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SJGPlay for Windows Preliminary Documentation (C)1998 Steve J. Gray
=================== V0.52, Apr 26, 1998 =====================
<< Double-click titlebar for full screen! >>
Email: sgray@acs.ryerson.ca
WWW : http://www.ryerson.ca/~sgray
Please see the README.TXT file for version info, changes, bugs etc.
Disclaimer:
-----------
This is FREEWARE BETA software. Use at own risk!!! I will attempt to
correct any BUGS that are reported to me, however since this is FREEWARE,
please understand that I cannot provide SUPPORT if it doesn't work on
your system.
Data Files:
-----------
Sample data files are not included. They are available on my web
page. Make sure you set the paths to the sample files via the CONFIG
screen then save the config. If you create a complete album including
lyrics for all songs please e-mail them to me and I can add to the
samples.zip file.
MCI Formats:
------------
SJGPlay supports various Media formats via the Windows MCI interface.
Some formats are standard, while others are only supported when additional
hardware and/or software is installed (ie: MPEG files). To see which MCI
devices you have installed run the Microsoft Media player and look at the
"device" menu.
Current formats supported:
Waveform Audio...: WAV
MIDI Sequences...: MID, RMI, KAR
Video For Windows: AVI
Quicktime Video..: MOV, QT
MPEG Video.......: MPG, DAT, MPEG
MMMovie..........: MMM
Animation........: FLC, FLI
GoldDisk Anims...: AWA, AWM
* Music Modules..: MOD, MTM, FAR, 669, OKT, STM, S3M, NST, WOW, XM
ActiveMovie 2....: AU, SND, AIF, AIFF, AIFC, MP1, MP2, MP3, MPA
(*) Using MOD4WIN driver, currently in BETA testing.
Additional formats can be defined in the MCI tab of the config window.
SJGPlay Files:
--------------
SJGPlay creates and/or uses these files:
CD Information...: CDxxxxxx.CD
CD Lyrics tracks.: CDxxxxxx.Tnn
CD+G files for CD: CDxxxxxx.Gnn
CD Albums........: CDxxxxxx.ALB
Digitized Covers.: CDxxxxxx.BMP
Multimedia Lists.: *.MML
Media file Lyrics: *.TXT
Media CD+G file..: *.CDG
(where xxxxxx is the CD Identification number based on the total number
of FRAMES on the CD, and nn is the track number; 01 to 99. All files
(except album covers) are plain text files)
Tip: To make album covers you must first get the CD's "ID Number" from
the edit window's title bar or the catalog then scan/digitize or
rename the BMP file of the cover and place it in the cover directory.
Example: Say the ID for the CD is 123456; the program will look for
and display a file called CD123456.BMP in the cover directory.
First-time users:
-----------------
The first time you run the program it will use the built-in default
settings. The default mode is "media" which will cause the edit window
to automatically appear. Just click cancel if you want to play a CD. In
the top section use the pull-down menu to change "media" to "CD 1". I
recommend you create some directories to store your data files then
click on the "config" button to set up the initial mode and the paths
to the data files. Remember to save the config.
INTRODUCTION
============
SJGPlay is a program to play Audio CD's and Multimedia files. It is
available in 16 and 32 bit versions. You must install the complete
release of SJGPlay in order to properly install the VisualBASIC
runtime files.
One of it's main features is the ability to add lyrics to both CD
audio tracks and media files. As well, it has the ability to display
lyrics from Karaoke Midi files (KAR format) and Display graphics from
CD+G files (created from Karaoke CD's).
WINDOWS
=======
The following windows make up the program:
* Main Window - consist of various "sections" for control of the
program or for displaying information.
* Config Window - lets you set all the program options.
* Edit window - to enter album title and track name information
and/or to add media files.
* Lyric Window - Displays lyrics in sync with track playback.
* CDG Window - Displays CD+G graphics in sync to CD audio
or media (MP3, Wav etc)
* Cover Window - Displays digitized album covers.
* Catalog Window- Displays catalog of cds, albums, lyrics or media lists.
* Sync Window - Lets you synchronize lyrics to track playback.
* Remote Window - A "remote control" just like your VCR remote.
* Help Window - Displays this help text.
