CLIPDEMO.TXT - CLIP DIRECTOR DEMONSTRATION VERSION PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION _______________________________________________________________ Please take the time to review this file before installing and running Clip Director. If you have not already done so, please review the README.TXT file. README.TXT contains important program notes and last minute additions to program documentation that could not be included in this file or in the program's help system (.HLP) file. INTRODUCTION ------------ Clip Director is a CD-ROM file utility designed to provide a quick and easy means of browsing through .AVI movie clip files on a compact disk. In conjunction with a library file located on the CD-ROM disk itself, Clip Director provides a variety of useful information about each .AVI clip, including a file description, file size, playing time, as well as background information about the motion picture from which the clip was obtained. Clip Director can also display a "still" picture from each clip. Best of all, Clip Director provides a built-in .AVI file viewer, which can play the selected clip directly from the CD-ROM drive. Clip Director's .AVI playback functions are not limited to files on the CD-ROM disk. The program provides an .AVI File Open function, allowing quick and easy playback of .AVI files anywhere on the user's system (i.e., from any installed physical or logical drive). Clip Director offers a convenient method of navigating the contents of a CD-ROM disk, removing the guesswork of having to rely on directory listings of inscrutable 8-character filenames. In short, the program makes its associated CD-ROM disks easier and more fun to use! NOTE: Clip Director requires that a version of the Video for Windows driver set be installed and correctly configured for this system. The run-time version of this driver set may be included on your CD-ROM disk or on the Clip Director master disk. The run-time version of Video for Windows can also be ordered directly from Microsoft Corporation, or downloaded from public bulletin boards or on-line information services like CompuServe and Prodigy. Instructions for the installation and configuration of the Video for Windows driver set is included with the driver files. PROGRAM FILES ------------- The CLIP DIRECTOR DEMO package consists of four files: README.TXT A small ASCII text file, containing release information and installation notes. This file may be viewed with Windows Notepad or any comparable text editor/viewer. CLIPDEMO.EXE The executable program file. CLIPDEMO.HLP The Windows Help file, used for providing comprehensive run-time help. Help topics may be easily printed through the Windows Help menu bar "File/Print Topic" command. CLIPDEMO.TXT This file, containing program information, notes, and general instructions. A fifth file, CLIPDEMO.INI, is created the first time the program is run, and maintained in your default Windows directory (e.g., C:\WINDOWS or C:\WIN). PROGRAM NOTES ------------- Clip Director runs within the Microsoft Windows environment (versions 3.1 or higher), and requires the following: * VGA graphics (640x480) or higher. Clip Director runs in 16-color mode, but will run acceptably on monochrome or black & white VGA systems. A mouse or other pointing device is highly recommended, but not required for program operation. GETTING STARTED --------------- Clip Director requires very little in the way of configuration or setup. Clip Director can be run from a Windows File Manager command line (via "File/Run") or from a Program Manager icon. The first time Clip Manager is run, the program's CD-ROM drive letter setting (i.e., D, E, F, etc.) should be entered. This is accomplished by selecting the menu bar "Options/Select CD-ROM Drive..." command. This command opens a dialog box containing a single drop-down listbox control. You should select the letter of your installed CD-ROM drive and close the dialog box with the "OK" button. Once this selection is made, the drive letter is written into Clip Director's initialization file and used as the program default. This default will be placed into effect every time Clip Director is run. As a result, you should not have to make the drive selection again unless you change your system hardware setup or disk drive assignments. If you do change your system setup to add, remove, or replace an installed CD-ROM drive, you will probably need to re-set Clip Director's CD-ROM drive default. NOTE: The CD-ROM drive setting must be correct, or Clip Director will not be able to access the correct library file on the CD-ROM disk. If you like, you may select the display format in which your movie clips will be played. By default, the program will play .AVI files in a window which may be moved or minimized. You can easily toggle between window and full-screen display via the menu bar "Options/Preview In Window" and "Options/Preview Full-Screen" commands. With this simple selection, Clip Director is now ready for use! USING CLIP DIRECTOR ------------------- When Clip Director is up and running, the selected CD-ROM disk should be inserted into the CD-ROM drive. As with any removable media, you should take care to see that the CD-ROM disk is inserted correctly and that the drive tray, door, or latch is secured. When it is loaded, the disk is ready to be scanned by Clip Director. To scan the CD-ROM disk, simply press the "SCAN" button. Clip Director will verify that a recognizable CD-ROM disk is loaded in the drive and will load the clip file descriptions into the listbox control located on the left side of the program window. NOTE: If Clip Director