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Cynthia

Reliably play midi music files from a folder or ".m3u" playlist. Adjust playback speed, volume and output device on the fly during playback. A large playback progress bar makes jumping forward and backward in time a breeze with just a single click or tap. Supports ".mid", ".midi" and ".rmi" files in format 0 (single track) and format 1 (multi-track). Comes complete with 7 sample midis ready to play.

Cynthia playing through a large list of midis on Windows 10



Features

Information

Application Name
Cynthia
Version
1.00.2290
Type
Desktop Application (Standard)
License
Freeware
Status
-
Release Date
28th May 2022
Portable
Yes
Code Foundation
4th Generation (Gossamer for GUI)
Operating System(s)
Windows 95-11 and Wine for Linux and Mac
(not Win10s/11s)

Download Locations

cynthia.exe (1.36 Mb) cynthia.zip (0.66 Mb) cynthia.7z (0.51 Mb)

Screen Shots

Cynthia playing through a large list of midis on Windows 10


Cynthia displaying her menu


Cynthia playing on Ubuntu v20 with Wine


Cynthia playing on a 1998 DELL computer running Windows 98


Online Help

AboutReliably play midi music files from a folder or ".m3u" playlist.  Adjust playback speed, volume and output device 'on the fly' during playback.  A large playback progress bar enables jumping forward and backward with just a single click or tap.  So easy.

Cynthia supports ".mid", ".midi" and ".rmi" midi files in format 0 (single track) and format 1 (multi-track).  Is complete with 7 sample midis ready to play. 

Free, fully functional portable software program, with no installation or setup.  Your existing computer libraries/files remain unchanged/unmodified.  This is our respect function.

Tip:
Cynthia is portable and will run from within the folder you downloaded to.

⏶Information
Homepage Page
www.blaizenterprises.com/cynthia.html

Download Site
www.blaizenterprises.com/cynthia.zip

Portal - Blaiz Enterprises
www.blaizenterprises.com

⏶Key Features
⏶Additional Features + Filename - name of midi currently playing
+ Folder - Midi folder
+ Size in bytes and Mb
+ Format - 0 Single-Track and 1 Multi-Track
+ Tracks - Number of tracks in midi
+ Messages - Number of midi messages sent / total
+ Resolution - Realtime, achieved timing interval in milliseconds
+ Device - Midi device online or offline
+ Elapsed, Remaining and Total times
+ Intro Mode
+ Volume Boost
+ Speed
+ State (stopped or playing)
+ Once - Play selected midi once and stop
+ Repeat One - Play selected midi in a loop forever
+ Repeat All - Play list of midis in current folder from start to finish, in a loop forever
+ All Once - Play list of midis in current folder from start to finish, then stop
+ Random - Randomly play midis from list
+ Name (A-Z) - Ascending alphabetical order
+ Name (Z-A) - Descending alphabetical order
+ Date (New-Old) - Ascending date order
+ Date (Old-New) - Descending date order
+ Size (Small-Large) - Ascending size order
+ Size (Large-Small) - Descending size order
+ Type (AAA-ZZZ) - Ascending extension order
+ Type (ZZZ-AAA) - Descending extension order
+ As Is (A-Z) - Ascending order
+ As Is (Z-A) - Descending order
+ Copy - Copy color scheme to Clipboard as plain text (safe, compact to share on social media)
+ Paste and Use - Paste color scheme from Clipboard and display
+ Save As... - Save color scheme to file
+ Special Colors - Color coordinate important settings panels
+ Enhanced - Shade control backgrounds and foregrounds
+ Curved Shading - Circular shading
+ Colorise Images - Shade all images with current color scheme for a low-impact look
+ Large Title - 34 or 24 pixel high top title and icon
+ 32bit Graphics - 32bit or 24bit graphics (hint - 24bit is faster on older computers)
+ Frame Maximised - Display frame when maximised
+ On Top - Place Cynthia above all others
+ Minimal Scrollbars - Clutter free scrollbars (no arrows, less visual distraction)
+ Economy - Reduce paint cycles/CPU consumption for lower power usage
+ Scrollbar Size - Set from 5 to 72 pixels
+ Touch - Enlarge controls for easy touch access
+ Decorative and functional - Click and drag to resize Cynthia easily
+ Size 0 to 72 pixels
+ Sparkle 0 to 20

⏶Running Cynthia for the first timeSeveral sample midis built-in.  When starting Cynthia for the first time, these sample midis are listed in the " Play Folder" panel, and playback is automatic.