CONFIG WINDOW
=============
The configuration window is where all the program options can be set. At
the top of the window is the current version and date. At the bottom of the
window is the copyright notice and a button to save the configuration and
one to close the window.
The window can be brought up by any of the following methods:
* Click on the Side Configure button (if enabled)
* Click on the Config button in the button bar section
* Click on the "!" button on the remote, or
* Press the "!" key on the keyboard
The window consists of 6 tabbed sections:
* Display - Options related to the look of the program
* Options - Startup and exiting options and miscellaneos features
* Lyrics - Lyrics font and colour and window options
* Paths - Paths for various data and to media files
* Misc - Miscellaneos settings
* MCI - For Custom MCI drivers
Options on each tab are grouped by similar function.
1) Display tab:
Display List;
Presets menu lets you select pre-defined screen layouts.
A Layout consist of one or more sections in any order. Each
section is lettered from A to J. You can also choose the
"custom" preset which lets you define your own layout (see
below). The current layout is listed. The current may be
different from the preset if you have removed sections
manually by clicking on the close button beside the section
in the main window.
There is a checkbox to enable the "Toolbar" which will
always be at the top of the window. The toolbar activates
most common program features.
Custom Display List;
Lets you define your own screen layout. The CC button
copies the current layout from the Display List section.
The X button clears the display list. Below are boxes for
each section (A to J). Clicking on a box toggles the
section in the display list. Sections are added to the end
of the list. Selecting a section will cause the lettered
box to turn green so you know which sections are included.
Tip: To design your own layout make sure the Display List
is set for "Custom", then as you click on each letter box
the main window will be updated immediately.
Display Area;
Controls the layout of the display area (section A). Use
the Layout menu to select from one to four sections. Below
are 4 drop-down menus corresponding to the 4 areas. You can
choose what is displayed in each area. If you select the
same option for more than one area only one will actually
appear. The horizontal and vertical % boxes determine how
the area is split. The split can also be adjusted via the
mouse by dragging the divider bar in the area itself.
Time Display;
Lets you choose the style for the time display. There are
three styles: LCD, Red LED, and Green LED.
LCD Panel;
Determines what information is displayed in the LCD Panel
(section J), the mini control section, and the titlebar.
Check the "cycle" box to have the LCD Panel cycle between
all selected items. When cycle is off the information can
be cycled manually by clicking in the LCD panel itself.
Window On Top;
Check the boxes of the windows you want to "float" above
all other windows (provided they themselves are not set on
top as well). Note: This can cause confusion if you have
set a window to be on top and the window has been
maximixed. This will efectively shield other windows from
becoming visible! Tip: double-clicking on a window titlebar
will toggle a window from maximized to normal.
Misc;
* Titlebar:
selects what is displayed on the titlebar of the main
window. You can choose nothing, track title, album
title or the same as the LCD Panel.
* Config/Close buttons:
turns on a close button to the left of each section as
well as one big config button on the right.
* Stretch bitmaps:
if enabled makes the album cover bitmaps fill the
entire window. If not enabled the bitmap will always be
square.
* Black section outlines:
causes each section to have a black line around it to
make it appear more distinct.
* Large LCD:
Selects the large LCD character set rather than small.
* 1-Line TB:
limits the trackbutton section to a single line adding
scroll buttons if nessary.
2) Options tab:
On Startup;
* Initial Mode:
selects CD or media mode or Remember last used.
* Auto Play;
enables auto play when each CD is inserted.
* Initial Repeat:
sets the repeat mode on startup.
On Exit;
Determines the actions when the program exits. You can have
the CD stop or be ejected. Config settings can
automatically be saved.
Shuttle;
Controls the intro time, fast-forward and reverse times.
There are two times; ">" for small and ">>" for large.
Misc;
* Auto Edit new CD:
opens edit window if CD not in catalog.
* Exit on disc ejection:
exits program if CD ejected.
* Eject CD when completed:
ejects disc at end of CD or program.
* Initial CD Unit scan:
detects number of CD units for menu.
* Use programmed tracks if available
enables program mode if there is a program saved with the
CD data file.
* Allow any file to be selected for media album:
lets you choose any file (except common files like
exe, com. bat etc) to a media album. You must have the
proper MCI driver installed to play the file.
