If you're interested in doing a little Programming - a separate
file called WRITING contains the details of how you can write and import
your own Mission Scripts.
5a. Windows Troubleshooting----------------------------------
If the program is very slow____________
1. Close any unnecessary applications that may be running.
2. Make sure your display setting is at 640x480 resolution or higher and
thousands of colors (16-bit). Refer to your system or Windows documentation for
how to do this. In extreme cases, setting your display to 256 colors
will improve speed, but the diagrams may suffer in appearance.
If display problems occur______________
If you experience graphics problems while running the program, contact
your video card or system vendor to obtain the latest version of their
video driver.
If sound problems occur________________
If you experience sound problems while running the program,
contact your sound card or system vendor to obtain the latest version of
their sound driver.
Occasionally, while music is playing, the sound will pause and then
continue. This is normal and is due to the cacheing behavior of
streaming audio files.
Screen savers__________________________
If you are running a screen saver in the background and experience video
and sound problems during the program, disable the screen saver and the
problem should be resolved. Refer to your screen saver documentation on
how to disable the screen saver.
Windows 95 TaskBar_____________________
The Windows 95 Taskbar may interfere with the user's ability to view the
program graphics, animations and program information in certain
activities. If you encounter difficulties when the Windows 95 Taskbar
appears on-screen, enable the Taskbar's Autohide feature:
* Click the Start button, then select Settings, then Taskbar.
* At the dialog box that appears, uncheck 'Always on top' and check
'Auto hide'.
* Click the 'Apply' button, then the 'OK' button.
You also have the option of relocating the Taskbar to different sides of
the display screen:
* Click and hold down the mouse pointer on a blank area of the
Taskbar.
* Drag and release the Taskbar on the side of the screen where it
causes the least interference.
Note: If you need to access the Taskbar or the Start menu at any time
while the program is running, press CTRL+ESC. To return to the program,
click on the program's display area, or press ALT+TAB until the
program's icon is selected.
Improving system performance(Win95)____
1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, then click
Properties.
2. From the dialog box, select the Performance tab.
3. Click the File System button.
4. Select the CD-ROM tab. Set the Supplemental cache size to Large.
5. Match the Optimize access pattern setting to that of your CD-ROM. (It
should be set to Double-speed or higher.)
6. Click Apply, then OK.
7. Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
5b. Macintosh Troubleshooting------------------------------
System Performance Tips________________
If you have more than 32mb of installed memory (RAM), it is best to try running the program without Virtual Memory at first. (Virtual Memory can be turned on or off in the Memory control panel.)
If the screen redraws slowly or objects appear to be missing, you might
be having a shortage of available memory. In those cases, try turning Virtual Memory ON and setting it to at least 32mb.
If you're curious about the details of your system's memory, here's what to check for:
Before opening Starship Creator, while in the Finder, click on the Apple
symbol at the upper left of your screen, and select "About this
Computer" (or "About this Macintosh"). Your "Largest Unused Block" of memory
should optimally be 24mb or more. You can increase this number by not
having any other applications open, minimizing your System resources
(starting up with fewer extensions and control panels, for example, see
below), and/or installing more RAM.
If sound problems occur________________
Occasionally, while music is playing, the sound will pause and then
continue. This is normal and is due to the cacheing behavior of
streaming audio files.
Extensions and Control Panels__________
+ Import Error Messages: If you have the "Mac OS Easy Open" control panel,
make sure the "Translate TEXT documents" check box is UNchecked
before attempting the import of custom bios, ships, or missions.
+ It may be possible to optimize your system's performance by disabling
certain Extensions and Control Panels. Select Extensions Manager (or
another third-party extensions manager) from Control Panels under the
Apple menu. Uncheck any Extensions or Control Panels that are
unnecessary for basic operation of the computer and CD-ROM drive. Do not
disable Quicktime(tm), Quicktime PowerPlug or the QuickDraw(tm) 3D
extensions, or any components you need to connect to the Internet.
+ If an extensions manager cannot be found, place the unnecessary
extensions in a folder called "Extensions (disabled)" and the Control
Panels in a folder called "Control Panels (disabled)," then restart your
Macintosh.
+ If you have any questions about which files are necessary, please
consult the manual that came with your computer.
Other Tips_____________________________
If the program seems to be running slowly:
+ Close any unneccesary applications that may be running.
+ The computer should have a minimum of 24MB of available built-in
memory to run the program.
+ If your Mac has 16 MB or more available built-in memory, make sure
Virtual Memory is off.
Screensavers: If you are running a screensaver in the background and
experience video and sound problems during the program, disable the
screen saver and the problem should be solved. Refer to your user
documentation on how to disable the screen saver.
6a.Support WINDOWS USERS ----------------------------------
We hope your experience with Starship Creator is
trouble-free. But if you have any problems,
after having read through the following steps,
Technical Support is available as described below:
Before you call...
Video drivers and system settings(Win95)_________
Information about your system's video drivers can often assist our
Technical Support staff in diagnosing problems that are encountered when
running the program.
To get information about your system's video drivers:
1. Right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties.
2. Click on the Device Manager tab.
3. Double-click on Display adapters.
Device Manager also displays settings for hardware devices that are not
fully supported by Windows 95 or are using device drivers that need to
be updated.
Contact the system vendor or manufacturer if any subkeys, such as those
under 'Display adapters' or 'Sound, video and game controllers' are
displayed with a red X or yellow exclamation mark.(Click the plus [+]
sign to see the subkey.)
Your Windows Configuration Information____________
Please have the following information ready if and when you call:
1. The product name and version number located at the top of this ReadMe
file.
2. The processor and clock speed of your computer (e.g., P2/90).
3. The brand name of the sound device installed in the computer.
4. The amount of free memory (memory available to run the program) that
the computer has. (Open Explorer on the desktop and select About Windows
95 from the Help menu.) From the dialog box that appears, write down the
Memory and System Resources values.
5. The complete and exact error message reported by the program (if
any).
Telephone: (303) 739-4020.
Fax: (303) 739-4513, 24 hours daily.
E-mail: support@ssi.teksupport.com
6b.Support MACINTOSH USERS ----------------------------------
We hope your experience with Starship Creator is
trouble-free. But if you have any problems,
after having read through the following steps,
Technical Support is available as described below:
Before you call...
It is essential to have the following information ready:
1.) Product name and version number of this product, available from the
top of this ReadMe file.
2.) The model name of your Macintosh.
3.) The system version number and memory. Under the Apple menu, select
About This Macintosh (or About This Computer in System 7.6 or higher).
In the dialog box that appears, the system version number will be at the
upper right and the memory at the lower left as "Total Memory".
