Dear Conitec,

Congratulations on a GREAT product.

I am trying to make a screensaver, out of a level, that Windows can launch automatically when my computer is idle. Following the manual, I did the following:

1. I made a level (just a room), named it myscreen. Gave it an ordinary A6 script.

2. I built it like a level (Build BSP Map). It runs fine when I press "Run"

3. I published it by checking the "resource" and "compile EXE" checkboxes.

4. I get a folder named myscreen.cd which contains the files: acknex.dll, d3dx9_30.dll, myscreen.wrs, palette, and the application myscreen.exe.

5. I renamed the application myscreen in myscreen.cd folder to myscreen.scr (right click-> rename-> etc.).

6. I copy/paste these 5 files in the C:/Windows/system folder.

7. BUT, when I right-click on the desktop -> Properties -> Screen Saver -> List of screensavers, I do no see any of the files I copy/pasted (I also tried C/P in system32).

Also, when I simply click on myscreen.scr (in system or system 32), I get an error message about a bad image or it does not launch at all.

I tried this procedure on 3 PCs (all running WinXP pro), including a brand new Lenovo laptop set up at the factory, but with no success.

I think I used all the information in the manual on this subject. I tried getting help on the "Starting with Gamestudio" and "C-script and wdl" forums. Everybody kept saying that what I did should work. I did get some info about how to set up the screen saver to react to keyboard and mouse input (with the command_str command) when the screensaver is running.

However, I can't do the first step, i.e. selecting myscreen and getting Windows to launch it.

Since it's not 3DGS or my 3 PCs which are at fault, I'm assuming that I am the problem.

Please tell me what am I doing wrong? Is there a special build or Run option, or something I have to put in the script, or something else ...? Seems I can win 2 Gamestudio contests, but I cannot do that particular simple thing.

Many Thanks in advance.

Thomas Gisiger

PS: I am using A7.7 Pro

Hi,

you should rename your program back to .exe and start it again from your windows folder where you placed your screensaver.
What is your Windows Version? XP Home, XP Pro, Vista 32/64, Windows 7 Beta/RC...

@slacer:

oops, missed that line...

Thanks guys for your help.

Sorry about the long post. Yes, I have Win XP Pro on all machines.

If I rename myscreen.scr (the one in the Windows/system folder) back to myscreen.exe and double-click on it, I get the same Bad Image message as before.

It starts by complaining about avicap.dll, then avifile.dll, then commdlg.dll, then lzexpand.dll, then mmsystem.dll, then msvideo.dll, olecli.dll, then olescr.dll, then shell.dll, then tapi.dll, then ver.dll, before finally running level (all greek to me, I must admit).

Stupid question: to rename the application to myscreen.scr, I just do right click->rename-> and type .scr at the end. That's the correct way, right?

Thanks.

You probably should test this with an extremely simple demo.
Just an empty level with a rotating object. Something like that.

BTW, in your quite detailed description I'm missing the part about testing the exe before you renamed it and copied it into the windows folder etc.

Hi Pappenheimer, thanks for your input.


I am using a small room with 4 walls, ceiling and floor, with the default texture and a camera. Can't be simpler than that.


I think we might be getting somewhere here:

As long as I copy/paste the myscreen.cd folder with all its content (i.e. acknex.dll, d3dx9_30.dll, myscreen.scr, myscreen.wrs and palette), then the level runs fine when I double-click on myscreen.scr or myscreen.exe (if I rename it that way), no matter where it is on the computer: on the Desktop, C:, /c:windows, C:windows/system or C:windows/system32, etc. So, that parts works perfectly.

But, when I just copy the 5 files contained in myscreen.cd (see above), and then paste them (so without a folder to hold them), then clicking on myscreen.scr does not work in /c:windows, C:windows/system or C:windows/system32.

It does work however on the desktop, in C:, in C:Programs Files, etc.

The reason of your problem is probably simple: Windows/system32 is not a folder where the engine should search for engine plugins. Set the plugins directory to a different folder.

From the manual:

"On startup, the engine scans for plugin DLLs in the current folder and in the PLUGINDIR folder. This can lead to a slow start when the folders contain lots of DLLs that are no engine plugins - for instance, when the engine is used as a screensaver and started from a Windows folder. If a DLL crashes on opening, the engine crashes also. Thus make sure that PLUGINDIR is set to a folder that only contains engine plugin DLLs."

Many thanks to JCL, and to all the nice people who gave their input.

I put

PLUGINDIR = "dummy";

in the wdl file of my level, and published the level like I did before. I then copy/pasted the 5 files I obtained (acknex.dll, palette, mysaver.scr, mysaver.wrs and d3dx9_30.dll) into the C:windows/system32 folder, and I also added an empty folder "dummy" there. This way, the engine does not look for plugins in the windows folder, but in the empty "dummy" folder.

Now, when I click on myscreen.scr, the level launches perfectly. Great!

However, I still do not see anything that looks like "mysaver" in the list of screen savers I get when doing right click ->properties -> screen saver.

Isn't it supposed to be there somewhere, so that I can select the level as screensaver?

I really feel like such a pest, but I promise: if I ever get it to work, I'll write a tutorial so that the whole community can benefit from this.

Thomas

you are put the .scr in a wrong folder?
also you try to press the rigth button over .scr and press
install screensaver