* CD Polling:
Sets how often the CD is checked. Used for lyric playback,
blip, etc. Don't set too low or your system may be
adversely affected!
3) Lyrics tab:
Appearance;
Lets you select the typeface, forground and background
colours for the lyrics via the standard windows dialogs.
Just click inside the appropriate box.
Current/Preview Size;
Chooses how lyrics are displayed. The size of the lyrics
can be set to a fixed size or can change size depending on
the size of the lyrics window or area. Limit font size
forces text to the limit set in the Font Size Limit box.
Paged List Size;
Similar to above for use with the "paged" lyrics area.
Selecting "no change" prevents the program from using the
selected Typeface on startup and/or disables further font
changes. Limit font size same as above.
Font Size Limits;
Sets the maximum and minimum allowable font size. Lets you
restrice font sizes when windows are sized so that they
don't become unreadable (too small) or too slow (big).
Separate Lyrics Window;
Sets options for the separate lyrics window. Select a
layout from the menu. You can select various combinations
of current, preview (next) or paged lyrics. If "show
control bar" is selected there will be an additional
section at the bottom that contains playback controls and
buttons to change the layout mode or close the window. If
this section is not displayed you must close the window by
pressing the "K" key or clicking on the "Lyrics" button in
the main window. Auto open/close determines if the window
automatically opens when the track has lyrics and closes
for tracks without lyrics.
Background Picture options; None, Same as cover picture or
specific BMP file. Click on the "..." button to browse.
Misc;
Show traffic light enables the "red, yellow, green" bar
which changes to indicate when the next lyric line will
be displayed. IE: If you are using it for Karaoke this
helps you get ready to sing the next line. If "split KAR
lines" is enabled the lyrics will be split based on how
much time is between syllables. This will usually cause
words to be split in the middle (and be hyphenated), but
does allow you to better syncronize your singing. If not
enabled lines will be split as specified in the midi file.
4) Paths tab:
Lets you specify the locations of the various data and media files.
Data;
Audio CD Info - location of ".CD" files.
Cover Bitmaps - location of ".BMP" files.
Media Albums - location of ".MML" files.
Media Files;
Default Path - the default path when the edit window opens.
All others - location of various media types as specified.
Misc;
Set last path as default - remembers the last path and uses
it as the default path.
5) Misc tab:
Enter custom message and MIDI reset file.
6) MCI tab:
Enter MCI driver names and associated extensions.
MAIN WINDOW
===========
The main window is designed to be as flexible as possible and to let
you display as much or as little as possible while still allowing
control of the program, and as such, many program functions are duplicated
in the various sections.
The main window is fully scalable and consists of various "sections".
Each section displays specific information. These sections may be in any
order or not displayed at all as set in the configuration. If
"Side section/config buttons" is selected in the configuration screen then
there will be a button on the left of each section. Double-clicking on this
button will remove the section from the main window. Clicking once and
draging will allow you to move the section up or down in the window.
On the right side of the window will be one tall button that is used to
bring up the configuration screen.
The main window controls all other windows. You can minimize the window
so that it can't be seen however if you close the main window you will exit
the program (and thereby close all other open windows).
Display Sections
----------------
There are several preset display lists in the configuration/display tab
that contain named presets, plus one custom list for your own use.
)) Toolbar:
Contains buttons for the most common program features/options. The
toolbar is divided into 5 functional groups;
1> Configuration, Help, and Window toggles
- Config, Help, Edit, Sync, Lyrics, Cover, Catalog, Remote
2> Display option
- Side Buttons, Change Area, Rotate Area, Next Display preset
3> Mode options
Play Mode, Repeat, Set A, Set B, Continue
3> Playback options
- Eject, Stop, Pause, Play, Previous Track, Next Track
4> Shuttle options
- Intro, Single Track Play, Rew*2, Rew, Fwd, Fwd*2
A) Display Area:
Displays various information that you choose. Can have from
one to four areas arranged in the following layouts:
- One; Fills entire area.
- Two; split horizontally.
- Two; split vertically.
- Three; one top, two bottom.
- Three; two left side, one right side.
- Four.
When more than one area is displayed the areas can be sized
using the mouse and dragging the divider bar or by entering
a split percentage in the configuration/display tab.
