Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!rice.bitnet!storkel
From: STORKEL@RICE.BITNET (Scott Storkel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: The Last Screen Saver
Message-ID: <978STORKEL@RICE>
Date: 15 Apr 89 19:23:33 GMT
Organization: Rice University - ICSA
Lines: 69

All right guys, I need some help. A while back there was a discussion on the
net about something called the Last Screen Saver. This proposed project would
furnish the dirty assembly language code needed to implement a Pyro-like
(Pyrotechnic?) screen saver and allow people to easily write the animation
routine in C or Pascal.

Well, after writing a jGNEfiler screen saver used here at Rice University I
decided it wouldn't be too hard to modify it so it would bring in an arbitrary
CODE resource and call it to do the drawing.

I've got a prototype working, but I'm drowning under school work, real work,
trying to find a summer job (Hello, Apple? Hello?), and the threat of final
exams. So, I need some people to help me finish this thing off and kick it out
the door. Below is a list of goals for the project, a list of what I have, and
what I need. If you'd like to help out (or hire me to work in the San Francisco
Bay Area this summer) send me some e-mail.

                                          Scott Storkel
                                          Macintosh Software Development
                                          Rice University
                                          (storkel@rice.edu
                                           storkel@rice.bitnet)

Goals
-----
The main goal of this project is to give anyone who knows a little bit about
Quickdraw the capability to produce a sophisticated screen saver. The
inspiration came from discussions on the net and from the lockscreen program
found on Sun workstations. When/If this thing ever gets done I'm going to pack
up all the binaries AND all the source code and give it away FREE to as many
people as I can. Ideally I would like to have the following things present when
it is released:

          1. An assembly-language driver and source code
          2. Four sample animation routines in each of four languages (MPW C,
             MPW Pascal, Lightspeed C, and Lightspeed Pascal) (Yes, 16 pieces
             of code).
          3. Code for a generic CDEV in each of the four languages.
          4. Code for a customized CDEV integrating the four sample animation
             routines.
          5. Documentation that explains the interface to the dirver, and the
             Ps and Qs of writing and animation routine.

What I've got so far:
---------------------
          1. MPW 2.0.2 assembly code for a driver that implements a jGNEfilter,
             calls an arbitrary CODE resource to do drawing, and provides for
             an arbitrary number of global variables.
          2. MPW C source for an animation routine called Dyson's Folly (sorta
             like Moire, but better).
          3. MPW Pascal code for the Dyson's Folly routine.
          4. LSC code for an animation routine that bounces a ball around the
             screen.
          5. Subminimal documentation.

What I need most:
-----------------
          1. 2-3 more animation routines
          2. Somebody with access to LSC and LS Pascal to help get the stuff I
             do have working with those compilers.
          3. Both of the CDEVs (I'll probably do these myself, but if anyone
             has any good CDEV code lying around I wouldn't mind using it).
          4. Good documentation complete with a snazzy cover illustration.
          5. A new Icon and Cicn.
          6. A new name (the best thing I've come up with is Omega - The Last
             Screen Saver).
          7. A bunch of people to send me mail and tell me to get the thing
             done.
          8. An ulta-cool job hacking on Macs, Suns, or NeXTs for the summer...