Brandyware Software

Questions	Answers
EZV Video Capture Makaha below. Q: I can only hear the videos, not see them? Q: How do I resize the captures? Q: The captures are too dark? Q: How do I save them? Q: Why is there a Time lapse before playing? Q: Why don't MOV or DivX files play? Q: How do I download videos? Q: What are SELECT START & SELECT END good for? Q: Why do I need different graphic formats? Q: What does Autoname do? Q: What is the AutoSave folder, and where is it? Q: Can I convert videos? Q: What is the VideoList? Q: What is the difference between the trial and registered versions? Q: Can I order on a secure web site? Q: How to download and SETUP EZV Q: How do I upgrade (registered) my old version of EZV? Q: How do I receive my registered copy? Q: How do upgrades work? Q: What's a watermark? Makaha Q: Why do you give them so much? Q: How do you work with 8 bit GIF's Q: How do I work with plugins? Q: What is the Custom List? Q: How do I convert more then one file at a time? Q: How do I create thumbnailed web pages? Q: How do I underlay with grayscale? Q: How do I compress a graphic up to 200 times smaller? Q: How do I E-Mail my graphics? Q: How do I resize my graphics? Q: Why don't my JPEG's view in my other viewers now? Q: How do I make and view thumbnails? Q: What is AutoSave? Q: Where is the "AutoSave" folder? Q: How do I make graphics with transparent colors? Q: How do I make GIF animations? Q: How do I adjust the colors in a graphic? Q: On changing brightness, what's the difference between "Contrast" and "Gamma"? Q: How do I crop a portion of the graphic? Q: How do I make my graphics black & white? Q: Where is the Screen Saver? Q: How do I put videos in my slide show? Q: How do I put MP3-Wav-Midi music in my slide shows? Q: How do I scan graphics? Q: What is the difference between the trial and registered versions? Q: Can I order on a secure web site? Q: What does the word "Makaha" mean? Q: How to download and SETUP Makaha Q: How do I get another copy of Makaha? Q: How do I receive my registered copy? Q: Need a professional photographer? Great prices!	EZV Video Capture Q: I can only hear the videos, not see them? A: Make sure you have DirectX v8.0 or better, and DirectShow Download DirectX Also ... make sure you have the latest codecs. Codec Installation Packages Q: How do I resize the captures? A: When the capture window is displayed, below it will be the edit window. The first button is the resize button. Click on it and then select the size you want. When you have the desired size, click on save. Q: The captures are too dark? A: You can use the brightness and contrast sliders to adjust the capture. If you're going to resize the capture, use the edit controls on the original capture first, then resize. Q: How do I save them? A: After you've used capture, click on the save button to save. You can use the AutoName feature to automatically name and save them. All captures can be saved in the current folder, AutoSave folder, or any preselected folder. Q: Why is there a Time lapse before playing? A: This only happens with .WMV (Windows Media Video ) videos. If the video plays too slow or is jerky and skipping frames, then your computer's video hardware may not be capable of playing full motion .wmv videos. A faster video card with more memory on it may do the trick. Q: Why don't MOV or DivX files play? A: Make sure you have the drivers and codecs for both. You can get all the files needed for WMV by downloading the free Windows Media Player. And the files needed for MOV from QuickTime from Apple.com. You can get the free DivX codec from DivX Movies Q: How do I download videos? A: Use the "Video URL" button to download videos from the Internet. You must have permission from secure sites, but not from free download sites. All you need to do is enter the videos URL. Example: http://thevideosite.com/videos/video.mpg. The download progress will be displayed by the slider bar. By clicking on "Play" button, you can restart the download before it's completed. Q: What are SELECT START & SELECT END good for? A: You can use them to select the start and ending of the video. This does not change or convert the video. It allows you to play the same frames over and over again without having to play the rest of the video. Q: Why do I need different graphic formats? A: Some formats are not quality graphics, like GIF. But GIF has an advantage of being one of the smallest formats to save and transfer over the internet. While others are of better quality but take more room on your hard drive or take longer to transfer over the internet. Q: What does Autoname do? A: AutoName will automatically name your video captures for you. Saving you the time of having to name each and every capture. Example: auto1.jpg, auto2.jpg, auto3.jpg, and so on. Q: What is the AutoSave folder, and where is it? A: The AutoSave folder is one of the options for saving your captures. EZV will place the saved graphic capture in the AutoSave folder for you automatically. Or, you can have them default to the folder the video is in, or you can select any folder on any drive to save the captures in. You will find the AutoSave folder off the EZV folder. Example: C:\Program Files\ezvpro\AutoSave. Q: Can I convert videos? A: No. That's not what EZV does. It does not convert videos or audio files. There are tons of those programs out there now that do just that. EZV is more unique in that it allows you to capture those video frames to graphics so you can share those special shots with friends and family. Q: What is the VideoList? A: The VideoList is a holder for a list of videos. Just click on any name to play that video. This allows you to select many videos at one time