The following can be displayed in the display area:
- Info. Listing of all Tracks in the album
- Karaoke. The current lyric line.
- Preview. The next lyric line.
- Lyrics Page. All the lyrics in a list.
- Cover Picture. Digitized CD cover.
- Track Time. Elapsed or remaining time.
- Video. Prevents separate video window from appearing.
In the config you can specify which appears in each area. If
you specify the same thing in two or more sections only one
will appear.
B) Controls:
Contain the main controls for playback. The following is displayed
from left to right:
- Track number. Two digits. If the track number is greater
than 99 there will be a yellow bar underneath the number.
Clicking on the track number will bring up the edit window.
- Track time. Can display elapsed or remaining time in either
mm:ss or frames. Clicking on the time will cycle through
the various modes.
- Playback controls. From left to right:
* Eject, Stop, Pause, Play, Prev Trk, Next Trk
* Intro Play, Single Play, Rev*2, Rev, Fwd, Fwd*2
- A-B repeat. From top to bottom:
* SetA, SetB, Cancel
- Playmode. From top to bottom:
* Standard Play, Programmed Play, Random Play
- Display control. From top to bottom:
* Cycle display Area, Rotate areas, cycle display list
- CD/Media select drop-down menu.
- Track Programming drow down menu. Contains the following:
* Play.....Clicking on trackbutton plays track.
* Del......Clicking on trackbutton deletes track.
* Clear....Clears playlist
* All......Selects all tracks.
* Jumble...Mixes up order of tracks in playlist.
* Lyric Tracks. Selects only tracks that have lyrics.
This menu only appears when programmed playmode is selected.
C) Titles:
Displays pull-down menus for Album and Track.
- Album menu. Displays album name as default. Other menu options:
* Edit album info. Brings up the edit window.
* Eject. Ejects the CD or clears the media album.
* Lyrics on/off. Toggles the lyrics window.
* Cover on/off. Toggles the cover window.
* Catalog on/off. Toggles the catalog window.
* Config. Brings up the configuration window.
- Title menu. Displays current track title as default. The other
tracks are listed in the menu. Selecting a track plays it.
D) Track Buttons:
Clicking a button plays the selected track. Clicking on a track
button when the track is playing will stop playback. If program mode
is enabled then clicking on the track will either play the track or
delete the track from the playlist depending on the setting of the
program menu (below the mode menu in the control section).
Each track has it's own button. A maximum of 100 can be displayed
at any one time and will use as many lines as needed to display all
buttons. If "1-Line TB" is enabled only one line of buttons will be
displayed along with a set of paging buttons (if needed) to select
"pages" of tracks. Button sizes adjust automatically.
E) Elapsed track position:
Displays a bar indicating track progress. You can drag the slider
box to adjust the playback position. When A-B repeat is enabled a
grey marker appears indicating the repeat area. You can drag the
ends of this zone to adjust the A and B positions.
F) Messages:
Displays status messages. Normally displays the current track title
or the title of the track when the mouse is over top a trackbutton
(section E).
G) Blip:
A travelling green light that moves from left to right during
playback. Clicking will pause or resume playback.
H) Button Bar:
Buttons for common program functions. The following are available:
* Edit. Brings up the edit window.
* Sync. Brings up the sync window if the track has lyrics.
* Lyrics. Toggles the lyrics window.
* Cover. Toggles the cover window.
* Catalog. Toggles the catalog window.
* Config. Brings up the configuration window.
* Remote. Toggles the remote control window.
* Help. Brings up the help text file.
I) Mini controls:
Small buttons to control playback, plus the track number, time and
message. The message is the same that is displayed in the LCD
Panel section.
J) LCD Panel:
Digital display panel. Displays selected information as set in the
config display tab. The panel can be set to cycle between selected
text at a preset interval.
EDIT WINDOW
===========
The edit window is for editing information for the current CD or for
adding files to a media album. The title bar will indicate the IDNUM for
the current CD or the Album name for media albums. The album field is where
the artist name and album title go, usually like "artist - album" so that
albums are grouped by artist when displayed in the catalog, however you are
free to enter whatever you like. Below the album field is the track number
and name field. Use the cursor up/down keys to select the track number to
edit. When done click on the save button. The cancel button will discard
any changes you have made.
