
Help.txt for

Calmira Channel Bar 
(Web Bar w/ graphics or Web Bar 2.0)

Designed with Klaus Timmerman's STX HotSplash v1.61

Based on idea conceived and developed by Sean King.
(Go to Sean King's Website at http://www.seanie.clara.net/calmira.htm  
 or send e-mail to seanie@clara.net)

Contents:

	-Requirements
	-Important Note
	-Known Problems
	-Configuring for your Browser
	-Creating new buttons

Requirements:
	-Windows 3.x
	-Internet Browser (Netscape, Opera, Internet Explorer...)
	-Approx. 170KB Free Hard Drive space
	-16 colors
	-sound card (optional)

NOTE: 	This is a freeware program built with a shareware program. 
      	I'll be glad to help you with any problems, but any hardware/
      	software conflicts need to be addressed to Mr. Timmerman.
                                              mr-bean@cybernet.dk

Known problems;
	-In 640x480 resolution the channel bar appears behind the taskbar.

	This can be solved two ways; move the bar's title bar outside of 
	the screen, the whole bar should then be visible. Another way would
	be to e-mail me and I'll send you a shortened version.

	-The channel bar refuses to change size.

	The channel bar is basically a bitmap picture (channel.bmp),with 
	animated bitmaps placed on it (butn*.bmp) as buttons. In which 
	case, the only way to resize it would be to change the bitmaps, 
	which I will describe below.

	-It gives an error message when I click on a button.

	This means that the channel bar is not configured for your browser. 
	You will have to modify channel.ini for this. It is very simple to 
	change, and that is described later as well.

	-There is no menu for adding buttons.

	This also requires modifying the bitmaps and channel.ini.

Configuring for your Browser;

	Open up "Channel.ini" in Notepad from the directory you unzipped the 
	channel bar into. Do not be discouraged by the numerous items in this 
	file, just scroll down to [HotSpot1] section. It will say:
		Rect=Animation1
		Action=LaunchApp
		AppName=c:\opera\opera.exe http://www.calmira.org
	The Rect and Action statements are unnecessary for this section, so 
	just ignore them. Where it says AppName it has the location of your 
	browser. It is currently configured for Opera Internet Browser. If 
	you have Opera, and that's where it is located, ignore this section.
	
	Under every hotspot that has this statement, change it to the location of
	your browser. A common location for Netscape would be c:\netscape\netscape.exe
	or for Internet Explorer: c:\iexplore\iexplore.exe.

	Recap:

	Open Channel.ini with notepad.
	change where it says c:\opera\opera.exe to the location of your browser.
	Save your changes. 

	Note; if this is too complicated, I will include channel.opr, channel.net
	and channel.iex in the next edition, e-mail me if you think I should!

Creating new buttons;

	There are three ways of doing this; one for the less artistically inclined, 
	one for the more artistic types, or just e-mail me.
	
	1. Less artistic.

		Open Paintbrush. (go to run, and type "pbrush.exe") 
		Open the bitmap of the next blank button on the channel bar.
		(if you haven't changed any, open "butn08.bmp", if you've modified
		this one, then open "butn09.bmp" and so on.)
		Type in a name for your button using paintbrush. (by pressing "abc"
		on the toolbar on the left.)
		This must fit to the left of the white line.
		Use the scissors button at the top left of paintbrush to cut out 
		the name and move it to the right of the white line. (this creates 
		the animation as you pass the mouse over the channel bar)
		Save it.

		Open Channel.ini in Notepad.
		If you modified Butn08.bmp, go to [HotSpot8]
		Highlight Action=PlayWav
			  WavName=$CURRENTPATH$\chord.wav
		and delete.
		Type in the following:
		
		Action=Launchapp
		Appname=(put the location of the browser here) (put the location of 
								the webpage here)
		i.e.:

			[HotSpot8]
			Rect=Animation8
			Action=LaunchApp
			AppName=c:\opera\opera.exe http:\\www.ibm.com

		Save it.
		Start up the channel bar, it should appear!

	2.More artistic

		Go to the webpage you want a button for. Find an image relating to
		that page. (i.e. for www.ibm.com you'd probably pick the IBM logo.)
		Open a graphics editing program like Paint Shop Pro (available at
		The Windows 3.1 Update Page on the channel bar.)
		Open the picture you just downloaded.
		Either open up the next empty button and try to draw the image you 
		just downloaded or shrink the image to fit on both sides of the button,
		as stated earlier.	
		
		Follow the same steps in modifying the Channel.ini as above.
	
	3.E-mail me

		If all this is too difficult, but you'd like new or different buttons
		for your channel bar, just e-mail me at 386@toadmail.toad.net with
		links to those pages and your channel.ini file as an attachment.

		Expect the buttons in less than a week. 

		There is no fee for the buttons!		

I hope I've covered everything you want to know about the Calmira Channel Bar. If not, feel 
free to e-mail me with questions!

Note: Coming soon, the 80386-2000 Update Program at http://welcome.to/386
