Copyright: Sliyder 1.0 CopyRight 1995 Rick Curtland


Contents
Sliyder 1.0 Help Contents

Please Read this First

256 Color Video Mode

Overview

Overview of Sliyder

Main Window

Main Screen

View Window

View Screen

Trouble

Trouble Shooting

Register

Registering Information


Video Mode
Sliyder: Video Mode

Most graphic files with the .gif extension have a pallet of at least 256 colors. To view them with Sliyder you need to be in at least a 256 color video mode. If you view a graphic file, and it looks like the colors are washed out, grainy, or just plain bad, then you are most likely in a 16 color video mode.

To check this, double click the Windows Setup Icon in Program Manager, or you can double click the file, WINSETUP.EXE in File Manager. If you do, you will go to Windows Setup. Click on Options, and then click Change System Settings. You will go to another window and you will see Display:, and a drop down list box next to it. In this list box is the name of the Video Driver your Windows system is currently using. If it says VGA in the box then you are using the generic VGA Windows 16 color Driver. If there is another name in the list box then look for (256 colors) next to the name. If you are in a 256 color mode then get out of here, if not then proceed at your own risk.

Notice the list box is a drop down list box, and if you click the arrow pointing down you should see some more video drivers. Some of these may or may not work with your system. To change your video mode you should consult your Windows manual, your video card manual, or the manual that came with your computer. If you venture into the unknown then write this next part down or print it out!

 If you pick a new driver it may prompt you for the Windows disks, the disks for your video card, or it might ask if you want to keep the Current driver (this means the driver for the video mode you picked is already on the system). After all this messin around it will ask you to restart Windows, if Windows does not start then your in big trouble, just kidding!

You may have to reboot your computer if it locks up, or you might be looking at the DOS prompt, either way you will be at the DOS prompt ( C:\  or C:\WINDOWS ). You need to go to the Windows directory, so if your not there ( C:\WINDOWS ) then type  CD\WINDOWS  and hit  ENTER.

Now type  SETUP  and you will go into the Windows setup program under DOS. Follow the on screen stuff and when you see the configuration for Windows, i.e. DISPLAY use your arrow keys to highlight DISPLAY and hit enter and pick the driver that you were using before, or the VGA driver. This will get you running again.

 If you opt to try this, then write down the video driver your system is using before you do. If you do not understand any of this then please, consult your manuals, or call your computer makers tech support!


Overview
Sliyder: Overview

Sliyder is simply a GIF graphic file viewer. I wrote this program because I wanted a simple GIF viewer that would view pictures one after another without taking up huge chunks of memory and load them relatively quickly. Unregistered Sliyder will do this and that's about all it does. The unregistered version of Sliyder is not disabled in any way, but it will only view GIF type graphic files. There are a lot of excellent Windows programs out that convert, paint and a lot more, but I have found that they leave a little to be desired when it comes to doing a slide show type session.

Sliyder is excellent when it comes to viewing a lot of GIF's on a CD ROM (It will copy the picture you are viewing to a directory of your choice), or on a hard drive. Sliyder has an adjustable delay time when viewing multiple files, i.e. doing a Sliyde Show. You can jump to the next picture and bypass the delay by hitting the spacebar or enter keys, or pause while viewing in Sliyde Show mode. It will zoom, show the picture in it's original size, fit it to the screen with aspect ratio, or stretch it to fill the whole screen.

Sliyder's view screen is a full black screen, so there's no window border which contrasts, and is distracting when viewing pictures on a monitor. You can also hide the small command bar at the top of the screen, so you get nothing but the picture on screen.

If there are any signs of interest in this program I will continue to work on it. And if you show interest in it by  registering, I will send you the next upgrade when finished. I will add some other graphic formats and a few other features to the registered version. Unregistered Sliyder uses the Waite Group's GifBox.VBX, and it seems to work great. Out of thousands of GIF's I have only had trouble reading one!

I admit, Sliyder is simple and doesn't have a lot of Chrome, but it has worked for "The Crew" and myself without a hitch i.e. manual, and that's why I have decided to write the help file for it and put it out as shareware! Unregistered Sliyder is not disabled in any way nor does it have any time limits disabling it after a certain period.

If you use Sliyder for more than 30 days then please Register it! Thanks for checking Sliyder out, and  send me any comments or suggestions you may have, see Registering for my Email address. Thanks, RC.


Main Screen
Sliyder: Main Screen

Click on an area of the window to get information about it.


View Screen
Sliyder: View Screen

Click on an area of the window to get information about it.

Keyboard Commands

SPACE BAR or ENTER will skip to the next picture when viewing in Sliyde Show mode.

R Key will remove the command bar from the top of the screen. Hitting R again will bring it back.

ESC will Quit the current Sliyde Show or stop viewing the current picture.

ALT Key will Pause when viewing in Sliyde Show mode.

CTRL will UnPause when viewing in sliyde show mode.

Z Key will Zoom in on the picture. Hitting this key will also Pause when viewing in Sliyde Show mode.

X Key will Zoom out. Hitting this key will also Pause when viewing in Sliyde Show mode.

If the Z key was pressed the following keys will move the picture Up, Down, Left or Right if the picture is larger than the width or height of the screen!

I Key will move the picture Up.

M Key will Move the picture Down.

