Contents

The following Help Topics are available:

What is MidiMaster?

What is New?

Features

System Requirements

Future Development

About the Author

For Help on Help, Press F1


What is MidiMaster?

MidiMaster is a 32-bit MIDI player that enables users to organize their MIDI files in libraries, arrange them in a multifunctional Play List.  MidiMaster can also play any MIDI files in ZIP archives using its internal UNZIP capabilities.  Its enhanced user interface also makes your MIDI resources readily available.  MidiMaster is often said to be the best Midi player on this planet!


What is New
What is New?

•	Zip archive support  — can play media files from ZIP archives (NEW!)

•	Automatic file association checking (NEW!)

•	Enhanced look-and-feel (NEW!)

•	Enhanced Floating Panel (NEW!)

•	Read-Only mode available to protect your media files from erroneous deletion.

•	Pause-before-play feature (suitable for band show)

•	Resizable window

•	Shortcut to Windows Explorer Folder

•	More Runtime File Management .—- Runtime Reset function

•	Different Time Display Modes available

•	Improved track-bar-type Play Control

•	Previous Button Added

•	Re-entrant Queuing

•	Selectable filename display mode

•	New Floating Panel for saving up desktop space

•	Context Menu at tray icon for instant play, pause, skip and stop

•	Auto-MIDI Reset

•	File Type Association de-registration

•	Display of Queue Size

•	Extended number of configurable options


Features

•	True 32-bit application

•	Fully integrated with Windows 95

•	Immediate file rename, delete functions

•	Library functions (up to six libraries)

•	Library Import/Export functions

•	Flexible MIDI file queue function

•	Play List Shuffle function

•	Configurable Queue (Play List) Recycle function

•	Command line invoked playing (can be setup as MIDI player in Netscape)

•	Drag-and-Drop functions for Play List and File List Selections

•	Repeat Playing function

•	Auto-Shrinking Panel

•	Long Name Hint for Play List

•	Volume Control

•	Player Panel showing total time and elapsed time

•	Track bar for changing current playing position

•	Windows registry updating (for registering relevant file type)

•	Many configurable options


System Requirements

•	486SX or above (486DX recommended)

•	Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation 4.0

•	Sound card (with optional volume control)

•	MIDI drivers (along with correct Midi Mapper)

•	Speakers


Future Development

I have no idea on what sort of improvements can be made to MidiMaster.  If you have any idea, please e-mail me at paul@cs.ust.hk.  I'll notify you the latest version of MidiMaster in return.


About the Author

My name is Leung Kam Fai, Paul.  I am a MPhil Computer Science student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.  My research interest is distributed multimedia system.  I am working on a CSCW development environment which supports multimedia document.  I can be reached via email (paul@cs.ust.hk).  You may visit my homepage for other interesting stuff: http://www.cs.ust.hk/~paul/mm/.  I would like to give my special thanks to Joan Latchford for her advice and corrections to this help file.  To make MidiMaster better, you as a user are important.  Your advice is extremely valuable. So please give suggestions!


Play List Shuffle

Click on "Shuffle" button under Play List.  And MidiMaster will shuffle the MIDI items within the Play List.


Rename and delete file

Before file deletion and file renaming, you have to select the target file(s) in File List box.  For file deletion, you may select one or more files.  But for file renaming, you may select only one file.


Library functions

You may categorizing your files into libraries.  Each library contains a full set of filenames.  You may select a particular library in the "Library" combo box.  Changes made to the library are updated immediately.  So when you play from a library without enabling Play List Recycling, your library will ultimately shrink to nothing.


Library import and export

You may create your own set of libraries besides the six predefined libraries.  You may click on "Import/Export" followed by "Import" to import file list from a library to the current Play List.  You may also click on "Import/Export" followed by "Export" to export the file list from the current Play List to a particular library.


Drag-and-Drop functions for Play List and File List Selections

MidiMaster supports flexible Drag-and-Drop functions for both Play List and the file list.  You may select and drag multiple files by clicking several files with the Ctrl key held down.  You may drag one or multiple files from the file list to the Play List.  You may also drag files within Play List.  An arrow will also be displayed to indicate the insertion position.


Flexible MIDI file queue function

You may perform a number of functions for Play List:

•	Shuffle

•	Remove one item or clear the whole Play List

•	Drag-and-Drop

•	Insert selected song(s) to a different position in the Play List

•	Long name hint for Play List


Long name hint for Play List

Sometimes items in the Play List may be too long to display.  Despite that there is a horizontal scrollbar which enables you to scroll for the clipped region, as it is more convenient to display the entire item by simply moving the mouse cursor over that item.  This is known as Long Name Hint.  You may disable this function in the “Properties” dialog box.


Volume Control

By default, MidiMaster will invoke the built-in volume control configured in Windows 95.  You may also configure for your own.  You may do so in the “properties” dialog box.


Windows registry update

MidiMaster saves the user settings in Windows 95 registry instead of in WIN.INI.  This conforms to Microsoft's recommendation, which is a better way for organizing the application's settings.


Track bar for changing current playing position

While playing, you may drag the thumb of the track bar to alter the current play position.  However, you cannot do so when MidiMaster is not playing.


Command line invoked playing

You may invoke MidiMaster from the command line to play a list of MIDI files immediately.  For example,  you may type:

C:\> Midimast 1.mid 2.mid 3.mid


Repeat Playing function

You may repeat playing a particular MIDI file by clicking “Once/Repeat” label (beside the total time and the elapsed time display) in the dark panel.  When it is “Once”, the current MIDI file will be played once only.  When it is “Repeat”, the current MIDI file will be played continuously.


Auto-Shrinking Panel

This function will shrink the MidiMaster to the taskbar as tray icon.  Thus save you a lot of desktop space.  It is different from just minimizing it.  Shrinking will automate some CPU-spanning activities to save your CPU time. This does not hold true for mere minimizing.


Configurable Queue (Play List) Recycle function

By enabling this function, your play list will be used without deleting any item from it.  Without the recycle function enabled, your play list will ultimately to zero.