Author Topic: DONE: DimSaver, a better PowerDimmer screensaver alternative (Read 108,900 times)

brotherS · « **Reply #50 on:** April 22, 2006, 11:48 AM »

Sounds awesome, thanks!!

Cavalcader · « **Reply #51 on:** April 23, 2006, 08:40 PM »

Hi, Skrommel -- looks like a cool saver! Couple bug reports: mouse clicks aren't recognized (at least with mouse movements unchecked and keystrokes checked). Also, it only seems to permit one exclusion at a time to be checked, and I've got several that need to be excluded.

Got a couple goodies to offer, though -- a custom "preview" image if you want it (just the generic default in XP, dimmed, with the saver name in Lucida Handwrighting) and a screenshot of the options dialog in a similar saver called AlphaDim. It doesn't include most the features of yours, but it's got a few other novel ideas for next time you're playing with DimSaver.

brotherS · « **Reply #52 on:** April 24, 2006, 06:59 AM »

DimSaver does sometimes disable itself here - did anyone else experience that too?

Edit: Maybe that's because I'm using an optical mouse where the cursor could move a pixel or two without me touching it. I have no way of being 100% sure that that's the reason, but saw that before. It should help if you would compensate for that by ignoring any mouse movement of 5 pixels or less.

Edit 2: That "disables itself" problems happens often directly after the dimming, so it might not *only* be the optical mouse alone...

skrommel · « **Reply #53 on:** April 24, 2006, 07:39 PM »

brotherS, it does ignore mouse movement within the default drag rectangle defined in Windows.

Cavalcader, I can't reproduce this. Also, what do you mean by

Quote

it only seems to permit one exclusion at a time to be checked

?

Anyone else with these problem?

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #54 on:** April 24, 2006, 07:45 PM »

Quote from: skrommel on April 24, 2006, 07:39 PM

brotherS, it does ignore mouse movement within the default drag rectangle defined in Windows.

What about my "Edit 2" line? Any idea about how to track that bug down?

skrommel · « **Reply #55 on:** April 24, 2006, 09:50 PM »

Just uploaded DimSaver v2.0!

Added option to change the background color and to display an image.

brotherS, do you run another screensaver after dimming?

Skrommel

Cavalcader · « **Reply #56 on:** April 25, 2006, 01:17 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on April 24, 2006, 07:39 PM

Cavalcader, I can't reproduce this. Also, what do you mean by
Quote
it only seems to permit one exclusion at a time to be checked
?

Fixed! Whatever you did corrected the mouse click issue.

Also, I had misunderstood the saver selection dialog -- I was thinking DimSaver would automatically pick from any of the items checked under "Screensaver to run". I'm used to seeing radio buttons when you can only make one selection, where checkboxes are for multiple selections.

No matter. The image addition looks really sharp! As does the color option -- I was experimenting with 202020, which is like turning the contrast way down (as opposed to "dimming to black" which is like turning the brightness down). On some monitors you can see the results better.

Thank you!

brotherS · « **Reply #57 on:** April 25, 2006, 06:35 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on April 24, 2006, 09:50 PM

Just uploaded DimSaver v2.0!

Added option to change the background color and to display an image.

brotherS, do you run another screensaver after dimming?

No, I don't. I let Windows switch off the monitor after some time, which not always happens because DimSaver disables itself.

Thanks for 2.0, I'll see if I can find a background color that's useful

brotherS · « **Reply #58 on:** April 25, 2006, 07:57 AM »

Quote from: brotherS on April 24, 2006, 06:59 AM

Edit 2: That "disables itself" problems happens often directly after the dimming, so it might not *only* be the optical mouse alone...

Just happened again (in 2.0) just now...

skrommel · « **Reply #59 on:** April 25, 2006, 10:14 PM »

brotherS, if you disconnect your mouse, does DimSaver still exit?

Nothing like a simple solution, eh?

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #60 on:** April 25, 2006, 10:30 PM »

Quote from: skrommel on April 25, 2006, 10:14 PM

brotherS, if you disconnect your mouse, does DimSaver still exit? Nothing like a simple solution, eh?

I could test that, yeah... what puzzles me is that DimSaver often disables itself within one or two seconds after the dimming completed.

brotherS · « **Reply #61 on:** April 27, 2006, 08:46 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on April 25, 2006, 10:14 PM

brotherS, if you disconnect your mouse, does DimSaver still exit?

I did run a series of tests... the only way I could reproduce the bug for sure is when I minimize all windows by pressing Win+D and wait for DimSaver to kick in.

brotherS · « **Reply #62 on:** May 06, 2006, 01:25 PM »

Hi, Skrommel. DimSaver also moves the cursor to the 0,0 position after dimming and undimming (the bug from above) when I had loaded a wallpaper image in the FastStone Image Viewer when DimSaver kicked in.

