
-- Please Read:

 * Please go to: http://order.kagi.com/?47D
   Even if you don't want to donate, I want you to read the current
   situation the Inmatrix site and this program is currently in.

--- What's new in v3.00:

 Legend :

 "*" = New
 "+" = Change
 "-" = Fix


 New :

 * Zoom Player should now work with VMR9 under DirectX-9 in
   both DVD (as long as the decoder also supports it) and Media
   modes.  On a personal point, I feel DirectX-9 was rushed as
   there are still a few issues with it...  In any case, backward
   support is still working, so you don't have to use VMR9 if you
   don't want to.

 * New DVD Playback system.  Instead of using a specific graph
   file or gambling that windows can build it's own DVD Graph,
   you can now specify which Audio/Video Decoder/Renderer
   to use in any combination you want with an easy to use
   interface.  Maximum flexibility, minimum effort.

   In addition to this interface, there's a new verification
   tool that checks if the selected filters are properly
   registered on your computer.

 * New Media Library Category System (Optional).
   By enabling (Enabled by Default) the system on the
   "Options -> OSD -> Navigators" interface, the Media Library
   navigator will now be divided into categories, which can be
   set on the Media Library Editor (Shift+"M").

   Each Directory can be assigned one of two states, either
   assigned to ALL categories or assigned to a Specific category.
   You can create as many categories as you desire.

   When enabled, the Left/Right navigational controls will now
   be used to switch between categories.

 * New Video Orbiting System (Options -> Values -> Playback).
   Video Orbiting allows you to specify a video position movement
   range in order to prevent screen burns on movies that don't
   cover the entire screen area.

 * New Shell Integration feature (Options -> Association) allowing
   you to right click directories and associated files and select
   to either Play or Enqueue them.  When playing/queuing Directories,
   they are checked for DVD Structure and would be queued/played as
   a DVD if such a structure exists.

 * New recursive Play List opening code.
   When you now open a play list file (any supported format),
   it will be automatically expanded.  This allows for recursive
   play lists.  The only caveat is ... don't create a loop (two
   lists referencing each other) or basically you'll end up in
   a situation where the playlists load each other ad infinitum.

 * The Zoom Player registry location can now be altered by creating
   a file called "zplayer.regpath" within the Zoom Player directory
   and entering one line of text containing the new position.
   For example: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VirtuaMedia\ZoomPlayerDeus

   By creating this file, you can have multiple versions of the
   player running at once with different settings assigned to each.
   (as long as each copy is being run from a different directory)

 * You can now use a MediaGraph file instructing Zoom Player how
   to play a specific media file even when using a MediaGraph is
   disabled in the options dialog.
   This is useful for specific files that require special filters
   to play while not altering your default playback method.
   To use this, simply create a MediaGraph file with the same base
   name as the media file you are trying to play and using the
   MediaGraph extension.

   For Example:
   "My Video.avi"
   "My Video.MediaGraph"

   For more information on building MediaGraph files, open
   "example_avi.mediagraph" within the MediaGraph directory in
   any text editor.

 * New example MediaGraph file for use with the Elecard MPEG2
   decoders.  I use it with the feature above for really corrupted
   MPEG2 files which only the Elecard decoders seem capable of
   playing.

 * New Function "fnBringToFront" allowing you to force the Player
   window to the front.  The assign keyboard macro is Alt+"1", but
   really, it can't be used (since the window doesn't have focus),
   but it can be assigned to remote devices such as Girder, which
   is the whole point.

 * New Web URL Navigator.  The Web URL Navigator allows you to
   assign a web address, Text or HTML file to a specific DVD or
   Media file.

   Media Files:
   Create a URL file with the same base name as your media file,
   but with the ".URL" extension.

   DVD Discs:
   Create a URL file by the name of "disc.url" in the local
   DVD-Bookmarks directory (within the Zoom Player directory)
   each previously loaded disc should have a directory if the
   last position or disc definition data were saved.

   The URL files are standard windows URL files, structure is
   very simple.  Create a text file that contains the following
   information:
   URL=http://www.tomysite.com/mypage.html

   or, for local HTML files:
   URL=file:///c:/my local info/mydata.html
   (Yes, the slashes are correct in both numbers and direction,
   this is how windows stores paths in URL files)

   You can also use the Dynamic "<FileName>" tag like this:
   URL=http://www.scriptpage.com/process.php?<FileName>

   Any spaces in the filename are automatically converted to the
   "_" underscore character as HTML urls do not allow for spaces.

