Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr05/owlite2.zip/MANUAL.TXT

Text File | 1995-02-17 | 19KB | 443 lines

            OverWrite Lite for Windows User Guide


                   Copyright 1992-1995
                    Alligator Software
                   Post Office Box 606
               Tahoe City, California 96145
                     [phone]
                   Fax [phone]


The Shareware Concept:

Shareware  is a distribution method, not a type of software.
The Shareware system makes selecting software easy, because
you ôtry before  you  buy.ö Software developers use the
Shareware concept to keep advertising and overhead costs
low, thereby keeping costs low as well. Shareware has the
ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the
product,  you don't pay for it. If  you  try  a Shareware
program and continue  using it, you are expected to register
your copy.

OverWrite Lite is a "shareware program" is provided at no
charge to the user for evaluation.  You may share it with
others, but do not give it away altered or as part of
another program.  If you find  OverWrite useful and continue
to use it after a 30 day trial period, you are expected to
register your copy. You will then receive a complimentary
upgrade to the full version and be eligible to receive
technical support.

Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial
software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with
a few specific exceptions as stated below. The author
specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the
software, either to all or to a specific group.

Anyone  distributing  OverWrite Lite for any kind of
remuneration must first contact Alligator Software at the
address below for authorization and to assure that only the
latest version is being distributed.


WHAT IS OverWriting?

    OverWriting is the effect you use with your word
processor, spreadsheet, or almost any other program  to
print transparent backgrounds telling others that your
documents are DRAFT, FOR DISCUSSION ONLY, CONFIDENTIAL or
subject to ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE.


INSTALLATION:

    You should have already installed OverWrite Lite from
the compressed distribution file.  If for some reason this
has not been done, review the included README.1ST file.


QUICK START:

    1.  Before you start Windows, you must load the
OverWrite driver.  This is done by typing OWLITON at your
DOS C Prompt.  If you forget to do this, when you start
OverWrite from within Windows you will be reminded and it
will be necessary to exit Windows, load the driver, and
restart Windows.  If you use this file within a batch (.BAT)
file, such as AUTOEXEC.BAT, you must use the command
CALL C:\OWLITON.

    2.  Once Windows is started, start OverWrite by double
clicking on the OverWrite Lite Icon in the Alligator Soft-
ware Group.  OverWrite will appear and float above all other
applications.


USING OverWrite:

    The OverWrite Main Window:

    When you start OverWrite you will see the main window.
Initially the box below 'Message Selected' will say 'Nothing
Selected' and the Do Not Print  and Delete buttons will not
be visible.  As messages are selected, the current message
will be displayed in the box below 'Message Selected' and
the two buttons will be visible whenever a message is
active.


    The main window allows you to select from pre-created
(or Standard Messages), to create your own three line Custom
Messages on LaserJet 3 or 4 compatible printers, and to get
on-line help.

    On-Line Help:

    If you want help on any OverWrite command, select Help
from the menu and select Commands.  A help screen will
appear.  You can scroll through the  text or go directly to
a topic by using the 'Go To' box.

    Selecting Standard Messages:

    First click on the Message Selected box below 'Message
Selected' in the main window with your mouse.  A list of
installed Standard Messages will appear.  Using your mouse,
move to the message you want and click on it.  A window will
appear indicating that the message is being sent to your
printer, and progress will be shown on a bar.  You can
cancel the process by clicking on the Cancel button.

    It takes a few seconds to load a  message into your
printer the first time.  Once loaded, a message stays in
your printer's memory until it is deleted or the printer is
turned off.

    After the message is loaded into you printer the
OverWrite title will change to indicate 'OverWrite: STAN-
DARD' and the first 10 characters of the message's name.
The icon title will also say this.  Whenever you see
STANDARD and a name, you know that a standard message will
be printed with your output.  Standard Mode messages cannot
be changed or relocated on the page.

    Also displayed are the Do Not Print and the  Delete
buttons.  If you click on the Do Not Print button, the
message will not be printed but will remain in your printer.
The OverWrite window and icon titles will switch to OFF.  If
you select the Delete button, the standard message will be
deleted from your printer and the Window and icon titles
turned to OFF.

    As standard messages are loaded into your printer,
several things happen.  The current message appears in the
Message Selected box with an '!' in front of it.  Also, the
number of messages selected and printer memory space used
appear in the Status Box just below the Message Selected
box.  If you click on the Status Box you will see all those
standard messages which have been loaded into your printer,
and you can switch between them easily.

    Creating Custom Messages:

    If you have a LaserJet 3 or 4 compatible printer you
can use OverWrite to create custom messages of up to three
lines.  These can be scaled to a size you like, made as
light or dark as you wish, rotated, placed at your preferred
location on the page, and saved for later use.

    To create a Custom Message select the Custom Message
command from the command line of the main window.  The
Custom Message dialog box illustrated on Page 8 of this
Guide will appear.  Using your mouse, select the options you
desire.  Available options are:

        Text -  type from one to three lines.  Blank lines
are ignored.

        Printer -  select LaserJet 3 or 4 compatible, as
appropriate.

