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OS/2 Help File
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1995-05-30
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43KB
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423 lines
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Overview ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
What is CreativeAV?
About CreativeMidi
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.1. What is CreativeAV? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
CreativeAV is a suite of playback utitlities that allows you to control the
multimedia devices on your PC. It consists of five players: CreativeWave,
CreativeMidi, CreativeCD, CreativeOverlay and CreativeMovie.
CreativeWave plays WAVE files, CreativeMidi plays MIDI files, CreativeCD plays
audio CD tracks, CreativeOverlay controls the video overlay device and
CreativeMovie plays digital video files.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.2. About CreativeMidi ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
CreativeMidi is the MIDI sequence player of the CreativeAV suite of multimedia
playback utilities. Some of the advanced features of this player are:
"Touch-Sensitive" Display
Multiple display formats
Fast Track Selection
Fine control of playing positions
Different modes of Playlist playback: namely, Introduction, Repeat and
Shuffle
Playlist Management
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. The Interface ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The CreativeMidi interface appears as shown below:
Related Topics:
"Touch-Sensitive" Display
Fast Track Selector
Playback Control
Playlist Button
Power-Off Button
Menu Button
Minimize Button
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. "Touch-Sensitive" Display ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The "Touch-Sensitive" Display consists of several "touch-sensitive" controls as
well as indicators that show the current playback status and track information.
By clicking on the "Touch-Sensitive" Display, you can toggle among the
different views.
CreativeMidi has three "touch-sensitive" views. They are:
View 1. Graphical display of player status
Playing a file
Idle
View 2. Current Playlist and track title.
View 3. Current track number and duration of the track.
In addition to the collection and track titles, Views 2 and 3 also offer the
following controls:
Volume Control
Repeat Mode Selector
Introduction Mode Selector
Shuffle Mode Selector
Progress Slider
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Fast Track Selector ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Fast Track Selector buttons allow direct selection of a MIDI sequence in the
playlist.
Related Topics:
Playing Tracks
Using Track Selector Buttons
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Playback Control ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Playback Control buttons are:
Stop button
Play button
Pause button
Skip-Reverse button
Rewind button
Fast-Forward button
Skip-Forward button
Related Topics:
Playing Tracks
Using Track Selector Buttons
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Working With CreativeMidi ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Playing Tracks
Using Track Selector buttons
Adjusting the Volume
Changing a Track's Playing Position
Compiling a Playlist
Moving the CreativeMidi Window
Keyboard Shortcuts
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. Playing Tracks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The tracks in the current Playlist are played in sequence. You can start,
stop, or skip the playback of these tracks by choosing the Playback Control
buttons on CreativeMidi.
If you wish to play a specific track, you can enter the track number by
choosing the right Fast Track Selector buttons.
Note:
If you enter a track number that is larger than the number of tracks in the
MIDI player, the last track will be selected automatically.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Using Track Selector Buttons ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Track Selector buttons let you play a specific track directly. To pick a
certain track, choose a button on the Fast Track Selector that has the right
track number. After a brief delay of about one second, the track will start
playing.
To select a multi-digit track number, choose the buttons for the track number
one by one. For example, if you want to select track number 128, choose 1
first, then 2 and then 8. As you choose the buttons, the track numbers will be
shown in the "Touch-Sensitive" Display.
However, the track selection logic uses a delay of one second to decide whether
the track selection process has completed. Therefore, you must choose the
buttons quickly, each within a second of choosing the previous button.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. Adjusting the Volume ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can adjust the volume of the player by using the Volume Control slider in
the "Touch-Sensitive" Display.
Volume Control behaves like a standard slider control in OS/2. To change the
volume, use your left mouse button to drag the slider up or down, as required.
Alternatively, you can also click your right mouse button at the desired level
to force a jump to that position.
You can also use the keyboard to adjust the Volume Control slider. The Up and
Down arrow keys move the volume up and down respectively. For minimum volume,
press the Home key, and for the maximum, use the End key.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. Changing a Track's Playing Position ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can change the playing position of a track before you play it or while it
is playing. If you want to start playing from a certain position of the track,
move the Progress Slider at the bottom of the "Touch-Sensitive" Display to the
corresponding position.
To change the track's playing position:
1. Use your left mouse button to drag the Progress Slider to the
position where you want the track to start playing.
2. Release the mouse button only when the highlighted portion of the
Progress Slider reaches the position that you have chosen.
3. If your player is already playing, the player will immediately go to
the position that you have chosen and start playing. If your player
is not playing, choose the Play button to start playing the track at
the position you have chosen.
Note:
You can also use hot keys to change the track's playing position. Press <G> to
select the Progress Slider and use the left and right arrow keys to go to the
position that you want.
Tip
To force the Progress Slider to jump to a desired position immediately, click
your right mouse button at that location. This is more efficient than using
your left mouse button to drag the mouse to the desired location.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5. Compiling a Playlist ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
What is a Playlist
The Playlist Dialog
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5.1. What is a Playlist? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
An EmsembleMidi playlist is a collection of .MID files which might reside in
different drives or directories on the system. It also serves as a way for you
to group and save tracks of a similar nature under a meaningful name.
