Mastering Computers 3

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Text File | 1994-09-22 | 25.7 KB | 663 lines

GlidePoint (r) DOS Users Manual TECHNICAL SUPPORT ================= If you require assistance or cannot find answers to your questions with documentation contained in this text, please call the Cirque Technical Support Hotline at 1-800-454-3375. WINDOWS OPTIONS =============== For assistance with Windows options, please access the on-line help contained in the GlidePoint driver icon. The GlidePoint driver is installed in the Control Panel contained in the Main program group under Program Manager. If you have difficulty locating this item, or have difficulty with the on-line help, please call the Cirque Technical Support Hotline at 1-800-454-3375. GPSETUP.EXE =========== GPSETUP.EXE is a DOS level utility included with your GlidePoint which allows "custom" configuration of the operating parameters of your GlidePoint Trackpad. CAUTION: The order in which drivers and GPSETUP.EXE are loaded may be important. Try loading serial drivers before GPSETUP.EXE PS/2 drivers after GPSETUP.EXE. USAGE: GPSETUP /P (one or more commands) OR: GPSETUP /S (one or more commands) Commands are performed in the order given. Commands include: /p PS/2 interface designator /sn Serial interface designator (where n= com port number /s1 = COM1, /s2 = COM2 etc.) /tr Set tap to right button /tl Set tap to left button /td Tap disable /te Tap enable (default) /r Reset and clear setup /v Display firmware version /z or /z1 Set normal touch sensitivity /z2 Set touch sensitivity to Double /o? Set orientation help ORIENTATION HELP: "Top" means that the touch surface is facing up, and "Bottom" means that the surface is facing down. In both cases, "Normal Orientation" means that the buttons are on the edge facing the user. Top Normal Orientation: surface up, buttons on bottom, cable to right Bottom Normal Orientation: surface down, buttons on bottom, cable to left All rotations are clockwise. 0 degrees: buttons on bottom edge. (Normal Orientation) 90 degrees: buttons on left edge. 180 degrees: buttons on top edge. 270 degrees: buttons on right edge. Command line switches for orientation: Surface on top Surface on bottom -------------- ----------------- 0 deg /ot0 /ob0 90 deg /ot90 /ob90 180 deg /ot180 /ob180 270 deg /ot270 /ob270 CONFIGURING THE XMOUSE DRIVER ============================= The XMOUSE driver for GlidePoint is preconfigured with default settings that many people find suitable for general use. However, it also supports a wide range of hardware and software settings to handle almost any situation. You can override the default settings by adding option switches to the XMOUSE command line, or through statements in the MOUSE.INI configuration file. Command line options are more convenient for temporary adjustments or frequently changed items, while MOUSE.INI is the better place for your long-term preferences. This distinction reflects the fact that XMOUSE reads the MOUSE.INI settings only when you first load the driver into memory. Therefore, any changes to MOUSE.INI will not take effect until you either reboot the system or remove the driver from memory and reload it. Conversely, most of the resident driver settings can be changed simply by issuing new XMOUSE commands. During its initial load, XMOUSE normally looks for MOUSE.INI in the same directory where the driver resides. To specify a different location, set the MOUSE environment variable to the desired drive and path (e.g., SET MOUSE=C:\BIN) before loading the driver. This technique lets you keep multiple copies of MOUSE.INI for different purposes, without wasting disk space on identical copies of the driver. REFERENCE: OPTION SETTINGS ========================== This section provides full details on all XMOUSE command line switches and MOUSE.INI statements, including background information and explanatory notes. You can type XMOUSE /? from the DOS prompt at any time to display a summary of the command line options. (This assumes XMOUSE.COM is in the current directory or on your DOS PATH.) Language -------- International versions of XMOUSE let you select the language used for driver messages. The available languages will be drawn from the following list: Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------------ /L Language = English /LD Language = German /LE Language = Spanish /LF Language = French /LI Language = Italian /LJ Language = Japanese /LK Language = Hangeul /LNL Language = Dutch /LP Language = Portuguese /LS Language = Swedish /LSF Language = Finnish Consult the XMOUSE /? help screen for the languages supported by your driver version. Except in Far East (Japanese or Hangeul) versions, English is the default. Mouse Type ---------- The first time