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- THE VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
- DIGITIZER TECHNOLOGY
- VERSION 2.00
-
- (January 30, 1994)
-
- USING NOTEPAD TO VIEW THIS DOCUMENT
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- * If you enlarge NotePad to its maximum size, the following document
- will be easier to read. To do so, click the Maximize button in the
- upper-right corner of the NotePad window. Or open the Control menu
- in the upper-left corner of the NotePad window and choose Maximize.
-
- * To move through the document, press PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN or click
- the arrows at the top and bottom of the scroll bar along the right
- side of the NotePad window.
-
- * To print the document, choose Print from the NotePad File menu.
-
- * For Help using NotePad, press F1.
-
-
- ########################################################################
-
- NOTES ON VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- This document contains important information not included in the User's
- Guide to the Virtual Tablet Interface or on-line Help. Topics include:
-
- * Benefits and instructions for registration.
-
- * Required hardware and software for installation.
-
- * Getting help and product support.
-
- * Installing from Windows or MS/PC DOS.
-
- * Copying files from the installation disks.
-
- * Required device drivers for utilities and programs.
-
- * Conflicts with other digitizer software.
-
- * Windows 3.1 Compatibility and Features.
-
- * Replacement CalComp AFT Windows Library.
-
- * Windows driver installation and configuration.
-
- * Windows enhanced mode driver installation.
-
- * Control Panel Applet under Windows 3.1
-
- * Starting the Editor in other than a full window.
-
- * Chiseled dialogs in the Editor and Loader.
-
- * Updating the Virtual Tablet Interface.
-
- * Removing the Virtual Tablet Interface.
-
- ########################################################################
-
- BENEFITS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTRATION
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- As a registered owner of the Virtual Tablet Interface, you receive
- the following benefits:
-
- * Fully registered program disk(s) and printed manual.
-
- * Unlimited use of the product and free minor updates.
-
- * Notices and discounts (50%) on major version updates.
-
- To register, simply select Register from the startup screen of any
- driver, utility or application. You will be presented with a form to
- complete and mail along cash, check or money order drawn on a US bank
- for US $65.00 to: Digitizer Technology Company, 16541 Redmond Way,
- Suite 195C, Redmond, WA 98052. Your order will be processed
- immediately and the software mailed within one week.
-
- Washington State residents please add 8.2% sales tax. All orders add
- US $3.50 shipping and handling. Purchase orders accepted for an
- additional US $5.00 per order. No credit card orders. COD available
- upon request. Allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.
-
-
- REQUIRED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR INSTALLATION
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- The following hardware is required to install and use the Virtual
- Tablet Interface drivers, utilities and programs:
-
- * Any Summagraphics, CalComp, Kurta, GTCO, Wacom, Numonics, Houston
- Instruments, Kontron, Science Accessories, AceCad, Hitachi or
- compatible digitizer.
-
- * A 80386 microprocessor or higher.
-
- * A VGA display system or higher.
-
- * MS or PC DOS 5.0 or higher.
-
- * Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher.
-
-
- GETTING HELP AND PRODUCT SUPPORT
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- If you need technical assistance, you may send electronic mail to
- Digitizer Technology on CompuServe at account [74000, 2506]. Please
- include your registration number and a full description of the
- problem or request that will be responded to within one working day
- (sometimes one hour!). This is the fastest and preferred method of
- obtaining help from Digitizer Technology.
-
- If you need telephone assistance, you may call Digitizer Technology
- Monday-Friday at (206) 868-3246 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, Pacific
- Standard Time. Please have your registration number ready and a copy
- of your WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files along
- with information on the circumstances in which the problem occurred.
-
- If you would like to mail your questions or comments to Digitizer
- Technology, we can be reached at: Digitizer Technology Company, 16541
- Redmond Way, Suite 195C, Redmond, WA 98052.
-
-
- INSTALLING FROM WINDOWS OR MS/PC DOS
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- To run the SETUP.EXE utility from within DOS, enter the command line
- below at the DOS prompt:
-
- WIN [drive:] SETUP.EXE
-
- Or, if you are already running Windows, enter the command line below
- in response to the Run command from the Program Manager:
-
- [drive:] SETUP.EXE
-
-
- COPYING FILES FROM THE INSTALLATION DISKS
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- The files on the Virtual Tablet Interface installation disks are
- compressed and are not usable until expanded. The SETUP.EXE utility
- expands the compressed files as it copies them onto your hard disk.
