Copyright: Copyright © Creative Technology Ltd.


Help Contents
Contents

Overview

What is Creative Multimedia Decks?

What is Creative Remote?

Working with Creative Remote

Making a Player Active

Invoking a Player

Playing Tracks

Displaying the Playlist dialog

Adjusting the Volume

Stacking the Players

Hiding All Players

Displaying All Players

Changing the Color Scheme

Keyboard Shortcuts

Troubleshooting

If the application starts and quits immediately without giving any error messages

If you encounter error messages


What is Creative Multimedia Decks?

Creative Multimedia Decks is a collection of players that allows you to independently or concurrently control multimedia devices like your CD-ROM drive and MIDI device.  It consists of Creative Remote and other players like Creative CD, Creative Wave, and Creative MIDI.


What is Creative Remote?

Creative Remote is the main component of the Creative Multimedia Decks group of players.  Like a home remote control, it lets you control different Creative Multimedia Decks players from a single control interface.  If you require more control over a player, you can also invoke the player from Creative Remote.

In addition, it consists of several advanced features like:

•	ability to launch any of the available Creative Multimedia Decks players for more direct control over a device,

•	a "touch-sensitive" display,

•	multiple display forms,

•	fast track selection, and

•	color scheme selection.


Making a Player Active

Before you can control a player using Creative Remote, you need to make it the active player.

To make a player active:

1.	Choose the Active Player Selector to display the player selection buttons.

2.	Choose the player you want to make active from these buttons.

The chosen player becomes active and the Active Player Selector shows the icon of the active player.

Note

•	The Active Player Selector always displays the icon of the active player.

•	If the selected player has not been loaded, Creative Remote will try to load it first.


Invoking a Player

You can invoke any player to perform more specific operations such as playing tracks in random order and previewing the first few seconds of each track in the playlist.  When you invoke a player, you make it active on the Creative Remote.

To start a player:

1.	Choose the Invoke Player button to display the player selection buttons.

2.	Choose the player to invoke from these buttons.

The player appears.

Note

•	If the selected player has not been loaded, Creative Remote will try to load it first.


Playing Tracks

Starting and Stopping Tracks

Playing a Particular Tracks

Pausing and Resuming Tracks

Changing to Another Track


Starting and Stopping Tracks

You can play tracks on the active player using the Playback Control buttons on Creative Remote.  The active player plays tracks from the playlist.

To start a track, choose the Play button.

To stop a track, choose the Stop button.

Note

•	Not all players allow the playback of tracks.  In such cases, the playback buttons will be disabled.


Playing a Particular Tracks

To play a particular track:

1.	Choose a button from the Fast Track Selector that corresponds to the track you want to select.

2.	To choose a double-digit number, click on both digit buttons consecutively within 2 seconds.  If you want to select track 15, choose button 1 and then button 5.


Pausing and Resuming Tracks

To pause a track, choose the Pause button

To resume playing a paused track, choose the Play button or Pause button.


Changing to Another Track

To change to another track, choose the Skip Forward button to move to the next track, or choose the Skip Backward button to move to the previous track.

Tips

•	To move forward or backward within a track, choose the Fast Forward button or Rewind button. You can also do this by using the Graphic Slider.


Displaying the Playlist dialog

To display the active player's Playlist dialog:

1. 	Choose the Playlist button.

Note

•	Not all players have a playlist dialog.  In such cases, the Playlist button will be disabled.

•	For more information on how to compile a playlist, please refer to the individual player's help.


Adjusting the Volume

You can adjust the volume of the active player to a level you like using the Volume (+,-) buttons.

To adjust the volume:

1. 	Click and hold down the left mouse button on the volume button until the desired level is reached.  The "+" button is used to increase the volume while the "-" button is used to decrease the volume.

Note

•	Not all players can control volume.  In such cases, the Volume buttons will be disabled.


Stacking the Players

After starting a few players (and not closing them), you may find that these players will be scattered on your screen.  To clean up your Windows display, you can stack these players on each other.

To stack the players:

1. 	Choose the Menu button to display the drop-down menu.

2.	Select the Stack Players option.

The invoked players will be stacked on each other.


Hiding All Players

You can hide all the Creative Multimedia Decks players at once.

To hide all players:

1. 	Choose the Menu button to display the drop-down menu.

2.	Select the Hide All option.

All the available players will be hidden.


Displaying All Players

You can display all the hidden Creative Multimedia Decks players at once.

To show all players:

1. 	Choose the Menu button to display the drop-down menu.

2.	Select the Show All option.

All the loaded players will be displayed.


Changing the Color Scheme

You can change the color scheme of the Creative Remote and the Creative Multimedia Decks players.

To change the color scheme:

1. 	Choose the Menu button to display the drop-down menu.

2.	Select the Color Scheme option.

The Color Scheme dialog appears.

3.	Select or create the color scheme you like.

4.	Choose OK to confirm the color scheme.

The colors of the Creative Remote and the players will to the new color scheme.


Keyboard Shortcuts

Press	To do this
<Ctrl+P>	Plays the current  track.
<Ctrl+A>	Pauses the playing track.
<Ctrl+S>	Stops the playing track.
<Ctrl+B>	Plays the previous track.
<Ctrl+O>	Plays the next track.
<Ctrl+E>	Loads or unloads the CD.
<Ctrl+L>	Shows the Playlist dialog.
<Ctrl+M>	Shows mixer settings.
<Ctrl+D>	Switches the display mode.
<Ctrl+Shift+D>	Shows select display mode menu.
<Ctrl+K>	Toggles stacking of players.
<Ctrl+W>	Shows all players.
<Ctrl+H>	Hides all players.


