Browsing the GME

Browsing Articles

Click the Articles tab to see a scrollable list of the 37,000 articles on the GME CD-ROMs. To narrow your browsing to a certain subject, click the Categories button and choose from the list of Topics and Sub-Topics. All articles are grouped into 10 topics. When you click on a Topic, its Sub-Topics will be listed in the right side of the dialog box. Choose any combination of Topic and/or Sub-Topic and then click Apply. Only articles pertaining to the subject you requested will be listed in the Index. (Subsequently, click Categories if you want to select a new Topic/Sub-Topic, or click All if you want to return to browsing all articles.) Use the scrollbar to navigate through the list, or type in the fast-type box until you see the item you want.

Browsing Media

Click the Media tab to browse an alphabetical list of all multimedia in the GME. You can browse all media or restrict browsing to a certain subject or media type by opening the Categories dialog box and selecting from the list. Click the boxes on the left side to select a media type to include in browsing. Click on the right side to select a subject within the selected media type to include in browsing.


Searching the GME

Simple Search

Click the Search tab, type a word in the fast-type box, and click Search. The GME will list all articles and media that contain the word you have typed. The items with the most occurrences of your search term will appear at the top of the list.

Double-click the title of an item to open it. For articles, each instance of your search term will be underlined. Click the buttons at the lower-right corner of the Content Region to move among occurrences of your search term. For pictures, your search term will be underlined in the caption.

Complex Search

You may want to narrow or broaden your search. For instance, you may want to search for two words in the same article, or to search only among articles and maps. Click Complex to open the Complex Search dialog box.

There are three tools available to customize a search: Operators, Wild Cards, and Scope.

The three Operators, AND, OR, and NOT, are used to set up conditions for your search. AND is exclusive: an article must contain both search terms to be found. OR is inclusive: it finds all articles that contain the first term, the second, or both. NOT is exclusive: articles containing the word after the NOT operator will be excluded from the search results. Click the arrow next to "AND" to switch to "OR" or "NOT".

Wild Cards help you find words with a common root (e.g., educated, education, educator), or when you're not certain how to spell a word. There are two types: "*" and "?".

Use * at the end of a root word to find every word beginning with the root. Example: type "educat*" to find instances of the words educated, education, and educator.

Use ? in the middle of a word if you are uncertain of a single character. Example: type "Anders?n" if you are unsure as to whether the author's name is Hans Christian Andersen or Anderson.

Scope enables you to specify how close words must be to each other to produce Search Results. By default, all items that contain your search terms will be found. You can change this under scope. Click Titles Only to find only items with your search term(s) in the title. You may also restrict a search to pairs of words in the same paragraph, or within a specified number of words from each other (the default is 10).

Applying Filters to a Search

You may want to exclude certain types of information from a search. For instance, you might want to create a list of media items relating to butterflies, while excluding Articles. To do this, click the Search tab, click Complex, type the word "butterfly", de-select Articles from the Media Types list, and click the Search button.

By default all categories are selected. You may customize your search by eliminating categories. This helps narrow a search and eliminate "false hits" where a term has more than one meaning. For example, to find references to Apollo the Greek God, but not Apollo the space program, click to delete the Technology category from the search.


Table Of Contents
Year 2000 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia

Help System

Table of Contents

Basics

Browsing the GME

Searching the GME

Features

Articles

Media

Animations

Fact Boxes

Maps

Multimedia Maps & Video Essays

New York Times Science Questions & Answers

Panoramas

Pictures

Sounds

Tables

Videos

Atlas

Timelines & Millennium Feature

Research Starters

Interactivities

Online Features

Using the GME with a Web Browser

Online Knowledge Explorer

Article Updates and New Articles

Encyclopedia Americana

The New Book of Knowledge

Grolier Internet Index

How Do I...

Change the Interface Theme?

Cite the GME in a Bibliography?

Copy or Save an Article or Picture?

Create a Marker List?

Find a Word in an Article?

Print an Article or Picture?

Read New and Updated Articles?

Use the GME's Online Features?

