ZMatrix draws animated Matrix-style character streams behind the Windows desktop icons and can also run as a screensaver. This is Payalord's maintained fork of the original project by Z. Shaker (Happy Dude).
The source tree may contain changes that have not yet been published in a release. Download the installer from the homepage for a published build.
Right-click its notification-area icon to configure the animation, pause it, refresh the wallpaper, change startup behavior or use the screensaver.
Customize fonts, colors, glow and wallpaper blending, or enable audio reaction to sound playing through a Windows playback output. Brightness, speed, stream creation and color modulation can be controlled independently.
Read the user guide for the settings, audio palette controls, configuration files and troubleshooting. Help is also available from the application's menu without an Internet connection.
- BUILDING.md: prerequisites, compilation, packaging and checks.
- Module guide: source layout and implementation contracts.
- Script inventory: current commands and historical scripts.
The complete application builds with Visual Studio 2022/v143 as 32-bit Unicode; Inno Setup 6 packages the installer. C++Builder and Winamp are not required.
When reporting a problem, include your Windows version, ZMatrix version, steps to reproduce it, and relevant display or audio settings. Review personal special strings and device information before sharing configuration files.
- Original ZMatrix author: Z. Shaker (Happy Dude).
- Windows port and this fork: Payalord.
- Matrix Code Font: e-RBi; see the font notice.
- Thanks for help and articles: Kristjan Skutta and Gerald Degeneve.
- The original project was based on screensaver code published at elouai.com.
The original author's README is preserved as a historical document, not the instructions for the current fork. Original project: http://zmatrix.sourceforge.net/
See LICENSE.TXT and the copyright notices in the source files. The bundled font has its own notice linked above.