OS/2 Shareware BBS: 7 Games/07-Games.zip/pmics211.zip/manual.doc

Text File | 1996-09-15 | 37KB | 813 lines

PMICS - The Internet Chess Client for OS/2 Warp
Version 2.1.1      Released 15th September 1996
Copyright (C)1996 Paul Mitchell/Mystic Software

USER MANUAL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

See Also
--------
README        for final notes and information about this release
HISTORY.DOC   for revision history


Introduction
------------
PMICS is a sophisticated interface for the numerous chess servers available on
the internet. Using PMICS you can play chess, observe other games and chat to
the inhabitants of these servers. PMICS is a native, 32-bit, multi-threaded
application which makes full use of the incredible power of OS/2 Warp.

This file is a concise guide to using PMICS. It is a stopgap measure until
the next release which will have a full on-line help capability. Please tell
the author of any corrections or omissions.

For news, information and updates be sure to check out the web site dedicated
to PMICS. The URL is http://www.tcom.co.uk/secondnature/pmics/


System Requirements
-------------------
To run PMICS successfully, your system must have at least the following
configuration...

o OS/2 Warp Version 3.0 or above (including Warp Connect and Merlin)
o A TCP/IP connection to the internet, such as Internet Access Kit found
  on the Warp BonusPak, or the TCP/IP support in Warp Connect
o A mouse
o A SuperVGA display with 256 or more colours


Installation
------------
Create a folder on your system and copy the file "pmics.exe" into it. You can
then create a program object for PMICS in the usual fashion.


Running PMICS
-------------
PMICS is normally run from a program object. You do not need to specify any
command line parameters for normal use.

If you wish to automatically connect to a server when running PMICS, specify
the tag name used to create the server in the configuration as the parameters
in the program object. Using this feature, you can create multiple program
objects each connecting to a different server.


Quick Start
-----------
When you run PMICS, the main window appears. This consists of a main area
with a scrollbar which displays text from a server. Above this is the main
control toolbar. At the bottom of the window is the communication control
area which contains two buttons and a command line.

You may run PMICS without an active internet connection, but your system
should be connected to the internet before attempting to connect to a
server. PMICS will not establish an internet link for you.

To connect to a server, click the "Login" button on the main toolbar. You
will see a list of available servers appear. Select the server you wish to
connect with and press the OK button.

You should see some messages appear in the text area. Normally you will see
"Establishing connection with <server>" followed by "Connection established"
and finally the welcome screen from the server.

PMICS should automatically log you in to the server. You are now ready to
play, observe and chat!


Observing Games
---------------
You can easily observe other people's games using PMICS. First, locate the
game (or games) you wish to observe. The player information window is
useful for this since you can click on an active game then click the
Observe button. You can also observe using server commands. Click the
Games button on the main toolbar to list all the active games. Locate the
game you are interested in, type 'obs <game number>' on the command line
then press Enter.

If all went well, the game board will appear on the screen. See the section
on game windows below for more information.


Playing Games
-------------
Playing chess is equally simple with PMICS. There are two ways to do this -
you can challenge another player, or accept a challenge from someone. You
will only be able to receive challenges from others if you are 'open'. The
Open button on the main toolbar will change your open status.

When someone challenges you to a match, a dialog will appear (with an
appropriate sound if you have set this up). You can review the game
parameters (time controls, game type) in this dialog then choose to accept,
decline or ignore the challenge. If you accept, a game window will appear.

To challenge someone else to a match, you must first locate your "victim".
Again, the player information window is useful here. Click on a player who
is not currently involved in a game then click the Finger button. This will
display information about that person including ratings and personal notes.
When you have decided whom you would like to challenge, select that player
then click the Challenge button. A dialog will appear allowing you to set
the game parameters. Click the Issue button to send the challenge. If your
chosen opponent accepts, the game window will appear.

See the section on game windows below for more information.


