Please take a minute to read over the following information. It has been provided to help you configure and optimize your system for running IDEA SOURCE.
CD-ROM as a medium allows us to store hundreds of megabytes of information on a single compact disc. However, the trade-off is speed. We have done everything that we can to optimize this disc. However, we have one request of you. Be Patient! Your computer will need to load files off of the CD-ROM into memory. When this happens, you will not be able to move or click. How will you know? Watch for these signs...
- Cursor will change from a pointer to a watch
- The cursor will completely disappear
- The access light on your CD-ROM will light up
Any of these signs is a signal telling you to wait. As soon as the computer has finished loading you will be ready to venture again.
IDEA SOURCE was designed to function on a Macintosh computer equipped with no less than 6 meg of free or available RAM, a 13 inch color monitor (640 x 480 pixels), and a CD-ROM drive. The access time for animations and QuickTime movies will vary based on the age, model and speed of your CD-ROM drive. IDEA SOURCE will run on a system which has 6000K of FREE RAM. (In order to find out how much free RAM you have available in your computer pull down to the "About this Macintosh" selection under the Apple Menu from the Finder.) We have provided 2 versions of the Idea Source launcher file. Each provided for a different Macintosh type, Power Macs and all others.
This will insure maximum performance of the Quicktime movies and animations.
Make sure that you have a copy of QuickTime and Sound Manager in the Extensions folder inside the System Folder on your hard drive. If you do not own a copy of QuickTime and Sound Manager, we have provided the most current versions inside the folder titled ╥System Stuff╙ on the desktop of this CD-ROM. Simply double click to open this folder then click and drag the icons ╥QuickTime╙ and "Sound Manager" from the CD over to the System Folder on your hard drive. If you are using System 7, your computer will automatically place these documents into the Extensions folder. Restart your Macintosh in order to activate these extensions.
IDEA SOURCE is a VERY MEMORY INTENSIVE PROGRAM. In order to have an enjoyable experience TURN OFF ALL OF YOUR INITs, except for QuickTime, Sound Manager and your CD-ROM drivers. There is a significant performance increase without INITs and with the amount of graphics that are sent to your screen we need every bit of CPU time we can get.
Make sure that the driver software used to access your CD-ROM drive is as up-to-date as possible. Check the version number and contact the manufacturer of the CD-ROM drive for upgrades. If you are using a CD-ROM drive that has multiple speed setting, make sure that the driver software if set to the fastest possible speed.
IDEA SOURCE was designed to function with your monitor set to 256 colors. If your monitor is set to anything other than this, IDEA SOURCE will prompt you to quit and reset the ╥monitors╙ control panel to 256.
Certain accelerators, such as the Radius Rocket, have problems playing back 'streaming audio' files off of disc. If you own one of these accelerators and you are having sound problems, please turn it off before running IDEA SOURCE.
Network users - To insure smooth performance of all of IDEA SOURCE QuickTime movies, make sure that your file sharing option is turned off. This can be done by choosing "Control Panels" from the Apple menu and double clicking on the ╥Sharing Setup╙ icon. When the dialog box appears click on the STOP button under the ╥FILE SHARING╙ title. You do not have to restart your computer for this to take effect.
System 6.07 Users! - We did not want to exclude you from running IDEA SOURCE, however there are some known errors that you will have to deal with if you are not yet ready for System 7. Without getting too technical, there are some graphics that may appear on your screen as flat white ╘holes.╒ The program will not crash due to this, but it may not be the most elegant site. The problem is seemingly random, and therefore we can╒t tell you where to expect it. If it is a major annoyance for you, the simple fix is to upgrade to System 7.
If you're using System 7, make sure the ╥Virtual Memory╙ is turned OFF. This setting is found under the ╥Control Panels╙ and the icon titled ╥Memory╙. Remember to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Power Users! - If you really want to see IDEA SOURCE perform, and if you have a 300MB hard drive laying around, then copy the entire IDEA SOURCE folder to your hard drive for optimal load time performance. You will have to keep the same folder hierarchy, but when you do so, it will really scream.
We in the Media Development Group want to thank you for using IDEA SOURCE. We hope that you have as much fun as we do creating it. If you have any creative comments or questions relating to IDEA SOURCE or future Dynamic Graphics multi-media projects we would love to hear from you. Call us at 1-800-255-8800 or use the INTERFACE section of IDEA SOURCE to let us know of your thoughts. Simply fill out, print and mail/fax (309-688-3075) the form to us.
