Scientific American Library: The Planets/Scientific American Library - The Planets.iso/readme.txt

Text File | 1995-10-24 | 22KB | 494 lines

Scientific American Library: The Planets CD-ROM
Read Me File
Copyright 1995 Byron Preiss Multimedia Company, Inc.

All of the navigational controls for the title are located in the
controls button which is located in the lower right corner of every
screen. Be sure to access the Viewme file for a video introduction to
Scientific American Library: The Planets. If you've installed The
Planets, you can double-click the icon for the "Watch Me" in the
BPMC Program Group.

To read this file on-screen, use the Page Down and Page Up keys.
You can also print the file by choosing the Print command from the
File menu in any Windows word processing program. This Read Me
file contains important information on the following topics:

1.     Using the Web Pages located in the Web.Res folder

2.    Problems Setting Up The Planets
           Installing on non-Windows Program Manager
                   systems

3.    Problems Running The Planets:
           General Protection Faults
           Reinstalling The Planets
           Right mouse button not supported
           Space bar not supported

4.    Running in Low Memory or Running Slowly
           Running successfully in low memory
           Improving performance with SmartDrive

5.    Skipping the Introduction

6.    Quitting The Planets

7.    CD-ROM Problems
           Problems finding the CD-ROM drive
           Errors reading from the CD-ROM drive
           CD-ROM drives that require a swap file

8.    Video Display Problems
           The Planets requires 256-color mode
           The Planets looks best at 640x480
           Video driver problems
                   Compaq Presario chipset
           Screen savers not recommended
           Turning off Microsoft Office Manager
           Orchid ProDesigner II VGA Video Driver problems
           Problems with ATI Ultra Crystal Drivers
           Problems with Cirrus Logic Drivers
           Problems with Dell S3 Drivers
           Problems with Mitac MVA Drivers
           Problems with Genoa VGA Drivers
           Obtaining updated drivers

9.    Audio Problems
           Conflicts with other applications
           Audio driver problems
           Sounds play, but not very well
           Sound does not play at all
           Problems with Media Vision cards

10.    Credits
           Byron Preiss Multimedia Company masthead

*******************************************************************
1. Using the Web Pages located in the Web.Res folder
*******************************************************************
If you have internet access and a World Wide Web browser (such as
Netscape, Mosaic, or the Web capability of one of the on-line
services), you can link to Byron Preiss Multimedia's homepage and
the Scientifictic American Library: The Planets home page. We have
included several links to other fun Planmetary sites on the
World Wide Web.

You will find a Web-ready "html" document on The Planets CD-ROM.
Point your browser at "PLANETS.HTM", and enjoy!

*******************************************************************
2. Problems Setting Up The Planets
*******************************************************************
Installing on non-Windows Program Manager systems
Most Tandy Sensations use WinMate as their default desktop shell.
WinMate may cause a conflict with the setup procedure and needs to
be disabled by changing the shell= line in the SYSTEM.INI file to
read as follows: shell=progman.exe

To change the shell= line in the SYSTEM.INI file:

1.  From the Windows Accessories group, run Notepad.

2.  Open the SYSTEM.INI file and comment out the shell= line in
    the [boot] section by typing a semicolon (;) at the beginning
    of the shell= line. This is the line that is loading the Tandy
    WinMate shell.

3.  Create a new line under the commented shell= line that reads:
    shell=progman.exe

4.  After saving the changes to the SYSTEM.INI file, exit and
    restart Windows. The WinMate shell will now be disabled and
    your shell will now be Program Manager.

5.  Run The Planets Setup.

Upon completion of The Planets Setup, you can change your shell
back to the WinMate desktop, if so desired:

1.  Edit the SYSTEM.INI file again by commenting out the
    "shell=progman.exe" line (adding a semicolon (;) to the
    beginning of the shell=progman.exe line).

2.  Remove the semicolon (;) in front of the previously commented
    "shell=" line that loads WinMate.


*****************************************************************
3. Problems Running The Planets
*****************************************************************
General Protection Faults
When trying to run The Planets, if a General Protection
Fault occurs, quit and restart Windows. In many cases, the problem
will not occur again. General Protection Faults may occur if you
have less than 8MB RAM or experience a conflict with particular
software or hardware on your system.

A frequent cause of General Protection Faults is the use of
outdated video drivers. Check to make sure you are using the latest
video drivers available from your computer or video card
manufacturer. Or, try installing the SVGA drivers that ship with
Windows 3.11 and Windows for Workgroups.  See section 7, Video
Display Problems, for more information.

Reinstalling The Planets
While running Windows 3.1 or 3.1.1 and you change the drive letter
of your CD-ROM or experience unusual problems when running the
game, you should reinstall The Planets.

