================================================================
                              GUF
              Graphic File Search Engine & Viewer
                   Version 1C - 16 July 1998
      (C) 1998 Red Flower Computers - All Rights Reserved
================================================================
                        README.TXT FILE
================================================================
This README.TXT file BRIEFLY explains what GUF DOES - and how to
INSTALL and RUN it.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                      SHAREWARE EVALUATION
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF is SHAREWARE.  So, this README.TXT file was written on the 
assumption that the reader is a Shareware user - with a copy of 
GUF that he/she wishes to evaluate.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                    QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF's installation requirements are minimal.  IN BRIEF; there is 
a single .EXE file; GUF.EXE.  Once you've got a copy of GUF.EXE; 
just run it.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                   GET THE BIG PICTURE FIRST!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Before running GUF, please read the rest of this README.TXT
file!  It gives a BRIEF OVERVIEW of GUF - and elaborates on the 
INSTALLATION process.  GUF will be easier to understand, if you 
get the BIG PICTURE first.
                             NOTE!
    We've kept this README.TXT as brief as possible - 7 x A4
                pages.  YOU'RE ALMOST FINISHED!

----------------------------------------------------------------
                       WHAT DOES GUF DO ?
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF is a graphic file SEARCH ENGINE and VIEWER.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                       THE SEARCH ENGINE
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF will search any DRIVE or DIRECTORY (TREE) - for the
following (common) graphic file formats:-
        *.BMP  *.GIF  *.JPG  *.PCX  *.TIF
plus the following (more obscure) ones:-
        *.A    *.CLR  *.GIS  *.IDC  *.MTV  *.PRE  *.R8   *.XWD
        *.ART  *.CM   *.GM   *.IDX  *.P    *.PRN  *.SCD
        *.ASC  *.CRF  *.GM2  *.IFF  *.PAL  *.PZL  *.SCX
        *.A8   *.CUT  *.GM4  *.IM   *.PBM  *.QDV  *.SGI
        *.BIF  *.DAT  *.GOE  *.IMG  *.PCL  *.Q0   *.SST
        *.BIL  *.DCX  *.GRB  *.IMQ  *.PDF  *.RAS  *.TAB
        *.BM   *.EPI  *.G8   *.IM1  *.PGM  *.RAW  *.VI
        *.B8   *.EPS  *.HDR  *.IM8  *.PIC  *.RGB  *.VIT
        *.CAL  *.ERS  *.HRF  *.LAN  *.PM   *.RIX  *.WPG
        *.CEL  *.FAL  *.IBG  *.LBM  *.PNM  *.RLE  *.XBM
        *.CLP  *.FOP  *.ICO  *.MAC  *.PPM  *.RTL  *.XPM

----------------------------------------------------------------
            SO WHAT? -=> PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES!
----------------------------------------------------------------
With computing technlogies commonplace today, such as:-
        -  LARGE STORAGE MEDIA (1Gb+ hard disks, CD-ROM, etc)
        -  DIGITAL CAMERAS
        -  SCANNERS
and;    -  the INTERNET,
even everyday PCs are becoming home to THOUSANDS OF GRAPHIC 
IMAGES.

Unfortunately, most MS-DOS & Windows programs are DIRECTORY 
oriented.  Whilst good at manipulating graphic images, they are 
not very good at letting the user know WHAT graphic images 
he/she has - nor WHERE those images reside.

GUF PROVIDES THAT INFORMATION!  And then lets the user VIEW the 
graphics found, QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.

And, with the explosion of graphic images that is prevalent 
today, GUF will typically find - not only the ISOLATED GRAPHIC 
IMAGES associated with various application programs - but even 
entire collecions of PHOTOS AND CLIPART, that the PC's user may 
not even have been aware existed.

                             NOTE!
                             -----
GUF recognises that it is common practice to give graphic files 
an EXTension - that identifies them as such.  For example, GIF 
files are usually named; filename.GIF, JPEGs; filename.JPG, and 
so on.

So, GUF can find the graphic files, on any DRIVE, DIRECTORY or 
DIRECTORY TREE, simply by scanning the drive, directory or 
directory tree, for files with those EXTensions.

