What Do I Use to...
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## What Do I Use to...

- “Create Screen Snapshots and Recordings”

- “Boost System Memory by Adding Swap Space”

- “Send and Receive E-Mail”

- “Create and Edit Web Pages”

- “Create and Edit Simple Documents”

- “Create Interactive Presentations”

- “Create and Edit Desktop Movies”

- “Edit Images”

- “Create and Edit Audio Files”

- “Play CDs”

- “Customize My Desktop Environment”

### Create Screen Snapshots and Recordings

You can take pictures and recordings of action or objects on your computer screen using Media Recorder . Screen snapshots and recordings do not require a camera. Just select an area of the screen to record and press the Record button in the Media Recorder window.

For step-by-step instructions, see the Help in Media Recorder.

You can find the Media Recorder icon on the Media Tools page of the Icon Catalog.To open the Icon Catalog , from the Toolchest, choose Find > Media Tools.

### Boost System Memory by Adding Swap Space

Some large applications require a lot of system memory in order to function properly. Also, the more applications you have open at the same time, the more memory is required of the system. Swap space is something you can create to give the system a little more memory capacity. You can use the Swap Manager to add and delete logical (real) and virtual swap space, and to view information about existing swap space. From the Toolchest, choose System > System Manager > System Performance > Swap Manager. Refer to the Swap Manager Help for more details.

Instead of opening the Swap Manager, you can choose a specific Active Guide from the System Performance page, such as Add Real Swap Space, Add Virtual Swap Space, or Remove Swap Space.

### Send and Receive E-Mail

If your system is on a network, you can send and receive E-mail messages using Netscape mail.

To open Netscape mail, from the Toolchest, choose Find > Collaboration and double-click the NetscapeMail icon. For information on using Netscape mail, see the Help in Netscape.

Note that in order to receive email you must be connected to a network. If you are not connected:

1. See one of the following topics, depending on which is relevant to your situation:

   - “Connect to an Internet Service Provider (ISP)”

   - “Set Up Connections with Other Workstations”

2. Refer to “Setting Up Electronic Mail” in the Personal System Administrator's Guide.

### Create and Edit Web Pages

- Use Cosmo Create to create or edit HTML documents. For step-by-step instructions on creating or editing a document, see the Help in Cosmo Create.

  To find Cosmo Create, from the Toolchest, choose Find > WebTools.

- Use OutBox to share files through the Web with others on your local network. OutBox consists of two parts. One, is a Web page that is created for you when you first log in. You can view this page by choosing Internet > Browse OutBox Page from the Toolchest.

  The other part of OutBox is a tool that you can use to “drag-and-drop” publish all kinds of files on your OutBox Web page. The OutBox page is particularly useful if you share a local network with other people that have different types of systems. All they will need is a Web browser to access the files you want to share.

  For details on using OutBox, see the online Help in OutBox. To find the OutBox icon in the Icon Catalog, from the Toolchest, choose Find > WebTools.

### Create and Edit Simple Documents

You can use the NEdit , jot, or IRIS Showcase applications to create and edit simple text documents and memos.

For step-by-step instructions on creating a document, see the Help in these applications.

To find these applications, from the Toolchest, choose Find > Applications.

### Create Interactive Presentations

You can use IRIS Showcase to create interactive slide presentations that include 3D models, audio, video, and 2D graphics.

For step-by-step instructions, see the Help in Showcase.

To find Showcase, from the Toolchest, choose Find > Applications.

### Create and Edit Desktop Movies

You can create and edit movies using the following tools:

- Use Media Recorder to record audio, video input, and still images.

- Use Movie Maker to assemble, edit, and add effects to movie files.

- Use Movie Player to play a movie file.

- Use Media Convert to change the format, compression scheme, and other parameters of audio, video, and image files. (Movie Maker also has an “Export as...” feature that lets you convert files to different formats.)

Use the Video Control Panel to display the capabilities of video devices connected to your workstation and to control the signals sent by those devices.

You can find all the media tool icons on the Media Tools page of the Icon Catalog. To open the Icon Catalog , from the Toolchest, choose Find > Media Tools.

### Edit Images

You can use the ImageVision Tools to edit and enhance images:

- Use Image Works to blur, sharpen, stretch, scale, and flip images. You can also save images in SGI, TIFF, FIT, or GIF formats.

- Use Image View to view images and manipulate the appearance of images. Multiple images can be imported into the same window, allowing for comparison between images or for the creation of image collages.

- Use Media Convert to convert a numbered sequence of images into a movie.

- Use Image Copy to copy a file to a different format. You can copy a file to SGI, TIFF, FIT, or GIF format.

  To use Image Copy, drag the file icon you want to copy onto the imgcopy icon.

- Use Image Info to display information about an image.

  To use Image Info, drag the image file icon onto the imginfo icon.

To find any of these applications, from the Toolchest, choose Find > MediaTools.

For additional information, refer to the application's Help menu.

### Create and Edit Audio Files

You can create and edit audio files using the following tools:

- Use Media Recorder to record audio.

- Use Sound Editor or Sound Track to record and edit sounds.

- Use Sound Player to play audio and MIDI files.