   If you open web pages that contain pop-ups, there's not much
   I can do, you may be able to install pop-up prevention software
   to combat those.  Or simply don't assign cheesy sites.

   When the Web URL Navigator is open, you can use the arrow
   keys to scroll the pages and press Enter to close it.

   Furthermore, instead of creating a URL file, you can create an
   HTML or Text file.  The following extensions are valid:
   ".HTML" + ".HTM" + ".TXT" + ".NFO".

 * You can now use Higher Fast Forward values in Media Mode if
   you have the ReClock filter installed.  You get get the ReClock
   filter at : http://ogo.nerim.net/reclockfilter/
       or at : http://www.doom9.org

 * You can now load ".GRF" GraphEdit files as standard media files.

 * You can now use ".GRF" GraphEdit files as DVD Graph files by
   putting them in the DVDGraph directory.  However, using GraphEdit
   Graph files, you can't register the used filters using the
   register button, nor will you get a detailed error listing if one
   of the filters refused to connect properly.  Using this method,
   you would not be able to use Extended VMR9 capabilities.

 * New Default Definition File Value (Options -> Values -> Other),
   allowing you to specify a definition file that is to be loaded
   if the DVD/Media being loaded doesn't have a definition file
   of it's own.

 * The List Based Navigators are now more easy to navigate using the
   mouse.  Not too intuative as they were designed for TV-Display and
   not the Monitor.

 * New Scene Cut feature allowing you to "End" Playback (and proceed
   to the next file on the Play List).  This works for both Media and
   DVD.  With DVD this allows you to play multiple DVDs in sequence.
   For safety reasons (to prevent infinite loops), the last Stop
   Position on a DVD isn't saved if the playback was stopped by an
   End Playback Scene Cut event.

 * The Arrow keys Toggle has been split into Left/Right and Up/Down
   toggles, each can be assigned a different set of functions and more
   functions can now be assigned to the arrow keys.

 * New Function ("H" on keyboard) to Enable/Disable Source Relative
   Stretch.  This is useful if you're switching a lot between a monitor
   and a non 4:3 display device such as a Projector or a TV.

 * New Animate Buttons setting (Skin Selector Dialog).  When enabled,
   button states are transitioned transparently.

 * New "cTransColor" skinning variable allowing you to create
   color-keyed transparent Control Bars.

 * New "cBarRightMargin" skinning variable allowing you to set
   the right margin of the control bar so that you can better
   draw it to interconnect with button graphics.

 * New "<cBarFullWidth>" skinning constant allowing you to get
   the full width of the Control Bar, including the area used for
   the Buttons and Right Margin.

 * New "<PlayListItems>" skinning constant allowing you to display
   the number of items currently loaded within the Play List.

 * Now "<PLWinWidth>", "<PLWinHeight>", "<PLWinHalfWidth>" and
   "<PLWinHalfHeight>" skinning constant allowing you to position
   items within the Play List window.

 * New Setting (Options -> OSD -> Navigators) allowing you to have
   Zoom Player check each media file if it has an accompanying subtitle
   file and highlight it accordingly. This applies to the Media Library,
   File and Play List Navigator interfaces.

 * New Setting (Options -> OSD -> Navigators) allowing you to reposition
   the navigators.

 * New Setting (Options -> OSD -> Navigators) allowing you to disable
   file extensions from showing up on the File, Media Library and
   Play List Navigators.

 * New Setting on the Play List Editor allowing you to set playback
   to loop on the currently playing item.

 * New Setting (Options -> Settings -> Playback) allowing you to
   have Zoom Player pre-buffer the next video file 10 seconds
   before it starts playing.  This Seamless Playback setting
   can cut the time it takes Zoom Player to switch between
   media tracks.  There are a few limitations:
   1. Doesn't work for Random Play at the moment.
   2. For it to work with MPEG2 files (VOB/SVCD) you must use
      the VMR9 renderer (this is a limitation of the MPEG2
      decoders that won't work if there is a running overlay
      surface already, since the VMR9 doesn't use an overlay
      surface, it doesn't suffer from this).
      You can enable the VMR9 renderer at Options->Manual Filter.
      Note: DirectX-9 is required for the VMR9 to work.
   3. It may not work well with custom media graphs.
   4. The code is experimental, some display card drivers or
      other system components may not like it.

