Copyright: Copyright ©1995 ACD Systems, Ltd.


Contents
ACDSee version 1.24

Copyright 1994-1995 by ACD Systems, Ltd.

Contents

Introduction

Installation

Running ACDSee

Image Browser

Image Viewer

Registration

License and Distribution

Version History (What's new)

Possible Future Enhancements

Credits

How To Contact Us For Support and Feedback

Frequently Asked Questions


Introduction

Congratulations on obtaining ACDSee, the fastest, easiest-to-use Windows image viewer available!

Current features

*	effective image browsing shell interface

*	supports most JPEG, GIF, BMP, PCX and TGA files

*	rapid JPEG decompression

*	view images as they are decompressed

*	full-colour image previews

*	easy, quick image panning, even during decompression

*	supports 256, 32768, 65536 and 16 million colour screen modes

*	automatically launch other applications through file associations by clicking on document files

*	supports viewing & editing 4DOS descriptions

*	drag-and-drop support for single and multiple files

*	automatic or manual slideshow with optional read-ahead decompression

*	always-on-top and full-screen viewing window options

*	shrink image to fit window or screen


Show File Date/Time

When this option is selected, the date and time stamp of each file and directory in the file list is shown.


Image Browser

Current Directory Bar

File List Box

Buttons

Pop-up Menu

Options

Preview Area

Split Bar


Image Viewer

This is where the images are displayed.  If ACDSee is viewing more than one image, they may also be shown in slideshow mode.

If the image is larger than the size of the ACDSee window, you can pan (scroll) the image

The View Window (and the ACDSee icon, when ACDSee is minimized) is Drag-and-Drop aware, which lets you view images by dragging them from File Manager onto ACDSee.

Pop-up Menu Commands

You can activate the pop-up menu in the Image Viewer by clicking anywhere in the window with the right mouse button.

Next Image

Prev Image

Stop Slideshow

Start Slideshow

Browser

Options

Reload Image

DecompressionTime

About

Help

Exit

System Menu Command

Always On Top


Registration

ACDSee is ShareWare

ACDSee is "ShareWare".  This entitles you, the customer, to try out the software for up to 30 days without obligation to pay for it.

Shareware (non-registered) ACDSee is a "full" version.  This means that the same capabilities available in the registered software are present in the non-registered software.  In fact, the non-registered software includes a bonus feature - the shareware nag box

If you use ACDSee beyond the 30 days, you should register it.  Registration entitles you to free upgrades to the software, which is nice.

How To Register

Before you register, please take a look at the Licensing section of this help file.

You may register by credit card over the phone or FAX, via Compuserve, or by money order.  In any case, the cost of registration is a modest $US 15.

If you are part of a business and wish to use several copies of ACDSee within your company, greatly reduced site licensing rates are also available.  Please call 1-800-414-ACDS for a quote.

CD-ROM publishers please contact us if you are interested in including a special non-shareware CD-ROM version of ACDSee on your CDs.

Unlocking the Software

You will receive a notification of registration from ACD Systems which contains your personal registration name and number.

First, bring up the Reigistration Dialog by first invoking About dialog box, then clicking on the Register button.

Enter your name in the registration dialog.  Be sure to type your name exactly as it appears in your notification, as capitalization, spaces and punctuation are all taken into account when computing your registration number.

Now enter your personal registration number, and select Register  If all is well, ACDSee will respond with a message thanking you for your registration.  Otherwise ACDSee will complain that your name and number don't match, and you will have to correct the information.


Installation

System Requirements

   * 386sx or better (Pentium 90 is nice)

   * 256 colour or better graphics card (high/truecolour recommended)

   * 4 Megs of RAM (8 Megs or more recommended if running in high/truecolour)

   * Windows 3.1

   * ~300k of disk space

Installation Procedure

If you obtained your copy of ACDSee on disk, then just run the setup.exe program to install.  Otherwise, you need to follow the following steps:

1)	Copy the ACDSEE files anywhere you like

2)	Create an icon for ACDSEE.EXE in Program Manager

3)	If you do not already have CTL3DV2.DLL in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, then install the copy included in the ACDSee distribution with the DOS prompt command,

expand ctl3dv2.dl_ c:\windows\system\ctl3dv2.dll

Then delete the CTL3DV2.DL_ file from your ACDSee directory.

4)	You will probably want File Manager associations for image files with ACDSEE.EXE  This will allow you to view pictures from File Manager by simply double-clicking on them.


File Associations/Actions
File Associations

A File Association lets you launch applications to view files quickly and easily by acting on document files that the application can open.

To make an association, highlight any file in File Manager and then choose File|Associate... from the menu.  Click on Browse... and locate the ACDSEE.EXE program and then hit OK.

If you know how to use Windows RegEdit, then you'll find it easiest to create an entry for ACDSee (call it "Images") first.  By using RegEdit, you can define three different actions for each file type: "open", "edit" and "print".  The "open" action is the default action taken when you launch a file.  The "edit" and "print" actions are additional actions that are made available from the Image Browser's pop-up menu.


