[Vista] SS settings drops MA3

[timelord]

Thank you. I will give this a try. Have a great evening.

[timelord]

should I just click this installer to install the program? Will I have to right click on the desktop shortcut icon and select install after this installer runs? If this runs correctly it should place the .scr file in windows/system32 correct? Then I should find the program under screensaver properties with all of the others. If I then select another screensaver and try to come back again and select the Marine Aquarium it should still be in the list if this worked. Does this sound correct?
Thanks
Richard
PS Should I just install over previous version or uninstall that one first?

[Jim Sachs]

You can just click to install it. The new one should automatically replace the old one. You shouldn't have to right-click-install any more.

The only known bug is that Vista64 doesn't seem to want to use the MA3 icon. It replaces it with a generic screensaver icon.

[timelord]

I did not have that Icon problem on my Vista 64 system. It placed the correct icon on the desktop. However, I am running the system with the Super Administrator account. UAC is not on. This is Vista 64 Home Premium. I will give this a try when I get home from work and report back.
Thanks
Richard
BTW Awesome job on this program! I really love it. You are very talented!

[timelord]

I just ran this new installer from the link you gave me on my computer at work (windows 2000) and it installed to winnt/system32 I note that when crystal is selected I am unable to change to clock by pressing C on the keyboard. Just thought you would like to know.
Thank You
Richard

[Jim Sachs]

It looks like Mark grabbed the wrong file to put in the wrapper.

[timelord]

will you be providing the link again for this installer test for Vista?
Thanks,
Richard

[Jim Sachs]

I sent a Qtask message to Mark last night, telling him that he grabbed the wrong file. He hasn't responded yet.

[timelord]

I just ran the installer for beta testing and on Vista 64 bit it was installed to Windows/SysWOW64 directory. When I selected another saver from my list in screensaver settings it was no longer available. When I copied the .scr file to Windows/system32 and duplicated my above test it was still available in the screensavers settings after selecting a different screensaver. I think if we get the installer to place the file in system32 by default it will be fine on Vista 64 systems. Also, if you select quick launch on the install it will place the correct icon there. The desktop is the generic icon because it is not recognizing the file extension as scr. Just drag a shortcut from quick lauch to get correct icon. I look forward to your updates. Keep up the good work.
Richard

[Jim Sachs]

That was the wrong file. Mark just corrected it. Download from:

http://www.fish-byte.com/MarineAquarium3.exe

[timelord]

I just ran this installer and it installed to windows/system32. I selected another screensaver from the settings and applied it. When I went back to select the Aquarium it was still listed. Awesome! I would also like to note that the correct desktop icon is also displayed. Looks like this will do the trick. When the final realese installer is available if it uses this directory it should be correct for Vista 64 bit users. Thanks very much. When can we look forward to the next beta test?
Thank You,
Richard

[cjmaddy]

Save time!... Read the last line first!

I've installed the above MarineAquarium3.exe and I get an entry for it in the Windows Screen Saver list.

Clicking on Preview shows it as - Beta9b. Clicking on Settings shows it to be - Version: T211.3.0.1727 - That's all fine. I'm happy with that.
However! - There is still a previous version in the Screen Saver list, (they are both called SereneScreen Marine Aquarium), but with the older one...
Clicking on Preview shows it as - Beta9. Clicking on Settings shows it to be - Version: T130.3.0.5097

I have done everything I can think of to delete ALL references to previous versions of Marine Aquarium 3 before I ran this new MarineAquarium3.exe
I uninstalled the previous Installer, cleared the registry, deleted all copies of Beta9, deleted all folders called Marine Aquarium 3, etc etc.
I am at a loss to know where the screen saver list gets the older name from! - Every time I delete the Marine Aquarium 3 folder from the Application Data folder and then run 'Preview' for the old version, a Marine Aquarium 3 folder returns to the Application Data folder.

I can find no way to get rid or the older T130.3.0.5097 version, in fact I don't know where it can be..... Anyone got any ideas?

Edit: I assume this download isn't only for Vista! ..... I'm on Win2000Pro.

Edit 2: Success! - I've deleted a file called MA3Beta.scr from the system32 folder. - T130.3.0.5097 is now gone!!! - At last!
(The file MarineAquarium3.scr is in the system32 folder. - AltLogo.png and MA3Playlist.lst are in the Application Data\Marine Aquarium 3\ folder.)

[Dale]

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

That was the wrong file. Mark just corrected it. Download from:

http://www.fish-byte.com/MarineAquarium3.exe  

I'm confused. What version is the current installer (available on SereneScreen) supposed to be? (It was Beta 9b when I last installed it).

[Jav400]

I could be mistaken, but I believe this version was supposed to be the same 9b, but with a fix for Vista systems to install in the proper directory.

[Jim Sachs]

Yes, the file was supposed to be the same, just a different installer. But it seems that Beta 8L got in there somehow, so I took the link down until Mark could fix it. Now everything is fine. If the same file is not the official one yet on SereneScreen.com, it will be shortly.

Cliff - thanks for telling us to read the last line first

[timelord]

will the widescreen setting and limit frame rate options be available on the new version?
Thanks
Richard

[Jim Sachs]

The tank is 2.5 wide-screens wide. That's wide enough for most people.

Limit-frame-rate is implemented temporarily as Sleep (up and down-arrow keys). There will be a better interface for this, but "limit-frame-rate" makes it sound like we have more control than we do, so I'm looking for another term.

[timelord]

if I want to try and squeeze more FPS out of the program what settings would I or could I tweak?
Thanks,
Richard

[Jim Sachs]

If you are using a 32-bit screen environment, try 16.
If you are using a high resolution, try a lower one.
Put less fish in the tank.
Press the down-arrow key to lower the Sleep() number. The lower the number the more the Aquarium hogs clock-cycles, and the less are available for other programs.
If you have Full-Screen-Antialiasing turned on in your card's video settings, turn it off.

Bear in mind that anything over about 60 is overkill. One frame of animation for each screen-refresh of the monitor is optimal. More than that and the intermediate frames are calculated and drawn internally, but never make it onto the monitor.

[timelord]

Thanks very much for the tips. I have my monitor refresh at 60HZ which as you say is optimal. The program runs very smooth although the fps varies greatly if I leave it running long.
Thanks again.
Richard