Mac OS X | Desktop Enhancements | Screensavers | Electric Sheep

Electric Sheep - 2.6.9

Screensaver of morphing abstract animations, shared over the 'net.

Download v 2.7b15a

(File Size: 4.9M)

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All Time:	(4.0)
Version 2.6.9:	(4.0)
Selected Version:	2.6.9
Release Date:	2009-01-10
License:	Freeware
Downloads (version 2.6.9):	1,083
Downloads (all versions):	7,730

Information Related to Version:

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Product Description:

Electric Sheep is a free, open source screen saver run by thousands of people all over the world. It can be installed on any ordinary PC or Mac. When these computers "sleep", the screen saver comes on and the computers communicate with each other by the internet to share the work of creating morphing abstract animations known as "sheep". The result is a collective "android dream", an homage to Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

Anyone watching one of these computers may vote for their favorite animations using the keyboard. The more popular sheep live longer and reproduce according to a genetic algorithm with mutation and cross-over. Hence the flock evolves to please its global audience. You can also design your own sheep and submit them to the gene pool.

What's new in this version:

Principally supports having a cache directory that consists of subtrees from bittorrent downloads. Instructions for the torrent feed can be found at http://draves.org/blog/archives/000379.html. Just have your torrents moved into the cache directory on completion.

Cleaner loop selection instigated from commentary issued by: Michael Hohimer in http://draves.org/HyperNews/get.cgi/flame/2506.html Tom Lane in http://draves.org/HyperNews/get.cgi/flame/2506/1.html

Code base cleaned up in preparation for 2.7--much of the source closer to reference C code by Spot.

Animation frame selection now controlled by ScreenSaverView's -animateOneFrame method instead of using additional timers for MPEG2View's control.

Additional updates for Apple IR Remote.

Replaced CURLHandle with NSURLConnection api to support proxy configurations. Depending on your site configuration, you may need to add /System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app to your http proxy keychain.

Exposed a prior developer options from build 2.6.4 for saving generated flame frames. Settings can be found in the Desktop & Screen Saver preferences under "Render".

Added support for Apple's Remote on the new line of machines with the IR device. Code pulled from http://www.martinkahr.com/source-code and supports:

kRemoteButtonVolume_Plus votes 'yes'
kRemoteButtonVolume_Minus votes 'no'
kRemoteButtonMenu displays status
kRemoteButtonMenu_Hold hides status

and when iTunes is enabled:

kRemoteButtonPlay play/pause iTunes
kRemoteButtonRight next track
kRemoteButtonLeft previous track

Operating System Requirements:

This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:

Mac OS X 10.5 Intel
Mac OS X 10.5 PPC
Mac OS X 10.4 Intel
Mac OS X 10.4 PPC
Mac OS X 10.3.9
Mac OS X 10.3

Additional Requirements:

Broadband Internet connection

Feedback Summary:

Version 2.6.9:
Overall Rating:	(4.0)	Features:	(4.0)	Support:	(3.0)
Ease of Use:	(4.0)	Quality / Stability:	(4.0)	Price:	(5.0)

Key to Types of Feedback:

Reviews Reviews Troubleshooting Usage Tips Developer Notes Commentary Featured Reviews

Selecting Sheep causes freeze - Version: 2.7b15a, 5/1/2009 10:16AM PST

ajmc7

My Systems Preferences freeze and crash when selecting this newest version. I'm eager to have the issue fixed as this is a fine screensaver - if it's as good as earlier versions

Most Recent Replies: View All 2 Replies

FIX: Sheep causes freeze

Selecting Sheep causes freeze

Install Failed - Version: 2.7b14a, 4/20/2009 06:51AM PST

gordon58--2008

I have been running Electric Sheep for over a month. When I ran the installer for this version, the installer ran for a few seconds and then put up an alert that said:
!Install Failed
The Installer could not install some files in �/./Library/Screen Savers�. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.

OS X 10.5.6, 2008 iMac 24�

Most Recent Replies: View All 1 Replies

Install Failed

Same Version - Version: 2.6.9, 1/11/2009 08:13PM PST

Felinda

This seems to be the same version as I've been using for at least a year. Electric Sheep was my favorite screensaver when I had a PPC Mac and was running 10.4 Now that I have an Intel running 10.5, it won't work. It will start running fine, but at some point it will quit and the computer name screensaver takes over. Since I am sleeping while this happens, not sure why. I've done web searches to see what was going on, and found out that this has happened to other people also, but no one was able to offer any workable solution that lasted. Sadly, I had to stop using Electric Sheep. I was hoping a new version would correct whatever is going on, but this seems to be the same version that has been out for over a year at least. I recommend it for anyone still using a PPC though - it's awesome. I still use it on my old iMac that isn't hooked up to the Internet. I've collected almost 1500 sheep so it plays wonderfully!