By Adam Engst Reprinted from TidBITS 683

Tonya still wears her Flying Toasters sweatshirt from the days when Berkeley Systems's After Dark screensaver was so popular it had not one, but two books written about it (see "After Dark: The Books" in TidBITS-150) - in fact, the very first item in the very first issue of TidBITS concerned a maintenance release of After Dark! If you don't remember After Dark, keep in mind that the screensaver was launched in 1989 and finally faded out in 1999. After Dark sported modules beyond Flying Toasters, including a simulated aquarium, a Mandelbrot fractal generator, and the Sisyphean Mowing Man, who can never finish mowing his lawn (but never seems to run out of gas). Numerous other modules came from independent programmers and annual programming contests, though no one ever implemented my idea of a simulation of one of those sand sculpture panels where different colored grains of sand fall to create an otherworldly landscape each time you flip the panel.
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=02854
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=03912

Unfortunately, the After Dark engine was incompatible with Mac OS 9, and After Dark fell into software purgatory. Infinisys, the Japanese distributor of the original After Dark, has ventured into the void to rescue After Dark from oblivion. Infinisys's After Dark X + Fish relies on the Mac OS X screensaver engine, and Infinisys has made use of Mac OS X's support for OpenGL 3D capabilities in providing not a straight port of the old modules, but many new options and displays. After Dark X + Fish costs only US$10 and requires Mac OS X 10.0.4 or higher (though I hope everyone is using at least Mac OS X 10.1.5). Some modules may not work on multiple monitor configurations. http://en.infinisys.co.jp/product/adx/
Here are some of the modules

Space Toasters X

The four generations of toasters tumble around through the void of space. Following a zoom-up view of the earth, the moon floats in the background, its phases mirroring the phases of the real moon hanging in the sky above you. The toasters go through over 55 different routines, embellished with rotations and explosions. This module takes the Flying Toasters to a new, higher plane.

New Fish X

Second only to the Flying Toasters in popularity, the Fish module has been a fixture of After Dark™ since the early days. "New Fish X" features all 9 Fish from the After Dark™ 4 version, to which have been added a shark and a manta ray. In addition you can change the background and add decorative objects to your virtual fishtank. Seven backgrounds and over 150 decorative objects (including coral, rocks, stone lanterns etc) are included. You can also use your own graphics and photos.

Mandelbrot X

Modelled on the "Mandelbrot" module from earlier After Dark™ versions, this uses the Mandelbrot fractal patterns to create stunningly beautiful images on your screen. Each pattern displayed has eight zoom levels , zooming further and further into the pattern and imparting a sense of infinity.
You can also choose from 4 color varieties - "Standard", "Fire", "Air" and "Water".

In the tradition of the original Starry Night module, this provides night-time views of various Japanese cities and landmarks - Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka Castle, and the famous suspension bridge over the Inland Sea. Taking advantage of Open GL you can zoom in and rotate the views as well.

MACinations December 03