ImageGen for Windows 95 Written By Robert Thivierge Program File Version Date: March 17, 1997 WARNING: READ THIS WHOLE PAGE BEFORE RUNNING IMAGEGEN!!! ImageGen is a freeware Windows 95 program that produces HTML Web pages consisting of small in-line JPEG or GIF images. These images can be clicked on in a Web browser (like Netscape) to see the full sized JPEG or GIF picture. It also creates clickable icons that link to files of any type. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This document is on the web at http://www.canuck.com/~thivier1/imagegen and is a plain text file (called README.TXT), which is included with ImageGen. Table of Contents * ImageGen News * Sample Sites * Current Features * Planned Features * Legal Issues and Credits o Ownership o Freeware Status o Credits o Disclaimer * System Requirements * Downloading and Installing * Bugs * Known Potential Problems * Contacting the Author ImageGen News Due to bugs in recent releases I have fallen behind in responding to e-mail. If you find that I don't respond to your e-mail within a month, please re-read this page, follow all instructions, and try one or two more times. Also, remember, it's your responsibility to repeat all *required* information in *every* e-mail, while still remaining short and concise. Remember, it's my choice to decide who I wish to assist. I only help people who help me make ImageGen a better program. ImageGen has been changed so that when you click on a item in the opening screen a description of the item is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Also, many cryptic names of settings have been given more meaningful names. This should make the program easier for new users. For older users, all the existing functionality is the same, but it may take some time to get used to the changes. Sample Sites There are scores of sites and hundreds of pages made with ImageGen. I have made a very tiny sample page here. The best search engines to find ImageGen sites are HotBot, Excite, and Alta-Vista. Search for the word "imagegen" in all lower-case letters. If you know of another search engine that produces good results (ie. hundreds of ImageGen pages), please let me know. Current Features Web Features * For every JPEG or GIF file in your site, it creates a smaller JPEG or GIF thumbnail version, which the browser user can click on to see the full sized version. * Other file types are shown using an icon appropriate to the file type, along with the file type name. Browsers of your pages can download any file of any type. * You can make a single page site, or a multi-page/multi-level site. * Enter descriptive text about each images while seeing preview of image. * Images can optionally be grouped based in similiarity in file names. * All text outputted in pages can be changed. * Works with pictures on CD-ROM. * You can visually select a background color, use Windows wallpaper as a background image, or select your own JPEG/GIF background image. * You can choose in the Layout Wizard how many images to show in each row of a table. * The Layout Wizard can generate "Detail Pages", which allow browser users to see extra info about each picture that might not fit on the Index Page. Also, each Picture Detail Page is directly linked to the first, previous, next, and last Picture Detail Page. * Instead of having all the pictures in a folder appear on one page, ImageGen can (optionally) break them up into groups with similiar file names. * When downloading the full sized version of an image, a browser user can (if you want) instantly see a full sized low resolution version of the image. It is then progressively replace by a higher reslution version. If there's anything you can't get ImageGen to do when making Web Pages, please let me know. Planned Features 1. Creation of GIF or JPEG in-line/preview images for all file types, created by programs that are 100% Windows 95 and OLE 2.0 compliant (ie. Microsoft Office 95). 2. 100% visual user interface. 3. JavaScript and Java support. 4. Client Side Image Maps. Legal Issues and Credits Ownership ImageGen(c) 1997 The Picture Page Generator Written by Robert Thivierge All rights reserved by Robert Thivierge Any attempt by a person other than myself to reverse compile, sell, or to represent the program as their own is prohibited. You may give a copy of the the program to someone else free of charge, provided you include all the files you received yourself. They then should notify me of receipt of it. Legal use of my program requires that I be notified that you are using it and be able to see any web pages made with it. This means I should be sent the URL of any ImageGen derived web pages. If a username/password is required simply to view the site, than I must be given it. If this is not acceptable to you (or whoever makes the relevent decisions) than you may not use my software. Any person or organization may distribute my program as freeware. They may charge a fee for the service of distribution (such as on-line charges, charge for distribution media, etc...). An acceptable form of distribution is including my program on CD-ROMs containing freeware/shareware, where there is a charge for the CD-ROM. However, it must be understood that they are not selling my program. And absolutely nobody, but me, may imply or suggest that they authored this program or that it is their property. I must always be given full credit. I must be notified when my program is included on CD-ROM. Legal Credits * This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group. They are kind enough to allow programmers to use their code library without financial charge. * The Graphics Interchange Format(C) is the Copyright property of CompuServe Incorporated. GIF(SM) is a Service Mark property of CompuServe Incorporated. * The actual compression method used in GIF is copywrited by Unisys Corporation. I thank them for allowing freeware authors to use their compression method without obtaining a license or paying royalties. See the Unisys FAQ on GIF for further details. Disclaimer Use my program at your own risk. There are bugs I know of, there are bugs I don't know of. I assume no liability for any losses incurred by use of my program. I myself have accidently overwritten files with ImageGen. So, if I can loose stuff, you can too. In fact, some users have lost files and been unable to recover. System Requirements * Operating System: Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 or better * Processor: 80486 or better * Memory: 32 Megs or better Installation Procedures To install, do the following: 1. Back-up everything or be prepared to loose everything. If you aren't sure if you want to do this, then stop now and don't use ImageGen. 