 * New Setting (Options -> Settings -> Playback) allowing you to have
   the Media Definition file saved in the Zoom Player Media-Data
   directory (Within the install dir) rather than the location of the
   open media file.

 * New Setting (Options -> Settings -> Interface) allowing you to
   fix the user interface aspect ratio to the video's aspect ratio.

 * New Setting (Options -> DVD -> Values) allowing you to maintain
   audio while in fast forward or rewind.  Frankly, I've tried it
   with both the PowerDVD and WinDVD filters and neither is capable
   of this feature.  Hopefully in the future they will be.

 * New Setting (Options -> Values -> Playback) allowing you to
   modulate the speed the Skip/Jump/Seek functions work when used
   repeatedly.  If used quickly (within 1.5 seconds), each use makes
   the distance moved x1/x2/x3 ... faster than the specified value.

 * New Setting (Options -> Values -> Playback) allowing you to
   have the currently playing Media File closed when the stop command
   is issued.  Useful for people who'd like to have the Media Image
   pop back up.

 * New Setting (Options -> Values -> Resolution) allowing you to
   set the screen resolution when going into Zoom/Fullscreen modes.
   You can specify Width/Height/Bits/Refresh Rate/Interlaced.
   Your display driver must support the specified values.

 * You can now set Zoom Player to close the open Media file when
   playback ends.

 * You can now set Double Click to Play / Pause.  This can be
   useful when using minimalistic skins with no buttons and the
   single click is assigned to dragging the window.

 * New Extended Function (exOpenDrive) allowing you to open the entire
   content of a drive using a keyboard/button/remote device.

 * New "Query Overlay" button on the Overlay Color Dialog allowing you
   to check the Overlay Color capabilities and to grab the default
   values of the Overlay Color (if the interface was disabled when
   a video was loaded) for your specific Display Card.  Useful for
   setting a default value.

 * Pressing "E" will now open the File Navigator, regardless of the
   navigator the Enter key is set to.

 * New "Search" entry on the Keyboard list so you can quickly find
   a specific keyboard function.

 * New "/MOUSEOFF" command line that sends the mouse cursor off-screen.

 * New "/OPENDRIVE" Command Line Parameter that allows you to open
   an entire drive while respecting VCD/SVCD/DVD structures.

   Usage Example:
   "x:\my\path\to\zoomplayer\zplayer.exe" "/opendrive:z"

 * New "/QUEUE" Command Line Parameter that works when Zoom Player is
   already running.  When used, any specified directories will be
   enqueued at the end of the Play List.  When used when Zoom Player
   isn't running, it works the same as the "/ADD" Command Line.

   Usage Example:
   "x:\my\path\to\zoomplayer\zplayer.exe" "/queue:z:\music videos\"

 * The Cycle Audio Track function (Ctrl+"A") will now cycle through
   MPEG1 Audio Tracks (Left/Right/Merged).  Useful for multi-language
   MPEG1 Audio discs.  Code written due to incessant nagging and
   research on the part of civic5zigen.

 * New "UseSystemClock" function for Graph Building scripts.  This
   function tells Zoom Player to create a System Clock and use it
   to keep Sync.  It may help with microstutter issues but may also
   cause Audio Desync.

 * The Information Panel ("I") now shows these additional details:
   1. Video Aspect Ratio.
   2. Derived Aspect Ratio.
   3. Source Aspect Ratio.

 * You can now have ".df" Definition Files automatically add
   additional media file segments to a multi-segment media file.
   Zoom Player will scan the current directory and the root
   directory on every drive for the additional segments.

 * You can now have ".df" Definition Files apply Audio Volume when
   opening media/dvd files.

 * The zplayer.zdf file now instructs Zoom Player to save audio
   volume within definition files.

 * Improved the function description within the "Brownish.skn" file,
   hopefully each and every Zoom Player function should now be well
   understood.

 * You can now associate the ".TS" and ".AC3" extensions.

