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1993-04-09
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GPFax Version 2.30 Update Notes - April 1992
The following changes and improvements have been added to GPFax since
the manual was published.
***************************************************
* NOTE CLASS 1 Versions ONLY *
***************************************************
There is now only ONE GPFax Class 1 program. You must ensure that you
have told the program which modem you are using.
Type of Modem
With the Generic Class 1 version, you MUST specify you modem type
when you run the program. This is done by either
Setting a tooltype in the GPFax icon
MODEMTYPE = COMMA (CommaV32/42 and Spirit II modems)
MODEMTYPE = AVTEK (for Avtek Mega/Data fax)
MODEMTYPE = HST (USRobotics Class 1)
or
from the CLI
GPFax -m<modemtype>
where <modemtype> is COMMA, AVTEK or HST
These commands set the appropriate modem initialization string
for your modem. Alternatively, you may edit the modem
initialization string by displaying the Environment window.
FAX/DATA
Automatic detection between Fax and Data and all associated AREXX
scripts are not available with the Class 1 version.
---------------------------------------------------------------
General Features 2.30
A) Print Popup
With earlier versions of GPFax, the process of creating and
sending faxes was a two part process. For example, one had to
'Print' the document via gpfax's printer driver to create the fax
file with a name of PRTxxx.p01, then manually select this file and
the phone number to send it.
As of version 2.26, this process can be combined into a one step
operation which we call 'Print Popup'.
In essence, when printing from another application, GPFax will
popup a window allowing you to select the file name for the fax,
the phone number and the time and date to send the file. This
information will then be entered into the scheduler and the fax
will be sent off automatically without further user intervention.
From the 'Options' window, ensure that 'Prt Popup' and 'Scheduler'
gadgets are selected.
When 'Printing' from an application, the Print Popup window will
appear.
a) Enter the file name you wish to call this fax file, or
leave at the default name (PRT).
b) Enter the phone number or select the 'i' gadget to
display the phonebook and select a number from there.
c) Select the time and date to send the fax. If these
settings are not changed, the fax will be sent
immediately the printing has finished.
d) Select 'Queue' to enter the above details into the
scheduler so that fax can be queued to be sent. If no
phone number has been selected, the file will simply be
created and not transmitted.
e) Select 'Store' to simply save the printed fax under the
given file name and not send it.
f) Select 'Abort' to cancel the fax printing. Note that
with some programs this may bring up a requester such as
'not enough memory' or similar in your application
software.
B) GPFax on Workbench
Under WB 2 or higher, GPFax may now be run either on its own
CUSTOM screen or on the WORKBENCH screen.
To use workbench either
Add the TOOLTYPE SCREEN=WORKBENCH to the GPFax icon
or
Run GPFax from the CLI with the '-z' flag.
When running from workbench, GPFax will display its own windows
directly on the workbench screen with WB2 style look. All windows
have depth and drag gadgets. If you depth arrange any of the
windows, clicking on any gadget from any window will bring the
'currently active' window back to the front.
Selecting the 'Window Close' gadget in any window is equivalent
to selecting the appropriate 'Cancel' gadget
C) Screen resolution for viewing faxes
The screen on which faxes are displayed can now be chosen from the
'Options' window. The available choices depend on which version
of WB you are running.
Under WB 1.3
A cycle view gadget is displayed.
Select 'HIRES' to use a 640 x 256 screen (200 for NTSC)
Select 'HR-LACE' to use a 640 x 512 screen (400 for NTSC)
Under WB 2.04/5
As above but the display will open using your 'Standard'
overscan settings from Workbench.
Under WB 2.1 and WB 3
An information 'i' gadget is displayed. Selecting this will
display a standard Screen Mode Requester revealing the
various monitor screen modes and overscan settings available
with your particular equipment.
When the screen mode requester is first displayed, because
GPFax does not enforce any particular monitor type, the
initial settings may not be correct. Choose an appropriate
display mode and select 'OK'.
NOTE: Some of the display modes may not be suitable either
for GPFax or for your equipment. In general, select the
largest display screen suitable for your equipment. Be aware
that the larger the screen display, the larger the amount of
CHIP memory required to display the fax.
For 2024 users
Select the appropriate 2024 monitor type to display the faxes
on a 1024 x 1024 2024 screen.
D) Fax Decode Routines
The algorithms used to decode a fax have been completely re-
written and are now between 200 and 500% faster, depending on the
particular fax.
E) Requester Windows
The small GPFax Request windows which may appear from time to time
have been changed to provide a more consistent design as well as
providing more selection options. For example, the confirmation
requester which is displayed if you attempt to delete entries from
the LogBook now provides three options.
F) Auto Answer - Ring Count
Despite the telecommunications regulations in some countries, the
MINIMUM number of RINGS before answering the phone has been
dropped to ONE. The default value is still TWO but you may edit
this back to ONE if required.
Minor problems with GPFax not answering on the actual number of
rings have also been fixed.
G) Send Fax Safety Timer
We have found that under some conditions some modems can lockup
after dialling the number and keep the line open indefinitely
instead of hanging up the phone. We have added a 3 minute (180
second) safety timer when sending a fax. If no response is
received from the modem for this time, GPFax will hang up the
modem and terminate the call.
NOTE: GPFax depends on the modem sending back the correct
responses as defined in the TR29 standard. If the modem fails
under certain conditions, this is a hardware fault with the modem
and not specifically the responsibility of the GPFax software.
H) Disk and other Errors
Error detection when saving incoming fax pages has been improved
and will report 'DISK?" error if the file cannot be successfully
written to disk.
We have also tightened up the error checking when sending and
receiving pages. For example, if the correct number of pages was
not sent this is now specifically marked as a 'FAIL'. Again, we
have found that some modems may fail and incorrectly report the
correct status.
