Copyright: copyright - Lamaura Development Ltd 1995
Citation: Help generated by SOS Help! Info-Author


Awards and Other Information

Contents

Awards and Reviews

PC User Magazine reviewed SOS Help! Info-Author in their 17-30 May 1995 issue.  The product received 9 marks out of 10 overall and was awarded a PC User Gold Award.

"This Gold Award winner is ideal for development teams which need to create Help files quickly... It can boost productivity and save many hours of debugging", PC User Magazine, May 1995.

The Lamaura World Wide Web page

Please check out our WWW site at  http://www.lamaura.com/~lamaura. Note that the "~" is a tilde character, not a hyphen

You can get details of all our products, download demos via ftp and/or ftpmail links directly from the page and register your Lamaura software on-line.  There are also links to other pages of interest to hypertext/WinHelp authors.  You can also read about the award SOS Help! Info-Author has just won (see below for blatant plug!).

Finally there is a way of obtaining some really useful FREE software - but you will have to check out the relevant page to find out how.


Awards and Other Information - p
Awards and Other Information

This section contains information on the Lamaura WWW site, on recent reviews and awardsand on how to get FREE software.

For more information see Awards and Other Information.


Contents
SOS Help! Info-Author Demo

Welcome to SOS Help! Info-Author, the Electronic Publishing tool that is so intuitive and flexible to use that anyone can create professional looking help files quickly and easily. No technical knowledge required!

Before using SOS Help! Info-Author for the first time, please spend five minutes reading the short Getting Started section. It will save you time later.

Contents

Getting Started

The ScreenCam Presentation

Windows Help Compiler

The Demo Version

The Tutorial

SOS Help! Info-Author - Information Pack

Awards and Other Information

Trouble Shooting

Purchase Details

Publisher

PC User Magazine Gold Award Winner, May 1995


Examples of Uses for SOS Help! Info-Author
Examples

•	Online Help manuals that you call when you press the <F1> key

•	ISO 9000 Online Doumentation

•	Telephone lists

•	Parts and Prices lists

•	Online reference manuals

•	Online training manuals

•	Cookery books

•	Read me files such as this one

•	Presentation documents such as the ScreenCam presentation


Getting Started

Contents

This Help File consists of eight basic components, listed below.  They are quite brief so you can browse through them quickly.

Notice the link in the Title bar above.  These are used to guide you quickly through this help file.  Feel free to click on them.

The ScreenCam Presentation

Windows Help Compiler

The Demo Version

The Tutorial

SOS Help! Info-Author - Information Pack

Awards and Other Information

Trouble Shooting

Purchase Details


I can't find specified Help file
I can't find the specified Help file

There are two probable reasons for this.

First that the file does not exist as this is the Demo version and some help files were omitted.

Second that you have not installed SOS Help! Info-Author in the C:\SOS4WIN directory.

You can edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and add the directory containing SOS Help! Info-Author to the Path by hand.


I can't open the practice project
I can't open the project "A sense of taste and smell"

This is almost certainly because you have not installed SOS Help! Info-Author into the C:\SOS4WIN directory.

Unfortunately due to size limitations for the demo it was necessary to set the practice project up in this way.

There are two choices.

1.	Delete the practice project (File:Delete)and create your own project of up to 10 topics using File:New.

2.	Reinstall the demo version into the C:\SOS4WIN directory.


Lamaura Development Ltd

Rabley Park
Ridge
Potters Bar
Herts EN6 3LX
United Kingdom

Tel:	+44 (0)1707 643278
Fax: 	+44 (0)1707 643499  (BBS & Fax share a phone line)
BBS: 	+44 (0)1707 643499  Settings are 300-28.8k baud, N,8,1
Email:	sales@lamaura.com (Internet) or 100016,1254 (CompuServe)
WWW Site:	http://www.lamaura.com/~lamaura


No sound in the Screen Cam Presentation

This is sometimes caused by an interrupt problem with the Sound Card.  Try changing the setup settings for your Sound Card.

