Personal Computer World 1997 August

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Text File | 1997-03-05 | 18.5 KB | 436 lines

Welcome to the demo version of Scala MultiMedia MM200-- Scala's second generation computer television product for the PC! Here's a short list of what's new: - Compatible with Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 - Improved sound and video drivers with DirectX - Import AVI, QuickTime and MPEG clips easily - Direct, real time antialiasing of TrueType fonts - Cut and paste text and graphics to and from Windows - Publish your presentation on CD or over the Internet - New demos, new wipes, and much, much more! We hope you will find this software a new concept in multimedia for the personal computer. Just as the laser printer revolutionized desktop publishing, we believe that Scala will revolutionize multimedia. Now anyone can create their OWN multimedia productions with such high-quality playback that they look like television productions. Whether you're doing business presentations or work with multimedia on a professional level, Scala MM200 gives you the tools to create on-screen shows with the impact of television. Scala MM200 is easy to use and is designed to guide you through the process of creating presentations with options and functions that are clear, specific, and straightforward. Scala's award-winning multimedia software lets you create dynamic presentations with the look of Computer Television in a few simple steps. Use a computer monitor, television or video projector to show your finished product right away, or use Scala MM200's publishing features to prepare your presentation for reproduction and distribution via the Internet or CD-ROM. NOTE: This demo version gives you a taste of how fun and easy multimedia production can be with Scala MM200. It lets you try all the features and functions of Scala MM200, but YOU CANNOT SAVE OR PUBLISH THE SCRIPTS YOU CREATE. The demo scripts included on this CD invite you into the exciting world of Scala mulitmedia. In order to run it, you must have the Scala demo CD in your CD-ROM drive. Both the program and the demo scripts run completely from the CD. Enjoy this demo version: the complete Scala MultiMedia MM200 package can be purchased from your local retailer. For all the latest news, information and updates on Scala, please visit our Web site at http://www.scala.com. Sincerely, Scala Inc. ***************************************************** This README file has six sections: I. Introduction II. Media Support III. Getting Started IV. Recent Updates V. Troubleshooting VI. Advanced Topics ****************************************************** I. INTRODUCTION ****************************************************** Now anyone can create multimedia productions with the impact of television. Scala MM200 gives you the power to create multimedia productions that combine graphics, symbols, animations, text, music, sound effects, and even buttons for interactivity all on a standard PC. Scala MM200 software is so sophisticated that the performance and quality of its playback is like a television production. Both you and your viewers will enjoy the look and feel of television. Scala MultiMedia MM200 is so easy to use that even the least experienced PC user can develop television-quality multimedia productions in minutes. No programming is necessary. Just "point-and-click" and MM200 automatically generates your multimedia script. Use Scala MM200 whenever you need the impact of television: o Business Presentations o Sales Demonstrations o Interactive Training ****************************************************** II. MEDIA SUPPORT ****************************************************** Media Support: Graphics: BMP, GIF, IFF, JPEG, PCX, photo CD, PNG, TIFF Sound: MIDI, WAV, CD-Audio Anim/Video: FLC, FLI, AnimGIF, MPEG, QuickTime«, AVI Drivers: DirectX3, ActiveMovie Fonts: TrueType«, ScalaType ****************************************************** III. GETTING STARTED ****************************************************** To start this demo version of Scala MultiMedia MM200, simply insert this CD into your CD-ROM drive. If your computer has AutoPlay enabled, the program will begin automatically. You may also manually start the demo version of Scala MM200 by clicking on the Start button, select Run, type d:\setup (assuming that d: is the drive letter for your CD-ROM drive) and press OK. To see what Scala can do, just click on Open Script, then double-click on !start.sca and click Run. Later, you can try creating your own scripts. In minutes you'll see how easy Scala is to use. You'll be amazed with your results. If you have problems starting Scala, please refer to the Troubleshooting tips below and also on our web page at http://www.scala.com. IMPORTANT NOTE: Scala MM200 uses Microsoft's DirectX and ActiveMovie technology for graphics, sound, video and animations. In order for Scala to work correctly, DirectX must be properly installed on your computer. Most new computers sold today come with DirectX and ActiveMovie already installed. If you are unable to start Scala, or if your computer crashes when running Scala, there is a good chance that this is due to an old or incompatible driver for your hardware. In this case, you will need to contact your sound or video card manufacturer and obtain the latest DirectX drivers for your hardware. Further information on DirectX can be obtained on Microsoft's web page: http://www.microsoft.com WARNING: Windows NT 4.0 users should take special note of the instructions on installing DirectX from Microsoft! Failure to do so may cause IRREPARABLE DAMAGE to your installation of Windows NT 4.0. Please check with your dealer or http://www.microsoft.com for Service Pack 3 from Microsoft for Windows NT 4.0. Installation of Scala MM200 on Windows NT 4.0 requires Administrator privileges to install correctly. You can also check the Scala web page for the latest tips and pointers to help you get