NATK14.TXT

"Neiki's Astro Tool Kit"  version 1.4.1
---------------------------------------

May 6, 1995

0. RELATED FILES
1. NEW FEATURES OF VERSION 1.4
2. DESCRIPTION
3. REQUIREMENTS
4. HOW TO INSTALL
5. DISTRIBUTION FILES
6. SHAREWARE POLICY
7. COMPATIBILITY


0. RELATED FILES

Files:
NATK14S1.ZIP    Neiki's Astrology Tool Kit v1.4.1 for Windows
NATK14RT.ZIP    Neiki's Astrology Tool Kit - Run-Time

NOTE: If you are upgrading from 1.2.x to 1.4.1, you only need
      the file NATK14S1.ZIP (NATK14RT.ZIP is identical with the
      previous NATK12RT.ZIP)


1. NEW FEATURES OF VERSION 1.4

The new features in version 1.4.1 are:

   - the new "Misc." menu allows to start/end the new 
     DDE server mode

   - a sample DDE client program is included with this 
     package. It comes with its source code (for Microsoft
     Visual Basic 3.0)

   - the "Misc." menu has a submenu "At startup..." that lets
     you decide if you want or not to have the program draw 
     the chart of the current sky when it starts (by checking
     "Draw chart of sky").

   - chart data input is more convenient: you can click on 
     the [Cities...] button to get to lists of cities with 
     their longitudes, latitudes and offset from GMT. You can
     customize your own list of cities or use one of the two
     included. There is still no limit on location of a chart:
     you can create a chart for anywhere on Earth (if you know
     the coordinates).

   - the input of the longitude and latitude is more flexible 
     and now also allows the use of the ddXmmss format 
     (where "X" is W, E, N or S).

   - the Options and Draw menus have been slightly improved.


2. DESCRIPTION

"Neiki's Astro Tool Kit" is a simple program to draw and print
astrology charts. Yet, it is very accurate and many of its
options can be adjusted to the needs and preferences of the
user.

Its features are:
    - high-resolution WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get")
      on-screen display and printer output
    - simplified interactive help using "Help" buttons
    - 32 pages User's Manual in a Windows Write file

    - charts can be created for anywhere on Earth: the lists
      of cities can be used to make the input of the data
      of a chart more convenient, but, you are free to create
      a chart for any location (if you know the coordinates)

    - DDE Server mode that responds to requests to compute
      charts
    - includes a sample DDE client (with VB source code)

    - two (2) styles of birth charts:
	+ House wheel (with or without aspect table)
        + Aspects chart
    - Synastry chart: graph of interaspects between two birth
      charts
    - Transits chart (Mars to Pluto): graph of transits to a 
      birth chart

    - compute and display positions of:
        + Sun, Moon, all other 8 planets (Mercury to Pluto),
        + Mean and True Lunar Nodes
	+ Pars Fortunae
    - high precision planetary positions computation
    - six (6) houses systems: Koch, Placidus, Campanus, 
      Regiomontanus, Equal, Vehlow

    - Natal report with: planets and houses positions, summary 
      of elements and triplicities (by signs and houses), list
      of aspects (with their "weight-index", a new concept used
      to find the important aspects)
    - Synastry report: list of interaspects
    - Transits report: planets positions, list of transits

    - support all screens and printers that Windows can use
    - feature to select output for color or black & white 
      printer

    - many users defined settings, including:
        orbs of aspects (birth charts),
        orbs of transits,
        orbs of synastry inter-aspects,
        choice of where output of reports can be sent to: 
         clipboard, text file or to a preview window (font 
	 can be selected before output is sent to printer),
        and many others.

    - reasonable registration fee (see 6. SHAREWARE POLICY)



3. REQUIREMENTS

You need a 386 or 486 SX or DX PC with 4 MB of RAM, Windows 3.1
(or Windows for Workgroup 3.11 or Windows NT 3.5 and enough RAM)
and 2 MB of disk space. A math co-processor is useful but NOT
required. 

Time to compute a chart:

    386 DX (40 MHz) without co-proc:      2.6 seconds

    486 DX (33 MHz) with co-proc:       < 0.2 second.



4. HOW TO INSTALL

There are two parts to the installation:
  - Part 1 Install the files
  - Part 2 Start the application (NATK14.EXE) for the
           first time and complete the dialog to create the 
           Program Manager Icon for the program.

