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CD-Box(TM) v3.00
User's manual
If you're viewing this from CD-Box, press C to display the table of
contents, P to jump to a specific page, and the arrow keys to move around.
Press Esc anytime to return to CD-Box.
This documentation has been compressed to cut down on archive size and
transmission time and costs. Some chapters have been removed or condensed.
It is nevertheless more than enough for normal use; nothing vital is
missing. The full documentation is included on the registration disk (see
page 37).
(C) Jeffrey Belt, 1993
All rights reserved
CD-Box v3.00 Page 5
CD-BOX V3.00
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. INTRODUCTION ......................................................7
1. If the meaning of a word escapes you... ......................7
2. What CD-Box is ...............................................7
B. INSTALLATION ......................................................9
1. First time around (quick start) ..............................9
2. Complete installation ........................................9
C. HOW TO USE CD-BOX .................................................11
1. Let's start with the basics ..................................11
2. Select mode ..................................................11
3. Play mode ....................................................12
4. Modify mode ..................................................13
5. Goto mode ....................................................14
6. Files mode ...................................................14
7. Debug mode ...................................................14
D. HOW CD-BOX WORKS ..................................................16
1. Programs you need for each format ............................16
2. Adding and removing songs ....................................17
3. Saving memory ................................................17
4. How CD-Box plays songs .......................................18
5. Details on .ARC, .ARJ, .PAK and .ZIP archives ................19
a. When does CD-Box uncompress the songs stored in
archives? ..........................................19
b. Where are files exploded to? ............................19
c. What programs are necessary to take full advantage
of this feature? ...................................19
6. Dual support .................................................19
E. KEYBOARD COMMANDS .................................................21
F. CD-BOX.CFG ........................................................22
1. The purpose of CD-BOX.CFG ....................................22
2. Syntax .......................................................22
a. Comments ................................................22
b. Parameter settings ......................................22
c. Section identifiers .....................................23
3. Command reference ............................................23
a. System parameters .......................................23
b. Archiver parameters .....................................24
c. External drivers and players ............................25
G. ADVANCED USE ......................................................27
1. Command-line parameters ......................................27
H. TROUBLE-SHOOTING ..................................................29
1. Common problems ..............................................29
a. Crashes during song analysis ............................29
b. Refusal to play certain songs ...........................29
c. Trouble with .MODs ......................................31
d. Hardware trouble ........................................32
2. Debugging switch /D ..........................................33
I. REGISTERING CD-BOX ................................................37
1. What is shareware? ...........................................37
2. Why register? ................................................37
3. How to register CD-Box .......................................38
4. Support ......................................................39
5. Bugs? What bugs? .............................................39
6. Viruses and similar nasty programs ...........................39
J. GLOSSARY ..........................................................41
K. EXTERNAL DRIVERS AND PLAYERS ......................................44
L. TECHNICAL NOTES ...................................................45
1. A word on files ..............................................45
2. Sound formats ................................................45
M. THANKS ............................................................46
N. LICENSE & ABSENCE OF WARRANTY .....................................47
CD-Box v3.00 Page 6
1. Disclaimer ...................................................47
2. Trial use license ............................................47
3. Permanent license ............................................47
CD-Box v3.00 Page 7
A. INTRODUCTION
___________________________________________
1. If the meaning of a word escapes you...
.... then don't hesitate to peek at the glossary (page 41). You'll
find explanations on DOS functions that CD-Box uses (which may be useful
to inexperienced users), and the definition of terms more specific to CD-
Box.
In any case, don't worry. CD-Box is very simple to use, and this
documentation tries to be clear too!
__________________
2. What CD-Box is
CD-Box is, stated simply, a program which plays back music files of
various formats on the AdLib Music Synthetizer Card and the SoundBlaster
card. It offers a common interface, somewhat like a jukebox, whatever the
format. CD-Box treats all the same way. Moreover, it is also very pretty
and fun to use - it runs in 256 colors and can use your mouse.
CD-Box's main features:
o A pretty interface and fun animation: CDs pop up and down and
start and stop spinning, pages scroll... including random events I'll let
you discover!
o Support for .CMF, .MID, .MOD, .MUS, .ROL, .VOC and .WAV
music/sound files (.CMF, .MOD, .VOC and .WAV files work with SoundBlaster
only) in multiple drives and directories. These files can also be stored
in .ARC, .ARJ, .PAK and/or .ZIP archives to save disk space CD-Box will
find them and play them from the archive (using a RAM drive if you want).
.MOD, .VOC and .WAV also have volume control, skipping backward and
forward within the song, and echo effects.
o CD-Box allows you to easily program a selection of songs; it
waits for you to select the songs you want to hear before starting to play
the first one.
o Instead of selecting songs, you can tell CD-Box how long you
want the playback to last, and it will automatically select songs for you.
You can even do that from the DOS command line (or a batch file), and CD-
Box will play the songs, then exit right back to DOS.
o CD-Box makes it easy to choose files in which to pick songs so
if you compressed your songs by category, you can tell CD-Box which
categories to use!
o No data file to keep to date; bank filenames and song titles can
be modified directly from CD-Box, which will save your changes to disk.
CD-Box also knows the titles and lengths of numerous songs, and when it
encounters unknown songs, can sometimes (it depends on the format) extract
data from the files on disk.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 8
o CD-Box can use EMS and XMS to some extent, and is able to
examine the SOUND environment variable and of loading drivers and player
programs from there if necessary (as any good SoundBlaster software should
do).
CD-Box v3.00 Page 9
B. INSTALLATION
________
Hardware
You must have a VGA display and an AdLib or SoundBlaster card (or
better) - a hard disk and a mouse are also highly recommended.
___________________________________
1. First time around (quick start)
If you want to try CD-Box quickly, create a directory, extract all the
files from CDBOX300 into this directory, type RUNME, and press Enter.
_________________________
2. Complete installation
This part gives more details on the installation, and gives hints on
what you have to for CD-Box to play ALL song formats.
__________________
Create a directory
I suggest CD-BOX, but you are free to use another name. Go to the
(future) parent directory and type:
MKDIR CD-BOX
Then go to the created directory:
CHDIR CD-BOX
_____________________
Put in this directory
o the files CD-BOX.EXE and CD-BOX.CFG.
o all music files you can find (files with the extension .CMF,
.MID, .MOD, .MUS, .ROL, .VOC and .WAV). Instead of using the files
themselves, you can put archives (.ARC, .ARJ, .PAK and/or .ZIP) which
contain these files. Putting in the directory the files AGNES.CMF,
DOODLE.CMF and WIPE_OUT.CMF is the same as putting in the directory an
archive called (for instance) CMF.ZIP which contains AGNES.CMF, DOODLE.CMF
and WIPE_OUT.CMF.
You don't have to put all your songs files in this directory; CD-Box
can look for them elsewhere on the disk (and even on other disks) if you
want it to. I'll tell you more about this later.
_________
Make sure
CD-Box v3.00 Page 10
o that the BLASTER environment variable is set (see page 41). It
is not mandatory, but it might help; skip this step for now, and return to
it later if you have trouble with .VOC and .WAV files.
o that the "archivers" (by default: ARCE.COM, ARJ.EXE, PAK.EXE and
PKUNZIP.EXE) also are on the PATH. You can skip this step if you didn't
compress song files in .ARC, .ARJ, .PAK or .ZIP archives.
____
Load
the SBFMDRV and SOUND drivers in memory (if you have them). Just type
their names at the DOS prompt (see page 17 if you're concerned about
saving memory).
___________
Type CD-Box
...and press Enter (the first time CD-Box is run, the directory scan
may take a long time, especially if you have many songs - don't worry, it
will go much faster next time).
If you didn't put your songs in CD-Box's directory, you can type on
the command line the specifications of the files to analyse, and add /s to
scan subdirectories also. For instance, if you type:
cd-box a: d:\music\ /s
CD-Box will scan and load all songs in A: and D:\MUSIC\, and all their
subdirectories.
________
Have fun
...and see what CD-Box can do.
If you get errors or have trouble, see page 29.
If you want to know exactly what you have to do for CD-Box to play ALL
formats, see page 16.
If you have other players or archivers than those mentioned above,
check out CD-BOX.CFG; if you don't get it all, see page 22.
If you use CD-Box, register! See page 37.
And now, let's relax...
CD-Box v3.00 Page 11
C. HOW TO USE CD-BOX
_______________________________
1. Let's start with the basics
The explanations below, as with most of this documentation, supposes
you have a mouse and CD-Box is able to use it. If you use the keyboard,
see page 21.
You run it by typing CD-BOX at the DOS prompt. Obvious, really. If all
goes well, the title page zooms by, and the main screen appears.
The screen is a jukebox of sorts, with song titles in the middle.
Below these is a set of big buttons, with which you can give instructions
to CD-Box. The row of thinner buttons, still lower, are used to change
modes; CD-Box is divided in several modes, with a set of buttons each to
match - but we'll come back to that later. The digital display, which
usually displays the time of day, can also display something else,
depending on the active mode.
When CD-Box is ready to receive your instructions, the mouse pointer
is a yellow arrow.
o If you start to get a little lost, press Esc repeatedly until
you get back to the mode you are in when CD-Box starts up; you can then
start all over again. If you press Esc again, CD-Box tells you that to
quit, you need to press E. To quit CD-Box, press E, or click on "Eject".
o On-line help is available from the main screen by pressing F1.
