Table of Contents

Name

XMascot - A Pretty Mascot on X Window System

Synopsis

xmascot [filename] [-toolkitoption ...] [-option ...]

Description

XMascot is a program to show a pretty Mascot on your X Window System. XMascot have these features:

Swing
Swing on display prettily.
Stretch
Chain's length become longer and shorter as you like.
Speak
Speeking some sounds(needs sound's file and playing command)
Alarm
It can caused a action on specific time.
BIFF
It can work as BIFF (mail checker)

Operation

Basic Operations are...
on PIN window:
Left button Drag: Move position.

Right button Click: Popup menu.

on Mascot window:
Left Button Click: accelerate mascot moving.

Left button Drag: Change chain's length.

Right button Click: Clicking Sound.

on Mail arrived maek window:
Left Button Click: Popup Mail list window.

Alarm Setup

XMascot has various Alarm facility. These alarms can set from Alarm/Chime menu.

Setup Display:

---a--- --b-- ----------c----------- --d---
(*^o^*) 00:00 sound(pipipipi.au) [TEST]

a.
Trigger this switch ON(Black) to valid setup.
b.
Time setup(24hour display hour:min ). Only timer alarm, min:sec format.
c.
Setting actions. refer ACTIONS to know detail.
d.
Alarm test switch.

The datas setted by this menu are save to $HOME/.xmascotrc.

About alarms:

Daily Alarm
Act on constant time on Everyday. Ther are 3.
Timer Alarm
Act some times after. Formats: min:sec
Interval Timer
Act periodic timer.
Hour Chime
Chime on every hour's 0 min.
Half-Hour Chime
Chime on everu hour's 30 min.
Biff Action
Not Alarm. for BIFF action setting.

Biff Feature

XMascot has a feature of BIFF (mail checker) youbin command is supported,

Normaly, XMascot check your mail spool. It can setup to call extern command to chack mail by option -biffcmd .

Return Values of extern command:

1 or negative value:
Mail box is empty.
Zero
New mail comes.
  • no change state.

    • when calling extern command, Mail List shows that command's standard output.

    Options

    XMascot has X Toolkit standard options and belows:

    Transparent color is normally setted automatically.

    -verbose
    Verbose mode.
    -gravity n
    Set Gravity. Unit: kg cm/s^2
    -chainlength n
    Set Chain length. Unit: mm
    -damping f
    Set damping coefficient. from 0 to 1 real value. 0: never damp. 1: never swing.
    -degree n
    Set starting degree (from 0 to 180 degree)
    -menuno n
    Set starting menu No.
    -no n
    Set starting Mascot No.
    -magnify f
    Set Mascot's Magnify.
    -pinpat filename
    Set Pin's graphics pattern.
    -random
    Select Mascoot random when startup.
    -changetime min
    Change mascot periodic.(UNIT:min) Change random when using with -random.
    -allmenu
    ChangeMascot changing effects to all menu.
    -chainnum n
    Set chain's number.
    -drawtiming n
    Draw pattern once per n times.
    -searchpath search-path
    Set Mascot/Sounds data search path.
    -chainpat filename
    Set chain's graphics pattern.
    -soundcmd cmdline
    Set sounds playing command. "%s" is replaced to sound's filename. For Exam. "cat %s > /dev/audio"
    -soundstart file
    Set stating sound file.
    -soundclick file
    Set clicking sound file.
    -soundend file
    Set ending sound file. Set ending sound file.
    -soundmail file
    Set mail arrived sound file.
    -nobiff
    Don't use BIFF feature. -update sec Specifies the frequency to check mail's arriving. Unit: sec. (default 30sec)
    -noonce
    Do action on every mail arriving. (on default, Only a action when first mail comes.)
    -biffcmd cmd
    Set mail checing command.
    -biffpat fname
    Set mail coming mark graphics pattern.
    -biffpos str
    Set which position mail mark display. on Mascot's (left,center,right)
    -nobifflists
    Don't show arrived mail list.
    -biffgeometry geom
    Set Mail List's geometry.
    -bifffilter cmd
    Set Filter command that invoked before disp Mail's List.
    -popdowntime sec
    Set popuping time of Mail's list. Negative value: never popdown automatic.
    -noyoubin
    Don't use YOUBIN command.
    -server host
    Set YOUBIN servername.
    -shadow n
    Set shadow width.
    -noshadow
    Don't disp shadow.

    Actions

    XMascot has meny actions that are caused by alarm and BIFF.

    This is from .B X Toolkit 's actions feature. So actions can bind to keyboard and mouse.

    translation name:

    on PIn's window
    XMascot.translations: #override
    on Mascot's window
    XMascot.mascot_base.translations:

    #override

    Ex.: XMascot.translations: #override \
    <Btn2Up>: chg_next() snd_click()\n\
    Shift<Key>R: chg_random() snd_click()

    On this example,As click on PIN winndow, Mascot changes to next mascot on menu and play starting-sound. and input Shift-R caused Changing mascot random and play clicking sound.

    Please refer Xtoolkit's manual about actions.

    To use actions by Alarm, input actions in Alarm dialogs. This setup are saved to $HOME/.xmascotrc .