Running ACDSee

sYou can start ACDSee from the Program Manager by double-clicking on its icon. You will immediately be presented with the Image Browser dialog where you can browse your directories for images to look at.

If you have made a File Manager association between image files and ACDSee, you can also start ACDSee from the File Manager by just double clicking on an image file.

You can supply one or more image files as the command-line arguments to ACDSee.  You can even use wildcards.  e.g., acdsee.exe *.jpg would start ACDSee and have it slideshow all the files in the current directory.

In addition, you may specify a startup directory on the command line.  The directory name must end in a "\", or be one of ".", "..", or "<drive>:".  ACDSee will start the Image Browser in the specified directory.

Note:	When ACDSee is run in this manner, pressing Escape will exit the program, rather than take you to the Image Browser.  The reason for this is  to avoid confusion when using the Spawn Viewer option


Image Panning

When the mouse cursor appears as a hand, the image is larger than the size of the Image Viewer window.  To pan (scroll) the image being viewed, click anywhere on the image and drag it.  Alternatively, use the cursor keys to move the image within the window.

This can be quite fun, especially on an accelerated video card.  For those of you that don't like to wait, the scrolling feature can be used even while the image is being decompressed!


Image Browser Current Directory
Image Browser - Current Directory

This bar contains the current directory the image browser is looking into.  You can change the current directory by clicking on one of the directories or drives in the File List.


Image Browser File List
Image Browser - File List

This is a list box that contains a number of entries.  There are several different kinds of entries in the file list:

Parent Directory [..]

Current Directory [.]

Files

Subdirectories

Drives

You can change the currently selected entry by:

*	clicking on another entry with the mouse button

*	moving the selection bar with the cursor keys

*	pressing a lowercase letter, which will take you to the next entry starting with that letter

*	pressing an uppercase letter, which will take you to the previous entry starting with that letter

You can select several entries by:

*	clicking on one entry with the mouse and dragging down or up the list

*	holding down shift and moving the selection bar with the cursor keys or by clicking on another entry with the the mouse

*	pressing Shift-F8 to enter Multiple Selection Mode.

Various actions may be taken on the selected file(s) with the Buttons below the file list.


Image Browser Buttons
Image Browser - Buttons

View/Launch/ChDir	Open one or more files, or change the directory

Preview	Show a preview of the currently selected image

Delete	Delete the currently selected file(s)

Edit Desc.	Edit the description(s) for the currently selected file(s)

Options	Bring up ACDSee's Image Browser Options dialog

Help	Bring up ACDSee's on-line help

About	Show the ACDSee About dialog

Exit	Quit the program


Image Browser Preview Area
Image Browser - Preview Area

A preview of the currently selected image in the file list can be made to appear in the Preview Area of the Image Browser by clicking on the Preview Button.

See also:	Auto-Preview Checkbox

Image Browser - Preview Options

Adjusting The Amount Of Space Available For The Preview Area

You can control how much room is available for displaying the Image Preview as follows:

Horizontal	adjust the horizontal size of the Image Browser window.

Vertical	adjust the vertical SplitBar


Parent Directory [..]

This entry refers to the directory above the current directory.  You can move up a directory by selecting this entry and clicking on the OK button.

If the current directory is a root directory, this entry will not be present.


Current Directory Item
Current Directory [.] Item

This item refers to the current directory.  By selecting it and hitting Open, the current directory will be refreshed.  This may be useful if some other application changes the contents of the directory while ACDSee is looking at it.


Files

There is one entry for each file in the current directory.

There are three types of files:

Image Files	Opening an image file will cause ACDSee to change to View Mode and view the image.  If multiple files are selected, they will be shown in Slide Show Mode.  However, if the Spawn Viewer checkbox is checked, image files behave the same as Associated Files.

Associated Files	Opening one of these files will cause the associated application to be started to view the file.

Other Files	These may not be opened.


Subdirectories

You can cause the image browser to move into a subdirectory by selecting it and clicking on Open.


Multiple Selection Mode

Once in Multiple Selection Mode, the focus bar will begin to blink.  You may now move the focus bar with the cursor keys, and toggle the selection status of each entry with the space bar.  To return to normal selection mode, press shift-F8 again.


Open Button
View/Launch/ChDir Command

The action taken by this command depends on which entry or entries are selected in the File List.  The button or menu item will be labelled as View, Launch, or ChDir, accordingly.

View	switches into Image Viewing mode and displays the selected image(s)

Launch	lauches the file with the default Associated Application

ChDir	changes the current directory to the selection


Image Browser Exit Command
Image Browser - Exit Command

This will exit ACDSee.


Preview Button
Preview Command

If an image file is selected in the file list, this command will cause the image to be shown in the Preview Area.


Delete Command

This command deletes the selected file(s) from the disk.  A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm the operation.

Shortcut:	Delete key.


Edit Desc. Command

This command lets you make up or change the 4DOS Description(s) for the selected file(s).


