TetrisSaver
TetrisSaver is a very simple screen saver for OSX Beta, and now for 10.3.
It emulates a game of Tetris, but with the computer working
out where each shape should go.
Download for MacOS X 10.3
Download Now [For OS X Beta]
Download for 24 bit screens
(Millions of colours) [For OS X Beta]
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To use TetrisSaver, download, decompress if your web browser does not do this for you, and
double click the .saver item to install it.
Notes:
-
Well, after a bit of a break, TetrisSaver is back and working for
versions of OS X other than the beta. The new version doesn't work on
10.2, sorry. Source code's been updated to this
version, bottom comment still applies.
Original Notes:
-
There are some problems with screens at different bit
depths. If you run your monitor at 8 or 16 bits (255 or
thousands of colours) then use the top download. If you run
at 24 bit (millions of colours) then use the second
download.
-
I've taken bits of code from several other screensaver
programs. The blue background is taken from 'Paper
Airplanes', supplied by Eric Peyton (who also gave me some
OpenGL help - thanks!). However, the tetris code is all my
own.
-
MacOS X does not accelerate OpenGL on some graphics cards.
It does not on mine. TetrisSaver will probably go quite
slowly unless you've got hardware acceleration.
-
The shape placement algorithm is not very clever. It tries
to avoid creating holes, and to keep the top layer of
dropped shapes fairly flat. There's room for improvement
here.
-
The source code is available for anyone to change, improve
etc. I'd prefer it if any improvements were made available
under the same conditions but ultimately that is your
choice.