ASP Advantage 1994 2nd Q2

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Text File | 1993-09-03 | 14.0 KB | 349 lines

TAKE FIVE by David Gross P.O. Box 621331 Orlando, FL 32862 DESCRIPTION Take Five is basically a PC message service and security system. The program can display a graphical image on the screen and accept messages while your away. The graphics are stored in Zsoft's PC Paintbrush format. This allows the user to create and edit images using any paint package that supports the "PCX" file format in EGA or VGA mode. Command line parameters allow you to move the image around the screen and provide the password used when the security system is activated. In addition a limited screen editor allows text to be added to the display in different colors and sizes. The program requires EGA or VGA display capabilities. INSTALLATION Floppy Disk - The program can be run as is from a single floppy disk. To do this switch to the drive that has the disk in and enter "TAKE5 <Graphics File> {options}". Hard Disk - The program "TAKE5.EXE" needs several files to be in the current directory or path for the program to work right. You should copy all files listed in the "PACKING.LST" file to a single directory on the hard drive. To run the program switch to that directory and enter "TAKE5 <Graphics File> {options}". If you wish to run the program from anywhere in your computer then you should add the TAKE5 directory to the path statement in your autoexec.bat file. Note: A password must be provided as one of the {options} to activate the message taking capabilities of the system. STARTING Before starting the program all users should read the LICENSE.DOC file. This file contains important license information regarding the use of TAKE FIVE ver 1.1. The program has five optional parameters that can be passed to it on the command line. These are the following: P=<password> - The password can be up to eight characters long and can consist of letters and/or numbers. A password is needed to activate the message taking capabilities of the system. X=<x-coordinate> - The x-coordinate can be from -640 to 640 and refers to the amount in pixels that the PCX image should be moved left or right. Y=<y-coordinate> - The y-coordinate can be from -480 to 480 and refers to the amount in pixels that the PCX image should be moved up or down. D=<delay time> - The time delay can be any positive number. A value of 0 will turn off the screen fading. The default value is 20 which (depending on the system) will cause a fade in and out approx. every 20 seconds. F=<Fade> - A value between 1 to 4 will set the type of fade in and out the system will use. These four type are 1-random pixel, 2- spiral, 3-radar, and 4-rainbow. In the default mode the program will randomly pick the fade. Please note that there should be no spaces after the equal sign for the parameters. Putting a space in will cause the program to ignore the parameter or return an error. A "bat" file can be used to run Take Five with common parameter values. A sample file of this sort is included with the program ("Demo.bat"). When the program is started it will first check the computers video hardware. This is to make sure that your computer is capable of displaying EGA or VGA. It next checks for the existence of the graphics file listed on the command line. If the file exists the program will read the file and verify that it is in a compatible PCX format. The program will also check for the "TAKE5.FNT", "LOCK_OUT.EGA", and "LOCK_OUT.VGA" files. TEXT EDITING Every time you start Take Five you will have a chance to add text to the screen display. You will only be able to do this in the first few seconds of the display. This is to prevent others from changing your display. Text editing is limited to one font, four text sizes, and any color in the current palette (The palette is the total number of colors your display can show in the current video mode). One limitation, when adding text is that there is no option for editing text that has already been entered. If you require better text editing capabilities you should use a good paint program to add text to the original PCX image. The following key commands are available for Take Five text editing: F1..F4 - Changes the text size being entered. The cursor blinks in the current text size and color. Page Up - This will change the color to the next higher palette color. If the last color in the palette has been reached (16 for EGA and 256 for VGA) then it will jump to the first color; Page Down - This will change the color to the next lower palette color. If the first color in the palette has been reached then it will jump to the last color; Arrow Keys - This will move the cursor eight pixels in the direction indicated. Escape - Will exit the text editing mode of Take Five. Please note - If the text color is set to the same as the background screen color you not see the cursor or text being entered. You should page through the palette colors until you can see the cursor clearly. MESSAGES