(Formerly known as The Matrix Revolutions 3D Screen Saver)
(Formerly known as The Matrix Reloaded 3D Screen Saver)

Version 3.4 - 07/11/2004
By
Robert Bennett

Please note: NEVER link directly to the files listed below, always link to this page. These files will move due to bandwidth restrictions, but this page will always have the latest links.
Click here to download!

To get to the settings screen go to Display options in Control Panel and in the Screen Saver section click on Settings. This brings up the UC3D settings screen where you can set the countdown and display settings. To get to the settings for this screen saver select it in the Installed Modules list and click the button..

The following configuration options are available. (It is recommended that you play with the options to find what runs best on your PC and what you think looks best):

Show Clock: If this is on the current time will be displayed in the middle of the screen.
12 Hour Mode: For those of you who can't work out what time 17:23 is, you can now switch this on and get the time displayed in 12 hour mode.
Clock Size: Lets you set how big the clock is on screen.
Glyph Size: Sets the size of the characters in the Matrix code. Smaller glyphs can make the pictures look better, but may slow things down. Smaller glyphs need higher line density to get the full effect which can slow things down, larger glyphs don't need such a high line density.
Line Density: Sets how many lines of data are on the screen at a time. Higher density can slow things down but it can make the pictures look better (depending on the glyph size).
2D Mode: Displays the code in the traditional 2D way.
3D Mode: Displays the code in juicey 3D!
2D Shaded Lines: (2D Mode only) With this turned on the lines in 2D mode will be different shades, not all the same.
Mouse Controlled Rotation: (3D Mode only) Turn this on and you'll be able to rotate the falling Matrix code using the mouse. Move the mouse around to rotate the code, click with the right mouse button to stop the rotation, click with the left mouse button to reset the rotation back to normal, and use the mouse wheel to spin the code around the centre of the screen. After the mouse hasn't moved for 20 seconds the screensaver will reset to normal movement. Pictures do not display while you are moving the mouse. Press any key to close the screensaver.
Use Desktop As Background: With this turned on, the code will be displayed in front of your current Windows screen!
3D Code Rotations: (3D Mode only) With this enabled the angle of the code will randomly rotate around. (Like in the Matrix Reloaded trailer)
Display Pictures: With this turned on the code will occasionally form pictures from the movie The Matrix Reloaded.
3D Picture Mode: (3D Mode only) If enabled the code will be contured around the pictures in 3D. So the pictures are "lumpy". This looks better on some pictures than others, so by default it is turned off. But it's still worth a try to see if you like the effect.
Non-Colour Pics: With this turned on the pictures will display just in shades of the code colour (by default it will be shades of green), not the pictures actual colours.
Picture Captions: Use this to turn picture captions on and off.
Only Show Pictures From: This lets you choose what movie you want to see pictures from. You can choose Revolutions, Reloaded or All 3 Movies. If All 3 is selected it will show random pictures from both, with a few pictures from the original Matrix movie thrown in aswell.
Picture Scale: If you find that the picture is too big when displayed in the code you can change the scale of the picture to make it smaller/larger.
Picture Delay: Slide this around to set a shorter or longer delay between displaying pictures.
Sideways Movement: The code moves side to side as it falls.
Move Forward/Back: (3D Mode only) The camera slowly moves backwards or forwards through the code as it falls if this is turned on.
Random Forward/Back Movement: (3D Mode only) If Move Forward/Back is enabled this will make the camera randomly move forward or backwards through the code and different speeds.
Forward/Back Speed: (3D Mode only) If Move Forward/Back is enabled this sets whether the code moves forwards or backwards and how fast it moves. If Random Forward/Back Movement is enable this has no effect.
Fall Speed: Controls how fast the lines of code fall down the screen.
Normal Colour: Click on the coloured box to set the colour of the normal falling code.
Highlight Colour: Click on the coloured box to set the colour of the highlighted character that leads the falling code.
Background Colour: Click on the coloured box to set the background colour. (Since the screensaver was designed to have a black background black will always look best)
Reset Default Colours: This resets the colour options to the default green colours.
Sound: Here you can select what kind of sound you want, if any. The options are No Sound, Sound FX which will play that code sizzling noise all around the place, and Music which plays Matrixy background music. Please Note: You need DirectX8+ for sound to work. You can get it from http://www.microsoft.com/directx if you get a message at the start about sound not initializing, this is probably the reason.
Restore Default Settings: Click this to reset all the screensaver settings to what they were when you installed it.
Show My Pictures: (UC3D/Donor Version only) Turn this on and the screensaver will show your JPG, GIF and BMP files in the code.
Only Show My Pictures: (UC3D/Donor Version only) With this turned on only your JPG, GIF, and BMP pictures will be shown. With it turned off they'll be shown randomly mixed in with the Matrix pictures built in to the screensaver.
Use Filenames As Captions: (UC3D/Donor Version only) Enable this and the filename of the JPG, GIF or BMP file being shown will come up as a caption, just like how it says "Neo" under one of the built in pictures of Neo. So if you have a picture of your Uncle Fred chowing down on some cheddar and want the caption to read "Uncle Fred Eating Cheese" you simply rename the picture file to "Uncle Fred Eating Cheese.jpg" (without the quote marks).
My Picture Directory: (UC3D/Donor Version only) This is where you set the directory you want the screensaver to load your pictures from. The screensaver loads JPG, GIF and BMP files and you can have as many of these types of files in the directory as you like. Click on the button, browse to the directory you've put your pictures in and click ok. Easy as that. Note on picture files: If you have really big picture files it can slow the screensaver down while they get loaded. All picture files are scaled to a max width or height of 300 pixels. So there's really no need putting bigger pics than that in, but it's up to you.

