Using DigitalNatureGuide.exe:

DigitalNatureGuide runs on WindowsXP. It works best with screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher. It will run marginally well at a screen resolution of 800 x 600.

DigitalNatureGuide should download and install correctly using the instructions on the download page. The file provided is a Setup program that installs the DigitalNatureGuide.exe or a guide. The best procedure is to Open this file instead of Saving it on your disk. When you open Setup, click on DigitalNatureGuide.exe and follow the wizard.. Of course you are free to save the Setup program and run it on your computer (you will have to unzip the file)..

Installation is by default into the directory as: My Documents\DigitalNatureGuide\DigitalNatureGuide.exe. You can override this location during Setup, but if you do, remember that all guides must be placed in the same folder as DigitalNatureGuide.exe!

DigitalNatureGuide.exe is a stand-alone program and actually needs no installation. Just place the whole folder /DigitalNatureGuide/ anywhere on your hard disk and run the program. It will even run from a CD but will probably be slow with gaps when nothing seems to happen—be patient.

The program can be run by double-clicking on DigitalNatureGuide.exe using Windows Explorer, or by using the Start/Run screen. If it was installed by the Setup program there will be an item Digital Nature Guide on the Start\Programs menu.

You can put a shortcut to DigitalNatureGuide.exe on the Desktop by finding this file in Windows Explorer, right-clicking on it and selecting Create Shortcut. Then drag the shortcut to the Desktop.

Instructions for using a guide are provided in Help menus which are tailored for each window in the program. Instructions for creating a guide can be found in the file named InstructionsForCreatingNewGuide.htm (or -.doc, -.txt) which is in the folder \DigitalNatureGuide\ProgramFiles.

DigitalNatureGuide is a program that both organizes and views digital natural history field guides. It is centered around images and has many ways to select and order the images. It also supports unlimited text for each species.

This program has several goals:

- to provide a simple means for naturalists to make their knowledge and images available to others, without going through the publication process.

- to provide a means for making a field guide in a progressive manner, without requiring that the information be complete before making the guide.

- to eventually provide a source of freely available guides to, hopefully, all kinds of animals and plants. People who construct a guide that they would like to have shared are encouraged to send a copy to rcampbel@uci.edu.

- to create dynamic field guides that are modifiable by users. Instead of writing notes in the margin, as you might in the case of a paper guide, you can modify the text or illustrations directly. This should lead to the evolution of the guides as more naturalists add their expertise to them.

DigitalNatureGuide.exe is copyright 2004, 2005 by Richard D. Campbell. It may be freely used, copied, distributed and modified for any non-commercial purpose, but cannot be used, copied, distributed or modified for any commercial purpose.

The author would appreciate comments and suggestions at rcampbel@uci.edu.

This program is written in RealBasic language (www.realsoftware.com).