Release 0.8, 02.08.1995 by Thomas Engel (tomi@shinto.nbg.sub.org)



				The MPEGHelper application

ATTENTION..you need gnutar and gzip to unpack this package.


This is a frontend to the MPEG L3 sound codec tools from the 
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft IIS. These tools are SHAREWARE. Only
this frontend is GNUware.

I do appologize for not having completed the documentation in the 
style I use to do it. That's mainly because there are tons of other thing
to do :-(.

So please read the online help and the included manual pages to 
find out about the parameters of the codec tools and MPEG L3 in detail.
L3 MPEG allows a 90% (!) space saving for CD quality sounds, but realtime playback requires a fast machine (HPPA, SPARC20 or P5).

The handling of the frontend should be quite simple. Open a file, choose
the tools and start the conversion. Thats it.


The Package

Version 0.8 comes in two packages. The main MPEGHelper.0.8.NIHS.tar.gz 
archive includes:

 - MPEGHelper.app. A FAT binary for NeXT, Intel, HP and Sparc hardware 
   with FAT l3enc/dec binaries.

 - An Examples directory containing two simple examples of compressed
   MPEG L3 sounds. They are small to keep the size of the package low.

 - Online help...minimal

 - Some documentation.

The source package MPEGHelper.0.8.s.tar.gz comes with:

 - Full sourcecode (without the license sensitive sections).

On where to find the latest releases please see the 'About this Project' 
section. A seperate packages with the FhG UNIX tools only and one with more example files is availble too.


          About this Project

The latest version of this application will be available at the
ftp.nmr.embl-heidelberg.de, ftp.informatik.uni-muenchen.de,
ftp.fhg.de or ftp.cs.orst.edu anonymous ftp servers. There is a 
WWW page were you can find out more about the status of this...and
all the other projects I'm working on:

	
	http://wwwcip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/user/tsengel/
	Projects/Projects.html


Compiling

This version includes all the source code necessary to recompile the
program from scratch. It does not come with all the libraries and it 
only has quad fat precompiled code for the registration sensitive 
areas! 
You might need to get the MiscKit project (Version 1.5.0 or higher) 
from the archives.

For more details on the MiscKit collection see the common NeXT ftp
servers, get the Objective-C or NeXT FAQs or take a look at the
EduSteps developer area:  
	
	http://www.nmr.embl-heidelberg.de/eduStep/Developer/Kits/
	MiscKit/MiscKit.html
	
If you would like to submit something to this collection you should
contact the current maintainer: Don Yacktman <Don_Yacktman@byu.edu> 


In Case of Trouble

If you have any questions you can contact me.

    Thomas Engel     
    Netpunstr. 9     
    D-90522 Oberasbach 
    Germany          
	
    E-mail:    tsengel@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de 
               tomi@shinto.nbg.sub.org

               (NeXTMail welcome)



          Warranty and copyright


Copyleft

All source code is distributed under the GNU General Public License.
This does not apply to the ObjectWare used, which most likely comes
with its own licensing rules (e.g. code that belongs to the MiscKit
project).

You are free to extend and modify this application. But don't
redistribute a modified version under the same name unless I gave you
the permission. I don't want to have different, confusingly
incompatible versions running around the world. 

Anyway...comments are highly appreciated.


No Warranty

This software is provided 'as is' and the programmer is not
responsible for any harm this program may cause. You - the user - are
responsible for everything that may happen to your business,
hardware, software, car, CD collection or what ever may be worth your
attention or money. Using this product is at your own risk and your
private fun.

There should be no serious bugs inside but remember that a
carbon-based unit did the coding. 


Travelware

Like all my projects this app is free and should be considered as travelware.

 1. Let it travel to as many people as you know. 

 2. Send me an E-mail or postcard if you use it. I will try to
    keep you informed about new releases.

 3. If you have a free bed or some free space on your floor...give
    me a hint. I might come and visit you on my next trip to the
    US...locations on Hawaii, near Seattle or WhistlerMnt. (Canada)
    preferred.



Enjoy it.

	Tomi