If you should need to reinstall The Planets, you should do so
without deleting the existing the Planets directory or The Planets
Program Group. Simply run the "Setup.exe" file located in the root
drive of your directory.

Right mouse button not supported
The Planets does not support the use of the right mouse
button or the center mouse button (on a three-button mouse).

The Planets also does not support special software
that assigns custom functions to clicking the right or center
mouse button. These functions should not be used while playing The
Planets.


*****************************************************************
4. Running In Low Memory or Running Slowly
*****************************************************************
Running successfully in low memory
The Planets uses your computer's system memory to display pictures
and play sounds. If you find that The Planets runs slowly or if
you encounter out-of-memory errors, The Planets probably does not
have enough memory. Consider doing the following to improve your
computer's performance:

1.  Close all unnecessary applications.

2.  Run Windows without network support by typing "win /n" at the
    DOS prompt.

3.  Determine how much memory your computer has available by
    typing "mem" and pressing ENTER at the DOS prompt. You need
    a minimum of 8MB of total memory to use The Planets. If you
    do not have at least 8MB of memory, you may not be able to
    run The Planets until you add more memory.

4.  If you are using Windows 3.1, we strongly suggest that you
    run Windows in Enhanced mode while playing The Planets in
    order to improve performance. To see if you are running
    Windows in Enhanced mode, from the Program Manager Help menu
    choose the About Program Manager (or from the File Manager
    Help menu choose About File Manager). In the bottom section
    of the dialog box, you should see the phrase "386 Enhanced
    Mode." If you do not see this phrase, you can force Windows
    to run in Enhanced mode by typing WIN/3 or WIN/E at the DOS
    prompt when launching Windows. Windows for Workgroups always
    runs in Enhanced mode and no message is displayed in the
    About dialog box.

5.  If you are running Windows in Enhanced mode, set up a
    permanent Windows swap file (virtual memory) on your hard
    disk. See your Windows User's Guide for more information.

7.  Defragment ("clean up") your hard disk by running a
    defragmentation program (MS-DOS 6.2 and above includes the
    program "defrag").

Improving performance with SmartDrive
Make sure you have SmartDrive 5.0 and MSCDEX 2.23. This new
version of SmartDrive can cache data being read from the CD-ROM
drive, greatly improving performance. Make sure smartdrv is after
MSCDEX in your Autoexec.bat. For information on the current
SmartDrive settings type "smartdrv" at the DOS prompt. For help
with SmartDrive type "smartdrv /?" at the DOS prompt or consult
your DOS User's Guide.

Set up enough buffer for MSCDEX by putting /M:25 at the end of
MSCDEX.EXE in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

*****************************************************************
5. Skipping the Introduction
*****************************************************************
To skip the Introduction, click the mouse button any time while it
is playing. It is not necessary to click rapidly. To view the
Introduction again, quit and restart The Planets from
Windows.

*****************************************************************
6. Quitting The Planets
*****************************************************************
Quitting rapidly
From the "Controls" panel located in the Controls Square located
in the lower right corner of the program at all times. Then click
the Quit button.

*****************************************************************
7. CD-ROM Problems
*****************************************************************
Problems finding the CD-ROM drive
Make sure that The Planets program is looking for the compact disc
on the correct drive. Check to see if the drive letter for your
CD-ROM drive has changed. You can use the Windows File Manager to
determine which drive letter is assigned to the CD-ROM drive. The
Select Drive command in the Disk menu will say "CD-ROM" next to
the CD-ROM drive letter.

Do not remove The Planets compact disc from your CD-ROM while the
program is running. If The Planets program cannot find the data
files that it needs from the compact disc, you will see a message
that tells you that your computer cannot read from the drive
letter of your CD-ROM.

Errors reading from the CD-ROM drive
If The Planets is unable to read compact disc data properly, you
may see a message that tells you that your computer cannot read
from the drive letter of your CD-ROM.

If you have an external CD-ROM drive, make sure the drive is
connected to your computer, plugged in, and turned on. If you
still see the error message after checking the points above,
check the documentation that came with your CD-ROM drive or
contact the company that supplied the drive.

Make sure that your CD-ROM drive is MPC2-compatible. An MPC2-
compatible drive "has an average seek time of less than one second
and can transfer data from the compact disc at 300k per second
while using less than 40% of the CPU bandwidth." Check the
documentation that came with your CD-ROM drive to make sure it
meets these requirements. An incompatible CD-ROM drive will slow
down the performance of The Planets.