It will display this manual!
If you just started up CD-Box, you are in...
_______________
2. Select mode
In this mode, you choose and start to play songs. The song titles
loaded by CD-Box are displayed eight by eight, in the middle of the
screen.
o Move between the pages by clicking on the "Rewind" and "Forward"
buttons (you can hold down these buttons with the mouse). Pressing the
RIGHT mouse button on "Rewind" and "Forward" brings you to the first and
last page, respectively.
o Select one or more songs to play by clicking on the small button
next to the songs' names; they will be played back in the order you
selected them. The digital display changes color and displays the total
time of your selection.
o Click on "Loop" if you want your selection to be played over and
over again.
o Click on "Play" to play the songs you'll be in Play mode (see
below).
CD-Box v3.00 Page 12
o Clicking on "Random" brings you into Random mode. You can then
select the total playing time you wish, by pressing the "Rewind" and
"Forward" buttons; pressing the RIGHT mouse button brings up the minimum
and maximum playing time, respectively. Once the desired time is displayed
on the digital display, click on "Play". CD-Box will randomly select
additional songs until the desired time is reached, then play the
songs(1).
o Clicking on "Random" while in Random mode, exits Random mode.
o Clicking on the wide "Unselect" button will unselect ALL the
songs.
o Finally, click on "Eject" to quit.
When you click on "Play", CD-Box switches to...
_____________
3. Play mode
This mode is active while songs are being played back. Each song is
played in turn, and unselected, unless "Loop" is pressed, in which case it
will be reselected to be played again later.
o Each song is played in turn, and then de-selected, unless "Loop"
is in the down position, in which case they are reselected to be played
again later.
o Pressing Esc while a song is playing interrupts the current
song, and CD-Box starts looking for the next one. If you press Esc between
songs, playback stops entirely (songs not yet played remain selected).
You've got to press Esc twice quite fast to stop the playback in fast mode
(/F, see below).
If CD-Box uses its own routines to play the format (I call this
"internal support", we'll go into this in more detail later on), the clock
displays a real-time chronometer, and the following buttons are displayed:
o Stop: stops playback entirely (same as pressing Esc between
songs).
o Skip: interrupts the current song (same as pressing Esc while
playing).
o Pause: toggle it once to pause the music, and toggle it again to
have it pick up where it left off.
1 Certain songs may be of unknown length (they were not known to CD-
Box and they have never been played yet). When such a song is selected,
CD-Box supposes the length is zero. Therefore, if you use the "Random"
button and such songs are chosen, the actual playing time may be far
longer than the playing time you entered (remember in such cases that Esc
still works). Of course a way to compute all playing times is to use
Random mode and choose the maximum playing time, in which case all songs
will be played.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 13
o Again: if pressed, the song being played back will be played
again when the end is reached or if Skip is pressed.
o Rem.: if pressed, the digital display shows the time left until
the song or the total selection ends (see next button), as far as CD-Box
can tell; if not, the digital display shows the time elapsed since the
beginning of the song or the total selection.
o Total: if pressed, the digital display shows the time elapsed or
left (see previous button) for the current song; if not, it shows the time
elapsed or left for the whole selection. Got it?
Depending on the format, you may also have access to some or all of
the following extra controls:
o Volume control: press a button in the colored row to select the
volume. Volumes changes are not instantaneous (some .MOD files sometimes
sound weird while the volume is being changed). The higher the volume, the
better the quality.
o Skipping backward/forward within the song: press the button to
the left of the volume control or the one to the right. CD-Box will "skip"
a little of the song in either way. Trying to skip back the beginning of
the song restarts the song, and trying to skip past the end stops it.
o Echo-/Echo+: one press on each of these buttons decreases and
increases the echo delay one step. There are five delay steps, ranging
from no echo at all to a long echo, somewhat like airport announcements,
if you see what I mean. Echo controls are great when used on digitized
voices.
Play mode switches back to Select mode when playback ends.
_______________
4. Modify mode
This mode is used to modify song titles, and instruments files (bank
files) linked with songs in certain formats (.MUS and .ROL). The song
files themselves are not modified; CD-Box keeps the data for its own use
only, and saves it in the SONGS.DAT file.
Click on the wide "Modify..." button to enter Modify mode. All the
songs will be unselected, and the row of buttons will flip and reveal
another set of buttons. "Rewind" and "Forward" work the same as before.
o You can display the song titles, bank files or filename by
clicking on one of the three buttons at the right.
o If you click on the small button next to a song, a dot cursor
will appear and you will be able to modify whatever is displayed, using
the keyboard (Backspace, Enter and Escape do the obvious things). Any
changes you type in will be automatically saved to disk once you exit CD-
Box.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 14
_____________
5. Goto mode
This mode is used to jump quickly to a specific title (or file) by
giving the first letter, instead of moving through the whole list using
"Rewind" and "Forward".
Click on "Goto...", and an alphabetic set of buttons will appear. From
there, simply choose a letter, and CD-Box will "Rewind" or "Forward"
directly to the page containing the first song starting by the letter you
selected, and flash that song briefly. If no such song exists, CD-Box
tries with the next letter, and the next, and may finally give up by
giving an error message.
When you exit Goto mode, either automatically, or by clicking on
"Goto..." a second time, you will be brought back to the same mode you
were in before entering Goto mode. Goto is accessible from all modes.
______________
6. Files mode
Click on "Files...", and CD-Box will save any changes you have made
(bank files, song titles, whatever), and promptly forget all the songs in
memory. Files names will then be displayed instead of song titles. These
files are NOT the song files themselves, but the files CD-Box scanned to
get the songs in memory - the difference is that archive files (.ARC,
.ARJ, .PAK and .ZIP) will be displayed as such, instead of having a
separate entry for each file in the archive (as is the case in Modify mode
when the "File" button is pressed). Also, if the files scanned are in
other drives or directories, the whole path (or as much as can fit in) is
displayed.
All files are selected by default. You can browse through the list
using "Rewind" and "Forward" as usual, and "Goto..." a specific
filename... and when you click on "Rescan", CD-Box will rescan ONLY the
files left selected. Thus, if you left all the files selected, CD-Box will
reload all the songs and nothing will be changed. If you unselected them
all, CD-Box will load no songs.
This serves as a "filter" for the songs displayed in CD-Box, and used
by (for instance) Random mode. If your songs are archived by category,
switching to Files mode and choosing only certain files will tell CD-Box
to display and use only the songs in these categories. If you don't use
archives at all, then probably Files mode will not be of much use to you.
Note that the files displayed are not all the files in the directory,
but rather those that contain songs. Also, if you specified /L at startup,
any unplayable files in the directory will not be displayed. And, if you
specified file specifications at startup (for instance, CD-BOX *.MOD
Z*.ZIP), only the files matching these specifications will be displayed.
All this is cumulative, of course. The command line serves as a first
filter, and Files mode then enables you to choose the filtered files by
hand.
Files mode is much simpler to use than to describe, believe me... try
it!
______________
7. Debug mode
This is not really a mode in the sense of those described above, but
is a command-line switch important enough to be included here. Typing CD-
BOX/D at the DOS prompt:
o returns the registration number (if any!).
o checks the CD-BOX.CFG file for errors, reporting any, so you can
correct them.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 15
o displays, for each driver, player, and archive manager, whether
it was found or not.
o scans the directory for songs, displaying each song name in
turn, so you may find which song exactly makes CD-Box crash (if any).
This mode is described in detail page 33.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 16
D. HOW CD-BOX WORKS
_____________________________________
1. Programs you need for each format
In addition to CD-BOX.EXE (the program) and CD-BOX.CFG (the
configuration file), you need songs to play, and a player program in some
cases. Those quoted below are the defaults; see page 22 to see how to
change them.
In a nutshell, here is the complete list of the different formats
supported by CD-Box and the programs necessary to use these formats. How
to obtain these drivers and players is described page 44.
________
ARCHIVES
.ARC archives
You need ARCE.COM, or ARC.EXE if you make a few changes in CD-BOX.CFG.
.ARJ archives
You need ARJ.EXE.
.PAK archives
You need PAK.EXE.
.ZIP archives
You need PKUNZIP.EXE, or UNZIP.EXE if you make a few changes in CD-
BOX.CFG.
_____________
MUSIC FORMATS
Creative Music (.CMF) (SoundBlaster)
You need the sound driver SBFMDRV.COM from Creative Labs, Inc, and it
has to be loaded in memory before CD-Box is run. (You can remove it by
typing SBFMDRV /U once you exit CD-Box). No other program is
necessary, .CMF routines are programmed directly into CD-Box.
Single track MIDI (.MID) (SoundBlaster?)
No, I haven't found any player yet, but I know they exist - those of
you who are lucky enough to have access to the net should find one!
Otherwise, I have hopes of implementing routines in CD-Box itself.
Amiga MOD (.MOD) (SoundBlaster)
You need nothing except lots of memory; CD-Box is linked to internal
.MOD playing routines.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 17
Music (.MUS) (AdLib & SoundBlaster)
You need PLAY.EXE. Each .MUS file also needs a .SND bank file, so be
sure to put them in the directory too. (ex: AGNES.MUS and AGNES.SND,
MULL.MUS and MULL.SND...)(2).
