Gravity

Gravity by Bill Stewart & Tracy Elmore
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

Though essentially replaced by later "marble" based modules, Gravity still retains some old world charm of the original After Dark release. Though not as flashy as Flying Toasters, gravity perhaps epitomizes what was enjoyable about the After Dark series. Each module was a mini-show of seemingly random events that could be customized to an extent. Not knowing the trajectory of each ball released was part of the fun. See, we were easily pleased and much less jaded back in the early 90's.

I've had some inconsistency with regard to the speed of this module with it sometimes running too fast and other times running about right. I've found some success using the options below.



GRAVITY (tm) demonstrates Newtonian gravity with bouncing balls.

Original idea by Bryce Fowler.
Sound by Rob Gale.

Choose 1-7 balls with the "Number Balls" slider.

Use the "Size" slider to set the size of the balls.

Check "Clear Screen" to clear the screen between each set of balls.

To hear the balls bounce, use the sound control (if sound capability is available)


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors but can be too fast.

GraphStat

GeoBounce by H. Chesley & W. Boyd.
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

One of the first modules that allowed a user to edit the contents and feel like they were part of the creation process. It was also one of the first to kind of, sort of, almost look a little like work, if you squinted.

You may have some trouble finding the text file associated with this module. This is the text file that stores all the scientific sounding jargon and the file that is modified when you click the Edit button in his module's options. Here is a copy of the one I am using. This file should be placed in your root After Dark folder (usually C:\AFTERDRK).

The module is a little too simple to be very entertaining but does work well in conjunction with other modules in a randomizer for instance. The line art graphics still look as good using a modern resolution as they did running in 640x480.


GRAPHSTAT (tm) draws meaningless but significant looking graphs on your screen.

Use the "Delay" slider to set a time delay between each graph appearing.

Use the "Edit.." button to change the text used in GraphStat labels. The text is divided into 4 sections, each separated by a blank line. You can change the text in each section, but do not remove the empty spaces between the 4 sections. Various phrases from each section will be combined into the label for each graph.

Improvements provided by Tracy Elmore and Bill Stewart.


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors.

GeoBounce

GeoBounce by Ed Hall and R. Herrell
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

Why in my day, this passed for 3D graphics and we liked it! You young whipper snappers wouldn't understand.

Seriously though, this actually did push some limits in what was possible for a 3D graphic screensaver at the time. Now though, it runs much to0 fast to be pleasant and it sticks to the walls for a moment whenever it bounces due to loading the sound.

GeoBounce was a good little module when it was released and the options had you feeling like you were really toying around with a 3D model. It's also the first place I ever encountered the word Icosahedron.

Oh and yes, the shipped copy wants you to listen "carfully".


GEOBOUNCE(tm) distorts the space-time continuum, permitting glimpses through the fourth dimension to the other side of the universe, which is populated by an intelligent and happy community of Platonic solids.

If you listen carfully ( by using the sound control), you can hear them exclaim as they bounce off the walls (if sound capability is available).

Sound by Rob Gale.


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors but is too fast on modern systems.

Flying Toasters

Flying Toasters by Bill Stewart
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

Flying Toasters is, of course, the iconic, classic, After Dark module. It is nearly impossible to think of After Dark without picturing these determined winged appliances and their accompanying toast.

Unfortunately this original 2.0 module runs too fast on a modern computer to be watchable. It does work though and you can watch the toasters zoom across your screen. The good news is, Flying Toasters made a number of returns in later releases of After Dark and those later versions seem to be based on their own animation speed and not the processor speed.

The darkness setting on the toast is a crowning touch and a telltale sign of the After Dark humor found in later modules.



FLYING TOASTERS (tm)

"I really just walked into the kitchen and said to myself, 'Flying Toasters!' and went back to the office and coded it." - Jack Eastman

Original concept by Jack Eastman.
Toaster artwork by Tomoya Ikeda & Igor Gasowski


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors but is too fast on modern systems.