without having to keep going to the load video selection. Q: What is the difference between the trial and registered versions? A: Only two things. The UNregistered version times out after 7 days. And ... only allows you to make 3 captures per session. Which is all you need to see if the program is right for you. No watermarks are included on the captures. The registered version of course does not time out and allows unlimited captures. Q: Can I order on a secure web site? A: Yes! Q2: I feel uncomfortable putting my credit card in the Internet, how is my information secured? A2: We understand your concern with Internet Safety, however Brandyware Software has been processing credit card orders via the web for a number of years without any problems. The registration page is located on a secure server and the data is encrypted using SSL. This eliminates the risk of getting access to your information by anyone, except for the service ShareIt, RegNow, or Qwerks. Please, feel free to use our other ordering options. (Phone in on a toll free 800 number or Fax an order if you like). See Order page for internet site or phone numbers. Q: How to download and setup EZV? Click here to download EZV Video Capture Pro^tm - For Windows Vista, XP, 2003 When prompted, save the file to the folder you want. Any temp folder will do! After you've downloaded the file, just click on it's name "ezv.exe" to install it. For other programs here, you may need to unzip the file first. Use JustZIPit for this, it's free. Q: How do I upgrade (registered) my old version of EZV Video Capture? A: If you're a registered user and would like to get another copy of EZV for any reason, please e-mail us with name and address to confirm status. And you will be e-mailed a temp download URL address. For same version purchased only. For upgrades, see below for prices. Q: How do I receive my registered copy? A: A special URL will be e-mailed to you. Please check your e-mail after purchase. Make sure you check your SPAM box if you're an AOL user. Sometimes they may be placed here on accident. If you don't receive one, please e-mail us as soon as possible. Q: How do upgrades work? A: You will receive one free upgrade. After that, upgrades are $2.95 for a minor upgrade. And $4.95 for a major upgrade. Q. What is a minor and major upgrade. A: A minor upgrade would be going from version 1.3 to 1.4 A major upgrade would be going from version 1.3 to 2.0 Q: What's a watermark? A: A watermark lets you place some text on top of your captures. You can set the font type, size, color, border, shadow, shadow type, and angle of the text. You can use a watermark for captions, descriptions, copyrights ... Makaha Q: Why do you give them so many features? A: Why not! If you're dealing with graphics, don't you want all the tools you can get in one package? Why limit yourself to a program that only has the basic features? Q: How do you work with 8 bit GIF's? A: To work with 8 bit GIF's, open them in 24 bit resolution. How? Click on "Preferences" - "Display" tab, and check the first box called "Display Open Options". This allows you to select the resolution of each graphic as it is opened. Then re-save them in GIF 8 bit resolution when finished. Q: How do I work with plugins? A: First, you have to get some! Brandyware Software does not supply plugins. But, don't worry! There are hundreds of free plugins all over the internet for you to download and try out. Once you have some plugins, place them in the Makaha-Plugin folder. The folder was automatically created on install. You will find it right above the Makaha folder. If you installed Makaha using the default settings, it would look something like this: C:\Program Files\Makaha\Plugins Or ... you can direct Makaha to any folder you already have setup for plugins. Now, how to use the plugins. First, load a graphic, then select "Use PlugIns" from the "Tool" menu. Now, just highlight the available filter, and click on "Apply". If you like the effect, click on "AutoSave" to save it. If you don't like the effect, click on "Undo" and try another one, until you find something you like. Q: What is the Custom List? A: The custom list allows you to select files from many different folders as one list. Or just certain files from one folder. It's also used for the Slide Show, Screen Saver, Playbin, Thumbnails, Instant Slide, and most importantly ... Quick Shots. Example using Quick Shots: First, click on the "Quick Shots" button, notice it's a toggle button. That way you know you're getting ready to view your graphics as Quick Shots. Now, select some graphics by using the right arrow button. The right arrow button will load any file highlighted in to the Custom List. Now that you have all your files selected, click on the "Accept" button to load the selected files in Quick Shots. Q: How do I convert more then one file at a time? A: To convert a group of graphics at one time is very easy. First, select all the graphics you want converted. You know how to do this ... same for most Windows applications. You use the mouse and drag it over the files you want. Or you can use the "Ctrl" or "Shift" keys to select groups or certain files. Once selected, just click on the "Convert" button, select the format you desire, and click on "Accept". Makaha won't erase the original graphics unless you request it. You will now notice the converted graphics have the same name, but with the new extension added. Q: How do I create thumbnailed web pages? A: A good example on how to get started is here. Load Quick Shots with the graphics you want on your web pages. Once Quick Shots is displayed, click on "Web Page". All the files in Quick Shots are now going to be available for the web