ROLand (.ROL) (AdLib & SoundBlaster)
You need the sound driver SOUND.COM from AdLib, Inc, or SB-SOUND.COM,
and it has to be loaded in memory before CD-Box is run. No other
program is necessary, .ROL routines are programmed directly into CD-
Box.
On the other hand, .ROL files also need at least one bank file,
usually STANDARD.BNK or BNK974.BNK.
SoundBlaster VOiCe (.VOC) (SoundBlaster)
You need nothing; CD-Box is able to play .VOC by itself, and is even
able to find your SoundBlaster by itself (autodetection). However,
setting the BLASTER environment variable might help (see page 41).
Digitized sounds in other formats (Macintosh .SND, Sun .AU and many
others) can be converted to .VOC using various utilities. I use and
recommend SOX (maintained by Lance Norskog), available at
garbo.uwasa.fi in pc/sound.
Windows 3.1 WAVe (.WAV) (SoundBlaster)
Exactly the same as above. CD-Box treats .VOC and .WAV very similarly.
The program files do not have to reside in CD-Box's directory, but
make sure CD-Box has access to them (through a PATH statement for
instance). CD-Box also examines the SOUND environment variable and is able
to load drivers and players from there if necessary. To see if CD-Box
detects properly your drivers and player programs, type CD-BOX/D at the
DOS prompt.
_____________________________
2. Adding and removing songs
The song titles displayed in CD-Box depend entirely on the songs found
in the files present in all directories scanned at startup (either in
archives or not). If you want to add songs to CD-Box, simply put them in
the current directory. To remove them, delete the files. In other words,
CD-Box always reflects the current directory - only the file names are
replaced by song titles.
_________________
3. Saving memory
The two drivers CD-Box uses, SBFMDRV and SB-SOUND, take up memory.
There are two ways to avoid this:
o If you have a 386 or better, when you load a driver, type
LOADHIGH before typing the driver's name in the DOS prompt. This will load
2 .MUS bank files (.SND files) are different from Macintosh raw sound
files (.SND extension also) - the former contain instrument data and the
latter a complete digitized sound.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 18
the driver in high memory, out of the critical 640K DOS memory, and CD-Box
will have more memory to run.
o Once you quit CD-Box, you can remove the drivers from memory by
typing SBFMDRV/U and SB-SOUND/U. If you loaded them using LOADHIGH, remove
them by typing LOADHIGH SBFMDRV/U and LOADHIGH SB-SOUND/U. Note that you
have to remove drivers in the reverse order in which you loaded them. This
does not work with AdLib's SOUND driver.
See the RUNME.BAT file for an example of both these features.
__________________________
4. How CD-Box plays songs
It depends on the format. As a general rule, there are two
possibilities: either it plays them by itself, using its own code
(internal support), or it doesn't know how to play this format, and
executes an external program (the player), specific to each format. CD-Box
currently provides for all formats except .MID and .MUS.
In greater detail, for each format, CD-Box follows these rules:
o If there is a section about this format in CD-BOX.CFG
([<format>]), then CD-Box will provide external support, and:
o If there is a "Dual=yes" statement in the section,
and CD-Box has internal support for this format, then
CD-Box will first try playing such songs using its own
routines, and, if this fails (error while loading or
whatever), use the external player.
o If there is no such statement in the section, then
CD-Box will ALWAYS use this player to play the song,
using the parameters given in CD-BOX.CFG.
o If there is no section on this format in CD-BOX.CFG, then CD-Box
will use its internal routines to play the song, if any.
o In all other cases, CD-Box will NOT play songs of this format
(the corresponding pilot light above the song names is greyed).
Usually you'll want CD-Box to play songs by itself; it's by far the
easiest way, there's no player to install, and you can pause, resume and
stop the song using the mouse. However, you would use an external player
if:
o CD-Box provides no internal support for the corresponding format
o Or you have a player capable of playing the format on your card,
other than a SoundBlaster (for instance, a player capable of playing .CMF
files on the AdLib).
Note that even if CD-Box does have internal support for some formats,
it may still need the corresponding driver.
CD-BOX.CFG, CD-Box's configuration file, is explained page 22.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 19
_________________________________________________
5. Details on .ARC, .ARJ, .PAK and .ZIP archives
CD-Box is able to look into .ARC, .ARJ, .PAK and .ZIP files (hereafter
called "archives") to see if there are any songs there; if it finds any,
the corresponding title will appear on the main screen, and the song will
be treated just as any other song. This means your songs can be packed in
archives in CD-Box's directory to save space; CD-Box will find them
anyway.
_____________________________________________________________
a. When does CD-Box uncompress the songs stored in archives?
Unpacking occurs in two cases only:
o at startup, if a song found in an archive is not known to CD-
Box, it will exploded using the appropriate archiver (ARCE.COM, ARJ.EXE,
PAK.EXE, PKUNZIP.EXE, or whatever you specified in CD-BOX.CFG) so it can
be analyzed. The program will try to extract the most information from the
file (title and length in particular); the "Analyzing song" indicator is
lit up. When done, CD-Box will remove the unpacked file.
o just before playing a song stored in an archive, the small "CD-
BOX" on the green reader at the top of the screen lights up and CD-Box
invokes the archiver to explode the song file, and the bank file if
necessary. When done playing, the unpacked files are removed also.
________________________________
b. Where are files exploded to?
Files temporarily extracted from archives files reside on:
o the drive/directory specified by the Temp= statement in CD-
BOX.CFG;
o if Temp= is not specified, the drive/directory specified by the
TEMP environment variable;
o if TEMP doesn't exist, to the default drive/directory.
Always make sure there's enough room to hold the largest expanded
song! Otherwise you'll get an "Unable to explode song" message.
_______________________________________________________________________
c. What programs are necessary to take full advantage of this feature?
Any programs capable of extracting files from .ARC, ARJ and/or .ZIP
files (typically ARCE.COM, ARJ.EXE, PAK.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE, but you might
have others). If you don't have the corresponding archive manager, or if
it is not reachable through a PATH statement, and if you have archives in
CD-Box's directory, the message "Unable to explode song" will appear.
The bottom line: using archives with CD-Box is pretty easy and
straightforward. In the case of synthetized music files (.CMF, .MID, .MUS
and .ROL), it also saves an average of 80% of disk space. And if you
archive your music files by category, you'll better take advantage of
Files mode. Believe me, it's worth it!!!
________________
6. Dual support
.CMF, .MOD, .ROL, .VOC and .WAV files: it means CD-Box can play this
format by itself. So you have three choices:
CD-Box v3.00 Page 20
o The easiest: just let it play the songs and don't worry about
anything else.
o If CD-Box won't play this format on your particular computer,
you can try overriding its routines by telling it to use an external
player (ex: AdLib users might have a .CMF player that works on their
card). You simply have to insert the appropriate statements in CD-BOX.CFG.
o CD-Box can also use both: try playing the format by itself, and
if that fails, use an external player; you have to insert whatever is
needed to run the player in CD-BOX.CFG, and add a "dual=yes" statement.
See page 25 for how to tell CD-Box to use internal, external, or dual
support.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 21
E. KEYBOARD COMMANDS
CD-Box can be used without the mouse entirely, although it was
intended from the start to run with a mouse. In fact, versions up to v2.10
(inclusive) required a mouse; it was not optional.
Some random animations lose much of their interest without a mouse;
sometimes a grey arrow will appear to simulate the mouse, as in the
"lighter" animation.
The keyboard is active even with a mouse. What CD-Box does when a key
is pressed is find which button to activate, then simulate a left button
click.
Most buttons can be clicked on by pressing their first letter, the
notable exceptions being Rewind and Forward, which are PgUp and PgDn,
respectively. The long rectangular button under the main button menu work
the same, but with the Alt key held down. The volume, skip and echo
controls work with the Ctrl key held down.
The exact keys to click on the various buttons are on the back of this
manual (last page).
CD-Box v3.00 Page 22
F. CD-BOX.CFG
_____________________________
1. The purpose of CD-BOX.CFG
CD-BOX.CFG is a file in which you can define many of CD-Box's
parameters. Mainly, you can specify what driver/player programs to use,
and also how to extract songs from archives, and various other things. CD-
Box has default values for most of these parameters, but you can override
them with CD-BOX.CFG.
Two important remarks:
o Errors in CD-BOX.CFG are skipped; CD-Box will simply give a
warning message at startup and go on anyway. But these errors may hinder
CD-Box when extracting or playing songs. A complete error report may be
obtained by typing CD-BOX/D; the messages displayed are usually clear
enough for you to understand what's wrong, and correct the situation.
o Archivers run as subshells by CD-Box (and players if possible)
must produce NO OUTPUT OF ANY KIND. The reasons, I think, are obvious (CD-
Box runs in VGA and it wouldn't do to have big ugly characters messing up
and maybe scrolling the screen each time you play a song). Therefore, make
sure the archivers and player programs won't print anything, either using
a parameter from the archiver or the player itself (for instance, /Q or -
q), or by redirecting output to null, void, nothing, emptiness (> nul).