About Command

Brings up ACDSee's About Dialog, which displays the current version number of ACDSee and the registered user of the copy you are using.  If the copy is not registered, then a Register Button is provided to allow you to register the software.


SlideShow

When more than one image is opened for viewing, ACDSee can enter SlideShow mode.  When SlideShow mode is on, Images will be flipped automatically every few seconds.

To start a slideshow, first open several images, either via the image browser, drag and drop, or from the command line.  Then invoke the Start Slideshow command.

See also: Slideshow Options


Drive Items

ACDSee includes one item in the file list for each logical drive on your system.  Use these entries to switch the current directory to a directory on a different drive.  The entry for current drive will take you all the way up to the root directory.


4DOS Descriptions

4DOS is a replacement DOS shell for COMMAND.COM.  It adds many useful features that makes DOS much nicer to use.  One of the features that 4DOS supports is file descriptions.

You do not need actually need 4DOS to use file descriptions in ACDSee, but it is still a useful tool to have.

ACDSee stores your file descriptions in a hidden file in the current directory called DESCRIPT.ION  It can also cache image information there so that ACDSee can bring up directories with lots of images much quicker.  You can alter this behavior with the Cache Image Dimensions Option.

It is possible to configure ACDSee to not make descript.ion files hidden.  See Image Browser - Advanced Options

IMPORTANT NOTE:	Norton Desktop and some other applications do not handle application-specific data stored in the descript.ion files.  If you use Norton Desktop's file manager, you will have to uncheck the Cache Image Dimensions Option.


Shareware Nag Box

As an encouragement to register, ACDSee will occasionally bring up its About box when you quit the application.  This is supposed to be very annoying, and will of course cease and desist the moment that you register.


MasterCard/VISA Registration
VISA/MasterCard Registration

For your convenience, we have a toll-free number for credit card customers:

1-800-414-ACDS

(1-800-414-2237)

The number is available 24 hours, so even if you don't call during normal business hours (8:30 AM - 9:00 PM PST M-F), an operator will take your name and number so that we can contact you.

Where 800 service is unavailable, please call (604) 475-6701

You may also FAX your order to (604) 475-6651


Compuserve Registration

If you are a member of the Compuserve Information Service, you may register via the Shareware Registration Database

To register, log onto CompuServe, enter GO SWREG. and follow the on-line instructions.  Request ID #4057, or use "ACDSee" for the program title.  Your registration information will be electronically mailed to your compuserve ID within a few days.


Money Order Registration

Send your US funds money order to:

ACD Systems, Ltd.

P.O. Box 730

Victoria, BC

Canada V8W 2P9

Be sure to include your full name and return address (and internet address, possible).


Auto Preview Option

When checked, a preview of the currently selected image is brought up automatically.


Show Image Dimensions Option

By setting this option, you can get the Image Browser file list to show the width, height and number of colours for each image.  This information can take a while to extract out of the images, however, so you may not always want it turned on.

You may set the radio buttons to one of the following options:

Never	Never show the image dimensions

Always	Always show the image dimensions

Only on fixed disks	Show the image dimensions when the current directory resides on a fixed (hard) disk.  When the current directory is on a floppy, CR-ROM or network drive, this information is not shown.  This is useful if you generally like to have the image dimensions shown, but don't like to wait forever while it pulls it off of a CD-ROM.

See also:	 Cache Image Dimensions Option.


Show Image Files Only Options
Show Image Files Only Option

When checked, only files with extensions that correspond to image types that ACDSee can view are displayed.   Otherwise, all files types are shown.


File List Sorting Options

The file list sorting options affect the order in which files appear in the file list.  (Directories are always sorted by forward name)

By Name	Sort files by their 11-character file name

By Extension	Sort files first by their 3-character extension, then by their 8-character base name

By Size	Sort files first by their length in bytes, then by their name

By Date	Soft files by their date and time, then by their name.

Foward	Files lower in the selected collating sequence above appear first.

Reverse	Files higher in the collating sequence appear first.


Spawn Viewer CheckBox

When checked, ACDSee will execute an external program to view the image rather that use its built-in viewer.  Usually you will associate the image files with ACDSee, in which case a new copy of ACDSee will be "spawned". This option is useful if you need to view several images simultaneously.  (i.e., you can switch back to the first copy of ACDSee while the second copy is still running and open another image)

When the option is unchecked, the current copy of ACDSee closes the Image Browser and views the selected image(s).

In  either case, you can press Escape while in the View Window to close the image and return to the [original copy of ACDSee's] Image Browser.


Drag-and-Drop Feature

ACDSee allows you to select one or more files from the File Manager, drag them over to ACDSee's window, and drop them there.  This will cause ACDSee to view the images in slideshow mode.

Any files dropped that are not image files will be ignored.


Image Viewer Exit Command
Image Viewer - Exit Command

This quits ACDSee.

Shortcut: CTRL+X


Browser Command

This switches ACDSee back to the Image Browser mode.