pages. Select your options for the web pages. And then either select for the Internet (so other people can see them) or for your hard drive, for your personal use. All the original graphics are left alone, and copies of the originals are used in whichever format you select. You can find the web pages you just created in the folder above the Makaha folder. C:\Program Files\Makaha\WebPages Q: How do I underlay with grayscale? A: To use Underlay with grayscale, load two graphics. The one you want on top (in color), and the one you want converted to grayscale and placed on the bottom (or underlayed). Using Emboss or another effect first, on the underlayed graphic makes for a good effect. You'll be given the option of selecting different underlays if you start with more then one loaded. Q: How do I compress a graphic up to 200 times smaller? A: Compressing graphics is easy. But only two graphic formats can be compressed. JPEG (jpg) and CMP formats. To do this, open the "File Selector", highlight the file you want to compress, and then click on the "Convert" button. For JPEG, highlight the format "JPEG". You will notice that the "JPG Compression" box is now active. Use the scrollbar to set the compression limit. From 2-255. 2 = best quality, 255 = best compression. Now click on "Save" to create the new compressed graphic. Q: How do I E-Mail my graphics? A: The first thing you need to do is open (load) all the graphics you want to send. Then click on "Internet" - "E-Mail Graphics". Under "SMTP" enter your host service. Example, if it's AOL, enter "aol.com" here. Now enter your e-mail address under "From", and the e-mail address you wish to send the graphics to under "To". Enter a subject title under "Subject", Any message you like to accompany the graphics, and click on "Send". That's it! To make them upload faster, convert them to GIF or compress them first using JPEG compression. Q: How do I resize my graphics? A: Open the graphic you would like to resize. On the "Image" menu, scroll down to "Resize" and click. (or if you have the "Tools" floating toolbar open, it's the 2nd button). In the Resize box, set the new width and height of the graphic you desire. Check off "Resample" for a higher quality image. Now click on "Accept" to see your newly resized graphic. Q: Why don't my JPEG's view in my other viewers now? A: In most cases they will view just fine in other viewers. But ... if you add an embedded thumbnail to it, the other viewers won't know what to do with it. They can't see that it now has a built-in thumbnail, and think it's corrupted. So, if you want your JPEG or CMP files to be viewed in other viewers, don't add a thumbnail to it. Q: How do I make and view thumbnails? A: Makaha can create two kinds of thumbnails. Embedded, or separate small thumbnails, like most other viewers. Most viewers create separate little graphic files called thumbnails. They are little duplicate miniatures of the original file. This type of thumbnail can come in handy for say, web pages, where you can't show the thumbnail from inside the original. You need two separate files. But the drawback with this method is that you now have two separate files you have to keep track of. And they do take more hard drive space this way. Embedded thumbnails are just that, embedded into the original file. So you don't have to deal with keeping the two together. Plus, Makaha has a feature where you can load just thumbnails from inside the original graphic for speedy displays. This saves time from having to open the full graphic each time. If it's the one you're looking for, click on it, to open the full graphic. Now ... how do you create them! Easy! For AutoSave, you can have the thumbnail automatically created for ever graphic saved using AutoSave. Set your preferences once, and forget about it. Every time you AutoSave a graphic, the thumbnail will be embedded automatically! You can even save them as 8 bit or 24 bit. And adjust the size of the thumbnail up to 255 pixels. Another way to create thumbnails is to check off the "Save with Thumbnail" option anytime you save or convert your graphics. To create stand alone (separate) thumbnails, see creating "Web Pages". Q: What is AutoSave? A: AutoSave is a unique (7 yrs now) feature to Makaha! By just pressing the "F3" key, you will automatically save (AutoSave) the top graphic displayed in Makaha. With all the options already saved like, to include a thumbnail, the thumbnail size and bits, the graphic format, the folder to save it to, the name of the new file, and if or not to load the new file right after it's created. Yes, all that from just pressing the "F3" key! You can find AutoSave under "Preferences" - "AutoSave" tab. Q: Where is the "AutoSave" folder? A: A default folder was created during install C:\Program Files\Makaha\AutoSave You may also point the AutoSave folder to any folder on any drive you like. The fastest way to view your AutoSave folder is to click on the "A" button from the "File Selector" and Makaha will display all the files in the folder for you Q: How do I make graphics with transparent colors? A: This can be accomplished by using the GIF animation tool. Open a graphic, under "Animation" on the menu, click on "Create". Now check off the "Transparency" option. Select the color you want to be transparent And click on "Create". That's it. You now have a GIF file with a transparent color. Q: How do I make GIF animations? A: By using the GIF animation tool. First, open all the graphics you want in your GIF animation. The order doesn't matter because you can re-arrange them as needed. under "Animation" on the menu, click on "Create". Now using the arrow buttons you can arrange them in the order you