 * Pressing Ctrl+"C" on the Information Panel moves the currently
   playing file name into the Clipboard.

 * The Playing and Path fields on the Information Panel are now
   selectable.

 * New Reset button on the ID3Script section in case it somehow
   got messed up and you want the original back.

 * The beta version is now listed in the About box.




 Changes :


 + Completely rewrote the code behind the Association system.
   While the interface looks the same, I dumped the previous DDE
   system which was in all honesty faster.  However, it was somewhat
   limiting and had some compatibility issues with certain systems.

   Due to this change, you must re-associate all used extensions
   with Zoom Player otherwise you may get certain pop-up errors
   from the OS.  Do this even if you had previously installed a
   v3.00 beta!

   Also, when you DeAssociation, ZP cleans better after itself.

 + The Play List Editor has been modified, you can now drag around
   files using the mouse and further customize the color scheme.

 + The Play List Editor is now fully skinnable.  Backward support
   for older skin that didn't include code for the Play List, a
   simplistic yet functional play list is made available.

 + The text drawn on the Navigators and Play List Editor is now
   reformatted to better fit the interface.  Long names will have
   their vowels removed first and if room is still an issue, you
   see the standard cropping.

 + The "CreateExButton" skinning function has been expanded with
   a few more parameters, and can now be used to add buttons to
   the Play List Editor.

 + After installing Windows Media Player 9, opening and seeking
   in Windows Media Video files (".WMV" and ".ASF") within
   Zoom Player is significantly faster, as the Microsoft installer
   also adds a new Reader filter which FINALLY! doesn't think that
   you are always trying to open a file from the internet and
   doesn't try to buffer 5 seconds ahead.

 + The Custom Audio Device setting no longer applies to DVD Mode.
   Using the Customized DVD Mode you can choose which Audio Renderer
   is used.  With standard graphs, the Audio Renderer defined in
   the graph is preserved.

 + Opening a Directory through the Navigators is now "DVD Aware".
   If the directory contains a VIDEO_TS.IFO file, the directory
   would be opened as a DVD.

 + Using the File Navigator, pressing Enter on a Drive listed on
   the right-side panel will now open the entire drive while
   respecting VCD/SVCD/DVD disc structure.

 + Zoom Player now properly supports ID3v2.4 and OGGVorbis tags.
   If no tags exist, the file name will be used as a Title Tag.
   The script has changed somewhat so if you modified it, you'll
   have to re-enter your modifications.
   There are also several new tags:
   <language>, <encoder>, <urllink> and <copyright>.

 + Cycling through subtitles (Ctrl+"B") using the DirectVobSub
   filter will now cycle through the "Hide Subtitles" entry.

 + Play List Editor entries are now numbered.

 + When the MPEG2 Splitter filter is used for MPEG2 playback and
   Zoom Player encounters more than one audio stream, by default
   the first audio track will now played (before the MPEG2 Splitter
   filter chose a stream according to an unknown criteria).

 + You can now set the OSD to be Screen Centered.

 + The "/ADD" Command Line Parameter can now accept files and not
   only directories.

 + You can now use the Delete key with the following navigators:
   1. Media Library Navigator
   2. File Navigator
   3. Play List Navigator

   When pressed you will be prompted if you want to send the file
   (or directory) to the recycle bin.

 + On Play Complete toggle can now Eject the CD.

 + Changing the Skin-Tint is now done without having to reload the skin.

 + Switching between DVD and Media mode now tries to match the Video
   area of both skins so it remains unchanged.

 + The ResizeBox skin function can now be used multiple times to define
   more than one resize area point.

 + The default skin has been modified to improve usability.
   4 new Control Bar buttons are now accessible.

 + Slight modification to the default DVD Context Menu.

 + Unused context menu entries are now disabled.

 + When playing a DVD with no DVD-Path specified, Zoom Player will
   first scan the specified DVD-Drive for a disc and only them scan
   the rest of the drives.

 + The Zoom to 100% and Zoom to 200% functions are no longer hard
   coded and can be assigned through a function.

 + Enhanced method of preventing Power Saving modes (monitor/system)
   when the setting is enabled (Options -> Settings -> Other).

 + To prevent some user-support headaches.  A clean installation
   will now have the following settings enabled:
   1. Force Overlay Mixer.
   2. Prevent Screen Saver/PowerDowns.

