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ELECTRON.TXT
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1998-04-04
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Electronics
Thank you for purchasing Electronics! We hope you
find it to be an excellent investment and a tremendous value.
If you experience any difficulty or problems with this CD-ROM
program, please refer to this document for helpful suggestions.
Contents
--------
Special Note For Users of Windows 95
Special Note For Users of Windows 3.x
Upgrading From An Earlier Version
If You Have an Older or Slower Computer
If You Experience Video Display Problems
How to Improve Your Video Display
How to Get the Best Quality Video
System Requirements
Compatibility
Solving Problems Under Windows 3.x
Trademarks Mentioned
Special Note For Users of Windows 95
------------------------------------
If you use Windows 95, then there is an extra step you can take
to get the best quality video and sound performance.
In most cases, installing Microsoft "DirectX" will improve
performance. DirectX is not required, in other words, this
program will work properly without DirectX. However, in many
cases, DirectX will significantly improve performance on your
machine (especially a portion of DirectX called "DirectSound").
To install DirectX (Windows 95 only) simply insert the CD into
the CD-ROM drive, then click the Windows 95 "Start" button, and
click "Run" on the menu. In the "Open:" box, type the following
command, where "D:" is the letter of your CD-ROM drive:
D:\DirectX\DX5ENG.EXE
then click "Ok". Alternatively, you can click the "Browse"
button and find D:\DirectX\DX5ENG.EXE by browsing to it.
After DirectX is installed, we recommend that you repeat the
above steps, but this time type the following:
D:\DirectX\DPLAY50A.EXE
which will update DirectX to correct some bugs discovered by
Microsoft after DirectX 5.0 was released.
In other words, DX5ENG.EXE will install DirectX version 5.0,
and DPLAY50A.EXE will update DirectX to version 5.0A.
DirectX will take up about 7Mb of disk space after it is
installed, however, during the installation it will require
up to 34Mb of disk space for temporary files that will be
automatically deleted after installation is complete. So
make sure you have plenty of free disk space before beginning
the installation of DirectX.
Special Note For Users of Windows 3.x
-------------------------------------
If you use Windows 3.x (which includes 3.1, 3.11, as well as
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and 3.11), then there is an extra
step you can take to get the best quality video.
In most cases, installing Microsoft "WinG" (pronounced "Win-Gee"),
will improve video performance. WinG is not required, in other
words, this program will work properly without WinG. However,
in many cases, WinG will significantly improve the performance
of video for this program. If video performance is not accep-
table to you, try installing WinG and see if it helps. If you
encounter problems while WinG is installed, you can always
UNinstall it and return your system to its previous state. Of
course, for the best possible video performance, we recommend
upgrading your system to Windows 95 or later (WinG is built
into Windows 95), and a CPU from the Pentium MMX family.
If you have any difficulties with WinG, please remember that
it comes from Microsoft and only Microsoft can provide
technical assistance for problems involving WinG.
To install WinG (Windows 3.x only) simply insert the CD into
the CD-ROM drive, then choose the Run option in the Program
Manager's File menu. In the command line box type
"D:\SETUPWNG" where "D:" is the letter of your CD-ROM drive.
Then press the Enter key.
Should you later decide to UNinstall WinG, simply click on
the UNinstall icon. After UNinstall is complete, you may
need to manually delete four files from the WINDOWS\SYSTEM
directory. The four files are: WING.DLL, WINGDE.DLL,
WINGDIB.DRV, and WINGPAL.WND.
If you have an ISA video board (rather than a newer PCI
video board), then WinG will not be able to provide any
acceleration for your machine. How can you tell what type
of video board is installed in your computer? If your
computer was made prior to about 1993 then it probably
has an ISA video board. If your machine is newer, then it
probably has a PCI video board. You can always install
WinG and see if there is any improvement. WinG won't hurt
anything if your machine is an ISA machine, it just won't
give you any speed improvements.
Upgrading From An Earlier Version:
----------------------------------
If you already have an older version of this program
installed on your computer, you'll need to take an extra step to
ensure that the new version works properly.
If the old version has a version number less than 1.3.0 then you
should UNinstall the old version prior to installing this new
version. If the old version has a version number greater than
1.3.0 then you should follow the directions below:
Windows 3.1: Insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive. Choose the
Run option in the Program Manager's File Menu.
