














                                                                       
                                                      The Silicon Frog 
                                                                       
                                                     The SHOW2 Program 
                                                                       
                                               FirstLook's Show Viewer 
                                                                       
                                                           Version 2.0 
                                                                       
































            Copyright (c) 1991, The Silicon Frog, Inc.
                          All Rights Reserved







            Introduction...............................................3
                Quick Start............................................3
                Starting SHOW2 in Manual Mode..........................3
                    The Show File Menu.................................5
                    The Credit Screen..................................5
                Running SHOW2 - Manual Mode............................5
                    F2 - Screen Menu...................................6
                    F3 - Special Effects Toggle........................6
                    First and Last Screens.............................7
                AutoMode Operation.....................................7
                    No-Show Files......................................7
                Starting and Running SHOW2 in AutoMode.................7
                    AutoMode/Manual Mode Toggle........................8
                    AutoMode Batch Operation...........................8
                    Continuous Unattended Operation....................9
                Video Adapter Support..................................9
                    Incompatible Video Adapters.......................10
                Compatibility with earlier versions...................10
                SHOW & SHOW2 - Version History........................11
                    Version 2.0.......................................11
                    Version 1.7.......................................11
                    Version 1.6.......................................11
                    Version 1.5.......................................11
                    Versions 1.0 through 1.4..........................11



                                                                 SHOW2 3


            Introduction

            The SHOW2 program displays Show Files (.SH2) created with
            the FirstLook system.  SHOW2 requires approximately 90K to
            operate, and PC- or MS-DOS release 2.1 or greater.  A color
            display is highly recommended, but not mandatory.  SHOW2
            also takes advantage of a Microsoft or compatible mouse if
            one is available.


            Quick Start

            For experienced folks and all who hate to read .DOCs, here's
            the quickest way to view shows with the SHOW2 program:

            1. Copy SHOW2.EXE and all .SH2 show files to the same
               diskette or hard disk directory,

            2. At the DOS prompt, type SHOW2 and press <Enter>

            3. Follow the program's instructions.  When viewing the
               show, press F1 to toggle the help line ON/OFF.


            Starting SHOW2 in Manual Mode

            SHOW2's manual mode is intended for personal show viewing
            (the program's automated mode is used for unattended show
            displays).  To start SHOW2 in manual mode, use the following
            command:

            SHOW2 [SHOWDIR] [/BWx] [/NOFX] [/NH]

            [SHOWDIR] is an optional parameter which points to the
            directory where the desired Show Files (.SH2) are stored.
            SHOWDIR must be a valid DOS drive:\directory\ name
            containing a trailing backslash.  If the [SHOWDIR] parameter
            is omitted, SHOW2 will look for .SH2 files in the current
            directory.  If the SHOW2 program is in directory in your DOS
            PATH, start the SHOW2 program from the .SH2 file directory
            and omit the [SHOWDIR] parameter.

            The [/BWx] optional parameter forces monochrome display and
            color translation modes (new in SHOW 1.6) in cases where
            SHOW2 is unable to automatically detect a monochrome
            monitor, or whenever the default color translation does not
            yield acceptable results on your monochrome monitor.  See
            the section titled "Video Adapter Support" later on this
            document for additional information on supported displays.
            The [/NH] parameter is intended specifically for display
            adapters which are not fully compatible with the IBM



                                                                 SHOW2 4


            standards.  These include monochrome adapters (MDA, Hercules
            or compatibles) and color/graphics adapters (CGA, EGA, VGA
            and MCGA).  If your monitor exhibits erratic behavior,
            displays garbage, or if your computer locks up for no
            apparent reason, use the /NH parameter on the SHOW2 command
            line.  Read the paragraph titled "Video Adapter Support"
            later in this document for additional details.

            Following are sample commands:

            1. Show Files are in C:\DATA\SHOWS, SHOW2 is in C:\SHOW

            C:>CD SHOW
            C:>SHOW2 C:\DATA\SHOWS\ <Enter>

            2. The SHOW2 program is in the DOS PATH and Show Files are
               in the C:\DATA\SHOW directory:

            C:>CD DATA\SHOW
            C:>SHOW2 <Enter>

            3. SHOW2.EXE and Show files are in the current directory and
               monochrome output with default color translation is
               desired:

            C:>SHOW2 /BW1 <Enter>

            The /NOFX parameter, if specified, disables special screen
            transition effects, if any.  Screen effects and screen
            display timing for AutoMode are defined by the show's
            author.  If the show contains special effects, they are
            displayed by default.  If /NOFX is specified, it can be
            overridden during the show (in manual mode) by pressing the
            F3 key.