No matter what version of Windows you are using it is recommended that you make sure you are using the latest drivers for your video card. If you have any problems (slow, jerky, crashing, freezing) they can almost always be fixed by simply replacing your outdated drivers.

The latest drivers for your card are available from the manufacturers website. They are always working on upgrading the drivers, so make sure you upgrade them!

Some common manufacturers websites are:
ATI
Matrox
nVidia
PowerVR

I've been getting a lot of emails lately asking if this thing works with multi-monitors so I thought I'd just put in a quick bit of info.

The short answer is: Yes, it works fine with multi-monitors.

The long answer is: Yes, it works fine with multi-monitors, but it depends on your hardware. I have personally tested it with a dual head nVidia card, 2 of the same type of nVidia card, and 2 different types of nVidia cards. All under XP, all with the latest drivers, and all worked perfectly. It really does look cool.

However, I tried it with 2 different cards and it didn't work. I'm told this is because of a limitation within Windows. You need to have the same video driver running both display devices for OpenGL to work on both screens. I didn't write Windows, or the drivers, or OpenGL, so there is absolutely nothing I can do about that. So don't ask.

All I can suggest is that you try it. To switch on multi-monitor support go to the settings and turn off "Display on Primary Monitor Only". If it works, then celebrate. If it doesn't upgrade your drivers and try again. Still doesn't? Then I'm sorry, it's beyond my control.

It's been a long time since I've done an update to this screensaver. Maybe in part because I was disappointed by the way the trilogy ended with Revolutions. I'd heard much better theories and rumours about the end, so it was a shame they were all wrong.

However, I've recently re-watched all three, and they are still really great movies. I loved Reloaded especially, and you can't go past the original. All so much better than most movies you see these days.

So I thought I should have a look at this old screensaver and see if I can do anything to improve it. I had added one feature months ago and never released it. I was waiting to think of other stuff to add. In the end tho, I just can't think of anything. This thing is already packed with more options than anything else I've done, or seen! So I figured I'd release this one and if I think of anything else, I'll do another release later.

If you're a regular UselessCreations.com visitor, you'll have noticed I've been doing a lot of stuff with the current Windows desktop screen as the background. So I made the Matrix Code effect appear in front of the Windows screen, and I think it looks awesome! But I've made it an option, so to try it you'll need to go to the settings and turn it on.

If you spot any bugs, let me know!

Enjoy!

