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- SJGPLAY DOCUMENTATION Version: 1.25 (C)1995 Steve J. Gray
- ===================== Revised: Sep 15, 1995 =====================
-
- Welcome to SJGPLAY: The Audio CD Player with Lyrics!
-
- SJGPLAY is FREEWARE, which means:
-
- You may use it without payment of any kind. However, I retain full
- copyrights to the program. You may not modify, sell, or use it for
- commercial purposes. You may include it in FREEWARE/SHAREWARE
- compilations provided all files and documentation are included and
- un-modified (I'd appreciate being informed if you plan to include
- SJGPLAY on a CD-ROM. I'd accept a free copy of any CD containing
- SJGPLAY too... Hey, it's worth a try :-)
-
- That said... If you use this program I'd like to hear your comments or
- suggestions (tell me your most and least favorite feature). I can be reached
- via e-mail at: sgray@acs.ryerson.ca
-
- Included in the archive is SAMPLES.ZIP which contains data files for most
- of my personal CD collection as well as over 90 songs. (Note: Maintenance
- releases may not include the SAMPLES.ZIP file). I hope you'll find some you
- can use.. It may save you some typing and let you see the lyrics features in
- action. Use the catalog (F7) feature to see which CD's are included in the
- sample data. Feel free to delete the CD's you don't need. If you find we have
- some CD's in common how 'bout typing and sync'ing the missing lyrics from the
- sample CD's. If you e-mail them to me or send them to me on disk I can
- include them in future revisions of the program.
-
- My snail-mail address is:
-
- Steve Gray
- 10 Crestview Ave.,
- Brampton, Ontario
- Canada L6W-2R6
-
-
- DISCLAIMER
- ==========
-
- Since I wrote SJGPLAY for my own pleasure, and I'm not asking for any
- money, please don't expect support of any kind. I will try to fix any bugs
- that pop up, but since I don't own every combination of CD-ROM drive and
- computer I may not be able to do anything if it doesn't work properly on
- your system.
-
- If you want to report a bug please try to include the following information
- when you e-mail me:
-
- * SJGPLAY version
- * CD-ROM drive and interface (SoundBlaster, SCSI, EIDE, proprietary, etc)
- * DOS and MSCDEX version
- * CPU type or any other hardware you think might be causing problems
-
- SJGPLAY works on my system and on several systems at work. All CD-ROM
- manipulation is handled by the (registered shareware) "Audio CD Toolkit"
- library by DSE SOFTWARE PUBLISHING and uses MSCDEX to interface to the
- CD-ROM unit.
-
- SJGPLAY is provided as is. The author shall not be liable for any damages
- resulting in use or misuse of this program including... Hey, I'm no lawyer,
- you know the routine...
-
-
- INTRODUCTION
- ============
-
- You've probably heard this before but... I've tried several other CD audio
- player programs and none of them had all the features I wanted. I tried both
- DOS and WINDOWS programs but wasn't impressed. I figured I could do better,
- but until ACDKIT from DSE came along I couldn't do anything about it.
-
- Have you ever noticed that most shareware programs are ugly? The screens
- are all cluttered and confusing. They use weird background characters and
- fancy pop-up boxes with shading and the colors overwhelm you. Well, not
- SJGPLAY! It's uncluttered and clean. You can even remove most of the display
- information if you want to. You only see what you want to see and the
- controls are intuitive (usually the first letter of the function). There is a
- built-in help screen available any time if you need it, but once you're
- comfortable with the controls you shouldn't need it again. I believe in
- functionality not window-dressing...
-
- I've always favoured DOS more than WINDOWS. I think everybody should be
- able to use my program and DOS is the common denominator. Even older PC's
- should be able to run SJGPLAY without any problems. SJGPLAY will also run
- (as a DOS application) under WINDOWS (and runs even better under Win95...).
- See your Windows manual for information on how to install DOS applications on
- your desktop (I like to run SJGPLAY in a window).
-
-
- FEATURES
- ========
-
- SJGPLAY has most, if not all, of the features you will ever need in a CD
- audio player. I've tried to incorporate all the features I could think of,
- while keeping in mind the limitations of DOS text-mode. I'm open to
- suggestions if you can think of anything that could be added (see Ideas for
- future versions). I've tried to make it easy to use, so almost no
- documentation is required (but here it is anyway :-). Hope you like it!
-
- * Mouse control of most functions
- - Three Button-bars for easy mouse control (click the plus-minus symbol)
- * Play functions, Program functions, Display-mode
-
- * Track controls
- - Play, Pause/Continue, Stop
- - Next/Previous Track (skip)
- - Play specified track (you must enter a two-digit track number)
- - Fastforward/Reverse search (plus 2 times and one-minute search)
- - Re-Start track
- - Jump to near end of track
-
- * Repeat Modes
- - Repeat Track
- - Repeat CD
- - Repeat CD's in all Drive Units
- - Single play tracks (stop after each track)
- - A/B segment repeat
-
- * Intro Mode
- - Play first few seconds (adjustable) of each track
-
- * Time Display
- - Elapsed/Remaining track time
- - Elapsed/Remaining CD time
- - Track/Remaining frame# (used for lyric synchronization)
-
- * CD Cataloging
- - CD Name and Artist
- - Track names
- - Automatic recognition of CD
- - Catalog CD's, Lyrics or Albums files
- * Delete, Edit, Sort, Print
-
- * Programming (playlist)
- - Up to 99 steps
- - Playlist saved with each individual CD
- - Insert/Delete steps
- - Clear All/Use All tracks
- - Edit playlist WHILE CD is being played
- - Shuffle (jumble) tracks
- - Select only tracks with lyrics
- - Program pauses
- - Fit to tape length (insert pauses at the appropriate spots)
- - Toggle programmed or standard play (track order)
-
- * Lyrics
- - Built-in text editor for lyric entry (autosave)
- * Memorize/Recall/Paste/Restore/Erase line
- * Insert/Delete line
- * Block Define/Copy
- * Track control during editing (pause/reverse/fastforward/re-play)
- - Easy synchronization process
- - Fine-tune synchronization
- - Synchronized playback of lyrics
- * Paged style
- * Karaoke-style (with next-line display)
- - Lyric "traffic light" (prepares you for the next line)
- - Lyrics stay sync'd during fastforward, reverse or pause
- - Import (extract)/Export lyrics from/to "Album files"
- - Rename lyric files (if an external editor was used)
-
- * Display
- - CD and Track Title
- - Status (playing/paused/open etc)
- - Large track number and time indicator
- - Total CD time, Drive unit, Volume
- - Intro, Program Mode, Step#, Repeat mode
- - Track percentage and total time
- - Elapsed "time-bar" and frame-blip (those green divider lines...)