like. Now set your options, and click on "Test". If you like what you see, click on "Create" and you have your new GIF animation file. Or ... you can play with the options until you do see what you like. You can test it as many times as you like before you create it. Q: How do I adjust the colors in a graphic? A: Using "Hue" changes the hue of colors in the bitmap by rotating the color wheel. This method can rotate the color wheel in either direction. A 180-degree rotation in either direction changes each color to its complement. Positive rotation takes red toward green, green toward blue, and blue toward red. Negative rotation has the opposite effect. Using "Saturation" increases or decreases the saturation of colors in the bitmap. Negative values decrease the saturation of colors. Specify -1000 to change the colors to grayscale. Positive values increase the saturation. Specify +1000 to make the colors as bold as they can be. Q: On changing brightness, what's the difference between "Contrast" and "Gamma"? A: Contrast (intensity) increases or decreases the contrast of the graphic on a flat scale. Gamma correction changes brightness using a logarithmic scale to account for visual perception. And adjusts the intensity of colors in the graphic by changing the gamma constant that is used to map the intensity values. Q: How do I crop a portion of the graphic? A: Open a graphic, click on the "vertical scissors" icon, or from the menu "Edit" - "Crop". Now, use your mouse by dragging it over the area you want cropped. Once you have the area sized out, click on the "horizontal scissors" to set the crop. The cropped area will automatically be loaded. Q: How do I make my graphics black & white? A: Load the graphic you want to change to black & white From the menu "Color", slide down to "Grayscale" and click. The graphic has now been converted to 8-bit grayscale (B&W). Q: Where is the Screen Saver? A: (registered only - only people registered are given the screen saver MSS ) When you receive your copy of MSS (Makaha Screen Saver) place it in your Windows Folder "C:\Windows" Open Windows "Display" and select MSS from the screen saver list. Setup all options for MSS here as well. All the MSS lists are created in Makaha the same way as the Slide Show lists are. And ... like the Slide Show, you can have as many lists as you like! You can even add MP3-WAV-MIDI music, and AVI-MOV and MPEG videos to MSS. Q: Example of Internet clickable Maps A: You can see a working example on the "Software" page, or the "Makaha" page. Q: How do I put videos in my slide show? A: The exact same way you do graphics. Just go to the folder your videos are in, highlight a video, click on the right arrow button to add it to the list, and you're done! Use the "UP & Down" arrow buttons to adjust the position of the video in the slide show. Q: How do I put MP3-Wav-Midi music in my slide shows? A: Same as videos above.See above Q: How do I scan graphics? A: You must have a scanner of course. This also applies to Digital Cameras and Grabbers. On the "Open" menu, slide down to "Acquire" and click. This will bring up the scanning software that allows you to scan. When the scan is complete, Makaha will load the scanned graphic automatically. Use "Select Source" to go from scanner to camera or whatever you have connected to your computer. Once the scan is loaded, you can use all the filters, resize, color correction tools you need to make it just right. Q: What is the difference between the trial and registered versions? A: Both versions are actually the same. Just that once it's registered, you will receive a registration number that makes your copy registered and always valid past the free 40 day trial. So download the latest copy from here if you like. Q: Can I order on a secure web site? A: Yes! Q2: I feel uncomfortable putting my credit card in the Internet, how is my information secured? A2: We understand your concern with Internet Safety, however Brandyware Software has been processing credit card orders via the web for a number of years without any problems. The registration page is located on a secure server and the data is encrypted using SSL. This eliminates the risk of getting access to your information by anyone, except for the service ShareIt. Please, feel free to use our other ordering options. (Phone in on a toll free 888 number or Fax an order if you like). See Order page for internet site or phone numbers. Q: What does the word "Makaha" mean? A: Pronounced "Ma-ka-ha" Makaha is a beautiful valley on the West coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The Makaha beach is a world famous surfing beach, and just a great place to visit! It is PICTURE perfect! Hence the name, "Makaha". Q:How to download and setup Makaha? Click here to download Makaha^tm - For Windows Vista,XP,2003 When prompted, save the file to the folder you want. Any temp folder will do! After you've downloaded the file, just click on it's name "makaha.exe" to install it. For other programs here, you may need to unzip the file first. Use JustZIPit for this, it's free. Q: How do I get another copy of Makaha? A: If you're a registered user and would like to get another copy of Makaha for any reason, please e-mail us with name and address to confirm status. And you will be e-mailed a temp download URL address. Q: How do I receive my registered copy? A: A special URL will be e-mailed to you. Please check your e-mail after purchase. Make sure you check your SPAM box if you're an AOL user. Sometimes they may be placed here on accident. If you don't receive one, please e-mail us as soon as possible. Need a professional photographer? Great prices! If you have other questions, please e-mail us

