FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  204 (23/03/00)

PLANE SIMPLE

A few years ago, I was working on a project in Australia, and a co-worker showed me a software package, which he said was distributed with a new PC that he had purchased. The program allowed the selection one of a number of designs and models of paper airplanes. Once selected, the program proceeded to print the airplane design on regular sized paper including the folding and cutting lines as well as insignia. Any ideas where I might be able to find a copy (for my grandchildren of course)?
R. G. Eaton

That sounds like it might have been either Fun Flyers or Paper Airforce from Kittyhawk Software: www.khs.com/, it’s also worth checking Paper Airplanes from Dotware: www.auntannie.com/planes.html, and whilst we’re on the subject you can download various designs from: www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/paper.htm

PIN IT DOWN

When checking my email with Outlook Express, a window pops up with the details of what's being downloaded or sent from my various email accounts.There is a little pushpin in the bottom right hand corner of this window and I have no idea what it does! Sometimes I click it out of curiosity and it pushes in and if I click it again it pops out.  Is it just there for our entertainment - the Help file yields no information? I'm pinning my hopes on F!F!F!
J. Tegg.

We’ll get straight to the point. It works just like a drawing-pin. That dialogue window normally disappears when the dial-up session is over, if you click on the drawing pin icon the window remains on the screen.

PATTERN RECOGNITION

At last a question I know the answer to! In F!F!F! 9th March L. A. Poole asked about a program designing patterns for lace making. Fulford Software Solutions have one called Easy Cross; a demo is available from www.easycross.co.uk.

Pamela Harper

The Lace Guild may have more information on lace pattern software. It’s address is: The Hollies, 53 Adnam, Stourbridge, W. Midlands, DY8 4AE, telephone (01384) 390739
Roger Veall

May I recommend software by Ilsoft: http://www.ilsoft.co.uk. Your correspondent may also like to know about the Internet Lace Makers' mailing list known as Arachne, which has a Frequently Asked Questions page at: http://www.geocities.com

/Heartland/Fields/1404/faq.html and that page has a link to lace making on the Internet at
http://www.geocities.com

/Heartland/Fields/1404/pc_aids.html
M. Allcock, margery@burgh.demon.co.uk

Thanks everyone for you help

RUSSIAN ROUNDUP

Does anyone know of a program on CD-ROM or from the Internet that can translate from Russian into English?

Simon Welburn

There seems to be no shortage of Russian translation software and add-ons for word processors at web sites like: http://www.translation.net/russoft.html, so how about some expert recommendations from experienced users?

SEA D-ROMS

With reference the query in F!F!F! March 9th concerning navigation software The NavMaster and YachtMaster CD-ROMs may be of interest. They can be obtained from PC Maritime Ltd, http://www.pcmaritime.co.uk
Roger Davies

The house journal of the Royal Institute of Navigation, 'Navigation News',often contains advertisements for CD-ROMS about navigation at sea, in the
air and various simulations for PCs. Try the website at www.rin.org.uk and follow the links, or e-mail the Institute direct at info@rin.org.uk.  If you have an interest in navigation, then membership of the Institute is well worth considering.

Bill Preece (MRIN)

We have just published a CD-ROM called The Complete Course, Competent Crew, Day Skipper and Yachtmaster, which covers all of the theory from start to end and is endorsed by the RYA - the only one to be so! More details are on our web site www.longbow.mariner.co.uk

Michael & Jan Collings

I suggest that anyone interested should point their browser at
www.lightmaster.co.uk for details of a variety of programs covering passage planning, on-board systems and training in navigational topics.
Martin Quaintance MRIN

The software & publications site of Kelvin Hughes used to look after our requirements when I was at sea in merchant ships. http://www.bookharbour.com/ The Nautical Institute is an international body of professional seamen, and its site has links to all manner of matters maritime. http://www.nautinst.org/ For an assortment of things marine.
http://www.waypoints.com/ The Royal Yacht Association runs the qualification and training aspects of yachting and produced a navigation simulator for a passage of the English Channel for the Spectrum (circa 1986) which I left running in real time - and went off to my local for a pint  - and came back to find myself on the Goodwins! 

http://www.rya.org.uk/
John W. Cole

Thanks to everyone who responded

DIRECT ACTION

I wish to print out a folders contents list to include files size. I can view these in Windows Explorer but there is no print function available.

Nick Fairall

The simplest method is to create a ‘batch file’ in DOS. Open a new document in WordPad (Start > Programs > Accessories) and type the following: ‘Dir %1 > LPT1’, where LPT1 is your printer port. Go to Save As on the File menu and call it something like ‘folderprint.bat’ (it must have the extension .bat) and save it in the root directory of your C: drive. Now go to Run on the Start menu and type ‘C:\folderprint C:\ directory’, where directory is the name of the folder containing the list of files you wish to print. Press the return key and a complete listing of that folder, along with file sizes, date and times will be printed out.

FUTURE PROOF?

Am I seeing things? On looking for a file using the Find facility, I was amazed to see several files dated 11/2/01 and 22/10/01. Is there any explanation for this phenomenon?
A.B.Dewer

Clearly your PC has undergone a temporal shift, possibly as a result of a rift in the space-time continuum, if you could use it to furnish us with details of next weeks lottery numbers we would be most obliged…

DISC DISORDER

Your correspondent Don Bullough, (F!F!F! March 09th) has had difficulty reading CD-Rs, as I have. It is a well-known fact (but don't ask me why) that older CD-ROM drives have compatibility problems with CD-R discs. When I up-graded from an 8x Wearnes CD-ROM drive to a Pioneer DVD drive, CD-R disks became readable on my System.
Gerald Lessnoff

Thanks for reminding us about that and in fact we heard from Don Bullough confirming that, as several other readers had surmised, the problem was to do with the age of his drive. Quite a few first and second generation CD-ROM drives sold during the early to mid 1990s did not conform to the ‘Orange Book’ technical standard for recordable and rewritable optical discs, unfortunately there is no alternative but to replace the drive with a new model.