Shark Alert™ Help

This section should answer your questions about  Shark Alert™.  To select any of the topics, move the cursor to the topic and click on it.

The User's Manual

Further Reading

Running the Program

Exiting the Program

Navigation Options

Navigator Menu

Reference Library

Shark Trivia

Troubleshooting


User's Manual
The User's Manual

The booklet inside the jewel case with the CD-ROM is designed to help you find your way through the program.  The guide explains the major menu screens and offers a flow chart of the program structure to help you see where you are and where you want to go.


Running the Program

Double click on the Shark Alert™ icon from the desktop to run the program.  An introductory movie plays and then the main menu appears.  To bypass the introduction, click the left mouse button.


Navigation Options

To navigate through the program, move the cursor around the bridge of the bathysphere, the main menu, to identify the major sections of Shark Alert™.  The text box at the top of the screen (above the hatch) identifies each section as the cursor moves across the icon or hotspot.  To access any of the sections, click on the icon representing that section.  For example, click on the bathysphere window on the upper right of the screen to reach Shark Trivia.

To view any of the specific shark topics, which include a movie and a text synopsis of the movie, click on the icons for The Food Chain, Sharks and Humans, or What is a Shark?

A secondary level can be reached through The Food Chain, Sharks and Humans, and What is a Shark?  For example, select the general topic, What is a Shark? from the main menu, a sub-menu will appear offering the following:

What is a Shark? Intro.

Sensory Systems

Behavior

Biology

Diversity

Fairly detailed studies of sharks, such as feeding habits, are available at this level.  For example, if Behavior was selected at this level, the next level will offer the following:

Behavior Introduction

Feeding

Learning Ability

Social Behavior

Range

Threat Display

Selecting a topic from this menu will start the movie for that topic.  To pause at any point during the movie, click on the screen to bring up the Navigator menu.  At the end of the movie the Navigator menu will pop up automatically offering you the chance to branch to any of the related topics, look up items in the glossary or shark index, or explore other parts of the program.

See Also:

Navigator Menu


Navigator Menu

The Navigator Menu, resembling a remote control device,  is available while a movie is playing or while playing Shark Trivia.  To access the Navigator Menu, click anywhere on the screen except on a designated button.  In order to avoid clicking on a Navigator button accidentally, make it a habit to click near the sides of the screen to bring it up.   After clicking for the Navigator menu, the program will pause the current action.

The following items are available on the Navigator Menu:

Title Area

Related Topics/Score

Play	Menu

Back	Synopsis

Index	Help

Main Menu

Reference Library


If you are viewing a topic, the title of the movie currently in play appears in the window at the top of the menu.


If accessed during a movie, three related topics appear in the large text box towards the top of the Navigator Menu.  Double click on any of these to access those segments.  If Shark Trivia is being played, your current score is given.


Clicking on the Play button will resume the show or game in progress.


Selecting the Menu Button will take the user to the menu where the movie currently paused is located.  For example, if topic Skeleton is paused, selecting Menu would display the Biology Menu.


If you have branched off to a related topic, Back lets you return to the previous topic.  Clicking on Back will load the previous topic and bring up the Navigator menu automatically so you may choose another related topic or continue with the current topic.


Clicking on the Synopsis button will bring up a window displaying the text synopsis of the movie paused.  To print the synopsis, click on the Print button.


Selecting the index button will bring up the Title index.  This allows you to browse the index for other topics.


Selecting Help will lead to this Help section.


Select this button to return directly to the Main Menu.


  Selecting the Reference Library button will take you to the Reference Library menu where the glossary, the title index and shark index are available.


Reference Library

The Reference Library offers three separate sections; a Glossary of terms, a Shark Index, and a Title Index.   Click on a shelf in the library to bring up a reference.  Click on the arrow at the lower right of the screen to return to the main menu.

Glossary

Shark Index

Title Index


Glossary

Selected words used in Shark Alert™  are listed in the glossary.  Scroll through the listing and click on a word to bring up an entry, or type the first few letters of the word in the Search box at the bottom of the screen and hit Enter.  Select the Return arrow to return to the Reference Library menu.

A written definition of the word appears on the screen and can be printed by clicking on the Print button.  Click on the Audio button to hear the pronunciation of the word.  When finished, click OK to return to the Glossary listing.


Shark Index

Sharks that are discussed in Shark Alert™ are listed in the Shark Index.  Scroll through the listing of sharks and click on a name to bring up an entry, or type the name of the shark into the Search box at the bottom of the screen and hit Enter.  Select the Return arrow to return to the Reference Library menu.

For each shark listed, there is a picture, a text and audio description, and a map showing the range of the shark.  The solid color areas of the map indicate the normal range of the shark.  Question marks indicate the suspected range of the shark.

The text description of the shark on the left of the screen can be printed by clicking on the Print button.  Click on the Audio button to hear a narrated description of the shark index entry. When finished, click OK to return to the Shark Index.


Title Index

Scroll through the listing of topics covered in Shark Alert™ and  move the cursor to the desired topic. Click on the topic title to go there, or type the name of the topic into the Search box at the bottom of the screen and hit Enter.  Select the Return arrow to return to the Reference Library menu.