Shortcut: Esc   (This shortcut is not available if ACDSee was started in View mode, either by spawning itself or from another application.  Instead, Esc will quit the program)


Prev Menu Command
Previous Image Menu Command

When in slideshow mode, this command flips to the previous image in the slideshow list.

This command is not available when the first image in the slideshow list is being shown, or if only a single image was selected for viewing.

Shortcut: Page Up


Next Menu Command
Next Image Menu Command

When in slideshow mode, this command flips to the next image in the slideshow list.

This command is not available when the last image in the slideshow list is being shown, or if only a single image was opened for viewing.

Shortcut: Page Down


Viewer Options

Slideshow Options

Slideshow Options

256 Colour Mode Dither Option

256-Colour Mode Dither Option

Window Options

Always On Top

Full-Screen

Auto-size Options

Shrink Image To Fit Window

Change Window Size To Fit Image Option

Buttons

Save Window Position	Saves the current size and position of the View window to the ACDSEE.INI file.  Whenever ACDSee enters View Mode, it will position the View Window accordingly (unless Auto-Size Window is enabled)  This command also saves the Always On Top and Full-Screen window attributes.

Save Options	Dismisses the View Options dialog box, saving and using the new options settings.  This command also saves the Always On Top and Full-Screen window attributes.

OK	Dismisses the View Options dialog box, using the new option settings (but does not save them)

Cancel	Dimisses the View Options dialog box and restores original option settings

Help	Brings up this help reference.


Image Viewer Help Command
Image Viewer - Help Command

Brings up ACDSee's on-line help for the Viewing Window.


Change Window Size to Fit Image Option

By checking this option, the Image Viewer window will automatically change its size to match the currently loaded image.  The window will continue to resize itself as you view images.  If an image is larger than the screen resolution, then the window will be made as large as possible.  If the Shrink Image Option is on as well, then the image will be shrunk if necessary to fit the screen dimensions.  Otherwise you can scroll (pan) the image within the window.

By unchecking this option, you can go back to your preferred window size and position again.


Slideshow Options

Auto-start

Causes ACDSee to automatically start a slideshow when more than one image is opened.

Wrap around at last image

When checked, ACDSee will start over from the first image after the last image in the sequence has been displayed.   Otherwise, ACDSee will halt the automatic flipping process.  This option has no effect when manually flipping images.

Page flip delay

This slider lets you set the time delay between images.  After the current image has been completely decompressed, ACDSee will pause for the requested number of seconds before displaying the next image.

Enable read-ahead

When checked, ACDSee will immediately start decompressing the next image in the sequence after the currently viewed image has been completely decompressed.  This means that when you flip to the next image, it will already be partially or completely decompressed.  The disadvantage of this feature is that scrolling tends to be more chunky when ACDSee is decompressing.


Full-Screen Window Option

Selecting this item will cause the viewer to enter Full-Screen mode, where the window is maximized, and the titlebar and menu are hidden.  To get back to normal mode, hit CTRL+F or double click with the left mouse button.

Shortcuts: 	CTRL+F

double-click with left mouse button.


256 Colour Mode Dither Option

When running Windows with a 256-colour graphics driver, HiColor and TrueColor images are quantized down to 236 colours.  To improve the appearance of the quantized image, a dithering algorithm may be applied.

None:	Quickest but poor quality.  For interest's sake only.

Ordered:	Slightly slower but good quality.  A good trade off.

Floyd-Steinberg:	Slowest but best quality.

The default is Ordered.

This option is not available when running on a high-colour or true-colour screen.


Save Window Position

Saves the current size and position of the View window to the ACDSEE.INI file.  Whenever ACDSee enters View Mode, it will position the View Window accordingly (unless Auto-Size Window is enabled)  This command also saves the Always On Top and Full-Screen window attributes.


Always On Top Option

This option is available from the Viewer Options dialog, or from the System Menu of the View Window.

When checked, the View Window will appear as the topmost window, even when other windows are activated.  Otherwise, the window behaves normally.


Possible Future Enhancements

o	support for Photo CD, TIFF, Amiga IFF and other file formats

o	faster JPEG colour preview

o	2-pass quantization support for 256 colour users

o	faster dithering

o	copy image to clipboard function

o	print image function

o	optional command buttons and status bar for the Image Viewer window

o	image info - display image format information

o	ability to copy, rename and move files


Credits

The colour quantization/dithering features of ACDSee were made possible through the use of code produced by the Independent JPEG Group.


Distribution and Licensing Information
ACDSee Software Distribution and Licensing Information

Distribution

This shareware software may be freely distributed, provided that:

(1)	Such distribution includes only the original archive supplied by ACD Systems, Ltd.  You may not alter, delete or add any files in the distribution archive.

(2)	The distrubution does not include a registration number.  In particular, you may not distrubute a registered version of ACDSee.

(3)	 No money is charged to the person receiving the software, beyond reasonable cost of packaging and other overhead.

