7 replies to this topic

[coolgroupsdotcom]

I was just wondering if anyone here knows how to make a Windows screensaver. I have an OpenGL graphics program I wrote that I'd like to make into a screensaver, but I'm not sure exactly how to do it.

Thanks.

mike
http://www.coolgroups.com/

[Ed Mack]

(Some windows programmer is going to shoot me in a second for saying this, but hey talk is cheap!)

Just change the extension from .exe to .scr methinks

[anubis]

That even works in general... :)

There are just some additional API calls to react on all the screensaver events (like mouse move/wake up). If you don't need to do that any .exe should be finde. I don't know about energy management though...

[Kippesoep]

Check out this article on The Code Project.

[coolgroupsdotcom]

Interesting. I'd like to see some info on how to make a screensaver the default and how to pop up the screensaver dialog. It seems almost none of the tutorials touch on this.

Kippesoep said:

Check out this article on The Code Project.

[Kippesoep]

coolgroupsdotcom said:

Interesting. I'd like to see some info on how to make a screensaver the default and how to pop up the screensaver dialog. It seems almost none of the tutorials touch on this.

Microsoft themselves have some sample code on the screensaver configuration dialog on MSDN.

Making a screensaver the default is probably done by changing some registry key. It's also a good way to p!ss of your users :unsure: (I know I hate it)

[JapigeMan]

ehm, just my two cents:

I tried it myself, and it's pretty easy to make the fundamentals, just rename an exe to scr and you're kinda done.

The app is started with various commandline parameters depending on what is being requested from your screensaver (settings box, preview, or just the screensaver itself).
There are some specific screensaver win32 functions/parameters to take care of the little details, but you don't really need those to make a simple screensaver. (AFAIK)

I just made a little prog that logged the commandline parameters and went from there...that was in VB...like a zillion years ago in win95/98. *meeeeemories*

[nappel]

Hi!
See here http://www.wischik.c...r/examples.html

"If you already know a bit of Windows programming, this web site will help you turn your creativity into screen savers.... Demonstrates jpegs, transparent sprites, playing/sampling audio, using zipped data, using zips/bitmaps/audio embedded as resources, 3d OpenGL, multi-monitor support, and integrated installation/uninstallation....Includes project files for Visual C++6, Visual Studio .NET, Borland C++Builder 5 ...."