This last solution doesn't always work; check under DOS. You might have a
player which always displays something, or which you WANT to display
something (for instance WOWII or PLAYROL); in this case, use the
"text=yes" command described on page 26.
__________
2. Syntax
____________
a. Comments
All blank lines and everything after a semicolon (;) are ignored.
______________________
b. Parameter settings
Most parameters are set by typing the parameter name, an equal sign
(with no space before nor after), and the parameter value. For instance:
Temp=D:\
player=PLAY.EXE
Case is not important in the parameter name, but it may be in the
value; "/q" and "/Q" might not mean the same thing to a player program.
CD-Box always preserves case when passing parameters to the programs it
runs, except for filenames, which are always in uppercase.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 23
_______________________
c. Section identifiers
Some commands like Player=, Parameters=, and so on, need to know which
format you're referring to. Special lines like:
[ROL]
means the following parameter settings are intended for the .ROL
format. You can have a different section for each song format, and each
archive format.
_____________________
3. Command reference
_____________________
a. System parameters
MixingSpeed=n
This will set CD-Box's .MOD playing routines to n Hz per second. Lower
values will run better on slower computers, while higher values enhance
playback quality. Values higher than 22000 Hz don't make much sense since
instruments in .MOD files are sampled at a rate of 22 KHz anyway. The
default is 15909. This affects .MOD files only.
MODDevice=n
This set the output device .MODs are played to, n being:
0 PC speaker (sounds awful under CD-Box)
1 D/A converter on LPT1
2 D/A converter on LPT2
3 D/A converter on LPT3
4 D/A converter on LPT1 and LPT2 (stereo)
5 D/A converter on LPT1 and LPT2 (mono)
7 SoundBlaster card
10 Stereo-on-1 card
11 Disney Sound Source on LPT1
12 Disney Sound Source on LPT2
13 Disney Sound Source on LPT3
255 No sound (indeed not very useful)
Default is 7 (SoundBlaster). This affects .MOD files only.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 24
DefaultBNK=fichier
Without this parameter, CD-Box supposes .ROL files it encounters for
the first time need the BNK974.BNK bank file. This command sets this
default to another bank file (for instance, STANDARD.BNK or COUCOU.BNK).
Don't specify the extension, CD-Box will automatically add .BNK. This
affects .ROL files only.
Use this command to set the bank file you use the most often. If a few
.ROLs need a different bank file, use the Modify mode.
Temp=chemin
This sets the path on which files extracted from archives temporarily
reside. Make sure it's big enough to hold your largest song (and its bank
file if necessary). If omitted, the temporary path defaults the current
directory (or the directory in your TEMP environment variable).
_______________________
b. Archiver parameters
The only case you should have to insert commands like the following is
if you have a different archiver than those I planned to handle .ARC,
.ARJ, .PAK and .ZIP files. I put these commands in for completeness' sake,
and just in case the upgrade to an archiver use a different syntax than
the previous version (it's very unlikely but you never know).
[ARC]
archiver=ARCE.COM
parameters=$zipfile $files /R /Q > nul
This means the archiver for .ARC files is ARCE.COM, and when you
extract the files "ABCD.TXT EFG.MOD" from the "HELLO.ARC" archive, you
type at the DOS prompt:
ARCE HELLO.ARC ABCD.TXT EFG.MOD /R /Q > nul
$zipfile and $files are replaced at runtime by the appropriate names.
$zipfile will always be a single filename (the name of the archive
itself), while $files is a string of filenames separated by spaces (the
names of the files to extract). Note that the "> nul" prevents ARCE from
displaying anything on the screen, thereby preserving CD-Box's splendid
graphics and stupendous animation (well, maybe I'm overdoing it a
little... :-)
The same things applies to all other archivers of course.
If you use ARC.EXE instead of ARC.COM, insert the following commands:
CD-Box v3.00 Page 25
[ARC]
archiver=ARC.EXE
parameters=x $zipfile $files > nul
________________________________
c. External drivers and players
The syntax is very similar:
[MUS]
player=PLAY.EXE
parameters=$song $bank
This means the player necessary to play .MUS files is PLAY.EXE, and
gives the parameters. $song is replaced by the song filename at runtime,
and $bank by the bank filename (if any).
If you start a song section, you HAVE to put in a Player= and a
Parameters= command.
There are four other song format-specific commands:
dual=yes
The simple fact that there is a song section in CD-BOX.CFG disables
completely CD-Box's internal support for the corresponding format; it will
rely entirely on what you specify as Player= and Parameters= to play the
format. Specifying "dual=yes" re-activates internal support. When
encountering a song of the corresponding format, CD-Box will first try to
play it using its own routines; if this fails for a specific song, it will
switch to external support, using what you put in CD-BOX.CFG. An example
of how to use this follows on page 26.
shell=yes
Instead of running the player, CD-Box will run a COMMAND.COM that will
itself run the player (COMMAND /C player parameters...). The advantage is
that if the player is not very well written, COMMAND.COM will try to clean
up the mess when shutting down and returning to CD-Box; the drawback is,
of course, increased memory usage. Fortunately, such instances are rare,
but SPUTROL, for example, leaves files open; when run many times without
COMMAND.COM from CD-Box, it decreases the number of available file handles
until nothing can be run anymore.
If you use "> nul" to disable the player's output, you have to insert
a shell=yes command so COMMAND.COM will take hold of the output and
neutralize it.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 26
swap=yes
Before running the player, CD-Box will first swap itself and all its
data into EMS memory; if not available, into XMS, or a temporary file on
the path specified in the TEMP environment variable, or the current
directory, in that order. The result is that instead of gobbling about 250
KB of main memory before running the player, CD-Box will use only about 5
KB, leaving all the rest to the player. An example of how to use this
follows.
text=yes
CD-Box restore the video mode that was in effect at startup before
running the player, and switches back to graphics mode when done. If you
have a player which cannot run without displaying anything, or which
switches to text mode, make sure you use this command; it guarantees CD-
Box's display will not be messed up.
Another example:
[MOD]
player=MP.COM
parameters=-q $song
dual=yes
swap=yes
If CD-Box cannot play the .MOD, it will run (dual=yes) an external
player (player=MP.COM) using the indicated parameters (parameters=...),
freeing beforehand almost all of main memory and relocating itself
somewhere else (swap=yes). The explanation: if CD-Box tries to play a huge
.MOD that does not fit in memory, the internal routines will fail (giving
a "Out of memory" message); CD-Box will then free almost all of main
memory, and run MP.COM, which will have about 600 KB on a 386 or better
(560 KB on a 286) to load and play the .MOD file. Other .MOD players
include ModPlay Pro, TrakBlaster, ProMod, WOWII, and CD-Play. For
instance, if you really love WOWII, use the commands:
[MOD]
player=WOWII.EXE
parameters=$song /S
swap=yes
text=yes
CD-Box v3.00 Page 27
G. ADVANCED USE
___________________________
1. Command-line parameters
CD-BOX/? gives you a quick summary. Otherwise, here are the details:
o filespec: instead of scanning the entire directory, CD-Box will
scan only the files matching your file specifications. For instance, if
you want CD-Box to load the .MUS and .ROL files only, type CD-BOX *.MUS
*.ROL; or if you just got a brand new archive containing new songs called
ALLNEW.ZIP that's in drive A:, and you want CD-Box to scan only that
archive, type CD-BOX A:ALLNEW.ZIP. An alternative is to use Files mode
(see above). The default for filespec is, of course, *.*.
o /D: This is a debugging tool which displays everything that
happens as CD-Box is starting up. Check page 33 for a complete
description.
o /F: All non-essential animation is skipped, including the title
screen, CDs popping up and down, buttons flipping over, .MOD level bars...
o /H: Specifies which file CD-Box should display when F1 is
pressed. The default is CD-BOX.DOC, French users use FRENCH.DOC.
o /L: Tells CD-Box NOT to load the song formats which cannot be
played (i.e. a driver is not loaded or missing or a player program is
missing). In other words, CD-Box does not load songs which corresponding
pilot light is greyed. This includes archive files; they will not be
scanned if the corresponding archive manager cannot be found.
o /M: Tells CD-Box not to use a mouse, even if it is able to
detect one. This will remove the warning that no mouse is detected if none
is present, and also will enable you to use the keyboard without having
your mouse wrecking havoc on the screen, if your mouse driver is one of
those which CD-Box doesn't like.
o /O: Calls up the registration screen. This is the same as
pressing "Register" within CD-Box. For prompt registration, please use the
form printed by this screen.
o /P: Loads CD-Box, plays n minutes of music by switching to
Random mode, and then exits back to DOS upon completion of the last song.