does not recognize the loaded CD-ROM disk, or encounters a problem scanning its contents, an error message will be posted, giving you the chance to change disks or check the CD-ROM drive to make sure the disk is inserted correctly. Assuming the disk has been successfully scanned, you are free to browse through the clip descriptions in the listbox control. Note that this control contains all .AVI clips contained on the CD-ROM disk, regardless of their directory locations. Even so, you are able to scroll through them as though they were all in a single directory. When a clip description is selected, the .AVI file name and file size are displayed in the status boxes located along the bottom of the program window. Some detailed background information about the selected clip may also be provided in the large status box located on the right side of the program window. If available, a clip "still" from the .AVI file will be displayed, as well. The "still" is a 16-color bitmap, and will display in fewer colors than its associated AVI file (assuming Windows is being run in a 256-color or higher video mode). The clip itself can be played at any time by pressing the "PLAY" button, or by double-clicking the mouse pointer on the clip description in the listbox control. The .AVI file will play in its own window or full-screen, depending on Clip Director's current display option setting. When a clip is opened for playback, Clip Director is able to access the Video for Windows driver for additional information about the .AVI file itself. This information (total frames and play time) is displayed during playback. When previewed in a window, playback can be paused or canceled by pressing the "PAUSE" or "CLOSE" buttons, respectively. When previewed full-screen, playback can be closed by clicking the left mouse button or pressing the keyboard spacebar. A paused clip may be restarted at any time by pressing the "PLAY" button. When a window-previewed clip finishes playing, it is still considered "open" (and is, in fact automatically rewound for additional play). Before selecting a different clip, the current one must be closed via the "CLOSE" button. NOTE: Clip Director will only support playback of one .AVI file at a time. Help is available at any time through the Clip Director menu bar "Help/Contents..." command. You can directly access any Help topic through the Index, or browse from topic to topic. Help topics may be printed through the Windows Help menu bar "File/Print Topic" command. MENU BAR COMMAND SUMMARY ------------------------ File Open AVI File... ---------------- This command opens a file dialog box from which any .AVI movie file can be selected for playing. From the dialog box, the user can select an .AVI file from a listbox control (or by typing the filename or pathname in the "File Name" edit control), and play the file by pressing the "OK" pushbutton control. An .AVI file can also be played by double-clicking on the filename entry in the left-hand file listbox control. Like the "PLAY" button in the main program window, the "Open .AVI File" function will play an .AVI file in the current display context (window or full-screen) selected from the menu bar "Options/Preview In Window" and "Options/Preview Full-Screen" commands. Exit ---- Unconditionally closes Clip Director. Options Select CD-ROM Drive... ---------------------- This command opens a drive selection dialog box allowing the user a means of selecting the CD-ROM drive to scan and browse. This selection need only be made once (the selected drive letter is written into Clip Director's initialization file), unless the CD-ROM drive letter is changed, or the drive itself is removed. Clip Director requires that the CD-ROM drive selection be correct. Preview In Window ----------------- Clip Director implements its own built-in .AVI player for displaying full motion .AVI clip files in a window or full-screen. This command configures Clip Director for previewing .AVI files in a standard child window. On most systems, the display is rendered at the current video mode setting (e.g., black & white, 16-color, or 256-color). When a clip is played in a window, the user is able to move the preview window on the screen and retains access to the Clip Director button commands. Selecting this menu command will de-select the Preview Full-Screen selection. Preview Full-Screen ------------------- This command configures Clip Director for previewing .AVI files in a full-screen mode. On most systems, the display is rendered in the center of the screen at 320x240 resolution (allowing 256-color display on 16-color devices). When a clip is played full-screen, the user is unable to move the preview window on the screen and loses access to the Clip Director button commands (an .AVI file clip running in full-screen can always be closed with a click of the left mouse button or by pressing the keyboard spacebar). Selecting this menu command will de-select the Preview In Window selection. Help Contents -------- Launches the Windows Help system and loads the Clip Director help file (CLIPDEMO.HLP). This "manual on disk" is a useful source of program information and operating instructions. You may select specific topics to read, or browse from topic to topic. You may even print topics for later reference. About Clip Director... ---------------------- Opens a dialog box containing Clip Director version and copyright information. TROUBLESHOOTING --------------- Disk Scanning Problems... Clip Director can only scan CD-ROM disks set up to work with the program. These CD-ROM disks have a specific directory containing at least one library file used by Clip Director for locating and verifying .AVI (video) and .AVB (still shot) files. If Clip Director scans a CD-ROM disk and does not locate the required directory and library files, Clip Director assumes that one of two conditions is present: a) The incorrect disk has been loaded into the CD-ROM drive. b) The drive door, tray, or latch has not been secured. In either event, the scanning operation is aborted and an error message is posted. If you are sure the correct CD-ROM disk has been loaded into the CD-ROM drive, and Clip Director still cannot scan the disk, you should... 