The Complete Birds of the Western Palearctic
Hints and Tips
Content Issues
Technical Issues
System Requirements
- PC with minimum 486 processor, (Pentium (Intel) processor is strongly recommended)
- 32MB RAM
- 4x speed CD-ROM drive
- Graphics card running a minimum screen resolution of 800x600 in high colour (16 bit)
- Windows 3.1x, 95, 98, NT4
Hints and Tips
1: Advanced Media Search Dialog
The BWP software contains a comprehensive system of keywords which provide a usefulmeans of accessing the various different Media Items according to certain ornithological criteria.The “Advanced Media Search Dialog” contains a series of check boxes for this purpose. In order to gain the maximum benefit from this feature a few points are worth bearing in mind:
The first search option to select is the Media type, using the drop down menu at the top leftof the window. Once a type has been selected the remaining options will be made available or notas appropriate. The Taxonomy scope, which enables the range of species included in the search tobe restricted is available for all types.
The logic behind which search categories are enabled for any particular media type is fairly self-explanatory. The vast majority of the Figures show species-specific behaviours, as categorised in the Social Pattern and Behaviour text; because these categories are generally notapplicable for other Media types they are disabled when these are being searched.
Using the Season/Plumage, Age and Gender categories:
If all the boxes of a category are checked, (the default arrangement for plates, videos, photographs and sounds) the search engine ignores that category and does not filter out anyitems.
If all the boxes are unchecked, the search engine only finds items to which none of thekeywords apply (this may be the case where, e.g. the Seasons/Plumages category is not applicableto a particular species).
If some of the keywords are checked and some are unchecked, the search engine will findonly those items that have the keywords which have been chosen. Therefore, if only the adult keyword of the age category is checked, the search engine will only find those items are keywordedadult. It will not find any items that do not have age keywords.
Note: This system has been chosen because it allows us to categorise the variousattributes of all west Palearctic bird species as far as possible without imposing attributes(e.g. Season/Plumage differences, or Gender differences) on species where these are not applicable.
Use of the 'In flight / Not in flight' keywords and the 'Morph, race or unusual plumage -Yes / No' keywords. Only the 'positive' keywords in these two categories have in fact been utilised, i.e. only the 'In flight' and 'Morph, race or unusual plumage - Yes' have actually been applied. The user should therefore be aware that the 'Not in flight' and 'Morph, race or unusualplumage - No' keywords can be disregarded. As the default search option these should be left checked for all searches unless the 'negative' is specifically required, i.e. that the birds must be on the ground, or of the nominate race.
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2: Diversity Wizard
The Diversity Wizard in BWP on CD-ROM provides a unique way of gathering species listsfor all geographical regions and all habitats within the west Palearctic. However, in using thisfeature it is important for users to be aware of its limitations, in order to prevent misleadingdata being retrieved.
Principally for reasons of acceptable time limitations in running Diversity Wizard seaches, thesmallest unit of 'area' in the wP map provided is a square of 4x4 pixels on the screen. Naturally on a scale projection covering the whole region this equates to a relatively large geographical area. Therefore it is important for users to appreciate that it is impossible for the software to be entirely 'location-specific'. This, combined with the fact that many species (particularly, forexample, those who have breeding ranges confined to coastal strips) have distributions covering relatively very small areas of the map, means that, in certain types of search the DW may notalways produce all the anticipated species. The feature is at its most effective when searching atlocations away from coastal fringes, small islands, watercourses, such as the Nile Valley, ornarrow mountain chains.
Using the habitat database is a very helpful way of making a search more specific.
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Content Issues
1: Missing maps
Due to problems converting the original data there are 7 maps from the Concise edition of the print BWP which are not included on BWP on CD-ROM. These maps are for the following species:
- Hoopoe Lark
- Tawny Pipit
- Radde's Accentor
- Whinchat
- Tristram's Warbler
- Bullfinch and Hawfinch
Roll the mouse over the thumbnails below to identify the species. Clicking on a thumbnail will open a larger, jpeg version of the distribution map.
These maps are all available in high resolution bitmap form. They are contained in a single zip file which is 360KB in size:
1_1bmps.zip
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2: Distribution maps for Knot, Hawk Owl, and Snowy Owl
The map for the Knot is incorrect on the CD-ROM: the distribution shown on the map should be inblue, not yellow, because it shows the Winter range of the species.
The map for the Hawk Owl is similarly incorrect, with the Winter range being misrepresented as breeding range. The area in green (Resident) is correct.
The original distribution map for the Snowy Owl, used in the Concise edition of the print BWP includes a 'non-standard' element which describes the species' approximate wintering range (this took the form of a broken black line across the map). It has not been possible for us to include this element in the interactive distribution maps included in the BWP CD-ROM.
A high resolution bitmap versions of the corrected maps are now available for download.