you run a newly installed XMOUSE driver, it automatically searches for supported mouse types on various hardware ports. This search may take up to several seconds. If it succeeds (as it usually does), the result is written to MOUSE.INI so future loads can avoid the delay. No option switches are needed in this case. Certain mouse types or nonstandard ports cannot be detected; in these cases, you must supply more information to the driver. Use the material in this section to determine the appropriate command line options. When you find the right switch or switches (and verify that the mouse is working properly), place the equivalent settings in MOUSE.INI to indicate your configuration. The MouseType setting and associated switches actually describe the computer port where your mouse is attached. Because these options address the same ports as the driver's automatic search, their most common use is simply to speed the loading process. Users with multiple pointing devices can also use this method to specify which device should be activated. The following list matches the search order used by the driver: Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------------- /C1 MouseType = Serial1 /C2 MouseType = Serial2 /C3 MouseType = Serial3 /C4 MouseType = Serial4 /Z MouseType = PS2 Serial mice can be further classified by their low-level data formats, named here for the originating vendors. This option is mandatory for Mouse Systems compatible mice, which unlike other types cannot be detected through software. (For the same reason, Mouse Systems compatibles also require an explicit port number unless used on the default COM1.) Switch MOUSE.INI Comments ------ -------------------------- ----------- /MI CompatibleWith = Microsoft 2-button /LOM CompatibleWith = LogitechM "M+" series /LOC CompatibleWith = LogitechC "C" series /MO CompatibleWith = MouseSystems 3-button Adding a "!" character to any of the serial format options (e.g., "XMOUSE /MI!" or "CompatibleWith = Microsoft!") tells the driver to force the specified installation, even if the mouse does not respond to detection attempts. If you specify the Mouse Systems format (always undetectable), the "!" is assumed. The remaining cases which require more information involve nonstandard ports, especially custom serial ports. If your system is in this category, you probably already know about it, having acquired such specialized hardware for your own reasons. Otherwise, installation failures are more likely due to physical problems such as loose connections or hardware malfunctions. Before turning to the most general case, we must note a lack of uniformity among the "standard" serial port designations. Ports COM1 and COM2 are assumed to use the same addresses and interrupts on all systems, but COM3 and COM4 are not: Port AT-Bus PS/2 (Microchannel) ---- ----------- ------------------- COM1 03F8h, IRQ4 03F8h, IRQ4 COM2 02F8h, IRQ3 02F8h, IRQ3 COM3 03E8h, IRQ4 3220h, IRQ3 COM4 02E8h, IRQ3 3228h, IRQ3 If the driver does not recognize your use of COM3 or COM4, it may be misinterpreting your system type. You can override the automatic determination by adding the suffix "A" or "P" to the serial port command line switch. For example, /C3P specifies COM3 with PS/2-compatible addressing, while /C4A specifies COM4 with AT-compatible addressing. If the override works, you can supply the equivalent base address and IRQ through MOUSE.INI, as described next. The most flexible way of specifying a serial port requires both a base port address (3 or 4 hexadecimal digits) and IRQ number, using the following syntax: Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ----------------------------- /BAx BaseAddress = x (hexadecimal) /IRQn IRQnumber = n (2-5, 7, 10-15) If you specify a base address, you must also include the IRQ number. (In this case, any /Cn switch or MouseType setting is ignored. However, you can still use the serial format switches or CompatibleWith setting). Be careful with these parameters, as incorrect values can disrupt other devices! When specified without a base address, the IRQ parameter is assumed to modify an otherwise standard port designator. This usage also applies to the InPort and Bus mouse types, provided that the hardware can be suitably configured. Button Mapping -------------- The following options let you swap or rearrange the available mouse buttons to suit your convenience. With a three-button mouse, you can also redefine the third button to provide a click lock function (described next). Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------------------- /KPnSm PrimaryButton = n (1-3) SecondaryButton = m (1-3) To describe the button actions seen by your applications, we use the terms Primary, Secondary and Auxiliary instead of Left, Right and Middle. This more precise usage emphasizes the fact that applications do not read the physical buttons. In other words, what they consider a "left click" comes from whichever button you designate as Primary. The mapping options refer to physical buttons by number: 3-button mouse: left = 1, middle = 2, right = 3. 2-button mouse: left = 1, . . . right = 3. With a 2-button mouse, the driver also accepts references to button 2 as the right button. But calling it button 3 has the advantage of compatibility with all mouse types. Turning to examples, one common use of button mapping reverses the primary and secondary buttons for left-handers, so they can perform most mouse operations with the index finger. This is accomplished through the command switch /KP3S1 or setting PrimaryButton = 3 and SecondaryButton = 1. With 3-button mice, note that you do not specify the auxiliary button directly. Instead, when you specify the primary and secondary buttons, the driver automatically assigns the auxiliary role to the remaining button. For example, /KP1S2 moves the secondary role to the middle button, so the right button becomes the auxiliary. Click Lock ---------- Because few applications recognize more than two buttons, the click lock option provides an alternate function for the auxiliary button on a 3-button mouse (normally the middle button, unless the buttons have been remapped.) This option has no effect on a 2-button mouse. Switch MOUSE.INI ------ --------------- /KC ClickLock = On /K ClickLock = Off With click lock enabled, pressing and releasing the auxiliary button is equivalent to pressing and holding the primary button. The primary button stays down (as seen by applications) until you the next time you press and release any button. In other words, click lock makes the auxiliary button act like a latched version of the primary button. It lets you use the mouse to drag objects without having to hold any buttons down. Orientation ----------- This option lets you rotate the apparent direction of mouse motion, as viewed on the display. Such action is required when a clip-on trackball is mounted on the left side of a laptop keyboard. (Otherwise the screen pointer appears to move backwards and upside down.) Less dramatic adjustments can also be helpful to mouse users, by compensating for different hand positions. Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------------------- /Or RotationAngle = r (0-359) In the case of the left-mounted trackball, the /O180 switch will provide 180 degrees of rotation, compensating for the mounting position. Check the result, making additional fine adjustments as necessary, until you are satisfied with how the screen pointer tracks your physical motion. After finding your preferred rotation angle, edit MOUSE.INI to store this setting for future use. Mouse users can simply experiment with different settings, or take a more analytical approach: Imagine a "north/south" line on your desk or mouse pad, in the direction that feels most natural for up-and-down screen motion. Estimate the rotation angle from this axis, proceeding clockwise to the centerline of the mouse. The angle must be expressed as a positive number. For example, 30 degrees counter-clockwise would be expressed as /O330 (i.e., 360 minus 30). This example setting might describe a right-handed user who prefers holding the mouse with a slight inward twist. Memory Regions -------------- To maximize the amount of conventional memory (below 640K) available to DOS applications, the XMOUSE driver attempts to move its resident portion to other regions, if available. These regions include expanded memory (EMS 3.0 or higher), the High Memory Area (64K beginning at 1MB), and Upper Memory Blocks (between 640K and 1MB). As long as your memory manager or other necessary system files are loaded before the driver, this relocation proceeds automatically. You don't have to use the MS-DOS LOADHIGH or DEVICEHIGH commands, or their third-party equivalents. In fact, the driver's built-in relocator often succeeds in cases where external loaders fail. It also has the ability to split the driver between multiple regions. The following options provide explicit control over the driver's memory usage, letting you enable or disable access to each of the supported memory types: Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------ /E Memory = EMS /E- Memory = NoEMS /HI Memory = HMA /HI- Memory = NoHMA /U Memory = UMB /U- Memory = NoUMB Memory = LowMem You can specify multiple memory settings (separated by commas) in a single MOUSE.INI statement. For example, the following syntax will prevent all relocation attempts: Memory = NoEMS, NoHMA, NoUMB In the example above, the simple statement "Memory = LowMem" (which has no abbreviated