Play With Pictures : FAQs

Q. How do I place an order?
A. Place your order directly through our online shop at:
http://www.vertustech.com/playwithpictures/en/buynow.html
You have multiple payment options and if you pay by credit card/debit card/Switch/Solo you will receive the deliver e-mail with the download link and serial key very swiftly. So you could get started straight away!
Q. How can I pay?
A.
For online orders through our shop:

http://www.vertustech.com/playwithpictures/en/buynow.html
We accept the following payment options:
- Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB)
- Switch Solo
- Paypal
- Wire transfer
- Check/Money Order
- Cash
Online orders are processed through our online shop partner Cleverbridge. Cleverbridge processes the payment and delivery for us. The order confirmation with serial number and download link are sent out straight after your payment is completed.
Q. How is Play With Pictures™ delivered?
A.
A download link and serial number is the fastest and most cost effective way of obtaining the software. So that’s what we do! We send you a link where you can download the installation file for Mac or Windows and provide you with a serial number. All information you need to get started is always included in our order confirmation e-mail.

For online shop orders the order confirmation with
- download link
- serial number
- invoice/receipt
will be sent from "cleverbridge". The subject line will be "Reference #xxxxx: Your order of Vertus's products".
Q. I have placed an order but did not receive a confirmation. What's going on?
A. If you placed an order online and your payment is completed then you should have received an order confirmation e-mail shortly after that. Have you checked your junk mail folder? It’s possible that your email program thought that the e-mail was spam.
Watch out for an e-mail from "cleverbridge" with the subject line "Reference #xxxxx: Your order of Vertus's products". If you still cannot find it then just give us a shout, providing the details that you used in your order (first name, last name or company and e-mail address. Our support team at support@vertustech.com will be happy to look it up for you and send out another copy with your receipt, download link and serial number.
Q. When do I receive delivery?
A. Since most people order the download version the delivery is done by e-mail. The e-mail is sent to you right after the payment for the order is complete. So no long waits!
If you ordered a back-up CD, too, then you will receive that within a few days when you’re in Europe or 8-10 days to the rest of the world.
Q. My credit card could not be authorized. What should I do?
A.
Have you checked with your credit card company that everything is fine with your card? You should do that first. When this question is cleared, then you can contact our online shop service Cleverbridge to provide them with your credit card data again. All other information for your order is already in the system.

When speaking to their customer service, please provide them with the following order reference number. They will be able to process the request very quickly.

The contact information of cleverbridge customer services is available here.

The information they will need is:
- Order reference number
- Card type
- Card number
- Name on card
- Expiry date
- Security code
Please note: cleverbridge at the above phone number cannot provide technical support for the software itself. If you need any help with our software please contact Vertus at support@vertustech.com
Q. Where can I download the trial version?
A. You can register to download the trial version here:

http://www.vertustech.com/playwithpictures/en/freetrial.html

Simply register and you’ll get the link to the download. We’ll also send you some information to get you started - tips and tricks and where to find help.
Q. For how long can I use the trial?
A. The trial version will be fully functional for 15 days. This should give you enough time to find out about the features and benefits. During your trial phase our team will be happy to assist, of course. If anything is unclear, please have a look at FAQ and the tutorial, or contact our Support Team at support@vertustech.com.
Q. What are the system requirements?
A.
The system requirements are as follows:

For both platforms:
- 512MB RAM
- 50MB available hard disk space
- 1024x768 display, millions of colors
- CD-ROM drive (only for boxed version)
- Web connection or email required for product activation
Apple Macintosh:
- PowerPC® G4/G5 or Intel® processor
- Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later
Microsoft Windows:
- 1GHz Processor
- Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Vista
Q. Is Play With Pictures™ available for both Macintosh and Windows users?
A. Yes, the software is available for both Mac and Windows. Please check out the system requirements (see question "What are the system requirements?") and make sure that your machine is compatible before installing.
Q. Do I need to uninstall the trial version once I purchased a license for Play With Pictures™?
A. No, you do not have to uninstall the trial version. If you already installed the trial version and then decided to buy the full version then simply use the serial number that you received in your order confirmation
Q. Do I have to register/activate my copy of Play With Pictures™?
A. Yes, please. Only if you activate and register your copy of Play With Pictures™ you can benefit from all the features. And it will be much easier for us to provide support when you need it, too!
Q. How can I register/activate?
A.
We provide two ways of registration/activation:

We offer an online registration for those users who have their machine connected to the internet. If the computer on which you would like to use Play With Pictures™ is not connected then you can also request an unlocking key through e-mail.