Alternatively, try not moving the mouse while the presentation is running.


Omitted Features

The shipping version is about 6mb in size, and over 2mb when archived, and we felt that it was unreasonable to create a Demo of this size.  Consequently we have removed some of the features by omitting various dynamic link  libraries (.DLLs).  However these omissions do not detract from the capabilities of SOS Help! Info-Author and its ability to create WYSIWYG help files and electronic documents quickly and efficiently.

The following features were omitted from the Demo version of SOS Help! Info-Author in order to save space:

  1.  Import/Export - of projects and other file formats (including .RTF files)

  2.  Spell Checker - This has a very large dictionary of over 1.5 Mb

The menu options that access these features are greyed out and not available

  3.  Help Compiler - see the Windows Help Compiler


Windows Help Compiler

The Demo Version

Due to the terms of our licence agreement with Microsoft, we are not allowed to ship the Windows Help Compiler with the Demo version of SOS Help! Info-Author.  Note that the full Shipping Version does come with the Help Compiler (HCP.EXE), the Segmented Hypergraphics Editor (SHED.EXE) and the Multi-Resolution Bitmap Compiler (MRBC.EXE) licensed from Microsoft.

The help compiler is shipped with the Windows Software Development Kit and most Windows development environments such as Visual Basic, Visual C++, Borland Pascal, Borland C++, Watcom C++, Symantec C++ etc.

An updated version of the help compiler has been made available by Microsoft at their Internet FTP site (ftp.microsoft.com) and in the Windows SDK forum on CompuServe (GO WINSDK). It is also available via FTP from several other sites. Look for HCP505.ZIP and/or HCP505.EXE; this is the most recent version at the time of writing).

You must configure SOS Help! Info-Author so that it knows where to find the Help Compiler.  You do this by selecting the Options:System Preferences menu option, and then clicking on the Browse button for the Help Compiler field. The file you are looking for is HCP.EXE (or HC31.EXE if you have one of the development environments listed above).


Presentation is jerky
The presentation is jerky or does not display

There may be a problem with running the ScreenCam presentation from your CD ROM.

Try copying the ScreenCam file - SCRN_CAM.EXE from the CD to your hard disk and running it from there.  You will need approximately 6.0 Mb of disk space available.

Remember to change the properties of the ScreenCam icon in Program Manager so that the Command Line points to the file's new location.


Problems

Trouble Shooting

Here is a list of common problems

ScreenCam Presentation

The pictures look awful

No sound in the Screen Cam Presentation

The presentation is jerky or does not display

Running the ScreenCam from your hard disk

Demo Version

I can't find the Windows Help Compiler

I can't open the practice project, "A sense of taste and smell"

General

I can't find the specified Help file


Purchase Details
Purchasing Details for SOS Help! Info-Author

Order Form

Special Introductory Offer

ONLY  £99.00 + Shipping + VAT
US$149.00 + Shipping

until 30th September 1995

If you want to order the full version of SOS Help! Info-Author, click here to load the Order Form.  Full information is contained there.

+ Shipping:	£5 	U.K.
£10 	Internationally
US$15	for USA and Canada

+ VAT:	Payable at 17.5% on purchase price and shipping unless accompanied by a
VAT number

SOS Help! Info-Author usually costs £195.00 (sterling), but is being offered at a special introductory price of £99.00 (US$149) until 30.09.95.


Purchase Details - p
Purchase Details

This section contains information on how to order the full working copy of SOS Help! Info-Author from Lamaura Development Ltd for only £99.00.

A hard copy of the order form is contained in the MS Write document ORDERFRM.WRI.

For more information see Purchase Details.


Requirements - Demo
Requirements

•	The Demo must be installed in C:\SOS4WIN so that you can open the tutorial project "A sense of taste and smell".

