Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Hi, welcome to Gravity Desk's read me file. If you haven't already run install.exe and are wondering whether you really want to install Gravity desk or not, please browse the file GD1.wri. It is a manual for Gravity Desk and will give you a pretty good idea of what it does. If you don't want to browse the manual, then you might as well just go ahead and install Gravity Desk. It won't hurt, it's quick to install, and you'll probably find that you like it. If you don't like it, then you can use the easy Un-Install program, GDgoaway.exe. Note regarding where to put Gravity Desk files before installation --------------------------------------------------------------------- You should have the original Gravity Desk files, unzipped, in a temporary (ie...c:\junk) directory or on a floppy disk. Then, run Install.exe from there. The installation program will copy only the required files to Gravity Desk's new home. Packing List -------------- All the files necessary to Install/Run/UnInstall Gravity Desk should be contained in the archive GDesk1.zip. These include: Install.exe The installation program for Gravity Desk. GD1.exe The main Gravity Desk executable. GD1.wri Gravity Desk Manual, in Windows Write format. There are lots of screen shots. GDreadme.txt This file. Contains information about setting up and using Gravity Desk. If you are curious about what Install.exe and GDgoaway.exe do, you can find out here. Also, this file contains information about registering Gravity Desk. If you like it, please register it. That way I'll be inspired to keep working on programs to make our lives more interesting, or just plain easier. GDgoaway.exe The Un-Install program for Gravity Desk. SS3d.vbx Visual Basic Extender run time files that are SS3d2.vbx necessary to run Gravity Desk. 7 files, 734 kb. 710 kb free space needed to install Gravity Desk 1.0 (shareware version). If any of these files are missing, don't even bother trying to set up Gravity Desk. Check another BBS or Shareware dealer for a complete copy. If you can't find one with all the files in it, write to me. Tell me where you got your semi-version of Gravity Desk, and I'll send you the latest Shareware Version of Gravity Desk. Well, now that we're over the preliminaries, lets get to the next step, installing Gravity Desk 1.0. INSTALLING AND USING GRAVITY DESK, QUICK START ------------------------------------------------- Note: For a thorough description of how to use the Gravity Desk Installation Program, Install.exe, see the section labeled "GRAVITY DESK'S INSTALLATION PROGRAM, STEP BY STEP". Quick Install: From File Manager or Program Manager, run the file Install.exe. Press buttons that say "Help" when you are confused. Quick Start: After Gravity Desk is installed, one of the first things that you'll want to do is to start setting up Aliases. Just how to do so may not appear obvious at first. Below is one of three ways to do it. The other two ways are described in the Gravity Desk Manual. One way to set up an Alias: Click on a file in the file list (located at the right hand side of the window that you see when Gravity Desk first starts). Its name and path will appear under the button that says "File Name and Path". Press the button that says "File Name and Path". A dialog box will open up asking you to enter an Alias for the file. Enter your Alias, it can be up to 40 characters long. Press the OK Button. The Alias will be added to the big empty list (which I call the Alias List) on the left hand side of Gravity Desk. To Run a file or an Alias: Double click on the file or the Alias. If the file, or the file that the Alias is tied to, is an executable file, then it will run. If the file, or the file that the Alias is tied to, is not an executable, then you will be asked if you want to set up an association for it. Choose yes to set up an association. This will lead to a dialog box that you can use to set up the association. Once an association is set up, you can run files, or Aliases, in their associated programs, by double clicking on them in either the file list or the Alias List. Important Note: There is a button that has an icon on it of a black arrow that curves down and to the left. This is the Last Window Button. It loads the currently highlighted file or Alias into the last window that you had active before Gravity Desk. Please read about it in the manual before you press it. HELP ONCE YOU'RE RUNNING ------------------------------ After you have got Gravity Desk running, you'll find lots of buttons to push and things to do this and that with. Try whatever you can think of, I've tried to make Gravity Desk pretty foolproof. If you press a button and it can't do anything because of this reason or that, a Help Screen should pop up telling you how to use it. For instant help gratification, there is a small button with a question mark on it in the upper right hand corner of Gravity Desk. Using the mouse (or a rhino, if you have one), drag the Help Question Mark over to the control that you need help with, and drop it. A Help Screen will pop up. Drop the question mark a lot when you are getting started, there are interesting things to know about nearly every control in Gravity Desk. Things that look like labels may be buttons, try pushing them. Double click here, double click there. Hit the enter key, shift key, delete key, space bar. Tab around. Use the Help Question mark some more. Though the only way to access help is to use your mouse, you key- board lovers should find using Gravity Desk to be really easy and intu- itive once you figure out what the controls do. Again, don't be afraid to click lists and press buttons. Help will pop up when it's neeeded, and will guide you on the way when you are miffed. STUFF NOT INCLUDED IN THE GRAVITY DESK 1.0 MANUAL (GD1.wri) ------------------------------------------------ A quick way to rename a file: Highlight the file in the file list. Then, press the Insert Key on your keyboard. A dialog will open asking you for a new name for the file. Enter the new name. Press OK. Your change will be reflected in the file list. Refreshing The File List: When you have made some modifications to a directory using a program other than Gravity Desk 1.0, and the directory is the same as Gravity Desk's current directory, the changes probably won't be reflected in Gravity Desk's file list. Double clicking on the directory won't help, either. You need to highlight the