DVPEG 2.8 read.me file ---------------------- This is an explanation of the function of the various programs that are in the DVPEG ZIP archive. Vidsetup.exe ------------ The video setup program must be run before you can use dvpeg. It is used to select and test video modes and make a list of the working modes for dvpeg to use. ************************************************************************* Note: If your video card is not supported with DVPEG directly you may be able to get it working with the UNIVESA.EXE program. It is a "universal" VESA driver. It supports more cards than DVPEG does. The next incarnation of DVPEG will use the graphics routines that are in this video driver (from the SVGAkit version 3.2). To use this driver. Just run UNIVESA.EXE and then VIDSETUP.EXE ************************************************************************* When the program starts up it will detect what type of video card you have and automatically enter all of the modes for that card in the user list. You should find the hi-lighted card on the right of the screen is the same as the video card that is in your system. The list of modes is in the lower right hand side of the screen. Hit enter twice and you will get to that "window" (ESC will back you out). If you have your video card manual handy delete any mode that is not listed in your manual. If some modes that your card supports were not entered into the list then hit ESC once, arrow to the mode you want to add and hit INS. You can also add custom modes if you know a lot about your video card with the C key (poking thru the source code to DVPEG helps - ie modes.h). To test a video mode, move to the card you want to test (up/down arrows) and then hit . This will put you onto the upper right window where you can pick from the list of video modes that that card may support. With the up/down arrow move to the video mode that you want to test and hit space. You should see a series of vertical bars that fade in color as they go from left to right. If you can not see the bars or the image is junk then dvpeg will not work with that mode. When you find what card/mode combo's work with your system you can enter it into the list by hitting when you are in the upper right mode menu. To delete an item from the list hit enter until you get to the lower right user list menu. With the up/down arrow move to the mode you want to delete and hit . will move you "deeper" into the menu's while will more you back out. When you are at the video card menu and you hit you will exit the video setup program. At this point it will ask you if you want to save the information. If you have correctly made a list of working modes for your system then hit and the file dvpeg.cfg will be created for dvpeg to use. It contains the list of working modes and a few other things (future features). I hope that this makes sense and you find it useable. This is the worst part of my viewer but it will be fixed in the next version (which I am tentitively calling VIEW). dvpeg286.exe ------------ This is a 286 version of dvpeg. It is slower but otherwise identical to the 386 version. dvpeg.exe --------- F1: help (always check this as I update the program more than I do this file) Advanced features ----------------- You can save the tint, contrast, bright setting for automatic setting the next time a file is loaded. Use E to view the file instead of ENTER, adjust the tint, bright, contast to your liking and hit S to save them. To delete the settings for the picture you are viewing hit D. These settings are saved in the file dvpeg.vu Selecting (toggling) Options ---------------------------- Generally one letter in each line will be in upper case. When that key is hit the option will toggle or change. file_selection screen --------------------- You will always see subdirectors in the file listing and can move thru the directory tree by hitting enter when over a subdirectory or .. which will move you out one level. arrow keys: move around on the list of files/directories/drives Pg Up, Pg Dn: move up/down one screen full of files Home: move to the top of the list of files End: move to the end of the list of files Enter: view the file or move into / outof the current directory E or e: view file using a 24 bit buffer for tint controls (used to adjust tint controls for saving when you have a 15 or 16 bit display) F1: help F2: change drive - just type a single letter ie d F3: change viewing defaults (dithering, show menu, smoothing ...) F4: change mask - type in *.gif, *.jpg ... (max. of 5 masks) F5: change sort order (ie by name, file size, date ...) F6: type in a new directory F7: change some less frequently used defaults there is lots of stuff under this including: - enabling 50 line text mode - turning the beep on/off - turning error messages on/off - changing the slide show delay - enabling the screen clear before draw (some video cards don't clear it) - ...... Home: goto the top of the file list End: goto the end of the file list space: select a file for slideshow viewing (turns filename red) A: select all files for slide show s: start slideshow S: run slideshow in a continous loop (ESC exits current picture and goes to the next, any other key causes an exit after the current picture) Del: deletes the file that the cursor is on pre_picture_viewing screen -------------------------- F1: help - check this since it will be more accurate than this list ESC: exit to pick another file E: turn off end of picture beep M: toggle this menu on/off L: lockout SVGA (256 color modes) ie only leave hi-color or better G: greyscale viewing of JPEGs (faster than color) S: change/enable shrinking of the picture to fit (only works when panning is off) D: toggle dithering on/off Q: toggle between 1 or 2 pass quantization P: toggle panning on/off if the picture needs it (this can take several megs of memory [main or disk]) K: lock in a resolution ie if you are on 640 * 480 all pictures will use that size screen