README.TXT                                                      October 29, 1998
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                            GenDesigner Shareware 
                               Version 2.0 BETA

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             " The unique, powerful and easy-to-use tool to create, 
                edit and distribute family trees on the Internet "
                      
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    GenDesigner is an easy-to-use application for creating, editing, and 
    distributing family trees. You may include additional text and pictures 
    for each person as well as distribute your genealogical tree on the 
    Internet. A family tree example comes with the application.

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 File:                 gendes20_b2.zip (540K)
 Version:              2.0 BETA (build 2)
 Status:               Shareware
 Distribution:         Freely distributable "as-is" 
 Last updated:         October 29, 1998
 Minimum requirements: Windows 95 / 98 / NT
 Installation:         Use winzip or pkunzip to unpack the file
 Author:               Morten Salthe [salthe@online.no]
 Web site:             http://home.sol.no/~salthe/gendesigner
 Discussion Forum:     http://home.sol.no/~salthe/gendesigner/gdf.html


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    1 - ABOUT GENDESIGNER
        -The purpose
        -Easy to use
  
    2 - UPDATES 
        -Updated in 1.5.2
        -Updated in 1.5.3
        -Updated in 2.0 BETA
    
    3 - UPCOMING FEATURES
        -Currently under construction 
        -Coming in the full version
        -Future plans
    
    4 - KNOWN BUGS
        -Known disadvantages in 2.0 BETA
    
    5 - REGISTERING INFORMATION
	
    6 - CONTACT THE AUTHOR

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1 - ABOUT GENDESIGNER
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> The purpose

    The purpose of this program is to make it easy for anyone to distribute 
    their genealogy tree on the internet. Simply click once - and your tree 
    will be presented in nice, graphical web-pages, including any pictures 
    and additional information you have supplied. 

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> Easy to use

    The tree editor is very easy to use. Just right-click anywhere, and you 
    will get a menu of the most common tasks. You can zoom in and out of your 
    tree, navigate, create items, connect children to their parents and much 
    more, using only your mouse. 


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2 - UPDATES
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> Updated in 1.5.2
    
    This update makes it easier to move around in your tree:

    * Hand-cursor dragging: Click Alt + your left mouse-button, and drag the
      tree canvas to any direction.

    * Easier to zoom in and out: Click Ctrl + your left mouse-button, and 
      mark the area you want to zoom in to. You can also zoom in/out by clicking
      Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+X. 
        
    A bug in the "Make this home" function have been removed. 
    
    Please keep reporting any bugs or problems you are having. 
    All questions regarding the application will be answered.

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> Updated in 1.5.3
    
    * Added a "Person Browser" (menu: View/Browser, or press f10)
      All person names are listed alphabetically in this browser. Double-click 
      on a name, and the application will focus the particular person in the 
      tree.
   
    * You will now have the ability to open a .gd2 file just by double-clicking
      it in the Windows Explorer.

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> Updated in 2.0 BETA

    * GEDCOM import:
      You can import information from several kinds of GEDCOM files. 
      (See chapter 3 for more information)

    * Print tree:
      You decide if you want to print the whole tree or just a selection of 
      items. Choose print size from 1 page to 7x7 = 49 pages (should be enough
      for anyone?)
   
    * Multiple marriages:
      You can create 8 marriages per item, which equals to 16 per person if you
      count in the "alias" as well.

    * Arrange items:
      You can select a group of items and arrange them horizontally or vertically,
      a great advantage if you like to line up generations.

    * Color codes:
      This feature makes it easier to keep control of all the information in 
      your tree.  Choose to see item color codes based on gender, connected 
      pictures or text.
   
    * Customizable HTML pages:
      Stylize the pages your own way by choosing background images, colors, fonts, 
      frames and contents.
 
    * Up to 40% "faster" HTML pages:
      The new way GenDesigner creates pages actually saves disk space AND makes 
      your genealogy pages a lot faster to load from the internet. The secret is 
      GIF boxes instead of JPEG.

    * Support for international charsets:
      Now GenDesigner can be used to create HTML pages all over the world, just
      choose your country and go ahead. 

    * Bugs fixed
      If you discovered any bugs in the previous version, see if you can spot 
      them now. A few "hidden" bugs has been removed - thanks to a lot of
      kind users who spotted them. Please keep reporting bugs if you find any!

    * Upgrade your old GenDesigner 1.0 / 1.5.x files to version 2.0 (gd3)


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3 - UPCOMING FEATURES
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> Currently under construction

    * After the first BETA version of 2.0 with "full" GEDCOM import I eventually 
      realized that I had to redo the whole GEDCOM compability code. Thanks to
      a panel of smart BETA testers I have now figured out how to create the
      GEDCOM features without using a lot of RAM and computer resources.
      
      Since so many of you anxiously have waited for this version, I decided to 
      release a working version for you. So I removed all the stuff that
      didn't work properly, just give me some time to redo it.

      With this BETA you are able to import GEDCOM files, but it only supports 
      ordinary tags like name, birth, death, occupation, marriage and 
      source/reference codes. 

      Sorry to keep you waiting, the full version will be available soon.

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> Coming in the full version:

    * You will have the ability to fill in a lot more individual information,
      represented on a unique information treeview. 

    * Full GEDCOM import

    * Full GEDCOM export

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> Future plans:
     
     - More reports
     - Different HTML exports
     - Better auto-organization of items
     - More print options
     - "Family cronicle" printouts
     - Support for huge trees


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4 - KNOWN BUGS
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> Known disadvantages in 2.0 BETA:
     
     * Trees containing a large number of persons will slow down your computer.
       This depends on your computer RAM and CPU speed.

     * GenDesigner is unable to read certain GEDCOM files. This will be improved
       for the next version. (TIP: You could try importing extracts from different 
       applications) 

     * The auto-organization of items after an import does not always look 
       good. Some trees will need manual adjustments.       


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5 - REGISTERING INFORMATION
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Shareware means you get a chance to "try before you buy". If you continue to use 
the unregistered shareware version of GenDesigner, you must register it. 

The registration fee is NOK 200 (approxiomately US$27.00) for a single user 
license. Registered users are entitled to FREE upgrades for one year by 
downloading the latest versions. 

When you have registered GenDesigner, you may use the registered version freely 
on one computer. You may not distribute the registered version of the software 
nor the authorization key to any other third party. If you wish to use several 
copies, you will need to either register each copy, or obtain a multi-user 
license (see below).  

How to register: Please complete the registration form provided with the 
shareware, send the form to the author by mail or email and pay the registration 
fee. You will receive an authorization key by mail or email shortly after payment 
has been executed. Expect to get the registration key 5-15 days from date of 
order, depending on the mail / air mail handling. If you use email, the 
registration process will be faster. 

A multi-user license is required by an organization, company or government agency 
to use GenDesigner. To use GenDesigner within your organization, company, 
educational or government agency, please contact the author (Email to
salthe@online.no). All licenses are non-transferable. 

See Licensee Agreement under the "Help" menu in the application for more info.


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6 - CONTACT THE AUTHOR
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  Check http://home.sol.no/~salthe/gendesigner for updates or more information.
   If you experience any trouble, discover bugs in the application, or if you 
    have suggestions/improvement tips, please feel free to email the author.

                       Morten Salthe [salthe@online.no]

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