StarWarsUpscroller by Stefan Mateescu

StarWarsUpscroller V1.0

Here you will find all information you need about the usage, configuration and registration of the Star Wars Upscroller by Stefan Mateescu. Before mailing the author any problems that you may have experienced, read this info carefully!

Contents

How this applet works...
The textfile
Using (own) fonts
Parameter setup
Freeware & Shareware
Registration
Last words...
See the demo HTML

How this applet works...

As this is a Java applet, the whole code is in a *.class file. This is "StarWarsScroller.class" (please remember that Java is case se nsitive, so "starwarsscroller.class" is not the same). The applet is loaded by the html-file which you may have edited, and after the page is loaded the applet is started. The first thing that this applet will try is to load the font and the text. These are the only external files that are needed for the scroller to work!

So when you upload the whole bunch to your homepage you have a minimum of FOUR files, when using this applet:

the HTML-File, where your applet is set up by the applet and param tags
the class file ("StarWarsScroller.class"), which includes the actual code (or program)
a text file, which includes the text that scrolls over the applet
a font file, which specifies the used font (see Using own fonts)

If you don't really understand what the class file is for, read in your HTML manual about "Using Java applets" or similar...

The textfile

As mentioned above, one of the required files for the StarWarsUpscroller is the textfile. You can edit this file with any text editor you can get (like notepad or even with a html-editor). Every new line in your textfile is a new line in the applet scrolltext. Because a text line can be longer than the applets width, there is a function integrated into the applet that will substitute the not fitting line with "line too long". If you see this scrolling in the applet, check your textfile for too long lines! If the applet width is too small for the "line too long", then noone can help you any more and the scroller will stop running...
The textfile you have edited can have any filename you want. This filename you have to enter in the "txtfile" parameter! See more details at "Parameter setup".
Note: the last line of the textfile will not be displayed!

Using (own) fonts

Maybe you have noticed that there are two font files delivered in this package! Because of speed improvement reasons I did not use any system fonts for the upscroller. I thought about many ways of implementing fonts, but I did not find a "perfect" way to do this, because I wanted to give everyone the possibility to make own fonts. So, here is the actual situation: the font data is also a (very big) textfile. You can load any of the fonts into your text editor and you will see what I mean.

The font file MUST be edited like this:

In line 1 you can put the fontname.
In line 2 is the dimension of the maximum char (width x height) - that means 15x10: width is 15, height is 10; both values must have 2 digits (like 06x06, or 15x04... NOT 15x4)
Line 3 is not important
Line 4 - End, have to look like this: first the width of the actual char, then the fontdata which MUST have exactly the length of the defined height from line 2. Example:

Line01: [DemoFont...]
Line02: 10x08
Line03: [font data...]
Line04: 04 // Space
Line05:           /
Line06:           /
Line07:           /
Line08:           /
Line09:           /
Line10:           /
Line11:           /
Line12:           /
Line13: 03 // !
Line14: /
...

See the fontfiles that are in this package and you will understand.

After you decided which font you want to use, you will have to enter its filename in the "fontfile" parameter. Don't forget to upload this fontfile to your homepage, too!

Parameter setup

Here you find the description about the available parameters for the StarWarsUpscroller:

General Parameters
threadWait	sets the time in millisecons which the applet waits between the redraws.
backCol	background color for the applet
textCol	(maximum) text color
singleCol	disables the text fade when set to 1, otherwise 0
delay	delays the scrolling (slows down)
Files to be loaded
fontfile	filename of the font to be used
txtfile	filename of the text to be used
Offsets for the perspective
offX1	x offset for the upper point
offY1	y offset for the upper point (may not be below 0 !!!)
offX2	x offset for the lower point
offY2	y offset for the lower point
offX1center	x offset for the upper points from center
offX2center	x offset for the upper points from center
PRO parameters
regCode	registration code
statustext	status text that will be displayed, when the mouse is moved over the applet
clickLink	sets the link on mouseclick over the applet

Change the size of the applet in the applet tag.

Note: the PRO parameters will take no effect when the regCode is wrong or missing!

How the offsets work:

The X1,Y1,X2,Y2 are for the single corner points which are mirrored by the center of the applet. The X1center and X2center distort the whole bunch like seen in the figure above.

Freeware and Shareware

This applet is FREE to use for private purposes. That means you don't need a regCode to use the applet in your own private homepage. BUT, if you don't have a working regCode the applet will add some textlines to the scrolltext with some copyright notices and it will enable a link for the mouseclick to the author's homepage. Also the status text will display some copyright notice! If you want to disable these, you have to register (see more below).

For commercial use you have to register. No commercial use of unregistered versions allowed!

Registration

The applet always checks the location of the actual URL where it is running. That's why you will need a regCode that enables the full fuctionallity for the desired URL.
Registration codes will also work with updated versions of this applet!

How to get a regCode... ?

Send the URL where you want the applet to be enabled via email to the author.
(If your homepage is on servers like geocities, tripod, anglefire, etc. then send the FULL path of your directory)
You sure know, that programming such an applet is hard work. To make sure that other applets of high quality will be available in the future I have to bill you for the usage of a registered applet a small shareware fee. I am not doing this job professionally, so you will have to send US $10,- (with your name and email adress) to my home address (If you live in Germany, see the notice below!):
Stefan Mateescu
Schockenriedstr.45
70565 Stuttgart
Germany
After I receive both, the URL and the shareware fee I will send you the regCode that you need for your homepage via email!

If you need more regCodes then this is the formula: every 5 regCodes you get one FREE!

After you received your regCode, NO REPAY WILL BE POSSIBLE! If you move your homepage to another URL you will need a new one.

By registering this applet you are allowed to use it for commercial homepages. Use it at your own risk! The author does not guarantee compatibility to all Web users. There are lots of browsers and systems out there which cannot run this applet properly!

If you live somewhere, where you see Seinfeld in english language on television, you can take a VHS tape, record at least two shows and send me this as a gift. PAL or NTSC - both are OK! I will really appreciate this...

For german users only:
Wenn Sie in Deutschland wohnen, können Sie die "registration fee" auch per Banküberweisung (DM 20,-) bezahlen. Falls Interesse daran besteht, dann einfach in der email mir der URL darauf verwisen, daß Sie das Geld überweisen möchten, dann sende ich Ihnen meine Bankverbindung (regCodes gibt es aber erst NACH Empfang des Geldes).

Last words...

Use this applet at your own risk! The author does not guarantee the compatibility to all Web users. There are lots of browsers and systems out there which cannot run this applet properly!

Do not remove the copyright params! Without these the applet won't work!

Play around with the params and you will see how everything works!

Don't make it too big - it can get very slow on older machines! The bigger you make it, the slower it gets!

For further questions, bug reports or whatever, mail me: mateescu@headlight.de

Don't forget to give me a credit!

Visit my homepage for more applets: http://storm.headlight.de

Planned updates for the future: 3D stars in the background, link assignment for each line, pause function and more... Check my homepage regularily for updates and other applets!

(C) Stefan Mateescu 1999