iScreensaver Designer 3.4 review
DownloadiScreensaver Designer is the world's first and only cross-platform screensaver editor.
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iScreensaver Designer is the world's first and only cross-platform screensaver editor. It will convert any QuickTime-compatible movie (including MPEG, MooV, AVI, and Macromedia Flash files) into a self-contained screensaver.
iScreensaver Designer will convert any QuickTime or Flash movie file, or slide shows of any still images, into standalone installers for Mac and Windows.
Here are some key features of "iScreensaver Designer":
Screensaver Features:
Popular compatibilty : Works on Windows 98/ME/2/XP and MacOS 8.6 to 10.4.
Simple install : Clean, single-file Installation, with customizeable installation dialog ( Win | Mac ) Doesn't clutter your hard disk with files. Also doesn't install system extensions or permanent DLLs (which can crash your computer). The screensavers install on both Mac and Windows and can be used immediately without restarting!
Alternate Content and Unlocking Feature : Users can obtain a special unlocking code from you to gain access to deluxe content that you have added. Make money with your screensaver!
Asset protection : The movie files are stored in a proprietary format, which protects your files from snooping eyes.
Password protection : Stops casual snooping of your computer.
Screen Resolution : Images and movies can be stretched to fit screen size or played at their natural size.
Smart Install : Automatically and safely deactivates other screensavers during the installation process.
Auto Re-install : Detects installation problems and offers to fix them automatically.
Easy Uninstall : You can deactivate and remove the software from within the screensaver itself. No need to run a separate "uninstall" program.
Hot Corners : "Sleep Now" / "Never Sleep" corners for either immediate or no activiation.
Silence : Sound controls and global Sound Mute.
Wake-up Options : Wake on mouse-click, mouse movement, or keypress only selectable.
Website Connectivity : "Link Back" so your screensaver users can easily find your website.
Live Preview during installation : Preview the screensaver in operation, before you have installed it!
Multiple monitor support : Blanks all other monitors.
Editing Environment Features:
Movies : Turn any QuickTime movie file into a screensaver (including Flash, MooV, MPEG, MP3, MIDI, etc.).
Slide Shows : Turn any QuickTime image files into a screensaver (including Picts, JPGs, BMPs, PNGs, etc.).
Multi-platform Compatiblity : Solid Industry Standards-based (uses standard QuickTime file types, uses the standard Windows .SCR format, and uses the standard Macintosh OS X .saver format).
Click'n build : Build (Win | Mac ) a "one-click" installer for easy distribution of your screensaver.
Simple-to-use editor : Actually preview ( Win | Mac ) exactly what the Windows and Macintosh modules and Control Panels will look like from the Build System!
Alternate Content and Unlocking Features : ( Win | Mac ) Add a second deluxe movie to the screensaver, and select a secret unlocking code. You can then sell the unlocking code on your website, which allows users access to the deluxe movie. Make money with your screensaver!
Per-module custom settings : Save multiple projects, with icons, splash screens, and module info.
Flexible Cross-platform Project Bundling : Transfer entire projects from Windows to Mac, and vice versa - for when creative teams of designers need to move between systems.
Full Branding Available : Splash the screensaver control panel and installer with your corporate logos and text.
Much cheaper than the competition : feature to feature.
Free Trial Download : Try before you buy with no time limit!
What's New:
Intel Macs
We now support the new Apple Macs with Intel CPUs. Screensavers for Mac OS X will install as a Universal Binary format. This increases Mac OS X savers in size by about 300KB across the board.
Note: iScreensaver Designer will also run on Intel Macs. However, it runs under Rosetta, not as a Universal Binary.
iScreensaver Designer
Closing the advanced slide show editor with a music file playing could cause a crash under Windows. Fixed.
Build progress dialog details was showing the wrong "Slide Show Size". Fixed.
New sample project: "Interactive Project" demonstrates creating an interactive project using Flash. Sample .FLA file is included.
Saving: Project file save errors will give you the chance to do a "Save As" instead. In prior versions, you would just lose any changes w/o warning.
Audio File Type Warnings: Selecting a m4a (aac, unprotected) file no longer warns. Selecting a m4p (protected) gives a warning about DRMd files not working for others.
Double-Byte Language Systems
Installers and savers have further improvements to work more reliably on Japanese, Chinese and other double-byte language systems. (Version 3.3 would often give incorrect "Not registered" messages, be missing customization text, or fail to show the proper images and movies)
Name of iScreensaver Preferences folder name no longer has non-ASCII character in it, for better compatibility.
Please note that iScreensaver does not offer Unicode support, so you should try to use plain ASCII wherever possible.
Screensavers
In Mac OS X, unregistered screensavers were sometimes putting up the "Not Registered" warning dialog 100% of the time, which was not nice. Now only shows up 1 in 4 uses on average.
Increased performance & quality of visual effects on all platforms.
Screensaver Installer / Uninstaller
Revamped the dialog box sequence when you don't have the right version of QuickTime loaded. Buttons are labeled better ("Download", "Continue", "Cancel"). You can choose "continue" to ignore the warning. If you do there is a secondary "are you sure" warning. We don't bother with the "you must use the recommended download" any more as it's no longer a problem in QuickTime installers.
Updated link URL to QuickTime installers for several OS versions.
Wizard
Select audio button defaults to appropriate folder: "~/Documents/Music" on Mac OS X, "My Music" on Windows.
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