If the application starts and quits immediately without giving any error messages

This is probably due to the application resource DLL file RMRES32.DLL being missing from the application directory.  Try locating the file and move it to the same directory as the application.  If you cannot find the file in your system, you will need to reinstall the application.


If you encounter error messages

Unable to display About box. Ensure that CTRES32.DLL is present in your system.

Unable to load mixer. Try running the Creative Mixer application from it's program group to verify if it is installed properly.


Unable to display About box. Ensure that CTRES32.DLL is present in your system.

The file CTRES32.DLL is required to display the player's About box.  Check that the file is in your system.  If not, you may want to reinstall the program.  The player can still run without this file.


Unable to load mixer. Try running the Creative Mixer application from it's program group to verify if it is installed properly.

The mixer application has probably been deleted or moved to another directory. Locate the mixer application and run it to check that it is working.


Glossary of Terms

Power Button

Menu Button

Minimize Button

Play Button

Stop Button

Pause Button

Skip Forward Button

Skip Backward Button

Fast Forward Button

Rewind Button

Playlist Button

Record Button

Eject Button

Fast Track Selector

Active Player Selector

Invoke Player Button

Touch Sensitive Display

Volume buttons

Playback Status Indicator

Display Mode Indicator

Color Scheme Dialog OK Button

Color Scheme Dialog Apply Button

Color Scheme Dialog Cancel Button

Color Scheme Dialog Help Button

Color Scheme Dialog Color Scheme Combo Box

Color Scheme Dialog Save As Button

Color Scheme Dialog Remove Button

Color Scheme Dialog Element Combo Box

Color Scheme Dialog Color Combo Box

Color Scheme Dialog Custom Button

Color Scheme Dialog Preview Window

Save As Scheme Dialog Scheme Name Edit Box

Save As Scheme Dialog OK Button

Save As Scheme Dialog Cancel Button

Save As Scheme Dialog Help Button


Power Button

Quits Creative Remote.


Menu Button

Displays the Creative Remote's menu that allows you to access standard Windows menu options as well as Creative Remote's options.


Minimize Button

Minimizes Creative Remote.


Play Button

Plays the current track of the active player.


Stop Button

Stops a playing track on the active player.


Pause Button

Pauses or unpauses a playing track on the active player.


Skip Forward Button

Moves to the next track in the playlist of the active player.  If currently at the last track in the playlist, it moves to the first track in the playlist.


Skip Backward Button

Moves to the previous track in the playlist of the active player.  If currently at the first track of the playlist, it moves to the last track in the playlist.


Fast Forward Button

Moves forward within a track.  When the end of the track is reached, it moves to the next track and continues forwarding.


Rewind Button

Moves backwards within a track.  When the beginning of the track is reached, it moves to the previous track and continues rewinding


Playlist Button

Displays the Playlist dialog of the active player.  This  dialog allows you to compile a selection of the tracks to be played.


Record Button

Starts recording.


Eject Button

Opens and closes the CD-ROM tray.


Fast Track Selector

Allows you to choose a track in the playlist of the active player that you want to play. To play a track that is a double digit number, choose the first track number followed by the second track number within two seconds.


Active Player Selector

Allows you to select an active player.  It displays the icon of the active player.


Invoke Player Button

Allows you to display a player.  The invoked button will also become the active player.


Touch Sensitive Display

This display consists of several "touch sensitive" controls as well as indicators that show the current playback status and track information of the active player.  Click the left mouse button on the display or press <Ctrl-D> to switch between the different display modes.  Click the right mouse button on the display or press <Ctrl-Shift-D> to popup a menu that allows you to select another display mode.


Volume buttons

Controls the volume device of an active player.


Playback Status Indicator

Indicates the state of the active player.  For example Play, Stop, Pause, Skip Forward, Skip Backward, etc.


Display Mode Indicator

Indicates the current display mode.


Color Scheme Dialog OK Button

Confirms the changes in the dialog and applies the new color settings.  The color of Creative Remote and the players will be updated with the selected color scheme.


Color Scheme Dialog Apply Button

Applies the new color settings.  The color of Creative Remote and the players will be updated with the selected color scheme.


Color Scheme Dialog Cancel Button

Cancels changes made in the dialog.


Color Scheme Dialog Help Button

Displays the on-line help facility.


Color Scheme Dialog Color Scheme Combo Box

Allows you to select a saved color scheme.


Color Scheme Dialog Save As Button

Saves the current color settings to a scheme.


Color Scheme Dialog Remove Button

Removes the current color scheme.


Color Scheme Dialog Element Combo Box

Allows you to select a player element to change its color.


Color Scheme Dialog Color Combo Box

Allows you to select a new color for the selected player element.


Color Scheme Dialog Custom Button

Shows the common Color dialog to let you select a custom color for the selected player element.


Color Scheme Dialog Preview Window

Lets you preview how the players will look like with the current color scheme.


Save As Scheme Dialog Scheme Name Edit Box

Type in the name for the color scheme here.


Save As Scheme Dialog OK Button

Confirms the color scheme name to save as.


Save As Scheme Dialog Cancel Button

Cancels saving the color scheme.


Save As Scheme Dialog Help Button

Displays the on-line help facility.