README.TXT  -  Last minutes notes  -  May 6, 1995	


"Neiki's Astro Tool Kit"  version 1.4.1



This file contains the following sections:

	0. New Features of version 1.4.1
	1. Starting the program and creating the icon
	2. Requirements for version 1.4
	3. Math Co-Processor performances
	4. Solutions to problems with ICON creation
	5. Solutions to printing problems
	6. Known problems
	7. Registering...
	8. The Deluxe Edition
	   and Supplemental Ephemeris Files


The basic information on how to use Neiki are in the USER'S
GUIDE. The USER'S GUIDE is included as a Windows Write
document.  It was copied in the directory where you have
installed this software. The name of the file is NEIKI.WRI

===============================================================

0. New Features of version 1.4.1
--------------------------------

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.




1. Starting the program and creating the icon
---------------------------------------------

If you can read this, then you have extracted the other files
(including NATK14.EXE) from the ZIP files. (If not, please
read NATK14.TXT).

Here is how to start the program for the first time and create
its icon:

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

   OR follow these instructions:

   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.




2. Requirements for version 1.4:
--------------------------------

 The following hardware and software items are required
 to run "Neiki's Astro Tool Kit":

    []  a 386 or 486 PC with 4 MB of RAM  (8 MB is better)

    []  Windows 3.1 (or Windows for Workgroup 3.11
        or Windows NT 3.5 -- with enough RAM)

    []  2 MB of disk space where you decide to install the
	application.



3. Math Co-Processor performances
---------------------------------

On a 386 DX (40 MHz) without Math Co-Processor, computing a
chart takes 2.6 seconds.

On a 486 DX (33 MHz) with Math Co-Processor, it takes less than
0.2 second.




4. Solutions to problems with ICON creation
-------------------------------------------

In some odd cases (if you have removed some files from
\windows\system), you might have problems while creating an
icon for "NATK" in Program Manager...

 Error:	    "Error loading DLL ..."

 Solution:  Make shure that the file DDEML.DLL is in your
	    C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

	    It should look like this:

		ddeml.dll   38,400 .a.. 28-04-93  0:00:00

	    If DDEML.DLL is not good or suspect, use the
	    EXPAND.EXE program to copy DDEML.DL_ from the
            Windows 3.1 distribution diskettes (you have to 
            find which diskette it is) to DDEML.DLL in the
            C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

	    EXPAND.EXE must be run from the MS-DOS prompt.
	    The command to execute it will be something like:

	       expand a:\ddeml.dl_ c:\windows\system\ddeml.dll




5. Solutions to Printing problems
---------------------------------

 Problem:	(Only observed with Everex Laser Printer) 
                Positions do not show properly on the printed 
                House chart.

 Solution:	In the Options menu, choose "Draw chart 
                options". Once the dialog box is opened, 
                in the "House chart:" box, click to disable
                "use small characters for positions".

		


6. Known problems
-----------------

Most the problems described here are related to specific
installations or to the implementation of Windows.

1) GPF and incompatible video drivers:

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 results 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!


2) Printing report when using Compaq 800*600 SVGA Large Fonts
   mode: 
   the fonts are bigger than they are supposed to be: Arial 10
   points is more like 12 points, etc.

      Solution:   This problem does not appear with the same 
                  driver in the 800*600 Small Fonts mode nor
                  in the 640*480 VGA mode.

3) "The chart drawing does not scroll properly when I click on
   the scroll bar or on the scroll arrow".

      Solution 1: Reset the Zoom to 100%. This problem only
                  happens with other Zoom values.

      Solution 2: (If you use other Zoom values...)
                  After you have scrolled the drawing as you
                  want, click on the maximize or on the restore
                  button on the upper right corner of the
                  window. The window will redraw itself
                  properly.

4) In the "Report Print Shop", the [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys do
   NOT always work.

      Solution:   The application receives the [PgUp] and
                  [PgDn] keys ONLY when the cursor (blinking
                  vertical bar) is in the "Header:" or
                  "Footer:" fields.