If Esc is pressed between songs, playback interrupts just as usual, and
normal operation is resumed: you can then use the mouse to choose songs,
change titles...
o /R: Removes the files specified on the command line from the
external database (SONGS.DAT). You have to specify the filenames
(wildcards accepted), not the song titles. For instance, to remove the
files IMPACT7.MOD and all Z*.ROL from SONGS.DAT, you would type CD-BOX /R
IMPACT7.MOD Z*.ROL. CD-BOX /R would delete all the songs in SONGS.DAT it's
CD-Box v3.00 Page 28
easier to erase the file. You shouldn't ever need to use /R, except in
extremely rare cases where CD-Box would have fouled up and recorded a song
length of 456324875 hours for a specific song...
o /S: This tells CD-Box to also scan all the subdirectories it
comes across. For instance, typing CD-BOX \ /S will scan the whole disk!
o /V: Displays the contents (filename, bank filename, title and
length) of the external database (SONGS.DAT) on the screen, pausing when
the screen is full. The songs displayed match the file specifications on
the command line default is (all). Blank entries in the Bank column
indicate the file does not need any bank file (.CMF, .MOD and .VOC), and
blank entries in the Length column indicate the length of the song is not
known (0). If you want to save this listing to a file, specify a filename,
like this:
CD-BOX /V=filename
Output will be saved to the file filename.TXT.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 29
H. TROUBLE-SHOOTING
If you have a problem, don't hesitate to check out this chapter. CD-
Box is very easy to use, but may be harder to install; the difficulties
grow with the number of formats you use. But above all, don't panic; most
problems have an easy solution.
The first part in this chapter gives quick and easy solutions to most
common problems.
And the last part explains in detail how CD-Box scans archives and
songs, so you can understand and solve the most tricky problems,
especially if you try to modify CD-BOX.CFG. Also, if CD-Box crashes at
startup, read this last part right now!
___________________
1. Common problems
________________________________
a. Crashes during song analysis
CD-Box hangs while "Building file index"
CD-Box was trying to read a corrupted archive (.ARC, .ARJ, .PAK or
.ZIP). Fix the archive or get rid of it!
CD-Box stops with a "CRASH!" message and "ANALYZING SONG" was lit
Type CD-BOX/D. CD-Box will display a lot of information you can ignore
for the moment, and "CRASH!" again; however, this time the name of the
faulty file is displayed on the screen. Follow these simple rules:
o If it's while analyzing an uncompressed song ("Scanning" is
displayed), it means the song has an invalid format, and CD-Box crashes
when trying to extract meaningful values like song title and song length.
Delete that song file!
o If it's while opening an archive ("Opening" is displayed", the
archive may be corrupted. Fix it!
Page 33 provides more information on CD-BOX/D.
_________________________________
b. Refusal to play certain songs
CD-Box displays "Driver not found"
.CMF: You're trying to play a .CMF file but you didn't load the
SBFMDRV driver before starting CD-Box. Having SBFMDRV.COM on disk is not
enough, it has to be loaded too. You can always unload it later on by
typing SBFMDRV/U.
.CMF: Same as above but with SOUND instead of SBFMDRV.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 30
CD-Box doesn't play .VOC and .WAV files!
If you do have a SoundBlaster card or compatible, it means CD-Box
couldn't find it. You have to set the BLASTER environment variable. See
BLASTER in the glossary (page 41) for how to do that.
CD-Box displays "Player program not found"
You have tried playing a song, and the associated player program was
not found (the pilot light at the top should be greyed). Make note of the
format causing problems, then run CD-Box with the /D parameter. If the
corresponding program is displayed as "not found.", then you can't play
these songs, unless:
o You get the program and put it in CD-Box's directory, the
directory from the SOUND environment variable, or somewhere on your PATH.
o Or you modify the CD-BOX.CFG file to have CD-Box support another
player you might have for that format. See page 22 for details.
CD-Box displays "Don't know how to play"
There's something wrong in the CD-BOX.CFG file. Either the player= or
parameters= command is missing, and both must be present.
Since CD-Box supports .CMF, .MOD, .VOC and .WAV internally, you can
also remove the [CMF], [MOD], [ROL], [VOC] and [WAV] sections in CD-
BOX.CFG (if there is one). This way, CD-Box won't try to look for external
drivers and/or players, and will use its own code to play the songs.
CD-Box doesn't play the song, and there is not error message
This should happen only when you use an external player. If CD-Box
acts as if it will play a song, but in fact doesn't play it at all, and no
error is generated, it's because the player got an error (usually out of
memory, but it could be corrupted bank file or something else), but
reported none. CD-Box is then fooled into thinking everything was okay.
Try playing the song by hand under DOS, and see what happens. If the
player says a driver is missing (for instance ROLALARM wants the SOUND
driver to be loaded in memory), then load it, and run CD-Box again. If
there is no problem, then it's very likely the player ran out of memory -
often the case with .MOD files above 250 KB, or with certain complex .ROL
files.
Add a "swap=yes" statement in the corresponding section in CD-BOX.CFG;
CD-Box will swap itself in EMS, XMS or a temporary file, and leave all DOS
memory free for your player (using only about 5 KB; without the
"swap=yes", CD-Box uses about 250 KB). If this doesn't work for you,
freeing DOS memory and loading resident programs high on 386+ computers
(LOADHIGH SBFMDRV and things like that) is definitely a bonus, but not as
drastic as swapping.
CD-Box displays "Unable to explode song"
Three possibilities (at least):
o CD-Box can't find the archive manager necessary to extract the
song from a .ARC, .ARJ, .PAK or .ZIP archive (run CD-BOX/D to find out).
CD-Box v3.00 Page 31
Either make it available to CD-Box, remove any archives containing songs
you may have in CD-Box's directory, or run CD-Box with the /L switch.
o There isn't enough room on the temporary drive.
o .MUS and .ROL only: there is another possibility: CD-Box has not
found the bank file or could not explode it. Try changing the name of the
bank file associated to the song (using Modify mode), or if the name is
okay, check that it is in the same directory or archive than the song.
CD-Box displays "Bank file not found"
Bank files associated to each song must reside in the same place
than the song itself; both must be in the same directory, or the same
archive. For instance, if you have three different .ZIP archives of .ROL
files, you must have all bank files used by these songs in each of the
three archives.
______________________
c. Trouble with .MODs
CD-Box displays "Invalid format"
CD-Box recognises only 31-instrument .MOD files; you may have .MODs it
won't play even though players like ModPlay do. There are two solutions to
this:
o Use an external player to play .MOD files, either overriding
completely CD-Box's routines or using dual support (giving CD-Box a chance
to play the song and telling it to use the external player if it can't).
See page 22.
o If you have ModEdit (or maybe another .MOD editor), load and
save the .MOD files. ModEdit will always save the song as a 31-instrument
.MOD, so it will be playable by CD-Box.
.MOD files sound terrible!
Apart from using an external player, you can try changing the
"MixingSpeed=" statement in CD-BOX.CFG. The higher the value, the better,
but CD-Box's feedback will slow down accordingly while playing .MOD files
and might even hang if you specify a value which is too high for your
computer. The default is 15909 Hz which should give good results on
computers fast enough; 10000 Hz is kind of okay on "slow" machines.
I don't have enough memory to play .MODs
Use an external player. Look at page 26 for how to play huge .MOD
files (up to about 550 KB).
CD-Box v3.00 Page 32
Clicking on "Pause" doesn't really pause!
When a .MOD contains instruments that loop continuously, CD-Box may
have trouble stopping it temporarily without killing it completely. Resume
the song, and try to pause again a little later. On the other hand,
whatever the .MOD, clicking on "Pause" is not instantaneous, some
instruments may go on playing a few seconds before stopping, don't worry,
it's normal.
____________________
d. Hardware trouble
CD-Box crashes and displays "VGA Sprite Manager has run out of memory"
The VGA Sprite Manager is a huge object responsible for animating
sprites on the VGA screen, not messing up the background, being able to
superpose different sprites on different planes, and preventing flicker.
However, it also needs a lot of memory; 64 KB + the sprites to move, so it
usually amounts to about 80 - 90 KB. You can check the free memory by
clicking on the "About" button. If you don't have enough, use the /F
switch. The animations will be skipped, and the Sprite Manager will not be
invoked. But chances are you're too short on memory to play some songs
anyway.
CD-Box returns suddenly to DOS and displays "CRASH"
Well, if CD-Box wasn't analyzing a song, you stumbled on a bug. I left
all the checking routines on in CD-Box's code, so that instead of hanging
up and forcing you to reboot, it exits to DOS (in most cases).
Restart CD-Box and try not to do it again - if you use CD-Box
normally, you shouldn't get any bug. It's when you try to insist (for
example, a .MOD song might not play because of insufficient memory, so
don't try clicking on the song button 10 times to try to play it anyway),
that CD-Box crashes. I, of course, am trying to get the number of bugs to
an absolute minimum (very close to zero).
CD-Box crashes and displays "Not enough memory to..."!
You have a fatal memory overflow. You have to free more memory; run
CD-Box by itself under DOS, not as a shell from another program. You can
also try typing CD-BOX /F at the DOS prompt, and if you can get to the
main screen, you may be safe... but you may also be too short on memory to
play songs anyway.
No music format works with my sound card!
I have a SoundBlaster v1.50 so I'm sure CD-Box runs with this card.
Above versions should work, as well as any SoundBlaster compatible card -
it runs on the AdLib (.MUS and .ROL), and net users report it works with
the SoundBlaster Pro (version 1 and 2) and the PAS-16. However, a net user
reported it didn't work with his SoundBlaster v1.05. Maybe the use of CD-
BOX.CFG can solve this problem, but nothing is guaranteed - I have no way
to test that.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 33
I have trouble with my mouse!