CD-ROM drives that require a swap file
Some CD-ROM drives require a swap file (virtual memory) to be
active in order to function properly, even if your computer has
8MB or more of RAM as is required to run The Planets. Check the
user's guide that came with your CD-ROM. If you encounter this
problem, set up a permanent Windows swap file on your hard disk.
See your Windows User's Guide for more information.


*****************************************************************
8. Video Display Problems
*****************************************************************
The Planets requires 256-color mode
The Planets is an 8-bit, 256-color application. In order to view
The Planets properly, you need a video card which supports at
least 256 colors in 640x480 resolution. The Planets requires that
you run in 256 color mode. If you are not in 256-color mode,
please exit, reset your display settings to 256 colors and restart
Windows.

If your computer is running in 16-color mode, or in high-color
modes greater than 256 colors, and your video card will support
256 colors in at least 640x480 resolution, you should run Windows
Setup* to change the screen driver to see The Planets at 256
(8-bit) colors. Check your Windows documentation for information
on changing video drivers.

The Planets looks best at 640x480 resolution
If The Planets is too small on your screen, you are probably
running in a resolution greater than 640x480. To make The Planets
as large as possible on your screen, run Windows Setup and change
your video driver to run in 640x480 resolution with 256 colors.
You will then need to restart Windows. The next time you launch
The Planets it will be the desired size on your screen.

* NOTE: Some Video cards have a separate program you may have to
        run to change the display mode. See your video card
        user's manual to check how to change your display
        resolutions.

Video driver problems
The Planets may encounter display problems when using outdated
video drivers, video drivers with more than 256 colors, or high
resolution video drivers. Make sure you are using the most recent
video drivers available for Windows from your video card
manufacturer.

To find out what video driver you are using, go to the Windows
Program Manager Main group window and double-click the Windows
Setup icon. To the right of "Display" you will see the name of
the video driver currently in use. Make sure you are using the
most recent Windows video drivers for your video card. Contact
the manufacturer of your video card to determine if newer Windows
video drivers are available.

Screen Savers not recommended
If you are using a screen saver of any kind, it should not
activate while The Planets is running in the foreground. However,
if you experience any conflicts with screen saver programs, it is
best to turn them off while playing The Planets.

Turning off Microsoft Office Manager
If you have Microsoft Office installed (either the standard or the
professional version), you should disable the Microsoft Office
Manager (MOM) toolbar while running The Planets. The presence of
the toolbar in The Planets can cause colors to be distorted. Check
your Microsoft Office documentation for information on how to
temporarily disable the Microsoft Office Manager toolbar.

Compaq Presario chipset
If you are using a Compaq Presario, you may encounter irregular orbit
patterns in the Virtual Solar System.
You may see these patterns using the following system:
Compaq Presario CDS 633 and the bundled ET4-W32 video card.

Orchid ProDesigner II VGA Video Driver problems
If you are using an older Orchid ProDesigner II VGA video driver,
Setup may fail. Contact the manufacturer or your dealer to obtain
an updated driver.

Problems with ATI Ultra Crystal Drivers
The ATI ULTRA CRYSTAL driver will allow you to select a 256-color
1024x768 display for a video card that has 512K of memory. However,
512K of memory will not support 256 colors at this resolution.
Because The Planets requires 256 colors to run properly, you must
select a driver that will support a 256-color display. You must
also make sure the video driver is compatible with your specific
video card. For details on selecting an appropriate driver, see
your ATI documentation or contact ATI technical support. A
256-color SVGA driver is included with Windows for Workgroups. For
details on installing this driver, see your Windows for Workgroups
documentation.

For more information on the latest ATI drivers, you can contact
ATI Technologies Inc. at [phone], or connect to the ATI
DOWNLOAD BBS at [phone].

Problems with Cirrus Logic Drivers
If you are using a Cirrus Logic video card and encountered a
General Protection Fault when starting The Planets in 256 color
mode, be sure you are using the newest driver. If upgrading the
driver does not fix the problem try running in 64k color mode or
using the SVGA drivers available with Windows 3.11 and Windows for
Workgroups and on the Microsoft Download Service at (206) 936-MSDL.

For more information on the latest Cirrus Logic drivers, you can
contact Cirrus Logic at [phone], or connect to the Cirrus
Logic bulletin board service (BBS) at [phone].

Problems with Dell S3 Drivers, versions 1.3 and 1.3a
If you have a Dell computer with S3 video and are using the Dell
S3 video drivers version 1.3 or 1.3a, you should install the
latest driver. For details on installing this driver, contact Dell.

