Plasmid Processor FAQ

From _here_ you can find some frequetly asked questions about our software
and our answers to them.

**********

QUESTION 1.

> Is there any FTP server where I could get the file or could you send it 
> as an attachment via EMail?

ANSWER 1.

No, currently there is not any FTP server available (at least yet)
where you could get our software, but we can send the file as an attachment
with email to you if you contact us at plasmid@uku.fi.

QUESTION 2.

> A lot of 
> molecular biologists (I think most molecular biologists, actually) use 
> Macintosh computers. Are you planning to write a Mac version of your program?
> I'd then be quite interested in looking at it indeed.

Yes, we are aware of that there are some plasmid drawing programs
awailable for Macintosh (as well as for PC's). But there seemed not to be
available any good shareware or freeware PC software for this purpose. So,
our project was started...

Well, how well we succeeded, you can test it by yourself by 
downloading and testing our software...

We are not going to produce any Macintosh version from our software.

QUESTION 3.1

> I have a problem. On the 
> screen and when copied to clipboard and pasted in another application 
> the bottom is lost, e.g. in the first example the BamHI-cut-site. There
> is no scroll-bar on the window.

QUESTION 3.2

> I have asmall problem  I cannot alter the size of the window in which Plasmid
> runs and the lower part is always off the bottom of the screen.  When I
> try to print the picture the lower part does not print.  I am running the
> program under Windows 95.  

ANSWER 3.

Problem is known, and unfortunately we don't have any direct correction
to it.

If I assume right, you are using propably 1024x768 (or bigger) screen
resolution and large fonts on your windows display driver.

To get Plasmid Processor work Ok, you have two choices:
Drop your screen resolution to 800x600 or smaller and keep 'large fonts' 
or you can keep your current screen res. and set your windows font as
'small fonts'.

On Win95 and NT you can (propably) change your display settings from
control panel, and on win3.x it's depends about your display card,
if there exist program to change your display settings. Otherwise
you have to use Windows Setup to change settings on win 3.x.

If you are not familiar, how to change windows settings, I suggest that
you leave job for someone experienced on this matter.

Another possibility is, that you are using very low windows screen
resolution (ie 640x480), and Plasmid Processor's screen cannot fit
into windows screen completely.

To solve this problem, you must increase your windows screen resolution
to 800x600 or better, so that Plasmid Processor's screen can fit into
windows screen. (This problem persist, because we used 800x600 screen
res. when we designed program's interface).

We try to correct this 'feature' on later revision, but no guarantees
given.

QUESTION 4.

What is the upper limit for plasmid length? (55000bp causes all kind
of problems).

ANSWER 4.

Plasmid Processor is designed for plasmids that rarely exceed 10000bp
in length. There is no exact upper size limit, but instead different
problems start to arrive when the plasmid length is increased. 



*********

20. 1. 1997