Please read this entire "Read Me" file. It contains important information and tips that will enhance your experience with HyperCard 2.3. We recommend that you print a copy.
Installing HyperCard
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To install HyperCard 2.3 on your hard drive, insert the disk called "HyperCard Installer," double-click the file called "Installer" and then follow the instructions on your screen.
The "Easy Install" option of the HyperCard Installer installs the version of HyperCard 2.3 that's optimized for your Macintosh computer.
If you have a Macintosh computer with a PowerPC upgrade card and the card is enabled, the "Easy Install" option will install the version of HyperCard that's optimized for any Macintosh. If the PowerPC upgrade card is disabled, the Installer will install the version of HyperCard that's optimized for a Macintosh computer with a 680x0 microprocessor.
You can choose which version of HyperCard to install by using the "Custom Install" option of the HyperCard Installer. This option gives you three choices:
1) HyperCard optimized for Macintosh computers with PowerPC microprocessors
2) HyperCard optimized for Macintosh computers with 680x0 microprocessors.
3) HyperCard optimized for any Macintosh. If you install one of these versions and then change your mind, delete the version that you installed and run the Installer again.
System And Memory Requirements
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Hardware Requirements
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* An Apple Macintosh, Power Macintosh, or PowerBook computer; QuickTime Tools require a 68020 or later microprocessor; text-to-speech function requires a 68040 or later microprocessor.
* A hard disk drive.
* At least 2MB of RAM; 4MB of RAM required for system software version 7.0 or later; 5MB of RAM recommended when using Color Tools; 8MB of RAM required for Macintosh Computers with PowerPC microprocessors.
* HyperCard's memory partition should be set to at least 2200K to use the Color Tools (5120K on Macintosh Computers with PowerPC microprocessors with virtual memory off). HyperCard's memory partition should be set to 3072K, or more, to use the Color Painting Tools (5120K on Macintosh Computers with PowerPC microprocessors with virtual memory off).
Software Requirements
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HyperCard 2.3 requires system software version 6.0.5 or later. System software 7.0 or later is required for AppleScript and the Color Paint Tools. The HyperCard Button Tasks and the standalone application builder require system software 7.0 together with either the AppleScript or the QuickTime system extension. The Button Tasks will also work with system software 7.1 or later with or without the QuickTime or AppleScript system extensions. On Macintosh computers with PowerPC, the HyperCard Button Tasks and the standalone application builder require the AppleScript system extension, the AppleScriptLib file and the ObjectSupportLib file. These items will automatically be installed in your system extensions folder when you choose easy install or when you choose custom install and install AppleScript.
QuickTime Tools requires the QuickTime system extension.
Text-to-speech requires the Speech Manager system extension (included) or the PlainTalk software package.
Multilingual HyperCard applications may require WorldScript software and/or international versions of AppleScript software.
WorldScript software requires system software 7.1 or later.
Button Task Requirements
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On Macintosh computers with PowerPC microprocessors, the Button Tasks require the AppleScript system extension, the AppleScriptLib file and the ObjectSupportLib file. These items will automatically be installed in your system extensions folder when you choose easy install or when you choose custom install and install AppleScript.
On Macintosh computers with 680x0 microprocessors, the Button Tasks require system software 7.0 together with either the AppleScript or the QuickTime system extension. The Button Tasks will also work on Macintosh computers with 680x0 microprocessors running system software 7.1 or later with or without the QuickTime or AppleScript system extensions.
The Movie Button Task requires the QuickTime system extension. The task will not appear if the QuickTime system extension is not present.
The Speech Button Task requires the Speech Manager system extension (included) or the PlainTalk software package. The task will not appear if the Speech Manager system extension or the PlainTalk software package is not present.
The Sound Task requires sound input hardware in order to record.
Notes On Using HyperCard 2.3 For The First Time After Installation
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The first time you use HyperCard 2.3, it is possible that double-clicking a stack that you already have on your machine will fail to launch HyperCard, or will launch an earlier version of HyperCard. If this happens to you, simply open the HyperCard 2.3 folder. Once you have done this, double-clicking a stack will launch HyperCard 2.3.
It is also possible that you will not see stack icons on the stacks on your system after you install HyperCard 2.3 for the first time. If this happens to you, simply open the HyperCard 2.3 program folder and restart your Macintosh computer. After you have restarted, the stack icons will appear correctly.
New HyperCard Features
======================
HyperCard 2.3 contains some new and exciting features. For this release of HyperCard we have added:
* Support for Macintoshes with PowerPC microprocessors. This includes the ability to generate standalone applications which are optimized for Macintoshes with PowerPC microprocessors.
* New Button Tasks which allow you to generate HyperTalk scripts without scripting.
We have included tasks for:
- playing movies
- playing and recording sounds
- moving from card to card
- using text-to-speech
- adding visual effects
- opening applications
We expect third-party developers to develop additional button tasks.
* Text-to-Speech capabilities. (only for Macintoshes with 68040 or better microprocessors)
* Enhancements to the Color Tools including a new color painting environment.
