Contents

Tiny Elvis for Windows Help

General Topics

Introduction

Getting Started

Using Tiny Elvis

Configuration

Speaker Driver Mode

Limited Warranty and Legal Issues

About Tiny Elvis

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Index


Troubleshooting Index

This troubleshooting index is provided to aid in the isolation, identification, and correction of any possible problems that users may encounter during the use of this program.

You may browse forward through each troubleshooting topic, or jump to any specific topic by selecting one of the highlighted topic headers below with your pointing device.

Please review the appropriate topic if you encounter trouble...

...loading Tiny Elvis

...playing the .WAV files

...using Tiny Elvis with PC speaker drivers


Trouble Loading Tiny Elvis?

Problems related to loading and/or running Tiny Elvis can be easily traced to one of three sources:

1. Tiny Elvis' hardware requirements are not being met.

2. Tiny Elvis' operating environment requirements are not being met.

3. Tiny Elvis' program files are missing or corrupted.

Hardware Requirements

Tiny Elvis requires the following: A personal computer capable of running Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher, a sound card or other audio hardware capable of waveform audio playback from Windows, sufficient disk space (hard disk recommended) for installing the required program files, sufficient system resources (i.e., actual or virtual installed memory) to run the program.

There are no minimum video/display resolution requirements for running Tiny Elvis.  However, we recommend a minimum VGA (640x480) or higher video resolution.  Tiny Elvis will run acceptably on monochrome or color displays.

There are no minimum memory requirements per se, although the memory required by Tiny Elvis can be affected by the substitution and use of waveform audio files other than those that came with the original program (see notation below).

Note:  If you substitute your own waveform audio files for the original files included with the program, the memory required for playback will likely increase (this is a direct result of larger .WAV files and higher sampling rates during file recording).  For the most part, if you have enough memory to record and play your new files via Windows' Media Player, you have enough memory to play them via Tiny Elvis.

If Tiny Elvis is unable to detect a valid waveform audio driver set and/or installed audio hardware, the program will still run but the speech routines (and accompanying on-screen gestures) will be skipped.

Operating Environment Requirements

Tiny Elvis requires: MS-DOS or comparable operating system (as required by the version of Windows being run) and Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or higher.  Please note that not all versions of Microsoft Windows require a stand-alone version of DOS.

Program Files

If all of the hardware and operating environment requirements as outlined above have been met, and Tiny Elvis still will not run on your system, you should try deleting the installed files and re-copying the program files from the program disk (or original archive file).

See also...

Troubleshooting Index


Trouble Playing the .WAV files?

If you are having trouble playing the .WAV files earmarked for use with Tiny Elvis, particularly if you've recorded your own versions and substituted them for the originals, one of the following conditions is probably leading to the problem:

1. The files are not present in the Tiny Elvis default directory (i.e., the directory containing TNYELVIS.EXE).  .WAV files located anywhere else will not be recognized by Tiny Elvis.

2. The files have been given the incorrect names and/or extensions.  Any new .WAV files must be named to exactly match those of the nine original waveform audio files.

3. One or more required waveform audio files are missing or are not recognized.  There need to be a total of nine (9) .WAV files available for use by Tiny Elvis.  All nine .WAV files must be present in the default Tiny Elvis directory; the voice routines will not be executed if any of the nine files are missing.  The filenames must exactly match those of the original waveform files included with the program.  You can record your own versions of one or more of the original files, but any file(s) you supply must be renamed to match the file(s) being replaced.

4. Your current waveform audio driver set does not support playback of .WAV files in the format in which the files were recorded.  The waveform audio files included with version 1.01 or higher were recorded at a standard sampling rate (8-bit, mono, 11.025 kHz).  The audio files included with version 1.00 were recorded at a lower sampling rate (7.333 kHz), and may not be compatible with all Windows waveform audio driver sets.

If you have a sound card and an attached microphone, you are free to record your own .WAV file versions at any sampling rate supported by your audio hardware and waveform audio drivers; however, not all Windows configurations will support very high or non-standard sampling rates or stereo-format waveform files.