At any point during playback, you may select another midi from the list.  Playback seamlessly switches to the selected midi in question.

Cynthia supports realtime changes to settings during playback.  This means you may adjust the Playback Mode, Playback Device, Volume and Speed without having to stop/restart playback.

⏶Main toolbar links and their functionThe main toolbar is located near the top of Cynthia's window.  From left to right, it has the links of:

Play Folder - Show the "Play Folder" panel to play midis from a folder
Play List - Show the "Play List" panel to play midis from a playlist
Prev - Play previous midi file in list
Rewind - Shift playback position back several seconds
Stop - Stop playback
Play - Toggle playback: When playing ( flashing) playback stops/when stopped ( static) playback starts
Fast Forward - Shift playback position forward several seconds
Next - Play next midi file in list
Menu - Show menu
Mixer - Show the Windows Mixer app
Refresh - Refresh the playback list
Options - Show the Options window, to change Cynthia's appearance
Help - Show (from rightmost column) or hide built-in help

⏶How to play a list of midis in a folderFrom the main toolbar click " Play Folder" link (top left) to display the "Play Folder" panel.

With Play Folder, there is no need for a playlist or setup.  Just navigate to the folder in question and instantly play the midis within. 

Double click the " Home" entry at top of list (scroll up if not visible).  The list will refresh with the names of your hard drives, pen sticks and other local storage devices.  Double click a drive, then the subsequent folder(s) to the one that you want to play.

The list will update.  Double click a specific midi to begin playback, or, click the " Play" link.

Toolbar Links
 Fav - Show the "Favourites" window.  Use this handy window to maintain a list of your favourite folders for quick access.
Back - Go to the previous folder in navigation history
Forward - Go to the next folder in navigation history

Tips:
There is no need to stop playback before switching to another folder.  Double click the new folder and wait several seconds for Cynthia to automatically recommence playback.

The current folder will be remembered when Cynthia is restarted.

⏶How to use a playlist to play a selection of midisThe standard ".m3u" playlist format is supported.  This is a plain text file that contains the length of the midi in seconds, a title, and the location of each midi.

Cynthia supports midi playback from local storage devices, such as hard disks, pen sticks etc.  Internet urls are not supported.

If you already have a playlist in the m3u format saved on your disk, you can open it in Cynthia for playback.  From the main toolbar click the " Play List" link (top left) to show the Play List panel.  An additional toolbar presents.  Click the " Open" link (if shown) or " Edit > Open".  From the Open window, navigate to your playlist, select and click the "Open" button.

The contents of your playlist will load inside the Play List panel.  Click the " Play" link to begin playback.

⏶How to make a playlistThere are several ways a playlist can be constructed.  The first method is the easiest.  From your computer explorer ("File Explorer" in Windows and "Files" in Ubuntu) navigate to the folder of midis.  Highlight one or more midis files inside the folder and drag the selection onto Cynthia and let go of the mouse button.  The " Play List" panel updates and displays the dropped midi files appended, to the list.  Repeat this process for as many midi files as required.

At anytime you may save the playlist.  From the Play List toolbar, click the " Save As" link (if shown) or " Edit > Save As...".  Type a name in the Save window and click the "Save" button to save the playlist.

It is worth noting that each time Cynthia saves your playlist to file, the midi files referenced inside it have their names adjusted automatically to work with the specific save location of the playlist.

Most midi filenames in a playlist are relative, as they do not have the full drive, folder and filename, but rather a partial folder structure and the midi's name.  This is to permit the movement of the midis and the playlist from one location to another without the need for the playlist to be specifically rewritten.

If you are curious at what the playlist format looks like, click the " Copy All" link (if shown) or " Edit > Copy All" to copy the entire playlist to Clipboard.  Note Cynthia will use a full filename for each listed midi file, since the Clipboard cannot be referenced from a disk location.  You may paste it into any text editor to view, modify, or rearrange the order of the midi files listed.

To paste an altered playlist back into Cynthia, click the " Replace" link (if shown) or " Edit > Replace".  The Play List panel will update.

Cynthia has support for extended playlists.  Note!  A large playlist of 100,000+ midi files will use about 102MB of RAM and require a second or two to apply midi filename adjustments.

