README.TXT  -  "Neiki's Astrology Tool Kit"  -  9 September 1997


Last minutes notes about "Neiki" version 2.1.0
----------------------------------------------

Content:

 0. Related files
 1. New features of this version
 2. Description
 3. Requirements
 4. How to install
 5. Shareware Policy and Registration Fee
 6. Supplemental Ephemeris Files
 7. Distribution Files
 8. Compatibility And Troubleshooting
 9. Removing NEIKI from your system

The basic information on how to use Neiki are in the USER'S
GUIDE. The USER'S GUIDE is included as a Windows Write
document.  You can find NEIKI.WRI in the directory where 
you have installed the software.

===============================================================


0. RELATED FILES

You need either one EXE file or two .ZIP files:

EXE file:
    NEIKI210.EXE    self-extract file for Windows contains
                    Neiki's Astrology Tool Kit v2.1.0, and
                    all run-time files (DLL).
Two ZIP Files:
    NEIKI21u.ZIP    Neiki's Astrology Tool Kit v2.1.0 (update)
  and
    NEIKI-RT.ZIP    Neiki's Astro Tool Kit - Run-Time

NOTE: If you are upgrading to 2.1 from a previous version (1.2, 
      1.4, or 1.5 or 2.0.x), you only need the file NEIKI21u.ZIP

      (NEIKI-RT.ZIP is identical with the previous NATK15RT.ZIP,
      NATK14RT and NATK12RT.ZIP)
_______________________________________________________________


1. NEW FEATURES OF THIS VERSION

The new features in this version are:

   - now uses the official "Astro" font from Kenneth Hirst.

     This is the authentic astrological font from this
     author.  (Now, when you register Neiki, you automatically
     get registered for the shareware "Astro" font from
     Kenneth Hirst).

     This new font should help any user who has experienced
     problem in printing with the older font in Neiki 2.0.x

     IMPORTANT: if you have installed Neiki 2.0.x before,
                please remove the obsolete "Astro-SemiBold"
                font before you install the new "Astro" font.
                Otherwise, you will encounter conflicts.
                (See section 4 in the Neiki User's Guide).

   - allows to zoom-in to 110%, 120%, .., 150%  Very useful
     if you use a 1024x768 resolution.

   - minor fix in the name of the 72 degrees aspect (it is 
     "quintile", not "decile") and for the glyphes of the
     sesquisquare and quintile in the aspectarian of the
     house wheel.



2. DESCRIPTION

"Neiki's Astro Tool Kit" is a simple program to draw and print
astrology charts. Yet, it is very accurate and many of its
options can be adjusted to the needs and preferences of the
user.

Its features are:
    - high-resolution WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get")
      on-screen display and printer output
    - simplified interactive help using "Help" buttons
    - 32 pages User's Manual in a Windows Write file

    - charts can be created for anywhere on Earth: the lists
      of cities can be used to make the input of the data
      of a chart more convenient, but, you are free to create
      a chart for any location (if you know the coordinates)

    - two (2) styles of birth charts:
	+ House wheel (with or without aspect table)
        + Aspects chart
    - Synastry chart: interaspects between two birth charts
    - Transits chart (Mars to Pluto): transits to a birth chart

    - real-time Sky Display mode (enabled by Deluxe 
      registration only)
    - Sky Animation mode (forward/backward) accelerated sky
      animation using a zodiacal aspects chart (enabled by
      Deluxe registration only)

    - compute and display positions of:
        + Sun, Moon, all other 8 planets (Mercury to Pluto),
        + Mean and True Lunar Nodes
	+ Pars Fortunae
	+ Lilith and Chiron (enabled by Deluxe registration)

    - high precision planetary positions computation
    - six (6) houses systems: Koch, Placidus, Campanus, 
      Regiomontanus, Equal, Vehlow

    - Natal report with: planets and houses positions, summary 
      of elements and triplicities (by signs and houses), list
      of aspects (with their "weight-index", a new concept used
      to find the important aspects)
    - Synastry report: list of interaspects
    - Transits report: planets positions, list of transits

    - support all screens and printers that Windows can use
    - feature to select output for color or black & white 
      printer

    - many users defined settings, including:
        orbs of aspects (birth charts),
        orbs of transits,
        orbs of synastry inter-aspects,
        choice of where output of reports can be sent to: 
         clipboard, text file or to a preview window (font 
	 can be selected before output is sent to printer),
        and many others.