            Program startup

            If no Show Files were found in the current directory or in
            the directory specified on the command line, SHOW2 will
            terminate with an appropriate error message.  The error
            message may also be displayed if an incorrect command-line
            parameter was used.

            If .SH2 files were found, SHOW2 will display its
            logo/copyright screen.  The logo screen will scroll away,
            and will be replaced by an informational screen about
            SHOW2's Help Line.  Since most screens contain 25 lines'
            worth of information, the Help Line is not displayed by
            default.  To proceed with the Show File Menu Screen, press
            any key or click any mouse button.



                                                                 SHOW2 5


            The Show File Menu

            The Show File Menu Screen displays a variable-size,
            scrollable window containing the titles of all shows found
            in the show directory.  To select a show, use the cursor
            key(s) or roll the mouse until the desired show name is
            highlighted, then press <Enter> or click the left mouse
            button.  Pressing <Esc> or clicking the right mouse button
            exits SHOW2 and returns to DOS.

            The Credit Screen

            Once you have selected a Show,  a credit screen will be
            shown for a few short seconds, acknowledging the show's
            author.  You will then be prompted to press any key or click
            either mouse button to start the Show.  In AutoMode, the
            credit screen display may be disabled with the /NOA command-
            line parameter.


            Running SHOW2 - Manual Mode

            When SHOW2 starts, it immediately displays the first screen
            in the .SH2 file.  Pressing the F1 keys cycles help
            information on the screen's 25th line.  The default Help
            Line displays keyboard help;  the second help line displays
            mouse help.  Pressing F1 a third time erases the help line
            so that all screen data is visible.  Since many screens
            contain 25 lines' worth of information, keeping the help
            line off will allow you to view the entire screen.  Once you
            become familiar with SHOW2's simple commands, you will want
            to keep the help line OFF permanently.

            SHOW2 controls are simple and intuitive:

                               F1 - Cycle Help Line (kb/mouse/OFF)
                               F2 - Show Screen Menu
                               F3 - Special Effects Toggle
                  PgDn/Click Left - Display Next Screen
                 PgUp/Click Right - Display Previous Screen
                             Home - Display First Screen
                              End - Display Last Screen
                    F2/Click Both - Screen Menu
                              Esc - Exit Show/Return to Show File Menu



                                                                 SHOW2 6


            In addition to the PgUp and PgDn keys, SHOW2 also responds
            to the following keys to move from screen to screen:

                      Next Screen - Space Bar, Plus or Equal keys,
                                    <Enter>, Tab (-->|), Down Arrow
                                    and Insert key.
                  Previous Screen - Minus keys, Backspace key, Up Arrow,
                                    Shift-Tab, and Delete key.

            When you exit the Show, the Show File Menu Screen will be
            re-displayed.


            F2 - Screen Menu

            Pressing F2 (or clicking both mouse buttons) at any time
            during the show displays the Show's Screen Menu.  The top
            line of the menu screen contains the Show's title.  Below
            the title, a scrollable window displays the show's screen
            descriptions and allows selection of the next screen to be
            viewed.

            While in the screen selection window, the following keys and
            key combinations are active:

                    Dn/Mouse Down - Down one screen
                      Up/Mouse Up - Up one screen
                             PgDn - Down 18 screens
                             PgUp - Up 18 screens
                             Home - Top of Window
                              End - Bottom of Window
                            ^Home - First Screen
                             ^End - Last Screen
                 Enter/Click Left - Select screen and exit
                  Esc/Click Right - Exit without screen change

            Pressing <Enter> or clicking the left mouse button selects
            the highlighted screen and resumes the show at the new
            starting location.

            Pressing <Esc> or clicking the right mouse button returns to
            the show where you left off.


            F3 - Special Effects Toggle

            Shows may or may not contain special screen transition
            effects.  Most shows created for marketing / display-only
            purposes are likely to contain screen effects.  While
            viewing the show in manual mode, pressing the F3 key toggles
            special effects ON and OFF.  When special effects are



                                                                 SHOW2 7


            active, the "FX" indicator will be displayed at the left of
            the help line (if the help line is displayed).  When effects
            have been disabled, the "NoFX" indicator is displayed
            instead.


            First and Last Screens

            SHOW2 will chirp if you attempt to move back from the first
            screen, or forward from the last screen -- to let you know
            that you were at the beginning or end of the show --.  The
            current screen will remain displayed.


