User's Choice Windows CD/User's Choice Windows CD (CMS Software)(1993).iso/demos/originfx.zip/INSTRUCT.TXT

Text File | 1993-01-05 | 24KB | 451 lines

Installing This Demo
Make a local directory called OriginFX to which you should copy the
OriginFX.zip file.  Unzip the file using "PKunzip -d OriginFX.zip".  Next
enter Windows and make an icon (this process is described below).  You should
now be able to engage OriginFX.  While the actual program supports Windows
3.0 and 3.1, this demo version is catered to Windows 3.1.  If you are having
art allignment problems, you are probably running in 3.0.

When you purchase a copy of OriginFX, be sure and delete this demo before
installing the actual program.  Enjoy!

About ORIGIN FX
For over ten years ORIGIN has been creating worlds of adventure and intrigue
for users of high end personal computers. Until now, ORIGIN has exclusively
been a developer of entertainment software, bringing together the best art,
sound and programming in the industry to produce such award-winning games as
Wing Commander I and II, Ultima I through VII, Strike Commander and Ultima
Underworld. Now ORIGIN delivers to the PC user a utility that is as versatile
and exciting as it is useful, a modular screen saver overflowing with the
graphics, sound and imagination that has made ORIGIN a world-wide favorite of
computer game players and a leader in the industry.
    ORIGIN FX incorporates images and characters familiar to fans of
ORIGIN's game worlds, as well as novel imagery created especially for this
unique package. Unlike most screen saver graphics, which depend upon the
limited color range of Windows applied on a black background, ORIGIN FX
brings state-of-the-art full color graphics to your Windows environment. This
system is designed for the high end user. The movies were developed to push
the limits of Windows, and many movies should be experienced in 256-color at
640 x 480 to be fully appreciated. However, all movies support every
resolution and color mode.

Why a Screen Saver?
While a good screen saver is entertaining and clever, it can also be useful.
Screen savers prevent the burning in of an image on your monitor. Burn-in is
caused by the continuous display of an image on the phosphor, until parts of
the phosphor are destroyed. This can leave a permanent ghost image on the
screen. Protecting your monitor will ensure image clarity and promote the
longevity of this valuable computer component. Use of an Engage FX corner or
a Hot Key allows you to instantly activate a module when you know that you
will be away from your machine for an extended period of time.

System Requirements
ORIGIN FX requires at least a 386SX with a VGA graphics card and Windows 3.0
or higher, plus a sound card if music and sound effects are desired. A mouse
is required to interface with the menu panels.

When the install process is complete, an ORIGIN FX icon should appear,
showing that your installation is successful. Double-clicking on this icon
will activate the screen saver and place an active icon at the bottom of your
screen.
    In the unlikely event that an icon does not appear in the ORIGIN FX
    group, it is easy to make one. To create an icon:
    (1)     Go to the Windows Program Manager.
    (2)     Highlight the group in which you wish to place the icon.
    (3)     Click once on File.
    (4)     Within File, click on New. This should bring up a very small
        dialogue box.
    (5)     Accept Program Item to bring up the Properties dialogue box.
    (6)     Label your icon on the Description line. (For example, you
        might label it ORIGIN FX.)
    (7)     For Command Line, type C:\ORIGINFX\ORIGINFX.EXE (unless you
        have customized the path, in which case use the path you
        customized).
    (8)     For Working Directory, type whatever you entered in the
        Command Line, without the final executable. (Using our
        previous suggestion, that would be C:\ORIGINFX.)
    (9)     When the Command Line box is filled in, click the Change Icon
        button.
    (10)    You are shown the default icon for this application, along
        with any optional designs. Select the one you like, then click
        OK. The icon you chose will appear in the ORIGIN FX group.

Consult your Windows User's Guide if you experience any difficulty.

