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DesktopPonies.com

Ponies on your desktop!

Documentation

On this page:


1. Instructions for general use.

2. Install instructions

3. Screen Saver install instructions

4. Editing ponies or making your own.

5. Using "Auto Start" mode.

 

 

General use:


To quit the program, right click on a pony and choose "Quit All".
To remove a single pony, right click and "Quit".
To assume direct control of a pony, right click and "Take Control".  You can then use the arrow keys and shift key.
To open the menu again, right click and “Open Menu”

To "pause" every pony, right click and "Sleep/Pause"


You can even leave the menu open and change settings on the fly to see their effect.

 


 

Install instructions:

(Windows Only)

 

If you are using Windows XP, you may need to install .NET 3.5 if you do not have it already:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/0/f/60fc5854-3cb8-4892-b6db-bd4f42510f28/dotnetfx35.exe

 

You may also need to install the latest version of DirectX for sounds to work:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=8109

 

1. Find the file you downloaded and right click “Extract All...” (if you don't have this option you may need another program like "WinZip")

 

Image of folder containing downloaded file

 

 

2. Click “Extract”

 

Extract Compressed Folders image

 

3.  You get many files and folders. Double click on the icon of Twilight named “Desktop Ponies”:

 

Program files and art

 

5. The program starts. Select your options and click “GIVE ME PONIES!”

 

Program Menu

 


Screensaver Install instructions:

 

 

1.  Download and install, using the directions above, version 1.24 or later.

2.  Right-click on the "Pony Screensaver.scr" file and choose the "Install" option.
ScreenSaver setup - image 1

3.  Windows should bring you to the screensaver control panel.  Click the "Settings..." button.

Screen Saver setup - image 2

4.  Click the "Browse" button and select the folder where the actual program is installed (same folder as "Pony Screensaver.scr").  Hit OK to select that folder, and OK again to save the setting.

Screeen Saver Setup - part 3
(The path in this image is just an example - it will be different for you)

5.  The screen saver is now set up!  You can hit the "preview" button on the "Screen Saver Settings" window to test it.
6.  Press "OK" on the "Screen Saver Settings" window when you are done.

(Note that the screensaver uses the same saved settings - # of ponies, screen options, etc - as the main program)

 


 


 

Editing and creating new Ponies:

 

Make your own ponies, or change how the current ones behave!

 

I don't make any of the art for the ponies.  All of it is made by the community and shared, usually on Ponychan.

You can use .png, .jpg, and animated .gifs for art!


The latest version has a Pony Editor interface so that you can edit ponies easily.  Here is a quick tutorial on how to use it (no sound):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98xN4ecKpe8

However, the details of the ini files are documented below if you want to change them by hand:

 

All of the configuration files are plain text, comma separated, for easy modification.  Use a leading ' for comments.

Pony Name:

 

A simple option that names your pony:

 

Example:

Name,Zecora

 

Behaviors:

Each "behavior" specifies images to use and movement.  These can specify a variety of directions.
There are two types:  Normal and Linked.  Normal behaviors end after their duration is up.  Linked behaviors move on to another behavior, and so on, until the entire chain is done.

Behavior parameters:
Name (can be anything),
Relative Probability (0.1 = 10%),
Max Duration (seconds, example: 1.24 = 1.24 seconds)
Min Duration (seconds)
Movement Speed (Pixel's per tick - one tick = 30 msec)
Animation/Image name going right (.jpg, .png, .gif)
Animation/Image name going left (.jpg, .png, .gif)
Movement allowed:  None (stand still), Horizontal_only, Vertical_Only, Horizontal_Veritcal, Diagonal_Only, Diagonal_Horizontal, Diagonal_Vertical, all
    - You'll need separate behaviors if you want different ones for going up/down versus left/right.

 OPTIONAL BEHAVIOR PARAMETERS:
   (you can leave these out completely, but if you include one you must include the rest)
Linked Behavior - the name of another behavior that will be started as soon as the current one ends.
   (try not to make any infinite pony loops)  (leave blank for nothing)
Starting Line - The name of the "Speak" entry to use at the start of this behavior. (see speech and sounds section)
   (leave blank for nothing)
Ending line - The name of the "Speak" entry to use at the end of the behavior.
  (leave blank for nothing)
Skip_normally = true if this behavior shouldn't be considered when choosing behaviors randomly.  default = false
  Set this to true if this is one behavior in a chain.  The first step in a chain of linked behaviors should have this set to false, otherwise it will never kick off (except if triggered by an interaction).
  (Setting this to true also makes the probability option pointless for this behavior)
x_coordinate (in % of screen width from right), 0 for not used
y_coordinate (in % of screen height from the top), 0 for not used
  (a pony will go to this coordinate on their current screen, unless trying
   to find another pony)
name of a particular pony, or effect, to follow (coordinates when specifying an object to follow change meaning into the offset from the target)

Example behavior:

'(Applejack has a 15% change to trot for between 5 and 2.2 seconds at speed 3, in either diagonal or horizontal direction)
Behavior,walk, 0.15, 5, 2.2, 3, trotcycle_AJ_right.gif,  trotcycle_AJ_left.gif, Diagonal_Horizontal


Effects:
Each behavior can have "effects," which are graphics, which are either left behind or follow the pony.