Getting Around

Swapping Discs

Media Previews/Enlarge/Reduce

First/Previous/Next/Last

History/Back

Auto Run

Print/Copy/Save/Mark

Find a word in an Article

Text-Only View

Troubleshooting/FAQ

Registration

Technical Support

Frequently Asked Questions


Fact Boxes

Fact boxes are collections of important, frequently cited facts. The GME has fact boxes for each continent, country, U.S. state, Canadian province, and U.S. president. Most country fact boxes have a button to play the country's national anthem.


Maps

The GME includes maps of the world, countries, states, cities, etc., plus topics such as exploration, history, geology, and weather. In addition to being part of the Atlas, maps are accessible from the media list.

As you move the cursor over the map it will change to indicate the presence of other maps, related articles, or Point of Interest photographs of map locations.


Videos

The GME contains a variety of videos of historical events, personalities, and subjects from nature. Videos play against a backdrop of related information. Click Play to run a video, Stop to stop it. Click the Caption/Links button to see a short text caption and related articles. Some videos are grouped together in "multiplexes"; click the button next to any video's title to play it in the "multiplex" window.


Multimedia Maps and Video Essays

Multimedia Maps and Video Essays both use standard QuickTime controls. Click the Play button to begin. If desired, drag the slider to move forward or backward while viewing.


New York Times Science Questions and Answers

This feature teaches you about science by answering hundreds of questions, many of them drawn from everyday life. Select the Media tab, then click the Categories button and select Science Q & A as Media Type. Click to select one of the 16 Categories, and then click a topic to see a question and its answer.

Note: You must register your copy of the GME to gain access to this feature.


Panoramas

Panoramas are photographs that can be navigated to provide a panoramic view of a location. Click on the picture and drag the cursor leftward and rightward to see all the way around a location. You can also zoom in and out and move up and down to a limited extent.

There are two types of panoramic photographs in the GME: 360° Panoramas and Historical Panoramas. 360° Panoramas are modern views that can be navigated full-circle. Historical Panoramas present a less-than-full-circle view.


Pictures

To view a picture, double-click its title in the Media Index. It will display with a scrollable caption. Click to scroll through the caption, if necessary. To get a closer look at the picture, click the Enlarge button. Most GME pictures can be printed or saved to files. Click the Related Articles tab to list related articles for a picture.


Sounds

The GME includes a variety of sounds, from animal and bird sounds to national anthems and many other musical selections. Click Play to play a sound. The caption appears in a scrollable box.

Note: The quality of MIDI-format music clips will vary with different sound cards. Wave-table sound cards provide the best quality.


Tables

The GME includes hundreds of tables, which list important, interesting facts and statistics. In some cases it is necessary to scroll to see an entire table.


Atlas

The Atlas contains maps of the world, countries, states, cities, etc., plus topics such as exploration, history, geology, and weather. Use the Index to select a map, or click on a location on the globe to navigate. (For instance, click a continent, then a country, then a city.) As you "roam" a map, the cursor will change from a pointer to a globe to show a link to another map; a turned-over page icon for a link to an article; or a camera icon for a link to a Point of Interest photograph of a map location.


Timelines & Millennium Feature

Timelines

Timelines provides an overview of world history. It includes graphic timelines, text essays, and video essays for each of nine periods of history, plus the Event List, a scrollable chronology of over 6,200 historical events.

Select a period from the main Timelines screen to begin. After you have selected a period, you can click to read summaries of significant events, or view the video and text essays.

Switch to the previous or next period by clicking the arrows above the graphic timeline. You may also click on the time scale to open the Event List to events closest to a given year.

Click the Events tab to go to the Event List.

Event List

Type a year in this box (noting BC or AD) to open the Event List to that year. You may also scroll through the list. Double-click on any event to list related articles.

The Millennium

The GME's Timelines feature also includes the Millennium, a comprehensive look at the past 1000 years in world affairs, science and technology, religion and philosophy,  literature, visual arts, and music.

