CamCollect - Readme File for Release 1.2b - 20th November 1998
==============================================================

CamCollect for Windows 95/98 and NT 4.0 will download, display and save
images from the many web cams appearing on the internet.  CamCollect
monitors up to 1,000 pre-defined web cam sites, only downloads new images to
save web bandwidth, supports authentication for members only sites, and
contacts up to eight web cam sites simultaneously to maximise internet usage
and stop dead or slow sites effecting collections. Images may be
automatically enhanced before being displayed (brightness, gamma), captioned
with site name and time, and automatically saved on disk, with file names
based on the date and time (fully customisable) or with sequential numbers.  

A built-in image editor allows images to be viewed enlarged, cropped, have
text added, be colour corrected, filtered or enhanced, and saved in various
image formats. A single button launches a web browser for the web cam site's
home page, and web cam site information can be imported from a text file to
allow rapid set-up, and saved to text files to share with others. CamCollect
does not require any support or runtime DLLs for ease of installation. 

CamCollect is shareware, developed by Magenta Systems Ltd, in England.
CamCollect may be evaluated for 30 days, but must be registered if usage is
to continue. 

Until registered, CamCollect is crippled so that all images will be overlaid 
with nag text. Registration costs 15 UKP which is about $25. 


Features
--------

* CamCollect is designed to automatically monitor web cam sites,
downloading, enhancing, displaying and saving images from each site.

* CamCollect can monitor up to 1,000 pre-defined web cam sites that may be
defined by the user or importing in bulk

* Checks selected sites at pre-defined intervals, with up to four scheduling
periods during the day. Sites may be grouped into categories of varying 
importance.

* Tries to download only new images, but unchanged images are discarded
(saves web bandwidth and disk space)

* The latest pictures from up to 100 web sites are displayed on a tabbed
dialog with age and site local time

* CamCollect contacts up to eight web cam sites simultaneously (PC
processing power permitting) to maximise internet usage and stop dead or
slow sites effecting collections 

* Images may be automatically enhanced before being displayed, to increase
brightness, or adjust the gamma

* Displayed images are resized to fill the viewing window

* Images may be automatically captioned with site name and time, to ease
subsequent identification

* Images are automatically saved on disk, with file names based on the date
and time (fully customisable) or with sequential numbers

* A log window reports sites visited, pictures saved and errors

* A built-in image editor allows images to be viewed enlarged, cropped, have
text added, be colour corrected, filtered or enhanced, and be saved in
various image formats.

* Supports JEPG, BMP, PNG and TIFF images (no GIF for license reasons)

* A single button launches a web browser for the web cam site's home page

* Supports authentication for members only password protected sites

* Web cam site information can be imported from a text file to allow rapid
set-up, and saved to text files to share with others

* CamCollect is dial-up networking (RAS) aware, will open a connection if
required, indicates which connection is being used, and will ensure it is
closed down when the program is exited


Installation
------------

CamCollect comprises merely a single program file CAMCOLL.EXE (about 1.6
Mbyte in size, with no extra DLLs or other run time supporting files.
Installation will therefore not effect any other Windows applications.  No
files will be installed in the Windows directory.  The only prerequisite is
Windows 95 (any version), Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0, with TCP/IP 
networking and Dial-Up Networking (Remote Access Services) installed, and 
a web browser to check site details. 

CamCollect is distributed as a ZIP file which should first be unzipped into
a temporary folder.  If you do not already have it, the Winzip application
from http://www.winzip.com/ (or from most magazine cover CD-ROMs, Tucows
archives, etc) is strongly recommended. 

The program SETUP.EXE should then be run to install CamCollect.  About 
2 Mbytes of disk space is required for the software and documentation.
However once running, CamCollect can easily use vast amounts of disk space
for all the web cam images that will be downloaded!  


Distribution
------------

CamCollect may be freely distributed via web pages, FTP sites, BBS and
conferencing systems or on CD-ROM in unaltered zip format, but no charge may
be made other than reasonable media or bandwidth cost.  Any notifications
must state that CamCollect is shareware with nags until registered with
Magenta Systems Ltd.  Please email Magenta Systems Ltd if you distribute
CamCollect in some way, so you can be notified of upgrades or other
important changes. 


Copyright Information
---------------------

CamCollect is copyright Magenta Systems Ltd, England, 1998.

Magenta Systems Ltd
9 Vincent Road
Croydon 
CR0 6ED
United Kingdom

Phone 0181-656 3636, International Phone +44 181 656 3636
Fax 0181-656 8127, International Fax +44 181 656 8127

From 1st June 1999 (all London numbers change)
Phone 020 8656 3636, International Phone +44 20 8656 3636
Fax 020 8656 8127, International Fax +44 20 8656 8127

Email: camcollect@magsys.co.uk
Web: http://www.magsys.co.uk/camcollect/
Download: http://www.magsys.co.uk/camcollect/camcol12.zip