A password entered on the command line will activated the message and security system of Take Five. This system will display a "Hit key to leave message" prompt on the bottom of the screen. Upon someone entering a key a system lockout display will appear on the screen. Hitting F1 will bring up a message input screen or by entering the right password you will be shown any waiting messages and exited from the program. Several options are available when the program is displaying your messages. These options are listed at the bottom of the display message box. Hitting the F1 key will print the currently displayed message, F2 will write it to a file as straight ASCII text and F3 will exit to DOS. The program can save an almost unlimited number of messages. When running the program will store all messages to a file named "MESSAGES.T5" on the default drive and directory. This limits the total number of messages only to the maximum available space on your drive. ERRORS #1 - Unacceptable X coordinate. Possible Cause: - Non-numeric characters (i.e. X=4F). - Value to big (larger then 640). - Value to small (smaller then -640). #2 - Unacceptable Y coordinate. Possible Cause: - Non-numeric characters (i.e. Y=4F). - Value to big (larger then 320). - Value to small (smaller then -320). #3 - Unacceptable delay value. Possible Cause: - Non-numeric characters (i.e. D=3F). - Value a negative (i.e. D=-20). #4 - Unacceptable fade value. Possible Cause: - Non-numeric characters (i.e. F=I). - Value to big (larger then 4). - Value to small (smaller then 1). #5 - Unable to detect EGA or VGA graphics. Possible Cause: - Your system's graphics card does not support EGA or VGA. - Your card has a non-standard EGA or VGA bios. #6 - Unable to read <FILENAME> please check file. Possible Cause: - A file with that name could not be found (check current directory and path for file) #7 - <FILENAME> - is not a recognizable PCX file. Possible Cause: - A file is not in Zsoft's PCX format. - The PCX file is not for EGA or VGA display (i.e. monochrome image). - The file has been corrupted. #8 - Unable to access "TAKE5.FNT". Possible Cause: - A file with that name could not be found (check current directory and path for file) #9 - Unable to read "LOCK_OUT.VGA", please check file. Possible Cause: - A file with that name could not be found (check current directory and path for file) - The file has been corrupted. #10 - Unable to read "LOCK_OUT.EGA", please check file. Possible Cause: - A file with that name could not be found (check current directory and path for file) - The file has been corrupted. #11 - Unacceptable password size. Possible Cause: - The password is only one character or less long. - The password is over eight characters long. #12 - Mode of graphics file not supported. Possible Cause: - You do not have a VGA monitor (needed for 256 color graphic files). - The pcx graphics file is monochrome or CGA (neither of which are supported by TAKE5). DISTRIBUTION All shareware distributors, disk vendors and computer clubs who wish to distribute the Take Five 1.1 package should refer the VENDOR.DOC file for information. All BBS SYSOPs should refer to SYSOP.DOC file. All others should refer to the LICENSE.DOC file. REGISTRATION Take Five is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for a fifteen (15) day evaluation period. Feel free to pass it on to your friends, but do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using Take Five and continue to use Take Five after a reasonable trial period (15 Days), you must make a registration payment of $20. Site license are available, please contact the author for information on these prices. The $20 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. To assist you in registering a text file of the registration form, REGISTER.FRM is included on this disk. At the DOS prompt enter: TYPE REGISTER.FRM >PRN This will direct the form to be printed on your local printer. If you do not have a printer just write your name, address, and where you got the program on a plain sheet of paper. Send this along with a check or money order for $20 US to: David Gross /T5 P.O. Box 621331 Orlando, FL 32862 You will be sent confirmation of your registration, all documentation and additional graphic images. TECHNICAL SUPPORT All registered users of Take Five are entitled to 90 Days of technical support. This is available by telephone, electronically through Compuserve, or by mail. Non-registered users will receive "limited" mail support. I can be reached by mail at the following address: David Gross /T5 P.O. Box 621331 Orlando, FL 32862 I can also be reached electronically at the following: CompuServe: 70621,440 Internet: 70621,440@COMPUSERVE.COM * * * ASP OMBUDSMAN POLICY * * * This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER * * * DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT * * * Users of Take Five must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "Take Five is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of Take Five."