- Use CD Player to play and capture audio segments from a compact disc.

- Use Media Convert to change the format, compression scheme, and other parameters of audio files.

- Use the Audio Panel to adjust the volume and sample rates of audio coming in or out of your system.

- Use MIDI Keyboard to experiment with and listen to various MIDI sounds on your system or an external MIDI device.

To find any of these applications, from the Toolchest, choose Find > MediaTools.

For additional information, refer to the application's Help menu.

### Play CDs

If you have a CD-ROM drive attached to your system, you can listen to CDs using CD Player . Just put the CD in the drive, then double-click the CD-ROM icon on your desktop. IRIX also supports the use of DVDs, but this support does not include support for playing DVD movies.

### Customize My Desktop Environment

The Desktop > Customize menu on the Toolchest offers access to many customization panels. Several are described here:

- “Customize Miscellaneous Desktop Settings”

- “Turn Off Desktop Sounds”

- “Change Default Viewer and Editor Utilities”

- “Customize Window Settings”

- “Set Icon View Window Preferences”

- “Choose a Different Desktop Background”

- “Choose a Different Screen Saver”

- “Choose a Different Desktop Color Scheme”

- “Customize the Keyboard and Mouse”

- “Choose the System Language”

- “Customize the Toolchest”

#### Customize Miscellaneous Desktop Settings

You can use the Desktop Settings control panel to adjust various settings on the desktop, such as:

- Adjust the size of icons on the background

- Display background icons in gallery mode

- Make the Remove menu item (from the Selected menu on the Toolchest, in Icon View windows, or from the right mouse button menu) delete instantly instead of move to dumpster

- Enable the ability to display remote applications on your system

See the Help in the Desktop Settings control panel for instructions.

To open the Desktop Settings panel, choose Desktop > Customize > Desktop from the Toolchest.

#### Turn Off Desktop Sounds

You can use the System and Desktop Sounds control panel to turn desktop sounds on or off.

See the Help in this control panel for instructions.

To open the Desktop Settings panel, choose Desktop > Customize > Sounds from the Toolchest.

#### Change Default Viewer and Editor Utilities

You can use the Utilities control panel to change your default text editor, Web browser, image viewer, mail handler, book viewer, or PostScript viewer.

See the Help in this control panel for instructions.

To open the Utilities panel, choose Desktop > Customize > Utilities from the Toolchest.

#### Customize Window Settings

You can use the Window Settings control panel to adjust various window settings, such as:

- Change the orientation of the Toolchest.

- Switch keyboard focus from point to type to click to type.

- Display an overview of all your windows.

- Switch a moving window to opaque instead of an outline of the window.

- Turn automatic window placement on or off.

- Save a particular desktop layout explicitly so every time you log in, the same windows appear.

See the Help in the control panel for help on adjusting the settings.

To open the Window Settings panel, choose from the Toolchest, Desktop > Customize > Windows.

#### Set Icon View Window Preferences

You can use the Default Layout for Icon Views control panel to change the way icons for directories, files, applications, and so on appear each time you open a directory to see an icon view of its contents.

See the Help in the control panel for help on changing these defaults.

To open the Default Layout for Icon Views control panel, choose from the Toolchest, Desktop > Customize > Icon Views.

#### Choose a Different Desktop Background

You can choose a different color or pattern for your desktop background by using the Background Setting control panel.

See the Help in the control panel for information on choosing a background.

To open the Background Setting panel, choose Desktop > Customize > Background from the Toolchest.

#### Choose a Different Screen Saver

Your system has a screen saver mechanism that blacks out the monitor screen when your system is idle for a period of time. You can select a more attractive screen saver using the Screen Saver control panel.

See the Help in the Screen Saver control panel for information on choosing a screen saver.

To open the Screen Saver panel, choose Desktop > Customize > Screen Saver from the Toolchest.

#### Choose a Different Desktop Color Scheme

You can customize the color schemes of windows on your screen by using the Color Scheme Browser control panel .

See the Help in the control panel for information on how to customize the window color schemes.

To open the Color Scheme Browser control panel, choose Desktop > Customize > Color Schemes from the Toolchest.

#### Customize the Keyboard and Mouse

You can customize standard keyboard and mouse settings using the Keyboard Settings and Mouse Settings control panels. Motion-impaired users can also use the Accessibility Settings panel to customize the keyboard to fit their needs.

See the Help in the control panels for information on how to change the keyboard and mouse settings.

The Keyboard Settings, Mouse Settings, and Accessibility Settings panels can each be launched from a menu on the Toolchest. Choose Desktop > Customize.

#### Choose the System Language

You can choose a system language by using the Language Controls panel.

See the Help in the control panel for information on how to choose a language.

To open the Language Controls panel, choose Desktop > Customize > Language from the Toolchest.

#### Customize the Toolchest

You can customize the Toolchest in the following ways:

- You can change the Toolchest stack to display horizontally instead of vertically on your desktop by using the Window Settings control panel (found in Desktop > Customize > Windows).

- You can customize the Toolchest entries by creating a file called the `.auxchestrc` file. See “Modifying the Toolchest” in the Desktop User's Guide for details.

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