The file menu
Apart from the standard new/open/save entries you'll find a few other subjects
here, like export, preview, properties and printing.
New cd-cover
Trying to create a new project will show you a dialog that lets you choose a
booklet or up to two other types. This guarantees, that the whole project will
fit on one sheet of din-a4-paper when printed.
Open
This menu-item gives you the possibility to open your own saved project. CDox
files end with *.cdx.
Save
When you've opened a project (cover), and you've changed it's layout, you'll see
an astrix (*) behind the name of the title of this project. When you klick save, the
changes will automatically be saved in this file (filename). Is the title of the
title-bar: Untitled*, you'll be prompted to select a file to save this project
to, you can either use an old file, or type a new file-name in the text-field of
the filechooser. CDox-files end with *.cdx, e.g.: your-filename.cdx!
Save-as
If you're not sure that the changes you've made are better than the old, you can
use this menu-item to save the current-project to another file (as the current
one). You'll be prompted to select a file. This means you'll have to files of
the (almost) same project on disk. Note that the name in the title-bar will
change to the last saved-as filename. If you click save, all changes are saved
to the current file, not to the old file.
Export
When you find your CD-Cover is a real piece of art, you're able to export it as
an image,(to show your friends etc). You can export it in two different types of
formats: jpeg(loss of quality) or png(lossless but larger as Jpeg). When you've
not selected a format it will be automatically saved as a jpeg.
Preview
This menu-item lets you preview the current cover. This can be handy to view the
cover the way it will be printed on paper. This menu-item will open a window
with on the bottom right a button which says: "Show in gray". This comes in
handy if you have a gray-scale-printer. Clicking on this button will
automatically change its text to: "Show in color". If your not satisfied with
the way the cover looks you can change it and than call reload.
Properties
When using this menu entry for the first time, a dialog will pop up
asking for the desired CD type. This has only an effect on the type of
dialog/information used for your project. There exist two types of CDs
at this time, audio and video. The dialogs speak for themselves. For
specialities read further.
Audio
In the text-field "track-title" you can enter the name of the tracks
(songs). If you've entered the first tracktitle, press the "add"-button. The
time-fields will not be added if you've not supplied one (e.g. it reads 0:0)
else the result will be as followed:
- 1 - First Tracktitle(3:33)
- 2 - Second Tracktitle(5:15)
- etc...
With the moveup- and movedown-buttons you can move a selected track up and down
the list, the track-count will stay of course. Added all tracks? just click "ok"
and the properties will be saved with this project.
Video
Not much difference to the audio type here. Except the tracks are
missing, and there is only one field for the length (in
hours/minutes).
Fill cover
If you've composed your own cd, you'll probably want to make your own cd-cover
with its tracks. You can fill you're cover with the properties you've entered
(see: Properties) by pressing this menu-item. If you didn't enter the
properties yet, you'le be prompted the properties dialog. This means the
properties of the cd are added to this projects automatically. Just press ok if
you're finished, and the cover(s) will be filled. A frontside will have the
artist and the (sub)title, a backside will have the artist and title (seperated
by a "-") on the sides and the tracks in the middle, a booklet will have the
tracks on the left and the artist and (sub)title on the right.
This is an
easy way to create your own home made cover!
For the video type, a front consists of the title and subtitle, a back
(or the left side of the booklet) will consist of the title as
borders and the title (and length in brackets), the format and the
description. As always, just try it out.