started. An Internet shortcut to http://www.scala.com is in your Start menu. ****************************************************** IV. RECENT UPDATES ****************************************************** The following items may be of interest when exploring the demo version of Scala MultiMedia MM200: o The Wait? option is always off for anim and movie clips that do not have a wipe. If an anim or movie clip has a wipe, then the Wait? option, if checked, will wait for the anim or movie clip to finish playing before proceeding to the next page. The Wait? option is also always off for animclips that are buttons. o Fade wipes do not work in High and True color. o Switching back and forth quickly between the NT desktop and Scala may cause Scala to be minimized. Simply click on the task bar again to maximize Scala. Sometimes changing video modes or refresh rates will help this problem. o Minimizing Scala during playback will cause playback to cease under normal circumstances. You may however minimize Scala by using the CTRL-F1 key combination, which will minimize Scala and allow playback to be resumed later. ****************************************************** V. TROUBLESHOOTING ****************************************************** Problem: My computer crashes when I start Scala. Reason and possible solution: Most likely, you have an outdated or incompatible sound or video driver for your PC. Please contact your card manufacturer or Microsoft for an updated driver. You may also check Scala's home page for pointers and tips to DirectX drivers. Problem: I have the latest drivers and it still crashes. Reason and possible solution: Sometimes, Microsoft's DirectX installation program does not properly install DirectX. In this case, it is best to un-install DirectX and re-install DirectX from scratch. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to un-install DirectX. See the advanced topics below for a step by step procedure for un-installing and re-installing DirectX. Problem: Scala is really slow on my PC. Reason and possible solution: The performance you get with Scala on your PC is highly dependent on how good the DirectX driver is for your sound and video card. A poorly written driver will perform poorly. Good drivers will support double buffering and direct video memory access. Without this, Alpha and Zoom wipes can be terribly slow and even flicker. Please contact your sound or video card manufacturer for an updated driver. Sometimes it may be necessary to turn on or off the Accelerator functions in the Windows Control Panel to get the desired results. Please check the User's Guide for your video card for more information. Problem: Scala crashed and now nothing seems to work. Reason and possible solution: Sometimes a bad DirectX driver will cause your system to crash. When this happens, Windows may be confused and should be restarted. If this persists, you will need to get an updated driver for DirectX from your sound or video card manufacturer. Problem: Scala is sometimes very slow and other times fast. Reason and possible solution: You may need to experiment with the different color depths on your PC to find out what works the best with Scala. Different DirectX video drivers can have dramatically different performance. In general, Scala works best in 256 color, high color and 32 bit true color modes. Performance in true color modes will depend on whether your video card supports a full 32 bit mode, or only a 24 bit mode. Scala will attempt to use a 32 bit mode in true color if possible. True color 24 bit mode may be very slow. Problem: Movie clips play very slowly. Reason and possible solution: Performance of ActiveMovie clips will significantly be reduced if you turn on transparency, rotate the clip at odd angles, turn on a shadow, or have another element on top of the clip. By eliminating these conditions the movie clip will play much faster. Problem: Playing FLCs in anything but 256 color mode is slow. Reason and possible solution: FLCs were originally designed for 256 color mode. If you play them in high color or true color modes, the computer must convert them on the fly. If you need to play an FLC in high or true color, you should convert it to an AVI, QuickTime or MPEG movie clip for best performance. Problem: AnimGIFs and Movie clips on the same page are slow. Reason and possible solution: Mixing AnimGIFs and ActiveMovie clips on the same page is not recommended. Try to keep only one type of animation per page. Problem: Movie and Anim clips sometimes pause during wipes. Reason and possible solution: This is a limitation of the system. Careful screen layout and design may hide these limitations. Problem: Screen updates sometimes disturb audio playback and vise versa. Reason and possible solution: This is a limitation of the system. Careful screen layout and design may hide these limitations. Problem: Sometimes my Windows desktop screen has strange colors. Reason and possible solution: Sometimes DirectX gets confused, especially when more than one program is running and they use DirectX. Generally this does not happen if your Windows desktop is set to high color or true color. Problem: 44KHz wave audio samples sound worse than 22KHz samples. Reason and possible solution: Sound samples that are not 22KHz are converted in DirectX to a common sample rate. These conversion routines from Microsoft may degrade the quality of audio. You may wish to check http://www.microsoft.com for updates from Microsoft. Problem: I have an IBM« Thinkpad notebook computer with Windows 95 installed. I installed Microsoft's DirectX3 and ActiveMovie. MM200 won't start. Why? Reason and possible solution: As of this writing, IBM has released DirectX drivers for certain models in their line of Thinkpad notebook computers. Therefore, you will need to reinstall DirectX in order for MM200 to work. We regret this inconvenience, but addressing this matter is IBM's responsibility. We suggest contacting IBM's consumer