The lyrics button lets you edit the lyrics for the chosen track. When
clicked the track titles will be replaced by a text editing box. The lyrics
button will be replaced by "rev" and "pause" buttons to let you control
playback of the current track. Clicking the pause button pauses playback.
Clicking it again continues playback. The "rev" button reverses a few
seconds so you can listen to the lyrics again. Tip: Rather than using the
mouse to click on these buttons you can use the ALT-R and ALT-P keys so
you don't have to move your hands from the keyboard. The "clean" button
removes all leading and extra spaces in the text. Do not use it if the
track has already been synchronized. Clean is useful when you cut and
paste lyrics from the internet.
When finished editing click on the save button. This returns you to the
normal album edit mode. Clicking Cancel returns you without saving the
lyrics.
Media Mode
----------
When media mode is selected the edit window will contain an extra section
at the bottom that lets you add files to the album. In the top section
two buttons will be added. In the bottom section one button will be added.
The "open" button lets you open an MML file (multimedia list) and the "del"
button deletes the selected track from the album. The "use" button lets
you use the tracks on the album without saving them. The "save" button
saves the album to an MML file.
On the left side of the new section is the drive and directory selectors.
On the right is the preset path selector and the file list. Preset paths
are defined in the config screen and allow you to define a path for each
of the different media types supported. This gives you a quick method of
organizing and selecting files. To add a file double-click on the filename
or click once then click on the add button. To add all files in the path
click the "Sel All" button then click "Add". You can also select or
de-select files by holding down the CTRL or the SHIFT key when clicking on
the filename. You can select a maximum of 32,767 files in a single album
(memory permitting). When you add a file the file will appear in the album
list in the format: FILENAME @PATH\FILENAME.EXT
By default, the filename (without the EXTension) becomes the track name.
You can change the name of the track by editing it, however do not edit
anything after the @ symbol (this is the complete path to the file).
LYRICS WINDOW
=============
The lyrics window is similar to the "display area". There are several
configurations for the window. You can display the current line, next line
(preview) or paged list. If you have turned on the control bar there will
be an "M" button that cycles between various arrangements. If the control
bar is on there will also be mini playback buttons and a "done" button to
close the window. If the "traffic light" has been enabled there will be
a bar on the left side of the window that changes from black to red, yellow
or green to indicate when the next lyric line is to be sung.
CD+G WINDOW
===========
Opens when a corresponding CDG file is detected. Example:
Media......: "THEME.MP3" will display the file "THEME.CDG".
CD Audio...: "CD123456.T01" will display the file "CD123456.G01".
About CDG files: These files are create by extracting the CD+G info from
the subcode area of a CDG disk. SJGPlay DOES NOT read the CD+G info
directly from the disc! To find out how to create CDG files please see my
home page!
COVER WINDOW
============
The cover window displays a digitized picture of the CD album cover. The
window can be scaled to any size. If "stretch bitmap" in the configuration
is set then the picture will fill the entire window and may be distorted
depending on the window dimensions, otherwise the bitmap will be square.
CATALOG WINDOW
==============
The catalog window lets you list the CD's, Lyrics, albums, album covers,
and multimedia lists in your collection. Select the catalog using the
drop-down menu at the top left. To see the details of the file click on an
entry and click the "View" button. Click "Return" to return to the list.
Click the "Edit" button to edit the selected entry using Notepad.
On the right side is a preview window where the album cover of the selected
entry will appear (if available). If "Copy to cover" is checked then the
bitmap will be copied to the main cover window. To manually copy the cover
click on the picture. To close the window click the "Done" button.
SYNC WINDOW
===========
The sync window lets you synchronize the lyrics to the playback of the
current track. The sync button in the main window will not be enabled
unless the current track has lyrics. When clicked the main window will
disappear and playback will stop.
Initial Synchronization
-----------------------
If you haven't sync'd the track yet then the only choice you will have
is the "Start New" button. When you click this button playback will start.
As each line is sung press the "<- NOW" button. Continue for all the lyric
lines. Click the Pause button to pause or continue playback. If you miss
the start of the line you can click on the "back" button to re-try. If you
clicked too early or too late you can click on the "adjust" button then use
the "<<" and ">>" buttons or the scroll-bar to adjust the start of the
line. When the line has been corrected click the "continue" button.
