=========================================
Battlefield Communicator Client
Release Notes
Version 1.10
=========================================
                    
Copyright (C) 1998 ShadowFactor Software Inc.
All Rights Reserved

CONTENTS
--------

 1. What's New - Version 1.1
 2. Requirements
 3. Installation
 4. DirectX6
 5. Starting & Configuring the Software
 6. Documentation
 7. Troubleshooting
 8. Quake 2 & Sin
 9. Hardware Compatibility List
10. Software Compatibility List
11. Standalone Server
12. Technical Support
13. Registration

1. What's New - Version 1.1
---------------------------

Version 1.1 introduces several new features:

30 Day Trial

The 15 minute connection timelimit for 
unregistered users has been removed.  
You may now try the software for up to 
30 days before you must register it.
During the 30 days the client will be
fully functional.  After 30 days has
expired the software will no longer
operate.  

Push To Talk Support

Users can now choose between voice activation and
push to talk.  In push to talk mode Battlefield
Communicator will only transmit while the
push to talk hotkey is pressed.  You configure
this feature from the new VOX tab of the main
window.

Channel Support

Sessions which are hosted by a Battlefield
Communicator Server now support Channels.  A
Battlefield Communicator session can have
several channels and clients can join
whichever channel they like.  Users can
also switch between the channels on the
server whenever they want.

While in a channel you can only hear what
other users in that channel say.  This
is useful when your session is separated
into groups or teams.  Each team could
have their own channel.

You can see a list of channels in the
current session as well as join sessions
from the new Channels tab.  You may
also switch between sessions using
hotkeys.

Hotkeys

Battlefield Communicator now supports hotkeys.
A hotkey is a single key, or combination of
keys which when pressed perform a particular
action.  Hotkeys are global and can therefore
be used from within any application.

Battlefield Communicator currently supports
the following hotkeys:

- Push To Talk
- Switch To Channel X

Hotkeys are only active while you are connected.

Keyboard Shortcuts

You can now access many of Battlefield Communicator's
functions through keyboard shortcuts.

Other Bugfixes & Enhancements

See client_whatsnew.txt for a complete list of
updates to Battlefield Communicator.  

2. System Requirements
----------------------

The Approximate Minimum System Requirements of the
Battlefield Communicator Client are as follows:

- Pentium 133 (or equivalent)
- 32MB of RAM
- 33.6K Modem
- DirectX 6
- Windows 95/98 (NT is not yet supported)
- Full-Duplex Sound Card
- 6 MB Free Disk Space

A system that meets these minimum specifications
should be able to run Battlefield Communicator
in conjunction with a non-CPU intensive game.

More CPU intensive games will require a more
powerful machine. For example, if your game
recommends a Pentium 200MMX, we recommend 
that you have more than a Pentium 200MMX
to run your game with Battlefield Communicator.

The best way to find out if Battlefield 
Communicator will work well with your combination 
of hardware and software is to try using the 
Battlefield Communicator demo with your games
on your machine.

For the latest list of system requirements for 
Battlefield Communicator, see the following 
web-page:

http://www.shadowfactor.com/system_reqs.shtml

3. Installation
---------------

To install the software, perform the following steps: 

1. Download the latest release of the software from our 
   Product Download page.
   (http://www.shadowfactor.com/downloads.shtml).
2. Winzip users: Open the archive with Winzip and
   press the Install button to launch the setup
   program.
   Other users: Unzip the archive into a temporary
   directory, then run the setup.exe program. 
3. Please take the time to read our client_readme.txt 
   file before using the software. It will contain a 
   list of important information which did not make 
   it into the documentation in time for release.
4. Run the software and let the setup wizard configure
   the software for your computer.

4. DirectX 6
------------

DirectX 6 is required to use the Battlefield 
Communicator Client.  You can get DirectX 6 from 
Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/directx.

DirectX 6 often installs new drivers for your audio
and video devices.  However, they are often not the
latest versions for your card.  Go directly to your
vendor and make sure you have the latest versions 
of your audio driver.  You can check out our 
Hardware Compatibility List for links to major
vendor's soundcards:

http://www.shadowfactor.com/hcl/hcl.shtml

Make sure you reboot your PC after you install 
DirectX 6.

5. Starting & Configuring the Software
--------------------------------------

To run the software go to Start -> Programs ->
Battlefield Communicator and select the 
Battlefield Communicator icon.  