Support for playlist filtering is provided.  An example:  You may instruct Cynthia to list only ".mid" files by deselecting ".midi" and ".rmi" options from the "File Types" option panel (right column).  The playlist itself remains unchanged - how Cynthia uses it changes.

Toolbar Links
 Edit - Show edit menu
New - Prompt to clear playlist
Open - Open a playlist from file
Save As - Save playlist to file
Cut - Cut selected playlist item to Clipboard
Copy - Copy selected playlist item to Clipboard
Copy All - Copy entire playlist to Clipboard
Paste - Add Clipboard playlist to end of current playlist
Replace - Replace current playlist with Clipboard playlist
Undo - Undo last change to playlist

Tips:
The current playlist is remembered for next time Cynthia is started.

To show or hide the above toolbar links, tick or untick the " Edit > Show Links on Toolbar" option.  Unticking the option hides all links except " Edit" and " Paste".

⏶Which playback method to use? Play Folder or Play List?If you're a lover of simplicity itself, wishing only to play midi files directly from your hard drive folders as is, or, you're a playlist fan, rest assured, switching between these two very different playback systems, is as easy as a single click on either the " Play Folder" or " Play List" links.

Whilst the Play Folder method is limited to playing only the files contained in the currently selected folder, there is zero setup, no list to be built, and playback can start without hassle.

The Play List method on the other hand allows for a far more in depth custom playback experience.  It supports the playback of midis across multiple disk drives, folders and in any assembled order.

Additionally, Cynthia's large capacity list can easily handle a very large playlist.  For example a playlist of 10,000+ midis is just fine.

And switching between these two playback methods can be done during playback without issue.

Tip:
The playback options File Types, Playback Mode, Playback Device, Speed and Volume are shared between both playback systems, and do not change or require adjustment after a switch.

⏶Option: Playback ModeLocated bottom of left column.

Playback mode (bottom left) determines how Cynthia plays the list of midis in the Play Folder or Play List panel (left column).

Once
Play currently selected midi to the end, and stop playback.

Repeat One
Repeat the currently selected midi without stopping playback.

Repeat All
Play each midi in turn, working down the list (left column), then restart from the top.  Playback initially starts at currently selected midi.

All Once
Each midi in the list is played working downward through the list.  Playback stops at the end of the last midi.

Random
Continuously play a midi, selecting each new one randomly from the list.

⏶Option: File TypesLocated towards bottom of right column.

There are three midi file types supported: ".mid", ".midi" and ".rmi".  The first two are identical file formats, only the file extension differs.  The third format, ".rmi", is slightly different and contains additional multimedia information for Microsoft Windows.

By default all three file types are selected (lit black).  In this state, all playable midi files are listed in the Play Folder and Play List panels.

To restrict the file types to be played back, click the file type to deselect it.  The list of midis (left column) updates to reflect the change.

If all three options are deselected, Cynthia interprets this as if all three were selected.

⏶Option: Playback DeviceLocated towards bottom of right column.

By default all midi playback is sent to the Windows Midi Mapper system - the default Windows midi note handler.

If you have more than one midi device installed on your computer, Cynthia can redirect the midi notes to that device instead.

Traditionally, a midi device had been considered to be hardware.  But now, with the advent of powerful computer hardware, software can now act as virtual hardware, allowing for advanced features to be included on your computer without the need for hardware upgrades or physical adjustment.

A midi software driver can support a soundfont, which can greatly enhances the playback quality of a midi through it's support for large, high-quality, instrumental sound libraries.

To change the playback device, select a number in the playback device control (bottom right).  Up to ten devices (1-10) is supported.  "Map" is the Windows Midi Mapper.  Selecting a dash will cause playback to stop producing audible sound (no device selected for sound output).  In this case, the last usable (numbered) midi device will be automatically selected after a short time delay, recommencing audible playback without the need for user input.

Cynthia supports realtime device switching during playback.  A small, momentary interruption to playback may occur during a device change.  The name of the device in use by Cynthia is listed in the playback device control (bottom right), for example as "Playback Device: Midi Mapper".  In later versions of Microsoft Windows the Midi Mapper was discontinued - in this case, Cynthia uses the first installed midi device.

It is worth noting that using another device may require a separate adjustment to that device's volume control, some devices do, and some do not.  If it does have a volume control, it is more than likely to be accessible via Windows "Volume Mixer" application.  Click the " Mixer" link from the top toolbar to display the application and adjust the volume control of your device accordingly.

