Interactive Watercolour CD

Please look through the information below for help in correcting any problems with the Interactive Watercolour CD. This help file will be supplemented by user information feedback.

There are over 4500 files, over 1000 pages and over 27,000 hyperlinks in Interactive Watercolour. It is quite possible therefore that there are a few mistakes that I have failed to spot. If you find a problem with a link, operation, layout, typing error etc. please e-mail me or use the feedback form to send a report. I will post these on the site to help other users.

Operating system

An operating system of Microsoft® Windows® 95 or later is required to use Interactive Watercolour. The CD will not function on Windows® 3.x

Windows® Vista

Windows Vista may not automatically start the CD. The dialog box shown below will show:

Click Run winopen.exe to start the CD. You can also set defaults for AutoPlay by clicking the link in this box.

Windows Vista includes Internet Explorer 7. This may not have the Java add-on which is required to operate some features on the CD.
The Add-on can be downloaded from http://java.com/en/

Browser

Interactive Watercolour is optimised for Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 4 or later. Version 5.x, or 6 is recommended.

If you want to use Netscape for general Internet Use and Internet Explorer for Interactive Watercolour:

Start Internet Explorer, open the Tools menu and choose Internet Options and select the General Tab. Type or cut and paste one of the following brown text strings into the home page address box file:///D:/index.htm where 'D' is your CD-ROM drive, and press OK. If your CD-ROM drive is 'E' then the home page address box should be file:///E:/index.htm Interactive Watercolour will now start up whenever Internet Explorer is opened.

A copy of Internet Explorer 6 (for Windows® 98 or later) is included on the CD.

If you want to Install Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6: From the Windows® Start Button select Start: Run: and type d:\ie\ie.exe (where d: is your CD ROM Drive). Follow the on screen instructions.

Screen resolution and colour depth

The book is optimised for display at a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels and for True Colour (at least 16 bit).

If your screen resolution is less than 800 x 600 the text columns on some pages will be narrow making the book difficult to read. If your screen resolution is greater than 800 x 600, the images will be relatively smaller and not as clear as in 600 x 800 mode. If your screen colour depth is less than True Colour (16 bit) the images will display in a lesser quality and some images may appear scrambled.

Starting the Interactive Watercolour CD

Interactive Watercolour should run automatically when inserted into your CD ROM drive provided that Auto Start from CD has not been disabled. (see below to configure CD's to start automatically).

From the Windows® Start Button select Start: Run: and type d:\index.htm (where d: is your CD ROM Drive)

Alternatively, use Windows Explorer (Start Menu, Programs, Windows Explorer). Navigate to the CD-ROM drive where the Interactive Watercolour CD is installed and double click the file 'index.htm'.

Making CD's start automatically

To make CDs play automatically when inserted in the CD drive:
Open control panel by selecting 'Settings' from the Windows® start button,
Double click on the 'System' icon to open System Properties dialog box,
Select the Device Manager tab,
Click the plus sign next to CD-ROM, right-click the device you want to use, and then click Properties.
Click the Settings tab,
Select the 'Auto insert notification' check box and click 'OK'.

Note: For Windows® Vista go to Control Panel and select 'Auto Start' to open up the auto start configuration utility.

Problems

Text file loads:

If a text file as shown in green below is displayed when the CD is inserted, this may be due to web page files being associated with another program on your computer.

Movies don't run

1. In Internet Explorer: Select from the top menu: Tools/Internet Options/Advanced tab - scroll to multimedia heading and check that 'play videos in web pages' has a tick.

2. Interactive Watercolour uses Plug-ins and ActiveX ® controls to display MPEG movie clips and AVI video clips. The Plug-ins used are common utilities and you will probably already have these installed on your Browser. However, if your browser is not equipped with the plug-ins required you should be prompted to download them from the Plug-in provider via the internet.
To check if you have the Windows Media Player installed as a browser plug-in: In Internet Explorer: Select from the top menu: Tools/Internet Options/Programs tab. Select 'Manage Add-ons'. In the 'Show' drop down list select 'Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer. from the list that loads, make sure that Windows Media Player is 'enabled'.

You should find that installing Internet Explorer 6 from the Interactive watercolour disc installs the plug-ins required for the CD. Instructions on Installing Internet Explorer are given above and on the CD Cover.

3 Navigate to the CD in using Windows Explorer (Open my computer and right click on the CD icon - select 'explore' from the menu that opens).
Click on the 'doodles' folder and from the folders that can now be seen, click on the 'birchrigger' folder. click or double click on the file m2950.mpg. This should load Windows Media Player and start playing a movie clip. If the clip doesn't play, this indicates that there is a problem with Windows Media Player. Re-install Windows Media player from your Windows installation disc or check the Microsoft site for an update. (Open Windows Media Player when connected to the internet and from the help menu, select 'check for updates')

Sound not playing

There is no sound on the movies by design.
Midi Music can be played while using the CD
Check that your computer's sound system speakers are switched on.

Click on the 'notes' icon in the top control bar and a tune title will show to the right of the notes icon.

The music, except for the opening guitar chord,which is a .wav file, are midi files.

If you have the yellow speaker icon on your system bar double click it to open up the mixer. Check that midi is not muted and that its volume control is not at the bottom. (Depending on your sound card the controls may be different so if its not as last statement you'll have to look at your sound card help) What you need is 'midi' switched on.

In Internet Explorer menu bar, Select 'Tools', 'Internet Options'. In the dialog box that opens, select the 'Advanced' tab and scroll down to 'Multimedia' make sure that 'play sounds in web pages' is checked.

Open control panel, double click 'multimedia' and select the midi tab. Click on wave synth or whatever name your sound card gives for synthesiser.

Pop up Blocker Service Pack 2

If you have installed service pack 2 you may find that your CD triggers off a security enhancement that is provided for Internet Explorer by Service Pack 2.
An Information Bar window appears that explains that a pop up or download has been detected.

There's neither a download nor pop up on the page. It's a script that checks for Java capability before running the CD. It is harmless and does not interfere with your computer or settings in any way.
If the search facility is used. The same messages will appear. Again it's just a JavaScript program that does the search that has been detected.

Some new features have been added in the Advanced tab of Internet options which when activated, allows active content from My Computer without compromising the additional internet security features provided by Service Pack 2.

In Internet Explorer:
From the Tools menu select: Internet Options.
Select the Advanced Tab.
Scroll to 'Security' section.
Put a Check mark on both:

The CD will then load without the warning and the Search window will also load without the warning.

You may have to close and re-start Internet Explorer for the setting to take effect.

All the additional Internet security features provided by Service Pack 2 will still be operative.