Wherever possible, try to use 11.025 kHz .WAV files, as these will play acceptably across nearly all Windows audio setups.

5. You may be running Tiny Elvis on a system using a PC speaker driver in lieu of dedicated audio hardware (i.e., a sound card).  If you are using a speaker driver, you must run Tiny Elvis with the /S command line switch.  Please refer to the troubleshooting topic Trouble Using Tiny Elvis with PC Speaker Drivers?.

See also...

Troubleshooting Index

Using Tiny Elvis

Configuration


Trouble Using Tiny Elvis with PC Speaker Drivers?

Tiny Elvis was not expressly designed for use on systems using PC speaker driver software in lieu of dedicated audio hardware.  However, beginning with version 1.01, Tiny Elvis does implement limited support for PC speaker driver users.

Note:  The performance of Tiny Elvis when run under these circumstances may vary from system to system.

To enable the program's speaker driver support, Tiny Elvis must be run in its dedicated speaker driver mode.  This is done by adding the /S switch to the Tiny Elvis command line, as follows:

C:\WINFUN\TNYELVIS.EXE /S

This command line switch may be used in conjunction with the File Manager or Program Manager "File/Run..." command, or as part of a Program Manager program item (icon) "Properties" command line.

Be sure to leave a single space between the executable filename and the switch.

The /S switch is case insensitive, meaning you may use an upper- or lower-case "S".

Note:  You can confirm which audio mode in which Tiny Elvis is being run by accessing the "About Tiny Elvis..." dialog box.  The current audio mode is always displayed in the center of the dialog.

See also...

Troubleshooting Index


Introduction

Tiny Elvis for Windows is inspired by the character "Tiny Elvis" who has appeared periodically in airings of NBC's Saturday Night Live.

For those of you unfamiliar with the television incarnation of Tiny Elvis, he's a miniature (say, five or six inches tall?) Elvis who likes to ride around town in his car.  His chums do the driving while he sits on the dashboard -- I'm not making this up -- admiring the passing scenery.  Tiny Elvis kills time by commenting wittily on the objects around him, invariably describing them as "huge."

Tiny Elvis' admiring entourage laughs along with his every comment.  Inevitably, one of them lets slip with an ill-advised aside about Tiny Elvis' size, offending the "Tiny King" and drawing a sharp reprimand.  The result:  Humor!

Now, Tiny Elvis comes to your PC!

This Tiny Elvis will lounge around your Windows desktop as an iconized application, replete in white jump suit and blue suede shoes.  Every now and then, he'll pop to his feet and offer some running commentary on your "huge" icons, windows, cursors, etc.  He will accompany his comments with broad gestures, followed by some trademark heavy-hitting, Vegas-style posturing.

Users may adjust the interval between Tiny Elvis' comments in a dialog box accessed via the system menu.  Users may also configure Tiny Elvis to stay atop any other active applications.  All configuration settings are saved in the TNYELVIS.INI file, which is stored in your default Windows directory (e.g., C:\WINDOWS).

Note:  Don't worry, Tiny Elvis doesn't meddle with your WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI files, or place any other files in your Windows directory (or anywhere else, for that matter).  The program might be silly, but it minds its own business.

An extra command ("Make Tiny Elvis Talk Now") in the system menu allows users to force Tiny Elvis into action instantly, without waiting for the interval to expire.

The program requires Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or later.  The program's waveform audio features require a Windows-compatible sound card (AdLib, Roland, SoundBlaster, etc.) or other audio hardware, correctly installed and configured for use by Windows.  All applicable waveform audio driver sets must be installed and correctly configured, as well.

You can test your hardware/driver configuration by running the Windows "Media Player" accessory.  If your hardware and device drivers are correctly installed and configured, you should be able to load and play the file .WAV file format supported by this application.

Although Tiny Elvis can be run from a floppy disk, we strongly recommend its installation to a hard disk.  As such, you should have enough free hard disk space for all of Tiny Elvis' program and support files.

