CasterOil Help

INTRODUCTION

CasterOil is a utility for managing and downloading Podcasts (sometimes called DataCasts). With CasterOil you can maintain multiple Podcast Feeds, as well as any number of stored Podcasts, whether they were retrieved with CasterOil or something else.

CasterOil can automatically download and track free Podcasts from most Author’s sites. CasterOil does NOT work with iTunes, Audible.com, or other pay-based sites. CasterOil does support FeedBurner feeds!

CasterOil requires Windows Media Player version 9 or later.

CasterOil starts in your task tray so that it is as unobtrusive as possible.

TRAY MENU

Right-click the CasterOil icon to access the popup menu.

Next: Displays the next time an Auto-Update will occur (if scheduled). Select this menu option to open the main CasterOil window.

Auto-Update… Select this menu option to start an Auto-Update immediately. Auto-Updates are based on the options in the Settings Tab.

Open Select this menu option to open the main CasterOil window. You can also left-click the icon to open the window, or click the “Next:” indicator at the top of the menu.

Help F1 Display the online help. Click this button or hit the F1 key.

About Click this button to open a window with information about CasterOil, including a link to our web site.

Exit Exit CasterOil.

FEEDS TAB

Update Update all selected Feed(s) from the Feed List at the bottom of the window. You can select multiple Feeds prior to clicking this button. Feed updating adheres to the options on the Settings Tab. If you update Feeds, and there are new Podcasts available, you will see an Exclamation Point icon instead of a Checkmark. You should then go to the Podcasts Tab, and Update the Podcasts. If you use Auto-Update, Podcasts are automatically downloaded when the Feeds are updated.

Delete Remove the selected Feed(s) from the Feed List. Removing Feeds adheres to the options on the Settings Tab and cannot be undone!

Add Add a new Feed as described in the New Feed fields. Enter a valid Feed URL, change the Feed Name as you would like it displayed in the Feed List, then click this button to add it. These are a few of our favorite Feeds:

Title Author Site (on top) Feed URL (underneath)

This American Life http://www.thisamericanlife.org

http://feeds.thisamericanlife.org/talpodcast

The Bugle http://www.timesonline.co.uk/bugle

http://podcast.timesonline.co.uk/rss/thebuglemp3.rss

RadioLab http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab

http://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab

Sound of Young America http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/sound-young-america

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/tsoya

Subscribe Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the selected Feed(s). You can add as many Feeds as you like, and at any time Subscribe or Unsubscribe to them. When subscribed, Feeds and Podcasts can be automatically updated. Unsubscribed Feeds are not removed, but they are also not updated automatically.

- Subscribed - You will see this icon on the left side of all Subscribed Feeds.

- Unsubscribed – You will see this icon on the left side of all Unsubscribed Feeds.

Map Map a folder containing existing Podcasts to a Feed. Unique to CasterOil is the ability to assign a directory of existing Podcasts to a Feed. Once assigned, the Podcasts will appear in the Podcast List as though you had downloaded them using CasterOil. For example, if you had collected a bunch of Podcasts for “This American Life”, you can put them into a folder (do not mix them with Podcasts from other Authors!) and then map them to CasterOil. Your folder should be a sub-folder of the Main Podcast Folder on the Settings tab. If you are mapping a folder of Podcasts, be sure to do so before adding the associated New Feed and CasterOil will use the existing Podcast folder instead of making a new one.

If you add new podcasts to the Feed folder from another source (downloaded some other way, or copied from another computer) just select the Feed, click the Map button and follow the prompts to update the podcast list with the new item(s).

New Feed URL Enter the URL that points directly to the desired Podcast Feed. Usually, this will go directly to an XML file containing information about the available Podcasts. You can test this URL before using it in CasterOil by entering it into your web browser. You should see either the XML file, or an error indicating that it cannot display the XML file. After successfully adding a new Feed, CasterOil will create the associated Podcast folder inside the Main Podcast folder as set on the Settings Tab. If you are mapping a folder of Podcasts, be sure to do so before adding the associated New Feed and CasterOil will use the existing Podcast folder instead of making a new one.