Licensing

By receiving and/or using ACD Systems software, you accept the following Evaluation and Registered User Agreement.  This agreement is a binding legal agreement between ACD Systems Ltd. and the purchasers, users or evaluators of ACD Systems' software and products.  If you do not intend to honor this agreement, remove all installed  ACD Systems software from your computer now.

(1) Evaluation (Unregistered) and Registered User Agreement

You may evaluate the Shareware program for maximum of thirty calendar days, after which you must register the program with ACD Systems Ltd. or remove the software from your computer.

You may allow other users to evaluate copies of the unregistered Shareware. All evaluation users are subject to the terms of this agreement.

The evaluator/user/buyer/owner is not allowed to attempt to reverse engineer, disassemble or decompile ACD Systems Software and products.

ACD Systems name and any logo or graphics file that represents our software may not be used in any way to promote products developed with our software.  All parts of ACD Systems software and products are copyright protected.  No program, code, part, image, video clip, audio sample, text or computer generated sequence of images may be copied or used in any way by the user except as intended within the bounds of the single user program.

The evaluator/user/buyer/owner of ACD Systems software will indemnify, hold harmless, and defend ACD Systems against lawsuits, claims, costs associated with defense or accusations that result from the use of ACD Systems software.

ACD Systems is not responsible for any damages whatsoever, including loss of information, interruption of business, personal injury and/or any damage or consequential damage without limitation, incurred before, during or after the use of our products.  Our entire liability, without exception, is limited to the customers' reimbursement of the purchase price of the software (maximum being the suggested retail price as listed by ACD Systems) in exchange for the return of the product, all copies, registration papers and manuals, and all materials that constitute a transfer of ownership from the customer back to ACD Systems.

Each registered copy of the ACD Systems software may be used in only one single location by one user.  Use of the software means that you have loaded the program and run it or have installed the program onto a computer.  If you install the software onto a multi-user platform or network, each and every individual user of the software must be registered separately.

You may make one copy of the registered software for backup purposes, providing you only have one copy installed on one computer being used by one person. If any person other than yourself uses ACD Systems' software registered in your name, regardless of whether it is at the same time or different times, then this agreement is being violated!

The sale of and or distribution of registered copies of this software is strictly forbidden.  It is a violation of this agreement to loan, rent, lease, borrow, or transfer the use of registered copies of ACD Systems Software products.


How To Reach ACD Systems

E-Mail

dhooper@pinc.com

Mosaic WEB Page

http://vvv.com/acd

Compuserve

ID# 74404,2711

Telephone

(604) 475-6722 (between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM PST, Monday to Friday)

FAX

(604) 475-6651

Post

ACD Systems, Ltd.

P.O. Box 730

Victoria, BC

Canada V8W 2P9


Multiple Columns Option

Normally, the Image Browser displays the entries in its file list in a single column with a vertical scroll bar.  When this option is checked, entries are displayed in multiple columns with a horizontal scroll bar.  You might find that this mode is useful when you aren't displaying very much information about the files.


Frequently Asked Questions

1)	Where can I find the latest version of ACDSee?

The latest version of ACDSee is available via anonymous internet ftp from:

dataflux.bc.ca in the directory /pub/acd/acdsee

Also, try our new WEB page: http://vvv.com/acd

2)	ACDSee says, "ACDSee will not run in less that 256 colours".  What do I do to make it run?

This message indicates ACDSee has determined that Windows is running in fewer than 256 colours.  If you know your video card is capable of  displaying 640x480x256 or better (most 512k + cards can do this) then you can change your video driver with Windows Setup (in the Main program group in Program Manager).

3)	When I run ACDSee, I get a nasty message saying "Cannot find CTL3DV2.DLL" and it won't run.

See the note about CTL3DV2.DLL in Installation procedure

4)	When I run ACDSee, I get a message saying "This program uses CTL3DV2.DLL, which is not correctly installed."

The file CTL3DV2.DLL exists in the same directory as ACDSee.  This file must be moved into the WINDOWS/SYSTEM directory for ACDSee to work properly.

See the note about CTL3DV2.DLL in Installation procedure

5)	ACDSee is generating hidden files in all my directories.  What are they for?

These are 4DOS description files.  They hold file descriptions and information about the images in the directory.  You can get rid of them, if you wish, by selecting View Hidden Files from the Image Browser options and then deleting them.  To prevent ACDSee from generating these files, turn off the Cache Image Dimensions option.  To prevent ACDSee from making descript.ion files hidden, see Image Browser - Advanced Options

5)	Will there be a 32-bit version?

A 32-bit version of ACDSee is under development.

6)	Norton Desktop deletes my file descriptions and/or crashes the system after using ACDSee.

Norton Desktop does not support the new 4DOS 5.0 and later descript.ion file format.

See the Cache Image Dimensions option.

7)	Where did the Image Viewer options go?

Click the right mouse button in the Image Viewer window to bring up the pop-up menu.