•	Approximately 3.0 Mb hard disk space on drive C:\

•	The Windows Help Compiler (preferably v505 Extended Edition) - not supplied with Demo version


Requirements - SC
Requirements

•	Windows 3.1 or higher

•	A sound card configured to run under Windows 3.1 or higher

•	Five minutes to run


Running The Demo Version

The Demo Version

To run the Demo click on the Icon in Program Manager.

You must configure SOS Help! Info-Author so that it knows where to find the Help Compiler. To set the system up you must go to the Options:System Preferences menu option, then click on the Browse button for the Help Compiler. The file you are looking for is HCP.EXE. Each project created once this is done will automatically look here for the help compiler

If you have not installed SOS Help! Info-Author to the C:|SOS4WIN directory then you must delete the practice project "A sense of taste and smell" before you can create a new project. Choose Delete Project from the File menu.

Note: we strongly recommend that you complete The Tutorial before deleting this project.

If you do not have a Help Compiler, they are available with any Windows Development Kit such as Visual Basic, Visual C++, Borland Pascal or Borland C++ etc.

For information on how to acquire a copy see Windows Help Compiler.


Running the ScreenCam from the hard disk
Running the presentation from your hard disk

If there is a problem running the ScreenCam presentation from the CD, try copying the ScreenCam file - SCRN_CAM.EXE from the CD to your hard disk and running it from there.  You will need approximately 6.0 Mb of disk space available.

Remember to change the properties of the ScreenCam icon in Program Manager so that the Command Line points to the file's new location.


SOS Help! Info-Author - Information Pack
SOS Help! Info-Author - The Information Pack

Load the Information Pack Write file

SOS Help! Info-Author is an electronic publishing tool that was originally designed to create context sensitive online Help files for applications.  However it is so flexible and easy to use that it is the perfect tool for creating any kind of Electronic Book.

Because it is a true WYSIWYG design tool, users with no technical knowledge at all can create professional looking Help files or electronic documents (Examples).

For a full discussion of the features and benefits of SOS Help! Info-Author, print out the Information Pack Write file file provided in the Program Manager window.  It contains a brief explanation of the advantages of using electronic publishing followed by description of SOS Help! Info-Author.  This description includes a breakdown of the useful features, technical details, included utilities and added extras.

It is well worth your while to print this file out!!  Click here or use the Jump in the Title bar above to load this file, and then print it.


SOS Help! Info-Author - Information Pack - p
SOS Help! Info-Author - Information Pack

This section contains information about SOS Help! Info-Author itself, its features and the benefits of using electronic publishing.

We recommend you look at this section to learn more about the product and its features - it's very brief.

We have provided a Windows Write file, sos-info.wri containing more information on the product and electronic publishing for you to print out and study at your leisure.

For more information see SOS Help! Info-Author - Information Pack.


Technical Support

If you have any problems or comments setting up the Demo version of SOS help! Info-Author NOT covered by the Trouble Shooting section then please call our technical support line, stating that you are using the Demo version.

Lamaura Development Ltd

Technical Support Hotline:  +44 (0) 1707 643 278

Email:  support@lamaura.com (Internet) or 100016,1254 (CompuServe)

We are available during UK office hours, and sometimes later!!  However we would prefer it if you sent us Email which we usually answer overnight.

See Publisher


The Demo Version

Run the SOS Help! Info-Author Demo

This Demo version of SOS Help! Info-Author is a full working version with a few lesser used functions turned off to save disk space rather than reduce its functionality (see Omitted Features and Requirements).

This demo version can only create one help project, containing a maximum of ten topics at any one time.  To run it click on the icon in the Program Manager window.

You must have stored SOS Help! Info-Author in the C:\SOS4WIN directory in order to open the practice project that comes preconfigured with the Demo version.  If you have not done this then you must delete this project using the Delete Project option from the File menu before you can create a new project.

Requirements

Omitted Features

Running The Demo

The Windows Help Compiler

The Tutorial

Problems

Purchase Details


The Demo Version - p
The Demo Version

This section contains important and helpful notes on how to run the Demo program itself, what features are omitted, and the Tutorial.