- - Time of day clock
- - Full-screen mode
- - 25/43/50 line video modes
-
- * Large "Mode" Window
- - Track list or Playlist
- - CD Information
- - Paged and Karaoke style Lyrics
- - Large display of track name or CD title
- - Catalog: CD, Lyric or Album files
- - Configuration and Program Info
- - Simulated Spectrum Analyzer (requires SoundBlaster)
- - Waveform Scope (requires SoundBlaster)
-
- * Printing
- - Print CD Info, CD's, Lyrics, or Album Catalog
-
- * Device Control
- - Supports multiple CD-ROM drive units
- - Reset drive
- - Volume control via SoundBlaster (CD input or master)
- - Eject/Close CD tray
-
- * Miscellaneous Stuff
- - Timed event based on time of day clock
- * Display a message, Play a track, Switch display modes
- - Display mode Timer
- * Rotates between selected display modes
-
- * Configuration
- - Initial display mode and full-screen mode
- - Auto edit new CD info
- - Auto playback
- - Stop or Eject on program exit
- - Define alternate video mode
- - Define fastforward/reverse and intro time
- - Define volume control device
- - Set initial repeat mode
- - Full control while configuration displayed
- - Configuration saved as a text file
- - Environment variable "SJGPLAY" to define data-file and config-file
- location (run SJGPLAY.EXE from anywhere if in PATH)
-
- * Command-line mode
- - Select a secondary config file
- - Check for presence of disc
- - Control playback of CD's through batch files
- * Play, Stop, Eject, Next/Previous track, Single play
- - Displays CD information:
- * Track List, CD title, track title, elapsed time
- - Conditional control of command-line arguments
-
- * Help
- - Built-in Help and Utility Screens
- - Full control while help displayed
- - Intuitive controls
-
- * And the best feature...
- - It's free! No more guilty conscience for not sending in that
- shareware registration :-)
-
-
- RUNNING THE PROGRAM
- ===================
-
- The only file that is REQUIRED is SJGPLAY.EXE. If no configuration file
- is found, built-in defaults will be used. The program will search the current
- directory when looking for the configuration file (SJGPLAY.CFG) and all data
- files UNLESS a path is set via the SJGPLAY environment variable (see below)
- or in a secondary config file as specified by "CONFIG:" on the command line.
-
- If you want to run SJGPLAY from anywhere regardless of the current
- directory you should place SJGPLAY.EXE somewhere in your DOS path or add the
- SJGPLAY directory to your path, for example:
-
- PATH C:\DOS;C:\UTILS\SJGPLAY
-
- Then, to allow SJGPLAY to find the CD and Lyrics files you
- must add the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
-
- SET SJGPLAY={path}
-
- where {path} is the complete path to your files.
- For example: SET SJGPLAY=C:\UTILS\SJGPLAY
-
-
- If you don't use the above method then you will need to change into the
- proper directory first by using the CD (change directory) command. For
- example: CD \UTILS\SJGPLAY
-
- To start the program simply type: SJGPLAY
-
- If you want to specify an secondary configuration, conditionally run the
- program, or control CD's via batch files see the section titled "Command-line
- arguments"
-
-
- DATA FILES
- ==========
-
- All data files are strictly text-based. Filenames are constructed using a
- number based on the total number of FRAMES on a CD. A frame is 1/75th of a
- second in length. Most CD's should have a unique number of frames which
- allows the program to automatically use the correct data files. We'll call
- this number {idnum} from now on. The largest this number can be is about
- 351,000 (78 minutes * 60 seconds/min * 75 frames/sec).
-
- The CD Title and Track titles are stored as plain text in a file with the
- format: CD{idnum}.CD (example: CD123456.CD).
-
- Lyrics and synchronization data are stored as plain text in a file with the
- format: CD{idnum}.{tracknum}, where {tracknum} is a three digit number
- corresponding to the specific track (example: CD123456.001).
-
- Album files, which contain lyrics for an entire album in one file, are
- stored as plain text in a file with the format: CD{idnum}.ALB
-
- Why text files?
- ---------------
-
- Every time I tried a new CD player program I had to re-enter each CD since
- they all seemed to have their own format for storing their database info.
- I wanted my program to be able to read standard text files so that data can
- easily be shared with other programs. Textfiles are universal so CD info and
- lyrics can easily be sent electronically and people can share their stuff.
- There are sites on the internet that contain lyrics files, so you might be
- able to download (ftp) them instead of re-typing them.
-
- I'm hoping people will start to distribute synchronized lyrics. They don't
- add too much to the size of the file and the files are still readable for
- those who don't have a CD-ROM player.
-
- The only drawbacks to text files are that they take up a lot of harddrive
- space (especially drives with large sector sizes) and they tend to clutter
- up the directory (If this is a problem I may consider changing this).
-
- If/when you've typed in the lyrics for a complete album you can replace all
- the individual lyrics files with one big "Album" file (see the utilities
- section). This should clear up some of the clutter and reduce the space
- requirements on your hard drive.
-
-
- SCREEN LAYOUT
- =============
-
- The screen is divided into three sections...
-
- The top section:
-
- Displays the CD title and Track title. On the right is the current
- time-of-day and status. The status displays whether the CD is paused or
- playing or if the CD tray is open. It will also indicate when you are in
- SYNCHRO mode, FINETUNE mode, or which line you are editing in EDIT mode.
- When full-screen mode is enabled the time-of-day will be replaced by a
- "H=Help" message. The top and middle sections are divided by a green line
- with a travelling "frame-blip" which zips across the line when the CD is
- being played. If you have a mouse you can click on the "plus/minus" symbol
- and change this to mouse Button-bars.
-
- The middle section:
-
- This is where all the action is. It is used to display or edit various
- information as selected by the current mode. The current display mode name is
- displayed in the bottom section (if enabled) at the very bottom right of the
- screen.
-
- The bottom section:
-
- Displays all the track, time and mode information. Dividing the middle and
- bottom sections is the green time-bar indicator which shows elapsed track
- progress. Below is the track number and time indicator using large digits. To
- the right of the time display is the time mode indicator, indicating elapsed
- or remaining time for either the track or entire CD. If program mode is
- enabled the step# will be displayed to the left of the track number. On the
- right side of this section is the total CD time, current drive unit, elapsed
- track percentage, repeat mode and the current display mode.
-
- When full-screen mode is enabled the bottom section is not displayed.
-
-
- KEYBOARD CONTROLS
- =================
-
- Selecting Display Modes:
- ------------------------
- F1 to F12 .....Select specific Mode (see display modes)
- TAB or M ......Go to the next mode (F1 to F6 only)
- SHIFT-TAB .....Go to the previous mode
- H .............Display Help screen
- F .............Toggle Full-screen mode
- V .............Toggle alternate Video mode (VGA cards only)
-
- Selecting Other Modes:
- ----------------------
- I .............Toggle Intro mode
- T .............Cycle time display:
- * Elapsed, Remaining, Elapsed CD, Remaining CD, Frame#
- E .............Edit information (depends on current mode)
- ? .............Print information (depends on current mode)
- DEL ...........Delete information (depends on current mode)
- | .............Toggle mouse Button-bar
-
- Playing Tracks:
- ---------------
- P or ENTER ....Play current track
- 0 to 9 ........Play specified track number. Must be two digits!
