
README.TXT                MATROX GRAPHICS INC.              2002.09.19

                 Matrox Apptimizer for Windows 2000/XP 
                             Revision 1.1.0.12


Contents
========
- Description of this release
- Installation
- How to use this application
- Notes, problems, and limitations
- Additional game notes
- More information



Description of this release
===========================
Matrox Apptimizer utility provides surround triple head gaming optimizations 
for  several  popular game  titles.  With  this utility,  you can  take full 
advantage of  your  Matrox  graphics  hardware  to  experience the  world of 
surround gaming, the ultimate gaming sensation!




Installation
============
To install Matrox  Apptimizer,  start the "Setup" program,  then follow  the 
on-screen instructions. This utility is designed to take advantage of Matrox 
graphics hardware capabilities. 




How to use this application
===========================
    'Select Game' drop down box: 
    ----------------------------
    You start by  simply selecting  the game you  wish  to  optimize from the 
    list provided,  by  clicking on the down arrow  button found at the right 
    side of the box. Once you select a game title from the list other options 
    will become available.


    'Game Location' text box: 
    -------------------------
    The text box is not editable.  In other words you  cannot type or  copy /
    paste  into  this  box.   In  order to  optimize  your chosen  game,  its 
    executable file (GameName.exe) location must be provided.  You accomplish 
    this by using the 'Browse...' button which opens a 'Find game exe' dialog  
    box.  Once you've located  the games EXE file, the Apptimizer application 
    will check the  location.  If everything is okay for the  optimization to  
    proceed the path to the game will appear, in light grey,  within the text 
    box. 


    'Find game exe' dialog box: 
    ---------------------------
    Typically a games EXE file, such as Flight Simulator 2002 would be located 
    in the following directory structure
 
         "c:\Progam Files\Microsoft Games\FS2002\fs2002.exe"

    As  an  example  (assuming this  game had  been installed), to locate  this 
    particular games 'EXE' file you would do the following. Using the drop down 
    box next to the words 'Look in:' click the down arrow and  select the drive 
    that is called or contains '(C:)'.  The list box directly below will change 
    to reflect  the selected drives contents.  In the list box a  folder  named 
    'Program Files'  should  be seen.  Open this folder by  double  clicking it. 
    Likewise within the 'Program Files'  folder look  for the  'Microsoft Games'  
    folder  and  then double click on it as well.  Inside this folder you would 
    then  see another folder called 'FS2002', by double clicking on this folder 
    a 'fs2002.exe' will be visible.  Click  on it  once and  select  the  'Open' 
    button.  The  dialog box will the disappear and if the  path is the correct 
    one for the game selected the entire path will appear in the 'Game Location' 
    text box.


    'Surround gaming' options:
    --------------------------
    For some games a 'Non Surround'  optimization  option may  be  available to 
    enhance  your gaming  pleasure.  You will  then have a  choice as to  which 
    modifications you would prefer to optimize for. Please note that you cannot  
    optimize the  same game for  both 'Non Surround' and 'Surround' at the same 
    time.  It is either one or the  other.  For example  if you  had  chosen to  
    optimize for 'Surround gaming' and then  changed your mind.  You would have 
    to re-run Apptimizer and select'Non Surround Gaming'. You can flip back and  
    forth as many times as you wish.  But only one type of  game  configuration 
    can be used at any one time.


    'Optimize' button:
    ------------------
    Select this button when you are ready to enhance your gaming experience. 


    'Proceed with optimization?' prompt:
    ------------------------------------
    Once you've  selected to  optimize your game, a 'Proceed with optimization?' 
    pop  up  box  will  appear.  By  Selecting 'YES' a  back up  of your  games 
    configuration file(s)  will be made and given the extension of (*.original).  
    Do not delete files with these extensions,  as it will not be  possible for 
    you to restore them  at a  later time,  should you wish to do so.  Prior to  
    optimizing your game and backing up your configuration files,  you can view 
    the changes that will be done by clicking on the 'DETAILS' button  provided.  
    Select 'OK'to close the details window. A desktop shortcut will be provided 
    for your convenience.