 + Using the "/F" or "/Z" parameter now goes to fullscreen before
   loading any files (so you don't see the user interface).
   Also applies to "/M" and Minimize.

 + Right clicking the navigator interfaces now closes them.

 + Skin Script commands can now accept the , character as long as
   the entire script is encompassed within "" and doesn't have
   superfluous spacing.  For Example, this would now work:

   DrawExText(DestX=12,DestY=6,Width=<WinWidth>-85,Height=15,
              Align=Center,FontName=Tahoma,FontSize=12,
              FontColor=E4E4E4,FontStyle=Bold,
              "Text=<FileBase>, <Time>")

   The lines are split only to fit the margins of this document,
   in the actual script, this should be one line...

 + The Information dialog now shows proper playback information
   even when the Overlay Mixer or VMR9 renderers are used.

 + When using the Skip/Jump/Seek commands, the changed time delta
   is now displayed in the OSD.

 + Expanded the control over the Play List color display.

 + Girder Exports are now a bit more descriptive.

 + Cosmetic modification of the Control Bar within the default skin.

 + Slight optimization to the Skin Drawing code.



 Fixes :

 - Multi Monitor Fixes:
   1. Fit to Source with centering  now centers on the active monitor.
   2. Exiting Zoom with centering now centers on the active monitor.
   3. Maximizing wouldn't maximize properly on secondary monitors.
   4. Prevent OSD from moving off-screen no longer pops the OSD to
      a different screen.
   5. Prevent Control Bar from moving off-screen no longer pops the
      Control Bar to a different screen.

 - When Extended VMR mode was enabled, opening a second video file
   would pop an error message (and playback would continue normally
   once closed).

 - Fixed a bug where DVD playback would not always find the DVD if
   it wasn't in the specified DVD Drive.

 - Zoom Player can now handle DVD Discs that don't contain a menu
   structure and will now end playback when the disc ends.

 - Support for switching OGM Audio, Subtitle and Chapters is now
   more reliable and future-proof, especially with non-english
   versions of windows.

 - Fixed a few crashes relating to an open context menu.

 - Multiple Audio Track Media Files should now work with ReClock as
   the Audio Renderer.

 - Fixed "List Index Out of Bounds" error when enabling a custom
   Audio Renderer without actually selecting one.

 - The Internal Zoom Player screen saver could crash after a while.

 - Few fixes for Large Fonts.

 - Ejecting a CD should not stop playback unless you're playing
   something off the ejected CD.

 - When closing a video in Extended VMR mode, the video area is now
   cleared properly.

 - List out of bounds error when pressing right on the Media Library
   Navigator when no items are listed.

 - A clean installation would not apply Video Position preset #5
   correctly.

 - Applying Blanking values through the Blanking preset dialog would
   not apply the displayed numbers correctly.

 - Some Media Files (MPEG2 files mostly), and possibly some DVDs would
   not have the Overlay Colors set properly.

 - Fixed a crash with Media Library when pressing INSERT on a dir-up.

 - Fixed a crash when trying to load a new video with the GoTo
   Navigator visible.

 - Fixed Scene Cut/Jump issues with MPEG2 media files and the
   WinDVD/CineMaster decoders.  The fix however created an inaccuracy
   of about 1 second in the cut area.

 - DirectVobSub v2.23 changed something that made it's Property
   dialog unopenable.  Changed the method used to open the property
   dialogs and now it works fine again.

 - Maximized state wasn't being saved properly when going in and out
   of fullscreen.

 - Pattern Display wasn't showing up properly in Window mode.

 - Zoom Player now accepts the "File:///FileName.AVI" method of
   executing media files.

 - Control Bar is now hidden when a Navigator is opened.

 - Fixed a Scanline out of Range bug dealing with the background
   image when an image didn't exist while the setting was enabled.

 - Background Media Image wasn't covering entire video area under
   some conditions.

 - SetDVDPath Trailer file command would be ignored under some
   conditions.

 - Enqueing an item externally (through explorer) when nothing
   was playing didn't start playback.

 - Few other small tweaks and fixes not really worth a mention.

---

  * The Complete Change list history can be found on-line at:
    http://www.inmatrix.com/files/zoomplayer_whatsnew.shtml

--- End.
