Copyright: Copyright 1993 by Velocity Development Corp.


Contents
Contents--Remind Me! Help

Overviews

What Remind Me! Does

Using Remind Me! with the Keyboard Only

Procedures

Working With Reminders

Using Actions

Using Animations

Using Sounds

Configuring Remind Me

Reference

The Main Dialog Box

The List Of Reminders Dialog Box

The Edit Reminder Dialog Box

The Action Chooser Dialog Box

The Animation Browser Dialog Box

The Edit Preferences Dialog Box

The Sound Dialog Box

Types of Intervals


Overview

Remind Me!--the Personal Reminder System

is the definitive program for managing recurring events under Windows 3.1. With Remind Me!, you can program "events" to occur at any time or interval you select.  A Remind Me! reminder event can result in a sound bite, a message box, a cute graphical message, or the execution of any of your Windows applications.

For example, if you make a phone call every Wednesday morning at 9:00, you can create a reminder that will gently remind you at 8:59AM -- by popping up a message box or even have the computer say, "Time to call Jack at 555-1212."

With Remind Me!, you can forget about managing routine tasks and recurring events in your head.  With its flexible scheduling and event options, you are limited only by your imagination and the capabilities of the Windows applications you use.

SEE ALSO

Remind Me! Features

Good Uses for Remind Me

About the Developers


Remind Me Features
Remind Me! Features

Remind Me!--the Personal Reminder System

Easy-to-use utility for managing recurring events.

Runs as an icon on the desktop or completely in the background.

Can automatically start any Windows application, or bring up a message box.

Can use a sound board to play back your recorded message.

Browses through pre-recorded .WAV files.

Eight different repeating reminder intervals.

Powerful technology for automating any repeated task.

Useful in both office and home environments.

Expandable with add-on animation paks.

On-line help and English language feedback.

Analog clock face shown when Remind Me! is minimized.

Start an application minimized (as an icon).

Includes a pre-minder facility so you can schedule enought time to get ready

Fully integrates with your existing Windows applications


Remind Me Uses
Remind Me! Uses

Remind Me!--the Personal Reminder System

Meeting reminders

Scheduling

Regular appointments

Favorite TV programs

Generating automatic reports

Reminder to pay the rent

Automating office procedures

Birthdays and anniversaries


About the Author
About The Developers

Ken Shapiro has been a professional programmer since 1979.  He was a software engineer at Microsoft Corporation from 1983 through 1988.  While at Microsoft, he developed core technologies for both the Applications Group and the Systems Group.  Ken is now an independent software author, and Director of R&D for Velocity Development Corp.

This program was created by a talented dedicated team of artists, programmers and production folks, including:

Artists: Michelle Shelfer, Randy Sugawara, Carolyn Hoover, Gene Hirsh, Erich vonFlörcke, Curt vonFlörcke, Jim Barsocchini, Steve McClure, Beverly Knowland, Kathy Weimelt, Tim Elliott.

Additional Programming: Robert Weldon, David Barbour.

Production: Moses Ma, Ulla Smit, Lyza Latham, Mike Thomsen, Mike Lyons, Thomas Ekno, Kitric Kerns.

Technical Support issues are handled by the Velocity Development Tech Support department, so please contact them for all technical answers and assistance.

Please contact us by mail or Fax at

Velocity Development Corp.

4 Embarcadero Suite 3100

San Francisco, CA 94111

Fax: (415) 982-3299


Types of Intervals

There are eight different types of time intervals that Remind Me! uses to create a recurring reminder.

To view the different reminder types, choose New... from the List of Reminders dialog box, and look for the "Time" combo-box.  Click on the down-arrow to see the list of choices, which include:

At

At Every

At Windows Startup

At Windows Shutdown

At First Startup of Day

At Windows Shutdown After

About

About Every


defRecurring
A recurring reminder is one that happens more than once and at a regular interval. For example, a monthly bill, a weekly staff meeting, a quarterly recompilation of a spreadsheet, an hourly check of electronic mail, and an annual birthday are all recurring reminders.


defAt
At

At a specific time of the day; for example, "At 3:32PM".  You can also specify a "Pre-Minder", which will occur some amount of time before the actual reminder time.


defAtEvery
At Every

At a specified interval throughout the day; for example "At every 2 hours" would occur at 8:00AM, 10:00AM, etc.