I had a report that the background colour option had stopped working, so while I fixed it I also added a heap of new pictures. This thing now contains over 100 pictures from the Matrix trilogy, including more than 50 from the Matrix: Revolutions, which I'm dying to see, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Not many people noticed that the background colour option had stopped working, so I'm guessing not many of you use it. That's a good thing tho, because this thing was meant to have a black background and it looks a bit crappy with anything else. But the option is there for those of you who like to make yourself puke by staring and stupid colours.

Unless there's more bugs, this will probably be the last version. It's been fun to work on this thing over the last year. I don't think I've ever had such a huge response to a screen saver before. And all from a little 3D Matrix code screen saver I did in a single afternoon while I was bored. I guess sometimes the stuff you put the least effort into gets the most attention!

Enjoy!

Well here we go again! I've struggled to come up with new features to add to this thing, but somehow I've managed to come up with a few. I really don't know what else I can add now. There's more options in this thing than anything else I've ever done. Nothing comes close.

Anyway I've now changed the title to the Matrix: Revolutions 3D Screen Saver (or the screen saver formerly known as The Matrix: Reloaded 3D Screen Saver, but I think that's a bit lengthy). I saw the trailer the other day for Revolutions for the first time, and I'm getting excited! Can't wait.

I've also changed the way the forward movement works, so it can now move backwards aswell which looks kinda groovey. And I've added a heap of pics from Revolutions, but I decided to leave the old Reloaded pics in aswell so you can now select between them. If you select to show All pics there's also a few old Matrix pics thrown in.

The other big addition is sound. I get heaps of requests for sound but I always thought it'd be pretty annoying. I still think it is, which is why there's an option to turn it off, but I just thought I'd put it in so people stopped asking for it. So you now have the choice of that sizzling Matrix noise or background music. All guaranteed to drive your co-workers mental!

I hope you like it. If you spot any bugs please let me know!

If you have any reasonable suggestions (think about them, please! I get some way out stupid ones) then feel free to send them in and I'll see what I can do.

If I don't get any good suggestions, or I can't think of anything myself I'll probably just do another picture update before the movie is released. We'll see. The download is getting bigger and bigger.

Enjoy!

Just a small update to convert this screen saver to work with the UC3D Screen Saver System so that you can mix it in with other UC3D screen savers. If you want more info on UC3D, which I'm going to convert as many of my stuff as possible to use, go to: http://www.UselessCreations.com/uc3d

While I was at it I added a few new options aswell. I'm running out of new stuff to add tho! The next released will probably be for Revolutions with all new pics.

Enjoy!

I'm happy to say that I rushed out to see Matrix Reloaded and it didn't suck! Which is good news for you too, because if it did I would never have bothered to do another version of this thing. Instead I'd have chopped it up into bite sized, easily digestible pieces and fed it to a passing penguin! But alas, the penguins shall go hungry!

So anyway I've now fixed all the bugs I've been able to find. I've even improved the multi-monitor stuff so if you turn off stretching it should now properly display on your primary monitor, no matter where it is (unless its out on the curb being picked at by hungry penguins, then I can't guarantee anything).

I've also added new stuff. I was going to add mouse controlled rotations to the last version but in the end I wanted to get it out before the movie so I left it out. I've since had a heap of requests for it for some reason, so that's completely ruined the surprise. Anyway that's now in.

You can also now change the background colour because I had a specific request for it, however since the screensaver is designed to have a black background it's never going to look as good with a different coloured background. You have been warned.

I added some other stuff too. All very nifty I'm sure, but there's not much point me describing it again here. See the settings section for full instructions on everything, or the version history bit for a full list of added/fixed stuff.

Enjoy!

Believe it or not I've thought of more stuff to cram into this screensaver!

The main this is I've re-written a heap of the code generation stuff, so now it's even more 3D than before (if that's possible). Now when you have the 3D Code Rotation turned on your get the full axis of 3D movement! The code goes into this slow hypnotic rotation which is just eyeball burstingly brilliant (even if I do say so myself). This version would've been ready sooner, but I spent most of the time just sitting watching it. I reckon it looks better than ever before. And I've still seen nothing else like it.