And with today's high-speed PCs, GUF can do this pretty quickly. 
From a Windows 95 DOS box, on a 200 MHz PC, for example, GUF can 
locate the graphic files on a 1 Gb hard disk, in less than 10 
seconds.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                   VIEWING THE GRAPHICS FOUND
----------------------------------------------------------------
The graphics found can be listed, displayed and scrolled around; 
in a variety of REPORT FORMATS:-
  -  DIRECTORYS ONLY
        Lists the directorys containing the graphic files - plus
        the number of graphic files in each such directory.
  -  FILES (STATS ONLY)
        Lists the graphic files found; on a 1-line-per-file 
        basis.  For each file, GUF shows the FILENAME.EXT and 
        the SIZE (in both pixels/colours and bytes).
  -  FILES (STATS & PICTURES)
        As above, but also shows the file's GRAPHIC; in a WINDOW 
        above the FILENAME.EXT and SIZE data.
  -  FULL SCREEN (SHORTS)
        Displays a single file, FULL-SCREEN (and scrollable, if 
        necessary).  Displays the file's "SHORT", if it has one, 
        or the original source file, if it does not.
                             NOTE!
        A "SHORT" is a scaled version of the original source 
        file, that FITS THE SCREEN EXACTLY.  "Shorts" eliminate 
        the irritation of graphics that are either; TOO SMALL 
        (and thus, hard to see), or; TOO BIG (and thus, must be 
        scrolled around).
  -  FULL SCREEN (ORIGINAL)
        Displays the original source file, FULL-SCREEN (and 
        scrollable, if necessary).

----------------------------------------------------------------
                           THE LEVELS
----------------------------------------------------------------
The reports listed above - and the other information and 
facilties provided by GUF - are organised in SEVEN "levels":-
  1.  DRIVES
        Lists the drives on your PC - and lets you select the 
        drive to scan for graphic files.
  2.  WANTED FILES
        Lets you select the graphic file format(s) (filename 
        EXTensions,) to search for.
  3.  DIRECTORYS
  4.  FILES (STATS ONLY)
  5.  FILES (STATS & PICTURES)
  6.  FULL-SCREEN (SHORTS)
  7.  FULL-SCREEN (ORIGINALS)
        (Levels 3 to 7, inclusive, are described above.)

You move between these levels, with the ENTER and ESC keys.  
Enter nests you DOWN; Esc nests you UP.  MAKE A MENTAL NOTE OF 
THIS, NOW!  (It'll be useful, when you first run GUF).

----------------------------------------------------------------
                    GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Now that we've described GUF, you're ready to run it.

But DON'T rush off to do so, just yet.  Walk through the 
INSTALLATION and RUNNING notes that follow - and MAKE SURE YOU 
DO IT RIGHT.  This will be much quicker than rushing ahead, 
stuffing it up, and having to do it all again.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                     HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF requires:-
        -  An IBM PC (8086 or better)
        -  VGA video card (or better)
        -  Colour monitor

----------------------------------------------------------------
                     SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF requires MS-DOS Version 2.00 or later.  In other words, GUF 
should run on any version of MS-DOS, from (and including) MS-DOS 
Version 2.00, up to (and including) Windows 98.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                  THE GUF DISTRIBUTION ARCHIVE
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF version 1c was released (by us), on 16 July 1998, in a PKZIP
archive file, called GUF1C.ZIP.  This ZIP file is:-

        GUF1C.ZIP       16 July 1998    591,204 bytes

and it's contents are:-

 Length  Method   Size  Ratio   Date    Time    CRC-32  Attr  Name
 ------  ------   ----- -----   ----    ----   -------- ----  ----
     45  Stored      45   0%  16-07-98  15:55  0084dbc0 --w-  GUF.BAT
 126985  DeflatX  71157  44%  16-07-98  15:53  e336b4d0 --w-  GUF.EXE
 960687  DeflatX 358124  63%  15-04-94  01:49  068075ed --w-  ALCHEMY.EXE
  14109  DeflatX   7951  44%  02-06-98  12:50  8246fafa --w-  REDSWAPM.EXE
   3093  DeflatX   1369  56%  02-06-98  12:50  d40bc701 --w-  REDSWAPS.EXE
 511248  DeflatX  84560  84%  16-07-98  15:50  692078a4 --w-  MANUAL.TXT
   9344  DeflatX   9314   1%  07-05-90  10:02  4f27f553 --w-  BARTCLR.GIF
  52767  DeflatX  52389   1%  15-04-94  01:49  9ebe5808 --w-  SAMPLE.JPG
  16190  DeflatX   5417  67%  16-07-98  15:55  e0a0c28e --w-  README.TXT
 ------          ------  ---                                  -------
1694468          590326  66%                                        9

The following installation instructions assume that you've got 
either:-
        -  A copy of our original GUF1C.ZIP (see above)
or;     -  Another .ZIP file, containing (at least) the nine 
           files listed above
or;     -  The nine files listed above.

