eCard maker readme

Instructions
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The eCard maker can use pictures that you have on your computer or take a video input to create a photo strip from which you can choose an image. 

eCards are cross platform. People using the Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or Mac systems can view their eCards by getting the appropiate eViewer from:

http://www.emedialtd.com

eViewers are free.


Windows 95 users
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For batch importing and editing pictures the color depth should be set to 8 bit 256 colors.
To use the video input you can be set to 8 bit 256 colors or 16 bit. There is no advantage to having the monitor set to 24 bit color.
The screen size must be set to 640 x 480.

Settings - Pictures - EDIT
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One image is included in the album. 
You can paste an image from the clipboard into the album. 
It is best if your picture has the Windows 20 colour palette included.

Delete a picture by highlighting it and hitting the delete key on your keyboard.

To save your pictures in the album click on the Save Album button.

Click on a picture to edit it.

You can resize the picture, fit the picture to the frame, crop a picture to the frame. 

To reset the picture click on the Picture icon.

You can use the mouse to position the picture or the arrow keys on the keyboard.
You can paste an image from the clipboard into the picture.
A few simple frames are included. You can change these by clicking on the arrow buttons under the Frame button.
Clicking on the frame buttom resets the frame to a blank frame.
You can edit the picture decription by clicking on it and typing your own picture description.
After you have finished editing a picture click on the Save Picture button.


Settings - Pictures - DESCRIPTIONS
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Eight pictures (if you have that many in your album) and their descriptions are shown. You can edit the descriptions by clicking on the field.
Click on the Next Set button to edit the descriptions for the other eight pictures.

Settings - Pictures - BATCH IMPORT
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To use Batch Import you have to put the pictures you wish to import in the same directory as the eCard maker. Up to 16 pictures can be Batch Imported. Any pictures in your album will be deleted during a batch Import.

The pictures you are importing must be 8 bit 256 color.
If possible you could sixe you images before importing them. Horizontal images are 400 pixels wide by 300 pixels high.
Vertical images are 300 pixels wide by 400 pixels high.

Do not try to import many large images. The system may crash and you will have to reboot.

Settings - Sound
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You can change the playback volume by moving the red button along the bar.
You can turn the sound off (recording) by clicking on the sound  off button. To use the same sound message in many eCards, click on the Use Same Sound Message button.
Change the lenth of the sound message you can record by clicking on the arrows. The maximum length is 10 seconds.

Settings - Video
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If you have a video camera connected to your system, click on the Video On button.

Settings - Text
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To change the decription under the video picture edit the description here.

Settings - eCard Mailer
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Type in the path to your email software and open up this software by clicking on the Open button. Your email software should be set to offline. Click on an eCard in the Index and the field on the right will be filled in with the appropiate information. You can copy these fields to the clipboard and paste them into you email software, composing a message with the eCard as an attachment.

SENDING eCards
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Attach the eCard to an e-mail message, using MIME type encoding.

If the person receiving the eCard does not have an eViewer, please tell them they can download one from:

http://www.emedialtd.com

eViewers are free.



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Any questions or comments please contact: daveroe@emedialtd.com