		  The [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys will NOT work if 
                  the "focus" is on one the radio or push 
                  buttons.

		  Click on one of the "Header:" or "Footer:" 
                  fields or TAB to one of them.

5) The "Copy to Clipboard" item of the "Draw" menu does NOT 
   copy the complete drawing of the House (or Aspects) Chart.

      Solution:   None yet.

                  Anyway, a Paste into Paintbrush is less than
                  beautiful: the bitmaps drawing of Paintbrush
                  cannot really use the higher resolution 
                  drawings created by "Neiki's Astro Tool Kit".

		  The best output for a chart is directly to a
                  printer.

		  A future version will provide a way to export
                  a chart drawing to a file in the Windows
                  "Metafile" graphics format.

6) Though you can start "Neiki's Astro Tool Kit" two or more 
   times, this will most probably lead to serious problems: 
   UAE, GPF or even Windows crashing.

   The next version will forbid starting a second instance of 
   the application.


7. Registering...
-----------------

This software is NOT free... except for a first period of sixty
(60) days to try it. The details are in LICENSE.TXT

To register this software (and unlock some of its functions)
fill the registration form in REGISTER.TXT and mail it to us
with your check. We will send you your personal "registration
information".

Once you will have entered your personal "registration
information" in the program, the following features will be
enabled:
    - printing of Synastry charts
    - printing of Transits charts
    - disabling/enabling DDE Server Monitor window
    - automatic start of DDE Server mode at startup
    - the menu item "Look at Sky Now", which draws an aspects
      chart of the sky as it is now.

The fee for one Registered User License of "Neiki's Astro Tool 
Kit" is:

  Canadian residents:		$39.00 (Can)  	(taxes included)
  US residents and others:	$29.00 (US)

Please look at REGISTER.TXT for details and to print the form.

Instead of registering the shareware version, you can buy the
"Deluxe Edition"... see next item.



8. The Deluxe Edition
---------------------

There is another edition of this "Neiki" software, with more
features: "Neiki's Astro Tool Kit DELUXE".

"Neiki" charts files (*.obc) and options file (options.obf)
are fully compatible with "Neiki DELUXE" files.

"Neiki DELUXE" has the same menus as "Neiki" but with some 
more features:
    - Transits not only of "slow", but also of "fast" planets
      (Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus)
    - Sky Display Mode: this mode draws an aspects chart of 
      the sky in real time (you select a refresh interval 
      between 5 and 60 seconds)
    - compute and display positions of Lilith and Chiron
    - include more ephemeris files and cover the period 
      between 1600 to 2680 AD. (Neiki only covers the 
      years 1860 to 2131 AD).


You can buy "Neiki DELUXE" directly from the author (see file
DELUXE.TXT) or through our US distributor.

The US distributor handles credit cards and does phone order:

    MICROCYCLES Inc.
    PO Box 3175
    Culver City CA 90231-3175
    USA

    Phone: (310) 202-8337   inquiries
	   1-800-8-CYCLES   orders
           Mon-Fri  10am-5pm (Pacific Time)

    The suggested retail price is $59 US.
    The actual resale price could be lower.


MICROCYCLES or the author can also sell you a set of two 
1.4M diskettes with ephemeris files for "Neiki" that cover 
up to 8490 years (from the BC era to the next milleniums AD).

The full set contains the ephemeris files for the slow planets
("LRZ5_??") for the years 5258 BC to 3499 AD and the ephemeris
files for Chiron ("CHI_??") for the years 5258 BC to 3226 AD.


The author, Jean-Francois Touchette, only accept checks or money
orders (in US or Canadian funds):

	Falgor, Archimede & Neiki
	PO Box 1631, Station "B"
	Montreal (Que)
	H3B 3L3    CANADA

The author sells "Neiki DELUXE" at these prices:

  Canadian residents:		$79.00 (Can)  	(taxes included)
  US residents and others:	$59.00 (US)

Orders will be mailed within 7 days. Please allow three (3) weeks
for delivery (in the US and Canada). There is an order form in
the file DELUXE.TXT for your convenience.



(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.