After a playlist has been compiled, you only need to choose the Play button
once to play all the tracks in the list sequentially. You can also vary the
method of playback by choosing one of the three Mode Selector buttons: that is,
Introduction, Repeat or Shuffle.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5.2. The Playlist Dialog Box ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can compile a list of tracks in CreativeMidi by using the Playlist dialog
box.
To bring up the Playlist dialog box, choose the Playlist button. You can
activate this button by clicking your mouse or by pressing the <L> key.
Playlist Dialog Box
The Playlist dialog box consists of the the following components:
Components Purpose
Collection: combo box Allows you to select a Collection. The
current collection title is displayed in
the combo box and the files in the current
collection are displayed in the Playlist:
list box.
List Files of Type: combo box Allows you to select the type of files to
be displayed in the Files: list box.
CreativeMidi plays .MID files only.
Playlist: list box. Displays the files in the current
collection.
Files: list box Displays the files in the current
directory. The type of files displayed
depends on the type of files selected in
the List Files of Type: list box.
Drives: Allows you to select the drive.
Directories: list box Displays the directories in the current
drive selected. To expand a listed
directory, double-click on the directory
name.
Save button Saves the playlist into the currently
selected collection. This button is enabled
only when the current collection is
modified (that is, when files are added or
removed). Removing all files from the
playlist also disables this button. In
other words, you cannot save an empty
playlist.
Save As button Saves the playlist under a different
Collection name.
Delete button Delete the current collection.
Play button Plays the selected track in the Playlist:
or Files: list box.
Add button Adds the selected files in the Files: list
box to the current collection. The names of
the added files appear at the end of the
Playlist: list box. This button is enabled
only when one or more files in the Files:
list box are selected.
Add All button Behaves like the Add button, except that
choosing this adds all the files in the
Files: list box to the current collection.
Clear button Removes all of the files from the current
collection.
Remove button Removes the selected files in the Playlist:
list box from the current collection. This
button is enabled only when one or more
files in the Playlist: list box are
selected.
Done button Confirms the compilation of the playlist.
Any changes that you made to the current
collection are saved and the dialog box is
closed.
Cancel button Closes the Playlist dialog box and abandons
all changes made to the current collection.
The playlist reverts to its last saved
copy.
Help button. Displays this Help panel.
Drag&Drop in Playlist Dialog Box.
The Playlist dialog box supports standard OS/2 drag and drop operations. To
add more tracks to the existing playlist, simply select the required item(s)
in the Files: list box and then drag them into the Playlist: list box.
You can also drag and drop files from the Drives folder. Just open the folder
of the directory where you want to drag the files from. Select the files that
you want to include in the playlist and drag them into the Playlist: list box.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.6. Moving the CreativeMidi Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To move the CreativeMidi window, use your left mouse button to drag the
CreativeMidi window to the new position.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.7. Keyboard Shortcuts ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Press To do this
<A> Pauses a track playback
<Alt+Spacebar> Activates the Menu
<B> Plays the previous track
<Ctrl+D> Toggles the "Touch-Sensitive" Display mode.
<F> Plays the next track
<F1> Activates the on-line Help
<G> Activates the Progress Slider
<H> Toggles the Shuffle mode
<I> Toggles the Introduction mode
<K> Rewinds the track by one second per click
<L> Activates the Playlist dialog box
<M> Toggles the Repeat mode
<N> Minimizes CreativeMidi to an icon
<O> Quits CreativeMidi
<P> Plays a selected track
<S> Stops a track playback
<V> Activates the Volume Control
<W> Fast-forwards the track by one second per click
<1,..9,0> Enters a track number through the Track Selector buttons
1,..9,0
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This is an ordered list of tracks. During playback, the player will
sequentially play the tracks in this list.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Name of a playlist.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Use this control to adjust the volume of your MIDI sequence.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Use this selector to toggle the Repeat mode of the player. If this mode is
active, the player will start playing from the first track of the playlist
whenever it has finished playing the last track in the list. If this mode is
turned off, the player will stop once the playlist is exhausted.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Use this selector to toggle the Shuffle mode of the player. When this mode is
on, the order of the tracks in the playlist is randomized. When this mode is
off, the playlist is restored to its original order.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Use this selector to toggle the Introduction mode of the player. When this mode
is active, the player plays only the first few seconds of each track and then
skips to the next track.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This slider indicates the percentage playback completion of the current track.
It can also be used to control the position of the current track.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose this button to stop a track that is being played. The player will begin
from the first track in the playlist later.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose this button to start a playback of a chosen track.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose this button to pause the track that is being played. Note that this
button can be chosen only when a playback is in progress.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose this button to make the player skip to the previous track. If a playback
is in progress when this is selected, the player will start playing the
previous track.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose this button to quickly rewind the current track at one second per click.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose this button to fast-forward the current track at one second per click.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose this button to make the player advance by one track.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose the Power-Off button to quit CreativeMidi.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose the Menu button to display the System Menu.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose the Minimize button to reduce the CreativeMidi window to an icon.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choose the Playlist button to bring up the Playlist dialog box.