Talking
-------
Chess servers are like clubs. You can sit back and listen to people talking,
hold private conversations and make a complete nuisance of yourself (which
is not recommended). There are several server commands which allow you to
talk, depending on who and how many players you wish to address. PMICS also
has a sophisticated windowing system which allows you to separate different
kinds of chat into their own custom windows.

The main server commands for talking are listed below. Although it is better to
use the PMICS talk windows, these can be typed on the command line to send
one-off messages.

'tell <user> <message>'
   This sends a message to the named user. It will appear on their screen as
   '<your name> tells you: <message>'. This type of conversation is private
   and the user you address must be logged into the server.

'tell <channel number> <message>'
   The servers have channels, much like CB radio, dedicated to specific
   topics. This form of tell sends a message to all users who are listening
   to the channel. It will appear on their screens as
   '<your name>(<number>): <message>'. A help file on the server called
   'channel_list' contains the topics for each channel. If you require help
   regarding the server, this is generally the topic of channel 1.

'shout <message>'
   This command sends a message to all users who are listening to shouts. It
   appears on their screen as '<your name> shouts: <message>'. Most servers
   limit the number of shouts you can send in a specific time period.

'it <message>'
   This is a derivative of the shout command. The difference is that your
   message appears in the form '--> <your name> <message>'.

'cshout <message>'
   Another derivative of shout, this should be used only for topics related
   to chess.

'kib <message>'
   Kibitz. If you are observing or playing a game, this command will send a
   message to all the observers of the game *and* the players. This can be
   very distracting to the players, so only use it if you are sure you are
   allowed. If it's your own game, do as you wish.

'whisper <message>'
   This is similar to kibitzing except that the message goes only to the
   observers and not to the players.


A General Note About PMICS Windows
----------------------------------
All the main windows in PMICS - including player information, game and talk
windows - exhibit the same general characteristics. Their size and position
is stored. You can change colours and fonts by dragging from the OS/2 colour
and font palettes. In the main and talk windows, the displayed text will
automatically wrap to the width of the window.

Experiment with them! Set the colours, fonts and positions just the way you
like them. PMICS will remember.


The Main Window
---------------
The main PMICS window is where you control server activities, and where all
server output is displayed (if not handled by a talk window - see later). It
is the only window from which you should send server commands.

The main toolbar is the primary means of controlling PMICS. The buttons which
appear depend on whether you are connected to a server or not. The following
list describes each button and its use.

'Settings' (chess board and spanner)
   Displays the main PMICS settings notebook. From here you can customise
   PMICS, add new servers, change sounds, colours etc.. See the section on
   'Configuring PMICS' for more details.

'Login' (computer with blue screen border)
   Establishes a connection to a server. You will be warned if you are already
   connected since PMICS can only maintain one connection at a time. A list of
   the servers you have set up will appear. Select the one you wish to connect
   to and press OK. PMICS will establish the connection and log you in. If you
   have not set a handle or password for the server, you will be prompted for
   them.

'Refresh' (chess board with paintbrush)
   In rare cases, the PMICS game board can get out of synchronisation with the
   server. Pressing this button will attempt a refresh of the board. (Note:
   I have not seen this happen before, but I have supplied it in case).

'Open' (chess board with traffic light)
   Determines whether you will accept match requests. If you wish to accept
   challenges, click the button so that it is depressed and the traffic light
   is green. To stop receiving challenges, click the button so that it is
   raised and the traffic light is red. The state of this button is changed
   then you login to a server depending on your configuration.

'Auto-flag' (clock with indicator light)
   Determines whether the flag will be automatically called when your opponent
   runs out of time. To switch it on, click the button so that it is depressed
   and the light turns on. To disable autoflag, click the button so that it is
   raised and the light goes off. If autoflag is disabled, you can still
   manually call the flag by pressing the 'Flag' button on the game window
   toolbar.

'Games' (chess board with red question mark)
   Pressing this button will ask the server to list all the games currently
   in progress.

'Observers' (binoculars)
   Pressing this button will ask the server to list all games which are being
   observed, and who is observing them. Useful for seeing which games are
   interesting.