We highly recommend that you complete the Tutorial provided with the Demo version as it shows you the most commonly used features.

You must have loaded SOS Help! into the C:\SOS4WIN directory in order to open the tutorial project - "A Sense of Taste And Smell".  If you have not done this you will have to delete the tutorial project before you can create another project.

For more information see The Demo Version.


The ScreenCam Presentation

Run the ScreenCam Presentation

This Multimedia presentation takes you behind the scenes to show you how a help file is created using SOS Help! Info-Author.

Please check Requirements before starting to ensure that your system is set up correctly.

If you have any trouble see Problems.

Requirements

Problems

Contents


The ScreenCam presentation - p
The ScreenCam Presentation

We suggest you run this first and then look at the SOS Help! Info-Author Demo program afterwards.

To save disk space this is run from directly from the CD (it's about 5.2mb in size!)

If you want to load the ScreenCam presentation onto your hard drive click here.

Note - we have included a cut down version of the help file used in the presentation for you to look at.

For more information see The ScreenCam Presentation.


The Tutorial

Run the Tutorial Help file

We recommend that you take the time to run through the tutorial provided as it will show you the main features of SOS Help! Info-Author and how to use them.  This will save you time in the future.  It is also a good idea to print out each lesson from the help file as it is easier to refer to the instruction this way.

SOS Help! Info-Author comes preconfigured with a tutorial project called "A sense of taste and smell".   To open this practice project you must have installed SOS Help! Info-Author in c:\sos4win directory.

To run the tutorial, click on the Jump in the Title bar above, load tutorial.hlp  into WINHELP.EXE or click on the icon in Program Manager.

To generate this project, you must configure SOS Help! Info-Author via Options:Project Preferences so that it can find the help compiler (see WinHelp Compiler).  Once you have finished  the tutorial, you can delete the project and create your own.

The New Project option on the File menu is not available until you delete the current project.


The Tutorial - p
The Tutorial

We recommend that you take the time to run through the tutorial provided as it will show you the main features of SOS Help! Info-Author and how to use them.  This will save you time in the future.

SOS Help! Info-Author comes preconfigured with a tutorial project called "A sense of taste and smell".   To open this practice project you must have installed SOS Help! Info-Author in c:\sos4win directory.

For more information see The Tutorial


The pictures look awful

The display must be set to SVGA 256 colors, minimum, to display the bitmaps adequately.

However it does not affect the presentation if you cannot set the display to SVGA mode.


Trouble Shooting

Contents

Most problems should be answered here.  Please check first before contacting technical support.

Problems

Uninstalling SOS Help! Info-Author

Technical Support

Publisher

If you have any further problems or comments not covered here, please contact Lamaura Development Ltd by sending email to support@lamaura.com (stating that you are using the demo version).


Trouble Shooting - p
Trouble Shooting

This section refers to curing common problems, uninstalling SOS Help! Info-Author and technical support.

For more information see Trouble Shooting.


Uninstalling
Uninstalling SOS Help! Info-Author

•	Simply delete the directory containing SOS Help! Info-Author, which should be the SOS4WIN directory.

•	Delete the SOS Help! Info-Author Demo group from Program Manager


WYSIWYG
What You See Is What You Get


Windows Help Compiler - p
Windows Help Compiler not found

Due to the terms of our licence agreement with Microsoft we are not allowed to ship the Windows Help Compiler with the Demo version of SOS Help! Info-Author.  However it is supplied with the full Shipping Version (along with SHED and MRBC).

Consequently you must configure SOS Help! Info-Author so that it knows where to find the Help Compiler.  To set the system up you must go to the Options:System Preferences menu option, then click on the Browse button for the Help Compiler.

The file you are looking for is HCP.EXE.  Each project created once this is done will automatically look here for the help compiler.

For more information see Windows Help Compiler.