YOU SHOULDN'T. Previous versions of CD-Box (up to v2.02) did have
problem with furry creatures, but not since v2.10. CD-Box assumes the
mouse is 100% Microsoft compatible (200% compatibility or more preferred).
Some workarounds are changing the driver, or even changing the clock speed
(turbo or non-turbo speed - weird, huh?).
If CD-Box definitely cannot swallow your driver, use the keyboard (see
page 21). Use the /M switch to remove mouse support entirely and not have
the mouse pointer wreck the screen.
That darn program doesn't work AT ALL!
Read the license if you haven't already done so.
I CANNOT GUARANTEE CD-BOX WILL RUN ON YOUR PARTICULAR COMPUTER.
Let's be reasonable: I cannot guarantee this program will work for
you. You MUST have a VGA display and a lot of free RAM (at least 500 KB,
550 KB better; if you don't have 640K conventional memory, forget it - but
then who doesn't these days?). This is the very minimum configuration
under which CD-Box will run. If you want to hear the songs, you need an
AdLib Music Synthetizer Card or a SoundBlaster card (CD-Box does run, but
is of absolutely no use without a music card). And if you have a lot of
songs, you need (a little) more memory, too, of course. CD-Box was
developed on a 286 up to v2.11, then on a 386, and net users didn't report
any problems with their 486s; a 8086 might be slow, though. If you have a
8086, you should try the /F switch.
_______________________
2. Debugging switch /D
If CD-Box doesn't play a specific music format, says it cannot explode
songs from specific archives, or crashes at startup while analyzing songs,
the "first-aid" procedure is to type CD-BOX/D. Chances are you'll find
what's wrong.
Okay, let's go. Here is an example of what CD-BOX/D can display:
C:\SB\CD-BOX>cd-box /s c:\music\ a: /d
CD-Box v3.00 - (C) Copyright Jeffrey Belt, 1993 - All rights reserved
CD-BOX.CFG: ok.
[I] .CMF driver: SBFMDRV not resident!
[E] .MID format: don't know how to play!
[I] .MOD format: ok.
[D] .MOD format: ok (C:\SB\MP.COM).
[E] .MUS player: ok (C:\SB\PLAY.EXE).
[E] .ROL player: player not found!
[I] .VOC driver: ok (port 0220H, IRQ 7).
[I] .WAV driver: ok (port 0220H, IRQ 7).
-> available formats: .MOD .MUS .VOC .WAV
.ARC manager: not found.
.ARJ manager: ok (C:\COMPRESS\ARJ.EXE).
.PAK manager: ok (C:\COMPRESS\PAK.EXE).
.ZIP manager: ok (C:\COMPRESS\PKUNZIP.EXE).
Temporary drive/directory is: D:\
Building file index... done: 25 files found in 7 directories.
Scanning C:\SB\CD-BOX\VOC\BEACHBYS.ARC\409.VOC... archiver not found!
CD-Box v3.00 Page 34
Scanning C:\SB\CD-BOX\VOC\BEACHBYS.ARC\SURFUSA.VOC... archiver not found!
Scanning C:\SB\CD-BOX\MOD\BONGO.ZIP\BONGO.MOD... exploding... error 1!
Scanning C:\SB\MODEDIT\CREATION.MOD... DUPLICATE, ignored
25 song(s) scanned.
Don't worry, this example has been chosen because it contains many
error messages. Usually there are much less.
Note for starters that you can (and should) give all the parameters
you usually use as you run CD-BOX/D.
The information displayed is divided in several categories, which
match exactly the different steps of CD-Box's startup. Let's look at them
again:
1. Loading of the configuration file CD-BOX.CFG. If this file has
errors, messages and line numbers are displayed; these messages are
described in the CD-BOX.CFG chapter. Otherwise, if CD-Box understood
everything, "ok" is displayed, as in our example.
2. Activation of the music formats. CD-Box displays the status of
each format, with an [I] for internal , [E] for external, and [D] for dual
support. If everything is okay for a format, "ok" is display, otherwise
one of several error messages is displayed. These messages are precise
enough to enable to quickly find the cause of the error, but are extremely
numerous, so I won't explain them all here. The errors in our example are
the more frequent; to solve them, you have to:
o .CMF: load the SBFMDRV driver before running CD-Box (type
SBFMDRV or LOADHIGH SBFMDRV at the DOS prompt).
o .MID: CD-Box has not internal support, and expects instructions
in CD-BOX.CFG. But it can find no command relative no the .MID format
(there is no [.MID] section, or the Player= or Parameters= command is
missing), so CD-Box doesn't know how to play this format. The solution:
find a .MID player, and insert the appropriate commands in CD-BOX.CFG.
o .ROL: CD-Box couldn't find the player specified in CD-BOX.CFG,
either because its name was misspelled, or because it indeed isn't on
disk. Check the spelling of the filename given in the Player= command, and
make sure the player is in the PATH, or in the directory specified in the
SOUND environment variable. Since CD-Box has internal support for .ROL,
you can remove the [ROL] section from CD-BOX.CFG anyway. Now that you know
that, do whatever you want, it's your computer.
o All other formats: no problem. CD-Box also displays a summary of
available formats: .MOD .MUS .VOC .WAV. Notice how two messages are
displayed for the .MOD format; it's because there is a "dual=yes" command
in the [MOD] section of CD-BOX.CFG. One message is for internal support
[I], and the other for dual support [D].
3. Activation of the archive formats. CD-Box does the same thing
for archivers; if one is not found, "not found" is displayed. In our
example, if you don't use .ARC archives at all, there is no problem;
otherwise, make sure the archiver is somewhere on the PATH. Or, if you
have an archiver different than the one CD-Box looks for, insert the
appropriate commands in CD-BOX.CFG.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 35
4. File index building. There seldom are errors here, CD-Box
displays the total number of files found.
5. Song index building. This is the "heart" of CD-Box, so we'll
delve into this in detail.
The song filenames flash quickly while they are scanned. When CD-Box
scans an archive, it opens it ("Opening"), then scans the songs within
("Scanning"). If the song is known, it is simply stored in the index and
the search goes on. On the other hand, if the song is not known, CD-Box
has to analyze it, to extract data like title, length, and bank file; and
this is where errors can happen. Let's start with the worst case: CD-Box
displays:
Scanning C:\SB\CD-BOX\ROL.ARJ\ZULU.ROL... * CRASH! * 100/1351:075A *
Possibles causes:
- corrupted song (type CD-BOX/D and see if the error repeats itself)
- memory overflow
Otherwise see "Trouble-shooting" in CD-Box's documentation.
The file CD-Box was analyzing is corrupted. Delete it! The advantage
of CD-BOX/D is that the faulty filename remains on the screen (in our
case, ZULU.ROL). If the message displayed is: "Opening C:\SB\CD-
BOX\ROL.ARJ..." for instance, it's archive ROL.ARJ's fault. The command
ARJ t ROL.ARJ would undoubtedly report a corrupted archive. Fix it or
delete it!
This case is the worst, and stops CD-Box completely. In the vast
majority of cases, CD-Box displays a warning message, and goes on. These
warnings are:
archiver not found!
The song is stored in an archive CD-Box can read, but not extract,
because the archiver is missing. Make sure the archiver is on the PATH, or
extract the song, and store it in another type of archive if you want to.
exploding... failed!
CD-Box ran an archiver to extract a song, which terminated without
reporting any error, but CD-Box realized the song has not been extracted
at all. In most case, it's because the archiver got an error (usually disk
full, but it might be because the song is password-encrypted), but didn't
report any. Change the value of Temp= in CD-BOX.CFG!
exploding... error n!
This warning is like the previous one, but this time the archiver did
return an error number n. Refer to the documentation of the archiver to
understand the problem.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 36
DUPLICATE, ignored.
CD-Box already encountered this song while scanning. It is a simple
information message, CD-Box will only remember the first occurrence in any
case, but you can remove one of the duplicated from your disk.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 37
I. REGISTERING CD-BOX
CD-Box is shareware. The registration fee is $20.
______________________
1. What is shareware?
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before
buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are
expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- CD-Box in
particular specifies a maximum 30-day evaluation period. With
registration, you get the right to continue using the software and usually
something extra (bound manual, extra programs, etc). With CD-Box, the
registration reminders are removed, and you get the latest version and
extra programs (more on this later).
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and
the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as
stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like
commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both
cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in
the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to
copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a
specific group. For example, some authors require written permission
before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. The terms for
CD-Box are in the VENDOR.DOC file.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should
find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's
commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs
easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is
low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee
-- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.
_________________
2. Why register?
Because it's the right thing to do. You wouldn't want to break the
law, would you?
You are encouraged to use and copy this program and give it to your
friends for a 30-day evaluation period. Once this period has expired, you
have to register the program.
The registration fee is $20 US dollars. In return, you'll get:
o a registration key and instructions to remove the registration
reminders using this key. This key will be valid for all CD-Box v3.xx
versions.
o a diskette containing:
o the latest version of CD-Box (or the next version if
it is almost ready to be released)
o a menu-driven SETUP utility to easily modify CD-
BOX.CFG (without using a text editor and dirtying your
hands in ASCII).
o the full documentation in English and French.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 38
o third-party software that I find of value to sound
card owners in general, and to CD-Box users in
particular.
o and as many song files as will fit.
o mail support.
o and a six-month "I fix the bugs or your money back" guarantee
(see below).