'Who' (face with red question mark)
   Pressing this button will ask the server to list all the players currently
   connected.

At the bottom of the main window is the communication control area. This has
two buttons and a command line. You may enter server commands on the command
line. Every command line has a command history. Use the up and down cursor
keys to retrieve prior commands you have sent.

If the main window is not current and you need to send a command, press the
F2 key to immediately place the cursor on the main command line. After you
have finished sending commands, press F2 again to return to the previous
window.

The buttons on the main communication control area are as follows...

'New Talk Window' (window with star)
   Pops up a menu allowing you to create new talk windows and to pop-up any
   other windows you have defined. Windows which are currently displayed
   will have a check next to them. See the section on 'Talk Windows' for
   more details.

'Text Copy Mode' (pencil)
   Depressing this button allows you to copy from the text area. A cursor
   appears in the text. Use the mouse or keyboard to select the text you
   wish to copy. Click the pencil button again to return to normal. When
   copy text mode is active, the text window will not scroll as messages
   arrive from the server, and you will not see any new messages until
   you return to normal. This mode is useful for copying web page URLs
   or updating your finger notes by copying text into the command line.

When you wish to disconnect from the server, enter the command 'quit'.

To see an information screen about PMICS, select the 'About...' option
from the main window's system menu.


Game Windows
------------
Game windows appear when you play, observe or examine a game. You will see
a chess board with a toolbar down the right side of the window. Status areas
for the white and black players appear at the top and bottom of the board.

General
   Each time a move is made, the squares changed by the move will be
   highlighted. Use the main settings notebook to change the colour.

   You can change the square and piece colours by dragging from the OS/2
   colour palettes. Dropping on any square will change all squares of that
   colour. To change the piece colours, hold the Ctrl key and drop on either
   a white or black piece. All the white or black pieces will change.

   Right-click on the board to display a pop-up menu. The options available
   depend on whether you are playing, examining or observing. The following
   options are always available...

   'Board->Flip'
      Flips the board vertically, swapping the relative positions of white
      and black.

   'Board->Label'
      Switches the board labels on and off.

   'Board->Size'
      Select the size of pieces you wish to use from the sub-menu.

   'Help->About...'
      Displays an information screen about PMICS.

   You can configure PMICS to automatically display the partner board for any
   bughouse games you play or observe.

   Pressing the F4 key will cycle between all the open game windows.

Player Status Areas
   The status areas above and below the board display information about the
   white and black players. In order, the information is - player name,
   bughouse pieces in hand, last move made, current strength and a clock
   showing the time left. The dark green background on the clock determines
   the player to move. A red background on the clock means that it is
   currently your move in a game you are playing.

Playing a game
   To move a piece, click and hold down the left mouse button over the piece
   you wish to move. Drag the pointer to the destination square. A line will
   appear showing the move.

   You can change the promotion piece for pawns by using the pop-up menu and
   selecting the 'Promotion Piece' submenu. The default is a queen.

   When you are playing a bughouse match, you can drop pieces from your hand
   by right-clicking on the destination square and selecting a piece type from
   the 'Bughouse drop' submenu.

   The following toolbar buttons appear when you are playing a game...

   'Accept' (green tick/check)
      Accept an offer (such as draw, abort) from your opponent.

   'Decline' (red cross)
      Decline an offer from your opponent.

   'Draw' (black and white hands shaking)
      Issue a draw request to your opponent.

   'Flag' (red flag)
      Manually call the flag (win on time). This only works if your opponent
      is out of time.

   'Resign' (white flag)
      Resign the game.

   'Moves' (blue feather pen on parchment)
      Ask the server to list the moves so far. The move list will appear in
      the main window.

Examining a game
   Examining a game is similar to playing in that you can move pieces around.
   You can also go back and forward through the moves list and set up the
   pieces. The 'Board setup' submenu on the pop-up menu allows you to place
   pieces on the board. Right-click when the pointer is over the square you
   wish to change. You must have told the server to enter setup mode before
   you can do this.