Looking Ahead
In the future, ORIGIN will be shipping new movies and upgrades for the ORIGIN
FX package. (Some of these will probably be included as part of new ORIGIN
games, to be transferred from the new gameÆs disks into your FX directory.)
To add these new features and movies to your existing FX package, you must
follow a few easy steps:
    (1)     Run the install program of your new game, as its instructions
        direct.
    (2)     Double-check your new game's install guide, to make sure the
        following instructions have not changed. (Of course, if they
        have, follow those instructions, not these.)
    (3)     Click once on your small ORIGIN FX icon to bring up its menu.
    (4)     Select Reset Defaults, to let FX know that you have new movies
        to include. (A side effect is that this will reset all of your
        defaults; you'll want to go back and reset your general
        preferences and those in each module that you have customized,
        when you complete this sequence. You will not have to
        reconfigure your Slide Shows or re-input their paths.)

Optimizing Your Environment
If your machine supports 256-color mode and you are using 16-, 32,768-,
65,536- or 16.7 million-color modes, we recommend that you change your
Windows environment to 256. While 32,768 or greater color mode captures the
subtleties and quality of our artists' work, it does not, like 256-color
mode, support the palette cycling that enhances many of our most engaging
movies. We have worked hard to create a product that is both useful and
entertaining to all users of Windows. All the movies will work in any
resolution and color mode, but they will be at their optimal performance in
640 x 480 resolution, 256 colors. (ORIGIN FX does not support 32-bit color,
monochrome or other non-standard VGA color and resolution modes.)
    To change your color and resolution:
    (1)     Double-click on the Windows Setup icon in Main.
    (2)     From the Options menu, select Change System Settings. This
        will pull up your current system settings.
    (3)     Use the drop box next to Display to choose the appropriate
        mode.You may be prompted to insert a driver disk, which should
        have come with your VGA card.
    (4)     After making your selection you will be asked to restart your
        Windows session. Accept this offer and youÆll be instantly
        dropped into your new color and resolution mode.

If you have any difficulty, consult your VGA card's manual.

Using ORIGIN FX
Once the screen saver is active (see above), click once on its icon for your
options, or double-click to activate the ôSelect Saverö screen. From the
minimized icon you will be able to Close the screen saver, go to the
Preferences screen, or Select Saver.

Important Note: Do not run ORIGIN FX concurrently with any other screen saving
program. If you are running Windows 3.1, please be sure that its saver
selection is set at None. The Windows 3.1 resident screen saver is under
Desktop inside the Control Panel group.

Preferences
Engagement Delay
Engage After_
Engagement Delay is the idle time (in whole minutes) after which ORIGIN FX
will be started. This delay time may not be less than 1 minute or greater
than 99 minutes.

Engagement Delay On or Off
Selecting the On or Off button next to the Engage after... edit control allows
you to temporarily enable or disable ORIGIN FX without closing the application.

Hot Key
A Hot Key is used to trigger ORIGIN FX from the keyboard. Any alphanumeric
character, in combination with Cntrl, can be a Hot Key. You can also specify
that Shift be part of your Hot Key. Thus, for example, Cntrl 3, Cntrl Shift 3,
Cntrl T and Cntrl Shift T are all possible Hot Key combinations.
    Most function keys can also serve as Hot Keys. Any function key (other
    than F1) can be designated as a Hot Key all by itself. To select a
    function key for a Hot Key, use the drop-down list (click on the down
    arrow at the end of the Hot Key box) and click on the function key you
    wish to use.

Hot Key On or Off
Selecting the Hot Key On or Off button next to the Hot Key edit control allows
you to enable or disable the Hot Key feature without erasing your current Hot
Key selection.

Disengage Options
Disengage after... allows you to specify how you wish to let ORIGIN FX know
that you want to return to your application. Click on the check box next to
the option(s) that you wish to use to disengage the screen saver. You must
select at least one.

Disengage on System Activity?
For those of you using any program that notifies you with a message box, such
as an electronic mail system or a software calendar program that alerts you
of meeting times and pending appointments, this is a useful feature. When the
Disengage on system activity? box is checked and a message appears, ORIGIN FX
will disengage until re-activated. This guarantees that the message will not
sit, unseen, behind the activity of your FX module.
    If Disengage on system activity? is not checked, when a message
appears, its message box will still appear over the currently running module,
but it may then be cleared away by ORIGIN FX. In the event that you are away
from your desk for an extended period of time, this is the recommended setting.