When the software runs for the first time 
the setup wizard will be automatically started.
The setup wizard will step you through configuring
the software and testing your system for 
compatibility.  

If you need help during the wizard, press F1
or press the Help key.  

6. Documentation
----------------

Battlefield Communicator contains a complete on-line
manual and help system.  You can press F1 on almost
any dialog in the system and this will launch your
default browser with the help for that dialog.  You
can also access the manual itself from the Contents
option from the Help menu.  

7. Troubleshooting
------------------

The most common problem people have with Battlefield
Communicator is that they have outdated drivers
on their system.  Make sure you have the latest 
drivers for your soundcard before trying to use
the software!  

Another important tip is to make sure that your 
system is properly configured for recording.  For
this you can use the Windows Sound Recorder.  
Launch Sound Recorder and try and record your voice.
If this does not work on your system, Battlefield
Communicator will not be able to function properly.  

If you are having problems with Battlefield 
Communicator there are several places you can
look for solutions:

- The manual contains a troubleshooting section that
  describes some common troubleshooting tips.  You
  can click on the Troubleshooting link on any 
  page of the documentation to get to this section.
- The manual also contains a help page for each of 
  the error messages that the client may display.
  If you receive an error message, just press F1.  
- There is an on-line troubleshooting wizard that
  can guide you through solving your problem. It
  can be found at:
  http://www.shadowfactor.com/trouble/trouble_main.shtml
- There is a list of the known issues for the latest
  version of Battlefield Communicator on our Known
  Issues page:
  http://www.shadowfactor.com/kb/known_issues.shtml
- ShadowFactor Software maintains a Hardware 
  Compatibility List that contains information on
  soundcards that have been tested with 
  Battlefield Communicator.  Drop by and see if 
  we know about any issues with your card:
  http://www.shadowfactor.com/hcl/hcl.shtml


8. Quake 2 & Sin
----------------

To work with Quake 2 or Sin you must set the games to
use "Max Compatibility" mode to work with Battlefield
Communicator.  

For Quake 2 you can find this option under the 
Options menu.  Set the Sound Compatibility to 
"Max Compatibility".

For Sin this option is under the Audio Controls
menu under the Controls menu.

9. Hardware Compatibility List
------------------------------

ShadowFactor Software maintains a list of soundcards
that have been tested with Battlefield Communicator.
For each card/chipset there is a link to the latest
drivers as well as notes on any outstanding issues
with those cards.  

It can be found here:
http://www.shadowfactor.com/hcl/hcl.shtml

10. Software Compatibility List
------------------------------

ShadowFactor Software maintains a list of software
that has been tested with Battlefield Communicator.
For each piece of software we describe if it is 
compatible and what special steps, if any, are 
required to use Battlefield Communicator with it. 
However, just because a game isn't listed doesn't 
mean it's not compatible. It simply means it hasn't 
been tried yet!

It can be found here:
http://www.shadowfactor.com/scl.shtml

11. Standalone Server
--------------------

The server that is included with the client is
limited to a maximum of two players.  However,
ShadowFactor Software also has a server product
which allows more then two clients to participate
in a conference.  The server is currently in
beta and is a free download.

We do not intend to charge for the server at
this time.  Users will be able to download and
use it free of charge.  

12. Technical Support
--------------------

If you're having trouble with Battlefield Communicator,
visit the support area of our web site at:
http://www.shadowfactor.com/product_support.shtml

There you will find known problems and issues,
hardware compatibility lists, software compatibility
lists, tips, etc. If, after reading this material,
your question is still not answered, the page also
has instructions on how to contact support.  

13. Registration
----------------

Battlefield Communicator is not a free program, it is
a commercial product.  There is a free demo version
available of the software but it has a connection
timelimit of 15 minutes.  You will be disconnected
automatically after 15 minutes.  By registering
the software you remove this timeout.  

We recommend that you download the free demo and
make sure that the software works with your
configuration.  The demo has all the features
of the registered version except it has the
timelimit.  

For details on registering Battlefield Communicator, 
see Register under the Help menu, or visit our
registration website:

http://www.shadowfactor.com/register.shtml

---
Battlefield Communicator V1.10
Developed and Published by ShadowFactor Software Inc.
Copyright (C) 1998 ShadowFactor Software Inc.,
All Rights Reserved