To use the Millennium feature, select it from the bottom of the main Timelines screen. Then click one of the eight time periods shown. You will be presented with a list of five subject areas, and a segmented timeline for the selected period. (By default, the first segment will be selected.) Click the buttons to look at different types of events for the selected time period, or click on different segments of the timeline to look at different periods. To return to the introduction to this feature, click on the words Millennium Home at the bottom of the screen. Click the Essay icon to read an overview essay about the Millennium.


Research Starters

Research Starters presents multimedia surveys of 50 topics, organized in seven major subject areas. Each topic has an introduction and a list of 50 or more items.

To begin, click Research Starters in the Features Bar. Click one of the seven categories that are displayed, then click to select a topic from the list for that category. (You may also select a topic from the drop-down list in the List Panel.) A list of articles, pictures, movies, and other items pertaining to the topic will display in the List Panel.

You can also create your own Research Starter, using Marker Lists (see Markers).


Interactivities

Interactivities are explorable networks that combine images, text, animations, videos, and sounds to create in-depth views of major subjects. You can navigate each network topic by topic, or browse items of particular interest.

Select an Interactivity from the main Interactivity screen, and then click any "hot spot" to begin.


Using the GME with a Web Browser

To use the GME's online features, including the Online Knowledge Explorer, you must have an Internet connection, and you must configure the GME to work with your Web browser.

Choose Preferences from the Edit Menu, and then choose Web Browser. You will be asked to provide the location of your Web browser's program file, so the GME can launch your web browser when you attempt to use an online feature of the GME.


Article Updates and New Articles

Select Access New Articles to view the new GME articles on Grolier's Web site. You will be presented with an alphabetical list of new articles. Click on any article title to read the article, or click on a letter to move to that point in the index of new articles.

Grolier uses a special file called a "flag file" (FLAGFILE.DAT) to alert you when article updates and new Web links are available. Updates are accessible from Grolier's Web site on a monthly basis. From the Online menu, select Update Online Index. You will be brought to Grolier's Web site, where you will be instructed to download a new copy of the flag file to the directory where your copy of the GME is installed.


Encyclopedia Americana

The presence of this button indicates that there are related articles available online from this Grolier encyclopedia. Click it, then click a related article's title to view the related article on Grolier's Web site from your Web browser.


The New Book of Knowledge

The presence of this button indicates that there are related articles available online from this Grolier encyclopedia. Click it, then click a related article's title to view the related article on Grolier's Web site from your Web browser.


Grolier Internet Index

This tab indicates a link to one or more related Web sites accessible from the current article through the Grolier Internet Index, a collection of more than 26,000 editorially selected links. Click the Grolier Internet Index tab, and then click a listed link, to open your browser to the selected Web site.


Dictionary

Dictionary

The American Heritage(R) College Dictionary, Third Edition is integrated with the Deluxe Edition of the GME. There are three ways to use it:

1. Double-click on any word in an article to display its definition.

2. Click the Dictionary button to open it, type a word in the fast-type box, and click Look Up to view the definition.

3. Highlight a word, right-click, and select Look Up Definition.


Knowledge Tree

The Knowledge Tree is a classification system which helps you explore ideas across different "branches" of knowledge. All GME articles and media items are part of the tree.

To begin, click the Knowledge Tree button (when present) from an open article or media item. The Knowledge Tree will open with the current article or media item's topic highlighted in the list.

Scroll in the right side of the Tree to see other items on the same branch, and double-click on any item to open it. You may also navigate back up the Tree by clicking on the left side of the screen. As you select a topic, its subtopics will open. The left side of the screen will reflect your new location in the Knowledge Tree. (Depending on how far down the Tree you have traveled, there may be some topics to navigate on the right side of the screen as well.)

Click the Related Topics button, when available, to see other branches in the Knowledge Tree in which the selected item is classified.


Markers

Marker Lists enable you to "collect" GME articles and media items for future reference. Click the Mark button from any article or media item to begin. By default, the item will be stored, with its title from the GME, in the Default Marker List. Click the Markers tab to see a list of items you have "collected," or to create a new Marker List. You can Delete or Rename items in the present Marker List.

You may want to make more than one Marker List and then switch between them. Click the Lists button to switch between lists. You can also click the New button to make a new Marker List. Double-click the title of any item in the selected Marker List to display it.