Effect parameters:
effect name
behavior name to be associated with
image to use going right
image to use going left
duration to stay on screen (in seconds, 0 means stay as long as the behavior is there)
repeat delay (0 means display only once, can be less than a whole second, but be careful that you don't spawn too many as to affect     your computer's performance)
location relative to pony to place the effect (going right):
    options:
    top_right
    top_left
    bottom_right
    bottom_left
    center
    top
    bottom
    left
    right
    Any
    Any_NotCenter
centering of effect image going right (you probably just want "center" unless the effect image is large)
      (this is to make sure that large effects don't overlap with ponies.)
       (options same as previous parameter)
location going left
centering going left

follow - true: follow the pony, false = stay still (dropped behind)

Example effect:

'The following makes AJ drop 2 apples per second when she gallops that stays
'behind for 3.3 seconds. (she's a silly pony, huh?)
Effect, "Apple Drop", gallop, apple_drop.gif, apple_drop.gif, 3.3, 0.5, bottom_left, bottom, bottom_right, bottom, false

Speech and sounds:
Ponies can either speak randomly or say specific things when running certain behaviors.  You can also include optional .WAV sound files.
Sound effects are off by default, but can be enabled in the options window.

Ponies will randomly say something when the mouse hovers over them, or they change behaviors.  You can also specify text/sound effects to play when specific behaviors start or end.

Speech options:

Name - The name of the speech/effect combination
Text - Text to be displayed
Sound file name - expected to be in the pony's folder
Skip when selecting random speech - true or false

Speech example:

'Example random speech for AppleJack
Speak,"Hey there sugarcube!"

'Example specific sound effect + text for when the "gallop" behavior starts for AppleJack
Behavior,gallop, 0.05, 3, 1, 6, gallop_right.gif, gallop_left.gif, Diagonal_Only, , gallop_sound, , true,0,0,""
Speak,gallop_sound, "Haw...", "didn't see that one comin.wav", true


Interactions:

Interactions are kept in a separate file named "interactions.ini."  When a pony is within a specified distance of another pony, there is a chance that the interaction, if both are set up for it, can run, which launches a specific behavior for both (or more) ponies.

Note that there is a built-in 30 second delay after an initiating pony (only initiating - doesn't apply to ponies that just take part as targets) ends an interactions before they can trigger one again.

Interaction options:
InteractionName - the name of the interaction
Ponyname - The name of the pony initiating the action
Probability - The chance of the interaction occuring.
        1.0 = every time the pony is in range.
               0.001  = low chance.
proximity - the distance the pony would have to be, or closer, to activate the 'interaction.
        you can say "default" to leave as normal (125 pixels between the center of both ponies)
{Targets} - the list, in brackets, of ponies that can be interacted with
random_or_all - either "random" or "all"
     random means pick one pony to interact with from the list
    all means the interaction occurs with the entire list at once.'interaction.
{behaviors} - the list, in brackets, of behaviors to choose from (one is picked randomly) which is activated for 'both the initiating pony and all selected target ponies.

Example interaction:

'When Pinkie Pie is in range of either a parasprite or Celestia (it's a joke), she gets out her musical instruments to
'lead the critters all over the screen
Pinkie_Lures_Parasprites, "Pinkie Pie", 0.35, default, {"ParaSprite", "Princess Celestia"}, all, {parasprite_follow_circle}

Note that this requires that Pinkie Pie, the Parasprite, and any ponies named "Princess Celestia" have a behavior named "parasprite_follow_circle"

 


Using AutoStart Mode:

 

You can make a shortcut on your desktop to have the program automatically start without going through the menu.  If you put this shortcut in your startup folder in the Windows start menu, you can make the program launch when you start/login to your computer.  It will use whatever settings were saved last.

On your Desktop Ponies.exe file (the one you double click to start it):

1.  Right click it and select "Send To" then "Desktop (create shortcut)"
2.  On the icon that is created on your desktop, right click it and pick "properties".
3.  Under the "Shortcut" tab, find "Target:", which already has a path to where your desktop ponies.exe file is.
4.  AFTER the quotes at the end, add a space and "autostart", so it looks like this:

desktop ponies.exe" autostart

5.  Hit OK.
6.  Drag that icon to your start button, which will open, then "all programs", then the "Startup" folder in your start menu.
7.  Release the mouse button and the icon will be copied to that "startup" folder.

Now, whenever you start your computer, the program will automatically start with whatever settings you saved last.