command line equivalent) would yield the same result. Power Management ---------------- In some cases, the power conserving features of laptop computers or energy-efficient desktop systems may interfere with normal mouse operation. XMOUSE uses two strategies to address this problem: * Advanced Power Management (APM) is an industry standard specification that allows hardware and software from different vendors to cooperate in various power saving modes. XMOUSE includes full APM support as a standard feature, requiring no option settings or switches. If you experience conflicts or problems due to APM, call Cirque Technical Support at 1-800-454-3375. * Mouse Power Management is an XMOUSE option intended for older systems (primarily laptops) whose power saving modes are not APM-compatible. It allows the driver to detect and recover from power interruptions that may not fully restore the hardware state. This option is normally disabled, because few systems require it. Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------------------- /MPM MousePowerManagement = On /MPM- MousePowerManagement = Off If your mouse behaves erratically after returning from "sleep" mode, try the /MPM switch. If the problem goes away, you can then edit MOUSE.INI to change the default setting. Sensitivity ----------- Sensitivity settings define how much the on-screen pointer moves in response to physical motion of your mouse or compatible pointing device. As shown below, you can set different sensitivities for horizontal and vertical motion. This feature can be helpful in specific situations, such as navigating spreadsheets. However, a uniform setting for both dimensions (specified by the /S switch) usually feels more natural. Switch MOUSE.INI ------ --------------------------------- /Hn HorizontalSensitivity = n (5-100) /Vn VerticalSensitivity = n (5-100) "Z" Sensitivity - run GPSETUP.EXE Each setting takes values from 5 to 100, in steps of 5. (Other numbers in this range are rounded to the nearest valid step.) The default values are 50 in each dimension. Smaller values make the pointer easier to control, while larger values let you cover more of the screen with less hand motion. Acceleration ------------ Acceleration profiles provide a dynamic adjustment of the current sensitivity settings. In other words, sensitivity is concerned only with how FAR you move the physical device, while acceleration also depends on how FAST you move it. The driver includes four built-in acceleration profiles, which you select by number (profile 2, the default, gives "Medium" acceleration): Switch MOUSE.INI Description ------ ----------------------------- ------------ /P1 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 1 Slow /P2 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 2 Medium /P3 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 3 Fast /P4 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 4 Unaccelerated The descriptive names also appear in MOUSE.INI, along with data tables that define each of the standard profiles. By editing the data, serious hackers can create their own custom profiles. (This is not a project for the novice!) Pointer Appearance ================== Forcing the Default Text Cursor ------------------------------- Enabling this option prevents applications from changing the standard inverse-block "software cursor" used as a mouse pointer in most text-based programs. It has no effect on graphics-based programs, or on those using the text-mode "hardware cursor" provided by the video adapter. Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------------------ /M ForceDefaultCursor = Off /M1 ForceDefaultCursor = On Some applications use different mouse pointer types to provide useful status information. Therefore, this option should be restricted to specific programs whose changes make the pointer too difficult to see. Display Delay for LCD Screens ----------------------------- This option addresses a common problem with passive-matrix liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Rapidly moving images, such as the mouse pointer, may seem to disappear because the display responds too slowly for each intermediate position to become visible. Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ----------------------------- /Nn CursorDisplayDelay = n (0-10) Increasing the delay between screen updates gives each image more time to register on the LCD display. On the other hand, large delay values tend to make the pointer feel sluggish and less precise in its response. The best strategy is to use the lowest delay setting that keeps the moving pointer from getting lost. Pointer Color Options (Graphics Only) ------------------------------------- Several color-related options affect the way the mouse pointer appears in most graphics-based applications. First, the PointerColor options are effective in all graphics video modes. Assuming the current program has not replaced the standard mouse pointer with its own design, these options produce the following results: * Normal (the default setting) gives a bright white arrow pointer with black outline. * Reverse gives a black arrow pointer with bright white outline. * Transparent gives a "see through" pointer that changes color depending on the material it passes over (an effect similar to the standard text-mode mouse pointer). Switch MOUSE.INI ------ --------------------- /PCN PointerColor = Normal /PCR PointerColor = Reverse /PCT PointerColor = Transparent Additional control is available in 16-color and 256-color graphics modes, provided that the pointer is actually being drawn by the mouse driver (not the underlying application). Referring to the normal arrow pointer and its outline as Foreground and Background, you can change the colors used for these elements through the following syntax: Switch MOUSE.INI ------ ------------------------------------------ /PFn Foreground = color (default: Bright White) /PBn Background = color (default: Black) n Color Name n Color Name --- ----------- --- -------------- 0 Black 8 Bright Black 1 Blue 9 Bright Blue 2 Green 10 Bright Green 3 Cyan 11 Bright Cyan 4 Red 12 Bright Red 5 Magenta 13 Bright Magenta 6 Yellow 14 Bright Yellow 7 White 15 Bright White If you use the command line switches without numeric arguments, they revert to the default values /PF15 /PB0. Pointer Growth Options ---------------------- This option group lets you enhance the mouse pointer visibility through various forms of static or dynamic growth. Switch MOUSE.INI ------ --------------------- /PSS PointerSize = Small /PSM PointerSize = Medium /PSL PointerSize = Large /PG Growth = On /PG- Growth = Off /PZ Zoomable = On /PZ- Zoomable = Off /PTn Threshold = n (1-100) /PDn Delay = n (1-100) The most important setting in this group is PointerSize, which selects a small (default), medium or large pointer. What you see on-screen will vary depending on the current application (its video and mouse handling strategies) and on the remaining settings: * Small (the default setting) entirely disables all pointer growth features, regardless of the other settings. * Medium changes the text-mode mouse pointer to a tall and wide cross shape. Depending on the Zoomable setting, the standard graphics-mode pointer will either grow by 50% or acquire a shadow highlight. * Large changes the text-mode mouse pointer to a hollow box shape, three times taller and wider than the small setting. Depending on the Zoomable setting, the standard graphics-mode pointer will either double in height and width or acquire a shadow highlight. The Growth setting controls whether the PointerSize effects described above are static or dynamic: * Growth = On applies the Medium or Large settings only while the mouse is moving. When motion stops, the Small pointer returns. * Growth = Off (the default) keeps the specified size constant, whether the mouse is moving or not. The Zoomable setting controls how the Medium and Large pointers actually appear in graphics-based applications. This setting has no effect in text mode. * Zoomable = On selects a "true growth" strategy, drawing the Medium and Large pointers as magnified versions of the Small pointer. This strategy provides the maximum possible emphasis for difficult viewing conditions. * Zoomable = Off (the default) substitutes a shadow effect for the Medium and Large pointers. This strategy provides less emphasis than zooming, while still making it easier to follow the moving pointer. Threshold and Delay values control the timing of PointerSize effects when growth is enabled. When growth is disabled (preventing the pointer from changing size), these settings are ignored. * Threshold specifies how fast the mouse can move (on a scale of 1 to 100) before pointer growth occurs. A low threshold triggers growth very easily, while higher values require more motion. The default value is 20. * Delay specifies how long pointer growth lasts (on a scale of 1 to 100) after mouse motion stops. Low values cause the pointer to shrink back quickly, while larger delays allow more "settle" time. Each unit equals roughly one tenth of a second. The default value is 3. Command line switches make it easy to experiment with various combinations of pointer settings. For example, try "XMOUSE /PSL /PG /PZ /PF4 /PB12" to give your graphics-based DOS programs a large, dynamic zooming red pointer with a bright yellow outline. When you find the combination you like best, translate the switches into MOUSE.INI settings, where you can store them to replace the built-in defaults.