defAtWinStart
At Windows Startup

A reminder that occurs when Windows starts up.  This is similar to putting a program icon in the "Startup Group" of the Program Manager.


defAtWinExit
At Windows Shutdown

Reminder occurs when Remind Me! detects that Windows is about to shut down. Since Windows is shutting down, the only useful action at this point is to put up a message box or animated reminder with a Message action.  Remind Me! will delay the shutdown process until you have read the message.


defAt1stWinStart
At First Startup of Day

This reminder only occurs the first time that you start Windows on a particular day.  It can be used to initiate tasks that need to be done first thing in the morning.


defAtWinExitAfter
At Windows Shutdown After

Occurs only on a Windows shutdown after the specified time, for example the reminder occurs only when you end Windows after 5:00PM.


defAbout
About

Reminder occurs at "about" a certain time, plus or minus some approximate time interval.  For example, a reminder that occurs at about 10:45AM plus or minus 30 minutes.  Remind Me! generates a random number and causes the reminder to occur at a random time within the specified time interval.


defAboutEvery
About Every

Reminder occurs at "about" some interval; for example, about every two hours.


Working With Reminders

Working with reminders is the main task you will perform with Remind Me!. For more information about working with reminders, see the following topics:

Creating a New Reminder

Editing a Reminder

Deleting a Reminder

Copying a Reminder

Disabling a Reminder

Responding to a Reminder


Creating a New Reminders
Creating a New Reminder

Creating a new reminder in Remind Me! is simple.  You have two options: build a new reminder from scratch or copy an existing reminder, modify the copy, and save the modified copy as a new reminder.  This second option is discussed in the Copying an Existing Reminder topic.

To build a new reminder from scratch:

1.	Click the Setup Reminders... button on the Main dialog box. The List Of Reminders dialog box appears.

2.	Click the New... button on the List Of Reminders dialog box.  The Edit Reminder dialog box appears.  Its title bar reads Edit New Reminder.

3.	Enter a name for your new reminder in the Reminder Name field.  A reminder name can have up to 31 characters and can include spaces.

4.	Press the TAB key to move to the Reminder Message field.

5.	Click the Actions... button and display the Action Chooser dialog box.  This dialog box enables you to type a new message in a field, select a recently used message, select an animated graphical reminder, or start up a Windows application or process in addition to displaying text.

6.	Continue to TAB from field to field on the Edit Reminder dialog box, entering appropriate information in the Start Minimized, One-Day Reminder, Valid Dates, Time, Pre-Minder Time, Day, Week, Month, and Missed Reminder fields as needed.

7.	You can add sound to your reminder (if you have a sound board in your PC), by selecting the Sound... button and selecting the sound for the reminder.

8.	When you have completed all your choices, click the Test Now... button.  The reminder will occur as you have programmed it.  If it doesn't do exactly what you want, check your settings once again.

9.	Click the OK button to save the new reminder and return to the List Of Reminders dialog box.

SEE ALSO

The Edit Reminder Dialog Box

The List Of Reminders Dialog Box

The Action Chooser Dialog Box

The Sound Dialog Box

Types of Intervals

Copying an Existing Reminder


Editing a Reminder
DIT; 0Editing a Reminder

Sometimes it is useful to modify (edit) an existing reminder. Select the reminder to be altered from the List Of Reminders dialog box and click the Edit... button. The Edit Reminder Dialog Box will be shown with all the data from that reminder. You can use the controls in this dialog box to change the reminder. If you want to make your changes permanent, you should click the OK button. If you change your mind and want to leave the reminder as it originally was, click Cancel.

SEE ALSO

The Edit Reminder Dialog Box


Deleting a Reminder

When you no longer need a reminder, you should delete it from the List of Reminders.

Choose the reminder you want to delete from the List Of Reminders dialog box.  Then click the Delete... button.  A message box appears asking you to confirm the deletion of the reminder.  Once a reminder is deleted, it cannot be recovered, so proceed with caution.

If there is a Waveform file associated with this reminder, you will be given an opportunity to delete it as well.   Waveform files can take up large amounts of space on your hard disk.

If you want to temporarily disable the reminder because you might need it again in the future, you should NOT delete it, but rather edit the reminder with the Edit Reminder Dialog Box and clear the Reminder Enabled checkbox.