Version History

+ = new feature

o = bug fix or performance enhancment

Version 1.25 beta 1 - May 2, 1995

o	Fixed "no icon" problem that occurred on some systems

o	Fixed bug that prevent some JPEG files to be read

o	CTL3DV2.DLL is now included in a ZIP archive

o	Removed the image count report in the About box on registered copies

Version 1.24 - April 1995

+	Added file date/time stamp to file list

+	The file list can now be sorted on Name, Extension, Size or Date/Time in either forward or reverse

+	Added option to show hidden files in the file list

+	Added support for RLE and OS/2 BMP formats

+	Added "Pass all images to Viewer" option

+	Image viewer now shows [image number/number of images current being viewed] in the title bar when viewing multiple images

+	Pressing ESC while the Image Browser is extracting the image dimensions for a directory of images will cancel the process (useful if you log to directory with a tonne of images and you don't want to wait for the image dimensions to be loaded in)

+	Added Edit... and Print... commands to Image Browser's pop-up menu

+	You can now specify a directory as an argument to ACDSee, and ACDSee will bring up the Image Browser in the specified directory

+	The respective colours of the directories, images and associated files can now be set by modifying acdsee.ini

+	Added option to not set the hidden attribute on descript.ion files

o	Caching image dimensions in descript.ion is no longer enabled by default

o	The Image Browser  no longer fails to work on systems with certain networking software

o	BMP and TGA decoding are up to 3 times faster than in version 1.23

o	Fixed bug that caused ACDSee to delete descriptions for hidden files, and non-image files when the "Show Image Files Only" option was on

o	Fixed bug that caused ACDSee to start with a hidden window the first time it was run on a system

o	Fixed bug that caused TGA images with id fields not to be interpreted properly

o	Fixed bug that allowed the nag box to appear partially or totally off-screen

Version 1.23 - April 1995

+	Added "Shrink image to fit window" option

+	Image previews are now in full colour, with optional JPEG grayscale preview for speed

+	JPEG decompression is between 20% (486) and 40% faster (Pentium)

+	Added "Reload image" command to Image Viewer

+	Image preview mode option: Full Image, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, or auto size preview

+	You can now switch into the Image Browser after starting ACDSee from the File Manager

+	The slide show can not be stopped/resumed on command.  The slide show is now automatically stopped when the the view window is minimized.

o	Replaced Viewing Window menu bar with a pop-up menu (use right mouse button)

o	With Auto-Size Window on, the Viewing Window is now maximized if the image is larger than the screen.

o	The split bar now preserves the height of the list box when the height of the Image Browser window is changed, rather than moving proportionally

o	The Image Browser buttons will align into a single column when there is enough vertical space

o	Executable is smaller and loads faster

o	Moved all Viewing Window options into a single dialog box

o	Retired the Chunk Decompression option - the decompression rate (lines per tick) is now inversly proportional to the image width

o	Fixed bug which sometimes caused ACDSee to crash after changing Image Browser options

o	Fixed bug that arose in version 1.22 where ACDSee didn't close itself properly when lauched in Image Viewer mode

o	Popup Image Browser menu now works properly in a multiple column file list

Version 1.22 - Mar. 1995

+	Created the nifty on-line help file (using ForeFront's ForeHelp software)

+	You can now independently turn on/off the display of associations, file sizes, image dimensions and descriptions, as well as control whether the file list is multi-column or single-column

+	Added option to start up in the directory that ACDSee was in when it last exited

+	Added option to show image dimensions only on fixed drives, which should bring some relief to CD-ROM owners

+	Added option to *not* cache image dimensions in descript.ion, which seemed to annoy some people

+	Added pop-up menu to Image Browser file list

+	Image Browser options moved into a separate dialog box

+	The location of the split between the Image Browser file list and the buttons/preview area may now be changed

+	Added button to save Image Browser options

+	Added menu items to save Image Viewer options and Image Viewer window position

+	ACDSee now accepts wildcards (eg, '*.jpg') on its command line

+	The unregistered ACDSee nag box appears less frequently while ACDSee is viewing images, (although you shouldn't notice any difference, right?   ;-)

o	The font in the Image Browser's file list may now be set by editing ACDSEE.INI (FontName=fontName)

o	ACDSee now recongizes JPEG files with the extension ".JPE"

o	ACDSee now runs properly under Windows NT and Windows '95 as a 16-bit Windows application (tested under version 3.5 of NT and Windows '95 final beta)

o	ACDSee no longer "looses your place" in the file list after deleting a file

o	Files can now be selected/deselected with the space bar (using the Shift-F8 selection mode)

o	Fixed bug in v1.21 that caused ACDSee to complain that "Dropped file could not be read" when a single image was dragged and dropped into the View Window.

o	It turns out that the smaller executable of version 1.21 was the result of accidentally excluding a resource from the EXE.  (ACDSee generated the missing resource automatically at run-time, however this increased the application startup time.)  The resource has been re-included so that the EXE is larger, but loads faster.

o	Reading in large directories is much faster now

o	Fixed a bug that caused ACDSee to show blank images and/or crash when another application deleted files that ACDSee was attempting to slideshow

o	Fixed a bug that sometimes caused ACDSee to delete file descriptions created by another program while ACDSee was running in the same directory

o	Fixed a bug that prevented ACDSee from recongizing descript.ion files with upper case file names

o	When you switched from ACDSee to another application and deleted the descript.ion file, and then switched back to ACDSee, it would not realize that the descript.ion file was deleted and not update its file list accordingly

o	Fixed bug that potentially caused ACDSee to report the wrong associated application for certain file types

o	ACDSee now displays only one delete confirmation box for a multiple file deletion

o	With image information turned off, ACDSee was still trying to write the image information into the descript.ion files, which caused a rather long wait when changing directories or quitting the program.  My apologies particularly to owners of CD-ROM drives!

o	CTL3DV2.DLL now distributed in compressed format, to avoid the warning message if the user forgot to delete it.