Engage FX
The upper picture of a computer screen with five buttons allows you to select
the ôEngage OriginFX...ö corner. Then later, if you place your mouse in the
corner you designate here, the screen saver will be engaged immediately, and
can only be canceled in accordance with the selected disengage option(s). The
Engage OriginFX... corner can be turned on or off by clicking the center
button.
    The Engage FX selection cannot share the same corner as the Suppress
FX selection.

Suppress FX
The lower picture of a computer screen with five buttons allows you to select
the Suppress OriginFX... corner. Then later, if you place the mouse in the
corner you designate here, the screen saver will not be engaged, even when
the timer expires. The Suppress OriginFX... corner can be turned on or off by
clicking the center button.
    The Engage FX selection cannot share the same corner as the Suppress
FX selection.

Sound Options
Sound FX: On or Off
Many of the movies have sound effects to accompany their animation. These are
separate from the musical scores which accompany most of the movies, they are
the bangs and whooshes that bring the scenes to life. You have the option to
silence them by clicking on the Sound FX box (is your boss nearby?).

Sound Tracks: On or Off
Many of the ORIGIN FX movies are enhanced by music. These scores, while adding
to the beauty and uniqueness of the movies, are optional. If you wish to add
music to your multimedia experience, then click on the Sound Tracks box.

Sound
Use the drop box under Sound... to select your sound card. ORIGIN FX supports
Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro, Ad Lib, Roland and compatibles. If your
sound card is not listed, select a compatible card. For example, if you have
a Thunderboard, you would select Sound Blaster.

Sound Card Setup
If you are using a Sound Blaster or Sound Blaster Pro and are not using the
default ports, use this button to select the proper IRQ and Port.

Accept Preferences
When you have made your selections, click the OK button to indicate that you
wish to accept the current preferences. This button closes the Preference
dialogue box and, if you made any changes, saves the new set of options into
a file called OriginFX.ini in your Windows directory. These options are
then used the next time ORIGIN FX is started up.

Cancel Preferences
The Cancel button closes the Preferences dialogue box and ignores any changes
that you've made since you opened it.

Select Saver
Movies
Movie is the standard format for ORIGIN FX modules. These modules incorporate
color cycling, animation or other internal effects that create a spectacular
cinematic display. This option needs to be checked in order to view or select
any active ORIGIN FX movies (as opposed to a Slide Show, which displays static
images).

Available Movies
To view the list of movies, click on the drop box under Available Movies. When
you have found a module that you wish to run, click on it. Many of the movies
will include features that you can adjust. By changing the quantity, speed,
color or other variables you can optimize each module to your personal
preferences.

Adjustments
While most adjustments will be self-explanatory, several are described with
their movies, below. The best way to select a variable is to play with it.
Have fun. Try adjusting the speed or number of objects and test each one until
you have composed the module you like best.

Test-Viewing the Movies
Test allows you to preview a selected module. This is the best way to choose
a module. Try testing the same module with its adjustments set at different
levels, or test several different movies before settling on one.
    You can exit from a test by using any of the disengage options you
selected in Preferences.

Accept Selection
When you have made your selection, click the OK button. ORIGIN FX retains
your selection as the default whenever you activate it, until you select
another default module.

Set Preferences
The Prefs button at the bottom of the ôSelect Saverö dialogue box will take
you to the Preferences dialogue box (see above).

Slide Show
Slide Show takes static bitmapped images (*.bmp files) and displays them in
sequence. By selecting which images are displayed, for how long and in what
order, Slide Show allows you to create your own unique modules from those
images already on your machine and from the images in the ORIGIN FX package.
The images in a Slide Show do not have to come from one directory; each
picture in a Slide Show may have its own unique path. To use Slide Show,
check the Slide Show box at the top right of the Select Saver screen and it
will bring up the appropriate dialogue box.

