Random MIDI Player for Windows95 & WindowsNT Version 2.1 - 12 January 1997 Created by Martin Lukasek Copyright (c) 1996 CAFF Software Ltd. *************** S H A R E W A R E ***************** * * * This program is shareware so if you plan to use * * it, please, send me $10 or equivalent in your * * currency to my addres written below. The * * programm cost me a lot of effort and I keep to * * make it even better. So do not heasitate with * * any comments or suggestions. Uppon registration * * I will send you by E-mail, or I give you * * access to our ftp site, version of RMP without * * that annoying shareware notice and without * * any limitations - the Save song, Delete song * * buttons will work and you will be able to start * * RMP as hidden in taskbar and use taglist to * * protect yourself to listen files twice even if * * you leave and re-enter Random MIDI Player. * * If you want me to send you RMP by ordinary mail * * please add $5 more for postage and packing. * * * *************** S H A R E W A R E ***************** *************** S H A R E W A R E ***************** * * * T H A N K Y O U F O R S U P P O R T I N G * * S H A R E W A R E C O N C E P T S * * * *************** S H A R E W A R E ***************** Contents -------- 1. Programm description 2. New features and changes for version 2.1 since 2.0 3. New features and changes for version 2.0 since 2.0 Beta 4. New features and changes for version 2.0 Beta since 1.1 5. New features and changes for version 1.1 since 1.0 6. Windows NT limitations 7. Tips for Random MIDI Player use 8. Shareware notice 9. About author R A N D O M M I D I P L A Y E R v e r s i o n 2 . 0 1. Programm description Random MIDI Player (RMP) is useful utility for playing MIDI files (.MID, .RMI). It is very easy to use. You don't have to create any MIDI collection. Just select directory tree with your MIDI files, RMP then searches through directory tree and loads all available MIDI files. Then it starts to play them either randomly or in sequence according to your configuration. You can choose if you want to search through subdirectories and if you want to start playing immediately after end of search procedure. You can easily select out good MIDI files. Just configure "Save directory" option to your favorite MIDI directory and if you listen to good MIDI file press button "Save file" and currently playing MIDI file will be copied to your MIDI directory. You can fasten this operation by selecting "Play just intro." feature in predefined intro length. What more? If you are bored with repeating the same MIDI files again and again you can disable "Allow song repetition" feature and you will not here any song twice. After playing all available MIDI files in predefined order RMP will ask you either select another directory or play all MIDI files again. It is up to you. With this feature I'm able to play my collection of almost 10000 MIDI files (500 hours) in almost 500 subdirectories without getting bored of repeated songs. 2. New features and changes for version 2.0 since 2.0 Beta a) Bug with iterative appearing "All songs have been played" dialog when was "Allow song repetition" disabled was corrected. b) In system notifcation area if you stop mouse over RMP's icon a name of song will appear instead of "Random MIDI Player" text. c) Number of played and unpleyed songs was added to the main dialog. d) Icons signalizing if song was or was not played have been added to the loaded songs list. 3. New features and changes for version 2.0 since 2.0 Beta a) Save song feature was changed so it runs under NT 4.0 b) Delete song feature was changed so it runs under NT 4.0 c) Resize item in RMP application system menu deleted d) Mazimize item in RMP application system menu disabled e) Notification routine corrected. After pause of some songs and resume, RMP stopped at its end and did not continue to play next song. 4. New features and changes for version 2.0 Beta since 1.1 a) Icon in Window 95 notification tray. After program start a small icon appears in taskbar. Left click on the icon will pause and resume playing song. Right click on the icon will unhide RMP if hidden. b) Path and song name were separated so there is more space display complete song name. c) Delete song feature added. As you can select out and copy you favourite song to save directory with "Save song" button, now you have similar "Delete song" button which will move currently playing song to predefined "trash" folder. Later you can delete songs from trash folder or do with it whatever you want. Trash folder can be defined in configuration dialog as "Deleted MIDI folder". d) Another button "Hide" will hide the application and remove it from taskbar. RMP can be accessed through the icon on the icon tray of taskbar. Left click on the icon will pause and resume playing song. Right click on the icon will unhide RMP if hidden. e) Start hidden checkbox was added to configuration dialog box. If checked RMP will after start of application hide itself as if "Hide" button was pressed. f) "Use MIDI tag list" option was added to config dialog. This feature if on will, when leaving application or changing folder, save file "MIDITAGS.RMP" to the folder from which MIDI files were loaded. This file contains information about songs which have been and have not been played. Uppon restart application or reload of directory tree containing "MIDITAGS.RMP" RMP will change attributes of all loaded files according to information from the file. This