----------------------------------------------------------------
     CREATE d:\GUF1C\ AND THEN PKUNZIP OR COPY GUF INTO IT
----------------------------------------------------------------
To install GUF:-
        1.  CREATE A DIRECTORY (TO INSTALL GUF INTO)
                We recommend that you call the directory:-
                        GUF1C
                and place it in the root directory of the drive 
                on which you want to install GUF.
then;   2.  COPY OR PKUNZIP THE FILES LISTED ABOVE, INTO THAT 
            DIRECTORY.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                   MINIMUM FILE REQUIREMENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------
The ONLY file ABSOLUTELY required (to run GUF), is:-
        GUF.EXE         126,985 bytes
So, you CAN install GUF onto anything, from a 360 kByte floppy 
disk up (though there may be some loss of functionality, if you 
have to drop off files, on the smaller media).  See the User 
Manual, for more details.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                          RUNNING GUF
----------------------------------------------------------------
Once you've completed the above, and got a copy of GUF.EXE, 
you're ready to run GUF.  You can do so, from either MS-DOS or 
Windows.

----------------------------------------------------------------
         RUNNING GUF FROM MS-DOS (OR THE MS-DOS PROMPT)
----------------------------------------------------------------
To run GUF, from MS-DOS (or from the MS-DOS prompt, in a Windows 
95 DOS box), type:-
        GUF <Enter>

----------------------------------------------------------------
                  RUNNING GUF FROM WINDOWS 95
----------------------------------------------------------------
Under Windows 95, GUF will run in either MS-DOS mode, or in a 
DOS box.  But, since it runs MUCH faster in a Windows 95 DOS 
box, than it does in MS-DOS mode, we recommend that you run it 
in a DOS box.

To run GUF, from Windows 95, you can use any Windows 95 method 
of launching an MS-DOS/Windows application program.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                    SHAREWARE & REGISTRATION
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF is SHAREWARE - and MUST be REGISTERED if you continue to use 
it after the max. 30 day evaluation period.  Registration cost 
is $NZ 99.00.  (That's about $US 50.00, depending on the 
exchange rate.)  Both personal and corporate registration is 
available.  See the User Manual, for more details.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                      FREE UPGRADES POLICY
----------------------------------------------------------------
It is CURRENTLY our policy; that registered users of GUF should
be entitled to upgrade to new versions of GUF, as they are 
released, without any further payment.  This is certainly the 
case, with the three versions, listed above, released so far.

At the time of this writing (16 July 1998), we have NO intention
of changing this policy, ever.

However, we do NOT guarantee that this free upgrades policy will 
not change.  More specifically, we reserve the right to change 
this policy, in any way we see fit, at any time we please.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                   GETTING THE LATEST VERSION
----------------------------------------------------------------
We are currently uploading GUF to the MAJOR Web and FTP 
Shareware sites.  As new versions come to hand, we will upload 
the new versions to those sites.  You should therefore, have 
little trouble in finding the latest version of GUF, on the Net.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                       VERSION NUMBERING
----------------------------------------------------------------
We are currently releasing GUF in ZIP files, named as follows:-
        GUF1A.ZIP       Version 1a - Released 10 June 1998
        GUF1B.ZIP       Version 1b - Released 10 July 1998
        GUF1C.ZIP       Version 1c - Released 16 July 1998
Version 1z will be followed by version 2a, and so on.

So, if you've got Version 1c (GUF1C.ZIP) - and you find a 
Version 1p (GUF1P.ZIP) - then you should assume that Version 1p 
is a later version (which you can POSSIBLY upgrade to for FREE; 
see our FREE UPGRADES policy, described above).

----------------------------------------------------------------
                      DISTRIBUTION STATUS
----------------------------------------------------------------
GUF may be freely distributed - though we would prefer it if you 
keep the original GUF distribution archive (GUF1C.ZIP) intact.  
If you can't manage that, then at least try to keep the files 
included in that original archive together.  And if you can't 
manage that, then you must at least include the:-
        GUF.EXE
and;    README.TXT files,
from that archive, in whatever you distribute.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                           COPYRIGHT
----------------------------------------------------------------
The following files, from the original GUF distribution archive 
(see above):-
        GUF.BAT
        GUF.EXE
        REDSWAPM.EXE
        REDSWAPS.EXE
        MANUAL.TXT
        README.TXT
are (C) 1998 Red Flower Computers. All Rights Reserved.

----------------------------------------------------------------
                       HOW TO CONTACT US
----------------------------------------------------------------
By MAIL:        Red Flower Computers
                P.O. Box 2304
                Wellington
                NEW ZEALAND

By EMAIL:       PeterNewman@xtra.co.nz

----------------------------------------------------------------
                        THE USER MANUAL
----------------------------------------------------------------
That's the end of this README.TXT file.  If you need more 
information, consult GUF's DETAILED (198 page) User Manual; 
MANUAL.TXT.

You can VIEW this User Manual with a Text Editor or ASCII Text 
File Viewer.  Or you can PRINT it out (by typing:-
        TYPE MANUAL.TXT > PRN <Enter>
from the MS-DOS prompt).
