COMPANION CD INFORMATION

 

A special thanks to these contributors:

Mesmer Animation Labs

Nordisk Film Research & Development

 4DVision

 Phoenix Tools

 

NOTE: In the process of constructing the CD some longer file names may have become truncated. Archive files for the Nordisk Film Research & Development and for the CDÆs Courseware have been included in case of such an instance. By opening these archives, the files can be accessed in tact.

 

 

This file contains important information on the following topics:

òWhat's on the CD

òHow to run the CD-ROM

òSystem Requirements

òSpecial Notes about this CD-ROM

òTroubleshooting common problems

òContacting us for support

òAcknowledgements

 

 

I. WhatÆs on the CD

 

 

Software

The Software Folder contains several different 3rd Party tools and utilities.

 

Dstock

The Dstock folder contains images from Digital Stock™. These images are sorted into folders for each category. To get an overview of the contents of each image folder, view the .pdf file that corresponds with that folder. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view .pdf files.

Examples

All the example files from the book are included in this folder.

NOTE: For Unix users. To install the courseware database, perform the following: (1) Copy the file courseware.tar.gz to your user directory with the cp command, or in a graphical window.

(2) Un-gzip the file with the command: gunzip Courseware.tar.gz

(3) The preceeding command will create a tar file called courseware.tar Untar the file with

tar -xfv Courseware.tar

(4) The directory structure Courseware will be created.

Link it into your Softimage user setup with the Database Manager, Get]DBManager.

Enjoy!

ATR, 6/98

 

 

 

 

II. How to run the CD-ROM

Under Windows 95 and Windows NT, if you have AutoPlay enabled, insert the CD and choose installation options from the displayed splash screen.

NOTE: If you have AutoPlay disabled on your computer, the CD-ROM will not automatically display the installation splash screen. To browse the CD manually, double-click on My Computer on the desktop, then right-click on your CD player icon, and choose Explore from the shortcut menu. By doing this, you can immediately access the files for this CD.

 

 

 

III. System Requirements for Companion CD

Processor: 486DX or higher processor (Pentium preferred)

Operating System: --MS- Windows® NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows 95, Windows 98

--Any UNIX compatible system

Memory (RAM): 24MB minimum (32MB recommended)

Storage: Hard disk space for shareware and demo programs: 97.5MB minimum

Video: TrueColor (24 bit), 2MB card minimum, TrueColor 8MB card recommended

Other: òMouse or compatible pointing device

òCD-ROM drive

òWeb browser such as Netscape Navigator 4 or

MS-Internet Explorer 4

Optional: An Internet connection with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)

 

 

IV. Special Notes about this CD-ROM

 

Shareware

Some of the programs included on this CD-ROM are sharewareù"try-before-you-buy"ùsoftware. Independent developers spend hundreds of hours creating, updating, and improving various utilities and tools that make everyoneÆs computing lives that much better. These hard-working souls create the programs or add-on features that retail manufacturers sometimes overlook, yet end users could use. "If only I could find a program that couldà"

Please support these independent vendors by purchasing or registering any shareware software that you use for more than 30-days. Check with the documentation provided with the software on where and how to register the product. Thank you for your support of shareware!

Installation Notes

To install an application from this CD-ROM, double-click on the My Computer icon on the Desktop, right-click on your CD icon, choose Explore from the shortcut menu, and then double-click on any program folder. Select the SETUP.EXE file, or the file that has the extension EXE. These are the installation programs for the software. Many of these programs will lead you through the installation process. If you have difficulty installing a program, try copying the contents of the folder onto your computer and then double-clicking on the EXE file. Always refer to any documentation that may be accompanying the individual software.

V. Troubleshooting Common Problems

Q: I don't see any directories on this CD-ROM. It looks like I have a blank disk.

A: First, try to clean the data side of the CD-ROM with a clean, soft cloth. If the problem still exists, if possible, insert this CD-ROM into another computer to determine if the problem is with the disk or your CD-ROM drive.

Another cause of this problem may be that you have outdated CD-ROM drivers. In order to view the directories and access the files on this disc, first verify the manufacturer of your CD-ROM drive from your system's documentation. Or, under Windows 95/NT, you may also check your CD-ROM manufacturer by going to \Settings\Control Panel\System and select the Device Manager. Double-click on the CD-ROM and you will see the information on the manufacturer of your drive.

You can download the latest drivers from your manufacturer's web site or from

www.microsoft.com/support

Q: The CD-ROM doesn't run properly or just spins in my CD-ROM drive.

A: The usual cause of this is a damaged or dirty disc. Visually inspect the disc for possible flaws or defects, and clean it properly. You should also test another CD-ROM in your drive. This often reveals setup problems that are not disc-specific. If these procedures fail, you can contact us to get a replacement disk (contact information is at the end of this file).

Q: The programs run slowly or don't run properly.

A: Do you have at least the follow amounts of RAM (memory)?

Windows NT: 24 megabytes

Windows 95: 24 megabytes

This may sound familiar, but Windows NT/95 programs do not run well on anything less than these amounts. If you only have the minimum amount of RAM, the program may run slowly. Check the individual software installation instructions for RAM requirements for the program you wish to install.

Also, if you only have a single-spin CD-ROM drive, files will be accessed more slowly.

Q: I get an error whenever I try to double-click on an .EXE file included on the CD-ROM.

A: Many of the programs included on this CD-ROM were created using a self-extracting format or require certain files to be present before installation can occur. Instead of double-clicking on the filename directly from the CD, select the desired .ZIP file, .EXE file, or the entire directory containing the desired application. Copy the file(s) to your hard drive into a newly created folder. Double-click on the filename from your hard drive to extract the files into its own folder. Select the SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE file from within the folder.

 

 

 

VI. Contacting us for support

We cannot help you with computer problems, Windows problems, or 3rd party applications problems, but we can assist you with a problem you have with the book or the CD-ROM.

Note: Problems with other companyÆs programs on the disk need to be resolved with the company that produced the program or demo.

If you need assistance with the information provided in this product please feel free to access our web site at http://www.mcp.com/info. Here you can enter the ISBN number for this title (isbn 1-56205-885-1) and view a product information page that will include any available downloads or updates.

Our Technical Support department can also be reached at support@mcp.com.

 

Visit Us Online!

Internet World-Wide Web (The Macmillan Information SuperLibrary)

http://www.mcp.com/

VII. Credits

Tools

The interface for the CD was created using the AutoPlay Teaser Toolkit by Stardust Software. Please visit their website for more information: http://www.sdust.com

 

People

Produced by:

Adam Swetnam

Director of Software and User Services:

Cheryl Willoughby

Software Team:

Jack Belbot

Tige Chastain

Brian Dunten

Andrea Duvall

Todd Pfeiffer

John Warriner

Leroy Wilson