Swapping Discs

To access all the multimedia content of the GME's Deluxe Edition, you will occasionally need to switch discs. This need will be indicated in two ways. When you try to access a media item accessible only from the second disc, a Swap Discs button will appear at the bottom of the screen, and the cursor will change.

A dialog box will open indicating the need to switch discs. Replace the first disc with the second disc in the CD-ROM drive and then click OK to proceed. Or, click Cancel if you don't want to change discs. Note: You'll have to switch back to the first disc, when prompted, to return to material that resides there.


Media Previews/Enlarge/Reduce

In the Enhanced Mode (default), a preview of an item on the Related Media list (if any) will display next to the open article. Click on it to view it full-size, along with its caption (if any). Click the forward and backward arrows to switch among previews where two or more are available. To view only text in the current article, click the Text-Only Mode button. To view all articles as text-only, change the default in Preferences under the Edit menu.

Right-click on a full-size image displayed in the Content Region and select Enlarge (or click the Enlarge button located below) to see an even larger view of the image (where possible). Click Reduce when finished to return to the normal view.


First/Previous/Next/Last

Click these buttons to move between highlighted occurrences of your search term.


History/Back

History enables you to retrace your steps in the encyclopedia. Click the History button to open a list of articles and media you have looked at recently. Click on any item to return to it. Click Back to return to the last item you opened.


Auto Run
Previous/Next/Auto Run

Click Previous to open the previous item in the list.

Click Next to open the next item in the list.

Click the Auto Run button to "play" the items in the list in sequence, as in a slide show. You can do this with a list of articles and/or media, and you can do it with a Marker List. You can change the rate at which items are displayed, and switch between playing them in random order or in sequence, by changing the defaults listed in Preferences under the Edit menu.


Print/Copy/Save/Mark

Print

All articles and most images and maps may be printed. (Some pictures may not be printed due to rights restrictions.) Click the Print button to print.

Copy

Click the Copy button to copy text or an image to the clipboard. You can then paste it into a document in another program such as a word processor.

Save

Click the Save button to save text or an image to a different location such as a hard drive or a floppy disc. A copyright will automatically be appended at the bottom of any article or image you save.

Mark

Click the Mark button to add the currently open item to the currently selected Marker List.


Find a Word in an Article

To find a word or phrase within an open article, click the Search this Article icon at the bottom of the article display. Type the word or phrase in the dialog box and click Find. The cursor will move to the next occurrence of the word or phrase, which will be highlighted.


Text-Only View
Text-Only Mode

Click the Text-Only Mode button to view text full-screen, without the preview illustration (if any). Click the Enhanced Mode button to view articles with preview illustrations and Online Knowledge Explorer links indicated. (To view all articles as text-only, change the default in Preferences from the Edit menu.)


Registration

Important! Please register your copy of the GME today. You'll get discount pricing on upgrades, and special offers. As a special bonus for registering, you will gain access to The New York Times Science Q & A feature.

Register electronically during installation, send the postage-paid registration card, or call 800-386-1689.

Note: If you purchased directly from Grolier Interactive, you are already registered.


Technical Support

Should you encounter a problem when installing or running the Year 2000 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, please review the Read Me file included on the CD-ROM for important troubleshooting tips.

If the information contained in the Read Me file does not adequately address your questions, please visit our Web site at gi.grolier.com for more information. Additionally, you may contact our Technical Support team directly in one of the following ways:

E-MAIL:	techsup@grolier.com

FAX:	203-797-3110

VOICE:	203-797-3336

Live technical support is available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (excluding holidays).


Frequently Asked Questions

What platform(s) is the Deluxe version of the Year 2000 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (GME2000) supported on?

The GME2000 Deluxe is supported on Windows 98, 95, and NT Workstation 4.0. The Deluxe version of the GME2000 is not supported on Windows 3.1 or 3.11.

Do I have to install the GME2000 Disc 2 if I own the Deluxe version of the program?

Deluxe (2-CD) version users do not need to install Disc 2. Disc 2 is only required when playing certain multimedia items such as videos or animations. If Disc 2 is needed, GME2000 will prompt you to insert it.