⏶Option: SpeedLocated towards bottom of right column.

By default, Cynthia plays back a midi at normal speed (100%).  Drag the slider to the right to increase the playback speed up to a maximum speed of 1,000% or 10x normal speed.

To slow down playback speed, drag the slider to the left.  A value less than 100% slows playback to less than normal speed.  The slider can go as low as 10% or 1/10th normal playback speed.

Playback speed may be adjusted at any point during playback.  All changes take place in realtime.  An auto-fade in feature momentarily quietens playback to avoid any sudden or unexpected notes.

⏶Option: VolumeLocated at bottom of right column.

For maximum compatibility between different operating systems and device types (hardware and software) and their capabilities, Cynthia employs a multi-layer volume control system which adjusts both hardware and midi note volumes.

To adjust playback volume, position the slider to the right to increase the volume and to the left to decrease it.

An increase above 100% boosts the midi volume, making low-level, hard to hear midis, more discernable.

⏶Option: Playback ProgressAdjust playback position with a single click or tap.  Additionally, hovering a mouse cursor over the Playback Progress bar displays a vertical marker for the new playback time and position.  Click to apply new position.  The midi playback will shift to a new position and automatic fade in eases back playback volume to avoid sudden clicks, pops or abrupt notes.

Use keyboard arrow keys to progressively move forward or backward through the midi.  A vertical marker will display.

Not currently playing?  Click in the Playback Progress bar to commence playback at that position.

⏶LyricsSynchronised lyric display is supported for midis with lyrics.

To enable lyrics, from the main toolbar click the " Menu" link and tick "Show Lyrics".

When included within a midi, lyrics are displayed inside the Playback Progress bar (bottom of Cynthia) as "Playback Progress - Lyrics:" with several words or part words visible at any one time.

A midi without lyrics will display "Playback Progress".

If hyphenated lyrics are required in order to highlight the pauses between part-words, from main toolbar click the " Menu" link and tick "Hyphenate Lyrics".

⏶Always on MidiSometimes there can be a short, noticeable playback delay when commencing playback, initially.  This delay is preparation time for Cynthia to ready playback.

There is no delay switching between midis during playback as Cynthia remains connected to the midi device.  By default, after a short period of no playback (5 seconds or more), the midi device will switch to offline, and a short delay will occur when playback is next started.

To avoid this delay, the "Always on Midi" option may be used to keep a midi device online, even when Cynthia is not playing.  From the main toolbar click the " Menu" option and tick the "Always on Midi" option.

Tip:
You can always tell if the midi device is online or not - from the "Midi Information" panel on the right.  Look for the item called "Device" in the "Technical list".  This will either be "Online" or "Offline".

⏶What midi formats are supported?Midis comes in various format types.  The simplest is format 0, a single track format, that stores all it's tempo (speed), notes and commands on a single, mixed track.

A format 1 midi, on the other hand, uses a dedicated master track (first track) to store all of it's tempo (speed) commands for the entire midi.  Notes and commands are stored separately on additional, multiple tracks.

Cynthia supports both format 0 and format 1 midis with file extension ".mid", ".midi" and ".rmi".

A third, format 2 midi exists.  This format type is not supported by Cynthia.  In addition, Cynthia does not support system exclusive messages.  These messages will be ignored, and typically relate to manufacturer specific equipment.

⏶Change the coloring of CynthiaFrom the top toolbar click " Options" link to display the "Options" window.  Click " Color" link to display "Color Schemes" list.

"Color Schemes" list is comprised of three distinct sections:

There are 46 built-in color schemes.  Select one.  For instance, try "Black".  The appearance changes to shades of black.

Twenty colors make up a single color scheme which determines the final appearance.  Two colors govern the frame, nine for title colors (e.g. important sections - as the top toolbar and title panels), and a further nine for standard colors, for the majority of the background area.

Each built-in color scheme is comprised of it's own set of unique colors, and cannot be modified.  However, a custom color scheme does allow for adjustment.  To create a custom color scheme, scroll further down the list to the section titled "Custom".

Here you'll find 10 custom slots, labelled "Custom 1" through to "Custom 10".  Each slot is a fully managed storage point - any changes you make are automatically saved.