    - DDE Server mode that responds to requests to compute
      charts
    - includes a sample DDE client (with VB source code)

    - reasonable registration fee (see 5. SHAREWARE POLICY)



3. REQUIREMENTS

Neiki runs extremely fast on a Pentium.

It also runs well on a modest 386 or 486 with 4 MB of RAM.

You need a 386 or 486 (SX or DX) or Pentium PC with 4 MB of RAM,
Windows 3.1, (or Windows for Workgroup 3.11, Windows 95 or Windows
NT 3.51 or 4.0, or OS/2 Warp 3.0 and enough RAM) and 2.5 MB of 
free disk space. 

Time to compute a chart:
    386 DX (40 MHz) without co-proc:      2.6 seconds
    486 DX (33 MHz) with co-proc:       < 0.4 second.



4. HOW TO INSTALL

There are two parts to the installation:

  - Part 1 Install the files (from the 2 ZIP files or from 
           the self-extract EXE file)

  - Part 2 Start the application (NEIKI.EXE) for the
           first time and complete the dialog to create the 
           Program Manager Icon for the program.

NOTE about UPGRADING from 1.5 to 2.1:

  You can extract the files in the same directory \NEIKI.
  (As a precaution, always backup your data files, *.och and 
   options.obf, to a diskette or another location).

  The old NATK15.EXE is not removed.  The new program is
  NEIKI.EXE


  *** Part 1: To install the files

   1) Create a directory for this software.
      Use either Explorer or File Manager to create a
      folder named "Neiki" or, at the DOS prompt, type:
		c:        (or any other drive)
		cd \
		mkdir NEIKI

   2) copy all the distribution files (NEIKI210.EXE or,
      NEIKI21u.ZIP and NEIKI-RT.ZIP) to C:\NEIKI

   3) If you have the self-extract NEIKI210.EXE file, run it.

      If you have the NEIKI???.ZIP files, unzip both.
      To do this with PKUNZIP, using the DOS prompt,
      do like this:
		c:
		cd \NEIKI
		pkunzip NEIKI*

   4) Now the files are installed. You should copy the .ZIP
      files to a floppy disk as a backup. If you want to
      make a copy to give to a friend, please copy the ZIP
      files and NEIKI.TXT: you are sure that he/she will 
      have all the pieces needed.
      (Once you are done with the installation and have copied
      the ZIP files to a floppy, you can free some space on 
      your hard disk by deleting the .ZIP files from the 
      \NEIKI directory).


  *** Part 2: Starting the program and creating the icon

   You can browse on your hard disk with FILE MANAGER or
   Windows Explorer and double-click on the NEIKI.EXE program
   file, OR, follow the instructions below...

   NOTE: The example given here assumes that you decided to 
         copy files in the directory above mentioned, C:\NEIKI

   1) From within Windows Program Manager, choose the menu
      "File", select item "Run". Or,

      From the Windows 95 Taskbar, Start menu, choose Run.

   2) Type
		c:\neiki\NEIKI
      and press
		ENTER

   3) Select item "Create Program Icon" in menu "Misc."



5. SHAREWARE POLICY and REGISTRATION FEE

You can read the details of the license in the file LICENSE.TXT

Basically, you have the Author's permission to try this software 
for 60 days without any cost. 

If you like this software, you should send your registration with 
the specified amount of money ($28 US or $39 Canadian) at least 
three (3) weeks before the end of the sixty (60) days period. The 
program will reduce its functionalities to a minimum when the 60 
days period is over. (It will keep your chart files as they were).

NOTE: When you register Neiki, you automatically get registered 
 for the shareware "Astro" font from Kenneth Hirst (see ASTROT.TXT 
 for details on the registration of the "Astro" font).  Please 
 understand that you do not get a discount if you are already 
 registered for Kenneth Hirst's "Astro" font.

Once you will have entered your personal "registration
information" in the program, the following features will be
enabled:
    - printing of Synastry charts
    - printing of Transits charts
    - disabling/enabling DDE Server Monitor window
    - automatic start of DDE Server mode at startup
    - the menu item "Look at Sky Now", which draws an aspects
      chart of the sky as it is now.

For even more features, you can choose the "Deluxe Registration".