Notes On HyperCard
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Users with 9-inch screens may have problems viewing the task window associated with the new Button Tasks. When editing a stack with standard size cards, if you open the task window by choosing the "Tasks..." button in the Button Info dialog, and then bring another window forward, the tasks window will go behind the card window. It will look as though the task window has disappeared even though it is still present. Select "Next Window" to bring the task window forward.
The tilde key "~" no longer takes you back in HyperCard. Command-tilde will still take you back.
HyperCard 2.3 includes the necessary system extension for performing text-to-speech. The Installer will only install this software on Macintoshes with 68040 or better microprocessors. Text-to-speech is restricted to Macintoshes with 68040 or better microprocessors.
In low memory situations, stacks with card sizes larger than 512 by 342 pixels will not open to their full size. Additionally, you will not be able to use HyperCard's Color Paint Tools or the Color Tools, and you will not be able to print cards.
External commands may cause HyperCard to think that it is in a low memory state. If you are using system 7.5 and your stacks are not opening to full size after increasing HyperCard's memory partition, try disabling the Macintosh Easy Open extension.
Notes On Color Tools
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The Color Paint Tools require system software 7.0 or greater.
The Color Paint Tools can require large amounts of memory depending on the size and bit depth of the pictures that you are editing or creating. We recommend against using the Color Paint Tools on a Macintosh computer with less than 5MB of RAM or when HyperCard has a partition smaller than 3072K. Many of the Color Paint operations will not work properly in low memory. If you are seeing frequent messages about low memory while using the Color Paint Tools, exit HyperCard and increase its memory allocation. We recommend increases of at least 300K. Continue increasing the allocation until you no longer see the out of memory messages or until you have exceeded the available memory on your machine. For instructions on how to increase HyperCard's memory allocation, see "Preparing a Color Standalone Application" in Chapter 3 of the "Getting Started" guide.
The Color Tools Demo in the Color Tools Stack does not work when the stack has been locked with the Finder.
The Color Tools stack requires a monitor with at least 256 colors or shades of gray.
We recommend against coloring your Home stack. If not scripted correctly, a colored Home stack will cause HyperCard to run slower than it would with a non-colored Home stack.
When using the Color Paint Tools, operations that cause the picture to extend beyond the bounds of the window may cause parts of the image to be lost. This happens when rotating and scaling. You can prevent this problem by expanding the size of the window before performing the operation. Note that expanding the window will increase the memory needed to display the picture.
After editing a picture that has been placed on a card, the picture may be displayed in a different scale. If you want the picture to be displayed at a 1-1 scale, double-click the picture and select "Original Size."
With the "Rotate by degree" feature of the Color Paint Tools, rotations are measured from the orientation of a graphic at the time it was selected. If you rotate a selection and then rotate it again, the rotations do not accumulate. If you want cumulative rotations, deselect the graphic after rotating it the first time, re-select it and rotate it again.
If you place pictures onto cards and subsequently delete the picture resource from the stack, you must ensure that each instance of the picture in the stack is also deleted. Otherwise you will see the following message at the location of each instance of the deleted picture in the stack: "Cannot display this image. There may not be enough memory or the image could not be found."
The AddColor XCMD has an undocumented selector, "Depth," which returns the current bit depth of the color buffers in the result.
When a stack colored with Color Tools 1.0 is opened for the first time with Color Tools 2.0, the color will disappear momentarily. The disappearance occurs during the conversion of your stack from AddColor 1.0 to AddColor 2.0. Thereafter the color will by displayed normally.
Building Standalone Applications With Color
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When color is first applied to a HyperCard stack using Color Tools, a set of resources are copied into the stack. The copying of resources is not actually complete until the stack is closed. If a standalone application is built from the colored stack before the resources have been copied, the standalone application will not work correctly. To avoid this problem, be sure that you have closed and reopened your colored stack at least once before turning it into a standalone application. You should also be certain that the default partition of your standalone application is set to at least 2048K in order for it to display color properly.
Changes To The Getting Started Guide
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On page 54 the manual states that images you create or edit in the PICT editor are automatically saved as resources in the current stack. This is true unless you are editing a PICT file which has been placed on a card. Changes made to PICT files which have been placed on a card will be reflected in the file itself and will not be saved as resources in the stack.
On page 57 the manual states that double-clicking the current color indicator in the Color Paint Tools palette will launch the color picker. Actually, it will allow you to edit patterns or gradients.
On page 67 the manual refers to the Paint menu. There is no Paint menu, the specified items are in the Options menu.
On page 71 the picture of the palette is slightly different from the one you will see in the software. The functionality is the same. Additionally, the manual states that you can import MacPaint images with the PICT editor. This is not true. Only PICT files can be imported into the PICT editor. If you wish to use and color a MacPaint file, you can Cut/Paste it into an edit window and then color it.
On page 76 the instructions for quitting the Color Paint Tools are incorrect. To exit the Color Paint Tools, close all paint windows, or choose "Close Paint Tools" from the "File" menu. Closing the Color Paint Tools will return you to the color editor environment.
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