CompuPic README.TXT file - 02/13/97 1.55 Build 175 Welcome to CompuPic! Award winning Windows image utilities. * For more "how-to" information, see the bottom of this file. Published by: Photodex Corporation (512) 406-3020 - Voice 1106 Clayton Lane 200W (512) 452-6825 - FAX Austin, TX 78723 www.photodex.com Internet E-Mail: support@photodex.com America Online: Keyword Photodex (Screen Name: Photodex) CompuServe: GO CPIC (74774,3570) FTP: ftp.photodex.com (anonymous ok) Questions and Answers ===================== Q: How do I get support for CompuPic? ------------------------------------- A: Write an e-mail message using one of the e-mail services listed above. Photodex checks and responds to e-mail and forum messages daily. You may also call or fax. Q: What file formats does CompuPic support? ------------------------------------------- A: CompuPic supports most common image and multimedia formats: AVI - BMP - DIB - FLI - FLC - FLX - GIF - HLP - JPEG - MIDI MOV - MMM - MPEG - PCC - PCD - PhotoCD - PiNG - PCX - RLE QuickTime - RMI - TGA - TEXT - TIFF - Video - Wallpaper WAV - WMF - PJPEG Q: How can I suggest changes to CompuPic? ----------------------------------------- A: Write an e-mail message using one of the e-mail services listed above. Photodex invites suggestions, and it helps keep CompuPic the best you can get. We really do listen, and make software changes based on personal user input. Q: How can I register CompuPic? ------------------------------- A: With CompuPic running, Pull down the 'Help' menu and select the "Ordering CompuPic" option. Registration takes just a few minutes and is done using a registration password, so you will be up and running instantly. Q: Which version of CompuPic do I have? --------------------------------------- A: At the top of this file, there is a date, a version number and a build number. The version number is related to significant feature enhancements and the build number is related to minor problem fixes and enhancements. This information is also at the bottom of the opening window. Q: How often does Photodex release new versions? ------------------------------------------------ A: New versions of CompuPic are released often. For the latest version, check the Photodex forum(s) on CompuServe, America Online and the internet. Try to keep updated as Photodex is always fixing bugs and adding new features. Q: How do I get the latest version? ----------------------------------- A: Check CompuServe (GO Photodex), America Online (Keyword Photodex), the web (www.photodex.com), or FTP to ftp.photodex.com. The current revision histories and builds are always listed. Q: How may I distribute CompuPic? --------------------------------- A: The CompuPic software may be distributed freely in the original form as downloaded from from any of Photodex's authorized distribution outlets. You are not permitted to modify CompuPic from its original (self-extracting) form, and you are not permitted to distribute any installed copy. Distribution of any Photodex registration passwords is a breach of the license agreement, and is punishable by law. Please refer to the licensing agreement in the CPIC installation program or in the CPIC help contents for more. CD-ROM publication is described in the VENDOR.TXT file. Known Problems & Application Notes ================================== * Crash problems involving the DEF.PHD file have been chronic on certain systems and are corrected in CPIC 1.50 and later. If you have a problem with the stability of CPIC after version 1.50, please contact Photodex immediately. * There is a known problem with Diamond Speedstar video adapters (and some others) which can crash the machine when displaying images which are exactly 1024 bytes wide. This is a bug in Diamond's video driver, and cannot be worked around without severely handicapping CPIC for all other users. To correct the problem, use the Advanced Image Viewer Options and change the Max VBIT Width to 512. * Most software-only MPEG MCI drivers have many bugs. Photodex has not yet found a good enough MPEG decoder to recommend it with 100% confidence, but we are actively working on a solution which is good enough for everyone. * The AutoDesk FLI MCI driver is buggy in full screen mode, and can crash the machine. There is no fix. For more information, contact AutoDesk. * Some MCI drivers have a bug which leaves the multimedia file open after playback. Deleting these files becomes impossible because of a sharing violation until after the system has been restarted. Restart the system to delete these files. * Some CD-ROM drivers have a bug which can crash the system if a music CD is in the drive when CPIC checks to verify the media. To work around this problem, uncheck the "CD-ROM discs" checkbox in the "Instant Help Text" section of the Path List Options dialog box. * Many Windows 95 video drivers crash when 320x240 mode is used for instant zooming in the viewer. To avoid this, disable the 320x240 mode option in the Options menu of the image viewer. * CD-ROM Changers: Avoid them if possible. They're cheaper than separate CD drives, but very inefficient for software accessing multiple CD's at once. CPIC has been set up to minimize the number of disc-changes. For the best results, let CPIC read through all of our CD's in the changer(s) before trying to use CPIC. CPIC will stop indexing the discs when it has read enough information, and you should be able to use CPIC from then on without much trouble. Also, avoid queuing thumbnail creation on CD's in the same CD changer at the same time. TO CREATE THUMBNAILS OF THOUSANDS OF FILES SPREAD ACROSS MANY CD'S USING A CD-ROM CHANGER: (1) Let CPIC work until it stops changing CD's. (2) In the File List options, turn off the "auto-create" options. (3) Select a CD's path in the path list to the left. (4) Select Expand Path in the Paths menu. (5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you've expanded all of the CD's you want to catalog. (5) Select the entire range of open paths, so you get a display of all of the files. (6) Press Ctrl+A to select all of the entries. (7) Click on the thumb button and go to sleep for a few hours (or days, depending on how many drives you have!)