   The following toolbar buttons are available in examine mode...

   'Moves' (blue feather pen on parchment)
      Ask the server to list the moves so far. The move list will appear in
      the main window.

   'Start' (double arrow pointing left)
      Return to the initial board position.

   'Backward' (single arrow pointing left)
      Move back one move.

   'Forward' (single arrow pointing right)
      Move forward one move.

   'End' (double arrow pointing right)
      Go to the final board position.

   'Unexamine' (red cross on binoculars)
      Stop examining the game and close the window.

Observing a game
   The only options available when observing a game are the general pop-up
   menu items together with the 'Moves' toolbar button and an 'Unobserve'
   button which stops observing the game and closes the window.


Player Information Window
-------------------------
Keeping track of who is connected to a server and what they are doing can be
tricky. The Player Information Window can help by listing all connected users
and the games they are playing.

The window begins gathering information as soon as you connect to a server.
This means that the list of connected users may not be complete since it only
displays the users who have logged in (or played games) since you arrived.

Each line on the list represents one user. The list is sorted in alphabetical
order by user name. Each line may be in two formats; one for logged in and one
for playing a game. For the first, the line will read '<user> is here.'. For
the second, the line will be '<user> is playing <game type> game <number> vs.
<opponent>. For example...

   DarkStar is playing rated blitz game 27 vs. MysticUK.
   Friar is here.
   MysticUK is playing rated blitz game 27 vs. DarkStar.

Note that both players in a game are listed. The list is updated approximately
every 5 seconds.

Click a player on the list to select them. Hold down Ctrl and click to select
multiple players.

The toolbar buttons allow you to control the Player Information Window. You
may only press buttons which are relevant to the status of the selected
player or players. The buttons are as follows...

   'Clear' (window with part missing)
      Emptied the window and restarts the gathering of information.

   'Finger' (hand with pointing finger)
      Asks the server to display rating and personal information about the
      selected users.

   'History' (golden crown)
      Asks the server to display the results of the last 10 games for the
      selected users. Very useful when seeking an opponent.

   'Challenge' (gauntlet)
      Issues a match challenge to all the selected players. The button will not
      be available if any of the selected users are currently involved in a
      game. You will be presented with a dialog allowing you to set the game
      parameters. When these are set, press the Issue button.

   'Observe' (eye on chessboard)
      Observes the selected games in progress. The button will not be available
      unless all the selected users are involved in games. A game window will
      appear for each separate observed game.

   'Talk' (mobile phone)
      Opens a one-to-one talk window with each selected user. This button will
      not be available if any of the selected users are involved in games. See
      the section on Talk Windows for more information.


Talk Windows
------------
One of the most powerful features in PMICS is the ability to separate the
messages sent by the server according to type. For example, you can create a
window specifically for talking on channel 1, another for talking one-to-one
with a friend and so on. Each talk window can receive as few or as many
different message types as you wish. By default, new talk windows are
temporary and are discarded when they are closed. This can be changed by
marking the window as permanent so that PMICS will remember the settings for
the next time you login.

To create a new talk window, click the 'New Talk Window' button on the main
window. Select 'New Window...' from the pop-up menu.

Each talk window also has a dedicated toolbar and command line. The buttons
available depend on how you have configured the window. Text entered on the
command line is automatically sent to the destination you select without
having to use the server commands such as 'tell' or 'shout'. This makes it
possible to hold multiple, simultaneous conversations without confusion.

The following toolbar buttons are always available...

'Talk Window Settings' (satellite dish with spanner)
   Displays the settings for the current talk window. You can make changes to
   the message types received here.

'Text Copy Mode' (pencil)
   Allows copying from the text received by the window. See the section about
   the 'Main Window' for more details.

Buttons will appear after these depending on your settings. For example, if
you create a window dedicated to one channel there is no need to display
any buttons - only the command line is necessary. However, if you create a
window for shouts and chess shouts, three buttons will appear allowing you
to select the type of shout to be sent from the command line.