*** Part 1: To install the files

   1) Create a directory for this software.
      Use either File Manager or, at the DOS prompt, type:
		c:
		cd \
		mkdir NEIKI

   2) copy all the distribution files (NATK14RT.ZIP, 
      NATK14S?.ZIP and NATK14.TXT) to C:\NEIKI

   3) Unzip both NATK14*.ZIP files. To do this with PKUNZIP,
      using the DOS prompt, do like this:
		c:
		cd \NEIKI
		pkunzip NATK14*

   4) Now the files are installed. You should copy the .ZIP
      files to a floppy disk as a backup. If you want to
      make a copy to give to a friend, please copy the ZIP
      files and NATK14.TXT: you are sure that he/she will 
      have all the needed pieces.
      (Once you are done with the installation and have copied
      the ZIP files to a floppy, you can free some space on 
      your hard disk by deleting the .ZIP files from the 
      \NEIKI directory).


*** Part 2: Starting the program and creating the icon

   You can browse on your hard disk with FILE MANAGER and
   double-click on the NATK14.EXE program file, OR, follow the
   instructions below...

   NOTE: The example given here assumes that you decided to 
         copy files in the directory above mentioned, C:\NEIKI

   1) From within Windows Program Manager, choose the menu
      "File", select item "Run".

   2) Type
		c:\neiki\natk14
      and press
		ENTER

   3) Follow the instructions on screen.


5. DISTRIBUTION FILES

Excluding the description file you are reading, there are two (2)
distribution files: NATK14S?.ZIP and NATK14RT.ZIP

    NATK14S?.ZIP    contains:

                    README.TXT      installation instruction
                                    & last minute notes
                    NEIKI.WRI       User's Manual
                    NATK14.EXE      program file
                    ASTRCAL2.DLL    computation module
                    VWSIGNON.DLL    logo & icon module
                    NEIKI.ICO       icon (for OS/2 Warp)
                    CHARTS1.OCH     sample charts file
                    LICENSE.TXT     text of User's License
                    REGISTER.TXT    registration form
                    DELUXE.TXT      order form for DELUXE version
                    LRZ5_24         ephemeris file
                    CHI_24          ephemeris file
                    DDE-CLT1.EXE    DDE Client (executable)
                    DDE-CLT1.FRM    DDE Client (source code)
                    DDE-CLT1.MAK    "
                    DDE-CLT1.TXT    DDE Client (ASCII source)

    NATK14RT.ZIP    contains:

                    VWBAS20.DLL     run-time modules
                    VWICONS.DLL     (all are needed to
                    VWVM20.DLL       run NATK14.EXE)
                    VWHELP.DLL
                    VWDLGS20.DLL
                    VWFLOAT.DLL
                    VWABORT.DLL
                        
NOTE: When there will be a newer version of NATK, you will NOT 
      need to download the Run-Time files (NATK14RT.ZIP) again.

****  Actually, if you upgrading from 1.2.x to 1.4.x, you don't
      need NATK14RT.ZIP, your old NATK12RT.ZIP contains the
      same files.



6. SHAREWARE POLICY

You should read the details of the license in the file LICENSE.TXT

Basically, you have the Author's permission to try this software 
for 60 days without any cost. 

If you like this software, you should send you registration with 
the specified amount of money ($29 US or $39 Canadian) at least 
three (3) weeks before the end of the sixty (60) days period. The 
program will reduce its functionalities to a minimum when the 60 
days period is over.

You can find the registration form in the file REGISTER.TXT



7. COMPATIBILITY

Users have reported that they have successfully used Neiki
with Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroup 3.11 and Windows NT
3.5 -- Windows 95 has NOT been tested yet.

The author has used Neiki with OS/2 Warp 3.0 without any
problem. Now, the files include NEIKI.ICO to allow you
to associate the proper icon to NATK14.EXE if you use it
with Warp.

Somehow, it seems that the video drivers for some graphics
card cause a conflict which result in a GPF.

If this happens to you AND IF you are technically at ease with
the configuration of Windows, you can try to use the standard 
(generic) Windows video drivers instead of the one optimized
for your video card. Make sure you know how to re-configure
Windows with the DOS program used to install/configure Windows
before juggling video drivers!

Please E-Mail the author if you have GPFs with the new release.




(c) Copyright 1994,1995 by Jean-Francois Touchette
    and Falgor, Archimede & Neiki.
______________________________________________________________
  
MS Write, Visual Basic and Microsoft Windows are trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation. PKUNZIP is a trademark of PKWARE Inc.