 
    'Restore' button:
    -----------------
    Should there be any   need to switch your game back to its  original  state 
    after running  Apptimizer for  the  game, a restore  button is provided for  
    your convenience.  It will delete any shortcuts created by this application 
    as well as remove all  modified files and  restore the  original  untouched 
    backup copy of the games configuration file  created at the time of running 
    this  application.  The game will then be reverted back to the state it was 
    in prior to  running  the  Apptimizer  application.  For the  button to  be 
    enabled you must  provide the location of the  games 'EXE' file in the same 
    manner as explained above.  If a backup  copy  for  the  game is  found the  
    button  will  automatically  become available.




Notes, problems, and limitations
================================
- Updating to a  newer  version or re-installing the  Apptimizer.exe  application 
  requires that the user uninstall the application first, then install/re-install 
  the newer version. 

- Apptimizer is designed to work only with a Matrox card installed.

- Since the  saved  games can be  deleted or  removed without  any ill  effects to 
  game, there are  no  provisions to   restore or remove 'saved' games  that  have  
  been  optimized  by this app. Nor is it required, Apptimizer creates a duplicate 
  of the saved game, renames it and then modifies the duplicate file.  The  option 
  to restore is only for game configuration files that have been modified by  this 
  app.

- Desktop shortcuts are not created when optimizing 'saved' games.

- This application does not modify registry settings. So games  that have settings 
  that are stored in the registry are not handled by this application at this time.




Additional game notes
=====================
- Some games require additional settings that cannot be automated:


   Battlefield 1942
   ----------------
      When running the game, simply click on "SINGLE" or "MULTIPLAY", do not click 
      on "USE" under profiles or the settings  of the game will be over written by 
      the default settings and surround gaming optimizations will be disabled.

      If this does happen re-run Apptimizer again to re-enable surround gaming.


   Flight Simulator 2002
   ---------------------
      Running Flight Simulator 2002 in Surround Gaming is a 2 step process:

   1- If you have just installed  the game or are updating the game for the first 
      time to run in surround gaming,  select the following  option from the list. 

		Flight Simulator 2002 (Use once)

     This will enable the Surround Gaming feature within the game. 

     
   2- Now for the second step:
  
      Flight simulator 2002 contains many pre-constructed flights, Apptimizer can
      create surround gaming  version of all of these flights.  Simply select the 
      one of your choice.

                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (aerial)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (akfloat)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (cargo)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (chopper)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (DsrtAdv)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (europe)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (fs2kflts)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (hawaii)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (scenic)
                 Flight Simulator 2002: Game Flight (other)

     The only exception is
		
		Flight Simulator 2002: Saved Games (myflts)

     This particular option is the  location  where the game stores flights that
     you create.  Since  FS2002  generates these  flights, they  are  not  fully 
     optimized for surround gaming. So each time you 'create a flight' and  save 
     it, you will need to re-run Apptimizer and select;

                Flight Simulator 2002: Saved Games (myflts)

     In order to get a surround gaming version of your newly created flight.
     


   Tribes 2
   --------
   When running Tribes 2, the fov need to be adjusted since it cannot be 
   automatically adjusted from the Apptimizer application.  TO do so,  hit "~" to 
   bring down the console and type:

		setfov(143);

   Hit "~" again to bring the console back.  Note that you need to adjust the fov 
   each time the character respawns or changes levels.


   X-Plane
   -------
   Simply change the resolution within the game to  3072x768  to enable Surround 
   Gaming

 
  

More information
================
New game titles will continue to be  added as they  become available.  When new 
titles have been added;  simply replace the  MTXcfg.ini  file  with the new one. 
Typically this file is installed in the following location 
          
        "c:\Program Files\Apptimizer"

For additional  information on  other games supporting Surround Gaming,  please 
check out the website

   	http://www.matrox.com/mga/3d_gaming/surrgame.cfm

-  Make sure you check out the specific notes for each game for any additional 
   patches or special instructions. 