As a registered CD-Box user, you'll also be informed by letter of the
next major update, which will be available for a reduced fee. I'm also
thinking of printing this manual, and if I do print it and you showed
interest (see registration form), I'll notify you, and make it available
to you at the rock-bottom price.
If some of these products become unavailable for distribution, other
products which have value to sound card users will be substituted. Some of
these products may be shareware and require you to pay a registration fee
after an evaluation period.
__________________________
3. How to register CD-Box
The registration fee is $20. If for some reason CD-Box is
discontinued, I'll send your money right back with an explanation.
US dollars are used for convenience; ANY currency will do, as long as
it amounts to the same sum in US dollars; take bank commission into
account. See the registration screen for examples.
To register you, I need either cash or a check (made to the order of
Jeffrey Belt), and an order form. Press "Register" within CD-Box or type
CD-BOX/O at the DOS prompt. This will call up the registration screen.
Just fill it in and choose your output device: printer (specify the port)
or file (INVOICE.TXT).
If you don't have a printer, print the order form in the INVOICE.TXT
file, and print this file on a friend's or neighbour's printer. Better
yet, give him CD-Box to print your order form!
If you REALLY don't have access to a printer, write on a piece of
paper, a postcard, or something else:
o which version of CD-Box you've got (press the "About" button in
CD-Box).
o your first and last name (without which I cannot give you a
registration key).
o your full mailing address.
The rest is optional:
o where you got CD-Box (which server, BBS, company...).
o your remarks and suggestions (if any).
CD-Box v3.00 Page 39
Send the filled-in order form and payment to:
Jeffrey BELT
7 rue de la Garenne
77240 - CESSON
FRANCE
___________
4. Support
If you experience difficulties with CD-Box, write me. The same applies
to suggestions for improvement. I always answer all the mail I receive,
priority being given to registered users for a minimum period of six
months after the date of registration. So don't hesitate to write!
I have every intention to go on supporting and improving CD-Box. I've
been hampered by the fact I have no direct access to the net, but should
get one in October. But in the meantime, your feedback via snail-mail is
vital!
New versions of CD-Box are uploaded on saffron.inset.com and SIMTEL,
and sent to a growing number of vendors; update announcements appear in
the Sound Newsletter (available on BBS and FTP servers worldwide and
posted in particular to comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard).
____________________
5. Bugs? What bugs?
As far as I know, this program is free of bugs. In any case, it does
not contain any intentional bugs. But I also know no significant software
has ever been produced without bugs lurking around. If you find any, TELL
ME in detail! There's no chance of the bug being corrected if I don't know
about it!
Bugs will be fixed for free for six months following registration, if
possible. If not, a full refund will be offered.
When reporting a bug, please be as precise as possible. What version
number of CD-Box are you using? What exactly were you doing when the bug
happened? What are the exact symptoms? I received in the past bug reports
about mice for CD-Box v2.02 and below, like "my mouse goes crazy" or
"doesn't work"... how am I supposed to work on this?!? It was by asking
for details that I finally knew "the yellow mouse seems to be at double
the position of the white mouse", and "random colored points are sprayed
around the mouse arrow", and so the trouble was fixed.
Don't forget to include a full description of your hardware and
software environment so that I can try to duplicate the problem.
______________________________________
6. Viruses and similar nasty programs
I guarantee that the copies of CD-Box I send on diskettes to vendors
and distributors are virus-free. However, bear in mind the copy you have
may have been infected, unwittingly or not, by someone else. Most, if not
all, vendors and distributors check again for viruses, so the odds are
low, but you never know. The odds get higher as your source becomes more
"doubtful" (i.e., the copy of a friend of a friend of a friend...).
CD-BOX.EXE contains verification code to protect itself at each
startup against viral attacks or hacks. It does not protect your system
against viruses or other similar programs, nor does it guarantee for sure
CD-Box is not infected. However, if CD-Box detects a modification of its
code, it will stop and display the following message:
CD-Box v3.00 Page 40
This program has been corrupted or modified.
Please restore it from a safe backup copy.
You must then make a fresh copy of CD-BOX.EXE from the original or a
safe backup copy.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 41
J. GLOSSARY
Entries are not in logical order, but in alphabetical order.
Inexperienced users may want to read the "driver", "player" and
"environment variables" entries first.
ARCHIVER
An archiver is also called archive manager, compressor, compactor, of
files or archives. It is a program able to store in one file (the archive)
many different files, shrinking them so they use less space on disk; the
opposite operation (extraction) is of course possible. The most widespread
formats are .ARC, .ARJ, .LZH, .PAK, .ZIP and .ZOO, and are common use on
file servers (BBS, FTP, and others).
Each archiver has its own commands, so see the documentation of each
to see how to use them.
BLASTER
BLASTER is an environment variable you can use to tell CD-Box where
your SoundBlaster card (or compatible) is located. To set it, type:
SET BLASTER=Axxx Ix Dx Tx
Axxx is the port, usually A220 for port 220H (factory default).
Possible values are A210, A220, A230, A240, A250 and A260 (the
SoundBlaster Pro accepts A220 and A240 only).
Ix is the interrupt line (IRQ), for instance I3 for IRQ3. Possible
values are I2, I3, I5, I7 and I10.
Dx is the DMA channel, usually D1 for DMA channel 1. The "plain-
vanilla" SoundBlaster is always on DMA 1, but possible values for the
SoundBlaster Pro are D0, D1 and D3.
Tx is the card type. T1 is for the SoundBlaster v1.0 and v1.5, T2 is
for the SoundBlaster Pro, and T3 is for the SoundBlaster v2.0.
I have for instance a SoundBlaster v1.5 on port 220H and interrupt
line IRQ7. My AUTOEXEC.BAT contains the following line:
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 T1 D1
CD-Box uses the settings provided by the BLASTER environment variable
(port and interrupt only, it ignores the other two). If BLASTER does not
exist, it will try to locate the card by itself, but may not be always
successful. I highly recommend the use of BLASTER, since CD-Box and many
other software use this variable.
DRIVER
A driver is a program, whether resident (SBFMDRV.COM) or not (CT-
VOICE.DRV) that allows the programmer knowing how to "talk" to this driver
to control something more or less easily - in the case of the
CD-Box v3.00 Page 42
SoundBlaster, to play files without going down too much into the details
of the file formats, memory or the card itself.
One driver can be used by several programs (for instance, a printer
driver in Windows is used by all Windows software so they don't have to
worry about the details of the printer).
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
DOS enables you to define variables, or symbols, and to store values
in these variables. All programs can afterwards use these variables you
define. The syntax is:
SET variable=value
Variable must be a single word, with no space or other separator.
Value, on the other hand, can be a string of (almost) any characters.
You can display all variables that have a value in your system by
typing the SET command with no argument. SET for can instance display:
COMSPEC=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM
PROMPT=$p$g
PATH=C:\DOS;C:\DOS\UTIL;C:\COMPRESS;C:\CD-MENU;C:\SB;C:\DOS\F-PROT
SOUND=C:\SB
TEMP=E:
(It will look different on your computer.)
Four environment variables have a specific meaning for CD-Box:
o BLASTER, to set the SoundBlaster port and IRQ.
o PATH, where to look for archivers and players.
o SOUND, where to look for players, if they weren't found in the
PATH. The value of SOUND is normally a directory where SoundBlaster
programs are stored (see the user's manual of your sound card).
o TEMP, to know where to move when running the "swap=yes" command
and there is not EMS nor XMS, and to know where to temporarily store
extracted files, unless this command is specified in the "Temp=" command
of CD-BOX.CFG. The value of TEMP should be a drive or directory where many
software store their temporary files, preferably a RAM disk.
FORMAT
Computer files can contain extremely diverse data: text, graphics,
sounds, programs, databases... The idea being to store data in a usable
form, software usually defines "formats", that is, rules which say exactly
how the data is to be stored in files.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 43
The extension of a file usually gives an indication on its format. You
surely know that .BAT, .COM and .EXE are executable files (programs), and
.DOC and .TXT usually is readable text. In CD-Box, .CMF, .MID, .MOD, .MUS,
.ROL, .VOC and .WAV are music formats (others exist!), and .ARC, .ARJ,
.PAK and .ZIP are well-known archive formats (others exist too).
Each software often defines its own format, which may (unfortunately)
bear the same name of another software's format. A .MOD file is usually a
song file, but Windows, for instance, has .MOD files that have nothing to
do with music.
When CD-Box displays "Invalid format", this means it thought the file
contained a song, just by looking at the extension. But when it tried to
use this file to play it, or to extract the title, it realized
informations it expected to find at certain locations in the file were not
there. So it displays "Invalid format" to denote a file which seemed to
contain a song at first, but which doesn't after all.
PATH
The PATH is an environment variable which contains a list of
directories separated by semicolons. When you type a program name at the
DOS prompt, the program is searched in each of the directories specified
in the PATH; if the program is not found, DOS displays "Invalid command or
file not found" or something close.
To display what's in the PATH, type the PATH command:
PATH=C:\DOS;C:\DOS\UTIL;C:\COMPRESS;C:\CD-MENU;C:\SB;C:\DOS\F-PROT
(It will look different on your computer.)