I also got requests from people who liked the clock feature, but had trouble working out the 24 hour time... So I've added an option to switch it to 12 hour mode. There'll be no, "Hang on! My watch doesn't go up to 16 o'clock!" confusion anymore.

Another big addition is a Donor Version only feature. If you've already donated I want to thank you big time, you've helped me out a lot. Now owners of the Donor Version can add their own pictures to be displayed by the screensaver. So you can stick all your JPG, GIF and BMP files in a directory and watch them form in the code. I had a heap of requests for this, and with the work involved I figured it was only fair to make it a Donor Version only feature. Remember you can upgrade to the Donor Version for just US$9.95! Go to:
http://www.UselessCreations.com/matrix
for more info.

On top of all that, I've also added heaps of new pictures. I changed the way they're loaded too, so I was able to include twice as many pictures without making the download size any bigger! I can't wait for this movie!

Once again, if you spot any bugs let me know.

Enjoy!

v3.4 - 7th November, 2004 - Update
Added option to have the code flow over your current Windows screen. Looks cool too!

v3.2 - 10th October, 2003 - Bugfix and Picture Update
Somewhere along the way the background colour option had stopped working. It's now fixed!
Add more pics. There are now over 100 images from the Matrix trilogy in this screen saver, including more than 50 from The Matrix: Revolutions.

v3.01 - 11th September, 2003 - Small Bugfix
There was a small bug where no matter what speed/direction you set the forward movement to, it would always go backwards. Fixed!

v3.0 - 1st September, 2003 - Major Update
Changed name to The Matrix: Revolutions 3D Screen saver.
Changed the way the forward movement works to allow backward movement.
Added heaps of pictures from Revolutions.
Added option to select if you want pictures from Reloaded or Revolutions, or both.
Added sound options so you can have sound fx or background music.

v2.6 - 16th July, 2003 - Minor Update
Converted to work with UC3D.
Added option to turn 2D line shading on and off.
Added option to turn picture captions on and off.
Tweaked so that you no longer see the edge of pictures.
Tweaked so the change in rotation direction is less sudden.

v2.5 - 4th June, 2003 - Yet Another Major Update / Bugfix
Re-wrote the multi-monitor code. There were bugs that caused it to always display on the left monitor even if your primary was the right monitor. This should now be fixed.
There was a bug where certain Picture Scale values would mess up the picture completely. Fixed!
A bug in the 12 Hour Mode of the clock still displayed 00:00 at midnight instead of 12:00. Fixed!
Changed the 2D mode so the code isn't just all the same, now some lines are darker.
Added option to display the pictures in shades of the code colour instead of the actual colours.
Added option to set the time delay between pictures instead of it just being random.
Added interactivity so you can now rotate the code around in 3D by moving the mouse.
Changed default countdown date to 7th November, 2003, which I'm told is the release date for Matrix Revolutions.
Added option to change the background colour from black to anything you want.

v2.0 - 7th May, 2003 - Major update
Changed the way the code is displayed so it's even more 3D-ish.
Changed the 3D Code Rotation option. It will now randomly rotate in all sorts of direction. This looks amazing.
Added 12 hour mode option to the clock.
Added ability to display your own pictures in the donor version.

v2.0 - 7th May, 2003 - Major update
Changed the way the code is displayed so it's even more 3D-ish.
Changed the 3D Code Rotation option. It will now randomly rotate in all sorts of direction. This looks amazing.
Added 12 hour mode option to the clock.
Added ability to display your own pictures in the donor version.

v1.51 - 1st April, 2003 - Multi-monitor update
Added option to attempt to stretch across multiple monitors. Works for some, doesn't for others. I give up.

v1.5 - 30th March, 2003 - Major update with new features
Added colour changing options.
Added 3D code rotations.
Added 3D picture mode.
Added Forward Speed control.
Added clock.
Lots of other tweaks/changes.

v1.1 - 12th February, 2003 - Bugfix and minor update
When countdown reaches 0 is said "Merry Christmas!". Fixed!
Added speed setting to control the rate lines fall.
Lots of small bugs fixed.

v1.0 - 4th February, 2003 - Original Release
Matrix code falls in 3D
2D Mode also available
Pictures display in code
Configurable countdown timer.