Fade Away

Fade Away by Bill Stewart
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

Fade Away takes the prize for least exciting module in the 2.0 collection. I have clear fond memories of finding this completely useless when I first installed After Dark. The most entertaining of the styles is Dissolve (pictured above) but by entertaining I mean "yes I suppose something is kind of happening" and not "well, would you look at that".

The description from within the program calls the methods of turning the screen black interesting. I suppose they did this because telling us Fade Away has a couple of mind numbingly boring methods wouldn't make great copy.

Okay, if I have to say something good about the module, it does serve a purpose in a randomizer to completely clear the screen for the next module whatever it may be. Also, I suppose it would make a good "work" saver in that there is absolutely nothing offensive about it.


Fade Away (tm) makes your screen completely black in a number of interesting ways.

Select a method to fade away from the "Style" drop-down list box

Thanks to Ian Macdonald.

Fade Away by Bill Stewart
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors.

Down The Drain

Down the Drain by W. and J. Stewart
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

This module still technically works but is fairly useless on modern systems (I know, this could describe screensavers in general - stop being so negative). The area covered by the "drain" effect is apparently designed for a smaller resolution and does not cover the entire area of a larger screen.

This is odd since the option of adding random dots is not screen resolution specific and the entire screen has some sort of effect happening. I believe the module does use the entire screen but then shrinks the effect down to the smaller size. Speedwise, the module does run too fast on modern systems. The Slow setting allows for the effect to be seen better but is still too fast to make much sense.

It's not a bad module to throw into the randomizer for a quick change of scenery when traveling between modules but Down the Drain no longer works well on its own. And what's with the Stewart guys using different variations of their name for each credit?



DOWN THE DRAIN (tm)

Original concept by Rob Vaterlaus.

The "Direction" slider sets the coriolis force for Southern Hemisphere (Clockwise), Northern Hemisphere (Counter [Counterclockwise]), or on the equator (Inward). The "Drops" check box will add drops for draining after most of the screen is black. The "Drain" check box starts you draining with a drain in the middle of the screen.

Down the Drain by W. and J. Stewart
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors but is too fast and does not cover the entire screen.

Clocks

Clocks by Bill Stewart & Jim Stewart
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

Yes, it is a clock floating by. Yes, you can choose from a couple of styles for the clock. No, there is not much else. This module works but there is nothing really exciting about. The modern clock doesn't look at that good but the antique clock is passable. The sound for seconds is annoying and should be turned off. Like others, this module was replaced with clock modules from later releases. Still, the slowest speed does work on modern systems.


CLOCKS (tm)

Original Clock by Rob Vaterlaus; Sound by Rob Gale; Enhanced Color by Mike Overlin, SAPIEN Technologies, Inc.

Use the "Type" control to select a different clock.
The "Sound" control lets you turn on ticks every second and chimes on the hour. Use the "Float Speed" control to adjust how fast the clock floats around the screen, and the "Show Seconds" control to turn seconds on and off.

You can change the hourly chime sound by replacing the WAVE format file CLOCKCHM.WAV in the SOUNDS sub-directory in your After Dark directory. It must be a WAVE format file.

by Bill Stewart & Jim Stewart
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors.

Can of Worms

Can of Worms by J. Eastman & T. Elmore,
©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.

Part of the After Dark 2.0 collection.

A module that still works well. Segmented worms wiggle their way across your screen leaving a trail of black pixels as they go. This module does suffer from slow down on larger screens but it continues to operate without crashing. My favorite option is to leave the worms completely straight and have them shoot across the screen carving straight lines until they bounce off the sides of the screen.


CAN OF WORMS (tm) These creepy crawlers can be set to eat away the screen that you have been working in.

Set the number of worms and the number of segments.

Hear the worms munch the screen by using the sound control (if sound capability is available).

Sound by Rob Gale.

Concept by Jack Eastman.

Converted to Windows
by Tracy Elmore.

©1990-92 Berkeley Systems Inc.


Works under Windows XP & Vista in greater than 256 colors.