Last minute notes on CDwriter
-----------------------------
Version:         2.2a
Dated:           14 August 2001

Files included in this folder:
CDWRITER.PRG     CDwriter v2.2a program
CDWRITER.RSC     CDwriter v2.2a resource (English-language)
LISEZ.MOI        French-language version of this file
READ.ME          This file


New features that are not documented in the manual
==================================================

MP3 support
-----------
CDwriter now accepts MP3 audio files.  As with the other formats it
supports, the files must be stereo 44.1 kHz.  Aniplayer (version 2.12
or higher) is used to perform the conversion from the MP3 file to a 
temporary WAV file, which CDwriter uses to create a normal audio track
on the CD-R.  This means that you don't need to lower your writing speed
when your compilation contains MP3s.  It also means that you must have
enough space on your temporary drive to contain the largest uncompressed
MP3 on your hard disk.  A check is automatically made before writing, so
that you don't need to manually calculate it.

When you add a new MP3 file, it's scanned to retrieve the title and
length (i.e. playing time) information from ID3 tags (v1 or v2) or from
an "Xing" tag.  Some (usually older) MP3s may not contain any length
information, so CDwriter will calculate the length based on the file
size and the bitrate specified in the header.

The 'Listen to pause' feature is not available for MP3 files.

WARNING: if an MP3 has a variable bitrate, and does not contain any
length information, it is impossible to determine the length without
actually processing the whole file.  Since this would take too much
time, CDwriter estimates a playing length.  This can be significantly
different from the actual playing length (and therefore the size on CD).

NOTE: because the MP3 format is very flexible, and because there are
a lot of defective MP3 files available, it is not easy for a program
to distinguish a valid MP3 file from other binary files.  Some files
that CDwriter recognises as valid MP3 files may NOT be recognised by
Aniplayer, which will thus NOT convert them to WAV.  Therefore we
recommend that you use Aniplayer to listen to your MP3s before
recording.  The new Audition feature, explained next, can be handy
for this purpose.


Audition feature
----------------
You can now play back the entire compilation using Aniplayer.  This
feature is available from the 'Verify' menu.  Note that audio tracks
(.PRG) are played back with Aniplayer using their WAV counterparts.
ExtenDOS Gold v3.3 or later is required to do this.

NOTE: if you want to determine the effect of different lengths of
pause between tracks, the 'Listen to pause' feature gives a more
accurate idea of the pause between tracks than the 'Audition' feature.


CDextra support
---------------
A CDextra disk is basically a multisession CD with the first session
being an audio session, and the second and subsequent sessions being
data sessions.

To create a CDextra disk, first use CDwriter (v2.2 or later) to create
a compilation as usual.  Keep in mind that you must leave some space
on the CD for the data session(s).  Then, in the 'Write' dialog box,
check the box 'Close for CDextra' before writing.

After the CD is created, it can be used as a normal audio CD, but it
is in fact a multisession CD to which you can add data tracks, as
follows.  Using CD InScriptOr (v1.2 or later), create a session with
the files you want to put on the CDextra disk.  Before writing the
data, check the box "Don't include previous session" in CD InScriptOr's
'Advanced options' dialog.  


Print-to-file function
----------------------
You can now print to an ASCII file; the fields are tab-delimited.  This
allows you, for example, to insert the file in Papyrus to create a CD
insert.


Improved Erase function
-----------------------
You now have the choice between FULL and QUICK.  A full erase erases
the entire CD; a quick erase erases just the first session; therefore a
quick erase is always quicker (sometimes a _lot_ quicker) than a full
erase.  A progress bar is displayed during the erasing process and the
mouse shape turns into an eraser.

NOTE: in most cases, a quick erase is sufficient; however, in rare
cases you may need to use a full erase to prevent previously-recorded
sessions of a multisession CD from "re-appearing".


Improved writing speed on Centurbo II
--------------------------------------
Writing at 6x is possible on a Falcon with Centurbo II.  A fast IDE
hard disk drive is required, and the file format must be the preferred
format of the recorder (normally WAV).  ExtenDOS Gold v3.3 or later
must be used and must have the 'Fast I/O' option set.  The hard disk
driver must be set at its fastest setting for the IDE hard disk drive.


Miscellaneous changes and improvements
--------------------------------------
 . the "Song name or description" in the main window is now a scrollable
   edit field under MagiC, with a maximum size of 100 characters.

 . the speed popup now lists only valid speeds for the selected recorder.

 . audio buttons are now round and bigger, to match those found in other
   Anodyne products.

 . the progress bar is now smoother.

 . CD drives are now always marked as 'removable' in the 'Source Drives'
   dialog.

 . the Closer gadget has been removed from Options dialogs, to avoid any
   confusion about whether the Closer gadget means 'Cancel' or 'OK'.

 . the drive info display is now on 3 lines.

 . Eject/Load has been replaced by Eject only, due to problems on some
   drives.

 . the processing of WAV file headers has been improved, allowing a wider
   variety of WAV files to be accepted.

 . when you quit, the current default pause is saved, so that CDwriter
   will start with the last default pause used.

 . when used with ExtenDOS Gold v3.3 or later, QuickCreate only lists the
   TRACKnn.PRG files from a CD, not their WAV counterparts; this avoids
   duplication of entries.

 . the QuickCreate function now works properly with the replacement file
   selector, Boxkite.