Problems with Mitac MVA Drivers
If you have a Mitac MVA-CL5428-1MV video card with R00 drivers
(CL-GD5428), you may encounter a General Protection Fault when
starting The Planets in 256 color mode. Make sure you are using
the newest driver. If upgrading the driver does not fix the
problem, try running in 64k color mode or using SVGA drivers
available with Windows 3.11 and Windows for Workgroups and on the
Microsoft Download Service at (206) 936-MSDL.

Problems with Genoa VGA Drivers
If you have a Genoa VGA 24 8500VL video card with v1.45 drivers
(CL-GD5426), you may encounter a General Protection Fault when
starting The Planets in 256 color mode. Make sure you are using
the newest driver. If upgrading the driver does not fix the
problem, try using SVGA drivers available with Windows 3.11 and
Windows for Workgroups and on the Microsoft Download Service at
(206) 936-MSDL.

Obtaining updated drivers
Make sure you are using the most recent Windows video drivers for
your video card. Contact the manufacturer of your video card to
determine if newer Windows video drivers are available.

*****************************************************************
9. Audio Problems
*****************************************************************
Conflicts with other applications
Audio problems can have many causes. Other applications that play
sounds may interrupt sounds in The Planets, because your computer
cannot play two sounds simultaneously. This is generally a
temporary clash that will resolve itself. However, a few
applications that play sounds, such as some screen savers, may
remove audio capability from all other Windows applications. If
you suspect you have such an application, turn it off or do not
run it while running The Planets.

Audio driver problems
If you experience problems with audio, you may need to upgrade
your audio card driver. Contact the manufacturer of your audio
card to find out how to obtain a new driver.

Sounds play, but not very well
Sounds that are distorted or "fuzzy" have several possible causes.
The most likely one is simply that your speakers are not of high
quality.

It is also possible that the software settings on your sound card
are causing distortion. For example, if the sound card volume or
"WAVE file input" is set to near its maximum, it will produce
amplification distortion, just as it would on a stereo system. To
find out how to change your sound card settings, check the
documentation that came with your sound card.

Your CD-ROM drive should be MPC2-compatible. An MPC2-compatible
drive "has an average seek time of less than one second and can
transfer data from the compact disc at 300k per second while using
less than 40% of the CPU bandwidth." Check the documentation that
came with your CD-ROM drive to make sure it meets these
requirements. An incompatible CD-ROM drive may work but give lower
quality sound or cause the sound to be interrupted while playing.

Sound does not play at all
If you don't hear any sounds, make sure that the volume for your
speakers is set to an audible level, and the sound level is set
to 5 or higher in The Planets (see user's guide for how to do
this).

If the volume is set to an audible level and you still hear no
sounds at all, something may be wrong with your sound card setup.
Check to see that the driver is installed correctly and, if
necessary, reinstall it. Refer to the documentation that came with
your sound card for more information on installing audio drivers.

Please note that The Planets requires an MPC-compatible sound card
to be installed and is not intended to run with drivers which use
the PC internal speaker, such as the unsupported "PC Speaker"
driver. Such a driver will in most cases not play any sounds, and
if the driver setup option "Enable Interrupts" is not checked,
your system may crash. If you have both a sound card and the PC
Speaker driver installed, it is preferable to un-install the PC
Speaker driver.

Problems with Media Vision cards
A small number of Media Vision sound card drivers (Pro Audio
Spectrum cards) may cause problems. If you have a Media Vision
card and do not hear speech but do hear music, you may need to
upgrade your driver. Contact Media Vision Technical Support to
find out how to obtain a new driver.

*****************************************************************
10. Company Masthead
*****************************************************************
A Byron Preiss Production
Byron Preiss Multimedia Company, Inc.

Byron Preiss      >>> President
James R. Dellomo >>> Chief Financial Officer
John Mayo-Smith  >>> Technical Director
Jackie Snyder      >>> Marketing Director
Tim Nolan      >>> Director, Digital Bauhaus

Founded in 1992, Byron Preiss Multimedia Company develops and
publishes a wide range of interactive multimedia software under
several imprints. The Planets appears under the Digital Bauhaus
imprint.

Other Byron Preiss Multimedia discs appearing under the Digital
Bauhaus imprint are The Ultimate Frank Lloyd Wright, Isaac
Asimov's The Ultimate Robot, The Ultimate Einstein, and American
Heritage: The Civil War.

Copyright 1995 Byron Preiss Multimedia. All rights reserved.
Digital Bauhaus Multimedia is a trademark of Byron Preiss
Multimedia. Windows, Windows 95 and Microsoft are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Indeo are
registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.

Exploring Planetary Worlds (c) 1993 Scientific American Library,
Inc. a division of HPHLP (distributed by W.H. Freeman & Company).