1_1bmps.zip
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3: Spelling errors
The text from the original print version of BWP (Volumes 1 - 9) was converted into electronic form using a process called Optical Character Recognition (OCR), whereby the printed text is scanned to produce a digital image and software then detects specific characters in the image and renders them as text. Due to the small font size of some sections of the printed text and the capabilities of OCR software at the time this conversion was carried out, a small numberof spelling errors were created in the electronic text. Considerable effort has been made to correct as many of these mistakes as possible, using electronic means. However, we are aware that a very small number of errors still remain.
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4: Black-throated Thrush
Since BWP on CD-ROM went into production we have been advised that the song “Black-throated Thrush 1” may, in fact, not be correctly identified. The song of this subspecies (Turdus ruficollis atrogularis) is not definitively documented and there is some debate as to the correct identification of the recordings which are available. Comparison of sonagrams ofthis song and the song of Red-throated Thrush (the nominate subspecies, ruficollis) (from M. E. Schubert's Stimmen der Vögel Centralasiens) shows them to be very similar. However, the possibility that the recording is the song of an Eye-browed Thrush Turdus obscurus cannot be excluded.
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Technical Issues
1: Install the BWP to run without the CD in the drive
To install the whole of the BWP to your hard disk, copy the contents of Disk 1 to the hard disk in a folder, e.g. C:\BWPCD1. Run the installation from the hard disk. Then copy the contents of disk 2 and disk 3 to other folders on the hard disk, e.g. C:\BWPCD2, and C:\BWPCD3. Start the BWP program and go to the FILE | PREFERENCES... menu click on the CD PATHS tab. For each CD type in the path to the data, e.g. for disk 1 the path would be C:\BWPCD1\
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2: Error message: “Memory list out of bounds”
Due to the complexity and range of some of the search requests which can be carried out by the BWP software (most notably using the Diversity Wizard) the program is often very intensive in its use of a computer's resources. Click OK to remove the message; you are advised to then restart BWP.
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3: Error message - “Exception in module OMV3.EXE. Unable to write to C:\BWP\MAIN.INI”
If using Windows XP but not logged in as a Computer Administrator, the above error message may appear when trying to start the BWP program. Computer Administrator permissions are required in order to run this software.
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4: Error message: “Cannot determine the device type from the given filename extension..”
If you are running BWP under Windows 3.1 or 3.11 you may find that you cannot play the video clips. This will almost certainly be because you do not have Video for Windows installed on your machine. If this is the case use this link to download
Video for Windows 1.1e. This is for users of Windows 3.x only.
To check whether your machine is able to play videos correctly: Open File Manager. With any BWP disc in your CD-ROM drive open the BWP directory. The folder VDATA contains all the BWP video clips. Try opening any of these by double-clicking. If they do not run you should install Video for Windows.
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5: No BWP icons in the START menu
When BWP is installed on an NT system it automatically places the program icons in the All Users Profile of the WINNT folder on the machine's hard drive. If the NT system utilises Personal User Profiles and the user is connected to the system using a Personal login they will not see the Program icon in their own Start Menu. To copy the program icon into a Personal User Profile open Windows NT Explorer and go to: C:\WINNT\Profiles\AllUsers\Start Menu\Programs. Select the BWP Program icon and copy it to C:\WINNT\Profiles\[Your login name]\Start Menu\Programs folder. It should then be possible to start the program correctly from the Start Menu.
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6: Media types in the Media Index panel appear to be incomplete
When more than one type of media is listed in a session using the Media Index panel, the listing for the second type, and any subsequent media types, may appear to be incomplete. Unfortunately this problem can not be fixed. In any one session using BWP (i.e. each time the software has been restarted), the first type of Media (Sounds, Photographs etc.) listed using the Media Index will produce the correct, complete list. However, any subsequent Media listing in the same session will produce an incomplete list of items. If you wish to use the Media Index listing facility it is necessary to restart BWP to create a different Media list.
To clarify, the total numbers of each type of Media are:
- Figures: 1509
- Egg plates: 445
- Plates: 592
- Photographs: 203
- Maps: 624
- Sounds: 779
- Videos: 454
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7: Entering dates in the Field Log - American and European formats
“Excursions” in the BWP field log are given a date, and the field log provides today's date by default (you can overwrite this if recording an excursion made on another day). The date is displayed in Day/Month/Year ("DD/MM/YY") format usually used in Europe (e.g. Christmas Day 1998 is 25/12/1998). The field log obtains today's date from the Operating System. This can lead to a problem if your operating system is set up so that dates are displayed in the Month/Day/Year format often used in America (e.g. Christmas Day 1998 is 12/25/1998).
If the computer is set to use the Month/Day/Year format, then when you submit an excursion containing a date such as 25/12/1998, you will get an error message “25/12/1998 is not a valid date”. The field log will however accept the date 12/25/1998. Note that not all dates will produce this error message: dates up to the 12th of each month, for example 12/10/1998, are valid in either format.