You can configure talk windows either directly or via the main settings
notebook (on the second Hosts page). The settings dialog is the same for
both except that the main settings notebook can change all the talk windows.
The settings available are...

'Title'
   The text which will appear in the title bar of the talk window. You should
   change this to something which represents the type of messages the window
   will receive. For example, a window which listens to tells from channels 46
   and 49 - used by the popular Tournament Director programs on FICS - could be
   entitled "Tournament Channels".

'Permanent'
   When this is checked, PMICS will remember the settings for the window. Next
   time you login, the same window will be available without having to be
   recreated. When this button is unchecked, the window settings will be
   discarded as soon as the talk window is closed. You can use this to delete
   unwanted talk windows.

The 'Display Window' group is only available if you have also checked the
'Permanent' button. The controls in this group determine when the talk window
will appear. There are three choices...

'Manually'
   If you select this choice, the talk window will never appear automatically.
   To open a manual window, click the 'New Talk Window' button on the main
   window and select the desired window title from the menu. A side-effect of
   manually opened windows is that all server messages specifically handled by
   a closed manual window will not be displayed at all. This can be useful for
   reducing clutter in the main window, but can have undesired effects. For
   example, if you create a window which accepts tells from a specific user,
   set the window to manual then close the window, you will not see any tells
   from that user - you are effectively ignoring them.

'When needed'
   When this choice is selected, PMICS will automatically open the window when
   a message for it is received. You can open the window at any by following
   the procedure for manual windows.

'At login'
   When this choice is selected, the talk window will appear as soon as you
   login to the server. You may close the window at any time - this will cause
   it to be treated like a 'When needed' window.

The 'Accept' group determines the type of messages received by the talk window.
There are five lines each containing a check button and a text area. Checking
a button will accept messages of that type. Names entered in the text areas
will restrict the talk window to accepting messages only from the named users
or channel numbers. When entering names in the text areas, leave a single space
between each name. Names must also be typed exactly as they appear on the
server i.e. case sensitive. For channels, type the number of each channel you
wish to receive separated by spaces.

At the bottom of the 'Accept' group are the 'Tournament Director tells' and
'Notifications' check boxes. These are two special types of message which the
server can send. The former is sent by automatic tournament programs such as
mamer and tomato. The latter is sent when someone on your notify list (or
someone who has you on their notify list) enters or leaves the server. You
may select one talk window to accept either type of message.

Controls appear next to the command line depending on the type of messages you
have asked to receive. These do not affect what is displayed in the window -
they change the type of message automatically sent when you enter text on the
command line.

'Tell mode' (single person)
   This button will appear if you have set the window to receive tells along
   with any other type of message.

   A tell is a message sent to a single named user. Clicking this button will
   set the command line to tell mode. In most cases, a spin field will appear
   allowing you to select which user to address. If you have set a single user
   for tells, the spinner is not needed and anything you type on the command
   line will automatically be sent to that user.

   The contents of the spinner depend on the list of users you have selected
   for tells. If you selected two or more users, you will be able to spin
   between them. If you selected no users, the window will accept all tells
   sent to you and will automatically insert into the spinner the name of each
   user who sends you a tell. You can change the current name in the spinner
   using the mouse or pressing Ctrl-Up and Ctrl-Down on the keyboard.

   If you have selected no specific users, you may also type the name of a
   user into the name spinner. Once you have sent a tell, this name will be
   added to the list.

'Channel mode' (two people)
   This button will appear if you have set the window to receive channel tells
   along with any other type of message.

   A channel tell is sent to all users who are listening to a channel. Click
   this button to set the command line to channel tell mode. A spinner will
   appear in much the same way as normal tell mode, except that it will
   contain the list of channels you set the window to receive.

   If you did not specify a list of channels, the spinner will contain all
   channel numbers from 0 to 255. In this mode you may also type a channel
   number directly into the spinner as well as using the spin buttons. The
   Ctrl-Up and Ctrl-Down keys work for this also.

