ÿþe-Tip #85 - February 2009 - Text-Only Version





<> Keith Vincent - What's in a .SET File?



With Eclipse, two kinds of files can store user settings. One is an .INI file; the other is a .SET file.  What s the difference?



An .INI file contains one person s user settings.  Eclipse reads such initialization files when the program starts up; and each .INI file contains all your settings -- margins, keyboard commands, display, etc.  Perhaps you have several .INI files. One might store all the settings that you use for realtime transcription. Another might store the settings that you use for scoping after you ve finished taking a job. An .INI file includes your name and refers to the folders that you have created, so it s not meant to be used to share settings with someone else. 



A .SET file is created by the  Export Settings  button in your User Settings. It s a portable settings file. It lets you store as much of your user settings as you want, in a way that can be shared with someone else. Thus, if you re asked to share your document format, use  Export Settings  instead of  Backup.  You ll then have a .SET file that your colleague will use to  Import Settings. 



What s covered by the ten elements on the  User Settings Transfer  dialogue?  I hope you ll find this helpful:



Document format:  All the settings on the Paragraphs and Document tabs of the User Settings dialogues.



Keyboard setup: Speedkeys, Hyperkeys, and Macros.	



Editing Options:  The settings in the Editing and Globaling areas of the Edit tab.  Also included:

-  By-line  format settings
- Multipage printout options

- Status of dialogues that offer the choice  don t show this message again. 

- Dictionary setup

- Steno and Text searches within dictionaries

- Typeover tracking
- Exceptions for spelling checker

- Common words to exclude in Multipage printouts

- Captioning phonebook

- Quoted text paragraph map



Display settings:  Preferences in the Display tab of User Settings, plus toolbar customization and   dialogue customization (zoom, transparency, etc.)



Translation setup:  Preferences in the Input, Translation, and Realtime tabs of User Settings.  From the Programming tab, includes Auto-Brief ineligible words and Auto-Brief steno theory.



Number options: Preferences in the Numbers tab of User Settings.



Prefixes/suffixes: If you ve customized the    Add Prefix/Suffix  dialogue, it s stored here.  Also includes settings from the Programming tab of User Settings -- namely, the Prefixes and Suffixes table,  as well as the Suffix spelling rules (used by the translator when a word is built that is not in the spelling dictionary.)



Phonetics stores the table used by Translation Magic, Global Magic, and the steno keyboard dialogue, plus the Slop Strokes list that can correct incoming steno. The Normalization table and the Integral Prefix/Suffix steno definitions that are used for globaling suggestions are also stored here.



Autoreplacements and Metadictionary each store just one item from the Programming tab.





<> Wil Wilcox:  How to Use 2 Software Keys at Once



If you have a Main Eclipse Key and a Convenience Key, you may have been told that you are NOT able to have Eclipse running on two computers at the same time.  I'm here to tell you that there is a way to be able to have Eclipse running on two computers at the same time with your convenience key.  All you need to do is temporarily suspend Eclipse on one of the computers.  To do this is very simple, just press Shift-Alt-E to open Edit Toggles on one of the computers and put a check mark at the bottom to Suspend the key. 

	

Let's say you are an official with a computer in the courtroom and one in your office.  You can have realtime running on the computer in the courtroom, then suspend it using the Edit Toggles, then go to your office.  On the second computer in your office you can print transcripts, edit a job or any other task you want using your other key.  Before returning to the courtroom to resume your realtime session, just suspend the key on the computer in your office.  Many times I'll even have two laptops running side by side and have Eclipse open on both of them and suspend one and then the other so that I can move back and forth between the two accomplishing different tasks.  Shift-Alt-E is such an easy keystroke combination to use and it just takes a second of your time to suspend your software. 



On older versions of Total Eclipse you may find that the Edit Toggles control does not have the Suspend function. Not a problem. The way to accomplish it on older versions of Total Eclipse is to press Alt (lift up) then H and A or click the Help Menu and select About Eclipse.  While the About Total Eclipse screen is being displayed, your software is in Suspend mode. 
	
Now that you know you really can use two different keys at the same time, why not take advantage of this and order a convenience key if you do not already have one.  Each Total Eclipse user is entitled to one convenience key, either USB or parallel.  The current price is $300.  You must be current on your support to order one.  An additional benefit of using a convenience key is that the replacement cost for a lost or stolen convenience key is only $300 as well.  Now you don't have to worry about leaving your valuable main key plugged into your laptop computer that may possibly be stolen when you've stepped away.  That's almost like having insurance on your main key.  Now you also won't be switching keys back and forth between your computers anymore.  



To order your Total Eclipse Convenience Key, call your Eclipse sales representative.  If you do not have an Eclipse representative, give Keith a phone call at 713-523-6345 and he will be happy to help you. 



IMPORTANT:  A current support contract is required to purchase this key.  Price: $300.00