The Deluxe registration costs $49 US. For this amount you receive
special "registration name" and "serial number" that enable the
Deluxe features in the program. (You don't need any new disk, and
you do not need to download any new files). As soon as you have 
received your "registration info" and you have entered it in the 
program, the Deluxe features become enabled.

The following features are enabled with the Deluxe registration:
    - Transits not only of "slow", but also of "fast" planets
      (Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus)
    - compute and display positions of Lilith and Chiron
    - real-time Sky Display mode
    - Sky Animation mode (forward/backward) accelerated sky
      animation using a zodiacal aspects chart.

You can read the same details about registration in the "Registering",
"Deluxe Registration" and "Questions and Comments" items of the
"Help" menu.

You can order your registration directly from the author and pay
by cheque or postal money order.  Use the form in REGISTER.TXT

Or, you can pay it with your credit card. See REG-CARD.TXT



6. SUPPLEMENTAL EPHEMERIS FILES

If you have access to the Internet with anonymous FTP you can
find all the other ephemeris files ("LRZ5_??" and "CHI_??") on 
some FTP servers that maintain archives of astrology software.

Both Neiki and the public domain program "astrolog" use the
ephemeris files of the PLACALC planetary orbit calculation of
Dr. Alois Treindl and Astrodienst AG.

The full set contains the ephemeris files for the slow planets
("LRZ5_??") for the years 5258 BC to 3499 AD and the ephemeris
files for Chiron ("CHI_??") for the years 5258 BC to 3226 AD.

Check the Neiki's Web page for more information about ephemeri
files.


7. DISTRIBUTION FILES

There are three (3) distribution files and only one or two 
of these are requried: either NEIKI210.EXE, or, NEIKI21u.ZIP 
and NEIKI-RT.ZIP

Here are their contents:

    NEIKI210.EXE    is a Self-Extract file that contains
                    all the files listed for NEIKI21u.ZIP 
                    and NEIKI-RT.ZIP together.

    NEIKI21u.ZIP    contains:

                    README.TXT      (this file) installation 
                                    instruction & last minute notes
                    NEIKI.WRI       User's Manual
                    LICENSE.TXT     text of User's License
                    REGISTER.TXT    registration form (cheque)
                    REG-CARD.TXT    registration form (credit card)
                    SUGGEST.TXT     suggestions form
                    NEIKI.EXE       program file
                    ASTRCAL2.DLL    computation module
                    VWSIGNON.DLL    logo & icon module
                    NEIKI.ICO       icon (for OS/2 Warp)
                    LRZ5_24         ephemeri (1860 to 2131)
                    CHI_24          Chiron ephemeri file
                    USA.LST         list of cities in USA
                    WORLD.LST       cities elsewhere
                    MYCITIES.LST    list of cities to customize
                    CHARTS1.OCH     sample charts file
                    DDE-CLT1.EXE    DDE Client (executable)
                    DDE-CLT1.FRM    DDE Client (source code)
                    DDE-CLT1.MAK    "
                    DDE-CLT1.TXT    DDE Client (ASCII source)
                    ASTRO.TTF       "Astro" font from Kenneth Hirst
                    ASTRO.WRI       sample Write doc using this font
                    ASTROT.TXT      Notes on "Astro" font.
                    PRINTING.TXT    Notes on troubleshooting printing

    NEIKI-RT.ZIP    contains:

                    VWBAS20.DLL     run-time modules
                    VWICONS.DLL     (all are needed to
                    VWVM20.DLL       run NEIKI.EXE)
                    VWHELP.DLL
                    VWDLGS20.DLL
                    VWFLOAT.DLL
                    VWABORT.DLL
                        
NOTE: When there will be a newer version of Neiki, you will NOT 
      need to download the Run-Time files (NEIKI-RT.ZIP) again.



8. COMPATIBILITY and TROUBLESHOOTING

Users have reported that they have successfully used Neiki
with Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroup 3.11 and Windows NT
3.5 and 3.51, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95.

The author has used Neiki with Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.51
NT 4.0 and OS/2 Warp 3.0 without any problem.

Most the problems described here are related to specific
installations or to the implementation of Windows.

 (1) GPF and incompatible video drivers: 

   Somehow, it seems that the video drivers for some graphics
   card cause a conflict which result in a GPF.  The fact that
   Neiki behaves well under Windows NT and OS/2 Warp points
   to a flaw outside of Neiki. But perhaps this flaw appears 
   because Neiki uses less-frequently used graphic functions
   in Windows.