Shark Trivia

The Shark Trivia introduction explains the rules of the trivia game.  To bypass the trivia introduction, click the left mouse button.

Over 100 trivia questions are included in the trivia section.  Selection of the questions is random so there will be very few repeat questions in any one play period.

The first question appears automatically following the introduction.  Move the cursor to A, B, or C and click to answer the question.  Click on the arrow at the lower right of the screen to get the next question.

The Navigator Menu can be requested by clicking anywhere on the screen other than on the defined buttons.  The Navigator Menu will display the score during the current trivia game as well as allow access to other parts of Shark Alert™.


Exiting the Program

To exit the program from the main menu,  click the hatch at the top of the bathysphere.  The hatch will open and the credits will play while the program is shutting down.

To bypass the credits, click the left mouse button.  You may also exit the program from any other place in the program through the keyboard command Alt-F4.


Troubleshooting Tips
Troubleshooting:

Related to Audio

Related to CD-ROM Errors

Related to Memory Errors

Related to Printing

Related to Video


Troubleshooting Related to Printing

Error message "No printers installed":

If the error message "No printers installed" appears, run Printers under the Windows™ Control Panel to see if any printers are installed under Windows™.  If not, you must install a printer driver in order to get a print out.  Consult your documentation for Windows™ and the printer manufacturer on how to install a printer driver.

Changing the Printer setup:

The Print command uses your Windows™ default printer and it's configuration.  To check which printer is the default, run Printers under the Windows™ Control Panel.  You should also use Printers to change the page orientation or other printer settings.

Printing out very slow:

Shark Alert™ will run very slowly while printing if your printer does not have built-in memory.  If you have a dot matrix printer, it will take much longer to print than a laser printer.


Troubleshooting Related to Video

Error message "The current display mode is less than 256 colors":

Shark Alert™ requires a VGA graphics card that supports at least 256 colors.  To change your video driver to this resolution or higher, check the documentation that came with your video card.

Getting General Protection Fault's (GPF's) related to video driver

If you are getting General Protection Fault's (GPF's) related to your video driver (for example VGA.DRV), check with the video card manufacturer to see if a driver update is available.

Error message "MSVC Video Drivers not installed. Please run Shark setup"

If you get this error message or a variation of it, you need to run the setup program for Shark Alert™.  See page 8 of the User's Manual for instructions on running setup.

Text in windows is hard to read.

Make sure the true type fonts Arial and Times New Roman are installed.  To check which fonts are installed, run Fonts under the Windows™ Control Panel.  Consult your documentation for Windows™ on how to install fonts.


Troubleshooting Related to Audio

Audio is pausing/skipping while you watch a movie:

If the audio is pausing while you watch a movie, the problem may be related to your CD-ROM configuration.  You should check the number of buffers used by the CD-ROM driver. Slower CD-ROMs may required more buffering, so try increasing this value.  Consult your CD-ROM documentation to see how to increase the sector buffers.

Audio sounds distorted or hisses:

Audio may sound distorted coming through low quality speakers.  Try upgrading your speakers or turning down the volume to lessen the distortion.

No audio while program is running:

- If you don't hear any audio, check to see if the speakers are plugged in and turned on.  Make sure the volume is up.

- You may also have to check the volume setting on the sound card itself.  Consult your sound card documentation to see how to turn up the sound card's volume setting.


Troubleshooting Related to CD-ROM Problems

Error message "Can't Open Shark CD-ROM, Wrong Disc?":

Make sure the Shark Alert™ CD is actually in the CD-ROM drive.  Do not remove the CD while you are running the application.  For external CD-ROM drives, check to see the drive is connected to the computer and turned on.


Troubleshooting Related to Memory Problems

Error message "Not enough memory to complete operation!":

- Make sure your computer has the required minimum of 4MB of memory.  If you do not,  you will need to add more memory to your computer before Shark Alert™ will work reliably.

- Try using Windows™ virtual memory manager.  See your Windows™ manual on how to setup virtual memory for your system.  You will need to re-boot the machine after turning on virtual memory for it to take effect.

- Try re-starting Windows™ and only running Shark Alert™.  Close all other unnecessary applications.


Further Reading

For a further understanding of sharks:

Discovering Sharks , Samuel H. Gruber, Ed  Vol 19, No 4 and Vol 20, No 1, American Littoral Society, Highlands, NJ, 1991

Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates,  Dr. George C. Kent, 3rd Edition, C.V. Mosby Company, St. Louis, 1973

FAO Species Catalogue: Sharks of the World ,  Leonard J.V. Compagno, An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Vol 4, Parts 1 and 2, 1984

Great White Shark , Richard Ellis and John E. McCosker, HarperCollins  Publishers, New York, 1991

Reef Sharks & Rays of the World, Scott W. Michael, Sea Challengers, Monterey, CA, 1993

SHARK: A Photographer's Story,  Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1988

Sharks: Facts and Fantasy., Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Judith L.Chovan and Sara E. Crump, 1990

SHARKS, Facts on File, John D. Stevens and Tony Pyrzakowski, New York, 1987

The Book of Sharks.,  Richard Ellis, Alfred A. Knopf Inc., New York, 1989