- + or - ........Next Track or Previous track
- S or PERIOD ...Stop track (if stopped, jumps to start of playlist)
- SPACE .........Pause/Resume playback
-
- Track Shuttle:
- --------------
- LEFT/RIGHT ....Reverse/Fastforward
- UP/DOWN .......Reverse/Fastforward times 2
- PAGEUP/DOWN ...Reverse/Fastforward one minute
- HOME ..........Re-start track
- END ...........Jump to near end of track
-
- Special Track Shuttle: (while in edit, program or configuration mode)
- ----------------------
- ALT-LEFT .........Reverse
- ALT-RIGHT ........Fast Forward
- ALT or CTRL-UP....Pause/Resume playback
- ALT or CTRL-DOWN..Re-start track
-
- Repeat Modes:
- -------------
- R .............Cycle Repeat mode (or cancel A/B repeat)
- * One ......Repeat selected track
- * Single ...Stop after end of track (P to play next)
- * All ......Repeat entire CD
- * Drives ...Repeat all CD's in all CD-ROM drives
- A or B ........Set A or B repeat points
-
- Programming:
- ------------
- G .............Toggle program mode
- CURSOR KEYS ...Move the marker
- DEL ...........Delete step under marker
- BACKSPACE .....Delete step to left of marker
- 0 to 9 ........Insert specified track number. Must be two digits!
- J .............Jumble Tracks (random shuffle)
- C .............Clear ALL tracks (if clear, reset to all tracks)
- L .............Load playlist as saved with CD info file
- W .............Write (save) playlist to CD info file
-
- Utilities:
- ----------
- U .............Display Utility Help screen
- Z .............Set Event
- D .............Set Display Timer
- ! .............Renames files with specified {name} to the proper {idnum}
- @ .............Renames files with {idnum} of 000000 to the proper {idnum}
- # .............Extract Lyrics for current track from an "Album" file
- $ .............Makes an "Album" file with track info and lyrics
- % .............Programs playlist for tape dub (insert pauses)
- ^ .............Programs playlist with only tracks with lyrics
- & .............Imports lyrics for current track from specified file
- * .............Exports lyrics for current track to specified file
-
- Device and Misc Controls:
- -------------------------
- X .............Open (eject caddy)/Close CD tray
- [ and ] .......Adjust volume
- = .............Mute volume, Restore volume
- < and > .......Select CD-ROM drive unit
- ~ .............Reset CD-ROM and MSCDEX driver
- ESC or Q ......Quit program
-
-
- MOUSE CONTROL
- =============
-
- You can use the mouse to control most functions. The RIGHT mouse button
- works just like the TAB or M keys to change the mode. The operation of the
- LEFT mouse button changes depending on the position of the pointer and which
- display mode is selected. For easier mouse control activate the mouse
- "Button-bars" by clicking one of the "plus/minus" symbols on the third line.
- Each time you click it will cycle to the next "bar" (there are three).
-
- Top Section:
-
- Where clicked Key(s) Function
- ------------- ------ --------
- Word "DISC" X Eject Disc or close tray
- CD Title E Edit CD Title
- Word "TRACK" + Next Track
- Track Title E Edit Track Title
- Time or Word "H=Help" Z/H Set Event or Help
- Status P/S Play or Stop
- Green divider - line SPACE Pause or Continue playback
- Green divider - ends NONE Previous/Next Display mode (all modes)
- Plus/minus symbols | Cycles between Button-bars and "blip"
- Button-bar ACTION Clicking on a button performs the action
-
- Middle Section:
-
- Mode Where clicked Key(s) Function
- ---- ------------- ------ --------
- F1 Track Box P Play Track
- Up/Down Arrow CURSOR Move marker (program mode)
- F2 Number/Time P Play Track
- Track Title E Edit track title
- Up/Down Arrow NONE Scroll track list
- F3/F4 Anywhere F4/F3 Toggle between Karaoke/Paged lyrics
- F5/F6 Anywhere F6/F5 Toggle between Track/Disc title
- F7 Number/Filename INS Sort Catalog
- Title \ Cycle Catalog type
- Up/Down Arrow CURSOR Scroll list
- F8 Anywhere F1 Jump to Playlist
- F9 Config Line CURSOR Select Line
- "<" or ">" CURSOR Change Setting
- "W" W Write Config
- F10 Anywhere F1 Jump to Playlist
- F11/F12 Anywhere F12/F11 Toggle between Frequency Bars/Scope
-
-
- Bottom Section:
-
- Where clicked Key(s) Function
- ------------- ------ --------
- Green Bar - middle NONE Track shuttle (jump to absolute position)
- Green Bar - ends -/+ Previous/Next track
- Word "Track" G Toggle playlist
- Red Track Number -/+ "-" on first digit, "+" on second digit
- Time-mode indicator T Toggle time display
- Below time indicator I Toggle intro
- Big Track Time A/B/R "A" on minutes, "B" on Seconds,"R" on colon
- The "*" V Toggle alternate video mode
- Word "Volume" = Mute
- Volume number [/] Adjust Volume "[" on 1st, "]" on 2nd digit
- Repeat() R Cycle repeat
- H=Help H Help
- M=Mode() TAB/M Next display mode (modes 1 to 6)
- Elsewhere on last line F Toggle full screen (when off)
- Bottom right corner F Toggle full screen
-
-
- PROGRAM CONFIGURATION
- =====================
-
- Press F9 to display the configuration screen. Use cursor UP and DOWN to
- select a configuration option then use LEFT or RIGHT to change the setting.
-
- To save the current settings press the W key. Settings are saved in the
- directory specified in the SJGPLAY environment variable or to the current
- directory if that is not set. The configuration file is a plain text file and
- contains lines in the form "xxxx = nn", where "xxxx" is the name of the
- configuration setting (as displayed under the NAME column) and "nn" is a
- value for that setting (0 being OFF, and 1 being ON). Valid values are
- displayed under the RANGE column.
-
- NAME DEF DESCRIPTION
- ----- --- -----------
- MODE 1 Sets the initial startup display mode (see display modes)
- FULL 0 Enables fullscreen mode on startup
- PRG 1 Automatically use programmed playlist if saved with CD
- EDIT 0 Auto-edit new CD info when new (unknown) CD is inserted
- PLAY 0 Automatically plays new CD when inserted
- EXIT 0 CD action on Exit (0=none, 1=stop or 2=eject)
- VIDEO 0 Alternate video lines (0=none, 1=43, 2=50)
- INTRO 15 Sets the intro time (in seconds)
- FFREW 5 Sets the fastforward/Reverse time (in seconds)
- VDEV 0 Specifies how the volume is controlled (CD or SoundBlaster)
- REPT 0 Sets the initial repeat mode (0=No,1=One,2=STP,3=All)
- KBACK 0 Karaoke Background colour (0=black)
- KTEXT 7 Karaoke Text colour (7=white)
-
- (DEF = Built-in default)
-
-
- DISPLAY MODES
- =============
-
- Rather than cluttering up the display with too much information, the
- program lets you choose what you want to see. This is the display mode, and
- it occupies the entire middle of the screen, or all but the top three lines
- when in full-screen mode.
-
- Each mode gives you specific information as follows:
-
- KEY MODE DESCRIPTION
- --- ---- -----------
- F1 Playlst List of tracks to play (Playlist) (.=Lyrics available)
- F2 CD Info Track number, Times, Flag and Titles (*=Lyrics available)
- F3 Lyrics Paged-style lyrics synchronized to playback
- F4 Karaoke Karaoke-style lyrics synchronized to playback
- F5 Track Track Title in large letters
- F6 CDTitle CD Title in large letters
- F7 Catalog Catalog for CD's, Lyrics or Albums
- F8 Utils Utilities Help Screen
- F9 Config Configuration Screen
- F10 About Program info, including version number
- F11 FreqBrs Frequency Bars (simulated spectrum analyzer)
- F12 Scope Waveform scope
-
-
- F1 - Playlist:
-
- Track numbers displayed in the order they will be played. Normally all
- tracks on the CD will be shown in numerical order from 1 to the total number
- of tracks on the CD. Track numbers are displayed inside a box. The currently
- playing track (if any) will be displayed in red, all others will be blue. If
- a track has lyrics a period will be displayed after the track number.