until you turn it off (note size not type [8/15/16/24 bit]) arrows: select a video mode (default should be the right size) picture_painted screen (some of these work with hi_color modes) ---------------------- ESC: exit to select another file arrows: pan across the picture (if the picture is > screen) -,+: shrink, expand the picture (if the picture is > screen) Pg Up: turn brightness up Pg Dwn: turn bightness down Home: contrast increase End: contrast decrease Shift (keypad) 7,4,1 adjust red tint (increase, reset, decrease) Shift (keypad) 8,5,2 adjust green tint Shift (keypad) 9,6,3 adjust blue tint F1 ... F10 multiply all panning and color controls ie F2 is *2, F8 is *8 S,s: save the bright, contrast, tint controls to be used next time this picture is viewed D,d: delete any stored tint ... settings for this picture R: re-init video mode and redraw with all tint controls reset r: re-init video mode and redraw P: goto the previous picture N: goto the next picture Misc. comments -------------- Hitting ESC will immediately exit from viewing a picture. Hitting any other key will stop the slide show after the current picture is loaded. Sounds ------ A low frequency beep is an error indication. This can not be turned off. When you hear such a beep the program will pause until you hit a key. A high frequency beep is a sign that the picture is all loaded and drawn. This can be turned off under the F7 menu from the main screen. Files Generated by Using DVPEG ------------------------------ dvpeg.cfg --------- Vidsetup will create called dvpeg.cfg This file stores you viewing defaults and describes your video card. It can only be edited with vidsetup. This file will be stored in the directory that vidsetup.exe was found in. If you wish to have multiple copies (for different video cards, different defaults) then copy the original to the directory where you want to make a custom one. Go into the directory and run vidsetup. If vidsetup finds a dvpeg.cfg file in the local directory it will read it and write the replacement there. dvpeg.vu --------- This file is created and updated by the viewing program. It has a list of tint/bright/contrast defaults for individual pictures. This file will be created in the directory that the pictures are in. If one is not found there the program will search in the directory that the executables are in. Any new defaults will be written where-ever the file is. If you have the pictures on CD-ROM or read-only media then you will have to: 1) Make a dvpeg.vu file on a writable directory 2) copy a dvpeg.vu file to the directory that holds the executable This is a binary file and you should be able to merge multiples together. Closing comments ---------------- Please do tell me about any problems. Yes vidsetup could be made much easier to use but that would take a lot of time getting information from the video card mfg's. I welcome any information that people can forward to me so that I may support more video cards. If you are interested in the latest executables or source code you can reach me thru my addresses. FTP to sunee.uwaterloo.ca in directory pub/jpeg/viewers is the easiest way to get the latest version. If you do not have internet access I will send out copies thru the mail. Just send me a letter with a donation to cover postage and disks. Don't forget to tell me why type of disk (5.25" or 3.5" and the format ie 360k, 1.2M, 1.44M). Updates ------- This program undergoes rapid changes at times when I have nothing better to do. The easiest way to get the most recent version is thru the internet. I work on whatever interests me at the time. The biggest problem is the lack of information on video cards. I add what I can when I get the information. Of course I can only test the S/W on the machine that I have (currently a Trident 8900 video card) and so offer no guarantees. If you make any changes I would appreciate hearing about it so that I can offer it in future versions. Donation -------- If you find this program usefull or are requesting an update thru the mail I would appreciate $10 or $20 Cdn. Acknowledgements ---------------- Thanks to: Tom Lane and the IJG for their JPEG code which is the core of my viewer. (Simtel: graphic/JPEG4386.ZIP) John Bridge's VGAKIT52.ZIP (Simtel: vga/vgakit52.zip) Kendall Bennett (kjb@citri.edu.au) (Simtel: vga/SVGAKT32.ZIP) Finn Thoegersen's VGADOC2.ZIP (Simtel: vga/vgadoc2.zip) and many others for testing and providing information to make this program what it is. I can be reached thru the internet at: praetzel@sunee.uwaterloo.ca or by mail at: 137 Oprington Crt. Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2N 3E2 Copyrights, Lefts and Centers ----------------------------- Yes everything is copyrighted. But feel free to use it. The IJG software has a note in the readme.ijg file that is with the source code (and the message when you exit DVPEG). I copyright my own work since eveyone else seems to be doing it ;-) Since I included the UNIVESA.EXE program here is the Copyright that comes with it: SuperVGA Test Library, Copyright (C) 1992,1993 Kendall Bennett. Universal VESA TSR, Copyright (C) 1993 Kendall Bennett. All Rights Reserved. The SuperVGA Test Library and the Universal VESA TSR are not public domain software. They are copyrighted software, Copyright (C) 1992,1993 Kendall Bennett. It is however free software, or what some people term 'Freeware'. You may use it for whatever you wish, even using it to write public domain, freeware, shareware and commercial software. You may NOT however re-distribute modified versions of the source code nor distribute the source code for a profit. If you make any worthwhile changes to the source code, you can send them to me for inclusion in a future release. Since this software is free, it is supplied WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. It is supplied as it, in the hope the people will find it useful, and that it will advance the state of the art of computer software.