EZV Video Capture

Q: I can only hear the videos, not see them?
A: Make sure you have DirectX v8.0 or better, and DirectShow Download DirectX Also ... make sure you have the latest codecs. Codec Installation Packages

Q: How do I resize the captures?
A: When the capture window is displayed, below it will be the edit window. The first button is the resize button. Click on it and then select the size you want. When you have the desired size, click on save.

Q: The captures are too dark?
A: You can use the brightness and contrast sliders to adjust the capture. If you're going to resize the capture, use the edit controls on the original capture first, then resize.

Q: How do I save them?
A: After you've used capture, click on the save button to save. You can use the AutoName feature to automatically name and save them. All captures can be saved in the current folder, AutoSave folder, or any preselected folder.

Q: Why is there a Time lapse before playing?
A: This only happens with .WMV (Windows Media Video ) videos. If the video plays too slow or is jerky and skipping frames, then your computer's video hardware may not be capable of playing full motion .wmv videos. A faster video card with more memory on it may do the trick.

Q: Why don't MOV or DivX files play?
A: Make sure you have the drivers and codecs for both. You can get all the files needed for WMV by downloading the free Windows Media Player. And the files needed for MOV from QuickTime from Apple.com. You can get the free DivX codec from DivX Movies

Q: How do I download videos?
A: Use the "Video URL" button to download videos from the Internet. You must have permission from secure sites, but not from free download sites. All you need to do is enter the videos URL. Example: http://thevideosite.com/videos/video.mpg. The download progress will be displayed by the slider bar. By clicking on "Play" button, you can restart the download before it's completed.

Q: What are SELECT START & SELECT END good for?
A: You can use them to select the start and ending of the video. This does not change or convert the video. It allows you to play the same frames over and over again without having to play the rest of the video.

Q: Why do I need different graphic formats?
A: Some formats are not quality graphics, like GIF. But GIF has an advantage of being one of the smallest formats to save and transfer over the internet. While others are of better quality but take more room on your hard drive or take longer to transfer over the internet.

Q: What does Autoname do?
A: AutoName will automatically name your video captures for you. Saving you the time of having to name each and every capture. Example: auto1.jpg, auto2.jpg, auto3.jpg, and so on.

Q: What is the AutoSave folder, and where is it?
A: The AutoSave folder is one of the options for saving your captures. EZV will place the saved graphic capture in the AutoSave folder for you automatically. Or, you can have them default to the folder the video is in, or you can select any folder on any drive to save the captures in.

You will find the AutoSave folder off the EZV folder. Example: C:\Program Files\ezvpro\AutoSave.

Q: Can I convert videos?
A: No. That's not what EZV does. It does not convert videos or audio files. There are tons of those programs out there now that do just that. EZV is more unique in that it allows you to capture those video frames to graphics so you can share those special shots with friends and family.

Q: What is the VideoList?
A: The VideoList is a holder for a list of videos. Just click on any name to play that video. This allows you to select many videos at one time without having to keep going to the load video selection.

Q: What is the difference between the trial and registered versions?
A: Only two things. The UNregistered version times out after 7 days. And ... only allows you to make 3 captures per session. Which is all you need to see if the program is right for you. No watermarks are included on the captures. The registered version of course does not time out and allows unlimited captures.

Q: Can I order on a secure web site?
A: Yes! Q2: I feel uncomfortable putting my credit card in the Internet, how is my information secured?
A2: We understand your concern with Internet Safety, however Brandyware Software has been processing credit card orders via the web for a number of years without any problems. The registration page is located on a secure server and the data is encrypted using SSL. This eliminates the risk of getting access to your information by anyone, except for the service ShareIt, RegNow, or Qwerks. Please, feel free to use our other ordering options. (Phone in on a toll free 800 number or Fax an order if you like). See Order page for internet site or phone numbers.