J Key will Move the picture Left.

K Key will Move the picture Right.


Trouble
Sliyder: Trouble Shooting

If the GIF file you are viewing looks grainy, distorted, or if you can't get a good looking picture then go read

Video Mode

If the program is not functioning correctly then try installing it again. Overwrite any files that the install program asks you if you want to overwrite. Make sure the file THREED.VBX and GIFBOX.VBX is in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. The file THREED.VBX that comes with Sliyder is the most resent version of that file, and is backwards compatible. There are some versions of this file that have a later file date but are an earlier version of the file. I do not know why but this is the case.

If your command buttons look distorted, or do not have 3D looking text on them, i.e. (plain black text) then check the THREED.VBX file.

Configure the program to your computer by going into Settings and saving your preferences.

If your Buttons look bad then try changing your Windows colors. Go into Control Panel and click Colors. Change your colors to another setting and see if that corrects the problem. If it does then it's your call, or should I say color?

Any other problems send me Email and I will try to help you solve the problem!


Registering
Sliyder: Registering

Sliyder 1.0 Unregistered Copyright © 1995 Rick Curtland All Rights Reserved

Thank you for looking at Sliyder.

Sliyder is Shareware, that basically means that you can use it, check it out and play with it for as long as you want. Well, it would be most excellent if you find a use for it, to register by contributing some bucks to the programmer. If you use Sliyder for more than 30 days then please register it! The computer industry thrives on dudes that ride there box till 4 in the morning making complex Help files for programs like this. Really, a lot of work goes into making a program, so please consider supporting the computing community and programmers by registering. If you don't register then please send me some Email telling me your using it. That would be cool.

If there are any signs of interest in this program I will continue to work on it. And if you show interest in it by registering, I will send you the next upgrade when finished. I will add some other graphic formats and a few other features to the registered version. Unregistered Sliyder uses the Waite Group's GifBox.VBX, and it seems to work great. Out of thousands of GIF's I have only had trouble reading one!

Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please send Email to RC at;

CompuServe: 76451,1514

The InterNet: 76451.1514@COMPUSERVE.COM

To Register send $20 in U.S. Funds, Check or Money Order to:

RC Sliyder

2915 Holyoke Dr. Toledo, OH

43606


Settings
Sliyder: Settings

Click on an area of the window to get information about it.


Help

You are in Sliyder's Help right now! If you need help using help, then click "Help" on the menu bar at the top of the main Help window and then click "How To Use Help".


Actual Size

Shows the picture in it's Actual Size, if the picture is larger than the screen then a scroll bar(s) will appear to allow you to scroll to view the whole picture.


Full with Aspect

Shows the picture in it's original aspect ratio (correct width x height) but fits it to fill the viewing area. By it's width or height, which ever comes first.


Full Screen

Shows the picture in the full viewing area. The picture may not look correct because it is stretched or condensed to fit in the full viewing area available.


View

Click here to view a single picture. If more than one file name is highlighted then you will view the last file selected.


View All

Click here to view all of the pictures selected (highlighted) in the file list box.


Select All

Click here to select (highlight) all of the file names in the file list box.


Drive List Box

Shows the current Drive selected on your system. To change Drives, click the arrow and click on a Drive letter to change to that Drive. If you change to a Floppy drive make sure there is a Floppy disk in the Drive.


Directory List Box

Shows the current Directory

The Directory you are currently in will appear highlighted. To change to another Directory, click the top most Directory and you will see all of the Directories off of the root of the drive you are on. To move into a Directory double click on it.


File List Box

IF and only IF there are any *.GIF files in the current directory they will appear in this List Box.

Sliyder will only show files if they have the .GIF extension!

Clicking on a file in this box will highlight it.

Double clicking the file will view that file.

Clicking the Right mouse button will unselect (unhighlight) all files that are highlighted.

Holding the mouse button down while dragging the mouse will highlight all the files dragged over.


Scroll bar(s)

Scroll bar(s) will appear if there are more files in the file list box than can be viewed in the space available.

Click the scroll bar to scroll through the files in the list box.


Picture Startup Directory

Type in the full path including the trailing backslash ( \ ) of the directory you would like Sliyder to go to when it starts. This could be the directory where you keep your *.GIF files. There must be a valid path entered here!


Copy Directory

Type in a full path here for files to go to when the copy button is clicked in the View Screen.


Startup Screen Mode

Select the default Screen Mode here for Sliyder when it starts.


Delay Time

Click the scroll bar to adjust the Delay Time. The Delay Time is the time Sliyder waits between showing pictures in Sliyde Show Mode.

Valid Times are 3 seconds to 60 seconds.


Save

Clicking this button will save any changes you have made in Preferences.


Cancel

Clicking Cancel will exit Preferences and will not save any changes made to any settings.


Border

If Border on is checked then Sliyder will show a border around pictures when viewing at startup.


Fast Reset On

When viewing in Sliyde Show mode Sliyder will show the next picture as fast as possible if Fast Reset is checked.

If Fast Reset is not checked then Sliyder will show a black screen between showing pictures.


Copy

Click here to copy the current picture to the Copy Directory specified in Preferences.


Border

Click here to turn the white Border around the picture on or off.


Picture Information Box

Shows the current picture's file name, and size in pixels. Width X Height.