Version 1.21 - Jan. 1995

o	Uses CTL3DV2.DLL instead of CTL3D.DLL

o	Executable is a lot smaller

o	Fixed bug that caused images in the root directory of a drive to not be recognized properly

o	Fixed bug that caused ACDSee to crash if the root directory of a drive contained no files or subdirectories

o	Having two top-level windows was the source of some grief for the Windows window manager.  Now the Image Browser and View Window are both child windows of an invisible main window.

o	Targa (TGA) images which are RLE-compressed are now read properly

o	Thumbnails are now generated properly for Grayscale Targa (TGA) images

o	Fixed bug that caused thumbnails to sometimes be displayed in full size and colour

o	ACDSee will now spawn itself to view an image even if no association has been made to ACDSee for that file type

Version 1.2 - Jan. 1995

+	Replaced the Open Image dialog with the Image Browser window, providing

+	optional quick image preview

+	coloured filenames

+	optional 4DOS descriptions and image information

+	4DOS descriptions may be edited

+	window may be resized

+	option to spawn a new copy of ACDSee for each image opened

+	allows launching of other application via file associations

+	Added slideshow support

+	Added option to automatically resize the viewing window or not

+	Added Always-On-Top option

+	Added Full-Screen option

+	Added Drag-and-Drop support

+	The view window may now be scrolled using the cursor keys

+	Added GIF interlaced support, and GIF preview

+	Added PCX support

+	Added TGA support

+	Added BMP support (no OS/2 or RLE right now)

+	Added new quantization/dithering routines:  No dithering, Ordered Dithering and Floyd-Steinburg dithering (except for JPEG Ordered, which is hard-coded into the decoder)

+	Added Floyd Steinberg dithering process to the thumbnails when the source image is highcolor or truecolor (except to JPEG, which is Ordered and hard coded into the decoder)  No dithering for paletted images right now.

o	Removed support for scroll bars in the view window

o	Fixed a bug in the registration dialog box that prevented people with long names from registering

Version 1.1 - Dec. 1994

+	Added support for non-interlaced, single-image GIFs

+	Added JPEG quick preview feature

+	Added the #colours in the image to the title bar display

o	Improved the registration system

o	ACDSee uses less memory now

o	Changed the halftone palette system

Version 1.01 - Dec. 1994

o	Fixed bug that caused ACDSee to crash when multiple copies were running simultaneously (the problem was that I was grabbing a device context

  and holding it during compression, which is a no-no -- windows only supports five concurrent device contexts)

o	Vast improvement in image quality when displaying grayscale JPEG's in 256-color mode.

o	Reorganized code to make it easier to add other image formats, such as GIF (yes, it's coming...).

Version 1.0 - Nov. 1994

o	Initial release.


Image Browser Options
Image Browser - Options

File List Options

Show associated application

Show file size

Show file date/time

Show image dimensions

Show description

Multiple columns

Show Image Files Only

Show Hidden Files

Sorting Options

Sorting Options

Preview Options

Gray JPEG preview

Auto-size

Full size

1/2 size

1/4 size

1/8 size

Miscellaneous Options

Cache image dim. in descript.ion

Automatic image preview

Spawn viewer

Show image files only

Remember last directory

Pass all images to Viewer

Advanced Options

Buttons

Save Options As Defaults	Causes the options to be loaded by default when ACDSee is started.

Use	Puts the options into effect, but does not make them the defaults.

Cancel	Cancels all option changes.

Help	Brings up this help topic.


Show Associated Application Option

Displays the associated application for each file in the image browser's file list.


Show File Size Option

When checked, the image browser shows the size of each file (in bytes) in its file list.


Cache Image Dimensions Option

ACDSee can save the dimensions of each image in a directory in a hidden file called "descript.ion".  This allows ACDSee to determine the dimensions of each image and display them in the file list much more quickly.  The storage of this information in descript.ion is facilitated in the new 4DOS 5.0+ descript.ion file format specification.

Checking this option enables the storage of this information in descript.ion

Note:  Certain other programs, such as Norton Desktop, can't handle the new description file format.  If you use such a program, you should not check this option.

See also:	Show Image Dimensions Option


Show Description Option

This option determines whether or not 4DOS Descriptions are shown in the Image Browser's file list.