-
- When program mode is enabled, only those tracks that are programmed will
- appear. A small yellow "marker" (or cursor) appears which can be moved about
- for program editing (adding or deleting tracks).
-
- F2 - CD Info:
-
- All tracks on the CD are listed in track-order. The track number, time,
- lyric flag and title are shown. Titles may be edited and saved so that next
- time the CD is inserted they will automatically appear. The track time
- displayed will change depending on the currently selected "time mode". This
- can be elapsed track or CD time, remaining track or CD time, or a frame
- number.
-
- The lyric flag indicates if there are lyrics available for the track.
- Tracks shown with "*" have lyrics available. Tracks shown with a "-" do not.
-
- The currently playing track is highlighted. If there are more tracks on the
- CD than can fit on the screen the list will shift up or down so that the
- currently playing track is as close to the middle as possible.
-
- F3 - Lyrics
-
- Lyrics will be displayed in a paged format, synchronized to playback. Each
- line will be highlighted as it is sung. Just before the line is sung a small
- "traffic light" indicator will light red, yellow, then green indicating the
- time remaining until the line is sung:
-
- Red square - More than 1 second
- Yellow square - Less than 1 second..... Get ready!
- Green triangle - Less than 1/4 second... Sing it! (if you want to...)
-
- If no lyrics have been entered the message: "Lyrics not available" will be
- displayed followed by the required filename.
-
- F4 - Karaoke
-
- Lyrics will be displayed in Karaoke format, synchronized to playback. Each
- line will be displayed in very large letters as it is sung. The next line
- to be sung will be displayed in small letters just below with the same
- "traffic light" indicator as above. If no lyrics have been entered, "Lyrics
- not available" will be displayed.
-
- The lyrics are displayed in a large proportionally-spaced font. The number
- of lines available depends on the screen mode and whether full-screen is
- enabled. Four lines are available in 25-line mode with full-screen on. If
- full-screen mode is off one less line will be visible (keep this in mind
- when typing lyrics)!
-
- F5 - Track
-
- Displays the current track title in large letters.
-
- F6 - CDTitle
-
- Displays the current CD title in large letters.
-
- F7 - CD Catalog
-
- Loads and displays a catalog of CD's, lyrics or Albums. You can delete or
- edit entries or sort the list by number, time (frames) or title.
-
- F8 - Utility Help Screen
-
- Displays description of available utilities.
-
- F9 - Configuration Screen
-
- Displays a configuration screen where startup options and program options
- can be set. Options such as intro time and fast-forward time take effect
- immediately when changed.
-
- F10 - About Screen
-
- Displays freeware message, program version number, and author info.
-
- F11 - Frequency Bars
-
- Displays a simulated "spectrum analyzer" of the SoundBlaster input.
-
- F12 - Scope
-
- Displays a waveform of the SoundBlaster input.
-
-
- PLAYING CD'S
- ============
-
- There are two playback modes; standard or programmed. Standard mode
- consists of all tracks in numerical order. Programmed mode is a list of
- tracks in any order. In programmed mode you can select only those tracks that
- you want or even repeat tracks. You can have up to 99 programmed "steps".
- When program mode is enabled the step number will be displayed at the bottom
- left of the screen beside the track number. In either case (standard or
- programmed) the order of the tracks will be referred to as the "playlist".
-
- At the top right of the screen is the status indicator. It will indicate
- the status of the CD and drive. If no CD is inserted it will say "open". If
- a CD is inserted but not playing it will say "stopped".
-
- Use the "P" key or ENTER to play the currently selected track. If the CD is
- not playing, pressing "+" or "-" will select a track. When the CD is playing
- the status indicator will say "playing". To pause playback press SPACE. The
- status indicator will flash "paused". To resume playback press SPACE again.
- To stop playback press the "S" or "." keys. If you press "S" or "." when the
- CD is already stopped it will reset the playlist to the beginning (ie: press
- "SS" to go to step 1).
-
- The "+" and "-" keys will jump to the next or previous track. If you are at
- the beginning or end of the playlist it will wrap around. To jump to a
- specific track enter a two-digit track number (this only works if program
- mode is NOT enabled!). When you enter the first digit it will be displayed
- followed by a "?" flashing at the bottom left of the screen reminding you
- that another digit is needed. If you enter an invalid first digit or track
- number it will not be accepted and the flashing message will be cleared. To
- clear an incorrect first digit press the BACKSPACE key.
-
- To control playback of an individual track use the CURSOR KEYS. The cursor
- LEFT key or ALT-LEFT key will reverse (rewind). The cursor RIGHT key or
- ALT-RIGHT key will fastforward. The cursor UP and DOWN keys will reverse or
- fast forward by twice the time of the LEFT and RIGHT cursor keys. The
- fastforward and reverse times can be adjusted in the configuration screen.
- The HOME key will re-start playback from the beginning of the CURRENT track.
- The END key will jump to a point near the end of the current track.
-
- Repeat Modes:
- -------------
-
- The "R" key cycles between the following REPEAT modes:
-
- OFF - No repetition. Displayed as (---)
- ONE - Repeats the currently selected track.
- STP - Single Track Play. Stops playback after each track ends.
- You must press P to play the next track.
- ALL - Repeats the entire CD
- DRV - Repeats all CD's in all available Drive units
-
- The DRV repeat mode is only available if you have more than one CD-ROM
- drive (or a 6-pack drive configured with separate drive letters). This allows
- you to have continuous music playback. When one CD is finished the CD in the
- next drive will play and so on. When the last CD has played it will repeat
- back to the first drive. If a drive has no CD inserted, DRV mode will be
- cancelled.
-
- Pressing "A" or "B" selects segment repeat mode, which repeats the selected
- section of the CD. Press "A" at the start of the segment. The repeat
- indicator will show (A- ). Press "B" at the end of the segment. The repeat
- indicator will show (A-B) and the segment will repeat over and over. While
- the segment is repeating you may press "B" to reduce the segment time even
- further. To cancel A-B repeat mode press "R".
-
-
- Intro Mode:
- -----------
-
- Pressing "I" will enable INTRO mode. The word "INTRO" will flash just to
- the left of the time indicator. This will play the beginning of each track
- then jump to the next track. When intro mode is enabled repeat mode is set to
- "ALL". If intro mode is enabled after playback has passed the intro period,
- it will jump to the next track immediately. Pressing "I" again disables intro
- mode. The intro time is adjustable via the configuration screen.
-
-
- CHANGING THE DISPLAY
- ====================
-
- Use the "TAB" or "M" keys to switch to the next display mode. Use SHIFT-TAB
- to switch to the previouse display mode. The (SHIFT)TAB/M keys will only
- switch from F1 to F6 modes. To jump to a specific display mode press the
- desired FUNCTION KEY (F1 to F12).
-
- Use the "F" key to toggle full-screen mode. When full-screen mode is on,
- the bottom section is removed and the selected display mode is extended to
- the bottom of the screen.
-
- If you have a VGA display you may use the "V" key to toggle the video mode
- between 25 lines or 43/50 lines as set in the configuration.