Best of all, Tiny Elvis is freeware!  It is distributed free of charge to the public domain.  As such, the program is not intended for sale, resale, purchase, or for-profit distribution in the shareware or retail marketplace.

In other words, you can give Tiny Elvis away, but you shouldn't sell it!

See also...

Getting Started

Using Tiny Elvis

Configuration

Limited Warranty and Legal Issues

____

If you have any comments about Tiny Elvis for Windows, please drop me a line on CompuServe (my CIS address is 70661,3235).


Getting Started

Installing Tiny Elvis is simply a matter of copying the original program files to a destination directory on your hard drive:

1. Create a directory anywhere on an available physical or logical hard drive on your system (e.g., C:\ELVIS).  You can install Tiny Elvis to an existing directory, or one that already contains files; just be careful that there are no filename conflicts.

2. Copy the Tiny Elvis program files to this directory (or move the original "zipped" archive file to this directory and "un-zip" it there).  If you are a user of a previous version of Tiny Elvis, you may safely overwrite all your old program files with the new versions.

3. You may run Tiny Elvis directly from Windows File Manager or comparable alternative shell by "run"-ning the TNYELVIS.EXE file.

4. Of course, you can also assign one of the many icons in TNYELVIS.EXE to a Program Manager group and run it from there as well.

5. If you are using a PC speaker driver in lieu of dedicated audio hardware, you will need to include the /S switch setting for running Tiny Elvis in "Speaker Driver" mode.

See also...

Speaker Driver Mode

Before running Tiny Elvis for the first time, you should make sure that the following files are all present in the same directory:

TNYELVIS.EXE

TNYELVIS.HLP

TWAV_A1.WAV, TWAV_A2.WAV, TWAV_A3.WAV,

TWAV_A4.WAV, TWAV_A5.WAV, and TWAV_A6.WAV

TWAV_B1.WAV, TWAV_B2.WAV, and TWAV_B3.WAV

An additional file, TNYELVIS.INI, will be created when the program is run for the first time.  This file is stored in the user's default Windows directory (e.g., C:\WINDOWS), and is used for storing program configuration settings.

The ASCII text file, README.TXT, is a handy source of program information, but is not necessary for running the program.  In fact, if you're viewing this help file, you probably don't need README.TXT any more, since most of its text is provided here.


Switch Setting

A switch setting is an optional command, usually only a few characters long, that is included in a given program's command line (as used by File Manager or Program Manager).  Most switch settings begin with a slash, a backslash, or a dash.

A switch setting can be used to run a program in a special mode, or to enable special features.


Using Tiny Elvis

Strictly speaking, there's very little that goes into "using" Tiny Elvis.  He just lays there at the bottom of your Windows desktop (yes, you can move him) and watches the world pass by.

The interval between his animation sequences is pre-set to a default period of 1 minute.  You can easily change this value by opening the Configuration dialog, which is accessed via the system menu "Configuration..." command.  Eight interval settings are available, ranging from 1 to 20 minutes.

The Tiny Elvis icon can optionally display the interval time (in minutes and seconds) remaining until the next "performance," and can also be made to stay atop any other active applications on your Windows desktop.  Controls for enabling these features are provided in the Configuration dialog.

See also...

Configuration

Note:  If you're in a hurry to see Tiny Elvis swing into action, and don't feel like waiting until the interval has elapsed, select the system menu "Make Tiny Elvis Talk Now" command.

Tiny Elvis can run on a system without installed audio hardware or a valid waveform audio driver set.  When this is the case, the on-screen figure will stand up and posture at regular intervals, but will not make vocal comments and accompanying gestures.

Note:  Starting with version 1.01, Tiny Elvis implements limited support for users whose PCs do not have dedicated audio hardware installed but are using a PC speaker driver for waveform audio playback.  Please refer to the Speaker Driver Mode topic for instructions.