Q: How to download and setup EZV?
Click here to download EZV Video Capture Pro^tm - For Windows Vista, XP, 2003
When prompted, save the file to the folder you want. Any temp folder will do! After you've downloaded the file, just click on it's name "ezv.exe" to install it. For other programs here, you may need to unzip the file first. Use JustZIPit for this, it's free.

Q: How do I upgrade (registered) my old version of EZV Video Capture?
A: If you're a registered user and would like to get another copy of EZV for any reason, please e-mail us with name and address to confirm status. And you will be e-mailed a temp download URL address. For same version purchased only. For upgrades, see below for prices.

Q: How do I receive my registered copy?
A: A special URL will be e-mailed to you. Please check your e-mail after purchase. Make sure you check your SPAM box if you're an AOL user. Sometimes they may be placed here on accident. If you don't receive one, please e-mail us as soon as possible.

Q: How do upgrades work?
A: You will receive one free upgrade. After that, upgrades are $2.95 for a minor upgrade. And $4.95 for a major upgrade. Q. What is a minor and major upgrade. A: A minor upgrade would be going from version 1.3 to 1.4 A major upgrade would be going from version 1.3 to 2.0

Q: What's a watermark?
A: A watermark lets you place some text on top of your captures. You can set the font type, size, color, border, shadow, shadow type, and angle of the text.

You can use a watermark for captions, descriptions, copyrights ...

Makaha

Q: Why do you give them so many features?
A: Why not! If you're dealing with graphics, don't you want all the tools you can get in one package? Why limit yourself to a program that only has the basic features?

Q: How do you work with 8 bit GIF's?
A: To work with 8 bit GIF's, open them in 24 bit resolution. How? Click on "Preferences" - "Display" tab, and check the first box called "Display Open Options". This allows you to select the resolution of each graphic as it is opened.

Then re-save them in GIF 8 bit resolution when finished.

Q: How do I work with plugins?
A: First, you have to get some! Brandyware Software does not supply plugins. But, don't worry! There are hundreds of free plugins all over the internet for you to download and try out.

Once you have some plugins, place them in the Makaha-Plugin folder.

The folder was automatically created on install. You will find it right above the Makaha folder. If you installed Makaha using the default settings, it would look something like this:
C:\Program Files\Makaha\Plugins
Or ... you can direct Makaha to any folder you already have setup for plugins.

Now, how to use the plugins.

First, load a graphic, then select "Use PlugIns" from the "Tool" menu. Now, just highlight the available filter, and click on "Apply". If you like the effect, click on "AutoSave" to save it. If you don't like the effect, click on "Undo" and try another one, until you find something you like.

Q: What is the Custom List?

A: The custom list allows you to select files from many different folders as one list. Or just certain files from one folder. It's also used for the Slide Show, Screen Saver, Playbin, Thumbnails, Instant Slide, and most importantly ... Quick Shots.

Example using Quick Shots:
First, click on the "Quick Shots" button, notice it's a toggle button. That way you know you're getting ready to view your graphics as Quick Shots. Now, select some graphics by using the right arrow button. The right arrow button will load any file highlighted in to the Custom List. Now that you have all your files selected, click on the "Accept" button to load the selected files in Quick Shots.

Q: How do I convert more then one file at a time?
A: To convert a group of graphics at one time is very easy. First, select all the graphics you want converted. You know how to do this ... same for most Windows applications. You use the mouse and drag it over the files you want. Or you can use the "Ctrl" or "Shift" keys to select groups or certain files.

Once selected, just click on the "Convert" button, select the format you desire, and click on "Accept". Makaha won't erase the original graphics unless you request it. You will now notice the converted graphics have the same name, but with the new extension added.

Q: How do I create thumbnailed web pages?
A: A good example on how to get started is here.

Load Quick Shots with the graphics you want on your web pages.

Once Quick Shots is displayed, click on "Web Page". All the files in Quick Shots are now going to be available for the web pages. Select your options for the web pages.

And then either select for the Internet (so other people can see them) or for your hard drive, for your personal use. All the original graphics are left alone, and copies of the originals are used in whichever format you select. You can find the web pages you just created in the folder above the Makaha folder.
C:\Program Files\Makaha\WebPages

Q: How do I underlay with grayscale?
A: To use Underlay with grayscale, load two graphics.

The one you want on top (in color), and the one you want converted to grayscale and placed on the bottom (or underlayed). Using Emboss or another effect first, on the underlayed graphic makes for a good effect. You'll be given the option of selecting different underlays if you start with more then one loaded.