directory in the directory list (using your mouse or the Arrow Keys on your keyboard). Then, press the Enter Key on your keyboard. The file list will be refreshed. Showing hidden/system files in the file list Set the focus on the file list, by either tabbing to it or by clicking on it. Then press Ctrl-A (think of the A as short for Attribute) on your keyboard. This will bring up a small dialog box that you can use to configure the file list to show or not show hidden and system files. Note: You can also call up the attribute dialog from the file lists in Gravity Desk's Bulk File Manager. Displaying the time or the amount of free memory Windows has, in the title bar. This is a little tricky. What you have to do is to set the focus on the Roll Up Bar (a bar across the top of Gravity Desk that you can use to roll it up and down like a window shade). To set the focus, either tab to the Roll Up Bar or click it with the mouse. It will be highlighted by a black edge around its border. Then, press the Shift Key on your computer keyboard. Gravity Desk's title bar will change to show you the current time. Press the Shift key again. The title bar will change to show you the amount of free memory that Windows has available. Press the Shift Key again to return to the original Gravity Desk 1.0 title bar, or, press the Control Key to go backwards through the cycle. Note: This also works with the Roll Up Bar in Gravity Desk's Porfolio Window. GRAVITY DESK'S INSTALL PROGRAM, STEP BY STEP (with technical notes) ----------------------------------------------- I've tried to make getting Gravity Desk up and running a simple task. Basically, all you need to do is unzip the GDesk1.zip file somewhere. Then, using Windows Program Manager or File Manager, run the executable, Install.exe. The Gravity Desk Installer will open up, showing you the directory Windows is installed in, and a default directory to install Gravity Desk to. If the defaults are fine, press the button that says "These Directories Are Fine, Install Gravity Desk". If the default directory is not to your liking, press the button that says "Change". This will open up a directory browser, from which you can select another directory to install Gravity Desk to. If you'd like, you can use the directory browser to create an entirely new directory for Gravity Desk. If, at any time, you need help, press a "Help" button. When you are satisfied with the directory that you want to install Gravity Desk to, press the button that says "These Directories Are Fine, Install Gravity Desk". A new screen will slide into view, with the cursor blinking in a text box. There will be instructions asking you to enter a name for your first group. When you do so, the button that says "OK, I am ready to run Gravity Desk" will rise from its murky gray existence, beckoning you to press it. Press it when you are satisfied with the name for your first group (don't worry about the group name for too long, it's easy to change later). Yet another screen will pop into view, with some information about how to get started using Gravity Desk. It's also something to look at while Gravity Desk Installer copies the files GD1.exe, GD1.wri, and GDgoaway.exe to the directory you have chosen for Gravity Desk, SS3d.vbx and SS3d2.vbx to your Windows directory, and creates a new file, Gravity1.ini, in your Windows directory. Once these files are all copied and Gravity Desk's INI file is created, the "Run Gravity Desk" button becomes enabled. Press it and Gravity Desk should start up. Note: It is necessary that all the files stay put once you install Gravity Desk (that is, if you intend to ever use it), otherwise Gravity Desk either won't run, or, data that you need in Gravity Desk won't be there. What files are created by Gravity Desk when I use it? ------------------------------------------------------- Gravity Desk creates 5 data files for it's own use. These will be located in the directory that Gravity Desk was copied to during installation. Their names are: Alias.dat Keeps track of file Aliases. Groups.dat Keeps track of Group Names. Associat.dat Keeps track of Associations that you set up with Gravity Desk. QuickDir.dat Keeps track of directory Aliases. Schemes.dat Keeps track of color schemes. (Will be empty in Shareware Version) For all the Aliases and Group Names that you create in Gravity Desk to stay in tact, these files must stay in this directory (marked by the label "DataDir" in Gravity.ini) and they must not be tampered with (ie. don't edit them in Notepad). If you want to Un-Install Gravity Desk: ------------------------------------------- Should you decide that Gravity Desk hasn't made your life easier, you can Un-Install it using the handy GDgoaway.exe file. When you run GDgoaway.exe, you are presented with a message that tells you what files are about to be deleted. You then have a choice to carry on, or, to exit Gravity Desk Un-Install. If you carry on, you will be warned of what is going to happen two more times, just to make sure. After that, it's into the junker with Gravity Desk (Please write and tell me what you didn't like, maybe I can address your needs in a future version). Basically, Gravity Desk Un-Install will delete all the files it copied and created during installation and use. It will also remove the directory that Gravity Desk has created it's data files in. (If something exists in the Gravity Desk directory other than Gravity Desk files, only Gravity Desk's data files will be deleted - the directory will not be removed.) Two files, SS3d.vbx and SS3d2.vbx, installed to your Windows directory, will be the only files left on your hard disk. They will be left there because you may have another program that needs them to run. If you really want to delete them, rename them. Then, try running all your programs and see if any give you an error message regarding SS3d.vbx or SS3d2.vbx. If so, give them their original names and leave them there. Or move them and the program that needs them to a floppy that you can restore from later. Thanks for trying this shareware! --------------------------------- Thanks for trying out Gravity Desk 1.0. Below is a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo and information on registering Gravity Desk 1.0. If you like it, please register it. It's the shareware ideal - try it, if you like it, reward the author's efforts. _____________________________________________________________________________ License Agreement ----------------- The use of Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) is subject to the following terms and conditions. Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) is copyrighted material. It is protected by the copyright laws of the United States. You may not make any changes or modifications to Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version). You may not decompile, disassemble, or otherwise reverse-engineer the software in any way. You may use Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) on a trial basis provided you do not violate the protection afforded the licensed software by the copyright laws, and you agree to the terms of the license agreement. If you use Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) on a regular basis you are obligated to purchase a license for its use. A license for the use of Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) can be obtained by sending a $25.00 registration fee to: Gravity Products c/o Jack Killpatrick 223 Fillmore St San Francisco, CA 94117 USA (Please use the form below to register) Title to the licensed software is NOT transferred to the end user. The end user is granted an exclusive license to use the software on one computer or computer work station at any given time. Gravity Products does not gaurantee that Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) will meet any of your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Gravity Products is not responsible for any problems or damage that may result from using Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version). This includes, but is not limited to, information, computer hardware, computer software, operating systems, and any computer or computing accessories. The end user agrees to hold Gravity Products harmless for any problems arising from the use of the software. In no case shall Gravity Products' liability exceed the license fees paid for the right to use the licensed software. The warranties set forth above are in lieu of any and all other express or implied warranties, whether oral, written, or implied, and the remedies set forth above are the sole and exclusive remedies. Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) Distribution ------------------------------------------------- You are granted a limited license to copy Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) only for the trial use of others subject to the terms of the software license agreement described herein, and the conditions described below: Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) MUST be copied in an unmodified form and MUST contain the following files: File Name Size Date/Time ------------- ---- --------- Install.exe 26,148 02/08/93 01:09:24pm GD1.exe 200,740 02/08/93 01:31:46pm GD1.wri 334,592 02/07/93 11:44:04pm GDreadme.txt GDgoaway.exe 13,882 02/08/93 12:37:34am ss3d.vbx 49,504 09/16/92 11:02:36am ss3d2.vbx 89,408 09/24/92 10:44:08am No fee, charge or other compensation may be accepted or requested by anyone without the express written permission of Gravity Products. Public Domain Disk Vendors may not charge a fee for Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) itself. However you may include Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) on a diskette for which you charge a nominal distribution fee. The purchaser of said diskette must be informed in advance that the fee paid to acquire the diskette does NOT relieve said purchaser from paying the registration fee for Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version)if said purchaser uses Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version). Operators of electronic bulletin board systems (Sysops) may post Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) for downloading by their users without written permission only as long as the above conditions are met. A fee may be charged for access to the BBS as long as no specific fee is charged for downloading Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version) files without first obtaining express written permission from Gravity Products to charge such a fee. The above constitutes the license agreement for Gravity Desk 1.0 (Shareware Version). It superceeds any and all previous license agreements. _____________________REGISTRATION FORM FOR GRAVITY DESK 1.0___________________________ Gravity Desk 1.0 Registration Form. This form is for registering Gravity Desk 1.0 directly with the author. If you don't want to use this form, please be sure to include all the information requested on this form. Gravity Desk 1.0 is not free. It is copyright 1993 and is distributed as shareware. You may use it to evaluate its suitability to your needs. If you continue to use Gravity Desk 1.0 beyond a reasonable evaluation period, you must register it. PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY: Name: ___________________________________ Address: ___________________________________ ___________________________________ City, State ___________________________________ ZIP Code ___________________________________ Country ___________________________________ INDICATE ITEMS AND QUANTITY ORDERED: Gravity Desk 1.0 Single User Registration QUANTITY TOTAL $25.00 for US mailing addresses _______ @ $25.00 ________ $27.50 outside the USA _______ @ $27.50 ________ (You will receive a copy of the latest version of Gravity Desk, which includes features not included in the Shareware version (itemized on Gravity Desk's closing message). Site Licenses, Volume Discounts (over 10 copies), Distribution Rights, etc. - please write to the address below stating your needs and we will supply a custom quote. DISK FORMAT: Gravity Desk is supplied in either 3.5" or 5.25" double density format. Please indicate your preference: 3.5" ______ 5.25"______ PAYMENT: Please enclose your payment in full and mail to: Gravity Desk c/o Jack Killpatrick 223 Fillmore St San Francisco, CA 94117 USA Make checks payable to Jack Killpatrick. I can accept checks drawn on US banks and US currency. I can also accept US dollar denominated money orders. I cannot accept credit cards or checks drawn on foreign banks, not even Canada. (Sorry for the inconvenience but the cost to handle these is prohibitive at these low prices.) COMMENTS: I appreciate any comments, suggestions, tips, praise, and even bug reports. They will help improve future versions of Gravity Desk. Thanks very much, Jack Killpatrick P.S. I can be reached via Compuserve. ID 71062,2202.