To create a custom color scheme, select a slot.  For instance select "Custom 1".  The list divides into two separate columns.  The column on the left retains the color scheme names from before, while the column on the right displays four groups of color palettes - Frame Colors, Title Colors, Standard Colors and Special Color Generators.

The first three sections are comprised of color palettes that directly represent a color in the color scheme.

To adjust a color, click the color palette to display a "Color" window.  Adjust the color as desired by sliding the Red, Green and Blue color sliders to the left for less color, or to the right for more color.  Or, click and drag the surface of the "Color Matrix" panel.  Moving your cursor or finger within the matrix assigns the color directly beneath your cursor/finger.  It is also possible to drag outside the matrix area to obtain a color from your screen.

When done, click the "OK" button to accept the color and close the Color window.  The color palette updates to reflect the new color, as does Cynthia.

Alternatively, click and drag the surface of the color palette to acquire any visible color on the screen.  As different colors pass beneath your cursor/finger, the color palette and Cynthia updates in realtime.

Save Color Scheme
To save your color scheme to file select " Menu > Save As...".  A "Save" window will display.  Type a name for your color scheme and click the "Save" button.  Your color scheme is saved to file and listed in the "Color Schemes" list.

Use Saved Color Scheme
Scroll down to the bottom of the "Color Schemes" list to find your saved color scheme(s).  To use one in particular, select it.  The colors apply immediately.

Make Changes To Saved Color Scheme
Select the saved color scheme you wish to change.  The column on the right displays the color scheme palettes.  As before, adjust one or more colors by accessing the color palette(s).

Any changes made are automatically saved to the file on disk.  There is no need to manually resave the color scheme.

⏶How to change the frame style, size and sparkleOur uniquely framed window design allows for easy resizing and recognition.  A frame can be made wider or narrower and include an optional embedded random sparkle effect.

From the top toolbar click " Options" link to display the "Options" window.  Then click the " Frame" link.

Choose from one of the 32 built-in frame styles.  For instance "Flat".  The frame updates to reflect the new style.

Some frames require a minimum size to display at their best.  For "Flat" this is 32.  Setting a size below this results in a hint recommending a size of 32+ be set.

A frame may have a size from 0 (no frame) to a maximum size of 72 pixels.  Drag the "Size" slider right to widen the frame, and left to narrow it.

Some frames benefit from a little sparkle.  Using a sparkle value of 1 or more embeds a random texture into the frame.  The higher the sparkle the more noticeable the effect.

The range of a sparkle is from 0 (off) to 20 (maximum).

For a clean-cut look, set sparkle to 0. 

Tip:
A sparkle of 1 or more will also embed a random texture into the window's top title bar.

⏶How to change the font, zoom factor, antialias level and size of textSupport for large text and automatic zoom for large displays is built-in.  Control how much anti-aliasing (smoothing of characters) is applied.

From the top toolbar click " Options" link to display the "Options" window.  Then click the " Font" link.

Zoom
High resolution monitors, such as 4K and 8K display far more pixels (colored dots) per inch on screen than previous generations of monitors.  To maintain the correct appearance of Cynthia across these significantly different graphic resolutions presents a challenge.

Comparison Of Monitor Resolutions:
2K = 1920w x 1080h =  2,073,600 pixels
4K = 3840w x 2160h =  8,294,400 pixels
8K = 7680w x 4320h = 33,177,600 pixels

From above, a 4K monitor uses four times more pixels to it's 2K counterpart, for the same physical screen size.  This means a program created to look and function correctly on a 2K monitor will appear smaller on a 4K monitor, technically half its intended width and height.  Making everything that much smaller to view and click.  And, the same program on an 8K monitor will suffer even more drastic shrinkage, rendering it pretty much unusable.

This is where zoom compensates.  By default, zoom is set to automatic, making the necessary adjustments to enlarge text and images appropriately in order to maintain the expected appearance of Cynthia across all monitor resolutions.

A 2K monitor needs no adjustment.  But a 4K monitor requires a 2x (200%) enlargement of text and images.  These are calculated and implemented on-the-fly.  And an 8K monitor requires a 4x (400%) enlargement of text and images.

The end result is Cynthia looks and feels the same on all monitors.

You can override the default automatic setting and specify a zoom value of 100%, 200%, 300% or 400%.  This will force text and images to zoom accordingly.  This may prove useful for a custom or unusual monitor resolution, for instance an ultra-wide monitor.  Any change to the zoom setting takes effect immediately.

