Documentation Notes

This section is divided into the following topics:

• Online Help for Functions without Option Boxes on page 61

• Full Text Search on page 61

• Online Documentation on page 63

Online Help for Functions without Option Boxes

The Help > Help on function facility provides a way to access online help for those functions that do not have option boxes. When you select Help > Help on function, the next selection made from the palette or menus will bring up help for the chosen function. After one selection is made, help appears for the choice and the help mode is exited so you can make regular menu selections.

Online documentation uses HTML files exclusively. In order to access your online documentation, you must have Netscape installed and in your path. Netscape is supplied on 6.2 (and greater) IRIX installation CDs. The Bookshelf.html file provides a list of links to all available books.

Full Text Search

If you have a Web server available at your site, you can enable full text searching of your manuals. You can use the OutBox (provided on IRIX 6.1 and greater installation discs) or the Netscape server.

Full text search allows you to search for a regular expression in one book, a combination of books, or all books.

For information on the Netscape Web server and installation on Silicon Graphics machines, contact the following:

• Netscape Communications Ltd.
  http://home.netscape.com/
  Netscape Corporate Sales: (415) 937-2555
  Netscape Personal Sales: (415) 937-3777

• Silicon Graphics Inc.
  http://www.sgi.com/
  SGI Tech Support Hotline: 1-800-800-4744
  (international callers should contact their local sales office)

Refer to the Netscape Web server manual for information on installing and configuring the server.

Enabling Full Text Search

To enable full text search:

1

Your Netscape Web server directory (/usr/ns-home by default) should have a directory named httpd-80.

2

To get to the admin server, open the following URL in a browser window:

http://machine name:81

(where machine name is the name of the SGI machine you are setting up).

3

Select the server you will be using for documentation.

4

In the URL configuration section, select Document configuration.

5

In the Document root section, type the absolute path for the location of the HTML documents installed from the 3DCD.

6

In the Home page selection field, enter: index.html.

7

In the Default Mime Type field, enter text/html.

8

Click the Make These Changes button.

9

Restart the server (you may need root privileges).

Online Documentation

Select Help > Online docs from the Alias interface to access the following additional online information:

• Alias Standalone Utilities Guide

• Complementary Applications

• OpenAlias/OpenModel ApplicationProgrammer's Interface

• File Formats and Data Transfer

• Alias Scene Description Language Programmer's Interface

• Alias OpenRender

• GameExport Application Programmer's Interface

Limitation

Workaround