'It shout mode' (--> symbol)
   This button will appear if you have set the window to receive shouts.

   Sets the command line to it shout mode. An it shout is sent to all users
   who are listening to shouts.

'Shout mode' (lots of people)
   This button will appear if you have set the window to receive shouts.

   Sets the command line to normal shout mode. A shout is sent to all users
   who are listening to shouts.

'Chess shout mode' (lots of people with a chess piece)
   This button will appear if you have set the window to receive chess shouts
   along with any other type of message.

   Sets the command line to chess shout mode. A chess shout is sent to all
   users who are listening to chess shouts.

'Kibitz mode' (Satellite dish and chessboard)
   This button will appear if you have set the window to receive kibitzes.

   Sets the command line to kibitz mode. A kibitz is sent to all the users who
   are observing a game along with the players of the game.

'Whisper mode' (Satellite dish, chessboard and binoculars)
   This button will appear if you have set the window to receive kibitzes.

   Sets the command line to whisper mode. A whisper is sent to all the users
   who are observing a game but not the players of the game.

   Be very careful when using kibitz or whisper if you are observing multiple
   games. The server can sometimes get confused about which game you wish to
   address and your kibitzes may go to the wrong board!

Pressing F3 will cycle between all the open talk windows.

Regardless of how many talk windows you create, normal server messages (such
as game lists, finger notes etc..) are always sent to the main window. Also,
be very careful not to send server commands from a talk window - at best you
will send the command to a single user. At worst, you'll shout the command to
everyone on the server! Press the F2 key to quickly move to the main window
command line, enter your command then press F2 again to return to the original
talk window.


Configuring PMICS
-----------------
PMICS can be customised quite extensively. You can modify virtually every
aspect of the program's operation. This is done using the main settings
notebook which is accessed by clicking the 'Settings' button on the main
window toolbar.

The configuration has five main pages and one minor page.  All changes made to
the configuration take effect immediately - even if you are already connected
to a server.

Hosts Page
   The Hosts page allows you to set up multiple chess servers.

   'Servers' list box
      The tag names of all the currently defined servers appear here. Selecting
      a server from the list updates all the other controls with the
      appropriate settings.

   'New' button
      Allows you to create a new server. Type a unique tag name into the dialog
      which appear. It will be added to the list in alphabetic order.

   'Delete' button
      Removes the currently selected server from the list. Be careful since you
      cannot undo this action. You cannot delete if there is only one defined
      server. You also cannot delete the current server if you are currently
      connected.

   'Description' entry
      Type the server description. This appears in the login dialog.

   'Address' entry
      Type the server address here i.e. fics.onenet.net. PMICS uses this to
      establish an internet connection to the server. You can use the textual
      form or the dotted-IP form. If you are using TimeSeal for OS/2, you must
      use the dotted-IP form i.e 164.58.253.10 for FICS.

   'Port' spinner
      This is the TCP/IP port number on which the server runs. Most chess
      servers operate on port 5000.

   'CR->LF' check
      This is normally selected. It determines how carriage return characters
      are sent to the server. If a server doesn't seem to respond to commands,
      you can try unchecking this.

   'TimeSeal' check
      Check this button to establish a TimeSeal connection to the server.
      TimeSeal is a lag-compensation program which tracks the time you take to
      make moves and communicates this to the server. To use TimeSeal, you must
      copy the executable as TIMESEAL.EXE into the same directory as PMICS.
      Remember to specify the server address in dotted-IP format.

   'Handle' entry
      Your handle on the chess server. If you leave this blank, you will be
      prompted to enter it when you login.

   'Guest' check
      Check this to enter the server as a guest. You will not need to type a
      password. You may specify a handle, but it must not be the same as any
      other registered user's handle. If you leave the handle blank, PMICS will
      attempt login using the handle 'PMICSGuest'.

   'Password' entry
      If you are a registered user, type your password here. It will be shown
      as asterisks. For better security, leave the password blank. You will be
      prompted to enter it when you login.