I) Maximum Connection Speed
Each Phonebook entry now has a MAXIMUM connect speed setting.
This displays, 2400, 4800, 7200, 9600, AUTO. This settings allows
you to select the initial MAXIMUM speed for the modem to use when
connecting to a remote fax machine.
Generally leave this on AUTO and let the modem determine the best
speed. However, if you find that certain number always connect at
a low speed, or, if the modem fails to connect to a remote system
normally, drop the initial connect speed until you obtain a
reliable connection. This options does not work on current Supra
modems but will be fixed in later ROM revisions from Supra.
J) Filerequester Pattern Recognition
We have added pattern recognition to FileRequester file name
gadget. Use either the standard AmigaDos patten matching of '#?'
or the UNIX style with '*'.
K) AREXX Commands
The AREXX command
COMPANYNAME <new company name>
has been added. This option has been requested by a number of
business users who operate different companies from the same phone
number. It is a simple mechanism to remotely change the default
company name in the GPFax environment. The cover page and the one
line header at the top of each page uses the company name from the
environment so this command allows you to easily change the name
displayed on the transmitted cover page and fax header.
WARNINGS
A) This command will change the actual company name in the
GPFax environment. If you subsequently cause the
environment to be saved by manually changing any of the
environment or Option settings, this new company name
will be saved in the configuration.
B) Normally, the company name displayed on any separate
cover page generated by GPFax comes from the particular
phonebook entry being dialled. After you use this
AREXX command, the cover page name will be taken from
the environment, NOT the phonebook entry.
The AREXX command
PRTPOPUP <ON/OFF>
has been added. Functionality is the same as other flag switches
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SPECIAL NOTES
1) FINALCOPY II
FinalCopy II problem when printing faxes!
We had found that FinalCopy I and FinalCopy II worked fine with
version 2.01 of GPFax. However, when our users upgraded their
GPFax to later versions 2.21+, some version of FinalCopy II no
longer printed faxes. Other programs such as PageStream, ProPage,
ProWrite etc all worked as advertised.
This has been an ongoing problem for a several months now and we
have been getting a number of irate users of GPFax complaining
bitterly to us.
After considerable analysis of this problem, we found that
FinalCopy II (Release 1 Sep 26.92) was the culprit and was
specifically looking for a SPECIFIC PRIVATE Message port (named
'Woger.1') between the GPFax.driver and GPFax. With our updates,
we made several changes to the driver and program to better
implement fax printing. We even spent considerable time ensuring
that our 'new' printer driver would better support FinalCopy! To
safeguard our users, we changed to the GPFax MessagePort name to
'Woger.2' so as to avoid conflict.
This problem has cost us more support time than any other single
problem over last five months.
Enough!
If you are one of the people who suffer from this problem,
COMPLAIN TO SOFTWOOD not us!! After discussing this problem with
Softwood, they have kindly offered to upgrade users of earlier
version of FinalCopy II to the later version which has been re-
written to work correctly.
2) Commodore's Postscript Printer Driver
Commodore's Postscript Printer Driver as released with OS version
2.1 up to 3.1 (40.6) do not work correctly with programs which
print graphic dumps using 'strip printing'. GPFax uses this
method when printing a fax which has not been fully decoded and
displayed. If you can fully display the fax, fine. If not printing
a fax from logbook will not work correctly at the time of this
release. Commodore's problem not ours.
3) Versions of GPFax
There are several version of GPFax available. These are
GPFax - Supra Class II Version
For Supra modems: Supra Fax Modem Plus and Supra
Fax Modem V32
GPFax - Generic Class II Version
For all other modems which support the TR29 Class
II draft standard such as Maestro, ZyXel U 1496 and
many others.
GPFax - Special Avtek CD930 MegaPlusFax V32 Version
Unlike most other modems, most NetComm M7F models
as well as the Avtek CD930 model do not support
RTS/CTS handshaking in fax mode. A special version
is required to use Xon/Xoff handshaking.
GPFax - Generic Class 1 Version
For modems which support the Class I standard such
as the Avtek Mega Data/Fax mode and NetComm Pocket
Fax modem (which use the Rockwell 224ATF ship set)
, the Comma Corp V3242 and Spirit II (which use the
Analog Devices ship set), and the USRobotics
modems.
An cross-grade from one version to the other is available ONLY
direct from GPSoftware at a special price. Contact us for
details.
4) FAX/Data Auto Detection
GPFax Class II products efficiently perform detection between FAX
and DATA if supported by the modem.However, because of slightly
different methods implemented by different manufacturers this
feature can only be guaranteed on certain brands of modems.
CLASS1 versions do not support Fax/Data detection.
5) Thank You!
We thank you for your support in purchasing our products and
welcome any suggestions you may have for added features in future
releases of GPFax.
6) Support and Information
For more information about GPFax, contact either
Dr Greg Perry
GPSoftware
21 Aloomba Road
ASHGROVE QLD 4060
Ph/Fax: +61 7 366 1402 (Greg Perry)
EMail: gregp@gpsoft.adsp.sub.org
FidoNet: 3:640/304Greg Perry
AmigaNet: 41:400/304 Greg Perry
If you are having trouble with using GETTY, TRAPDOOR or other
front ends to GPFAX, contact Richard Carde.
Richard Carde
Ph: +61 7 300 6315
or +61 7 300 6864
Fax: +61 7 366 1402
UUCP: richardc@vogue.adsp.sub.org
InterNet: rc@splat.aarnet.edu.au
FidoNet: 3:640/304Richard Carde
AmigaNet: 41:400/304 Richard Carde
-------------------
Dr Greg Perry, GPSoftware, Brisbane Australia 8th April 1993