Internet activation:
If you have an internet connection then simply follow these steps:
- Install Play With Pictures™ if you have not already done so.
- Open Play With Pictures™ and go to > Help > License...
- The License Manager will open in a new window on the tab "License Activation". Insert your 18-digit license code into the field "License number". Make sure that the number is correct!
- Click on the button "Activate".
- If this is the first time you activate a full copy of Play With Pictures you need to register a new account with our licensing service. Please fill out the registration form to activate your license. If you have registered before please insert your username and password to activate your license of Play With Pictures.
- Once the activation and registration is complete you will have a full license of Play With Pictures™ installed.
Email activation:
If you do not have an internet connection on the machine on which you want to use Play With Pictures™ then please do the following:
- Install Play With Pictures™ if you have not already done so.
- Open Play With Pictures™ and go to > Help > License… .
- The License Manager will open in a new window. Click on the button "Advanced Options" at the top. The tab "Manual License Activation" will open. Please follow the instructions in that windows to proceed.
Q. How do I install Play With Pictures™?
A.
Before you start the Play With Pictures™ installation please make sure that all other programs are closed.

For Windows:
- If you have not downloaded and installed the Play With Pictures™ trial version before then you can simply use the download link that you received after placing your order. (Or – if you ordered a box copy from one of our distributors – simply use the CD for installation.)
- Run the downloaded file when the download is complete. The installation routine will start automatically.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
- Browse to the folder in which you want to install Play With Pictures™ if you don not want to install it in the suggested location.
- Follow the remaining steps of the installation wizard.
If the installation was successful, then Play With Pictures™ will show up in your list of programs.

For Apple Macintosh:
- If you have not downloaded and installed the Play With Pictures™ trial version before then you can simply use the download link that you received after placing your order. (Or – if you ordered a box copy from one of our distributors – simply use the CD for installation.)
- Drop the downloaded file into the folder in which you want to install Play With Pictures™.
- Run Play With Pictures to start playing!
Q. On how many machines can I install Play With Pictures™?
A. Many people work with a desktop and a laptop machine. Therefore we allow two activations by the same user.
Q. Where can I get assistance?
A.
We have several sources set up for you.
- Tutorials:
  If you are new to Play With Pictures™ then you will find our tutorials most helpful. You can watch our tutorials online at http://www.vertustech.com/playwithpictures/en/tutorials.html. Or you can view them through Play With Pictures™ under > Help > Tutorials.
- FAQ:
  Since you’re reading this right now you obviously found the FAQ!
- Support:
  If you can nott find the information you arelooking for on our web site or in the tutorials then you can of course ask the Play With Pictures™ team as well. We are always happy to help! Just send us a message at support@vertustech.com.
Q. Do you have tutorials for Play With Pictures™?
A. We are always adding to our list of video tutorials. Visit our tutorial page at:

http://www.vertustech.com/playwithpictures/en/tutorials.html
Q. What image formats can I use in Play With Pictures™?
A.
You can open the following image formats in Play With Pictures:
- .bmp
- .gif
- .tiff
- .jpeg
- .jpg
- .pbm
- .pgm
- .png
- .ppm
Once you are satisfied with your image you can save it as a JPG or PNG file.
Q. How do I start a new composition in Play With Pictures™?
A. Click on the Play With Pictures™ icon on your desktop or from your program file to start the program. Once you are in, you can begin by going to step "1. Start" to choose a background from your picture collection. Or you can go through the menu > File > New Composition.
Q. Can I change the background picture once I started working on a composition in Play With Pictures™?
A. Yes, you can. If you decide that you want to use a different background then you can always click on the button "1. Start" again to load a different image from your machine, or set a background color.
Q. How many images can I combine in Play With Pictures™?
A. Once you have chosen your Canvas – a background image or a plain color – you can start your composition. You can create as many cut-outs as you like and combine them on one canvas.
Q. Can I add text or speech bubbles to my composition?
A. Of course you can! Once you have chosen your background you can click on the Textfield or the SpeechBubble button in the toolbar on the left hand side in Play With Pictures™.

A new textfield or speech bubble will appear on your canvas. Put your cursor inside the field or bubble and add your text.