SEE ALSO

The Edit Reminder Dialog Box

The List Of Reminders Dialog Box

Disabling A Reminder


Copying a Reminder

Making a copy of an existing reminder can come in handy in some situations. The Copy operation duplicates an existing reminder, gives it a new name, and presents it to you for editing.

Choose the reminder you want to copy from the List Of Reminders dialog box.


Responding to a Reminder

When a reminder appears on the screen you have three options:

Click OK to make the reminder disappear until its next scheduled execution, or

Click Snooze to make the reminder disappear for a specified time, then re-execute.  The Snooze button displays a listbox with pre-defined snooze times.  Using the mouse, select the time you want the displayed event to re-execute from this menu.  The default is a 5 minute snooze.

Click Replay to cause an animated reminder to do its thing again.

If the reminder is not an animation, you can click the Delete button on the message box that appears and delete this reminder.

SEE ALSO

Disabling A Reminder


Disabling a Reminder

You can temporarily disable a reminder by clicking on the Reminder Enabled box on the Edit Reminder dialog box.  The "X" in the box will disappear and the reminder will be disabled.  To re-enable the reminder, simply click on the box again. The "X" indicating that reminder is enabled will reappear.

You can quickly enable or disable a reminder just by double-clicking on the checkbox that appears to the left of the reminder name in the List Of Reminders dialog box.

A disabled reminder will not occur.  The reminder will continue to be listed in the Reminder Listing dialog box and all its data will remain intact and accessible.  No check-mark appears by the name of a disabled reminder.  The reminder will be shown in gray in the List of Reminders dialog box.

SEE ALSO

Edit Reminder Dialog Box

List Of Reminders Dialog Box


Configuring Remind Me
Configuring Remind Me!

To setup Remind Me! with your personal preferences, click the Preferences... button on the Main dialog box to bring up the Preferences dialog box.

You can configure the following Remind Me! attributes:

Location of reminder file

Location of event log file

Location of sound directory

Sound output on or off

Color highlights on List of Reminders dialog box on or off

Show Remind Me! clock icon when minimized or not.

Speed of video display system, for animated reminders.

SEE ALSO

How to Remove Remind Me

The Edit Preferences Dialog Box


What Remind Me Does To Your System
How Remind Me! Affects Your Computer

The Remind Me! Setup program creates a \REMINDME directory structure on your specified hard disk drive and copies the Remind Me! files to that directory.

A REMINDME.INI file is created in your Windows directory.

A Remind Me! icon is added to your StartUp group in the Program Manager.  This allows Remind Me! to start up automatically when you boot Windows.  If Remind Me! is not starting up, check the StartUp group to make sure that the Remind Me! icon is present.  The Remind Me! icon should be the last one in the group, so that Remind Me! starts up after all the others.

Remind Me! never modifies your system files: config.sys, autoexec.bat, win.ini, system.ini.

SEE ALSO

How to Remove Remind Me

Configuring Remind Me


The List Of Reminders Dialog Box

The List Of Reminders dialog box presents a list of all reminders.  It also contains command buttons to enable you to work with reminders.

The listbox shows up to 3 pieces of information for each reminder: a checked box if the reminder is currently enabled or an empty box if disabled, the name of the reminder, and its action string.  The reminder colors indicate whether the reminder is active today or disabled.  Additionally, clicking the Details... button will show more information about each reminder's time and next scheduled occurrence.

There are five command buttons on the List Of Reminders dialog box that enable you to work with reminders: Edit, Delete, New, Copy, and Details. See the List Of Reminders Dialog Box Commands topic for more information about these buttons. The Close button closes the List Of Reminders dialog box and returns to the Main dialog box. The Help button displays this help system.

SEE ALSO

List Of Reminders Dialog Box Commands

Edit Reminder Dialog Box


defEnabled
An enabled reminder is one that is currently "on" and ready to occur at the specified time.  From time to time you may want to temporarily disable a reminder.  This turns the reminder "off", but does not delete the reminder programming information.

SEE ALSO

Disabling A Reminder


defEventColor
Reminder Listing Color Key

Blue	is used for reminders that are active today, and are programmed to go off sometime before midnight.

Black	is used for reminders that are not active at this time, either because they aren't programmed to go off today or because they have already occurred previously during the day.

Gray	is used for reminders that have been disabled.


List Of Reminders Dialog Box Commands

The following commands are available on the List Of Reminders dialog box:

OK	This button dismisses the dialog box and returns to the main Remind Me! window.