If you don't want to sync the track, click on the "Cancel" button.
When (and only when) all lines have been synchronized will you be able to
save. After completing the last line the program will switch to "edit"
mode and the Save button will be available.
Editing Sync
------------
If you have already synced the track you can click on the "edit" button.
When you have completed the initial sync'ing you will also be put in edit
mode. In edit mode you can click the line to adjust then use the "<<" and
">>" buttons or the scroll-bar to adjust the beginning of the line. To go
to the next line click the "next" button. When everything has been edited
click on the "save" button.
REMOTE CONTROL WINDOW
=====================
The remote control window works much like a VCR remote except this one
also has the track number and time displayed. On the top right below the
close button is the "v" button that controls the height of the remote. This
lets you select the full complement of buttons or just a minimum set of
playback buttons.
The first two rows are the same as the playback controls in the main
window. The third row corresponds to the buttons on the "button bar"
section. The remaining rows are the numbers to select tracks or to set
options. Here are the rows:
*1> Eject, Stop, Pause, Play, Previous Track, Next Track
*2> Intro, Single Play, Rev*2, Rev, Fwd, Fwd*2
*3> Edit, Sync, Lyrics, Cover, Catalog, Config
*4> 7, 8, 9, Display Area mode, rotate area, cycle display preset
*5> 4, 5, 6, SetA, SetB, Clear A-B Repeat
*6> 1, 2, 3, 0, Cycle Play Mode, Cycle Repeat Mode
Clicking the track number will open the edit window.
HELP WINDOW
===========
Displays this help file. Double-click on the titlebar to maximize the
window. Click on the top right "X" to close it.
KEY CONTROL
===========
The following keys can be used to control the program. Note that when an
element such as a list box or drop-down menu is selected then pressing a
key will choose an item from the list or menu that begins with that letter.
Make sure that no list boxes or menus are currently selected before
pressing a key. The following keys are compatible with SJGPlay for DOS
except where noted with "*". These keys work when either the main, lyric,
cover, or remote window is selected.
Key(s) Function
------ --------
0-9 Enter a 2-digit track number to select specific track
+/- Select next/previous track
A/B Set A/B repeat points
* C Display Catalog
E Edit CD Info
F Toggle Fullscreen
G Cycle Program mode
H/? Display Help
I Toggle Intro
J Jumble (Shuffle) programmed tracks
* K Toggle Karaoke window
M Next Display Area Mode (changes mode of lyric window if selected)
P/S Play/Stop
R Cycle Repeat Mode / Cancel A-B Repeat
T Cycle Time Mode
* V Toggle Cover
X Eject CD
* Y Sync Lyrics
* Z Pause/Resume Playback
* ! Toggle Configuration window
* / Rotate Display Area contents
* \ Toggle Remote Control
, Next pre-set display layout
~ Re-read CD in CD-ROM drive
</> Previous/Next CD-ROM drive unit
| Main: Toggle Side buttons / Lyrics: Toggle control bar
ESC Toggle Toolbar
Troubleshooting
---------------
* You get the message "Cannot find VB40016.DLL".
The VisualBasic 4 runtimes are not installed.
Download the complete release of SJGPlay.
* You get the message "Runtime error 31037".
Possibly I messed up when I compiled the program. E-mail me to
report the problem. Look for an update on my homepage...
* You get the message "not a registered MCI device".
You do not have the proper MCI driver to play the specified file.
For example to play MP3 or MPEG files you need ActiveMovie 2.
To verify that an MCI driver is correctly installed run
Microsoft's Media Player and look under the devices menu.
* ActiveMovie is installed but doesn't appear in Media Player.
Check your SYSTEM.INI file for the line: ActiveMovie=mciqtz.drv
If it is missing you must add it to the [MCI] section.
* The Control buttons are all garbled.
This is a known problem with Diamond Stealth Video cards.
Try updating your video driver.
* Can't skip to next track or there is a long delay.
This seems to happen on older CD-ROM drives.
Try finding a newer CD-ROM driver or get a newer drive.
<<<END>>>