- The Windows expand utility and other public domain compression
- programs will not work with the installation files since they contain
- proprietary compression and error correction codes.
-
-
- REQUIRED DEVICE DRIVERS FOR UTILITIES AND PROGRAMS
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- You must install the Windows dynamic link library VTABLET.DLL to install
- and use the Virtual Tablet Editor and Virtual Tablet Loader. However,
- you do not have to make it the Windows mouse driver unless you intend
- to use your digitizer as the Windows mouse.
-
-
- CONFLICTS WITH OTHER DIGITIZER SOFTWARE
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- SETUP.EXE may not detect other types of digitizer drivers and
- software running under Windows or DOS. This will often show up as the
- error "Com Port Missing" reported on the 'Status=' line in the
- [Virtual Tablet] section of SYSTEM.INI.
-
- If you are installing the Virtual Tablet Interface over other
- digitizer software, make sure that software is disabled before
- installation. Refer to the software manual for those products and
- check your AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files.
-
-
- WINDOWS 3.1 COMPATIBILITY AND FEATURES
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- VTABLET.DLL requires Windows 3.1 whether specified as the mouse
- pointer or not. However, there are some subtle differences in its
- behavior depending on how it is loaded...
-
- A. If loaded as the mouse pointer, then the virtual tablet will
- function as the mouse input device, execute template pointers and
- allow tracing.
-
- B. If loaded as the pen tablet, the virtual tablet will function as the
- pen input device, execute template pointers and allow tracing.
-
- C. If loaded as an installable driver, the virtual tablet will function
- as a mouse input device, execute template pointers and tracing.
-
- In sum, the Windows driver can do just about anything you want it to
- whether you have another input device and how you load it. The best
- solution is to load it as the mouse pointer or the pen tablet if you
- have Pen Windows. If you have a mouse (and want to use it) but don't
- have Pen Windows, try loading it just as an installable driver.
-
-
- REPLACEMENT CALCOMP AFT WINDOWS LIBRARY
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Provided on disk or in VtExes.Zip is a replacement Windows library
- for the CalComp 33000 digitizers used by some Windows applications
- for reading pressure and other Advanced Function Technology (AFT)
- values. This file, CAL33WIN.DLL, is automatically installed by the
- Setup program if you install the Windows Drivers.
-
- You do not need a CalComp tablet to use the library which can provide
- additional information to applications for any digitizer supported by
- the Virtual Tablet Interface. Note that this replacement file is NOT
- compatible with CalComp's other Windows drivers and utilities. You
- should remove or disable other CalComp's drivers before installing
- this library or the Virtual Tablet Interface.
-
-
- WINDOWS DRIVER CONFIGURATION
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- VTABLET.DLL provides the interface between Microsoft Windows and the
- digitizer. The library may be specified as the Windows mouse driver
- or loaded independently by Windows applications and supports the
- following functions: mouse driver, Pen Windows driver, template
- manager and trace input.
-
- Upon loading, the driver looks in the SYSTEM.INI file under the
- [Virtual Tablet] heading for the following information which may be
- modified by the user (note some information is required):
-
- Port=n Use serial communications port n where n is between 1-4.
- The default is com1 (1).
-
- Type=n Select digitizing tablet n corresponding to the tablet
- identifiers defined in Digitizers Supported. This required
- parameter must be a valid tablet number.
-
- Position=n Sets absolute or relative positioning (absolute=0 or
- relative=1). This value is ignored under Pen Windows and
- defaults to absolute.
-
- Reset=n Disables the driver from resetting the tablet upon
- startup if (n=0). The default is (n=1) which sends a reset
- command to the tablet each time the driver loads.
-
- Rate=n Sets the report rate n where 0=Auto, 1=Slow, 2=Medium and
- 2=Fast. The default is Auto (0) which sets the rate to
- Medium under Windows and High under Pen Windows.
-
- Rotate=n Sets the orientation in one of four, clock-wise,
- ninety-degree steps including None (0), right (90), bottom
- (180) and left (270). The default is None (0).
-
- Accelerate=n Sets the acceleration in relative mode where 0=None,
- 1=Low, 2=Medium and 3=High. Acceleration is applied
- before Sensitivity and defaults to Low (1).
-
- Sensitivity=n Sets the sensitivity in relative mode in 0.10 increments
- between 0.00=Stop and 1.00=One. Sensitivity default to
- 0.50 and is applied after Acceleration.