Edit...	This button causes the Edit Reminder Dialog Box to come up with the selected reminder.  Use this command to change data in the reminder, including the reminder name, action, and programmed interval.

Delete...	Use this button to delete a reminder that is no longer needed. If you might need to use the reminder again in the future, it is better to just disable the reminder.  You can quickly disable a reminder just by double-clicking on the check-mark that appears to the left of the reminder name.

New...	This button creates a new, empty reminder.

Copy...	This button creates a new reminder that is a duplicate of the currently selected reminder.  The name of the new reminder is constructed from the existing one, for example "My Event" becomes "Copy of My Event".

Help...	Use this button to access this help file.  The F1 key will also work for context-sensitive help from any dialog box.

Details...	Clicking this button shows expanded information about the displayed reminders including the command name, the action it executes, how often it occurs, and its next scheduled occurrence.

On the Details screen, the Export... button appears.  Clicking this button displays an Export File dialog box that enables you to export the detailed list of reminders to a text (*.TXT) file.

When the Details screen is displayed, the Summary... button appears. Click Summary to return to the original List of Reminders display.


The Edit Reminder Dialog Box

The Edit Reminder dialog box is where reminders are defined, tested and modified. Selecting the name of the field, item, or button from the list below will give you more detailed information.

Fields and Items

Reminder Name

Reminder Enabled

One-Day Reminder

Reminder Message Text

Valid Dates

Example String

Time Group

Day Group

Week Group

Month Group

Pre-Minders

Missed Reminder

Buttons

Actions...

Test Now...

Sound...

Network...

SEE ALSO

List Of Reminders Dialog Box

Action Chooser Dialog Box


Reminder Name

This field holds the name of this reminder, which can be up to 31 characters long and can include spaces.  Each reminder name must be unique. If you try to create a reminder with an existing name, you will be asked to change the name.


Event Enabled
Reminder Enabled

This checkbox shows if the reminder is currently enabled.  Click on it to toggle between enabling and disabling a reminder.  An "X" appears in the box if the reminder is enabled.  If it is not enabled, the reminder is retained and listed in the List Of Reminders Dialog Box, but ignored by the command launcher.  All the reminder information will be saved, but it will not execute.


Start Minimized

This option, when checked, causes Windows programs to start in a minimized (iconic) state.  If the action selected is not a Windows program, then this checkbox is ignored.


One-Day Reminder

This checkbox is for creating a reminder that occurs on one particular day.  After checking this box, you will be allowed to enter the date for the reminder.  You can then choose a time or time interval for this reminder just like a recurring event.  A One-Day Reminder will automatically be deleted from the reminder list the day after it goes off.


Reminder Message Text

This is the text that will display in a message box on your screen when the reminder occurs.

Text can be entered directly into the Command to Execute field or you may select the Actions... button to display the Action Chooser dialog box and select the appropriate text to place in the field.  The Reminder Message Text field can be blank or contain up to 120 characters.


Valid Dates

These date entries represent the first and last dates that this reminder is active.  The reminder is ignored on any dates before the From: date or after the To: date.  You can use the up and down arrows to change the date by first clicking the mouse on the thing you want to change, and then clicking on the up or down arrow.


Example Strings

Remind Me! dynamically creates an English language sentence that represents the reminder interval and shows it in blue for emphasis.  This provides verification that the interval you have chosen is correct.  For example, if you selected Every half hour in the Time box and Every other day in the Day box, the text Reminder occurs every 30 minutes, every other day appears in blue.


Time Group

This is where you specify at what time (or times) during the day the reminder occurs.  You choose the reminder intervals from the Time box and provide additional information as appropriate.


Pre-Minder Time

A Pre-Minder displays at a specified time before a reminder is executed.  Pre-Minders are useful with reminders that require preparation.  For example, one of your reminders may be for a meeting.  You set the reminder for the meeting time, but want to also be reminded about the meeting a half-hour before it occurs.  Simply set the Pre-Minder time to 30 minutes and you will receive both notifications.


Day Group

This is where you specify at what time (or times) during the day the reminder occurs.  Choose the reminder interval from the Day box and provide additional information as appropriate.  There are three choices for the day interval: every 'nth' day, certain days of the week, or a specific day of the month.  You can also specify the last day of the month and Remind Me! will automatically keep track of whether the month has 28, 29, 30, or 31 days.