-
- Press the "H" key to display a help screen with a summary of the most
- common control keys. Also displayed on the help screen is the {idnum} for the
- current CD. Press "H" again to return to the previous display mode or choose
- a specific mode by pressing the proper function key.
-
- Press the "T" key to change the time display. The time display can show
- elapsed or remaining time for either the current track or the entire CD. It
- can also display the track FRAME number. The track frame number is used to
- synchronize the lyrics to playback. A frame is one seventy-fifth of a second,
- which gives very precise control over lyric timing. Depending on the speed
- of your computer and how your CD-ROM is connected (SCSI, IDE, parallel port
- etc) this number may change smoothly or jump many numbers at a time (on MY
- computer the last digit is just a blur :-) )
-
- Note: Since only the last 5 digits of the track frame number are displayed,
- ~~~~~ after 22:16 the frame number will appear to reset to zero.
-
- Note2: Times are read directly from the disc and may not match those
- ~~~~~~ printed on the CD and/or jewel case.
-
- Most key commands will operate the same regardless of the DISPLAY mode.
- For example, you can press "+" to jump to the next track even when help is
- being displayed. The only exceptions to this are the NORMAL cursor control
- keys. The cursor keys usually control track shuttle, however when program
- mode is enabled they control the yellow marker, and when in the configuration
- screen the cursor keys select and change option settings. When in these modes
- you can use the CTRL-CURSOR keys for track shuttle control.
-
- When in EDIT mode the opposite is true. Obviously, typing a letter will
- insert it into the edit field, therefore you can't change modes or tracks, or
- change the time display while in edit mode. When in edit mode the only
- control of the CD you have is via the ALT or CTRL plus CURSOR keys to control
- playback of the CURRENT track. To exit EDIT mode press ENTER (if a single
- field) or ESC (with multiple fields).
-
-
- FREQUENCY BARS AND SCOPE
- ========================
-
- These functions (F11 and F12) require a fast computer with a SoundBlaster
- or compatible card. The sound output from your CD-ROM drive must be connected
- to either the internal CD-line connector or to the line input of the
- SoundBlaster card. The "BLASTER" environment variable must also be correctly
- set in your AUTOEXEC.BAT for these modes to work! See your SoundBlaster
- manual for installation instructions. For best results make sure the input
- volume is set as high as possible.
-
- F11 - Frequency Bars
-
- This displays a SIMULATED spectrum analyzer. In a REAL spectrum analyzer
- the bars correspond to specific frequencies; low frequencies on the left and
- higher frequencies to the right. The louder the freqency the higher the bar.
- Eventually I'd like to have a real spectrum analyzer but for now it's just
- simulated... Now the bars are more like "waveform delta" bars. At least it's
- interesting to watch. The following keys adjust the bars:
-
- { and } ....Set sampling size. {=faster/lower, }=slower/higher.
- (Set this according to the speed of your computer)
- ; and ' ....Shift bars left/right. There are 255 bars but only a few are
- visible depending on the bar width.
- : and " ....Set bar width. :=Smaller, "=Bigger.
- INS ........Toggle display of the above settings.
-
- F12 - Scope
-
- This displays the waveform of the sound input much like an oscilloscope. On
- a really fast computer you may need to adjust the delay between samples. On a
- slow computer you may only see what appears to be random dots. When no sound
- is input you should see a straight line all the way across the middle of the
- screen. The following keys adjust the scope:
-
- { and } ....Adjust the sampling delay
- : ..........Reset the sampling delay to zero (fastest display)
- " ..........Toggle slow-motion
- INS ........Toggle the display of the delay setting.
-
- Note: These modes don't seem to work (at least for me) while running under
- ~~~~~ Windows or even AFTER running windows. You may need to turn the
- computer off and back on again to reset the SoundBlaster card.
-
-
- DEVICE CONTROL AND EXITING
- ==========================
-
- If you have more than one CD-ROM drive unit attached to your computer you
- may select which one you control by pressing the "<" and ">" keys. Switching
- to another unit switches control completely to the new unit. If the previous
- unit was playing it will continue to play, however, any and all control of
- that unit is lost (track order, repeat etc). Switching from one unit to
- another may cause the new unit to jump to another track if "use programmed
- playlist if available" is set to "yes" and the currently playing track is not
- in the playlist (this can also occur if SJGPLAY is exited then re-started
- while the CD is still playing). If "auto play" is enabled the CD will start
- to play automatically when the unit is switched. A list of available drive
- units is displayed on the help screen.
-
- To completely reset the current CD-ROM drive press the "~" key. This will
- stop playback and re-read the CD.
-
- To control the volume use the "[" and "]" keys to decrease or increase the
- level from 0 to 99. Use the "=" key to mute the volume. Pressing "=" again
- will restore volume to the previous level. Use the configuration screen to
- select which DEVICE is controlled by the volume keys. You can select the
- volume via the SoundBlaster (or compatible) card's CD input level or master
- output level.
-
- To eject the CD press "X". If your CD-ROM is a tray-type (as opposed to
- the caddy-type), pressing "X" again will close the tray door. If "auto play"
- is enabled the CD will start to play automatically when it is inserted.
-
- To exit the program press the "ESC" or "Q" key. You will be asked to
- confirm that you want to quit by pressing "Y" for yes or "N" for no. When the
- program exits the CD may stop or may be ejected depending on the settings
- in the configuration screen.
-
-
- PRINTING INFORMATION
- ====================
-
- Pressing the "?" key prints information for the specific mode as follows:
-
- MODE PRINT WHAT?
- ---- -----------
- F1/F2 Tracks CD Info (track titles and times).
- F3/F4 Lyrics Lyrics for CURRENT track.
- F7 Catalog Currently displayed catalog (CD's/Lyrics/Albums) printed
- in the currently sorted order.
- All Others None
-
- You will be asked to confirm printing by pressing "Y" or "N". Make sure
- your printer is ready before pressing "Y"!
-
-
- DELETING INFORMATION
- ====================
-
- Pressing the DEL key deletes information for the specific mode as follows:
-
- MODE DELETE WHAT?