    Action's List.

    quit
    Terminate program.
    change(num)
    Change mascot to No num .
    chg_file(fname[,title])
    read file fname as Mascot.
    chg_next
    Change mascot to next entry of menu.
    chg_next_all
    Change mascot to netxt entry with all menus.
    chg_random
    Change mascot random.
    chg_random_all
    Change mascot random with all menus.
    start_move
    Push mascot little. Start swinging if mascot was stopping.
    sound(fname1,...)
    Play sound file continue.
    snd_start
    Play starting sound.
    snd_click
    Play clicking sound.
    snd_end
    Play ending sound.
    snd_mail
    Play mail arriving sound.
    system(cmdline)
    Execute extern command.
    chg_param(param1,dat1,..)
    Change parameter.
    grav
    Gravity
    dump
    Damping coefficient.
    mag
    Magnify
    clen
    Chain length
    bell(param)
    Beep Bell. This is XBell and no related USE_SOUND option on compiling. param 's range: from -100 to 100 refer manual of xset.
    showbiff
    Show arrived mail's list.

    Resources

    XMascot can use X Toolkit standatrd resource and belows:

    verbose (class Verbose)
    Verbose mode.
    gravity (class Gravity)
    Set Gravity.
    chainLen (class ChainLen)
    Set Chain Length.
    dampCoeff (class DampCoeff)
    Set damping coefficient.
    degree (class Degree)
    Set starting degree.
    magnifyBase (class MagnifyBase)
    Set magnify for All mascots.
    action (class Action)
    Set default actions.
    search (class Search)
    Set default search-path.
    pinPattern (class Pattern)
    Set Pin's graphics pattern.
    pcol0 (class Col0)
    Set Pin's transparent color.(INDEX)
    prgb0 (class Rgb0)
    Set Pin's transparent color.(RGB)
    chainNum (class ChainNum)
    Set chain's number.
    chainPattern (class Pattern)
    Set chain's graphics pattern.
    ccol0 (class Col0)
    Set chain's transparent color.(INDEX)
    crgb0 (class Rgb0)
    Set chain's transparent color.(RGB)
    random (class Random)
    Change mascot random.
    changeTime (class Interval)
    Set a interval to change mascot.
    allMenu (class AllMenu)
    Mascot changing effects to all menu.
    mascotNo (class MascotNo)
    Set startup mascot No.
    menuNo (class MenuNo)
    Set startup menu No.
    shadow (class Shadow)
    Set shadow's width. 0 means no shadow.

    Biff

    RESOURCES

    biff (class Biff)
    biff feature ON/OFF
    biffOnce (class BiffOnce)
    biff actions only Mail first comes.
    update (class XtCInterval)
    Specifies the frequency to check mail's arriving.
    biffCmd (class BiffCmd)
    Set a command to check mail comes.
    biffAction (class BiffAction)
    Set default biff actions.
    biffPattern (class Pattern)
    Set graphics pattern of Mail coming mark.
    bcol0 (class Col0)
    Set transparent color of biff mark.(INDEX)
    brgb0 (class Rgb0)
    Set transparent color of biff mark.(RGB)
    biffFilter (class BiffFilter)
    Set fillter command for Coming mail's list.
    biffPopdown (class XtCInterval)
    Set auto-popdown time of Mail's list. (Negative Value:Don't popdown automatic. 0:Never Popup)
    youbin (class Youbin)
    Set if use YOUBIN command or not.
    server (class Server)
    Set YOUBIN servername

    SOUNDs RESOURCES

    soundCommand (class SoundCommand)
    Set SOUND's play command.

    Menu's RESOURCES

    Menu's resource start after menu?.masDat?... Fill ?, Menu NUMBER and Mascot NUMBER.

    like this: menu0.masDat0.title: My Mascot

    menusNum (class MenusNum)
    Set menu set's number.
    numsOfMenu (class NumsOfMenu)
    Set Mascot No on a menu.
    masDat?.title (class Title)
    Set Mascot's name.
    masDat?.filename (class Patterne)
    Set Mascot pattern's filename.
    masDat?.col0 (class Col0)
    Set Mascot's transparent color.(INDEX)
    masDat?.rgb0 (class Rgb0)
    Set Mascot's transparent color.(RGB)
    masDat?.magnify (class Magnify)
    Set Mascot's magnify.
    masDat?.startSnd (class StartSnd)
    Set Mascot's starting sound.
    masDat?.clickSnd (class ClickSnd)
    Set Mascot's clicking sound.
    masDat?.endSnd (class EndSnd)
    Set Mascot's ending sound.
    masDat?.mailSnd (class MailSnd)
    Set Mascot's mail arriving sound.
    masDat?.biffPos (class BiffPos)
    Set Mail mark's position.

    Files

    $HOME/.xmascotrc
    Save alarm time etc.

    Bugs

    Parameter's range isn't checked.

    Authors

    Go Watanabe(Toyohashi Univ. of Tech. Computer Club) Main Programmer

    Tsuyoshi Iida(TUT Computer Club) Graphics Loader Unit, etc.

    Yasuhito Makino(TUT Computer Club) Mascot design.

    HomePage http://cclub.tutcc.tut.ac.jp/xmascot/

    Table of Contents