Week Group

There are two choices for the week interval: every "nth" week, and on particular weeks in the month.  This group is only active if the Day group is in its middle setting (on certain days of the week).


Month Group

There are two types of month intervals.  The first is every "nth" month starting from the reminder's first Valid Date.  The second method is choosing exactly which months of the year to execute the reminder.


Missed Reminder

This box determines what Remind Me! should do if it finds a reminder that was supposed to occur while Remind Me! was not running.  For example, if a reminder is scheduled to occur at 9:00AM, but your computer isn't turned on until 10:00AM, then the reminder is considered "missed".  There are three things that Remind Me! can do: it can ignore the reminder, it can ask you to confirm whether the reminder should occur, or it can go ahead and execute the missed reminder now.


Test Now Button

This button causes the selected action to be executed and the current sound waveform (if there is one) to be played.  If there is a problem with the action or the sound file, an informational message box will be displayed.


Sound Button

This button brings up the Sound dialog box, which allows the user to attach the name of a sound file (.WAV) to the reminder for playback when the reminder is triggered.  If you don't have a sound board, you will get a simple sound box that allows you to beep the PC speaker when the reminder occurs.


Network Button

The Network button is enabled in our exciting follow-on product, Remind Me! for Networks.  For more information on this product, please contact Velocity Development.


How to Remove Remind Me
How to Remove Remind Me!

To remove the Remind Me! program from your hard disk:

1. Delete the program and data files in the \REMINDME directory (and any subdirectories of \REMINDME).

2. Delete REMINDME.INI and any reminder files (*.evt) created by the program.

3. Delete the Remind Me! program icon from the StartUp group in the Program Manager.

4. Remind Me! is history, but let us know if we can improve the program in some way that would change your mind about this.


The Sound Dialog Box

To have Remind Me! play sounds with reminders, you need to have a Windows 3.1 compatible sound board, and speakers.  You can use the standard Windows 3.1 Sound Recorder application to record and edit your sounds.

Browse... 	This brings up a standard file box that allows you to select a waveform file name.

Test... 	This button causes the waveform file to be played back over your computer's speaker system.

Record Sound... 	Use this button to conveniently launch the Windows Sound Recorder.

Use the OK button to confirm your choice of sound to accompany the reminder.  Use the Cancel button to avoid making any changes to the reminder.

See the Windows 3.1 documentation for more information about using the Sound Recorder and sounds.

SEE ALSO

Using Sounds


Waveform Files (Sounds)

Waveform files (*.WAV) are a digital representation of audible sounds, generally created with the Windows 3.1 Sound Recorder.  You can create your own sound bites and have them played back with any Remind Me! event.  To hear the sound, the computer must have a Windows 3.1 compatible sound card and driver.

You can also use a "sound name", such as "SystemExit" as defined by the Sound module of the Windows Control Panel.  If you are knowledgeable about Windows internals, you can also create name associations by editing the [sounds] section of your WIN.INI file.  The advantage of using sound names is that you can create reminders that can be used by many people, with each individual being able to customize the actual sound file.

For more information, see the Windows 3.1 documentation or the Help file for the Sound Recorder application.

SEE ALSO

The Sound Dialog Box


Using Sounds
Using Sound with Reminders

On any computer equipped with a compatible sound board and speakers, Remind Me! can play back a sound for each reminder.  You associate a sound with a reminder using the Sound Dialog Box, which is accessed from the Sound... button in the Edit Reminder dialog box.

Sounds can be:

Waveforms (.WAV files) supplied with Windows 3.1 such as CHORD.WAV.

Names that have been set up with the Control Panel's Sound module, such as SystemQuestion.  For more information, see the Sound topic in the Control Panel Help system.

Sounds that you record yourself using the Sound Recorder application and a microphone.  Clicking the Record Sound... button will automatically start up the Sound Recorder application.

You can "browse" through sounds using the Browse... button in the Sound dialog box. After choosing the name of a sound, use the Test... button to hear the sound.

Once you have chosen the sound you want, put the name (and directory path, if necessary) in the Name field and choose OK.

If you associate a sound with a reminder, and later that sound file is deleted from your hard disk, the reminder will still occur but without any audible sound playback.  Be careful not to unintentionally delete waveform files that are associated with reminders.

