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Release 2.0 - Professional Edition

(C) 1996 Michele Di Maria

You can reach the author at :

(Internet)  dima@galactica.it

(FidoNet) Michele Di Maria (2:331/374)

For latest versions, news and customised animation examples please check the AniDesk HomePage:

http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/7409

This help file refers both to EMailWare and Professional Edition of AniDesk Release 2.0.

Introduction

Installing and removing AniDesk

Changes from last version

Standard Operations

Custom Operations

Advanced Operations

Registering AniDesk

Registering AniDesk in the Italian territory

For matters concerning AniDesk please refer to its author (Michele Di Maria). If you have problems, suggestions and other please send an e-mail to dima@galactica.it.

For anything concerning registration and payments, please refer to Snowman Enterprises (for correct address see ´´Registering Anidesk´´ section of this help file).

Thank you for reading this help file.

Michele Di Maria


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INTRODUCTION

AniDesk is a simple program that shows a small animation in a corner of your desktop window.

You may let it work in the background (push Background button) and it will display the animation always in the foreground with any Windows application. To recall click on the [image] icon in the System Tray.

What is good for ?

a) 	You can always see your machine´s response times. The speed of the animation shows you the real system feedback from applications.

b) 	You can immediately see when the system crashes.

c) 	It is nice. (same people say very nice)

How much it costs me ?

AniDesk costs you (about) :

a) 	About 3% of system resources.

b) 	Less than 2% of processor time.
(referred to a P90 processor based system).

c) 	An E-Mail to its author.

Other functions ?

a) 	You could display an animation of the logo of your company on all its computers.

b) 	If you are a computer reseller you might add an animation of your logo on computers you sell.

c) 	Anything else that comes to mind !

AniDesk is EMailWare, which means that if you like it you should write an e-mail to its author. Your e-mail doesn´t obligate you in any way, it means only that you use AniDesk. Nothing else.

I suggest you to add a shortcut to AniDesk in your Start-up folder.

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CHANGES FROM LAST VERSION

Here is a list of features introduced in Release 2.0

•	(for Professional Edition) Users can customise the animation played by AniDesk which supports up to four user defined animation.

•	New graphic interface which supports Windows95 system colours.

•	Users may modify the speed of the animation.

•	Users may select the corner of the screen to display the animation.

•	Users may decide to save the current settings on its exit.

•	AniDesk has been optimised to work in the background with the minimum amount of memory. In fact for background execution anything not strictly necessary to continuing animate is unloaded.

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Standard Operations

Here you select the animation to display from AniDesk´s built in animation library.

Simply click on the animation name to see the animation you selected.

Here you find also Background button which unloads this form but lets AniDesk continue working and the End button, which ends AniDesk execution.

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CUSTOM OPERATIONS

Here you select the animation to display from the ones you made. For each you will see the first frame and the number of total frames. This section is disabled for EMailWare users.

Question: 	How can I create my personal animation and let AniDesk display it?

Answer: 	After the first execution of AniDesk you will find four subdirs in the AniDesk directory: Custom1, Custom2, Custom3 and Custom4. At this point you have only to create a set of icons and place them in one of the above directories, so when you will recall AniDesk you will be able to select it by this form.

PLEASE NOTE:

1) 	All icon files must be standard Windows95 icon files (32x32).

2) 	You can create an animation which contains max 20 icon files (all the animation of the AniDesk´s built in animation library displays max 20 icons). This is to reduce the amount of memory AniDesk uses.

3) 	You must sort the icons contained in custom directories by name. For example you may call them Antani01.ico, Antani02.ico, Antani03.ico and so on. In that way AniDesk will animate them in the right order. I suggest you use two digits to number them.

4) 	If AniDesk finds no-icons in a custom directory it will display the [image] icon. If you copy same icons in that directory you will be able to select it.

5) 	If you are editing or copying icons in custom directories and you´d like to refresh this screen, it is not necessary to exit from AniDesk and then restart the program. Simply push Background button and then click the AniDesk´s icon in the System Tray and this form will be refreshed.