   'Script...' button
      Press this to enter a login script. Each separate line you enter will be
      sent to the server automatically when you login. Use it for sending
      greetings, setting server variables etc..

   'Comments' entry
      Enter comments about the server here.

Windows Page
   This page allows you to modify the settings of all the talk windows for the
   currently selected server. The controls are the same as the Talk Window
   Settings dialog with the addition of a 'Next' and 'Previous' button. You
   cannot create new windows here - this must be done in the normal fashion.
   See the Talk Windows section for more details.

On-line Page
   The settings on this page affect how PMICS works while you are connected
   to a server.

   'Autoflag' check
      Determines whether the flag is automatically called when you are playing
      a game and your opponent runs out of time. The state of this check is
      reflected on the main toolbar.

   'Open to matches' check
      Check this to be set open after you login. You will receive match
      requests from other users. Uncheck to prevent this. You can change your
      open status at any time using the 'Open' button on the main toolbar.

   'Finger challenger after match request' check
      When checked the server will be asked to display the finger notes of
      any user who challenges you to a match.

   'Observe bughouse partner games' check
      If this is checked, observing or playing a bughouse game will
      automatically observe the appropriate partner game.

   'Echo typed commands to screen' check
      When checked, the text you type into command lines will be copied into
      the appropriate text area along with the received server messages.

   'Show connected player information' check
      If checked, the Player Information Window will appear when you login.

   'Show games in progress' check
      When checked, the Player Information Window will display information
      about matches that are in progress. If unchecked, only connected users
      will be displayed in the window. You can only change this setting if the
      previous check is also selected.

Display Page
   This page affects the toolbars on the main and player information windows.
   Choose how you would like the toolbars to appear. You can also choose to
   display flyover hints for toolbar buttons. To display a hint, leave the
   mouse pointer over a button for three seconds.

Colours Page
   Although many colour settings can be changed using drag-and-drop, there
   are some which cannot. They can be changed here. Select the element you
   wish to modify from the list box then adjust the slider arms to change
   the colour. The 'Apply' button refreshes all windows to let you preview
   the effect of your change. The 'Defaults' button resets all colours to
   their defaults.

Sounds Page
   PMICS can associate sounds to some of the events which occur on the server.
   The sound can be a simple beep or a wave file if you have an appropriate
   sound card and have installed multimedia.

   'Enable sounds' check
      Check to enable all sounds, uncheck to immediately disable sound.

   'Disable sounds while observing' check
      Switches off game sounds (move, check) for observed games.

   'Disable sounds while examining' check
      Switches off game sounds (move, check) for examined games.

   'Events' list
      Select the event for which you wish to assign a sound.

   'None' radio button
      Select this button to have no sound for the current event.

   'Speaker beeps' group
      This group allows you to associate a simple beep with the event. Choose
      from any of the three pre-defined beeps (Low, Mid or High), or choose
      your own frequency and duration.

   'Sound file' radio button

      Select this button to associate a wave file with the current event. Type
      the full name of the wave file into the entry field (i.e.
      'D:\MMOS2\SOUNDS\BOING.WAV'), or click the 'Find...' button to scan your
      system for an appropriate file. The volume at which the sound is replayed
      is controlled by the 'Volume' slider.

   'Test sound' button
      Press this button to play the current event sound.


Hints and Tips
--------------
* PMICS is quite sensitive to your settings on the chess server. For best
  results ensure that your prompt is 5 characters long, ends in 'ics%' and
  that bell variable is set to off.
* PMICS is not sensitive to the 'width' variable on the server. It is
  effectively ignored.


Endnote
-------
Updates to this document will appear regularly on the PMICS Home Page when I
get the time. Please check the page regularly. The URL is
http://www.tcom.co.uk/secondnature/pmics/

Email suggestions and omissions to: [e-mail]

Alternatively, leave a message for 'MysticUK' on FICS.

-=O END O=-