        Size -  this is the size of your background text.
If you select AUTO the text will be made as large as
possible and centered on the page.  Selecting FULL will
allow you to select the Horizontal and Vertical location and
will make the text as large as possible using that starting
location.  Selecting a number will use that point size for
the text.

        Horiz and Vert -  these set the locations of the
lower left corner of the first letter of the first line of
text with Left  Justification.  If you have selected Auto
Size they will both be set to Auto.  They are in inches and
are measured from the top, left side of the paper.

        Angle -  this is the angle of the text in degrees.
0 is horizontal and 90 is vertical.  Only LaserJet 4
printers support intermediate angles.

        Density -  this is the density of screen printing.
1 is very light and 8 is solid black.

        Justification -  Ctr will center each line in the
space available for the message.  Left will start each line
at the left border of the space.

        Style -  LaserJet 3 printers support Screen or
gray level printing.  With a LaserJet 4 printer you can also
select outline printing, or outline filled with a screen.

    If you select a location or size which will not allow
your message to fit on the page, OverWrite will warn you and
cancel the custom selection.

    After you have made your selections, select the Custom
Message dialog OK button.  OverWrite will load the selection
into your printer and change the Window and icons to say
CUSTOM.  This is a very fast procedure.

    SAVING Custom Messages - You can also save your custom
message for later use.  Just select the Save Custom Message
command from the Options menu  and enter a file name of up
to 8 letters.  Do not enter an extension as it will be
ignored. You do not have to close the Custom Message dialog
box to do this. The Custom Message will be stored in the
same location selected for  OverWrite files during setup.
If you choose a name which was previously used the old
Custom  Message will be changed.  When you save a Custom
Message the titles of the OverWrite window, the Custom
Message dialog box window and the icon titles will be
changed to indicate the selection name and the selection
will be loaded to your printer for use.

    OPENING Custom Message Files -  Previously saved Custom
Messages can be retrieved by using the Open Custom Message
command from the Options menu.  A list of  choices will
appear with the .OWC extension used on all OverWrite Custom
Messages.  Just double click on the selection you want and
it will be loaded into your printer and the titles of
OverWrite windows and icons changed to indicate what will be
printed.  This can be done with the Custom Message dialog
box open.

    If you want to verify or change a retrieved Custom
Message just open the Custom Message dialog box.  You can
make changes.  If you just select OK the changes will be
temporary and the file on disk will not be changed.  If you
select Save Custom Message from the Options menu - and this
can be done while the Custom Message dialog box is still
open - you will see that the old file name is pre-typed and
you can update the disk file and the message to be written
just by clicking on the OK in the Save dialog box.

    ERASING Custom Message Files -  When you are through
using a Custom Message file you can remove it from your hard
disk by using the Erase Custom Message command in the
Options menu.  As a safety factor, you must first select the
message to be erased by using the Open Custom Message or
Save Custom Message commands.  You are asked if you are sure
before the erasing is completed.  As a second safety factor,
the erased  message remains in the Custom Message dialog box
until you either modify it or quit OverWrite.  You can re-
save it under the same or another name.

    When a Custom Message is active the Do Not Print button
is displayed.  If you select the Do Not Print button the
active Custom Message will not print and any file reference
to the Custom Message dialog box is removed.  No file is
erased however.  Use this feature to get a 'new slate'  to
create new or modify old Custom Messages.

    After Choosing Your Message:

    After you have made your OverWrite selection, you can
minimize OverWrite by clicking on the arrowhead at the upper
right corner of the OverWrite main window.  This will reduce
OverWrite to an Icon which will float above all other
applications.  When reduced to an Icon, OverWrite will tell
you the first 10 characters of the name of a Standard mes-
sage which will be printed, the file name of a Custom
message which will be printed, or OFF if nothing will be
printed.  This allows you to know the status of OverWrite at
all times.  You can move the Icon to a convenient spot on
your screen (such as the end of  another application's
button bar) by dragging it with your mouse, and restore
OverWrite to full size at any time just by double clicking
on the Icon.


FINISHING YOUR OverWrite SESSION:

    When you are finished using OverWrite, close it through
the Options menu of the main window or by double clicking on
the upper left corner of the main window.  Your printer will
be reset.

    After you have finished your Windows session, you can
unload the OverWrite driver by typing OWLITOFF at the DOS C
Prompt.  This is not necessary if you plan to turn your
computer off anyway.


QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED:


    How do I make OverWrite turn into an icon?  This is
called 'minimizing'.  Just click on the upper right corner
of the OverWrite main window.

    How do I move the OverWrite icon to a convenient
location on my screen?  Place your mouse cursor on the icon
and hold the mouse button down while moving the icon.  We
suggest you place the icon near your application's controls
so you can instantly see OverWrite's status.

    After I have minimized OverWrite, how do I make it full
size again?  Just double click on the OverWrite icon.

    How do I turn the OverWrite effect off?   Select either
the Do Not Print or the Delete buttons.  The Delete button
also removes the message from printer memory.

