ChatCheck

Quick Help

This help page can be found within ChatCheck by pressing F1 on your keyboard

ChatCheck is a freeware utility designed to assist the user to maintain a
collection of characters (avatars) for use in Microsoft's Comic Chat program.

Note:
ChatCheck compares the character files that are in your ComicArt folder to the character files that are availabe for download on the internet at various download sites. ChatCheck will then inform you of which files you do not have and where to go to download the new ones.
Since ChatCheck is hard coded to look only for the ComicArt folder in
C:\\Program Files\Microsoft Chat\ComicArt or in C:\\Program Files\Chat\ComicArt,
if you install the Comic Chat program anywhere else on your computer, then ChatCheck will not be able to find your local file folder.
ChatCheck can still search the internet for files, but it will not compare what you have on your computer to what is out there to download!

If you want to get the best results using ChatCheck, it is suggested to have the Comic Chat program installed in one of the two default locations on your computer.

To find new characters on the internet

Establish your usual connection to the internet and Click the Search button.
ChatCheck will begin searching for web pages containing Comic Chat characters.

For each site found a column will be added to the grid.
For each character found a will be added to the appropriate column.

Once searching has finished you will be able to :

Click on a face to highlight all the characters on that web page
Double-click on a face to see details or browse that web page

For information on your installed characters

Right-click anywhere and from the Popup menu select

Your installed characters...
- REVEAL version details

your ComicArt folder will be scanned and any characters found will be highlighted
as appropriate - version 2 or the more efficient version 2.5 (compressed format).

Once scanning has finished you will be able to ...

Move your mouse over the Installed column - any embedded information
such as an automatic download address will be shown in the status bar
Double-click in the Installed column for more information
Right-click again and from the Popup menu select
- Your installed characters...
  - BROWSE version details table

Checking your autoloadable characters for updates

A version 2.5 character can point to a master copy of itself on the internet.
This feature allows Comic Chat to automatically download new characters,
but it does not reload them when modified or enhanced versions become available.

To make ChatCheck check for updates
Right-click and from the Popup menu select

Your installed characters...
- CHECK the internet for updates

ChatCheck will indicate if

The copy you are using is out of date.
The internet copy is not accessible.
(which could prevent room members who do not already have your
character installed from seeing you correctly !)

Redirecting your autoloadable characters

Occasionally an internet site from which you obtained a character is closed down.
When this happens the automatic download information embedded in your copy
becomes useless. ChatCheck is periodically updated with new locations and is
able to redirect your characters, thus restoring their automatic download ability.

You can redirect individual characters by Double-clicking the "Moved" symbol, or
redirect all known characters by Right-clicking and from the Popup menu selecting

Your installed characters...
- Redirect "moved" characters...

Notes

You can abort a search or skip slow pages at any time.
You can search again later to complete a previously aborted search.

During a search ChatCheck does not copy the characters it finds to your computer,
you should Double-click them in the table and use your browser to download them.

If left running in the background (the recommended way to use it anyway) ChatCheck
monitors your ComicArt folder watching for characters being installed or updated.

The table is automatically updated.
Characters installed during the session are highlighted.
To list the newly installed characters
Right-click and from the Popup menu select
- Your installed characters...
  - LIST characters installed this session

Advanced features

You can quickly find an installed character by pressing F3 and typing the first few
letters of the characters name. A preceeding asterisk (*abc) will find them anywhere
in a name. Press F3 or Return to find the next instance. Press Esc to exit.

You can resize or resequence columns by dragging the column headings,
subsequent searches will still function correctly.

Sometimes you may see an option on the Popup menu to show members,
Click on the nicknames it displays to reveal the characters they normally use.

Click here for the ChatCheck Homepage
Click here to Email Mermaid Elizabeth
Click here to Email Sqiz

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