the Color Palette dropdown.
       You can select "True Color (24 bit)" to produce similar results.
       If High Color is not available, 256 colors will due, but you're
       really missing out on the high quality effects provided in the
       High Color mode.  Consider purchasing new display hardware.

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Revision History:

----------------------
-   Version 4.1:     -
----------------------
-   Pulsar Star Types
-   Randomization options from Advanced Settings
-   Registry Save-Restore Section changes
    Use HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Allows settings to be saved by User instead of by Machine
-   System Diagnostics dialog for Trouble-shooting
-   Easier Registration via button on Main Window
-   Run with Effects in Background per Advanced Settings
-   Templates saved as ASCII Files to bypass 64K INI file limit

----------------------
-   Version 4.0:     -
----------------------
-   Works on Windows 2000
-   Nested Galaxy Levels
-   Galaxy Style:  User Defined Iterated Function Systems
-   Galaxy Style:  User Defined Molecular Structures
-   Galaxy Comet Hue Wheel Increment
-   Galaxy Hue Wheel Cycling
-   New Star brightness decay for realistic effects
-   Windows can be resized for improved Galaxy Preview
-   Galaxy Types:  Increased from 32 to 50

----------------------
-   Version 3.0:     -
----------------------
-   Set Galaxy Styles:
    -  Standard
    -  IFS (Iterated Function System)
    -  Nebula Particle Ribbons
    -  Quasars
    -  Gravitons
    -  Starwaves
-   Performance improvements
-   Larger Preview window
-   Option to ignore mouse moves

----------------------
-   Version 2.0:     -
----------------------
-   Starts properly as a Screen Saver on Windows NT 4.0.
-   Password Protection is available on Windows 9X.
-   Displays preview in Windows Screen Saver preview window.
-   The mouse pointer is invisible during the effects.
-   Universe can have up to 30,000 Stars, up from 9999.
-   Right click the .SCR file to Test, Configure, Install.
-   Composite Galaxies can be constructed.
-   Additional Axial-Plane of Rotation support.
-   More Ambient Star properties.
-   Hue transition effects for Comets, Novas, etc.
-   Intergalactic Gravity can be specified.
-   General user interface improvements.
-   Advanced Settings:  On-Screen Message Font Name, Size and Hue.
-   Online Help has been updated.
-   Reduced number of files installed.
-   Reduced number of steps during installation.

----------------------
-   Version 1.0:     -
----------------------
-   The first release was a spin-off from the Special Effects product.
-   The product was made available to the public in July 1998.

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Download Sites:

You can find the Galaxies and Special Effects products at the following
sites as well as associated mirror sites around the world.

www.zdnet.com
www.winsite.com
www.download.com
www.shareware.com
users.owt.com/pixelate/savers.htm

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How to Uninstall the product:

1.  Click the Windows Start button.
2.  Click the Settings menu item.
3.  Click the Control Panel folder.
4.  Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
5.  Click the Install/Uninstall tab.
6.  Select the product that you wish to Uninstall.
7.  Click the Add/Remove button.
8.  Confirm your intention to Uninstall the product.

Note:  If you manually copied the files from an extracted ZIP file, 
       then you will have to simply remove the files from their
       destination.

The following section must be manually deleted from the Registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Special Effects\SPFX_Galaxy

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Installation Parts List:

*  Product Files:
   -  Galaxies 41.SCR
   -  Galaxy41.HLP
   -  Galaxy41 Readme.TXT

*  Support Files (required to run the product):
   -  MSVBVM60.DLL (version 6.00.8495)
   -  OLEAUT32.DLL (version 2.40.4275)

Note:  The support files are included in the full installation
package which is approx. 2MB in size.  The 300KB download package
contains only the essential components that appear in the list of
Product Files, above.  If you are missing any of the Support Files,
go to the DLL Archive to download the above files:

http://solo.abac.com/dllarchive/

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Standard Disclaimer:

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. 
THE ENTIRE RISK OF THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU.

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