6) 	(suggestion) When you create icons to animate the easy way is create a base icon and then modify it. The best way to create a great animation is to leave the base area of the icon unchanged (you may create a fixed background like the Banner animation) and modify it.

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ADVANCED OPERATIONS

Advanced settings let the user customise AniDesk in the detail.

Animation Speed sets up the refreshing rate of the animation.

Animation Position let the user decide the corner where AniDesk displays the animation.

If Save Settings on Exit is enabled all settings (the chosen animation , its position and its speed) will be saved when AniDesk stops running and restored when it is re-executed.

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REGISTERING ANIDESK

To register AniDesk in Italy by Italian postal checks please follow this link. Otherwise, to register AniDesk from the rest of the world, using Checks, Visa and MasterCard read the following document.

Please note that the Professional Edition requires AniDesk 2.0 EMailWare already installed on your system (you will find it at the AniDesk HomePage, see Contents for correct address).

SnowMan Enterprises

--------------------------------

1 Tattysallagh Road

Omagh, Co. Tyrone BT78 5BW

Voice: +44 (0)1662 247887

BBS +44 (0)1662 252228

FIDOnet         2:443/888

Internet    snowman@snowcave.thegap.com OR

snowman@rsc.co.uk

     ---------------------------------------------------------------

*      *      *

-=<   A N I D E S K    R E G I S T R A T I O N    F O R M   >=-

   If you like AniDesk you will like the PROFESSIONAL version even better - so, please register!

To register via the BBS:

Simply upload or NetMail (Crash) the completed Form to The Snow Cave BBS on the following number. (please rename this form to the last 8 digits of your credit card ie. 12345678.ANI)

  +44 (0)1662-252228      Fido 2:443/888

If you Upload to the BBS, then after you have logged on (and replied to the log-on questionaire) then go to the FILES menu (F) from the main menu, and select File[B]ox Menu (B), [U]pload To User and enter ANIDESK as the user.

If you Crash the form by NetMail, please indicate on the form, your Fido node or point address.

Your version of AniDesk.exe file will be made available for download on The Snow Cave  BBS in the shortest possible time....

If you upload via the BBS, it will be waiting in your FileBox and you will be advised on log-on. If you crash it, the file will be put on hold for you, using the Fido address you provided.

To Register via the Internet:

Email the form to Snowman enterprises at one of the below addresses:

snowman@snowcave.thegap.com or snowman@rsc.co.uk

We are in the process of setting up our WEB site with secure credit card transaction capability.

If you wish, you can use my Public Key with PGP to ensure privacy:

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

Version: 2.6.2

Comment: Key for user ID: Steve Stacher <snowman@snowcave.thegap.com|2:443/...

mQCNAzEl95wAAAEEAN5D65+7aTxMK8XEFAJnm/p35Of7ZF6oTmjLJjPsvDLhzbwE

MEDRjIJ0w+QKSdWEqCF6HKmOss+cmMZOrH2bAdKI2zuZyYBo3xI9MYgguTgzDVHp

qFC1dSdl9/edY6nkfyfm7b8Nrk4LunJF3x0imQFzPIAxfODZ8NDuwVNhDw4NAAUR

tD1TdGV2ZSBTdGFjaGVyIDxzbm93bWFuQHNub3djYXZlLnRoZWdhcC5jb218Mjo0

NDMvODg4QGZpZG9uZXQ+

=cVoS

-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

If the cardholders name/address is different to the USER address, The Snow Cave BBS reserves the right to call the CARDHOLDER to verify the authenticity of the transaction...

Snowman Enterprises pays 5% commission on each credit card transaction, so please be aware that 5% will be added to each/any transaction made by credit card. All credit card transactions are in UK Pounds Sterling.

Alternatively, you MAY send the completed form by regular mail to:

Snowman Enterprises

1 Tattysallagh Road

Omagh, Co. Tyrone

BT78 5BW

and pay by CHEQUE/EUROCHEQUE/UK POSTAL ORDER drawn in pounds sterling.