Q: How do I compress a graphic up to 200 times smaller?
A: Compressing graphics is easy. But only two graphic formats can be compressed. JPEG (jpg) and CMP formats.

To do this, open the "File Selector", highlight the file you want to compress, and then click on the "Convert" button. For JPEG, highlight the format "JPEG". You will notice that the "JPG Compression" box is now active. Use the scrollbar to set the compression limit. From 2-255. 2 = best quality, 255 = best compression. Now click on "Save" to create the new compressed graphic.

Q: How do I E-Mail my graphics?
A: The first thing you need to do is open (load) all the graphics you want to send. Then click on "Internet" - "E-Mail Graphics". Under "SMTP" enter your host service. Example, if it's AOL, enter "aol.com" here. Now enter your e-mail address under "From", and the e-mail address you wish to send the graphics to under "To". Enter a subject title under "Subject", Any message you like to accompany the graphics, and click on "Send". That's it!

To make them upload faster, convert them to GIF or compress them
first using JPEG compression.

Q: How do I resize my graphics?
A: Open the graphic you would like to resize. On the "Image" menu, scroll down to "Resize" and click. (or if you have the "Tools" floating toolbar open, it's the 2nd button).

In the Resize box, set the new width and height of the graphic you desire. Check off "Resample" for a higher quality image. Now click on "Accept" to see your newly resized graphic.

Q: Why don't my JPEG's view in my other viewers now?
A: In most cases they will view just fine in other viewers. But ... if you add an embedded thumbnail to it, the other viewers won't know what to do with it. They can't see that it now has a built-in thumbnail, and think it's corrupted. So, if you want your JPEG or CMP files to be viewed in other viewers, don't add a thumbnail to it.

Q: How do I make and view thumbnails?
A: Makaha can create two kinds of thumbnails. Embedded, or separate small thumbnails, like most other viewers.

Most viewers create separate little graphic files called thumbnails. They are little duplicate miniatures of the original file. This type of thumbnail can come in handy for say, web pages, where you can't show the thumbnail from inside the original. You need two separate files. But the drawback with this method is that you now have two separate files you have to keep track of. And they do take more hard drive space this way.

Embedded thumbnails are just that, embedded into the original file. So you don't have to deal with keeping the two together. Plus, Makaha has a feature where you can load just thumbnails from inside the original graphic for speedy displays. This saves time from having to open the full graphic each time. If it's the one you're looking for, click on it, to open the full graphic.

Now ... how do you create them!

Easy! For AutoSave, you can have the thumbnail automatically created for ever graphic saved using AutoSave. Set your preferences once, and forget about it. Every time you AutoSave a graphic, the thumbnail will be embedded automatically!

You can even save them as 8 bit or 24 bit. And adjust the size of the thumbnail up to 255 pixels.

Another way to create thumbnails is to check off the "Save with Thumbnail" option anytime you save or convert your graphics.

To create stand alone (separate) thumbnails, see creating "Web Pages".

Q: What is AutoSave?
A: AutoSave is a unique (7 yrs now) feature to Makaha! By just pressing the "F3" key, you will automatically save (AutoSave) the top graphic displayed in Makaha. With all the options already saved like, to include a thumbnail, the thumbnail size and bits, the graphic format, the folder to save it to, the name of the new file, and if or not to load the new file right after it's created. Yes, all that from just pressing the "F3" key!

You can find AutoSave under "Preferences" - "AutoSave" tab.

Q: Where is the "AutoSave" folder?
A: A default folder was created during install
C:\Program Files\Makaha\AutoSave
You may also point the AutoSave folder to any folder on any drive you like. The fastest way to view your AutoSave folder is to click on the "A" button from the "File Selector" and Makaha will display all the files in the folder for you

Q: How do I make graphics with transparent colors?
A: This can be accomplished by using the GIF animation tool.

Open a graphic, under "Animation" on the menu, click on "Create". Now check off the "Transparency" option. Select the color you want to be transparent And click on "Create". That's it. You now have a GIF file with a transparent color.

Q: How do I make GIF animations?
A: By using the GIF animation tool. First, open all the graphics you want in your GIF animation. The order doesn't matter because you can re-arrange them as needed. under "Animation" on the menu, click on "Create". Now using the arrow buttons you can arrange them in the order you like. Now set your options, and click on "Test". If you like what you see, click on "Create" and you have your new GIF animation file. Or ... you can play with the options until you do see what you like. You can test it as many times as you like before you create it.

Q: How do I adjust the colors in a graphic?