affairs division, encouraging them to release DirectX3 drivers for your Thinkpad as soon as possible. Or visit their web site at http://www.ibm.com for more information on the availability of DirectX drivers for your computer. Problem: I have an IBM desktop computer that uses IBM's mWave technology for sound (i.e. WAV and MIDI playback) and telephony (modem/fax/answering system). I've installed DirectX and ActiveMovie, but I can't get any sound from MM200. What's wrong? Reason and possible solution: As of this writing, IBM has not released DirectX DirectSound drivers for their mWave sound/telephony technology. We regret this inconvenience, but this is the responsibility of IBM. We suggest contacting their consumer affairs division, asking them to release DirectX DirectSound drivers for their mWave technology, as soon as possible. To be sure, check their web site at http://www.ibm.com for late breaking news on DirectX drivers for your computer. Note: CD-Audio playback (with CD-ROM drive) is possible without DirectX DirectSound drivers installed. Question: What's the difference between DirectX certified drivers and drivers that don't have certification? Answer: Hardware manufacturers submit DirectX drivers for certification by Microsoft. Microsoft in turn, runs these drivers through an array of tests to make sure they conform to their DirectX standards. These tests can take weeks or even months to complete. For that reason, the hardware manufacturers may release, or ship with product, drivers that are not certified by Microsoft. Please keep in mind that nothing may be wrong with the manufacturer's DirectX drivers. It may simply be that the drivers were shipped before Microsoft could certify them. Or the manufacturer has updated the drivers to dramatically improve performance. However, if you want to be on the safe side, be sure to use only Microsoft certified DirectX drivers. The certified drivers for your card may be available on the manufacturer's web site or at Microsoft's web site at http://www.microsoft.com. Question: How can I tell which versions of the DirectX drivers are installed or if they are certified? Answer: Do the following: 1. Click on the Windows Start button, then highlight Settings, then click on Control Panel. The Control Panel window should appear. 2. Double-click on Add/Remove Programs. The Add/Remove Programs Properties window should appear. 3. Double-click on DirectX Drivers. The DirectX Setup window should appear. 4. The DirectX Setup Window shows what DirectX components have been installed, the versions of the drivers and whether the drivers have been Microsoft« certified. If any of the DirectX components have a statement that says "no hardware support", then the installed Windows 95 driver does not support or does not fully support DirectX. Contact your network administrator, dealer/vendor or computer manufacturer for assistance, or contact them via electronic mail or visit their web site for information. You may also visit Scala's web site at http://www.scala.com or Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com for links to your manufacturer's web site, if available. ****************************************************** VI. ADVANCED TOPICS ****************************************************** There have been some known problems in installing Microsoft's DirectX3 maintenance upgrade (Version 3a) on some systems with the release version of DirectX3. In some cases, only a partial installation occurs and no error messages are reported. If you are uncomfortable with these procedures, please consult a service technician for proper installation. To ensure that your installation, reinstallation or upgrading of Microsoft's DirectX3 (Version 3a) is done correctly, do the following: 1. Switch to the Standard Display Adapter (VGA) driver and restart Windows. 2. After Windows has restarted, shut-down programs that automatically startup (e.g. virus-checkers, system agents, screen savers, etc.). 3. Install the DirectX3 maintenance upgrade. Be sure to read all instructions and notes that came with the update. 4. After DirectX3 has been installed, go to the Display Properties (the correct Display Type should have been automatically selected by the DirectX3 installation program) and select your preferred display resolution and color-depth. To switch to the Standard Display Adapter (VGA), do the following: 1. Click the Start button, and then point to Settings. 2. Click Control Panel. 3. Double-click on the Display icon. The Display Properties window will appear. 4. Click on the Settings tab. 5. Click on Change Display Type. The Change Display Type window will appear. 6. Click on the Change button for Adapter Type. 7. Click on the Show all devices radio button. The Select Device window will appear. 8. In the Manufacturers dialog box, scroll to the top of the list and click Standard display types. 9. In the Models dialogue box, click on Standard Display Adapter (VGA). 10. Click on the OK button. 11. Click on the Close button for the Select Device window. 12. Click on the Close button for the Display Properties window. 13. Windows will want to restart in order for the changes to take affect. Click on the Yes button. Note: When Windows restarts, you will return to the 640x480, 16 color display mode. You can set the desired display resolution and color-depth after you have reinstalled DirectX. WARNING: If you have Windows NT 4.0, DO NOT install the DirectX (Version 3a) update! Doing so may IRREPARABLY DAMAGE your installation of Windows NT 4.0! Installation of DirectX should be installed from the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3) update from Microsoft. Please visit their web site (http://www.microsoft.com) or contact your network administrator, dealer or manufacturer of your computer for information. If you need to know where to purchase the full version of Scala MultiMedia MM200, please check our home page on the Internet at: http://www.scala.com Sincerely, Scala, Inc.