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This README contains information which is not included in the PowerProject manuals or online Help. Please read it carefully.
System Requirements
===================
The recommended system requirements for running PowerProject effectively are:
* a computer with a 486DX processor running Microsoft Windows 3.1x or above
* 8Mb RAM (Windows runs better with 16Mb RAM)
* 20Mb disk space
* a mouse
Installing PowerProject on a standalone computer
================================================
The procedure for installing PowerProject on a standalone computer differs slightly from the procedure documented in the Getting Started guide. Run SETUP.EXE on Program Disk 1 then follow the instructions displayed on screen. Choose the Standalone installation option when the appropriate dialog appears.
When the installation has been completed, plug the hardware key (dongle) into the parallel port at the back of your computer with the arrows on the dongle pointing towards the computer. If you do not install the dongle, PowerProject will run in demonstration mode.
PowerProject's INI File
=======================
PowerProject now stores it's INI file - PPROJECT.INI - in the Windows directory of the local PC on which it is running. The file is called PPROJECT.INI. In previous versions of PowerProject this file was stored in the PowerProject directory and was called PROJECT.INI.
TEMPLATE.PDB
============
If the file TEMPLATE.PDB is located in the 'Project' directory specified on the SYSTEM DEFAULTS dialog, it will be loaded whenever you start a new project.
The TEMPLATE.PDB supplied with PowerProject includes example reports, filters and code libraries. There are also entries on the CHART tab of the DETAILS dialog which will appear on your output. You can edit the TEMPLATE.PDB, or substitute it with a typical project of your own.
Another, more detailed example, containing resources, cost centres and histograms is also provided called TEMPLEX.PDB.
Customising TEMPLATE.PDB or creating your own project template from scratch are explained in the Help. Search on 'Template' to locate the relevant topics.
Lead/lag segments
=================
In addition to the information given in the PowerProject manuals, please note that:
* you cannot convert expanded bars and summary bars into lead/lag segments
* lead/lag segments are not included in bar duration calculations.
Summary bars
============
In addition to the information given in the PowerProject manuals, please note that:
* you can assign calendars to summary bars
* you cannot set start flags on summary bars.
MPX limitations
===============
Links to or from a lead/lag segment on a separate bar will not be retained when you export the project to MPX format. To workaround this, put the lead/lag segment on the same bar as one of the tasks it links to, or make the lead/lag segment into a normal task.
When you merge an MPX file into a project, any new tasks you have created while editing the MPX file are placed in the root chart. You can then move these tasks to the appropriate position in your project.
Printer Driver Settings
=======================
A new group box has been added to the OPTIONS tab of the PRINT dialog. The options in the Driver Settings group box provide some control over how your printer driver works with PowerProject. Both options are on by default and you should not change them unless advised to do so by Technical Support. (These options are set on a per printer basis so they can be set differently for each printer driver you have installed.)
Note: These options were available in previous versions of PowerProject as INI file settings. If you have upgraded from an earlier version of PowerProject in which you had changed these INI file settings, then these options will be set on or off by default according to your INI file settings.
The 'PowerProject Orientation' option determines whether or not orientation is set within PowerProject or derived from the printer driver setting. When this option is checked, you can set the orientation within PowerProject; when this option is cleared, PowerProject uses the orientation setting on the printer driver dialog.
The 'DVM' option determines whether or not PowerProject initialises the printer's internal configuration. Most printer drivers prefer this to be done so the option is on by default. However, some older printer drivers (such as some DesignJets and InkJets) will only work correctly when this option is off.
Reschedule Error Message
========================
If you reschedule a .PDB file that has become damaged, the following error message may appear:
"An invalid local link has been found involving TASK NAME"
Close the error message by clicking on one of the buttons available. The reschedule will be abandoned no matter which button you click on.
HP DeskJet 550C
===============
When printing to an HP DeskJet 550 printer using the Enhanced driver with Coloursmart support, in draft mode bars with patterns appear to be have different shading across a bar although the whole bar is the same colour and pattern. This appears to be due to the draft mode setting resulting in only partial pattern information being printed.
HP LaserJet Series Printers
===========================
Some of the printer drivers, notably the LaserJet III driver, do not appear to support clipping correctly. This can result in a "General Error" message when printing. To avoid this error PowerProject disables clipping in certain circumstances.