Do I need to remove earlier versions of the Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (GME) before installing the Deluxe version of the Year 2000 GME?

GME2000 Deluxe is a brand new product that is a full replacement for earlier editions. If you have an earlier edition of the GME, you can uninstall it from your system. However, it is possible to have both versions on the same system should you so desire.

Do I need to install QuickTime for Windows(R) on my system when I install the GME2000?

QuickTime for Windows(R) is used by the GME2000 to play the multimedia items in the program and you should choose to install this when you install the GME2000. If you do not install QuickTime for Windows(R) you will likely receive an error that QuickTime for Windows(R) is not installed when you try to run the GME2000. If you already have QuickTime for Windows(R) 3.0 installed on your system, it is not necessary to install it off the GME2000 CD-ROM.


Articles

The GME contains approximately 37,000 articles on the CD-ROMs (in addition to 22,000+ accessible via the Online Knowledge Explorer).

Most of the longer articles contain outlines. Click the Outline tab to display the outline for an article, and click on a section title to go to that part of the article.

Many articles contain hyperlinks to other articles, indicated by words that appear in color in the text. Click the highlighted word to open the corresponding article. Click an author's name at the end of an article to learn the contributor's credentials.

The Related Media tab indicates that there are media (pictures, maps, etc.) available that relate to the selected article. Click the tab to access the list. Double-click on a media item in the list to view it.


Animations

Animations are displayed against a backdrop that provides additional information. Click the Enlarge button (if present) to begin, and then click the Play button to see an animation of a process. In some cases you must click a button or "hot spot" to move to a different part of the animated presentation. Animations have captions with background information and links to related articles.


How do I change the Interface Theme?
How to change the Interface Theme

Select Change Theme under the Edit menu, and then open one of the 13 folders. Double-click on the theme file (it has a .THM extension) and click OK to replace the current interface theme.


How do I cite the GME in a Bibliography?
How to cite the GME in a bibliography

You may open your word processing program from the Connections menu to place notes and quotes in papers, documents, etc., via standard Copy and Paste commands. Note: Materials in the GME are copyrighted. If you copy or paste from the GME for a report, paper, etc., you must give credit. For an article, list the author's name (if available), the article title, and copyright © 1999 Grolier Interactive Inc., Danbury, CT.


How to copy an Article or Picture
How to copy or save an Article or Picture

Select text, or open a picture, map, etc., and then use standard Copy and Save commands to copy and save items from the GME.  (Some pictures may not be saved or copied due to rights restrictions.)


How to create a Marker List

Click the Mark button from any article or media item to begin. By default, the item will be stored, with its title from the GME, in the Default Marker List. Click the Markers tab to see a list of items you have "collected," or to create a new Marker List. You can Delete or Rename items in the present Marker List.

You may want to make more than one Marker List and then switch between them. Click the Lists button to switch between lists. You can also click the New button to make a new Marker List. Double-click the title of any item in the selected Marker List to display it.


How to Find a Word in an Article

To find a word or phrase within an open article, click the Search this Article icon at the bottom of the article display. Type the word or phrase in the dialog box and click Find. The cursor will move to the next occurrence of the word or phrase, which will be highlighted.


How to print an Article or Picture

To print an article or picture, click the Print button when viewing it. A copyright notice is automatically added to items printed from the GME. (Some pictures may not be printed due to rights restrictions.)


How to read New and Updated Articles

Select Access New Articles to view new articles on Grolier's Web site. You will be presented with an alphabetical list of new articles. Click on any article title to read the article, or click on a letter to move to that point in the index of new articles.


How to use the GME's Online Features

Click the Online button to find related information online. Or, specify which Online component to go to by clicking one of the buttons that appear under the heading Online Knowledge Explorer.

The Online Knowledge Explorer provides links from the GME CD-ROM to the Grolier Internet Index (a collection of thousands of editorially selected web links); to Grolier Article Updates; and to 22,000 articles from Grolier's Encyclopedia Americana and New Book of Knowledge. A button will display for each of these features that is available for the currently selected article.