Filtrix:
Frequently-Asked
Questions

Index
How is the Filtrix demo distributed?
- By FTP: Demo versions for Windows 95/98/2000/NT/XP/2003 and
Sun-based users are available. You can use your browser to automatically
download from our Web page. If you prefer, you can manually FTP
following the directions below. You can run Filtrix in demo mode, which
means that text spelling will be slightly altered and an X or demo
message will appear across your graphics.
- Site:ftp.blueberrysoftware.com
- Login:anonymous
- Password:Your_Email@Account
- Directory:/pub/users/filtrix/
- ../win
- Get the Windows files:
- filtrixL.exe
- readme.win
- ../docs
- Get the Filtrix-UNIX user manual in PDF format:
- ../solaris
- Get the Solaris files:
- admin.asc
- filters1.tar.Z
- filters2.tar.Z
- guitar.Z
- README
- ../sun4
- Get the Sun OS for SPARC files:
- guitar.Z
- filters.tar.Z
- README
- admin.asc
- By WWW URL=http://www.blueberrysoftware.com/
- Load the home page and follow the buttons.
- U.S./Canada: UNIX
- U.S./Canada: Windows
- Overseas: UNIX or Windows
I like the demo; how do I purchase a licensed version?
- For U.S./Canada users, Blueberry Software accepts:
- purchase orders (by prior arrangement, contact Blueberry)
- wire transfers overseas (contact Blueberry)
- credit cards
Please
include a UNIX, or Windows domestic order
form.
- For overseas users, please use the UNIX or Windowsoverseas order form,
| FAX : |
(925) 887-6687 |
| EMAIL : |
sales@blueberrysoftware.com |
| MAIL : |
Blueberry Software, Inc. PO Box 271235 Concord, CA
94527 USA |
- For Windows: Place an order and get the files via FTP or your
Web browser (with a special password you'll receive when you order).
- For UNIX: A password key will turn your demo software into a
fully licensed version, after you purchase a license.
The Filtrix fixed license is node locked. It
will only operate on the machine that is licensed. The Motif and OPEN LOOK
versions work across networks.
What are the differences
between Filtrix for Windows and Filtrix-UNIX?
Filtrix for Windows and Filtrix-UNIX
conversions are very similar.
Supported formats are a bit different. For
example, Filtrix-UNIX supports conversions for SunWrite and Island
products. Filtrix for Windows does not support these formats.
Filtrix for Windows supports import of all
versions of Microsoft Word. Filtrix-UNIX supports import only up to Word
2000.
How much disk space does
Filtrix require?
- Filtrix for Windows requires less than 10
megabytes of hard disk space.
- Filtrix for UNIX requires less than 15
megabytes for the initial installation, but can usually be trimmed down
to a few megabytes by removing modules you won't be using, if you are
doing only a few types of conversions.
How can I reduce Filtrix disk
usage?
- For Sun users: Filtrix is available
for Sun OS and Solaris systems. Sun OS users can remove the solaris
subdirectory and Solaris users can remove the sun4 (Sun OS) directory.
- GUI extras: Filtrix-Unix is shipped
with several GUIs.You may delete GUIs that do not apply to your
environment.
- filtrix.ol = Fixed license for OpenLook
- filtrixelm.ol = Floating license for
OpenLook
- filtrix.mo = Fixed license for Motif
- filtrixelm.mo = Floating license for Motif
Lotsa
filters: If you only convert files
between two or three types, many other filters can be removed from the
system.
Filters named in* are for reading input files; filters named
out* are for writing output files.
The most popular filters are:
- inascii reads simple ASCII text files
- infr reads FrameMaker 3 and 4 MIF files
- infr5 reads FrameMaker 5 MIF files
- inhtm reads HTML 3 and 4 files
- inil5 reads Interleaf IAF 5 and 6 files
- inwp5 reads WordPerfect 5.x files
- inwp6 reads WordPerfect 6.x and 7.x/8 files
- inww8 reads Word 97 files
- inww reads Word for Windows 2 files
- inww6 reads Word for Windows 6 and 7 files
- outasc writes ASCII text files with simple
formatting tags
- outfr5 writes FrameMaker 5 MIF files
- outhtml writes HTML files
- outil writes Interleaf 4 IAF files
- outil5 writes Interleaf 5 IAF files
- outwp5 writes WordPerfect 5 files
- outwp6 writes WordPerfect 6/7/8 files
- outww writes Word for Windows 2 files
- outww6 writes Word for Windows 6 files
(readable by Word 97/98/2000)
- outww8 writes Word for Windows
98/2000/XP/2003 files
Other filters can be removed if they are not
used. Remember, you need pairs of filters, one to read source files and
one to write target files.
Do I need to be root to
install Filtrix for UNIX?
- Usually not. The only times you may need to
become root or superuser are:
- to create the Filtrix install
directory
- (for a fixed license) to create the
/etc/licenses file
- (for a floating license) to add the fxelmd
floating license daemon to system startup
files
You should install Filtrix in its own
directory, and that directory should be owned by the user who is
performing the installation. This is generally a regular user, not root.
The file permissions on the directory and files
should be read-execute for world.
What is the difference
between Microsoft Word and Word for Windows?
Microsoft has many different publishing tools
available under the title of "Word."
Most of these have individual
formats that are not compatible with other versions of Word, other than by
using filters. We support Microsoft Word for DOS through version 6, and
Word for Windows version 2, 6, and 7, along with Word 97 and Word 2000.