So, in this case, if you type MEM, DOS will look on disk for the
following files: MEM.BAT (or .COM or .EXE), C:\DOS\MEM.BAT (same thing),
C:\DOS\UTIL\MEM.BAT, C:\COMPRESS\MEM.BAT... as soon as one such file is
found, it is run, and the MEM program starts.
CD-Box uses the PATH to look for programs it may need (archivers and
players). If you say in CD-BOX.CFG that the [ZIP] format must be handled
by the UNZIP.EXE program, CD-Box will look for in our example for the
following files: UNZIP.EXE, C:\DOS\UNZIP.EXE, C:\DOS\UTIL\UNZIP.EXE,
C:\COMPRESS\UNZIP.EXE...
When you type CD-BOX/D, CD-Box displays the programs it found, with
the full access path. If, on the other hand, CD-Box displays "not found",
this means your program is not on the PATH, that is, not in any directory
specified in the PATH environment variable. Put the program in the PATH,
or change the PATH definition to include the directory where the missing
program is.
PLAYER
A player is a program which is able to play songs in a specific
formats (sometimes in more than one format, but that's rare); a player may
need a driver to work.
CD-Box is indeed a player, a multi-format player even, but is much
more than that (interface, animations, handling of titles...). Better
examples include VPLAY, PLAYCMF and ModPlay Pro.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 44
K. EXTERNAL DRIVERS AND PLAYERS
CD-Box uses by default the following drivers and players (you can
change this if you modify CD-BOX.CFG, see page 22):
Driver .CMF: SBFMDRV.COM - Creative Labs, Inc.
Bundled with the SoundBlaster
Driver .ROL: SOUND.COM - AdLib, Inc. (or next one)
Bundled with the AdLib
Driver .ROL: SB-SOUND.COM - Creative Labs, Inc. (or previous one)
Almost no info on this one, but like SBFMDRV (and unlike
SOUND), can be removed from memory.
Player .MUS: PLAY.EXE
No info on this one - got it from a FTP server which IT got
from THE TASTE/MG BBS, 718-252-4529, as ADLIBMUS.ZIP.
You can of course override CD-Box's internal routines with external
players not quoted here (for instance, play .MODs with ModPlay Pro or
WOWII, or .ROL with SPUTROL or ROLALARM or INTUNE).
FTP addresses: saffron.inset.com, nic.funet.fi, snake.mcs.kent.edu,
wmsr.simtel-20.army.mil.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 45
L. TECHNICAL NOTES
___________________
1. A word on files
Two files are necessary for CD-Box to run: CD-BOX.EXE (the program
itself, with all its code and graphics), and CD-BOX.CFG (the configuration
file). CD-Box will create the SONGS.DAT file to store song names and
lengths. If a player crashes, and you specified "swap=yes" in the
corresponding section in CD-BOX.CFG, you may found on disk a CD-BOX.TMP
file which you can delete.
_________________
2. Sound formats
.MOD: CD-Box processes only 31-instrument .MODs.
.ROL: CD-Box expects SOUND.COM v1.51 or later. It uses the extended
waveform capabilities of the AdLib v1.51 or later and SoundBlaster v1.5 or
later.
.VOC: CD-Box processes block IDs 1 (sample), 2 (subsequent sample), 3
(silence), 6 (repeat) and 7 (end repeat). All other blocks are skipped.
CD-Box sends the data to the DSP in real time rather than using the DMA,
hence the volume and echo controls.
.WAV: CD-Box makes an "on-the-fly" conversion and sends the whole
thing to the DSP. Because of outrageous computing times, it is currently
only able to process 8-bit mono samples.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 46
M. THANKS
CD-Box wouldn't be the program it is today without the help of the
following people:
o Programmers: Anthony Rumble (sources to play .CMF), Mark J. Cox
(MODOBJ library to play .MODs), Thomas Wagner (EXEC function to move CD-
Box to EMS, XMS, or hard disk when an external player is run; used when
the "swap=yes" command is used in CD-BOX.CFG), Victor Langeveld (precious
help to solve mouse bugs).
o Enlightened users, for their good ideas: Ed Haymore (temporary
drive redirection, and basic idea for Files mode), Bjorn Karlsen (keyboard
support on volume control), Bob Mandel (a lot of helpful advice and a
fascinating handwriting).
o Sympathetic sysops: Dave Komatsu (Sound Newsletter Editor), and
Keith Petersen (sysop of MSDOS archive on SIMTEL), for having accepted my
submission! And many more thanks go to Dave for having uploaded CD-Box
when I was not on the net.
o Crazy about image synthesis: Stéphane Marty (tremendous French
ray-tracing software SMTRACER 386, which computed the screen graphics).
o And the others: Bruno Deltour (aesthetic remarks), Alain
Rousseau (has provided me files from the net when I wasn't on it), Jean-
François Moufle (has driven the car, now much reduced, driving across the
screen at odd times) (yes, I drew all the other graphics, and no, I'm not
an artist!), my sister (for rebuilding my morale when it sank low), my
mother (still hasn't understood how I could be so addicted to computers
but patiently endures it nevertheless), and various other friends and
relations for having stumbled on the thankfully rare bugs, and for their
suggestions and encouragements.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 47
N. LICENSE & ABSENCE OF WARRANTY
______________
1. Disclaimer
Users of CD-Box must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "CD-Box is
supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied,
including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of
fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages,
direct or consequential, which may result from the use of CD-Box."
This statement and the licence agreements below shall be governed by
the laws of France. Any action or proceeding brought by either party
against the other arising out of or related to this agreement shall be
brought only in a court of competent jurisdiction located in Paris,
France.
_____________________
2. Trial use license
The word "software" below refers to the freely available version of
CD-Box, and in particular the three files CD-BOX.EXE, CD-BOX.CFG and CD-
BOX.DOC.
You are encouraged to use this software for 30 days prior to obtaining
a permanent license. You may copy this software as many times as you like,
give it to anyone, and distribute it via electronic means. This software
may also be distributed in shareware and/or public domain libraries that
charge for copying and distributing disks, NOT for the software itself.
You may NOT charge or request a donation for a copy of this software,
however made; and you may NOT distribute this program and/or documentation
with commercial products without written permission from the author.
THIS SOFTWARE MAY NOT BE GIVEN AWAY OR DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT ITS
DOCUMENTATION; AND NEITHER PROGRAM NOR DOCUMENTATION MAY BE ALTERED IN ANY
WAY.
Users of CD-Box must register and pay for their copies of CD-Box
within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Once the
registration payment is made, the permanent license applies.
If you do not agree to this license, delete CD-Box from your computer
and don't send any money.
_____________
What it means
CD-Box is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge (except
shipping charge in some cases) to the user for evaluation. Feel free to
share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as
part of another system (don't give just the program, give also the
documentation and extra files; if you modified CD-BOX.CFG for your
personal use, take care not to distribute the modified version). The
essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users
with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive
for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this
program useful and find that you are using CD-Box and continue to use CD-
Box after the 30-day trial period, you must pay the registration fee.
_____________________
3. Permanent license
The word "software" below applies to the registration key and extra
utility programs clearly marked as "This program is part of the CD-Box
registration disk" on the disk received when registering (in particular
CD-Box v3.00 Page 48
SETUP.EXE). Other third-party programs on this disk are covered by their
own licenses.
The $20 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one
computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book.
An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and
may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as
there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being
used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at
the same time.
By ordering a license, you acknowledge that the registration key is a
trade secret and agree to protect it as such.
This license is not transferrable and may not be modified.
CD-Box v3.00 Page 49
AdLib Music Synthetizer Card is a trademark of AdLib, Inc. Also,
SOUND.COM is copyrighted by AdLib, Inc.
SoundBlaster is a trademark of Creative Labs, Inc. Also, SBFMDRV.COM
is copyrighted by Creative Labs, Inc.
ARCE Copyright (c) Vernon D. Buerg.
ARJ Copyright (c) Robert K Jung.
PAK Copyright (c) NoGate Consulting.
PKUNZIP Copyright (c) PKWARE Inc.
Other trademarks and products mentioned in this documentation are the
property of their respective owners.
The software and documentation are:
(C) Copyright Jeffrey Belt 1993.
CD-BOX V3.00
REFERENCE CARD
___________
Select mode
Rewind: PgUp, left or up arrow, or Backspace
Forward: PgDn, right or down arrow, or Enter
Other buttons: Play (P), Loop(L), Random(R), Eject(E).
____________
Playing mode
Stop: Esc (even if the button is not displayed)
.MOD volume: Ctrl A (minimum) to Ctrl L (maximum)
Forward, Echo+: Ctrl-right arrow
Backwards, Echo-: Ctrl-left arrow
Other buttons: Skip (S), Pause (P), Again (A), Rem (R), Total (T).
___________
Modify mode
Rewind, Forward: same as above
About: A or ?
Other buttons: File (F), Bank (B), Title (T).
__________
Files mode
Rewind, Forward: same as above
Rescan: R, Alt F or Esc
_____
Songs
1 to 8 (1 to 4 in the first column, 5 to 8 in the second).
___________
Mode select
Press Alt and the first letter of the mode (ex: Alt F for Files).