In the command line box type "D:\SETUP UPDATE"
where "D:" is the letter of your CD-ROM drive.
Then press the Enter key.
Windows 95: Insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive. Click the
"Start" button, then choose the Run option. In
the command line box type "D:\SETUP UPDATE"
where "D:" is the letter of your CD-ROM drive.
Then press the Enter key.
By including the word "UPDATE" after the word "SETUP", you are
telling the Setup program to be sure to update some files
that were left over by the older version.
If You Have an Older or Slower Computer:
----------------------------------------
All the videos on this CD can be played smoothly from
a 1-speed CD-ROM drive. You do not need a fast CD-ROM
drive to use this program. This is made possible by the
use of state of the art video compression techniques.
The performance of the videos included with this product
is dependent upon the speed of your computer (CPU), your
video board, how much memory you have, and which operating
system you use (Windows 3.x, or Windows 95 or later).
Older, slower computers, take longer to decompress the
video. Computers running Windows 3.x take longer to
copy the video to the screen. To ensure that you get
the best quality video, even on older machines, we
built some options into the program and provided two
different versions of many of the videos. Here's how
it works:
Windows 95 (or higher):
If you are using the 32-bit version of the program (running
on Windows 95), then the program assumes that you have a
newer, faster computer, and uses the larger videos
for the best on-screen appearance. If you have an older
computer, then you might want to tell the program
to use the smaller videos, which will play more smoothly on
your system. To tell the program that you have a slower
speed computer, simply perform the following steps:
Place your mouse over the program's icon on the Windows 95
desktop (or folder), and right-click (click the right mouse
button) on the icon. When the menu pops up, select
"Properties" on the menu. When the Properties window opens,
click on the "Shortcut" tab at the top. If you look next to
the word "Target" you will see an edit box containing the
location and filename of the program. Click on this name
and use the right-arrow or end key to move the cursor to the
end of the name, after the letters ".exe" (if there are
quotation marks around the name, then position the cursor
after the last quotation mark). At this point, insert one
or more space characters, followed by the letters "Slower"
(without the quotes). Don't worry, you can use upper or
lower case letters (it doesn't matter), as long as there are
no spaces in the word "Slower". Then click "OK". That's it!
From now on, when you double-click on the icon to start the
program, the program will know that you have a slower
computer and would like to use the smaller videos for
better performance and appearance.
Windows 3.x:
If you are using the 16-bit version of the program (running
on Windows 3.x), then the program automatically uses the
smaller videos for best performance. Even if you have a
faster computer, the smaller videos will still look best
when running the 16-bit version of the program. In other
words, to get the best performance on Windows 3.x you don't
have to do anything, it happens automatically. There is
one step you can take, to make things look even better:
refer to the "Special Note For Users of Windows 3.x"
(above) for information about using Microsoft "WinG". WinG
can make a very big difference in the quality of video.
If You Experience Video Display Problems:
-----------------------------------------
This program will adapt itself automatically to most video
display resolutions, so long as your video driver is set to at
least 256-colors (or higher). If your video driver is set to
something less than 256-colors, then please refer to "How to
Improve Your Video Display" (below) for instructions on changing
your video driver settings.
This program was designed to look best at 800x600 with
256-colors or more. If your system can display only 256 colors
at a time then you should expect to see some screen flashes and
color changes as the program selects the best 256 colors to use
at that particular time. If your system can display more than
256 colors at a time then your display will look even better,
since this program automatically selects higher resolution
pictures and backgrounds for use on such systems.
If you use Windows 3.x then you should set your system for
256-colors, not more. If you have your system set for High
Color or True Color modes, then the videos will have to be
converted from 256-colors as they play, which will really
slow things down. This is not as significant under Windows
95, but it can still slow things down somewhat.
If you use Microsoft Windows 95 and sometimes have problems with
icons looking funny, there are a couple of things you can do.
First, this is not a problem with this program, it is a
problem with Windows 95. It can happen with ANY program, even
Microsoft Word. It most often starts when you are running a
16-bit program and a 32-bit program at the same time. It can
also start anytime you are running more than one program at a
time. Once it starts, the only reliable way to get it to stop
is to restart Windows 95. You can avoid the problem entirely
by not running more than one program at a time. Windows 95
uses a technique to try to optimize display updates, where the
display is only updated when absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, sometimes Windows 95 does not properly notice
that an icon needs to be painted, this is why the icons can
suddenly start looking funny. This problem does not appear
on versions of Windows older than Windows 95.