If you want a sound to play when a reminder occurs, but do not want a message to display on the screen, leave the Reminder Message Text field on the Edit Reminder dialog box blank.

SEE ALSO

Waveform Files (Sounds)

The Sound Dialog Box


Using Actions

When a reminder occurs, it has a specific action associated with it.  There are three types of actions:

Message actions display a message box on your computer screen when a reminder occurs.

Windows program and file actions  start up any standard Windows application (such as the Notepad or Terminal programs) or open a file when a reminder occurs.

Animations display an animation along with your custom message.

SEE ALSO

Using Message Actions

Using Windows Program and File Actions

Using Animations

Using Sounds

Edit Reminder Dialog Box

Action Chooser Dialog Box


Using Message Actions

A message commands displays a message on your screen when a reminder occurs.

For example, putting "This is a message to be displayed on my screen" in the Reminder Message Text field on the Edit Reminder Dialog Box will cause a message box to be displayed when the reminder goes off.  You can see what this looks like by clicking the Test Now... button.

Message commands can have a sound associated with them, like any command.  There is a Play Again button that enables you to replay the sound.  Clicking the Cancel button cuts off the sound playback immediately, while clicking OK dismisses the message window while finishing the sound.

Clicking the Delete button causes the current message reminder to be deleted.  If there is a sound associated with the reminder, you will also be prompted to optionally delete that sound file.

Message commands automatically disappear after 4 minutes on your display. This is to prevent cluttering the screen.  However, if you are using a standard Windows 3.1 screen saver, the message window will remain on your display as long as the screen saver is active.

SEE ALSO

Using Windows Program and File Actions

Using Animations

Using Sounds

Edit Reminder Dialog Box


Using Windows Program and File Actions

Executing a standard Windows application when the reminder occurs is as simple as choosing the application you want to run by selecting it through either the Files and Documents Browse or Program Manager Object functions on the Action Chooser Dialog Box.

Advanced Remind Me! users may want to try the following functions:

Opening a document by name

Running DOS programs and batch files

SEE ALSO

Using Message Actions

Using Animations

Using Sounds

Edit Reminder Dialog Box

Action Chooser Dialog Box


defDocByName
Opening a document by name

You can open a document just by entering the document name, as long as there is an entry for that document type in the [Extensions] section of WIN.INI.  For example, "c:\win\readme.wri" will bring up Windows Write with the file c:\win\readme.wri ready to edit.

You can also specify the entire command line (for example, c:\windows\write.exe) followed by the file name (c:\win\readme.wri) to open the document.


defExecDOS
Executing DOS programs and batch files

You can execute DOS programs and DOS batch files from Remind Me!.

You need to create a .PIF file for each DOS program or batch file you want to run from Remind Me!.  In the PIF file, put "command.com" in the Program Filename field.  Put your name for this activity in the Window Title field.  In the Optional Parameters field, put "/c myprog.bat" for a batch file or "/c dosapp.exe" for a DOS program.  Make sure Display Usage is "Windowed" and the Background Execution checkbox is set on.  Save the .PIF file.

Now, bring up Remind Me! and select the name of the .PIF file in the Action Chooser dialog box.  Finally, if you want to run this DOS program without disturbing whatever Windows is currently doing, check the Start Minimized checkbox.

For more information on .PIF files, please see your Windows documentation.


The Action Chooser Dialog Box

The Action Chooser dialog box gives you four choices of actions to execute with a reminder:

Message Box	lets you type in or select a message. The select list on the drop-down menu is comprised of messages you have recently entered for other reminders.

Files and Documents	lets you search through all your files and select one.

Program Manager Object 	lets you select a Program Manager object (such as an application's icon). The list of objects is displayed in a list box. When you select an object, its icon (if any) appears to the right of the list box.

Start Minimizedcan be selected if you desire.

Animated Reminder	lets you select an animated cartoon graphic to deliver your message.  The list of animations depends on which add-on animation modules that have been installed.

SEE ALSO

Using Message Actions

Using Windows Program and File Actions

Using Animations

Edit Reminder Dialog Box


The Main Dialog Box

The Main dialog box is the first dialog box you see upon starting up Remind Me!.  Through it, you can access all the features and capabilities of Remind Me!.  The Main dialog box has five buttons:

Setup Reminders 	displays the List Of Reminders dialog box, enabling you to create, edit, and copy reminders

Browse Animations 	displays the Animation Browser dialog box (to preview the installed animated reminders.)