- ---- ------------
- F1 Tracks Programmed step at marker
- F2 CDInfo CD Info files and ALL lyric files for CURRENT CD
- F3/F4 Lyrics File for current lyrics
- F7 Catalog CDs...: All files for selected CD
- Lyrics: Selected lyric file
- Albums: Selected album file
- All Others None
-
-
- EDITING INFORMATION
- ===================
-
- Pressing "E" lets you edit information for the specific mode as follows:
-
- MODE EDIT WHAT? SEE ALSO (section)
- ---- ----------- ------------------
- F1 Tracks None (Enables programmed playlist) Programming
- F2 CDInfo CD Title and ALL Track Names Editing Keys
- F3 Lyrics Lyrics Entering lyrics
- F4 Karaoke Synchronization or Finetuning Synchronizing lyrics
- F5 Track Current track name Editing Keys
- F6 Title CD Title Editing Keys
- F7 Catalog Selected file (Shell to DOS EDIT) [MS-DOS Manual for EDIT]
- F9 Config None (use "W" to save settings) Configuration
- All Others None
-
-
- EDITING KEYS
- ============
-
- When you press "E" (while in modes F2, F3, F5 or F6) you enter EDIT mode
- where you may enter information into a field or fields. The background
- under the edit field will turn blue, and the following keys will be active:
-
- LEFT/RIGHT ......Move cursor Left/Right
- TAB .............Move cursor Right 8 characters
- DEL .............Delete character at cursor
- BACKSPACE .......Delete character to left of cursor
- (if at the FIRST character it erases the ENTIRE field)
- INSERT ..........Toggle insert mode
- (thick cursor for insert or thin for typeover mode)
- ESC .............Save and Exit edit mode
- ENTER ...........Save and Exit OR Go to next field in a group
- UP/DOWN .........Select field to edit in a group of fields
- HOME/END ........Move to First/Last field in a group of fields
- PAGE UP/DOWN ....Page Up/Down in a group of fields
-
- CTRL-PAGEUP .....Memorize entire field
- CTRL-PAGEDOWN ...Recall entire memorized field
- CTRL-HOME .......Erase entire field
- CTRL-END ........Restore original field contents
- CTRL-V ..........Insert memorized field at current cursor position
-
- ALT-U/L .........Convert entire field to Uppercase/Lowercase
- ALT-I/D .........Insert/Delete field (lower fields move up or down)
- ALT-T/B .........Mark Top/Bottom of block
- ALT-C ...........Copy marked block
-
- Special Track control keys while in edit mode:
-
- These keys allow you to control playback of the current track, since the
- normal cursor keys control cursor movement. These are handy when entering
- lyrics so you don't need to keep re-playing the track over and over...
- (These keys also work outside of edit mode).
-
- ALT or CTRL-UP .....Pause/Resume playback
- ALT or CTRL-DOWN ...Re-start track
- ALT-LEFT/RIGHT......Reverse/Fastforward search
-
-
- ENTERING LYRICS
- ===============
-
- You may enter lyrics using the built-in editor. This is a simple line-based
- editor with NO text wrapping ability. See the "Editing Keys" section for a
- detailed explanation of individual keys. This section covers the general
- process of entering lyrics. If you have used an external editor to type the
- lyrics see the "Utilities" section.
-
- Press the Lyrics key (F3) then press "E". This will edit lyrics for the
- CURRENTLY SELECTED track.
-
- Editing the lyrics does NOT stop playback, however you may use the
- "ALT/CTRL-CURSOR" keys to control playback while editing. The CTRL-UP key
- is particularly handy as it allows you to listen to a line then pause
- playback while you type it in. When you're ready for the next line press
- CTRL-UP again. If you miss a line or need to re-play a line you can use
- ALT-LEFT to reverse a bit then ALT-RIGHT to catch up (or just let it play).
-
- Most songs have a chorus which is repeated one or more times during the
- song. You can copy these lines using the BLOCK keys. Move to the first line
- of the chorus and press ALT-T to mark the top, then move to the last line and
- press ALT-B to mark the bottom of the block. You can then move to the line
- where the chorus is repeated then press ALT-C to copy the marked lines.
-
- If a certain line or phrase is repeated often, use CTRL-PGUP to memorize
- that line then use CTRL-PGDN to recall it (entire line) or CTRL-V to insert
- it into the current line (at the cursor position).
-
- Feel free to leave some lines blank for clarity. Blank lines will not be
- displayed in Karaoke mode. If you do want a blank line put a period (".") as
- the only character on the line.
-
- After you have typed in a rough version of the lyrics you might want to
- use CTRL-DOWN to re-start playback from the beginning while following along
- with the lyrics using the cursor DOWN key. This will also let you get a
- "feel" for the timing which will come in handy when you synchronize the
- lyrics later on (see next section).
-
- Try to enter all the lyrics for a song BEFORE you synchronize them. When
- you insert lines (ALT-I) or copy lines (ALT-C) no synchronization data will
- be available for those lines. This will cause lyric playback to stop, and you
- will have to re-sync the entire track. Lines without sync information will
- have a "." displayed at the beginning of the line.
-
- To exit Lyrics entry press the ESC key. Lyrics will automatically be saved
- with the appropriate filename (CD{idnum}.{tracknum} format).
-
- And one last thing: Don't trust the lyrics that may be included with the
- CD... They're rarely correct!
-
-
- SYNCHRONIZING LYRICS
- ====================
-
- Select Karaoke mode (F4) then press "E". Playback will be stopped. You will
- be presented with a summary of keys that control synchronization.
-
- Select "I" for an Initial synchronization, or "F" to finetune the
- synchronization. If you don't want to synchronize press the ESC key.
-
- You must have already entered some lyrics before you can synchronize them
- and you must already have synchronized the lyrics before you can finetune
- them (duh)! The initial synchronization process plays the track from start
- to end and you do the entire track in a linear manner. Finetuning will loop
- playback of the selected line so you can adjust when it starts. The current
- line is indicated by a triangular yellow marker.
-
- Note: When you press "I" or "F" playback will begin, so be ready!
-
- Initial Synchronization Keys:
- -----------------------------
-
- SPACE ........Press SPACE at the moment the line is sung
- BACKSPACE ....Re-try the previous line. Playback will return to the
- line before the previous line to give you a chance to
- get ready for the line again
- ESC ..........Abort without saving
-
- Note: The timing information will automatically be saved when the last
- ~~~~~ line has been synchronized.
-
- Finetuning Keys:
- ----------------
-
- UP/DOWN ......Select line to adjust
- PAGE UP/DOWN .Select Previous or Next Page
- LEFT .........Start line earlier (5/75ths of a second)
- CTRL-LEFT ....Start line earlier (half a second)
- RIGHT ........Start line later (5/75ths of a second)
- CTRL-RIGHT ...Start line later (half a second)
- + or - .......Increase/Decrease loop time (20/75ths of a second)
- * ............Set loop to repeat to the start of the next line
- / ............Reset loop time (half the fastforward/reverse time)
- END ..........Exit and Save
- ESC ..........Abort without saving
-
- TIP: for blank lines, if possible, try to start them just AFTER the
- ~~~~ previous line ends so that the line can remain on the screen when in
- Karaoke mode. If there is a long delay before the next line is sung
- wait on the blank line until just a few seconds before it starts.
-
-
- PROGRAMMING
- ===========
-
- Press the Playlist key (F1). To toggle program mode press "G". Use the
- CURSOR keys to move the yellow marker above the track numbers. The name of
- the track under the marker will be displayed at the bottom of the display
- window. You can press DEL or BACKSPACE to delete steps from the playlist. To
- add a track, enter a two-digit number such as "03" or "14". The track will be
- INSERTED at the marker position. Only valid track numbers and "00" will be
- accepted. Entering "00" will insert a pause in the playlist (you must press
- "P" to continue playback).
-
- IMPORTANT NOTE!: When program mode is ENABLED, entering a two-digit track
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ number inserts it into the program playlist regardless of
- the display mode! It does NOT play the track.
-
- You can clear all tracks by pressing "C". Pressing it again will select all
- tracks in track-number order. Shuffle (jumble) all tracks with the "J" key.
- The "^" (shift 6) key will program only those tracks that have lyrics.
-
- If you want to dub the CD to tape use the "%" (shift 5) key. It will ask
- for the length (in minutes) of one side of the tape and insert pauses at the
- correct locations so that songs are not cut off and you can have time to flip
- the tape over or change tapes. You must press P to start playback after the
- CD pauses.