If you experience clipping problems with the histogram legend, possibly with legend text appearing outside the legend box you might wish to try turning clipping back on. This can be done by setting the following variable in your PPROJECT.INI file:-
ClipLegendOnOutput = 0 or 1
Where 0 turns legend clipping off (the default) and 1 turns it on.
Histogram Legend Text Size on Screen
====================================
With a standard VGA screen the histogram legend text size sometimes appears too small to read easily. To increase the size of the text you can set the following variable in your PPROJECT.INI file:-
LargeLegendSize = 1
If this variable is set to 0 or is not there the standard size of legend text will be used.
Corrupt or Incorrect Border Files
=================================
If a border file has been corrupted or contains invalid statements, then
PowerProject will show this by putting a question mark in front of the border name when it is shown in the drop-down box on the BORDER tab of the PRINT dialog.
Border files supplied with PowerProject
=======================================
Standard Borders
----------------
File names: (type)-(size)(orientation).B
Type: BLK - Blank Size: A0 Orientation: P - Portrait
CHT - Chart A1 L - Landscape
FLT - Filter A2
HST - Histogram A3
A4
Blank borders - output chart & legend but nothing else:
BLK-A4P.B BLK-A3P.B BLK-A2P.B BLK-A1P.B BLK-A0P.B
BLK-A4L.B BLK-A3L.B BLK-A2L.B BLK-A1L.B BLK-A0L.B
Borders for use with normal charts:
CHT-A4P.B CHT-A3P.B CHT-A2P.B CHT-A1P.B CHT-A0P.B
CHT-A4L.B CHT-A3L.B CHT-A2L.B CHT-A1L.B CHT-A0L.B
Borders for use with filter charts:
FLT-A4P.B FLT-A3P.B FLT-A2P.B FLT-A1P.B FLT-A0P.B
FLT-A4L.B FLT-A3L.B FLT-A2L.B FLT-A1L.B FLT-A0L.B
Borders for use with histograms:
HST-A4P.B HST-A3P.B HST-A2P.B HST-A1P.B HST-A0P.B
HST-A4L.B HST-A3L.B HST-A2L.B HST-A1L.B HST-A0L.B
Mosaic Borders
--------------
File names: MOS(type)-(orientation).B
Type: BLK - Blank Orientation: P - Portrait
CHT - Chart L - Landscape
FLT - Filter
HST - Histogram
Mosaic borders for A3 prints on A4 Laserjets:
MOSBLK-P.B MOSCHT-P.B MOSFLT-P.B MOSHST-P.B
MOSBLK-L.B MOSCHT-L.B MOSFLT-L.B MOSHST-L.B
Example Borders
---------------
Example borders with logos:
EXAMPLE1.B As CHT-A3L.B except with logos in top margin
EXAMPLE2.B A4 Landscape with one logo and drop shadows
EXAMPLE3.B A4 Landscape with large background image
NT Installations using Dongle Protection
========================================
If you receive an upgrade to your NT Dongle Driver - which is called HINSTALL.EXE - you must remove the existing driver from your machine before installing the new driver. If you do not first remove the existing driver, you may disrupt your NT setup.
To remove the existing driver do the following:
1. Go to the directory in which PowerProject is installed.
2. Type "hinstall /r" then press RETURN.
3. Reboot your system.
To install the new driver do the following:
1. Go to the directory in which PowerProject is installed.
2. Copy the new driver into this directory (and overwrite the existing driver).
3. Type "hinstall /i" then press RETURN.
4. Reboot your system.
Uninstalling PowerProject 4
============================
If you want to remove PowerProject 4 from your PC you can do so by selecting the Uninstall icon in the PowerProject 4 group created when you installed PowerProject.
After uninstalling PowerProject in this way it is possible that there may be some files left in a subdirectory called PPBACKUP in your Windows directory. These are the files that have been saved by the PowerProject installation as it has installed newer versions to enable PowerProject to run correctly. There is no harm in leaving these files on your computer but you can delete them if you wish or use them to replace the ones that PowerProject has installed.
Please consult your dealer if you need any help in this area.
Plotter Settings and PPROJECT.INI
=================================
When Version 4.1 is installed and creates/updates your PPROJECT.INI file it can sometimes move your plotter settings around. All plotter settings need to be at the start of the INI file after the [PowerProject] line.
If your PPROJECT.INI file contains any of the following settings please move them up so that they follow the [PowerProject] line:
HiResPatterns
PlotterCharSet
PlotterFaceName
If you do not use a pen plotter then the above settings can be left where they are.