For a monitor with a resolution of 2K or less, manually setting a high zoom value may render a part or a majority of Cynthia inaccessibly off screen.  In this case, a special internal safety feature automatically limits the zoom to a maximum safe level.

Font Size
Change the display size of text.  The default value is 10.  A smaller value decreases text size, and larger values increase it.

Tip:
Not all sizes are supported by every font.  In some instances on Ubuntu, selecting a large font size for Arial may cause text to look strange.  If this occurs, reduce the size until the text appears normally, or use another font.

Font Name
A font name represents the font to use when drawing text on the screen.  It controls what style or characters are used, and even the technology used to draw the font.  Older fonts like "System" are a bitmap based font, meaning they are unable to be scaled (resized).  More modern fonts like Arial can scale, making them versatile across many different sizes.  The main difference is memory.  Bitmap fonts use memory for each size, whereas a scalable font, or vector font (made up of mathematically calculated lines and shapes) uses a single set of instructions and thus far less memory, but at the expense of speed.

Eleven predefined font names commonly found, in the most part, on modern Microsoft Windows operating systems, and to a lesser extend on older versions, and Ubuntu Linux are presented in a single "Font Name" panel.

By default, Arial is used.  It is present on almost all computer operating systems, including Windows 95 and Ubuntu.

To use a different font name, click it's name to select.  The text on screen will update to reflect the change.  If a font is not present on the current operating system, for instance "DejaVu Sans", would not be present on a Windows 95 operating system, a fallback font is used instead.

If you require a custom font name, then select the last option "Custom".  The font name stored in this option takes affect.  Click the "Custom" option again to display a "Font" window.  A list of all font names present on your operating system is shown, numbered and in alphabetical order (A-Z).  From this list, select the font name to be used and click the "OK" button.  Text on the screen will update to reflect your change.

Font Feather / Font Specific Antialiasing
For maximum compatibility, two completely separate antialiasing systems are employed to render text on the screen.

The first is "Font Feather".  A realtime, text character feathering algorithm for fonts without antialiasing.  These are typically older, bitmap based fonts.  But sometimes, even modern fonts cannot, or will not, support antialiasing under a specific font size.  For instance, Arial on Windows drops antialias support for sizes under 14.

In this case, font feathering renders a gentle blurring of the character.  A range of "Off" to "High" can be set.  The higher the value, the more obvious the blurring effect.

Typically a high quality computer monitor will require only a value of "Low" for text to be presentable.  Whereas lower resolution devices like TVs, which don't always honour every single pixel, and suffer from quality degradation, will require a stronger value of "Medium" or "High", for best results.

The easiest method to set the right value is to select the lowest value first, "Off" and work your way up to "Ultra" until the text appears comfortable for you, on the screen.

The second method employed is the "Font Specific Antialiasing" system.  In this case, the font itself contains all the necessary information to render smooth edges to each of its characters.  To use, select a value from "Dark" (use only partial information) to "Light" (make full use).

Typically it is best to try each option in turn until the text looks best for you.

Tip:
On Windows, the default font "Arial" may not support font specific antialiasing for font sizes under 14.  As an alternative, try "Segoe UI", which does support smaller font sizes.

On Ubuntu v20, "Arial" does support font specific antialiasing for small font sizes.

⏶Miscellaneous SettingsFrom the top toolbar click " Options" link to display the "Options" window.  Then click the " Settings" link.

A collection of program specific options to change how Cynthia behaves, looks and uses resources.  Each option can be easily used by selecting it with a click or tap.  When an option is selected, it appears colored or filled in.  To turn it off, click or tap the option again.  Coloring is removed to indicate deselected.

Program Links
Start button link - select to create a Start Menu shortcut "Cynthia by BlaizEnterprises.com", and deselect to remove it

Desktop link - select to create a Desktop shortcut "Cynthia by BlaizEnterprises.com", and deselect to remove it

For more detailed information refer to the help topic "Start button and Desktop links".

Options
Curved Corners - Round corners on controls, menus and windows

Soft Close - Automatically close an active dialog window, e.g. Save, Open, Font etc, when clicked outside of it's window

Safe Area - Force main window to stay on screen at all times.  Any attempt to drag it off the side of the screen triggers an automatic reposition at the screen's edge, ensuring the window is always accessible.  Deselect this option to use across multiple monitors.

Show Splash - Display an informative/artistic splash screen on startup.

Realtime Help - Scroll useful help hints at the top of windows and menus.  Help based on current cursor position or last tap position.

On Top - Position Cynthia above all other running program windows.

Touch - Enlarge controls and menus for easier finger tap access.

Double Clicks - Support traditional single clicks and double clicks.  For instance, double tapping or clicking the top title bar of the main window maximises the window.  Deselecting this option also disables this feature.

Frame Maximised - Show the frame on the main window when maximised (using entire screen area).  Deselect to automatically hide the frame upon entering maximise state.

Economy - Automatically reduces paint cycles and some CPU usage during periods of extended idleness.  For more detailed information refer to the topic "Economy mode".

32bit Graphics - Suitable for all modern computers.  Deselect to revert to 24bit mode, a slightly more optimised mode for older computers with lower powered graphics cards and less memory.  The older machines with 24bit mode runs slightly faster, and uses a little less memory.

Minimal Scrollbars - Reduces visual clutter with a simple slider.

Large Title - Large 32px high window title bar.  Deselect for the shorter 24px title.

Effects
Special Colors - Show panels and settings with specific coloring for fast, easy access.
Enhanced - Shade control surfaces for a more defined display.
Curved Shading - Use a round shade.  Deselect for a linear shade.
Colorise Images - Display control images in shades of current color scheme.

Sparkle
Range 0 to 20.  Increase to show more texture in the frame.  Or, reduce to lessen.

Frame Size
Determines the size of the frame with a range of 0 to 72.  Increase for a wider frame, and reduce for a narrower one.

Scrollbar Size
Change the size of all scrollbars with a range of 5 to 72.  Larger values display either wider or taller scrollbars.  Reducing shrinks their size.

Cursor
9 built-in colored cursors: Orange, Pink, Yellow, Purple, Navy, Green, Grey, Black and White.  Default uses the system cursor, white on Windows and black on Linux.  The custom option supports use of an external cursor, in either the static ".cur" or animated ".ani" cursor file formats.

Miscellaneous
Click the " Misc" link (top of Options window) to display a new page of settings.

Wine
Automatic (default) engages Wine related enhancements automatically, for smoother operation under Linux.  Use the Enable option to force Wine support and the Disable option to turn off Wine support altogether.

Hint:
Detection of Wine is discovered by the presence of drive "Z:\".

Restore Defaults
Click or tap the " Restore Defaults..." button located at the bottom of the Options window to restore the main settings and options to their original values.

A program typically has more settings and menu options in addition to these that will not restore by this option.  In this case, the settings and menu options may be changed by the user.

⏶Economy modeAutomatically reduce battery consumption and CPU/graphic loads on your computer with Economy mode.  A short period of inactivity reduces paint requests and internal processing to ease the load on your computer's hardware, and reduce overall energy expenditure.

The first stage of economy mode activates after a short inactivity period of 30 seconds, lowering the maximum paint rate to no more than 2 requests per second.

After a continued inactivity of 10 minutes or more, the paint rate is further reduced to 1 request per second.

Internal processing may also lower, reducing the CPU load.

A single keyboard stroke, mouse click or touch will instantly disengage economy savings and return Cynthia to normal operation.

How to turn Economy mode on/off:
From the main toolbar click " Options" link to display the Options window.  Click " Settings" link and select "Economy" from the Options panel to enable.  Select it again to deselect the option and disable the economy mode.

⏶What is a portable program?A portable program is a standard program, but with less requirements in order to run.  The most important difference is that a portable program does not install.  This enables it to run outside the normal scope of the computer's operating system - quite simply, it is not tied down.

Typically, a portable program might reside on a USB pen stick or other removable storage media, allowing it to be transferred between many different computers.  This is not possible with an installed program as it must run on the computer it was specifically installed on.

The second important difference is the ability of a portable program to carry with it all the settings and support files it requires to operate.  An installed program typically relies on a central storage structure determined by the type and version of the operating system to store, track and maintain a program's settings.  This is the registry in Windows - a large, library of settings and parameters organised and protected by the Microsoft Windows operating system.  On Linux, it is often a collection of predefined system folders, each with a specific type of function/purpose.

Without these, a portable program is solely responsible for the maintenance and organisation of it's settings.  For this reason a higher level of understanding and coding diligence is required.  A portable program can be thought of as a special kind of software program.

A portable program may well be more difficult to code, but the advantage of not being tied to any one specific operating system or computer can be quite significant.  From the convenience of having your program and data with you, to the greater privacy for those with a focus on security.

Our portable software programs are engineered exclusively "in house", with no third party add ons, plugins or additional DLLs.  We believe in creating reliable, secure and lightweight code in order to produce efficient, powerful and simple to use software.  Our engineering is designed to remain inconspicuous so that every program we build can be used with ease and simplicity.

Our definition of a portable program:


Tip:
Even though a program is portable, sometimes a change is made to the host computer.  For instance, selecting the option "Desktop link" or "Start button link" from the " Options > Settings > Program Links" panel will create a shortcut file (a file with the extension ".lnk") on the computer.  This is a function of the computer and is the exception, not the rule.  By default, both options are not selected (off).

⏶Start button and Desktop linksBy default, Cynthia does not place a link on your computer's Start button or Desktop. 

To place a link on your Start button:
Select "Options > Settings" and select "Start button link".  Cynthia is now on your Start button as "Cynthia by BlaizEnterprises.com".  Click this link to run Cynthia.

To place a link on your Desktop:
Select "Options > Settings" and select "Desktop link".  Cynthia is now on your Desktop as "Cynthia by BlaizEnterprises.com".  Click this link to run Cynthia.

To remove link from your Start button:
Select "Options > Settings" and deselect "Start button link".  Cynthia is now removed from your Start button.

To remove link from your Desktop:
Select "Options > Settings" and deselect "Desktop link".  Cynthia is now removed from your Desktop.

⏶On TopWant Cynthia to sit above other programs? Select "Options > Settings" and select "On Top" option.  Cynthia now has priority and sits atop all other programs and windows.  To turn this feature off, deselect "On Top".

Alternative:
Click the button (top right of window) and click "On Top" option to toggle on/off.

⏶Show Splash on StartOn startup Cynthia pauses momentarily to display an artistic splash screen.  This feature can be turned off.  To turn off, select "Options > Settings" and deselect "Show Splash" option.

⏶Show Program FolderCan't remember where you put Cynthia? No need to worry.  From the top right of the window click the button and select " Show Program Folder".  A Microsoft File Explorer folder window will display with the Cynthia program (EXE) listed inside.

⏶Remove CynthiaCynthia is 100% portable and does not install onto your computer, or alter or adjust the operation of your computer.  Since there is no installation, there is no uninstall option.  To remove Cynthia from your computer/disk, the process must be done manually.

Note:
Before you remove Cynthia, ensure both the "Start button link" and "Desktop link" options under "Options > Settings" are both deselected.

Due to the complex nature of security protocols under modern day Microsoft Windows' operating system, if these links are not removed by the program that created them, e.g. Cynthia, they may linger/persist.

From Cynthia click the (show program menu) button at the top right of the window and select " Show Program Folder" option.  A folder will display with the Cynthia program (EXE) listed within it.  Typically Cynthia will have the name "Cynthia.exe".

Close any instances of Cynthia that are running.  Right click the EXE file and select the delete option.  If prompts appear, confirm your intention to delete.

Cynthia is now removed from your computer/disk.

Note:
A shared folder of "Blaiz Enterprises" is automatically created and maintained by Cynthia during it's normal operation.  This folder is responsible for holding settings, files and associated data for Cynthia.  It can also be used by other Blaiz Enterprises' programs located in the same folder as Cynthia.  If there are no other programs (EXEs) in the folder, it is safe to delete the "Blaiz Enterprises" folder.  Right click the folder and select the Delete option.  If prompts appear, confirm your intention to delete.

Cynthia's data is now removed from your computer/disk.

⏶License AgreementCompany name and all software products contained on our websites are the intellectual property, copyrights and trademarks of Blaiz Enterprises.

All title, copyrights and intellectual property rights in and to the software product and content, and any copies thereof, are the property of Blaiz Enterprises.

License:
Blaiz Enterprises grants to you the right to use the software product.  You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software product.  Any alteration or attempt to alter the original software product will cause a fatal error to occur and the product to become dysfunctional.

Indemnity:
Any use of the software product is at your own risk.  Blaiz Enterprises disclaim all warranties and conditions, either expressed or implied.  In no event shall Blaiz Enterprises be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business, profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the software product.

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