A: Using "Hue" changes the hue of colors in the bitmap by rotating the color wheel. This method can rotate the color wheel in either direction. A 180-degree rotation in either direction changes each color to its complement. Positive rotation takes red toward green, green toward blue, and blue toward red. Negative rotation has the opposite effect.

Using "Saturation" increases or decreases the saturation of colors in the bitmap. Negative values decrease the saturation of colors. Specify -1000 to change the colors to grayscale. Positive values increase the saturation. Specify +1000 to make the colors as bold as they can be.

Q: On changing brightness, what's the difference between "Contrast" and "Gamma"?
A: Contrast (intensity) increases or decreases the contrast of the graphic on a flat scale. Gamma correction changes brightness using a logarithmic scale to account for visual perception. And adjusts the intensity of colors in the graphic by changing the gamma constant that is used to map the intensity values.

Q: How do I crop a portion of the graphic?
A: Open a graphic, click on the "vertical scissors" icon, or from the menu "Edit" - "Crop".

Now, use your mouse by dragging it over the area you want cropped. Once you have the area sized out, click on the "horizontal scissors" to set the crop. The cropped area will automatically be loaded.

Q: How do I make my graphics black & white?
A: Load the graphic you want to change to black & white From the menu "Color", slide down to "Grayscale" and click. The graphic has now been converted to 8-bit grayscale (B&W).

Q: Where is the Screen Saver?
A: (registered only - only people registered are given the screen saver MSS ) When you receive your copy of MSS (Makaha Screen Saver) place it in your Windows Folder "C:\Windows" Open Windows "Display" and select MSS from the screen saver list. Setup all options for MSS here as well. All the MSS lists are created in Makaha the same way as the Slide Show lists are. And ... like the Slide Show, you can have as many lists as you like! You can even add MP3-WAV-MIDI music, and AVI-MOV and MPEG videos to MSS.

Q: Example of Internet clickable Maps
A: You can see a working example on the "Software" page, or the "Makaha" page.

Q: How do I put videos in my slide show?
A: The exact same way you do graphics. Just go to the folder your videos are in, highlight a video, click on the right arrow button to add it to the list, and you're done! Use the "UP & Down" arrow buttons to adjust the position of the video in the slide show.

Q: How do I put MP3-Wav-Midi music in my slide shows?
A: Same as videos above.See above

Q: How do I scan graphics?
A: You must have a scanner of course. This also applies to Digital Cameras and Grabbers. On the "Open" menu, slide down to "Acquire" and click. This will bring up the scanning software that allows you to scan.

When the scan is complete, Makaha will load the scanned graphic automatically. Use "Select Source" to go from scanner to camera or whatever you have connected to your computer. Once the scan is loaded, you can use all the filters, resize, color correction tools you need to make it just right.

Q: What is the difference between the trial and registered versions?
A: Both versions are actually the same. Just that once it's registered, you will receive a registration number that makes your copy registered and always valid past the free 40 day trial.

So download the latest copy from here if you like.

Q: Can I order on a secure web site?
A: Yes!
Q2: I feel uncomfortable putting my credit card in the Internet, how is my information secured?

A2: We understand your concern with Internet Safety, however Brandyware Software has been processing credit card orders via the web for a number of years without any problems. The registration page is located on a secure server and the data is encrypted using SSL. This eliminates the risk of getting access to your information by anyone, except for the service ShareIt.

Please, feel free to use our other ordering options.
(Phone in on a toll free 888 number or Fax an order if you like).
See Order page for internet site or phone numbers.

Q: What does the word "Makaha" mean?

A: Pronounced "Ma-ka-ha"
Makaha is a beautiful valley on the West coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The Makaha beach is a world famous surfing beach, and just a great place to visit! It is PICTURE perfect! Hence the name, "Makaha".

Q:How to download and setup Makaha?
Click here to download Makaha^tm - For Windows Vista,XP,2003

When prompted, save the file to the folder you want. Any temp folder will do!

After you've downloaded the file, just click on it's name "makaha.exe" to install it.

For other programs here, you may need to unzip the file first. Use JustZIPit for this, it's free.

Q: How do I get another copy of Makaha?
A: If you're a registered user and would like to get another copy of Makaha for any reason, please e-mail us with name and address to confirm status. And you will be e-mailed a temp download URL address.

Q: How do I receive my registered copy?
A: A special URL will be e-mailed to you. Please check your e-mail after purchase. Make sure you check your SPAM box if you're an AOL user. Sometimes they may be placed here on accident. If you don't receive one, please e-mail us as soon as possible.

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