            AutoMode Operation

            In AutoMode, SHOW2 continuously displays the Shows found in
            the default or specified show directory (with the exception
            of No-Show files, described below).  Prior to starting the
            display, the file names are sorted in ascending alphabetic
            order.  This allows user-specified ordering of the shows,
            merely by renaming the files.  For example, the files
            TEST1.SH2, ZIGGIE.SH2, and NEW1.SH2 would be displayed in
            the following order: NEW1, TUTOR, and ZIGGIE.  To change the
            show order to TUTOR, ZIGGIE, and NEW1, the files should be
            renamed so that the new names are sorted in the desired
            order:

            C:>ren TUTOR.SH2 SH2W1.SH2
            C:>ren ZIGGIE.SH2 SHOW2.SH2
            C:>ren NEW1.SH2 SHOW3.SH2

            Any file names may be used (however, if the .SH2 file is to
            be later disassembled with the FirstLook Show Director
            program, the file name should not exceed five characters).


            No-Show Files

            Files will be excluded from the AutoMode show if their name
            starts with the "@" character.  Rather than deleting files
            from the show directory, they can be easily renamed to a
            filename starting with the "@" character.  (Note: if there
            is only one file in the show directory it may not have the
            "@" prefix).


            Starting and Running SHOW2 in AutoMode

            To invoke AutoMode operation, the /AUTO parameter must be
            used in the DOS command line used to start the SHOW2



                                                                 SHOW2 8


            program.  In addition, the /NOA (no acknowledgment)
            parameter may also be used in conjunction with the /AUTO
            parameter to disable the default 4-second show credit screen
            display.

            The /NOFX parameter may also be specified to disable special
            effects.  When /NOFX is used, screens are displayed
            instantaneously and remain displayed for the duration
            specified in the .SH2 file.  As mentioned earlier, effects
            and display timing are defined when the show is created and
            cannot be altered by the viewer.

            To start SHOW2 in AutoMode without the credit screen
            display, use the following command line:

            C:>SHOW2 [other parameters] /AUTO /NOA

            No user prompts are displayed while in AutoMode.  At the
            beginning of each show, SHOW2 displays the credit screen for
            4 seconds (unless /NOA is used), then starts displaying show
            screens automatically, using the special effects (unless
            /NOFX is used) and screen timing values defined in the .SH2
            file.


            AutoMode/Manual Mode Toggle

            At any time during the show, pressing <F10> will toggle
            between automatic and manual modes.  When F10 is pressed, an
            information screen will be displayed, stating the program's
            new mode of operation.  Pressing a key will resume operation
            under the new mode.   When in AutoMode, <F10> is the only
            accepted keyboard input.  The <F10> key will not be
            recognized if the program was started in manual mode.


            AutoMode Batch Operation

            AutoMode batch operation allows SHOW2 to start and end
            automatically.  In this mode, the program may be included as
            part of a batch file.

            To specify Batch Mode, use the /AUTn parameter rather than
            the /AUTO parameter.  The "n" suffix is a single digit from
            0 to 9 which defines the number of shows to be displayed
            before the program terminates and returns to DOS.  All other
            AutoMode rules apply, but the program will not produce a
            display upon startup.

            The /NOA and /NOFX parameters may also be specified.



                                                                 SHOW2 9


            In Batch Mode, SHOW2 will automatically cycle through all
            eligible .SH2 files until the number of shows displayed
            equals the "n" suffix in the /AUTn parameter.  If the show
            directory only contains one file, then that show will be
            displayed n times.  If the show directory contains two files
            and n=3, SHOW2 will display the first show, the second show,
            the first show again, and will terminate.


            Continuous Unattended Operation

            If the /AUTX parameter is used, SHOW2 will start without
            displaying its AutoMode startup prompt, and will run
            indefinitely until the program is switched to manual mode
            via the F10 key.  /AUTX allows SHOW2 to be included in an
            AUTOEXEC.BAT file on a bootable diskette, for example.  As
            with batch mode, /NOA and /NOFX may also be specified.


            Video Adapter Support

            Shows are developed with color displays in mind, but they
            can be viewed on any display.  Since FirstLook allows
            vibrant, high-intensity background colors, a color display
            is strongly recommended.

            SHOW2 automatically detects the following display types:

               - Color monitors attached to CGA, EGA, VGA , and MCGA
                 adapters.
               - Monochrome monitors attached to MDA, Hercules,
                 EGA, VGA, and MCGA adapters.

            When a monochrome monitor is detected, SHOW2 will translate
            all screen colors to provide a readable display.  SHOW2 also
            recognizes the current video mode, which may be used to
            override the installed hardware operation.  When SHOW2
            detects a monochrome display, it will use a default color
            translation method to make the show as "visible" as possible
            on the monitor.

