[comp.sys.next] default background scene

js3b+@andrew.cmu.edu (James Vincent Schultz) (04/23/91)

is there a way to get scene to auto-startup and load a specific file to
use as a background?


this first part is, of course, easy.  Just click the startup checkbox in
the dock preferences.
But to auto load the tiff?


thanks

james
js3b+@andrew.cmu.edu

tgingric@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Tyler S Gingrich) (04/23/91)

In article <Uc501KS00WAv9CzkUc@andrew.cmu.edu> js3b+@andrew.cmu.edu (James Vincent Schultz) writes:
>
>is there a way to get scene to auto-startup and load a specific file to
>use as a background?
>
>
>this first part is, of course, easy.  Just click the startup checkbox in
>the dock preferences.
>But to auto load the tiff?
>
Don't use scene.  Download the "background" app from Purdue or Oregon State.
Background is yet another neat mini-program from Scott Hess.  When you 
autolaunch background it automagically loads your .tiff file.

The _only_ flaw with background is it must be running to display the .tiff --
obviously, Keith Olhfs (sp?) uses some other neat trick to kill scene & leave 
the background.  

Tyler

mikec@wam.umd.edu (Michael D. Callaghan) (04/24/91)

In article <1991Apr23.162616.22465@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> tgingric@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Tyler S Gingrich) writes:
>In article <Uc501KS00WAv9CzkUc@andrew.cmu.edu> js3b+@andrew.cmu.edu (James Vincent Schultz) writes:
>>
>>is there a way to get scene to auto-startup and load a specific file to
>>use as a background?
>>
>>
>>this first part is, of course, easy.  Just click the startup checkbox in
>>the dock preferences.
>>But to auto load the tiff?
>>
>Don't use scene.  Download the "background" app from Purdue or Oregon State.
>Background is yet another neat mini-program from Scott Hess.  When you 
>autolaunch background it automagically loads your .tiff file.
>
>The _only_ flaw with background is it must be running to display the .tiff --
>obviously, Keith Olhfs (sp?) uses some other neat trick to kill scene & leave 
>the background.  
>
>Tyler

I use background daily, and it does not remain running. It alters the
background and disappears! Also, the version I have takes an EPS file
by default. You call it from the command line like so:
	# background -center filename.eps

This will center the eps file in the screen and leave it there until
you power off the machine or change the background again. 

I assume that you could put the background command in a .login file
or something. I don't think that rc.local would do the trick, since
the PostScript server isn't running yet.

What I would like to do is write a shell script to pick a file from
my graphics directory at random, and put it on the screen. I could
put the command in crontab.local, and call it every few hours for 
variety. I can do the whole thing, except the random part...

Any takers? 

If I have a unique version of background, I'd be more than happy to
post it. There are two versions on cs.orst.edu, background, and
background2. I'm happy with mine, though, so I haven't checked them
out.



-- 
MikeC
_________________________________________________________
Michael D. Callaghan, MDC Designs, University of Maryland
mikec@wam.umd.edu

matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu (Mike Matthews) (04/24/91)

In article <1991Apr23.222112.13095@wam.umd.edu> mikec@wam.umd.edu (Michael D. Callaghan) writes:
>This will center the eps file in the screen and leave it there until
>you power off the machine or change the background again.

Well, if the window server dies, so does the background...

>What I would like to do is write a shell script to pick a file from
>my graphics directory at random, and put it on the screen. I could
>put the command in crontab.local, and call it every few hours for 
>variety. I can do the whole thing, except the random part...

I wrote a lil' program that does just that, in the spirit of the random sound
player program I wrote a while ago (well, actually, I use a mod done by
someone else, to get rid of the shell script entirely).  The only problem is
if you try to run background as root, or at least as the person not logged
in, pft will complain about not being able to open a connection.  Anyone know
exactly why root can't do this?

>MikeC
>_________________________________________________________
>Michael D. Callaghan, MDC Designs, University of Maryland
>mikec@wam.umd.edu
------
Mike Matthews, matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu (NeXT)/matthews@umdd (bitnet)
------
Everyone can be taught to sculpt:  Michelangelo would have had to be
taught how _not to_.  So it is with the great programmers.