Image Browser Help Command

Brings up ACDSee's on-line help.


Image Browser Options Command

Invoke this command to change the Image Browser Options.


Stop Slideshow

Suspends automatic page flipping.  You can later restart the automatic page flipping again with Start Slideshow.

Shortcut:	CTRL+S

See also: Slideshow


Image Browser Pop-up Menu

A pop-up menu of commands will appear after clicking with the right mouse button on an entry in the Image Browser's file-list.  One of the following commands may be applied to the selected entry or entries.

View/Launch/ChDir	open one or more files or change the directory.

Edit	edits the selected file

Print	prints the selected file

Preview	show a preview of the currently selected image

Delete	delete the currently selected file(s)

Edit Desc.	edit the description(s) for the currently selected file(s)


Remember Last Directory Option

Normally, ACDSee starts up in the default current directory.

When this option is checked, ACDSee will remember the directory it was in when it exited.  The next time ACDSee is started, it will automatically change to that directory.

If ACDSee is started with a directory name as an argument, this directory will overide the last directory.


Image Browser Split Bar
Image Browser - Split Bar

The split bar is an invisible control located in the space just below the File List and above the Buttons and Preview Area.

You can adjust the relative amount of vertical space alotted to the File List and Buttons/Preview Area by clicking on this control and dragging it up and down.  The File List, Buttons and Preview Area will automatically resize themselves accordingly.


Auto-Size Preview Option

Checking this option will cause the image in the preview area to be displayed in the largest size that will fit within the available preview area.


Full Image Preview Option

This option causes the image in the preview area to be displayed in full colour and scale.


1/2 Size Preview Option

Checking this option will cause the image in the preview area to be displayed in 1/2 scale preview mode.


1/4 Size Preview Option

Checking this option will cause the image in the preview area to be displayed in 1/4 scale preview mode.


1/8 Size Preview Option

Checking this option will cause the image in the preview area to be displayed in 1/8 scale preview mode.


Gray JPEG Preview Option

When this option is checked, previews of JPEG images will be generated in 16 gray shades, which is much faster than using colour.


Image Viewer Reload Command
Image Viewer - Reload Command

This command will cause the currently displayed image to be reloaded from disk.

Shortcut: CTRL+R


Decompression Time Command

Opens a dialog box informing you how long it took to decompress the last image.

This command may not work as expected in Slideshow Mode.  Here, the "last image" may not necessarily be the currently displayed image.  If the currently displayed image is still being decompressed, the time shown applies to the previously decompressed image.  Additionally, when read-ahead decompression is enabled, the time will apply to the currently displayed image until the read-ahead image has finished being decompressed, whereupon the time will apply to the read-ahead image, since it was the last image to be decompressed.


Shrink Image Option
Shrink Image To Fit Window Option

When on, causes images larger than the window to be shrunk to fit completely within the window.  However, when the Change Window Size To Fit Image option is also on, the image will only shrink when the image is larger than the screen.

When off, the image is opened in its original size.  An image larger than can fit in the window may be panned.


Resume Slideshow
Start Slideshow

Starts or restarts a stopped slide show, starting with the currently viewed image.  The automatic page flipping is stopped whenever the window is minized, or whenever a dialog box is brought up, or when the Stop Slideshow command is invoked.

Shortcut:	CTRL+S

See also: Slideshow


Show Hidden Files
Show Hidden Files Option

When checked, files with the hidden attribute set are shown in the file list.

Normally, these files are not visible.


Pass All Images To Viewer Option

Normally, when a single image is selected in the file list and the View command is invoked, the Browser will pass that single image to the Viewer.  You must return to the Browser to view other images in the current directory.

When this option is checked, the Browser will pass every image in the current directory to the Viewer, which then allows you to view the directory of images by stepping forward and back.  If multiple files are selected in the Image Browser, only those files will be shown, however.

This option has no effect if the Spawn Viewer option in on.


Edit Command

If a file has an edit action defined in the system registry, this command allows you to invoke the editing program on the selected file.  This command is only available when such an action has been defined for that filetype in the system registry.


Print Command

If a file has an edit action defined in the system registry, this command allows you to invoke the printing program on the selected file.  This command is only available when such an action has been defined for that filetype in the system registry.


Image Browser Advanced Options
Image Browser - Advanced Options

You can set the following advanced options by editing acdsee.ini (in the Windows directory) with a text editor:

[Browser-Options]

HiddenDesc=<0 | 1>	Set hidden attribute on descript.ion files

FontName=<fontname>	Name of font used in file list

FontSize=<fontsize>	Size of font used in file list

DirColor=<rrr ggg bbb>	Colour of subdirectory and drive item text

ImageColor=<rrr ggg bbb>	Colour of image item text

AssocColor=<rrr ggg bbb>	Colour of associated file item text

Each component of a colour specification may range from 0 through 255.

example:

HiddenDesc=1

FontName=MS Sans Serif

FontSize=12

DirColor=0 0 255

ImageColor=128 0 128

AssocColor=0 128 0