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PCREADME.TXT
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1997-07-11
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PC ReadMe File - LAUNCH, No. 14
Please read the LAUNCH booklet first, for information on how to install and
use LAUNCH. This ReadMe file contains tips and late breaking information
about LAUNCH that is not included in the booklet.
IMPORTANT NOTE -- 8-bit and 16-bit video
----------------------------------------
Although Launch runs in 8-bit color video, it is optimized for 16-bit
color (high color) video. Launch also runs well in 24-bit or 32-bit
color video.
16-bit (65,536 colors) video offers better looking full-motion video
and images and is offered with most newer video cards with at least
1MB of memory.
To run in 16-bit color, your video card setting must be set to that color
bit depth. If you are comfortable with changing color bit-depth in Windows,
try the 16-bit version! The ways to switch color bit-depths vary from
computer to computer, usually it is a control panel installed along with the
video card. In Windows95, go to Control Panel -> Display -> Settings and change
the color palette there.
QUICKTIME VR ERROR MESSAGES
---------------------------
If you get an error message when trying to enter the screens that have QTVR
scenes in them, there may be a conflict with an older version of QTVR on your
system. Please check in your Windows or Windows/System folder for a file
called QTVR.QTC. Either temporarily rename it or move it to a different
location.
Performance issue: The QTVR movies may run a bit slow if you have the minimum
8MB of RAM.
INTEGRATED WEB BROWSER
----------------------
The integrated web browser in Launch works now in both Windows 95 and
Windows 3.1 with an active internet connection.
16-bit color video mode is required for most web pages.
JUMPING/SKIPPING AUDIO
----------------------
in the Quicktime control panel, select the "MORE" button on the bottom and
then the "AUDIO" tab near the top. If there is a setting called "Automatic
Rate Adjustment," turn it off.
INSTALLING QUICKTIME(TM)
------------------------
Launch requires the 16-bit version of QuickTime for Windows 2.1.2 (or
later). If you have the 32-bit version of Quicktime 2.1x installed, that is
fine, they have been designed to coincide on the same system with no conflicts.
When installing QuickTime, the installer program may ask you if you
want to remove old versions of QuickTime. Go ahead and have the
installer delete these old versions. You must do this for the installation
to succeed.
In order to run the Quicktime installer, follow these directions:
* Windows 3.1: Open the CDROM drive in File Manager
Windows95: Right-click the CDROM drive in My Computer and Explore.
* Run the file "qtinstal.exe"
* Follow all instructions
Note: A QuickTime for Windows program group will be created on your
Windows desktop. The installer will place several files into this group.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO RUN ANY OF THESE FILES IN ORDER TO ACCESS LAUNCH.
These icons are just there as part of the QuickTime installation program and
may be used to run QuickTime movies externally, such as ones that are
downloaded from the internet.
ERROR MESSAGES
--------------
Freeze on "Loading" screen in Launch. If it seems your computer has frozen,
try hitting alt-f4 to exit out of the current application.
"There is no Sound Output Device" - In order to run LAUNCH, your computer
needs at least 8-bit sound output capability (16-bit preferred). If you
have this, make sure that you have the latest Windows Sound Drivers (obtained
from the manufacturer) installed and configured properly.
"QuickTime not installed" - In order to run LAUNCH, you must install
QuickTime for Windows 2.xx. We have included version 2.1.2 on our CD.
See below details for installation instructions.
"General Protection Fault" errors: Re-installing QuickTime for Windows
2.1.2 from the LAUNCH CD will usually solve this problem. Make sure you
have the installer remove any previous QuickTime files.
*CANON Innova MT Computers and Western Digital Paradise video card users
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If Launch freezes at a black screen when starting up, an updated video
driver for your video card may be necessary. A current driver is provided
in the /drivers/Canon directory on the Launch CD, refer to the readme for
compatiblility details.
*GATEWAY 2000/STB video card users
----------------------------------
If Launch freezes or causes a Windows error upon starting up, Quicktime
may be having a problem with your current video driver. The solution is
to change the optimization method in the QTW.INI file to "BMP":
[video]
optimize=BMP
WINDOWS 3.1 USERS
-----------------
Older video drivers may not be compatible with Quicktime. If you have tried
LAUNCH and a General Protection Fault occurs in the video driver, we suggest
trying the generic SuperVGA, 640X480, 256 color driver. If this driver is not
on your system, you can install them off the CD-ROM. Choose Main -> Windows
Setup -> Options -> Change System Settings -> Display, and choose "Have Disk".
For the path, choose the Drivers\SVGA path on the CD-ROM (ex. d:\Drivers\SVGA).
WINDOWS95 USERS
---------------
MULTITASKING - We do not recommend launching other applications while
our program is running. Our software is very demanding and bad things
may happen if you try this.
CD-ROM CACHE - depending on the speed of your CD-ROM drive, an increased
cache may help performance. Go to Control Panel -> System -> Performance ->
File System -> CD-ROM and experiment with the access pattern optimization
setting.
PERFORMANCE ISSUES
------------------
LAUNCH uses the highest-quality 16-bit audio and video, there may be
some performance problems on lower end machines.
JUMPY/SKIPPING VIDEO -- in the Quicktime control panel, try experimenting
with the video optimization method, try the "Video Driver" setting if you
are having problems.
AUDIO NOTICEABLY OUT-OF-SYNC (ESS sound cards) -- in the Quicktime control
panel, first try checking the "Auto Rate Adjustment" box in the Audio section
of the Quicktime control panel. If that is ineffective, try changing the
rate algorithm to "Manual Override", the requested rate to 22050, and then
experiment with the actual hz (usually 22000-22200). Different sound cards will
require different rates, refer to the Quicktime readme file for more info.
REQUIREMENTS
-------------
Be sure your system has at least:
* 8 MB of Ram (16 MB preferred)
* 486 33MHz processor (Pentium preferred)
* 2x CD-ROM drive (4x preferred)
* Windows 3.1 or Windows 95
* 16-bit sound card preferably
* Quicktime 2.1.2 drivers
INTERNET CONNECTION/WEB BROWSER
-------------------------------
Our visual bookmark system will work in Windows 95 if you have a web browser
that support internet shortcuts (such as Netscape 2.0 or Microsoft Internet
Explorer 2.0). It also requires that you have an internet connection (in most
cases, via the TCP/IP protocol). We have not tested connections with commercial
providers such as America Online or Compuserve. We would be interested in
hearing if you've been able run it on these services or other web browsers.
BUGS AND OTHER PROBLEMS
-------------------------
We have worked really hard to make LAUNCH bug-free and easy to use. But
there may still be some problems that you will encounter. If you are having
problems, first check to see that your computer is set up properly and
review some of the suggestions in this README file.
If you are convinced that everything is OK with your computer, you may have
discovered a bug or design problem. If so, we'd like to hear about it.
Please send e-mail to:
bugs@2launch.com
or a fax to the attention of LAUNCH Technical Support, 310-576-6070.
Or, you can call the Technical Support helpline at
310-319-5320 (between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM (PST) Monday through Friday).
We also have an on-line Technical FAQ available at our website:
http://www.launchonline.com
Describe the problem in as much detail as you can. Describe where and
how it happened. Include all the details about your computer too
(e.g. 486 66DX2 GATEWAY Computer Model xxx, a display card, sound
card, DOS version, Windows version). There are so many different
combinations of equipment and software, that it's difficult to know what is
going on without all the information describing a system. Your bug report
will help make future issues better.