1. Make sure the correct CD-ROM drive letter has been selected for Clip Director. You may change this setting via the menu bar "Options/CD-ROM Drive..." command. 2. Make sure your CD-ROM drive is correctly installed and that the correct drivers have been configured for its use by your operating system and/or Windows. If you make a change to any of the driver settings, you may have to reboot your computer and/or restart Windows. 3. Attempt to access the CD-ROM drive from Windows File Manager. If you cannot do this, the problem is probably with your driver or hardware installation. 4. If all else fails, check your Windows User's Manual and any documentation that came with your CD-ROM drive. .AVI File Playback Problems... Before playing a selected .AVI file, Clip Director verifies your current Video for Windows driver configuration. If your Video for Windows driver is not installed, or is incorrectly configured, Clip Director will post an error message informing you of this condition. Though you will be unable to play .AVI files without the Video for Windows driver, you will still be able to browse through the contents of your CD-ROM disk, and will still be able to view the bitmapped "stills" from your clips. If you have problems getting the program to play .AVI files, or experience difficulties during playback you should... 1. Make sure you are running the correct version of Microsoft Windows, and that your other hardware and software requirements (memory, video, etc.) are met. 2. Check your Control Panel "Drivers" listings and make sure your Video for Windows driver(s) are correctly installed and configured. Running Windows Media Player and playing an .AVI file is a good way to confirm that your video drivers are correctly installed. 3. If you have Windows-compatible sound hardware installed in your PC and are having trouble with audio during .AVI playback, you should check to make sure your audio/waveform drivers are correctly installed and configured. Running Windows Media Player and playing a .WAV (waveform) file is a good way to confirm that your audio drivers are correctly installed. Bear in mind that not all .AVI files include an audio track; some may be clips from silent movies. Also, the current Video for Windows drivers do not support the Microsoft PC Speaker Driver. If your only installed sound hardware is the PC case speaker, you will still be able to play .AVI files, but will not have audio support. 4. If all else fails, check your Windows User's Manual and any documentation that came with your Video for Windows drivers. PRODUCT SUPPORT --------------- If you have a problem with this program, and can't find the answer in the Help System or text file documentation, you can contact Pegasus Development's Tech Support Hotline (furnished courtesy of Advanced Support Group, Inc.) by telephone Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. C.S.T. Our telephone number is: (314) 965-5630 Please be prepared to furnish us information regarding your PC hardware, operating system, and version of Microsoft Windows you are currently running. And, if you manage to stump us, we can usually get back to you within a day with a solution. PRODUCT INFORMATION ------------------- This Clip Director Demonstration program is provided courtesy of Advanced Support Group, Inc. For more information about ASG's expanding line of exciting multimedia products for Microsoft Windows -- including their Classic Clips CD-ROM collection -- please call the ASG product information line: 1-800-767-9611 LIMITED WARRANTY AND REMEDIES ----------------------------- Before release, our applications software is tested on a wide variety of hardware configurations, under the most rigorous test conditions possible. We therefore warrant that the software will perform in substantial compliance with the specifications set forth in this text, provided that the software is used on the computer hardware and operating system(s) for which it was designed. Pegasus Development makes no other warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this software or media, including its quality or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Pegasus Development be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this software, even if Pegasus Development has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Pegasus Development is not responsible for any costs including, but not limited to, those incurred as a result of lost profits or revenues, loss of time or use of the software, loss of data, the cost of recovering software or data, the cost of substitute software, claims by third parties, or similar costs. In no event will Pegasus Development's liability exceed the amount of the paid purchase fee (or suggested retail price, if applicable). _____________________ We at Pegasus Development appreciate your support, and hope you enjoy using this Clip Director Demo. CLIP DIRECTOR DEMO Copyright (c) 1993 Pegasus Development "Microsoft" and "Windows" are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation