/***************************************************************************/ /* MATCH! - Phase Identification From Powder Diffraction Data */ /* Demonstration Version 1.11k for Windows */ /*** ***/ /* (C) Copyright 2003-2020 Crystal Impact, H.Putz & K.Brandenburg GbR, */ /* Bonn, Germany. */ /* All rights reserved. */ /* Author: Dr. Holger Putz */ /*** ***/ /* Latest update of this Readme File: August 3, 2020 */ /***************************************************************************/ Contents of this Readme File 1. Installing Match! demonstration version 2. Limitations of the demonstration version 3. Reference pattern database 4. Documentation 5. Online Update 6. Uninstalling Match! 7. Known bugs 8. Online support 9. Contacting Crystal Impact 1. Installing Match! demonstration version ------------------------------------------ Before you install and run Match!, you should check the following minimum system requirements: - Personal Computer with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8 or 10 - Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher - 128 megabytes of RAM (256 megabytes or more recommended) - Hard disk with minimum 600 MB of free disk space - Graphics resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels with 32,768 colors ("High Color") Please download and run the installer for the demo version (file "Match!_demo.exe") from https://www.crystalimpact.de/download/match/demo/Match!_demo.exe After the download has finished, please double-click on corresponding file in the directory where you have saved it. The installation program will start automatically and lead you through the setup process. You should note the terms of the "End User License Agreement", which will appear in the second dialog box! If you are using Microsoft Vista (or later) as operating system, please note that the first time you run the Match! Demo version, you need to do this using administrator rights explicitly: Please restart Match! by right-clicking on the file "Match.exe" in the Match! program directory (e.g. "C:\Program Files\Match" or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Match" on Windows 64-bit), then selecting "Run as administrator" from the context menu. If you encounter any problems or have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us (address see below)! 2. Limitations of the demonstration version ------------------------------------------- The demonstration version of Match! is equivalent to the full version. The only limitation affects the licence: In the demonstration version, it is time-limited: You can use Match! for 60 days after you have started it for the first time. Each time you execute Match!, a message will appear reminding you of the expiration date. You can also view this date in the "About" dialog which can be opened by selecting "About Match!" from the Match! "Help" menu. After the expiration date, the demonstration version of Match! will refuse operation. If you would like to continue using Match!, you have to install your license file for version 1 that you have obtained from Crystal Impact. Please contact Crystal Impact (address see below) if you have lost your Match! version 1 license file and would like us to re-send it! 3. Reference pattern database ----------------------------- Match! identifies phases in a sample by comparing its powder diffraction pattern to reference patterns of known phases. Hence, it needs a so-called "reference database" in which these reference patterns are provided. There are several options for obtaining a reference database: - By default, a free-of-charge reference database called “COD” is installed automatically along with Match!. This reference database contains powder diffraction patterns calculated from crystal structure data taken from the "Crystallography Open Database" (COD), which itself provides crystal structure data published by the IUCr journals, the "American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database" (AMCSD), and various other sources. In this context, we would like to thank Pete Strickland (IUCr), Armel Le Bail (COD) and Bob Downs (AMCSD) for their kind permission to download and distribute their data free-of-charge! - The classical reference pattern database is the so-called “PDF” database provided by ICDD. There are several PDF database products available (e.g. PDF-2, PDF-4+, PDF-4/Organics, PDF-4/Minerals), all of which can be used with Match!. According to our knowledge, the PDF is the largest and most comprehensive source of reference diffraction patterns. - Many users also have diffraction patterns of own compounds that are not (yet) present in the COD or PDF databases. Hence, it is desirable to use these patterns in phase identification in addition to the "normal" patterns. This can be achieved using the so-called “user database”. In any case, we strongly recommend to read the chapter “Reference Databases” in the manual or online help, in order to learn how to use the full power of Match!'s so-called “Reference Database Library”. 4. Documentation ---------------- A “Quickstart” is available in Acrobat Reader format (PDF). If you start Match! For the first time, you will be asked if you would like to open it. You can also access the quickstart later on, either within Match! from the menu ("Help-Quickstart"), from the Windows Start menu ("Start/Programs/Match!/Quickstart"), or directly by double-clicking in the Windows Explorer on the "quickstart.pdf" file in Match's program directory. A manual including a comprehensive tutorial is delivered in Acrobat Reader format (PDF). You can access the manual either within Match! from the menu ("Help-Manual"), from the Windows Start menu ("Start/Programs/Match!/Manual"), or directly by double-clicking in the Windows Explorer on the "manual.pdf" file in Match's program directory. In addition to the tutorial, Match! provides a comprehensive online-help library which should be used for reference purposes. It can generally be opened by pressing the F1 button on your keyboard when Match! is running. The online help system can be used in a variety of different ways: - continuous "in-depth" reading guided by the links (starting e.g. at the "Welcome" page) - context sensitive (by pressing the F1 key) - index based - searching for arbitrary keywords (free-text searching) 5. Online update ---------------- By default, Match! automatically checks the Crystal Impact webserver for a more recent version each time it is executed. If a new version is found, it is downloaded and installed automatically. In order to achieve this, a working connection to the internet is required, of course. If a more recent version is found on the webserver, a list of changes and improved features in the new version will be displayed, and you will be asked if you would like to download the corresponding update. Once you have acknowledged and the corresponding files have been downloaded, you will be asked to close all open Match! Windows so that the update program can replace the program executable. After the update has been completed, Match! will be restarted so that you can check if the update was successful. This can e.g. be achieved by selecting the "About Match!" command in the "Help" menu and checking the version number and date in the dialog which is displayed. By default, Match! checks the Crystal Impact webserver for a new version automatically each time it is executed. If you would like to disable this feature (e.g. if you are not permanently connected to the internet), you can do so on the "General" page of the "Tools/Options" dialog, simply by removing the hook in front of "Automatically check for online updates". Please note that the box "Save as defaults" in the corner on the lower left-hand side of the dialog must also be checked in order for the change to be effective! Even if you have disabled the "Automatic update checking" option, you can update your software online by selecting the "Online update" command from the "Help" menu. The procedure will be the same as the one described above for the automatic update. 6. Uninstalling Match! ---------------------- If you would like to uninstall Match!, please open the "Control Panel" from the "Settings" folder in the Windows "Start" menu. Afterwards, double-click on "Software" (on some operating systems called "Add/Remove Programs) in order to bring up the normal Windows software installation dialog. In the list, please mark Match!, then click "Change/Remove". As soon as the uninstall program has been opened, please click "Ok" in order to remove Match!. 7. Known bugs ------------- The following bug is currently known: Sometimes the keyboard shortcuts (e.g. Ctrl+N) do not work properly if either the data sheet or the report is displayed in the pane on the lower right-hand side. If this problem occurs, please use the menu commands or the corresponding toolbar buttons instead. 8. Online support ----------------- In case of trouble with Match!, you can quickly access the most recent support documents on the Crystal Impact Match! version 1 support web pages: Downloads : https://www.crystalimpact.de/match/v1_download.htm Updates : https://www.crystalimpact.de/match/v1_update.htm Tips & Tricks: https://www.crystalimpact.de/match/v1_tips_and_tricks.htm Known bugs : https://www.crystalimpact.de/match/v1_bugs.htm FAQs : https://www.crystalimpact.de/match/v1_faq.htm You might also want to visit the main Match! webpage from time to time where the most recent version is described : https://www.crystalimpact.de/match/index.html 9. Contacting Crystal Impact ---------------------------- To contact a Crystal Impact sales representative, either - send an e-mail to sales@crystalimpact.com - fax to +49-228-9813644 - call +49-228-9813643 - or write to: Crystal Impact GbR, Kreuzherrenstr. 102, D-53227 Bonn, Germany.