You can change the font, font color, size and background color using the options on the right hand side. You can resize, move or rotate your text field or bubble using the tools in the corners of the field.
Q. I added text, but the font looks weird. What should I do?
A. This is an issue that can occur when you work on a Windows computer. Make sure that ClearType™ font rendering is switched on. Check out this Microsoft page for me details.
Q. I have cut out an image and want to multiply it – how do I do that?
A. If you have created a cut-out and you want to use it again in the same composition then you can "clone" it. Click on the cut-out that you want to copy. You will find a “clone” button in the options panel on the right hand side.
Q. Can I define which cut-out is in the foreground or in which order they appear?
A. Yes, you can. Click on the cut-out that you want to move into the foreground or background. You will see options for this cut-out in the options panel on the right hand side. The first two buttons "Bring Forward" and "Push Backword" are what you are looking for.
Q. The outlines of the image I cut out are really jagged – what can I do?
A. Use the 'Touch Up' brush tool to smooth around the edges. It is really helpful when you want to cut out hair or fur, for example. Just cover all the areas where background is shining through the hair with the blue color from Touch Up rush. You can set the width of the brush tool at the top of the canvas for more accuracy.
Q. My virus or spyware scanner complains that the Play With Pictures™ installer installs malware on my computer. Why is that?
A.
This is an occasional false alarm triggered by virus and spyware scanners (as they are not aware of our software, and do not know not to flag it). The alarm is triggered by a widely used software licensing scheme used by our software, which installs a service (ASTSRV.EXE, on Windows) or dæmon (NalpeironDaemonVb, on Mac). This scheme simply ensures that trial licenses expire correctly, and allows for trouble-free upgrades to a full license in an unobtrusive and non-invasive way. Rest assured that we do not install viruses, spyware or other malware, and do not collect personal data from your system.

For more details, see this FAQ!
Q.
What software components are installed on my computer when I run the Play With Pictures™ installer on Windows, or run Play With Pictures™ for the first time on Mac?
Why do you need to install a service on Windows, or dæmon on Mac, on my computer?
A.
As well as installing the application itself, Play With Pictures™ installs the Nalpeiron License Manager on your computer at installation time on Windows, and the first time it is run on Mac. On Windows, this is a Windows Service, and on Mac, it is a dæmon which is run by Launch Services. This service must be running in order for Play With Pictures™ to run. We use it to make sure that the trial version stops working after the trial period has ended, and to allow our users to upgrade to a full license, straightforwardly transfer their license from one computer to another, and so on. The facilities that it provides give our users the maximum flexibility regarding their use of our software within its license terms, while protecting us from software piracy, whether accidental or deliberate.

Many other software suppliers use the same software to protect their products, which means that the service may already be installed on your computer. If it is already present and running then we only install it if the version which is running already is older than the one which we provide.

Some security software will warn you that the installation of this license management software is dangerous. It isn't. There is no spyware, adware or other malware incorporated in the service. Its sole purpose is to control the software licenses for our software. If we are made aware of any security problems which relate to the service, we will work to ensure that these are remedied as quickly as possible, and an update will be distributed through the automatic “check for updates” system as soon as it is available. The same will occur if another software supplier discovers a security problem; we will ship an update to our software using the new version of the service as soon as it is available. By using this system, which is mature, widely deployed, and updated rapidly if a security problem is found, we minimize the likelihood that a successful attack may be carried out using the service as its attack vector. By using the service-based approach, the Nalpeiron system straightforwardly allows us to be installed without problems on computers which have other software using the same license-management system, since we share the service with that other software. It also minimizes the chance of a conflict between our license management component and those of other installed software.

In general, it is standard practice for software installations to include services, which may serve many useful purposes, including license management. Ours serves only the purpose of license management, and has no other function. We do not hide any other functions in this service.

The reason that this licence manager is installed with our trial version, as well as with the paid-for fully licensed version, is that our trial provides a fully functional copy of the application. We decided that the trial should have all of the features of the full version, but should be time-limited. The alternative is to have a “crippled” version of the software as a trial, with some features limited or switched off, and we prefer to allow our users to see the full version before deciding to buy it.

The system resources consumed by this service are very low indeed. Its memory requirement is very small, and it only causes a load on the processor when a request is made for a licensing operation to take place, which occurs only when our application is running.