2. Download The ImageGen ZIP File. If you're viewing this document on the web with Netscape you can right click on the highlighted text here, and then select "Save Link As...". 3. Make a folder (directory) for the program (such as C:\IMAGEGEN). It is very important that you have a directory set aside exclusively for ImageGen. Never use the same directory for the program that you use for your Web Site (ie. the folder where you keep all your pictures). 4. Copy the ZIP File into it. 5. Unzip it with PKUNZIP or a compatible program. Use the command: PKUNZIP IG32.ZIP 6. Make sure all the ImageGen program files are in the same folder, with no other files present. Never use this folder to put your pictures or HTML files in. Remember, files in the "IMAGEGEN" folder can be overwritten. 7. Now you can start ImageGen using the Windows Explorer. You may also wish to create a short-cut for the program. On the desktop right click the mouse, and select New/Shortcut. 8. To generate a site for the first time, use the "Layout Wizard" to decide what it will look like. 9. Remember, when selecting a folder for your site, that old HTML file(s) will be overwritten. So, please be very careful. Do not generate a site until you've thought about what you're doing. 10. When using the "Layout Wizard", you must fill in everything on the first screen completely. Do not skip something or make up information. Bugs You should report bugs to thivier1@canuck.com after reading the information below. Note: I am unable to respond to any bug reports that fail to meet the following requirements. The latest version of ImageGen now writes out much of the information you need to report, into a special file called "igerrlog.txt". The file is in the same folder as "imagegen.exe". When reporting a bug, you should copy/paste this file to the end of your e-mail message. If it's huge, than please send me e-mail asking to send it. Before sending me a bug report you should first carefully examine any error message you see on the screen and also look at "igerrlog.txt". Look for files that are mentioned to have problems, also look at the file name that is the last in the list, or just before (or after) where the error is printed. Use graphics viewing/editing software to fix problems in you image file(s). If you find any, you should move, fix, or delete them. Try removing all but just a few of your images, to see if the problem continues. If the problem only occurs with a few (or one) image, than it's probably not a bug in ImageGen. When you do send me an e-mail message, please ensure all the following is including. The file "igerrlog.txt" should contain it, but it's your responsibility to ensure it's present and correct. * The exact File Version Date of ImageGen you're using. This information appears both in Help/About and in "igerrlog.txt". * Operating System and version that you run ImageGen in. * What (if any) network you're using. * Exactly what lead up to the error. The word "crash" and "died" tell me nothing useful. I want to know how it happened, and exactly what happened. Under what circumstances does it run OK? Have you tried running it with different pictures that you know are error free? Did you try doing a fresh re-install. * The exact text of any error message. If a file name or line number is reported, this information is critical. * Send the URL of your web site. If it's private, send any user name/password required to access it. People who send requests for help, but forget this, get put at the bottom of my help list. If you don't have a URL (ie. it's not ready yet), then please say so. Of course, some people won't have a working web site until after they fix a problem with ImageGen. There are many users who contact me, so always repeat important information. Don't assume I'll remember anything from the past. Reminding me of a URL, is also a good idea. Bug List * ImageGen sometimes has a problem with video modes other than 8-bit and 24-bit color. If this occurs try using 8-bit color video mode. * Sometimes ImageGen doesn't cancel when told to. Often, repeatedly hitting the "Cancel" button is required. * Changes to site layout can not always be saved. * When selecting a folder using a dialog box, ImageGen crashes if you try to select the special Windows 95 "My Computer" folder. Known Potential Problems Please be advised certain actions taken in ImageGen have massive and permanent consequences, for which users (ie. you) and not me, are 100% liable for. A list of only some (not all) of these follows. Always back up everything, before using ImageGen. Remember, I am not responsible for any problems you have with ImageGen. * ImageGen can create a very large number of files automatically. It creates in-line image files (*.jpg,*.gif), web pages (*.htm), cache image files (*.bmp), and sub-directories, as needed. Sometimes a file may no longer be needed, it's your responsibility to periodically clean-up up your hard disk. * When writing files, ImageGen will overwright existing files of the same name. In particular ImageGen always creates a file called index.htm (or index.html). People often already have a file with this same name. Make sure you don't already have a file of the same name. * ImageGen creates Sub-Folders called "cache" which stores BMP files. These are intermediate work files that ImageGen uses. They can take an enormous amount of space. It's your responsibility to periodically delete this files. ImageGen never will. Contacting the Author You are welcome to contact me with your comments, suggestions, and bug reports at thivier1@canuck.com. If it's a bug report, please read this whole page first. Visit my Home Page at http://www.canuck.com/~thivier1