How to Improve Your Video Display:
----------------------------------
Video displays are a very flexible part of today's modern
systems. They are flexible because you are able to change
or modify the way your screen looks. Of course, having choices
often makes something seem more complicated. Don't worry,
changing video display settings is a fairly simple process.
In fact, the hardest part is deciding what you want the new
settings to be. The following suggestions and recommendations
will help to make the decision easier.
The first step is to choose what video settings you wish to use.
This normally involves a trade-off or balance between the best
looking display and the most efficient use of available memory.
For most situations, we recommend that you select 800x600 with
256-Colors. The more colors available, the better the screen
will look, but more colors also use more memory. If your
computer has less than 12-Mb of memory, then we recommend that
you stick with 256-Colors only. If your computer has more
than 12-Mb of memory, then feel free to select a setting that
provides even more colors. Keep in mind, however, that the
videos included with this program are 256-color videos. If
your system is set for more than 256-colors, then the videos
have to be converted to a different bit depth as they play.
This can really slow things down on a computer running
Windows 3.x (Windows 3.x is already slow when it comes to
video). The difference is not as significant in Windows 95.
Another consideration is how small you want text and icons to
appear. Generally, as you increase the number of dots or
"pixels" on the screen, things will look smaller and smaller.
For instance, at 800x600, text will look smaller than it does
at 640x480. Of course, you can also fit more on the screen at
the same time, which is exactly what most people want.
Most video drivers give you some flexibility, so you can fit more
on your screen, without making things too small to see clearly.
They make this available by giving you a choice of "Large Fonts"
or "Small Fonts", or they might call it "Large System Resources"
or "Small System Resources". Typically, this choice is only
available when the driver is set to at least 800x600 (not at
640x480). We always recommend "Large Fonts" or "Large System
Resources" because it makes things much easier to see and use.
This program was designed to look its best in 800x600 with
"Large Fonts" or "Large System Resources", and 256-Colors or more.
Once you have chosen the settings you wish to use. Follow the
instructions below to actually change your system settings. There
are two procedures, one for people using Windows 95, and another
for people using Windows 3.1.
Changing Video Setting, Windows 95:
For computers running Windows 95 only.
Click on (press and release the left mouse button) the "Start"
menu button, scroll up to "Settings", which will open a sub-
menu, click on "Control Panel". When "Control Panel" opens
look for an item called "Display" and double-click on
"Display".
After you double-click on "Display" you will see a series of
notebook pages with little tabs on top. Click your mouse on
the notebook tab called "Settings". Here you will be able
to change your video display settings.
The "Color Palette" section enables you to choose the number
of colors you wish to display. We recommend 256-Colors. If
you wish to choose more colors, we recommend that you do so
only if your computer has more than 12Mb of memory, keeping
in mind that it will slow down the performance of the videos
included with this program.
The "Font Size" section enables you to choose large or small
fonts. We recommend "Large Fonts" for the most readable
display.
The "Desktop Area" (and optional "Viewport Area") is where you
select the video size you wish to use. If both areas are
present, then both areas should be set to the same numbers.
We recommend 800x600. This will give you a good overall
balance between appearance and efficient use of your
computer's memory. Remember, higher numbers mean that more
memory will be used.
After you make your selections, click on the "OK" button to
instruct Windows to make the changes. At this point, your
screen will blank temporarily, then will reappear using the
new settings. A pop up message will ask you if you wish to
keep the new settings, click "Yes". If you changed the font
size (Large Fonts or Small Fonts), then you will need to
restart Windows before the changes take effect. Simply
click "Yes" when it asks you if you want to restart Windows
now. That's all there is to it!
Changing Video Settings, Windows 3.1:
For computers running Windows 3.1 only.
Windows 3.1 is a bit more primitive than Windows 95 when it
comes to changing video settings. Windows 3.1 will always
restart before the new settings take effect.
In the Program Manager, double-click on the "Main" program
group. When it opens, double-click on the "Setup" or
"Windows Setup" icon. When the Windows Setup window opens,
click on the "Options" menu, then click "Change System
Settings".