Edit Preferences 	displays the Edit Preferences dialog box ready for editing configuration information.

Help (F1) 	displays Remind Me!'s on-line Help system.

Done 	minimizes Remind Me! and puts its icon down on the Desktop. All enabled reminders will continue to execute.  This is the same as clicking on the System Menu and choosing "Minimize".

SEE ALSO

Edit Reminder Dialog Box


Using Remind Me with the Keyboard Only
Using Remind Me! with the Keyboard Only

Although the Windows is designed for use with a mouse, Remind Me! allows you to use the keyboard to access all functions.

Buttons

Each button in Remind Me! has one character of its name (often the first letter) underlined.  To execute that button's function with the keyboard, hold down the ALT key and press the letter key that corresponds with the underlined letter.

For example, the Setup Reminders button on the Main dialog box has the letter S underlined.  Pressing the ALT and S keys together displays the List of Reminders dialog box.  This is the same action that would have occurred if you clicked the button with a mouse.

Alternately, you could use the TAB key to move from item to item on a dialog box.  When you land on the appropriate button, pressing the SPACE key is equivalent to clicking it with a mouse.

Dialog Boxes and Other Items

Within a dialog box you can move from item to item by pressing the TAB key.

Text fields can be modified by typing over any existing text.

Items on a drop-down menu can be selected by using the arrow keys to move through the menu items.

Radio buttons can be selected by using the arrow keys to move through the buttons.

Check boxes can be selected by pressing the SPACE bar.

Remind Me! conforms to the standard Windows user-interface.  If you would like more details on using Windows application with the keyboard only, please consult your Windows documentation.


The Edit Preferences Dialog Box

The Edit Preferences dialog box enables you to change the way that Remind Me! interacts with your system.  You can use this dialog box to specify where Remind Me! looks for the files it uses and to change other preferences.

There are three file names and/or locations that can be specified:

Reminder File	This file contains all the currently specified reminders and their execution information.  You can have multiple event files, but only one can be in use at a time.

Event Log File	This file name tells Remind Me! where to put the Event Log File.  This is a text file on your hard disk that contains a record of the actions taken by Remind Me!, recording the date, time, and name of each reminder as it occurs.

Sound Directory	This is the name of the default directory that Remind Me! uses to look for waveform files (*.WAV).

Browse... buttons 	bring up a standard Windows browser dialog box to assist you in locating the proper files.

There are three check boxes used to configure the way Remind Me! works:

Sound Output Enabled	Uncheck this box if you do not want to hear any sound output from the Remind Me! reminders. By default, sound is enabled.

Color Highlights	Uncheck this box if you are using a monochrome or LCD display so that color highlighting will not be used in the List of Events dialog box.

Show Clock When Minimized	If this box is not checked, then the clock icon that Remind Me! normally displays will be invisible.  To edit events, you will need to double-click on the Remind Me! icon in the Startup group.

The Video Test... button is used to adjust the speed of animated reminders to your computer.  The default Animation Speed Factor is 100%, and larger numbers make the animations go faster.  Pushing the Video Test... button instructs Remind Me! to make an estimate of your computer's video speed--you may see some flashing on your screen for a few seconds.  After performing the test, Remind Me! will display a suggested value for the Animation Speed Factor.

SEE ALSO

Configuring Remind Me


Using Animations

Remind Me! includes a set of colorful animations that you can use with the reminders you create.  These animations are accessed by clicking the Browse Animations... button on the Main dialog box.  Selecting the Browse Animations... button displays the Animation Browser Dialog Box.

SEE ALSO

The Animation Browser Dialog Box

Using Message Actions

Using Windows Program and File Actions

Using Sounds


The Animation Browser Dialog Box

The Animation Browser dialog box displays the available animations that can be used with a Remind Me! reminder.  This is where you will find "special" reminder animations, such as Message of the Day, and Randomized.

Highlight the animation you want to use or test.  If you have more than one animation group, you should also first select the group you want to use.

The Animation Browser dialog box has the following buttons:

Close 	Closes the Animation Browser Dialog box.

New Reminder 	Associates the selected animation with a new reminder and displays the Edit Reminder dialog box so you can set up the time and message for that reminder.

Test Now 	Pops up the currently selected animation.

Help 	Displays this Help system.

SEE ALSO

Using Animations

Using Actions

Using Sounds