[For Eurocheques you MUST write the amount in œ (Pounds Sterling) and send a photocopy of BOTH the front AND the back of your Eurocheque card. For Personal Cheques drawn on a UK or Irish bank, include a

photocopy of both sides of your Cheque Guarantee Card or expect a 10 day delay for cheque clearance]

Please make all cheques/PO´s payable to "Snowman Enterprises" then for security ´cross´ them with "AC Payee only".

Non-commercial vs. commercial pricing

A non-commercial user is defined as a private user who is sitting at home using his computer for private programming/gaming and is not making money on his hobby - all others are commercial users.

The Non-Commercial License fee is UK 8.00 which is approximately $12.00

The Commercial License Fee is UK 17.00 or approximately $25.00

V.A.T.

Snowman Enterprises is a small sole trader company and is *not* registered for VAT, therefore all transactions made through Snowman Enterprises are not liable to VAT, or no VAT can be reclaimed on the total transaction cost.

Please send the following page ONLY.

        -=<   A N I D E S K     R E G I S T R A T I O N   F O R M   >=-

      The information we need for the registration key and where the key will

      be send to (Do NOT use a post box address):

      Name       	: __________________________________________________

      Address	: __________________________________________________

      City	: __________________________________________________

      Post Code	: __________________________________________________

      Country	: __________________________________________________

      Phone #	: __________________________________________________

      Email/Fido	: __________________________________________________

Number of Copies     Price     Amount

     NON-COMMERCIAL use: 	______  @  £8.00=  ______

     COMMERCIAL/Government use*:	______  @  £17.00=  ______

     Credit Card handling/surcharge (5%)	   =  ______

Total:

Total enclosed:

==========

     Please debit Credit Card Number:    _______  _______  _______  _______

     Card Type (Tick One)    [ ] VISA      [ ] MasterCard  Auth:___________

     Expires:   /              Signature___________________________________

     Cardholders name:____________________________________________________

     Cardholders address:__________________________________________________

     ___________________________________________________________________

     I will collect my copy of AniDesk Professiona Edition from The Snow Cave BBS (by modem)  YES ---- NO

 [for office use: FB_________________ DT_____________ SN_______________]

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REGISTERING ANIDESK from ITALY

To register in the Italian territory please follow this instructions :

a) 	Send an E-Mail to dima@galactica.it (or in FidoNET to Michele Di Maria 2:331/374) specifying your name and address.

b) 	Effect a postal remittance (vaglia postale) for the amount of Lit 20.000 in favour of:

Michele Di Maria

Via Mario Borsa, 32

20151 Milano

c) Once received payment, I will send you the program via e-mail (for FidoNET users via direct modem link. I will give you my phone number once I received your Matrix message).

So, to understand us better:

ITALIAN TRANSLATION

Per registrarvi dal territorio Italiano dovete seguire le seguenti istruzioni :

a) 	Spedire un E-Mail all´indirizzo dima@galactica.it (o in FidoNET to Michele Di Maria 2:331/374), specificando il vostro nome e indirizzo.

b) 	 Inviare un vaglia postale di Lit. 20.000 intestato a :

Michele Di Maria

Via Mario Borsa, 32

20151 Milano

c)	Ricevuto il pagamento vi invierò un e-mail contenente il file eseguibile. Per gli utenti FidoNET il file sarà spedito via modem, vi invierò il mio numero di telefono ricevuto il primo messaggio da parte vostra)

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Installing and Removing ANIDESK

AniDesk 2.0 has been realised with MS Visual Basic 4.0  and take advantage of OLE  technology.

To work properly, AniDesk needs to registry in your system the following OLE servers:

Comctl32.ocx

Traynot.ocx

So, the first time you use AniDesk you should run Install, that let you retrieve AniDesk executable file and registry the ole servers. Note that if you change AniDesks directory after having run Install, you should execute it agaen.

To remove AniDesk from your system you should:

a) 	Run Uninstall. This will remove all AniDesks entries in the System Registry.

b) 	Delete AniDesks directory on your system.

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