Three Great Documents from the Online Help Desk!
  By Jim Doyle, Technical Advisor
  Winter 2002
The Stenograph Online Help Desk is a fast, easy and free way to get your questions answered. This article includes three different Help Desk documents. It’s easy to quickly find answers to your questions. The Online Help Desk has a search function that allows you to type in keywords to help you find the most accurate answers to your questions. For more great articles like these, and answers to over 1300 questions search the Online Help Desk.

Correcting Errors on Case CATalyst 2.0 Backup Files
Q: I just received a file backed up in Case CATalyst 2.x (or higher), and cannot open the file. Is there any way to fix this backup file so I can use it?

A: If the file cannot be opened in Case CATalyst 2.x (or higher) using the Restore function, the backup file may be corrupted. This can result from a bad spot on the disk where the file is written or from errors created when writing the backup file. Even though the Backup is damaged, some or all of the files contained in the backup may still be retrievable. Since Case CATalyst uses the standard ZIP format for compressing files you still have other options for retrieving files in a damaged backup. Most likely, you will need to run a utility program that can uncompress the backup and extract the undamaged files. Utilities include: WinZip, PKWare, and Compressed Folders (built into Microsoft Plus! 98 package).

If you are able to open the backup with an “unzipping” utility, simply extract the files to the Case CATalyst User folder where you are attempting to restore the files. For example, if you are trying to restore the files to the ADMIN user in Case CATalyst, extract the files to the C:\CATalyst\USR\ADMIN folder.  Once extracted, they will be available from Manage Jobs.

If you cannot open the backup file with one of the above listed utilities, it may be possible to fix the file so it can be opened. Use PKZIPFIX.EXE (DOS Program that is part of the PKZip package for DOS available at www.pkware.com) to attempt to fix that backup file. Once completed, try to Restore the file using Case CATalyst. For more information on Zip compression and PKZipFix.exe, visit www.pkware.com.

Renaming Files with Audio
Q: What happens when I “Rename” a file that has audio?

A: It depends on where the audio file is located on your system. If the audio file is in the same user directory as the rest of the job, it is renamed along with the other subfiles of the job. Please note that the text file (vertical notes to be precise) of a job that has audio contains “pointers” that tell it which audio file to use. When you rename a job with audio, the pointers, which are an internal part of the file, do not change. Therefore, the next time you attempt to play the audio for that file you will receive a message telling you the audio file could not be found. You will be given the option to browse for the audio file. At this point, you should click on the “Browse” button and select the renamed audio file. You will then be able to play the audio for that file.

If the audio is in a different drive or directory than the text file, renaming the job will not change the name of the audio file. As long as the audio file remains in the same location under the same name, you will be able to play the audio without having to go through the “browse” process.

Smaller Audio Compression Options
Q: Recording audio during realtime takes up a lot of disk space. Is there a way to reduce the amount of storage my audio files use?

A: All audio or “wav” files require large amounts of storage space and typically, the better the quality of your audio file, the more space it requires. In fact, most other sound files on your computer were probably recorded at a higher storage capacity rate than what CATalyst uses. In CATalyst versions up to 3.0, AudioSync® records exclusively using the Microsoft ADPCM Codec. This format offers a good balance between sound quality and storage space used. Beginning with Version 3.0, you are given the option between the Microsoft ADPCM format (14MB/Hr) or the Microsoft GSM 6.10 Codec (6MB/Hr). Although the Microsoft GSM 6.10 Codec uses less storage space, it requires more processor resources and may slightly reduce the quality of recording.

In CATalyst 3.0, when you start a realtime session and select to start AudioSync by selecting Record, you can specify which drive to record the audio file to and at what compression rate (14MB/Hr or 6MB/Hr). The 14MB/Hr means that an hour's worth of recording is going to require 14MB of disk space. The 6MB/Hr option means that an hour's worth of recording is going to require 6MB of disk space. It is important to remember that the 6MB/Hr option requires more processor resources than the 14MB/Hr option and may reduce the sound quality of the audio file. If you have a computer that meets the minimum requirements for CATalyst or barely exceeds the minimum requirements for CATalyst, the 14MB/Hr option is recommended.

The 14MB/Hr option uses the Microsoft ADPCM CODEC and the 6MB/Hr option uses the Microsoft GSM 6.10 Audio CODEC. Both of these formats are included with your Windows operating system and typically come preinstalled. If your system does not have one or both of these Codecs, consult your Windows documentation for more information and/or installation instructions.

Once again, it is important to understand that the 6MB/Hr option requires more processor resources than the 14MB/Hr option, may reduce the sound quality of the audio file and may slowdown the realtime output.

Q: Is there an easy way in Edit to tell which parts of my file have audio and which do not? When I try to play audio and there is none, I get a message stating “there is no audio associated with this text.”

A: Beginning with Version 3.0, Audio Indicators are located along the left side of the Translate & Edit or Edit screen if you have this option selected and you have an audio file associated with this job. The Audio Indicators (a musical note) are a visual display of where there is an audio file associated with the text. If you paused AudioSync and continued to write or included a file, no audio would be associated with that portion of the text. The Audio Indicators option is located under the Translate & Edit or Edit Option menu/Show submenu. If there is a check mark in front of the option, it is selected and will display the visual indicators where there is an associated audio file. While writing realtime and recording, the Audio Indicators will only be visible if the recording is paused or ended. Once you stop realtime, the Audio Indicators will be visible where there is audio associated with the text.