Will Filtrix work across
networks?
Yes, on NFS mounted filesystems. Using Filtrix
on automounted filesystems may cause unexpected difficulties and errors.
How does Filtrix for
Windows run on a network?
Filtrix can be installed on a local machine
and/or on a network server. A local machine install will be a single user
license version of Filtrix. The default install location is c:\Program
Files\Blueberry Software\Filtrix; however, it may be installed on any
valid drive/path combination. For Filtrix to function on a network it will
need to be installed on a drive that is shared to other (client)
computers. The drive must be mounted by these client computers and given a
drive letter. For example, you need to be able to see the drive from
within MS Explorer.
To install Filtrix for a network, run the installation program from any
computer that mounts to network drive (preferably from the computer that
has the drive as an internal drive). You will need write permissions in
the directory where Filtrix is installed. Once Filtrix is installed,
create a shortcut to filtrix.exe on each computer that you want access to
Filtrix. Right click on the Desktop->New->Shortcut. Click
Browse and navigate through the Explorer window to the install
directory. If you don't see the network drive, then you will need to set
up networking on the client and mount the drive, giving it a drive letter.
Click on filtrix.exe--its name should appear in the filename box--and
click Open. The full path and filename should now appear in the
command line box of the Create Shortcut window. Click Next,
renaming the icon if you wish, and click Finish. A new icon will
now be on the desktop. Double clicking it will run Filtrix from the
network as long as you are connected to the network.
Filtrix typically comes as a single user license, which is the format
we place at our FTP site. It allows a single conversion to occur at a
time. If more conversions than licenses are attempted from the GUI,
Filtrix will wait for the license to be freed, then begin converting. The
typical advantages of installing on a server also apply to Filtrix. Only
disk space for one copy is needed, which also means only backup of one
copy. Only one copy needs to be upgraded when you upgrade. The
disadvantages are also the same: Execution, specifically loading, of the
app is slower because of network speeds, and the network needs to be
running for Filtrix to run.
Does the Filtrix license ever
expire?
No. A license is issued for a particular
release/version of Filtrix and never expires. A license can become locked
occasionally--for example if more than one user tries to use Filtrix at a
time and you only have one license.
If your UNIX license is not available check the
following:
- Fixed license
- See the administrative tools in the
Filtrix user manual.
What is DEMO
mode?
The demo mode of Filtrix is used to demonstrate
the conversion capabilities of Filtrix to people who have not yet
purchased a license, or who have an older version and wish to test the new
version before purchasing maintenance.
Altered spelling appears in the text and a demo
message appears in the graphics.
Filtrix for Windows demos are downloaded in
this mode. If you purchase a license, you can get a password to download
the fully-functional program.
Filtrix-UNIX demos run this way when a license
is not available on the local host. If you have a license and Filtrix-UNIX
only runs in demo mode, a license may be in use or locked by another user.
See Administrative Tools in the Filtrix manual for more
information.
Why won't Filtrix read my
file?
- Check the permissions of the file.
- Check the source type: was it saved
correctly? (e.g., IAF for Interleaf, MIF for FrameMaker; not saved as a
template)
- The file may have triggered a problem with
Filtrix, which could cause an "internal overflow" message. If so,
contact Blueberry Software (support@blueberrysoftware.com).
I got "Error! All Filtrix
licenses are currently in use. Continue?"
This occasionally happens if a conversion
stalls, and Filtrix thinks it is still running. There are two possible
ways to fix this (sometimes both may be necessary):
- Delete the filtrix.lic file in your Install
directory. (You may need to select "Show All Files" in your MS Explorer
options, as this is a hidden file.)
- For Win 95, press Ctrl-Alt-Del and delete
FXWIN from the programs it lists as currently running; or
(B) For Win
NT, invoke Task Manager and delete FXWIN from the programs it lists as
currently running.
How are non-compatible
features supported during conversions?
Filtrix does the best it can, but it cannot
create new features in target formats.
Here are some examples of how Filtrix deals
with non-compatible issues:
- Microdocs in Interleaf are not supported in
Word for Windows, but Filtrix will break up the lines and align them as
well as possible in WMF graphic frames.
- Master pages in FrameMaker are not supported
in Word for Windows, but headers and footers are approximated by the
location of the data in the Frame master page.
Why did Filtrix delete data
from my FrameMaker master page?
If the conversion loses data that were defined
on a FrameMaker master page:
A. Any master page data found in the upper 3"
of the page is treated as header data and any data found in the bottom 3"
of the page is treated as footer data.
B. Under most conditions, any
data found between these two header/footer markers will not be converted.
EXCEPTION: When a body page identifies a master page and the body page is
determined to be empty, Filtrix will translate the entire master
page.
Why did Filtrix delete
graphic objects from my FrameMaker document?
All body page graphic data that are anchored to
a frame will be converted according to our supported graphic features.
After analyzing the structure of each body page, Filtrix may not be able
to convert individual, unanchored graphic objects unless the entire body
page comprises graphic data alone. Otherwise, Filtrix discards the
isolated graphic objects in favor of the document text found on the
page.
What does this error mean:
Not enough memory or command not found.
For UNIX, Filtrix cannot find the executable
files. Make sure the environmental variable for FXHOME is set properly to
the directory that contains the actual executable commands.
For Windows, check for TSRs (Terminate and Stay
Resident programs) that can be removed, or add memory.
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Last Updated:
11-04-08