I hope you can find and fix the bug soon, it's getting a bit annoying with that not-wanted undimming action

skrommel · « **Reply #63 on:** May 06, 2006, 08:04 PM »

What version are you running? There's no code in the current version of DimSaver that moves the mouse...

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #64 on:** May 06, 2006, 08:28 PM »

Quote from: skrommel on May 06, 2006, 08:04 PM

What version are you running? There's no code in the current version of DimSaver that moves the mouse...

Skrommel

I'm still using 2.0 - and can reproduce that mouse-moving (bug) almost any time when I loaded a wallpaper in FastStone Image Viewer in fullscreen mode.

But that's 'just' a minor issue, the undimming bug is my bigger problem...

bds · « **Reply #65 on:** May 20, 2006, 06:42 AM »

How can i get my keys?

Cavalcader · « **Reply #66 on:** May 20, 2006, 07:05 AM »

Quote from: bds on May 20, 2006, 06:42 AM

How can i get my keys?

Aren't they on the table by the door?

No, seriously: click here.

mouser · « **Reply #67 on:** May 20, 2006, 10:29 AM »

reminder: you dont need license keys for any of skrommel's software.
only certain software on this site (my big programs) require a license key.

in fact from Skromme's page (http://www.1hoursoftware.com/) you can download the pre-compiled exes as well as the original ahk source code to modify yourself.

skrommel kind of puts me to shame in that department

ps.
this is a good occassion to remind people that the DonationCredits system can be used to send Skrommel some credits. Remember, when you donate you get 50% of your donation credits back to you in the form of DonationCredits, so you can choose where that money goes. Just click on the $ next to someone's name to send them some of your credits. If you use skrommel's software and/or want to support his work, send him some credits!

Cavalcader · « **Reply #68 on:** May 20, 2006, 09:29 PM »

Hey, brotherS, are you still running into that undimming bug? I just reread your note and saw that you're having to wait for the timeout to do your testing. I'm attaching a freeware program that starts the Windows currently-active saver as if the timeout happened.

For a fancier one the developer, Stardust Software, makes a tray-based saver control with more options, but the one I'm posting just runs, starts the saver, and quits again. I've got it on a hotkey, myself, as an alternative to locking the sytem when I step away (by hitting Win-L). This one's a whole 25k, so I didn't even bother to zip it.

mhallerman · « **Reply #69 on:** May 25, 2006, 01:15 PM »

BrotherS,

Great app(s) - thanks for your work.

I have a question - I am not sure it's doable with DimSaver or another utility:

I wanted to be able to turn the monitor off on my notebook and while vnc'd into it from another pc, still be able to work (have the display "on" through the vnc link). Basically I don't want to simply close or lower the lid because of the heat build-up.

Is there any way or feature to allow the use of the mouse and keystrokes when remoted in (maybe an option to not have the mouse or keys "wakeup" the monitor, but only some specific hotkey combo of sorts like shirt-ctrl-O), while the main display still remains off? I am thinking what I want may not be easily done because I want one behaviour (monitor off) through the normal display and another (display normal) through the "remoted" view.

Thanks for any help/tips...
Mark.

skrommel · « **Reply #70 on:** May 25, 2006, 01:22 PM »

~~Try my MonitorOffSaver.~~

Hold on!

Skrommel

mhallerman · « **Reply #71 on:** May 25, 2006, 01:26 PM »

Thanks BrotherS,

The problem is that even if the monitoroffsaver is running, if I then vnc/remote into the notebook, as soon as I move the mouse or hit a key on the remote workstation, since the notebook effectively thinks I am using the notebooks mouse, keyboard, it kills the screensaver and of course the monitor comes on - I am not sure what I need is possible....?

Best,
Mark.

skrommel · « **Reply #72 on:** May 25, 2006, 02:26 PM »

I thought I could stop the wakeup by intercepting mouse and keyboard actions, but the power messages are located at a lower level, so if anybody knows how, please let me know.

Skrommel

mhallerman · « **Reply #73 on:** May 25, 2006, 02:28 PM »

Thanks for trying - I'll keep watching...

Best,
Mark.

OldElmerFudd · « **Reply #74 on:** June 25, 2006, 08:04 PM »

Hi Skrommel!
Tried this on a sandbox; seems to work ok. CPU usage about 30% on a P3 733. I don't think that's much of a problem, 'cuz the box isn't doing anything any way, right?
It's nice work, you get a

for it. I don't use screensavers that much, so I probably won't install on my other machines right away.
OEF