-
- The currently playing track will be highlighted in red. If you delete a
- track that is playing, the next track (if any) will be played. To save
- programmed tracks press the "W" key. The program will be saved in the same
- file that is used for CD information ("CD{idnum}.CD") so that each CD can
- have it's own favourite track programming. If you want to re-load the program
- saved in this file press "L". If you don't want programmed tracks for the
- current CD press "C" to clear the program then "W" to write it to the file.
-
- When "use programmed playlist if available" is enabled the programmed
- tracks will automatically be loaded and enabled when the CD is next inserted.
-
-
- CATALOGING
- ==========
-
- There are three different catalogs:
-
- CD's (.CD ) -- Displays CD titles
- Lyrics (.nnn) -- Displays individual Lyric files
- Albums (.ALB) -- Displays Album files containing lyrics for an entire CD
-
- Press F7 for the catalog. This will read each CD{idnum}.* file and extract
- the appropriate title from the first line then display a list on the screen.
- To cycle between CDs, Lyrics, or Album files press the "\" key. Use the UP or
- DOWN keys to scroll through the list. Use the LEFT and RIGHT keys to page up
- or down the list. A yellow triangle marker at the top of the list shows the
- currently selected line. Press the INS key to sort the catalog by number
- (disk order), ID (time), or title. The yellow marker will point to the sorted
- column.
-
- To delete the currently selected file press the DEL key. To edit the file
- press the "E" key. This will shell to the DOS EDIT command (see your DOS
- manual. Press ALT-F then X to return to SJGPLAY).
-
- Notes: The DOS EDIT command must be in your path for the "E" command to
- ~~~~~~ work. When in the DOS editor all CD control is lost. Be careful when
- editing lyrics with syncronization numbers!
-
- You can not have both lyrics and catalog entries. Switching to
- either lyric (F3/F4) mode will clear the catalog.
-
-
- UTILITIES
- =========
-
- Pressing the "U" or F8 keys will display the Utilities help screen. All
- utilities work at any time, not just when the utility screen is displayed.
- The utility screen is just a reference to help you remember the key commands.
-
- Key Description
- --- -----------
- ! Rename data files with specified {name} to the proper {idnum}
- @ Rename data files with an {idnum} of 000000 to the proper {idnum}
- # Extract Lyrics for current track from 'Album' file
- $ Export lyrics to 'Album' file
- % Program Playlist for Cassette Tape Dub
- ^ Program Playlist with only those tracks that have lyrics
- & Import lyrics for current track from specified file
- * Export Lyrics for current track to specified file
- Z Set Event
- D Set Display Timer
-
- Lyric and Information files
- ---------------------------
-
- The following functions are useful when you have used a text editor to edit
- the lyrics or have obtained a text file containing lyrics from another source.
- There are internet/WWW sites containing song lyrics. Some files may contain
- lyrics for many songs all in a single file (referred to as an "Album" file).
-
- Renaming:
-
- The "!" and "@" keys will rename all files to the proper format. If you're
- not running the program and don't know the {idnum} of a specific CD, you can
- substitute "CD000000" or a {name} of your own choosing while creating the
- files. When the CD is inserted and the proper {idnum} is known they can be
- renamed. Only the first part of the filename will be renamed! Files must
- still end in the proper format (.CD for information files or .001, .002 etc
- for lyric files) The "@" key will prompt you for the {name} of the files.
-
- So, for example, if you typed out the lyrics for tracks one and two from
- the CD "Ace of Base - The Sign" and called them "thesign.001" and
- "thesign.002" you would press "@" then enter "thesign" when prompted for the
- {name}. This would then rename the files to "CD206107.001" and "CD206107.002"
- since the {idnum} for that CD is 206107. The {idnum} for the current CD is
- displayed on the help screen if you want to know what it is. You can also
- type: SJGPLAY INFO on the command line.
-
- Album Files: (Extracting/Exporting)
-
- The "#" key will extract lyrics from an "Album" file containing many songs.
- Each song in the file must begin with the text "@SONG:" followed by the song
- name. The program will extract all lines after that line, up until another
- "@SONG" line is reached (or if all lines are filled).
-
- You will be prompted to enter the complete path of the "Album" file and the
- name of the song to extract. The name of the song must exactly BEGIN with
- what is entered, however it is not case-sensitive. If you enter an incomplete
- song name, the first song matching that will be extracted. For example, if
- you enter "do i" as the song name, it would extract "Do I Love You" or
- "Do I Know", whichever came first in the "Album" file.
-
- If the Song is not found, a list of song names will be displayed. This
- information is held temporarily as lyrics and will disappear if the display
- mode or track is changed.
-
- Make an Album file:
-
- The "$" key will create an Album file for the current CD. You will be asked
- for an optional comment and if you'd like to delete the individual lyric
- files. Only answer YES if you've entered all the lyrics and syncronized them
- and you're happy with them. Once an album file is created the program will
- automatically extract individual lyrics from the album file when needed, so
- individual lyric files are not strictly nessessary (although once they are
- deleted you won't be able to list the song names in the lyric catalog). Album
- files take up less hard drive space than individual lyric files.
-
- Important: The make album function REQUIRES individual lyric files. Don't
- ~~~~~~~~~~ try to make another album file once you've deleted the
- individual files... You will loose all the lyrics! (You WILL be
- warned!) To re-create individual lyric files, press F3 then edit
- EACH track (IE: E, ESC, +, E, ESC, + etc...).
-
- Importing (copy):
-
- The "&" key will copy a lyric file into the data directory with the proper
- filename. If the file is not in the current directory you must enter the
- complete path along with the filename. It will be copied to the data
- directory with the proper CD{idnum}.{tracknum} filename.
-
- Exporting (save as):
-
- The "*" key will save the current lyrics to a file with a name of your
- choice. You will be prompted to enter the filename. This is useful for songs
- that appear on more than one CD in your collection. Just give the file the
- appropriate file name (in the format CD{idnum}.{tracknum}) for the other CD.
- Or, you can give it any name (be sure to end the name with the proper track
- number ie: 002) then when you insert the other CD, go to the proper track and
- use the "@" key to rename it.
-
- Set Event:
-
- Press "Z" to set the Event. When the time of day reaches the specified time
- the event is performed. You can set any or all of the following:
-
- Message........Display message in big letters (leave blank to skip)
- Track Control..Track#=Play track, 0=No change, -1=Stop
- Display Mode...Set display mode (0=No change)
-
- The time must be specified to the exact second. If a message is entered it
- will be displayed for 5 seconds. The event time is cleared after each event.
-
- Set Display Timer:
-
- Press "D" to set the Display Timer. After a specified time interval the
- display mode will rotate to the next mode in the mode list. Each display mode
- is a single digit or character. Do not enter spaces in the mode list.
-
- Modes 1 to 9 correspond to function keys F1 to F9. Mode "A", "B" and "C"
- correspond to F10, F11 and F12 respectively. So, for example, entering
- "125B" as the mode list would rotate between Playlist, CD Info, Title, and
- Frequency bars.
-
- To cancel display mode rotation enter "0" as the time interval or select a
- display mode via one of the function keys.
-
-
- ERROR CONDITIONS
- ================
-
- If an error occurs in the program (if you enter an illegal character in a
- filename, or the printer is off, for example) the program will print an error
- message and, depending on the type of error, give you the opportunity to
- either: Retry, Cancel, or Abort the program. Choose "Retry" if the problem is
- something you can fix (ie: turning the printer online or feeding paper).