New
To create a new Slide Show, first select New, then name your new Slide Show
file. At this point you are ready to select the bitmapped images that will
make up your Slide Show. You may select as few as one or as many as forty
bitmaps for any Slide Show. Select slides from the Available Bitmaps drop box.
Unless you specify that they be displayed in random order, the Slide Show
will play them in the order you select.
    Once you have created a Slide Show, thereÆs no need to stop. Create
several, each with its own theme, each distinctly yours. And each Slide Show
is as easy to edit as it was to create (see below). Don't forget to name each
one.

Available Bitmaps, Add to List and Change Path
The Available Bitmaps drop box lists all *.bmp files in the directory
currently specified in Change Path:. Whether you are creating a new show or
editing an existing presentation, clicking on a file in this list, and then
on Add to List, will add it to your slide show in the order selected. A
highlighted file will remain selected unless specifically deselected. To
increase the number of bitmaps available to you, we have included two of our
own. To view these, use Change Path to go to the \ORIGINFX directory and add
the *.bmp files to a slide show.
    Designate your ORIGIN FX directory in Change Path:, and these pictures
will appear as available slides. if you wish to add these to a Slide Show of
*.bmp files from another directory, donÆt worry. Remember that each picture
in a Slide Show may have its own unique path. There is never a need to
transfer art between directories.

Select All and Deselect All
These two are actually the same toggle button. If you have any bitmaps
selected under Available Bitmaps, this will be a Deselect All button. If no
bitmaps are currently selected, this will be a Select All button.
    Use Select All to highlight your entire list of bitmaps and import
them all into a slide show. Use the Deselect All button to deselect all
bitmaps highlighted under Available Bitmaps. (If you want to Select All after
you have already selected one or more individually, press Deselect All, then
Select All.)

Display Order
Your bitmapped slides can be displayed either randomly or in a sequential
order. If you choose a sequential Slide Show, you will probably want to
arrange your slides in a particular order.

Up and Down
To change the order in a Slide List, highlight the slide you wish to move and
use the Up or Down button to move it earlier or later in your Slide Show.

Cut
If you want to remove a slide from a Slide Show, highlight it in the Slide
List, then press Cut.

Grab FX
It is easy to include screen shots from our movies in your Slide Show. The
first step is to run the module from which you wish to take screen shots, and
hit G to capture any frame that will make a good picture. Even if you have
selected Any Key Press as a disengage option (see Disengage Options, above),
hitting G during a module will not return you to your application. These
images are then stored in your Windows directory and numbered. The first time
you capture a screen it will be titled GRABFX_1.bmp, the next GRABFX_2.bmp and
so on. To add a captured image to your Slide Show, select the desired .bmp
file and use the Add to List button to include it in your show. You may also
use these images as Windows wallpaper. The GrabFX files will appear as options
in the Desktop setup dialogue box, where you choose your wallpaper.

Duration
Duration refers to the amount of time, in seconds, that each slide is
displayed before going on to the next. Adjust the duration using the up or
down arrow to raise or decrease the number of minutes and seconds. This
process must be repeated for each slide added to the list. Thus, each image
can have a different display duration, all in just one show.

Edit
Once youÆve created a Slide Show, you can change it. Select the title of the
show you wish to change, then click on Edit. This allows you to change the
order of slides, remove or add slides and change any of the durations you
choose. Take this opportunity to optimize your completed Slide Show.

Test
Test allows you to preview a Slide Show before accepting it with the OK button
(see below). Highlight the name of the Slide Show you wish to view, then click
once on Test. One of the most effective ways to create a personalized module
is to use Edit and Test until you have created a Slide Show with the exact
look and feel that you desire.

Accept Selection
When you have made your selection, click the OK button. ORIGIN FX will retain
your selection as the default whenever you activate it, until you accept
another module or display mode.