Waveform Files and Tiny Elvis

Two sets of waveform audio files are called by the program in conjunction with Tiny Elvis' speech routines.  The first set is comprised of the following files:

TWAV_A1.WAV, TWAV_A2.WAV, TWAV_A3.WAV

TWAV_A4.WAV, TWAV_A5.WAV, and TWAV_A6.WAV

These files are "initial" comments spoken by Tiny Elvis, drawing attention to a window, icon, cursor, etc.

The second set is comprised of the following files:

TWAV_B1.WAV, TWAV_B2.WAV, and TWAV_B3.WAV

These files are "follow-up" comments spoken by Tiny Elvis, who (unable to leave well enough alone) invariably describes the selected object as "huge."

During the Tiny Elvis animation sequence, one file is selected at random from each of the two sets.  The two selected files are then played in synchronization with Tiny Elvis' gestures.

Note:  All nine files must be present in the default Tiny Elvis directory.  If any of the nine files are missing, the program's voice routines will not be executed.

This knowledge will place you in good stead should you decide to replace the waveform audio files with some of your own, an issue which is covered in the next section, entitled...

Replacing the Default Waveform Audio Files with Some of Your Own

After using Tiny Elvis for a while, you may wish to replace one or more of the waveform audio files with some of your own (maybe you're a would-be Elvis impersonator, maybe not).

Well, go right ahead.  Tiny Elvis will handle any type of Windows-compatible waveform file you might choose to record (remember, this is more a function of your installed drivers than anything in the program itself).

Tiny Elvis' initial hand gestures are hard-coded to sync to the successful completion of the "A" and "B" .WAV files.  He will jump to his feet to "speak" the "A" file and will then wait until that file has completed playback before making his first hand gesture (intended to accompany the "B" file).  He will then wait until the "B" file has finished before executing the remainder of his gesture-and-posturing sequence.

What this means is, you don't have to worry about matching the playback duration (or format, or file size) of the original waveforms included with the program.

Just MAKE SURE you end up with two sets of files (six files in set one; three in set two), and that the filenames are EXACTLY the same as my originals (see the filename listings in the "Getting Started" topic).

Also, Tiny Elvis requires that the waveform files be located in the same directory as TNYELVIS.EXE.  The program will not be able to find them if they are located anywhere else.

See also...

Troubleshooting Index


Configuration

The Configuration dialog box provides users with a collection of controls for enabling and adjusting a number of program features:

Elvis Interval

This group box contains eight radiobutton controls used for selecting the length of time between Tiny Elvis performances.  The interval range is from 1 minute to 20 minutes.

Display Interval Countdown

This checkbox control enables/disables the optional display (in minutes and seconds) of the interval time remaining until the next Tiny Elvis performance.  The time display is added to the Tiny Elvis caption.  See cautionary note below.

Always On Top

This checkbox control enables/disables an optional feature for keeping the Tiny Elvis icon atop any other active applications on the Windows desktop.

Note:  Any changes to configuration settings are placed into effect when the Configuration dialog box is closed via the "OK" pushbutton.

The interval timer is always paused while the Configuration dialog is open.  The timer is reset to zero if the dialog is closed via the "OK" pushbutton; the timer is resumed from its previous position if the dialog is closed via the "CANCEL" pushbutton.

Display Interval Countdown Cautionary Note

When the "Display Interval Countdown" feature is enabled, the caption text is updated approximately once every second.

This updating will defeat most Windows screen savers (i.e., prevent them from blanking the screen).  If you are using a Windows screen saver, we DO NOT recommend running Tiny Elvis for prolonged periods of time with this feature enabled.


Speaker Driver Mode

Tiny Elvis was not expressly designed for use on systems using PC speaker driver software in lieu of dedicated audio hardware.  However, beginning with version 1.01, Tiny Elvis does implement limited support for PC speaker driver users.

To enable the program's speaker driver support, Tiny Elvis must be run in its dedicated speaker driver mode.  This is done by adding the /S switch to the Tiny Elvis command line, then launching the program as usual.

