MetaScope: The Nitty Gritty Details
 

NOTE: This page was created when Metascope was commercial software. Metascope is now free. Enjoy!

It's a Kaleidoscope. If, like most people, you've never viewed a hand-held 2-mirror "mandala" style Kaleidoscope, then you're in for a visual wonder. Mandala images are highly symmetrical and it feels as if something deep in the brain responds to them. A good kaleidoscope is a marvelous, mesmerizing and mystical experience.

A big part of its charm is the continual kaleidoscopic motion, which is why static screen shots really don't do it justice. I suggest you simply download it and take a peek.

Of course, if MetaScope were just a kaleidoscope, it would be just another screensaver (albeit a very pretty one). But it's more than a screensaver. It's a bonafide screensaver maker.

It's an Image Collector. MetaScope can grab pictures off of the Internet (just like the web-browser you're using right now does). You just type in what you want to see, whether it be beautiful orchids or Red Mini Coopers. MetaScope will search for matching images on the Internet and turn them into a very cool screensaver in seconds. MetaScope pulls images from five different image-search services (like Google and AltaVista) so that you have literally millions of pictures to choose from.

You can also make kaleidoscopes using your own drawings and photos - for more information about this feature, read the user guide.

It's a Dessert Topping. Metascope can search the Internet for pictures that appeal to you. Do you like Sports? Music? Art? Do you have a favorite movie idol or cartoon character? No matter how obscure your interest, whether it be rhodesian ridgebacks or chocolate chijuajuas, MetaScope can create a custom screensaver, just for you, unlike any other screensaver out there.

You can make as many as you like. MetaScope saves all the different kaleidoscopes you've made and plays them all back automatically, switching from one to another about once a minute.

It makes the Ridiculous Sublime. You can search for some pretty odd or mundane pictures with Metascope, like Bob Smith, CPA or Monkeys on Crack. Seems pretty silly, right? Yet you'll find that time and time again, these silly images make some of the most beautiful and intriguing kaleidoscopes. If you find a particularly interesting one, let me know and I'll post your findings on this website.

It Reads Minds! Well, kinda. A little known feature of MetaScope is an eerily effective magic trick, in which it appears that your computer can actually read minds. Click here for details.

It's Powerful. Unlike most screensavers, which have a limited set of options, MetaScope understands about 30 different commands, enabling you to control and fine-tune many aspects of its operation.

Fortunately, all this power is not out of your reach. A help screen is available at the touch of the F1 key, and registered users get a detailed online user guide.

Metascope used to be sold as shareware, but is now free. Click on this big giant button to download it.

Technical Stuff

What kind of computer do I need to run your software?

Metascope currently requires a computer running Windows.

Also, you can't be running an ancient computer on its last legs running Windows 95. Your computer should probably be no more than five years old. If you can't run any of my free screensavers, then you probably can't run MetaScope either.

Specifically, you need a decent Graphics card with at least 8MB of video memory.

My screensavers use OpenGL, a common 3D technology used in many cross-platform video games that takes advantage of hardware acceleration. You need a video card with decent OpenGL support. Most newer NVidia and ATI cards are fine. I've had some problems with the "ATI Rage Mobility" card that is on my (ancient) Dell laptop - it's not quite high powered enough, and I only get about 2-3 frames-per-second.

Like your web-browser, MetaScope works best when you have a broadband "always on" Internet connection. This is because it gets its images from the Internet. It works okay with a modem too, but it won't be quite as much fun. There's something to be said for "instant gratification."

When all is said and done, the easiest way to find out if my software will run on your computer is to try it. If you have problems, let me know by emailing me (Dad@KrazyDad.com), however keep in mind that Metascope is free.

Do I Really Need a Broadband Connection?

No. However, Broadband will make Metascope much more fun, because it means you can get a new kaleidoscope in 10 seconds, instead of a minute or two. You've been wanting to trade that modem in, right?

MetaScope does have a few features that make it friendly to computers with modem-connections. It saves images to your hard-drive, so that you view your prior searches without needing the internet. Ultimately, it won't hit the Internet unless you ask it to (by performing a new search).

What's the difference between the screensaver and the standalone version?

The installer installs two software applications which are nearly identical. One is a screensaver that will kick in when your computer is idle. The other is a standalone version that you can launch by clicking an icon on your desktop. Both versions operate in pretty much the same way, except that the standalone version can run inside a window, so that you can play with it while keeping other applications open. The screensaver acts a bit more like a normal screensaver. If you wiggle the mouse, the screensaver will exit. However unlike a normal screensaver, you can still interact with it by typing on the keyboard.

How do I make MetaScope my default screensaver

I currently don't force MetaScope to be your default screensaver, since you may prefer to use just the standalone version.

If you want to make MetaScope your default screensaver, use the "Display Properties" control panel. The fastest way to get to this control panel is to press the right-mouse button on your desktop, and select "Properties". Then select the "Screensavers" tab on the dialog box that appears, and select "MetaScope" from the list.

How did you make this thing?

MetaScope is written in C++, a computer programming language. It also uses Lua, a cross-platform high-level scripting language. You can edit the LUA script that comes with Metascope to add more features to it.

MetaScope was written to use almost entirely cross-platform technologies. In addition to HTML, MetaScope understands how to read the JPEG and PNG image formats, and it draws its Kaleidoscopic graphics using OpenGL. However, thus far, I have not had time to port Metascope to the Macintosh nor Linux.