Movies
ORIGIN FX has many entertaining movies. The best way to select your module is
to preview each using the Test button in the Select Saver dialogue box. While
some of these movies refer to characters in the Ultima or Wing Commander
series, knowledge of these games is not essential to enjoying the FX movies
in which they appear.
    You can tell which movies have music and/or sound effects by the
presence of a Volume slide bar within its Select Saver dialogue box.

Main Street     uses Sound Tracks
Welcome to a day in the life of the Pickax Construction Company. Watch as
Joseph Pickax, eating all the while, directs his crew in constructing the
brownstones and office buildings of Bigcity, USA. But buildings are only the
beginning of what makes a city thrive. Once Joe calls it a day, there is still
plenty of activity. Cars, planes, billboards and bus-stops inevitably spring
up around any population center, and thereÆs always plenty of tenants for the
apartments that Joe and his company have built. With Sound Tracks on, you'll
hear the music of the city developing.

Window Washer   uses Sound FX and Sound Tracks
Vinnie, our Windows washer, is very particular about his work, a real
professional. As he cleans the windows of some of downtownÆs most prestigious
buildings, he is careful not to be distracted or shocked by whatever may lie
behind the glass. But you may be!
    Look in on Vinnie's day as he reveals a glimpse of the strange events
that transpire every day in the offices all around you.

TroubleShooting

Q:  I'm running a Windows shell, and ORIGIN FX won't install. What do I do?
A:  Windows shells, such as Norton Desktop for Windows and NewWave, replace
the Program Manager functions and remove the Program Manager from the Windows
environment. Our install requires the Program Manager. To guarantee
installation, temporarily disable your shell and enable the Program Manager
before attempting to install ORIGIN FX. If you are not sure how to do this,
please consult your shell's manual.

Q:  I'm running in RealMode, and ORIGIN FX won't install. What do I do?
A:  Windows 3.0 runs in three modes, Real, Standard and Enhanced. ORIGIN FX
is not supported by RealMode. To see which mode you are in, go to the About
Program Manager dialogue box using Program ManagerÆs Help. This box tells you
in what mode you are running. To guarantee that you are running in Enhanced
Mode, type WIN /3 when entering Windows.

Q:  I've been starting up my Windows sessions with ORIGIN FX, but now I don't
want to. What do I do?

Q:  When I installed ORIGIN FX, I decided not to have it start up with my
Windows sessions, but now I want it to. What do I do?
A:  During the Install you will be asked whether you want ORIGIN FX to appear
on Windows start up. If at a later time you change your mind, it is a simple
matter to change it:
    (1)     At your DOS prompt go to your Windows directory (usually
        C:\WINDOWS).
    (2)     Type EDIT WIN.INI and go to the line that begins LOAD=.
    (3)     To delete ORIGIN FX from the Windows start up, delete the
        ORIGIN FX path from this line.
        To add ORIGIN FX to the Windows start up, type the ORIGIN FX
        path on this line.
    (4)     Save this file.

Q:  I've been using ORIGIN FX for awhile under Windows 3.0, and now I've
upgraded to a more recent version of Windows. Do I need to do anything
special?
A:  ORIGIN FX configures itself according to the version of Windows that you
are running. If you change versions of Windows you will have to re-install
ORIGIN FX in order for it to be current with the version of Windows that you
are running.

Q:  I'm running a maximized DOS window, and ORIGIN FX engages when I don't
want it to. What do I do?
A:  To prevent this from happening, simply close ORIGIN FX before entering an
extended DOS window session.

Q:  An icon was not created during install. What do I do?
A:  You won't get an icon if you are running a Windows shell such as Norton
Desktop or NewWave (see the first question, above). Check to be sure that you
actually have a Program Manager, then follow the instructions on Page 2 of
this manual.

Q:  I'm working with a shared network copy of Windows, and I can't get ORIGIN
FX to work. What do I do?
A:  ORIGIN FX will not work from a network copy of Windows. You must install
a separate copy of Windows on your own system before ORIGIN FX will install.

Q:  I've tried everything youÆve suggested, and I still can't get ORIGIN FX
to work. What do I do?
A:  ORIGIN Customer Service can be reached at [phone], Monday through
Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Central time.