Normally, Tiny Elvis' command line (as it might appear in the File Manager "File/Run..." dialog or a Program Manager icon "Properties" dialog) is simply the full pathname to the executable file, as in the following example:

C:\WINFUN\TNYELVIS.EXE

Add a single space to the existing command line, followed by the /S switch:

C:\WINFUN\TNYELVIS.EXE /S

The /S switch is case insensitive, meaning you may use an upper- or lower-case "S".

Once the command line is set, the program may be launched as usual.  In speaker driver mode, Tiny Elvis' waveform playback routines are simplified to accomodate the audio functions supported by most PC speaker drivers.

Note:  Tiny Elvis' current audio mode (normal or speaker driver) is always displayed in the "About Tiny Elvis..." dialog box.

Please refer to the troubleshooting index topic Trouble Using Tiny Elvis with PC Speaker Drivers? if you encounter difficulties getting Tiny Elvis to work with your speaker driver.

See also...

Troubleshooting Index


Limited Warranty

Limited Warranty and Legal Issues

This program (Tiny Elvis for Windows) is hereby contributed "as is" to the public domain.  The program, including its companion waveform audio and documentation files, is distributed as freeware.  As such, it is not intended for sale, resale, purchase, or for-profit distribution in the shareware or retail marketplace.

Users are free to install and run the program on any system or systems they wish (subject only to the program's hardware requirements).  Users are also free to copy and re-distribute the original files in any manner of via any channel available to them (i.e., network, BBS, electronic information service, etc.).

Users doing so must distribute only the original files (preferably in their original compressed format).  When so distributed, it is the distributor's responsibility to ensure that the program files have been kept in their original state and format, and have not been altered, edited, disassembled, or recompiled in any way.

That said, please do not disassemble the original executable or edit any of its embedded resources (well, okay, on second thought -- if you're really in dire need of a few Elvis icons, go ahead and extract a few, just leave everything else alone).

Before release, this software was tested on a variety of hardware configurations, under the most rigorous test conditions possible.  The author therefore warrants that the software will perform in substantial compliance with the specifications set forth in this text, provided that the software is used only on the computer hardware and operating system(s) for which it was designed.

The author makes no other warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this software, including its quality or fitness for a particular purpose.

In no event will the author, or Pegasus Development, be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this software, even if the author has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Neither the author nor Pegasus Development is responsible for any costs including, but not limited to, those incurred as a result of lost profits or revenues, loss of time or use of the software, loss of data, the cost of recovering software or data, the cost of substitute software, claims by third parties, or similar costs.


About Tiny Elvis

Tiny Elvis (1.01) was written for use in the Microsoft® Windows™ operating environment (versions 3.1 and higher).

This program is hereby contributed "as is" to the public domain.  The program (including its waveform audio and documentation files) is freeware.  As such, it is not intended for sale, resale, purchase, or for-profit distribution in the shareware or retail marketplace.

Users are welcome to copy and re-distribute the program files in any manner, provided that the files are kept in their original state and format, and have not been altered, edited, disassembled, or recompiled in any way.

If Tiny Elvis for Windows amuses you, drop me a line on CompuServe (my CIS address is 70661,3235).  If the program fails to amuse you, well hey, at least the price was right...

We at Pegasus Development have produced a number of fine applications software for Windows.  For further information about our full line of "real" products, please contact:

Pegasus Development

Product Information

11900 Grant Place

St. Louis, MO. 63131  U.S.A.

Tiny Elvis

Freeware Version 1.01

P  E  G  A  S  U  S    D  E  V  E  L  O  P  M  E  N  T

Matthew T. Smith

Pegasus Development, St. Louis, Missouri

Tiny Elvis for Windows is hereby contributed "as is" to the public domain.

None of the included files are intended for sale, purchase,

or for-profit distribution.

"Microsoft" and "Windows" are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

All other trademarks mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks

of their respective corporations, and are hereby acknowledged.