    Why are Custom features different for different
printers?  OverWrite uses LaserJet hardware to create back-
ground  messages.  LaserJet 2 printers do not allow
scaling; LaserJet 3 printers do not allow print rotation
other than 0 and 90 degrees; LaserJet 4 printers allow all
of these.

    Is there a limit on how many custom messages I can
store?  No.  And since custom messages take only about 50
bytes on your hard disk, storage will not use much space.

    Can I use WordPerfect for Windows printer drivers?
Yes.  When you set up the printer on WordPerfect, instead of
printing to LPT1 (or LPT2) just print to a file which you
name LPT1.DOS (or LPT2.DOS). Do this by choosing SELECT
PRINTER from the FILE Menu, choosing SETUP from the SELECT
PRINTER box, choosing FILE from the PORT  alternative, and
typing LPT1.DOS (or LPT2.DOS) and pressing the Enter key.
You will get all of the WordPerfect driver features, PLUS
OverWrite.

    How long will my selections stay in my printer's
memory?  OverWrite selections remain in printer memory until
they are deleted by your command, the printer is turned off,
or OverWrite is unloaded.

    What about other printers?     OverWrite uses features
built into LaserJet Series 2, 3 and 4 compatible printers.
Success of use with other printers, even those which claim
to emulate LaserJets, cannot be guaranteed, however printers
with full LaserJet compatibility will most likely function
correctly.

    Do I need anything extra on my printer?    No.
Standard LaserJet compatible printers have sufficient memory
to permit several OverWrite selections to be loaded at once.
If your printer does not have extra memory installed it is
recommended that selections sent to the printer be limited
and that unneeded selections be cleared using OverWrite
periodically.

    How do I prevent a Memory Overflow error?     Memory
overflows are caused by loading  too many selections in a
printer.  If you do not have extra printer memory and
download fonts to your printer, limit the number of
selections added at any one time.  The OverWrite screen
tells you how much of your printer's memory has been used by
OverWrite.  If you get a memory overflow error, just reset
your printer.

    How do I print different OverWrite selections on
different pages?     OverWrite does not discriminate between
pages.  You can print different messages on different pages
by selecting one OverWrite message and printing only the
group of pages you want it to appear on.  Then select
another message and print the group of pages you want it to
appear on.  Continue until all pages are printed.

    Can I have more than one message per page?     No.
Your printer will only allow one message per page.

    What about legal-sized documents?     Selections will
print on legal sized (8 1/2" by 14") paper as well as letter
sized (8 1/2" by 11") paper.

    What about "landscape" printing?     Most Standard
selections are in "portrait" format (the normal 8 1/2" by
11" page).  Due to printer limitations, "portrait"
selections will not work in "landscape" (an 11" by 8 1/2"
page) mode.  Custom selections work on both portrait and
landscape, but you may have to experiment on placement.

    How do I get more OverWrite selections?     OverWrite
includes selections for business, the professions
(Executives, Attorneys, Architects and Engineers, Contrac-
tors, and Accountants), and government.  Individualized
OverWriting messages are available at reasonable charges.

    How about the use of OverWrite on multiple computers
and networks?  Each OverWrite package is licensed for use on
one computer only.  A separate license is required for each
user on a network.  Peer to Peer network use is possible.

    What about printer connections?       In order to use
OverWrite, you must print on LPT1.DOS or LPT2.DOS, as
distinguished from LPT1 or LPT2. OverWrite will make this
adjustment automatically for you.  If you print to a COM
port, you should restructure your system to use LPT1 and the
MODE command at the DOS level.

    What restrictions exist in OverWrite Lite?  OverWrite
Lite comes with five standard messages, allows only one
custom message to be created at a time, allows only one line
custom messages, and does not allow diagonal custom
messages.  These features are only available in the full
version of OverWrite for Windows.

    How do I get the full version of OverWrite?  When you
register your copy of OverWrite Lite, we will send you a
complimentary copy of the full version of OverWrite for
Windows.  You can print an order form when you start
OverWrite Lite.  Your registration fees allow us to improve
our products.  Send your registration form to Alligator
Software at Post Office Box 606, Tahoe City, California
96145, fax your form to [phone], or call (916) 583-
5236.

OBTAINING TECHNICAL HELP:

     Alligator Software is happy to offer technical help if
you call [phone] during business hours (Pacific
Time).  We hope that you understand that we cannot return
calls to unregistered users.  If you leave a message that
you will accept a collect call, we will make every attempt
to contact you.

THE OVERWRITE ALLIGATOR SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT:

Limited Warranty/Limitation of Liability

This Software is licensed AS IS.  These warranties are in
lieu of any other warranties, express or implied, including
the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose.  In no event will Alligator Software be
liable to you for damages, including any loss of profits,
lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damages
arising out of your use of or inability to use the Software,
even if Alligator Software or an authorized Alligator
Software representative has been advised of the possibility
of such damages.

Grant of Rights

Alligator Software grants you the right to use the Software
for a thirty day time period.  If you desire to continue to
keep using this software after the thirty day trial period,
you are expected to register the software and pay the
registration fee.