   If this happens, you can try to use the standard (generic)
   Windows 3.1 video drivers (i.e. VGA.DRV) instead of the
   one optimized for your video card.  If you are unfamiliar
   with the technical challendge of configuring Windows, you
   might want to ask someone to help you.

 (2) "The chart drawing does not scroll properly when I click on
   the scroll bar or on the scroll arrow".

      Solution 1: Reset the Zoom to 100%. This problem only
                  happens with other Zoom values.

      Solution 2: (If you use other Zoom values...)
                  After you have scrolled the drawing as you
                  want, slightly resize the window or click 
		  on the maximize or on the restore
                  button on the upper right corner of the
                  window. The window will redraw itself
                  properly.

      Solution 3: Some version(s) of Windows are less affected
                  by this problem.  NT 4.0 seems better,
                  but only at 100% zoom.

 (3) While printing report when using Compaq 800*600 SVGA Large 
    Fonts mode (in Windows 3.1): the fonts are bigger than 
    they are supposed to be: Arial 10 points is more like 12 
    points, etc.

      Solution:   This problem does not appear with the same 
                  system in the 800*600 Small Fonts mode nor
                  in the 640*480 VGA mode.

 (4) Bad color output on inkjet printers.  

   (Observed with HP Deskjet 540c, reported for HP DeskJet 855C)

   This is an "open" problem.

   Please try printing in black and white if you experience
   this problem.

 (5) In the "Report Print Shop", the [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys do
    NOT always work.

      Solution:   The application receives the [PgUp] and
                  [PgDn] keys ONLY when the cursor (blinking
                  vertical bar) is in the "Header:" or
                  "Footer:" fields.

		  The [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys will NOT work if 
                  the "focus" is on one the radio or push 
                  buttons.

		  Click on one of the "Header:" or "Footer:" 
                  fields or TAB to one of them.

 (6) The "Copy to Clipboard" item of the "Draw" menu does NOT 
    copy the complete drawing of the House (or Aspects) Chart.

      Solution:   None yet.

                  Anyway, a Paste into Paintbrush is less than
                  beautiful: the bitmaps drawing of Paintbrush
                  cannot really use the higher resolution 
                  drawings created by "Neiki's Astro Tool Kit".

		  The best output for a chart is directly to a
                  printer.

		  A future version will provide a way to export
                  a chart drawing to a file in the Windows
                  "Metafile" graphics format.

 (7) (Only observed with Everex Laser Printer) 
     Positions do not show properly on the printed House chart.

     Solution:	In the Options menu, choose "Draw chart 
                options". Once the dialog box is opened, 
                in the "House chart:" box, click to disable
                "use small characters for positions".

 (8) Problems with ICON creation

   The following only applies for users of Windows 3.1

   In some odd cases (if you have removed some files from
   \windows\system), you might have problems while creating an
   icon for "NEIKI.EXE" in Program Manager...

     Error:     "Error loading DLL ..."

     Solution:  Make shure that the file DDEML.DLL is in your
		    C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

		It should look like this:

		    ddeml.dll   38,400 .a.. 28-04-93  0:00:00

	    If DDEML.DLL is not good or suspect, use the
	    EXPAND.EXE program to copy DDEML.DL_ from the
            Windows 3.1 distribution diskettes (you have to 
            find which diskette it is) to DDEML.DLL in the
            C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

	    EXPAND.EXE must be run from the MS-DOS prompt.
	    The command to execute it will be something like:

	       expand a:\ddeml.dl_ c:\windows\system\ddeml.dll



9. REMOVING NEIKI FROM YOUR SYSTEM

It is very easy and safe to remove Neiki manually. (Neiki is a 
16 bits application and it does not have a standard Win95 
"uninstall" tool).

All the files used by Neiki are in one folder, which usually
is \NEIKI (you chose it when you installed the program).

To remove Neiki from your system, delete all shortcuts or icons
that point to Neiki.EXE and, then, delete the \NEIKI folder
and its content.  

If you have installed the "Astro" font, you can remove it
with the Control Panel "fonts" applet.



(c) Copyright 1994,1995,1996,1997 by Jean-Francois Touchette
    and Falgor, Archimede & Neiki.
______________________________________________________________
  
MS Write, Visual Basic and Microsoft Windows are trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation. PKUNZIP is a trademark of PKWARE Inc.
OS/2 Warp is a trademark of IBM Corporation.