feature will ensure (together with "Allow song repetition" feature disabled) that no song will be played twice even if you leave and enter application. g) Soundcard initialization feature added. Many songs are modifying sound card parameters. With this feature you can initialize sound card after start of application or before each song. Just choose appropriate function through radio buttons in configuration dialog and if you selected some kind of initialization, choose initialization file. h) Pause function now releases multimedia system while pausing. It is slower to resume then if MMC would not be released but some users wanted this. The slowdown of resume function is not too significant. If someone will find the delay too long just let me know and I will add option "Release MMC while pausing" to configuration dialog. i) Files with extension .KAR are now accepted together with files with extensions .MID and .RMI during search process. j) Major graphic changes. 5. New features and changes for version 1.1 since 1.0 a) Windows progress bar was replaced with slider control so user can change current song position like in windows media player. Ticks are set up each 10 seconds. b) Displaying of song filename and path was changed to be able always display song filename even if whole path does not fit in line length. For example song path "C:\Windows\Media\Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.rmi" is shorten to path "C:\...\Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.rmi" c) Corrected bug in random generator setup. Songs were played always in the same "random" order. Random generator is now intialized with time in seconds from 1. 1. 1980 and time from windows startup. This should result in correct random song generation. (I hope.) d) Corrected problems with "Resume" function in Windows NT. For some unknown reason Windows NT does not accept MCI command MCI_RESUME. I resolved this problem by calling MCI_PLAY instead of MCI_RESUME. e) Double click on any song in the list will play this song even if this song was already played and you have not checked "Allow song repetition" check box. f) Litlle bit changed hidden feature in about box. 6. Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 limitations Application works OK in Windows 95, but if you want to use Windows NT, you have to start RMP with starting directory set to your MIDI files directory tree, because during programm execution you are not able to use Browse folder function which is implemented in Windows 95 only. Other possibility is to use Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT with Shell technology preview from Microsoft. Some features of version 2.0 are not supported under Windows NT 3.5 so think about upgrade your old NT. Some bugs may occur in NT 4.0 because Microsoft is changing it and releasing upgrades and service packs faster then I am able repair my program. 7. Tips for Random MIDI Player use a) Create a shortcut for Random MIDI Player with start-up folder ("Start in" property) set to your MIDI files directory tree. Then put this shortcut to your Windows StartUp folder (group). Remember to check "Search folders recursively" option. All songs in directory tree will be played after Windows start. b) Have you tried to press CTRL+SHIFT and double-click on THE BIG ICON in about dialog box? Not? Try it!!! c) This is very nic if you have very large collection of MIDI files on your harddrive and you want to sort them out. Just create shortcut of RMP with starting directory poiniting to your MIDI directory structure and check option "Use MIDI tag list" and uncheck option "Allow song repetition". Then fill "Save MIDI folder" and "Deleted MIDI folder" with apropriate paths and everything is done. No song will play twice and you can store good songs easily by press of "Save song" button and delete the bad ones with single click on "Delete song" button. 8. Shareware notice This software is provided as shareware. If you find this program useful, please send me $10 US (or equivalent in any other currency). I will send you the newest version of Random MIDI Player without annoying shareware notice. Shareware notice appears each 20 minutes. If you want me to send you RMP by post please add $5 - $10 for postage and packing. Remember to provide your E-mail address. If your mailbox is unable to accept large mail (approx. 200 kB) I will give you access to our ftp site where you can download latest version of RMP without any limitations. You can send International Money Orders, American Express or cash, but remember sending cash is the most hazardeous, even it is the best and quickest for me. This software is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. CAFF and Martin Lukasek disclaims all warranties, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall CAFF, Martin Lukasek or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damage for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information or other pecuinary loss) arising out of the possibility of such damages. 9. About author Martin Lukasek CAFF Software Ltd. Zabovreska 16 616 00 Brno Czech Republic lukasek@caff.cz lukasek@vertigo.fme.vutbr.cz Visit our Web sites: http://www.caff.cz (http://194.196.119.3) http://www.swamberk.cz (http://194.196.119.33) These sites are in Czech for now but we are going to change it to English. Web site contents: a lot of music files (MIDI, WAW) Image Management System pre-press applications, DTP, graphics demo programs