File: AVL_READ.ME March 14, 1995 ************************************************************************** AERIAL VIEW LITE by Gary Mart MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Aerial View Lite requires the following minimum configuration: 1. Minimum of an 80386 cpu 2. Graphics card which displays 256 colors with a resolution of at least 640 x 480 3. Mouse, with the mouse driver loaded 4. Minimum of 4 Mb of RAM (more is preferred) Aerial View Lite will run in a Windows 3.1 DOS box. See the Help section in Windows 3.1 or look in the file 'AV.HLP.' ************************************************************************** INITIAL SETUP At the end of the file GO_LITE.BAT are the following two lines: rem set DOS4GVM=1 av_lite /d /h1280 /w1280 Setting DOS4GVM turns on the virtual memory option of the DOS extender. Leave it remarked (rem) out if there is enough RAM because it reduces speed. The /d switch brings up the video mode selection menu. The /h and /w switches set the width and height of the offscreen pixmap in pixels. IF THERE IS ENOUGH RAM, INCREASE THE /h AND /w. For a 16-Mb machine, /w3000 and /h3000 would be appropriate. See Help section on Memory Management or look in the file 'av.hlp.' ************************************************************************** SETTING THE VIDEO MODE Before selecting the video mode, determine the type of video driver your system is using, either from the documentation that came with your system, or from the start up information displayed on your screen when the system is booted. A long list appears from which to select a video card/mode. Aerial View Lite attempts to determine what video hardware is installed. Lines with an '*' in the first column are likely to work, those with a '?' might work, and those with a '-' most likely won't work. Choose an appropriate card/mode with 256 colors and at least 640 x 480 resolution, although 800 x 600 is recommended. If the screen goes blank, fills with garbage, or does nothing for a long time, hit the Enter key a couple of times and type "mode co80" to return to text mode. If this doesn't work, reboot and select a different card/mode. The 'VESA' modes will work on most computers. Mode identifiers of '*', '?', or '-' are indicators only. Some modes marked with '*' may not work, while some marked with '-' may work. If the list doesn't appear, the video card may not be compatible with the tests that Aerial View Lite performs to determine which video card is installed. Run Aerial View Lite with the "/l" option to get a list of supported video cards. indicates the name of a DOS text file into which available video modes will be written. View the new file, select the appropriate video card, and note the card_id. Restart Aerial View Lite with the "/c" option instead of the /d option. See the Help section on Video Modes or look in the file 'av.hlp.' ************************************************************************** INSTALLATION Aerial View Lite is contained in a self-extracting zip file named AVL_ZIP.EXE. When this file is installed on a local hard drive, the following directory structure is created: \ |__ av_lite Installation is performed automatically by using the install menu option provided with this CD-ROM or manually by the user. Automatic installation installs the software to the C: drive in a directory named 'AV_LITE.' Manual installation is performed by obtaining a DOS prompt and entering the following: d:\av_lite\avl_zip -d or d:\av_lite\avl_inst where 'd:' designates the drive that is the CD-ROM and designates the root directory of the hard drive on which to install Aerial View Lite. AVL_INST executes the same batch file executed by the menu program. ************************************************************************** RUNNING AERIAL VIEW LITE To run Aerial View Lite for the first time, change to the AV_LITE directory and type 'GO_LITE.' When Aerial View Lite has been properly installed on your hard drive and the correct graphic card/mode has been selected, future sessions of Aerial View Lite are started by typing the command 'AV_LITE.' ************************************************************************** TECHNICAL SUPPORT Aerial View Lite is the property of Gary Mart, Computer Software Systems. Technical support is available from him via the following methods: BBS: (503) 385-1002 . . . . . . . download a newer version leave a message upload a file download the FAQ FTP: transport.com/pub/users/css . . . download a newer version download the FAQ WWW: www.transport.com/~gmart/css.html . upload a file email: css_support@transport.com . . . send a message attach a file Voice: sorry . . . . . . . . . . registered users only Mail: Computer Software Systems 20509 Woodside N. Dr. Bend, OR 97702 USA **************************************************************************