When the "Change System Settings" window opens, you will
see a choice called "Display". The current settings are
shown. Pay close attention to the current settings, because
they will tell you what kind of video display card you have.
For instance, it might say "Super VGA" or "Stealth VRAM" or
something else. You should stick to the options for that
particular video display adapter. In other words, if it
says "Super VGA", for instance, then choose only from those
options that start with "Super VGA". Select the setting
you want. We recommend 800x600x256 (the third number is the
number of colors). If you have a choice of Large or Small
Fonts, we recommend Large Fonts.
After you have made your selection, click on the "OK" button.
The next message will ask you if you want to restart Windows
now, select "Yes" to restart Windows now. That's it!
How to Get the Best Quality Video
---------------------------------
The quality of video on your computer is largely dependent upon
the type and speed of your processor (CPU), your video adapter,
and the amount of memory in your computer. Increasing any of
these will improve video playback performance. For the absolute
best results we recommend upgrading your computer to a CPU that
includes Intel's new "MMX" instruction set. CPU's with this new
capability include the "Pentium MMX" and the "Pentium II". This
new processor enables vastly superior video performance when
compared to older CPUs.
This program uses special video compression technology to provide
you with the best possible video quality and performance. Of
course, the possibilities are largely limited by the capabilities
of your computer. Newer computers, with an MMX CPU and Windows 95
or higher, will give you the best video performance.
System Requirements:
--------------------
This program requires Microsoft Windows, Windows 95 or Windows NT.
Video Requirements: 256-Color or better
CPU Requirements: 80386 or better
The CD-ROM discs contain two versions of the program: a 16-Bit
version and a 32-Bit version. The 16-Bit version requires
Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher. The 32-Bit version requires
Windows 95 or higher, or Windows NT 4.0 or higher. The correct
version is automatically chosen when you install the program.
Memory Requirements: The memory requirements depend on which
version you are using. The 16-bit version
for Windows 3.1 requires at least 4-Mb of
memory, with 8-Mb recommended. The 32-bit
version for Windows 95 requires at least
8-Mb of memory, with 16-Mb recommended.
This program will work with most common video display resolutions,
including 640x480, 800x600, and 1024x768, with video drivers set
to either Large or Small Fonts (sometimes called Large or Small
System Resources).
Compatibility:
--------------
This program has been tested with Microsoft Windows 3.1 and 3.11,
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and 3.11, Windows 95 and Windows 95
with Service Pack 1, Windows 95 OEM-SR2, and Windows NT 4.0 with
Service Pack 3 installed. It has also been tested with "beta"
versions of Windows 98.
This program has been tested in the following video resolutions:
640x480 - 256-Color
800x600 and 1024x768 with the following color depths:
256-Colors (8-Bit)
32,768-Colors (15-Bit, HighColor)
65,536-Colors (16-Bit, HighColor)
16,777,216-Colors (24-Bit, TrueColor)
4,294,967,296-Colors (32-Bit, TrueColor with Alpha Channel)
Solving Problems Under Windows 3.x:
-----------------------------------
If you are using Windows 3.x (not Windows 95 or later) and experience
problems such as videos not playing, sounds not playing, or error
messages, please follow these steps to solve the problems.
1. Using the Windows NotePad (in the "Accessories" group) or your
favorite editor, create a file in the Windows directory called
"SEEFIXER.INI".
2. On the first line of this file, type the following:
"[ForCredit132]"
without the quotes. Be sure not to include any spaces.
3. On the second line of this file, type the following:
"ForCreditNoSound=1"
without the quotes. Be sure not to include any spaces.
4. Save and close the file (SEEFIXER.INI).
In summary, the file "SEEFIXER.INI" should contain the following
two lines:
[ForCredit132]
ForCreditNoSound=1
Once you have performed the above steps, the problems will be
solved the next time you start the program. The video sounds
will work normally, but all other sound effects will be disabled
(including music, button clicks, audio instructions, etc).
Trademarks Mentioned
--------------------
Uses Smacker Video Technology. Copyright (c) 1994-1998 by RAD Game
Tools, Inc.
Uses Miles Sound System. Copyright (c) 1991-1998 by RAD Game Tools, Inc.
Portions Copyright (c) 1994-1998 by Corel Corporation. The images may
not be saved or downloaded and are only to be used for viewing purposes.
All trade names mentioned herein are either trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