- Choose "Cancel" if it's something you can't fix (ie: don't have a printer)
- and the program will cancel the operation. Choose "Abort" if "Retry"
- keeps giving you the same error and "Cancel" won't work either (probably my
- programming error...).
-
-
- COMMAND-LINE ARGUMENTS
- ======================
-
- SJGPLAY can be controlled through command-line arguments. These may be used
- to modify how the program is run or can be used to control CD functions from
- the command line (or via a batch file) without actually interacting with the
- program. Program-mode options must appear on the command line by themselves.
- Control-mode options may be listed with spaces separating each one, and will
- be executed in the order they appear.
-
- Program-mode arguments:
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- CHECK..........Checks if a CD is in the drive. If there is no CD in the
- drive the program will exit. If there is a CD in the drive
- the program will run normally. This can be used in your
- AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that you can play CD's when the
- computer boots up.
-
- CONFIG:file....Specifies a secondary configuration file. Settings in
- this file override those set in the default config file
- (which is read first). You can use a text editor to create
- the file (or edit the default configuration) to include
- only those setting you want to change. The file may also
- include a "PATH=" statement to change the data path from
- the default set via the SJGPLAY environment variable.
-
- NOTE: The following arguments can be shortened to the first 4 characters
-
- Control-mode arguments:
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Device control:
-
- UNIT:nn ...Select drive unit# nn (0=first drive, 1=second drive etc)
- EJECT .....Eject any type of CD
- NODATA ....Eject CD-ROM's only
- NOAUDIO ...Eject Audio CD's only
-
- Playback:
-
- PLAY:nn ...Play track nn (plays current track if nn not specified)
- SINGLE:nn .Single-play track nn (stops at end of track)
- NEXT ......Play next track
- PREVIOUS ..Play previous track
- STOP ......Stop CD playback
-
- Information:
-
- INFO.......Display CD info including track titles and time, total time
- TRACK......Display track name and number
- TNUMBER....Display track number only
- ELAPSED....Display track elapsed time
- TITLE......Display CD title
-
- Conditionals:
-
- The following arguments can be used to stop command line parsing if the
- specified condition is false, or continue if the condition is true:
-
- IFSTOPPED..If the CD is stopped then continue parsing CMDLIST
- IFPLAYING..If the CD is playing then continue parsing CMDLIST
- IFAUDIO ...If the CD is an Audio CD (more than 1 track) then continue
- IFCD.......If a CD is inserted then continue parsing CMDLIST,
- If not, then exit with ERRORLEVEL=1 (useful in batch files)
-
- if the condition is false then the remaining arguments on the
- command-line are ignored.
-
- When in command-line mode, commands are executed in order and control is
- returned to the dos prompt (or calling program).
-
- Some examples:
-
- SJGPLAY CHECK ....................Run the program if a CD is in the drive
- SJGPLAY INFO .....................Display name, track titles of current CD
- SJGPLAY IFAUDIO PLAY:1 ...........If the an audio disc is inserted then
- play track 1 (put this in your AUTOEXEC!)
- SJGPLAY IFSTOPPED PLAY:5 .........Play track 5 if the CD is NOT playing
- SJGPLAY UNIT:0 STOP UNIT:1 PLAY ..Stop CD in unit 0 then start playing the
- current track of unit 1
- SJGPLAY NOAUDIO ..................Eject the CD if it is an audio CD.
- (maybe your system gets confused if an
- audio disc is inserted?)
- SJGPLAY CONFIG:C:\MYCONFIG.CFG ...Specify a secondary config file called
- "myconfig.cfg" located in the root
- directory of drive C:
-
- REVISION CHANGES
- ================
-
- 1.00 - Initial Public Release.
- 1.01 - Fixed large "[" and "y" characters, A/B repeat lyric scrolling.
- Fixed DEL key to delete program step (deleted twice).
- Fixed bug that caused repeat modes to fail with programmed tracks.
- Fixed INTRO when REPEAT enabled.
- 1.02 - Fixed Extract. Changed time display while in edit mode to update
- only once per second to speed up editing. Added save lyric message.
- 1.03 - Fixed playback stopping. Fixed command line "single" option.
- Allow track jumping even if Repeat set to "one".
- Added printing of CDInfo, Lyrics and Catalog.
- 1.04 - Added initial repeat mode to config. Added Reset CD-ROM ("~").
- Added reset playlist ("S" when CD stopped). Added Import Lyric("&").
- Changed disc-change and volume routines. Improved error trapping.
- 1.05 - Small speed improvements and code re-organization.
- 1.06 - Fixed updating of track titles.
- If using SoundBlaster, volume level defaults to current volume
- setting (rather than 99%).
- 1.10 - Added mouse control. Added SHIFT-TAB to go to previous mode.
- Added Remaining frame time mode.
- 1.20 - Added Frequency Bars (F11), Scope (F12), Display Timer ("D").
- Added "Drv" Repeat mode to link drives. Added Mouse Button-bars.
- Added mouse control for "Yes/No" responses.
- Replaced Catalog sorting routine with quicksort (much faster!).
- Faster Help and Configuration screen drawing.
- Fixed updating of Drive Unit Letter when no disc inserted.
- Fixed command-line "ifcd" and "unit" operation.
- Fixed mouse clicking (leaving the wrong color behind) and mouse
- disappearing when over areas that changed.
- Changed action of left mouse click on certain display modes.
- Removed command-line "monitor" command.
- Added direct support for album files.
- 1.21 - Changed large font to proportional spacing (more text on each line).
- Slight text changes. Added command-line "ifaudio" command.
- Fixed Extract for album files with sync info.
- Fixed Make Album causing "lyrics not available".
- Changed order of Button-bars. Added "|" to toggle Button-bars.
- Added Karaoke background and text colours to config.
- Displays lyrics with a single "." as blank lines in karaoke mode.
-
-
- KNOWN BUGS AND MISSING FEATURES
- ===============================
-
- I've tried to test the program as thoroughly as possible, however bugs can
- still occur. As stated at the beginning, I can't test every possible
- combination of equipment, so your milage may vary... Anyway, here are a few
- of the bugs I haven't been able to squash (yet!):
-
- - Command-line option "NODATA" to eject cd-roms not working - all cd's
- appear to be audio to the DSE library's "IsData%" function.
- - volume control via CD-ROM not working (SoundBlaster works fine... this
- seems to be a missing feature in the library. I'm waiting for a
- response from DSE...)
- - the cursor sometimes jumps one character to the right when editing.
-
-
- IDEAS FOR FUTURE VERSIONS
- =========================
-
- Some of the things I'm considering for future versions of the program
- (in no particular order):
-
- - ability to include comments with each CD or Lyric file
- - more cataloging information like music category (rock, pop, etc)
- - programming across multiple drive units.
- - searching (find song titles or lyrics)
-
- If you want to see any of these added, have ideas of your own, or have a
- comment, send me a message via e-mail. I can't promise you I'll add them but
- I will consider all reasonable requests.
-
- If you have assembly source code for a REAL spectrum analyzer which you'd
- like to donate (that could be integrated into Microsoft's Basic PDS 7.1),
- please e-mail me.
-
- Thank-you for using SJGPLAY!
-
- END.
-
-