If you intend to use the Field log a lot we recommend checking whether you will encounter this problem by either simply try submitting an excursion with a date such as 31/12/1998 and see whether the error message appears, or by checking the setting of the operating system.
To resolve this problem either enter all dates manually in the MM/DD/YY format, or change the date format of the operating system.
NB: Beware that other software on your computer may also obtain dates from the operating system. For example, if you use Microsoft Word or Excel macros or templates that automatically insert dates, these could be affected by the change.
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8: Collapse button on the Taxonomy Tree
At a very late stage in the development of BWP on CD-ROM (after the manual had gone to print) it became necessary to remove the Collapse button on the Taxonomy Tree. Regrettably, therefore, this piece of functionality is not available and the reference to it on page 6 of the manual is now incorrect.
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9: Error message:- “Can't open Nfo with alias W0829w!”
There is a known error which is produced when Maps are listed in the Media Indexes. The missing maps were removed from the software at a late stage (when it became clear that they could not be used) but the links from the Index to the maps themselves were not all removed. The error message is therefore produced when the software attempts to build the list and is unable to find particular map references.
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10: Error message:- “ISISNT 30 caused a general protection fault in module _INSO433._MP ”
This error occurs during installation if the computer has an IntelliMouse or Wheel mouse installed. To resolve this problem, use the steps below to disable the IntelliMouse software before performing the installation. Once the installation has completed successfully, the IntelliMouse may be enabled again by restarting the computer.
| [1] |
Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> once, this should bring up the CLOSE PROGRAM box
|
| [1] |
Select the item in the list called MSWHEEL or POINT32, choose the END TASK button. Wait a few seconds. If a confirmation message appears, choose END TASK again |
| [1] |
Attempt to run the installation |
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11: Media searching
In order to improve the User Interface design and clarity of Media searches the Advanced Mode dialog window was altered at a late stage in the development of BWP on CD-ROM. The Media Type box (shown in the manual, page 12) has been replaced with a drop down menu. Click on the arrow at the right end of the box (next to Figures) and select a Media type from the list. Although this change to the software prevents the search of multiple media types simultaneously it means that the Keywording logic is more clear to the user. Should you wish to combine search result lists this can be done by simply saving the appropriate lists and adding them together.
For more information on Media searching see Hints and Tips
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12: Reinstalling the BWP program
If you should need to uninstall and re-install BWP on CD-ROM at any time you should be aware that any notes you have made for yourself, in the software, will be overwritten. This includes the field log, all bookmarks and annotations and anything left in the memo pad. The field log will give you the option of Exporting all your data to a file in the BWP folder on your hard drive called 'field log' (this file should obviously then be copied to a location outside the BWP folder before uninstallation). The format is tap-separated text - this can be accepted by most database programs. Memo pad files should be saved as .txt files in a location other than the BWP folder on your hard drive.
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13: Problems playing the video for the Balearic Shearwater
The video for the Balearic Shearwater was re-digitised at a late stage in development and a different compression CODEC was used for this clip. Some machines may not be able to play this correctly if the correct drivers are not installed. The appropriate driver can be obtained from Intel's site at: http://www.intel.com/ial/indeo/video/driver.htm. The download required is iv5play.exe. Download this file to an appropriate location and then double-click on it from within Windows Explorer. The drivers will be automatically installed to the correct system directories on your hard drive, allowing this video to be run.
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14: Advance options in the Distribution Map cannot be accessed
The Maps Option Dialog window opens when any species distribution map is selected. Unfortunately, however, if your computer's display is set to Large Fonts then the complete Dialog window is not shown, and the Advanced options are not available. To change your system settings to the default Small Fonts using the DISPLAY control panel.
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15: Error message:- “exception EGPfault in module TRID_P3D.DRV”
This error message indicates a conflict with the computers graphics card drivers, usually a TRIDENT graphics card. Contact the supplier of the graphics card to obtain the latest device drivers.
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16: Error message:- “MMSYSTEM281 This file could not be played. Check the filename or install a driver that supports this type of file”
This error message can occur when trying to view the videos from within the BWP program. Check that the necessary settings below are found in the two files WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI
WIN.INI file
[mci extensions]
...
wav=waveaudio
avi=AVIVideo
...
SYSTEM.INI file
[mci]
...
avivideo=mciavi.drv
...
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17: Application Errors
It is recommened that the BWP program be started using the START menu, usually START | PROGRAMS | BWP | BWP on CD-ROM icon, rather that the RUN button on the splash screen that appears when Disk 1 is inserted. We have found this button to cause random Application Errors.
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18: The BWP on Windows XP
Computer Administrator permissions are required in order to run the BWP on Windows XP. In some versions of Windows, namely NT4, 2000 and XP, it is possible to assign different permissions to each user, thus enabling less experienced user to have restricted access to the machine. When referring to logging in with Administrator permissions, this means the user with the most control over the machine. To check what type of permissions a user has it is best to search the Windows Help, because it may be different for each version of Windows.
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