-
- Masks=s Sets button mapping. Changes to this entry should
- only be made from the Control Panel Applet. Deleting
- this entry disables mapping and returns you to normal
- operation.
-
- Brushes=s Sets air brushing. Changes to this entry should only be
- made from the Control Panel Applet. Deleting this entry
- disables air brushing and returns you to normal operation.
-
- HorzOffset, Sets the clipping area. Changes to these entries should
- VertOffset, only be made from the Control Panel Applet. Deleting
- HorzExtent, these entries removes clipping returning you to normal
- VertExtent operation.
-
- VTABLET.DLL will fail to load if the configuration information in the
- SYSTEM.INI file is incorrect. All errors encountered in loading are
- written to the SYSTEM.INI file under the topic [Virtual Tablet] on
- the line beginning with 'Status='. Normal loading sets this entry to
- 'Status=OK'.
-
-
- WINDOWS ENHANCED MODE DRIVER INSTALLATION
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- The enhanced mode Windows driver, VTABLET.386, provides a significant
- performance improvement and works with VTABLET.DLL. Setup will
- install this driver for you in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI by
- adding the statement 'device={path}VTABLET.386'. This driver
- virtualizes the Com port listed under the [Virtual Tablet] section
- of SYSTEM.INI and redirects tablet interrupts into VTABLET.DLL
- despite how it is loaded.
-
- If entries in [Virtual Tablet] are incorrect, VTABLET.386 may not
- load (nor should VTABLET.DLL) but cannot output user diagnostic
- messages. The error, after attempting to load VTABLET.DLL, can be
- found on the 'Status=' line under [Virtual Tablet] in SYSTEM.INI.
-
-
- CONTROL PANEL APPLET
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- If you have installed VTABLET.DLL as the mouse driver, pen driver or
- an installable driver, the Control Panel will display an icon that
- can be used to configure the driver. After selecting it, a dialog
- for the virtual tablet is displayed.
-
- The Virtual Tablet Applet allows you to configure the Virtual Tablet
- Interface Windows device driver for such functions as: digitizer
- type, report rate, rotation, button mapping, air brushes,
- sensitivity, acceleration, positioning, interrupts and clipping. In
- addition, it provides real-time statistics on how the driver is
- performing allowing you to tune or diagnose the driver for a
- particular configuration. If you are not sure how to use dialog
- boxes, refer to the Window's User Guide.
-
-
- CHISELED DIALOGS IN THE EDITOR AND LOADER
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- The Editor and Loader support "chiseled" dialog boxes with the
- background set to the Windows button face color. If you have a laptop
- or want to disable this feature, add the line "ChiselDialogs=0" to
- the [Common] section of VTABLET.INI for both the Editor and Loader.
-
-
- STARTING THE EDITOR IN OTHER THAN A FULL WINDOW
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- By default, the Editor starts maximized to the full screen size
- unless loaded specifically as an icon. To load the Editor normally,
- insert 'Maximized=0' under the section [Options] in the configuration
- file VTABLET.INI using a text editor or Windows NotePad.
-
-
- UPDATING THE VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- From time to time, updated versions of the Virtual Tablet Interface
- will be posted on public bulletin boards such as CompuServe, etc. If
- you are a registered user, you may download minor version updates and
- install them on your system. Note this only applies to minor, not
- major, version updates. You must upgrade major versions directly from
- Digitizer Technology for a modest fee.
-
- To upgrade your registered version, download the new files to a
- temporary directory and run SETUP.EXE from your registered disk, NOT
- the downloaded evaluation version of SETUP.EXE. Choose "Update" in
- the setup options and then, when prompted, fill in the directory
- where the new version files are located.
-
- Do not attempt to update drivers and utilities that have not been
- previously installed. Install them first from your registered disk
- and then update over them as described above. Also, it is not a good
- idea to copy the new files to your registered disk and then run
- SETUP.EXE. If you do, and there are any problems with the newer
- version, you will be unable to restore the previous version.
-
-
- REMOVING THE VIRTUAL TABLET INTERFACE
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- If you need to remove part or all of the installed files from your
- system, select Remove instead of Install from within the SETUP.EXE
- program. Removing Virtual Tablet Interface files cannot be undone with
- DOS 5.0 or other undelete commands. Reinstall the files instead.
-
- If you are removing the Virtual Tablet Interface because you are
- dissatisfied, please let us know the reasons why and we'll do our
- best to correct any problems.
-
- ########################################################################
-
-