            Certain special purpose monochrome monitors may not be
            recognized by SHOW2.  In addition, the default color
            translation method may not yield acceptable results.  If
            this is the case, you should use the /BWx command-line
            parameter when starting SHOW2.  The "x" in "/BWx" in a digit
            from 1 to 5, which selects one of five color translation
            schemes.  Rather than explaining each color translation
            method in detail, you should experiment with parameters /BW1
            through /BW5 to determine which yields the best results on
            your monitor/adapter combination.



                                                                SHOW2 10



            For monochrome composite video monitors attached to Color
            Graphic Adapters (CGA), the DOS MODE BW80 command should be
            used prior to starting SHOW2 to insure proper operation.
            Incidentally, this is NOT a peculiar requirement of the
            SHOW2 program.  The MODE BW80 command tells DOS to disable
            the CGA's color burst, which makes displays far more visible
            on composite monochrome monitors.  If your system is so
            equipped, this command should be included in your
            AUTOEXEC.BAT file.


            Incompatible Video Adapters

            All recent major brand video adapters are fully compatible
            with the IBM adapters they are intended to replace.  Certain
            older "Brand X" adapters may not be fully compatible with
            the IBM standards, however.  Specifically, some CGA or MDA
            adapters may not support the high-intensity background
            feature used to SHOW2's advantage (this hardware feature is
            fully documented in the IBM PC Technical Reference manual).
            Lack of compatibility may show as garbage on the screen or,
            in extreme cases, outright system lockup.  Should you
            experience such problems, use the /NH (no high-intensity
            background) parameter in the SHOW2 command line.
            Unfortunately, this lack of compatibility cannot be
            detected.

            The SHOW2 program is not responsible for the problem; it
            merely points out your adapter's lack of IBM compatibility.
            To get the problem solved (rather than circumvented), you
            should contact your video adapter's vendor or manufacturer
            and get a fully-compatible replacement.


            Compatibility with earlier versions

            Although very similar to earlier versions of SHOW.EXE
            (distributed with Qmodem 4.x and the John Hancock Tag Line
            Manager program), version 2.0 of the program cannot process
            version 1.x show files (.SHO), and vice-versa.  You may
            safely store .SHO and .SH2 files in the same directory,
            however;  SHOW.EXE and SHOW2.EXE will only recognize files
            which they can process.

            DO NOT rename .SH2 file to .SHO or vice-versa;  this will
            guarantee a serious failure of the SHOW or SHOW2 program
            which will translate into screen garbage (at best) or
            complete system lockup (at worst).



                                                                SHOW2 11


            SHOW & SHOW2 - Version History

            Version 2.0

            SHOW 2.0 implements a major change in the pointer structure
            of the show files which makes them incompatible with
            previous releases of the SHOW program.  As a result, a pre-
            2.0 version of SHOW.EXE is required to view pre-2.0 shows,
            and version 2.0 will not display pre-2.0 (.SHO) files in its
            show selection window.  The change in file extension to .SH2
            prevents any problems which would result when the SHOW
            program attempts to  process incompatible show files.
            Version 2.0 also implements six new special effects (HBars1,
            VZipDown/Left/Right/Up).

            Version 1.7

            SHOW 1.7 is a minor upgrade release with one new special
            effect (RollAway).  Although SHOW 1.7 will display show
            files made with pre-1.7 releases of the FirstLook system,
            the addition of this new special effect may cause pre-1.7
            shows special effects not to be displayed accurately (i.e.,
            the screen will be displayed with the wrong effect).  This
            should only cause minor inconveniences.  Version 1.7 of the
            program was never released to the public.

            Version 1.6

            New in SHOW 1.6 is a choice of color translation methods
            when viewing a color show on a monochrome monitor.  This
            feature is implemented via a change in the /BW command-line
            parameter.

            Version 1.5

            SHOW release 1.5 can operate in automatic or manual mode,
            and implements user-controlled special effects and display
            timing.  In Automatic Display mode (AutoMode), the program
            cycles through all eligible shows automatically, and each
            screen is displayed for a user-specified duration.
            Automatic Batch mode  can also be used to control the number
            of automatic show iterations.  In batch mode, SHOW will
            terminate and return to DOS once the "Show is Over".  For
            additional details, refer to the section titled "AutoMode
            Operation" found earlier in this document.

            Versions 1.0 through 1.4

            SHOW releases 1.0 through 1.4 were working versions of the
            program and were never released.