Feed Image Displays the image for the Feed when available. Click this image to visit the Author’s website.

Feed Description Displays the short description for the Feed from the Author’s website.

Feed List Lists all of your Feeds, both Subscribed and Unsubscribed. The items in the list are as follows (left to right):

- Subscribed icon – Orange indicates that the Feed is Subscribed.

- Subscribed icon – Gray indicates that the Feed is Unsubscribed.

Name – The name of the Feed as you entered it when adding the new Feed.

- Status Icon – A green checkmark indicates that everything is OK with this Feed.

- Status Icon – A blue Exclamation point indicates that new Podcasts have been downloaded for this Feed. This icon is temporary and will change to green checkmark once the window is closed.

- Status Icon – A red X indicates that the download failed.

Updated – Displays the last date that the Feed was successfully updated.

Feed URL – Displays the Feed URL you entered when you added the Feed.

Click any Feed to select it, then click the Podcast Tab to see the associated Podcasts. You can also double-click the Feed, however, if you have a lot of Podcasts, it may take a moment to load the list before switching to the Podcast Tab.

Right-click a Feed to display the popup menu:

Open Folder – Open the folder containing the related Podcasts in Windows explorer.

Copy Feed URL – Copy the Feed URL to the clipboard.

Edit Feed URL – Opens a new window where you can edit/replace the Feed URL. Note that you are responsible for validating the URL prior to using it in CasterOil.

Status: The Status area of the status bar displays some basic information when using CasterOil:

Name – The name of the current (selected) Feed.

Next: - The date and time of the next Automatic Update (when scheduled).

Progress – The progress of downloads as they occur. Orange for Feeds, Purple for Podcasts, Teal for Author’s images, blank when not downloading.

PODCASTS TAB

Update Update all selected Podcast(s) from the Podcast List at the bottom of the window. You can select multiple Podcasts prior to clicking this button. Podcast updating adheres to the options on the Settings Tab.

Delete Delete the selected Podcast(s). Deleting Podcasts adheres to the options on the Settings Tab.

Remove Remove the currently playing Podcast from the play list.

Play/Pause Play the currently selected Podcast within CasterOil. You can select a Podcast for playing by double-clicking it within the Podcast list. The button will change to Pause. Click again to pause the playing of the Podcast. While playing a Podcast, the popup menu in the task tray will change and display new options:

Right-click the CasterOil icon to access the popup menu.

Next: - Displays the next time an Auto-Update will occur (if scheduled). Select this menu option to open the main CasterOil window.

Auto-Update Now - Select this menu option to start an Auto-Update immediately. Auto-Updates are based on the options in the Settings Tab.

Playing… - Displays the title of the currently playing Podcast.

Play – Select to Play the Podcast.

Mute – Select to Mute/Unmute the playing Podcast.

Next Podcast – Select to play the next podcast in the Podcast List.

Previous Podcast – Select to play the previous Podcast in the Podcast List.

Clear – Select to remove the current Podcast from the play list.

Open - Select this menu option to open the main CasterOil window. You can also left-click the icon to open the window, or click the “Next:” indicator at the top of the menu.

Help F1 - Display the online help. Click this button or hit the F1 key.

About - Click this button to open a window with information about CasterOil, including a link to our web site.

Exit - Exit CasterOil.

Mute/Un… Mute the currently playing Podcast without having to Pause it. The button will change to Unmute. Click again to Unmute the Podcast.

Volume Slide Drag the slider up/down to change the volume of the currently playing Podcast.

Position Indicates the current position within the Podcast. Drag left/right to advance or move backwards through the Podcast. Also displayed is the Title and time.

Podcast Image Displays the image for the Podcast when available. Click this image to visit the Author’s website.

Podcast Desc… Displays the short description for the Podcast from the Author’s website. If there are links in this window you can click them.

Podcast List Lists all of your Podcasts for the selected Feed. The items in the list are as follows (left to right):

- Podcast icon – purple indicates that the item is a Podcast.

- Video icon – teal indicates that the item is a Video. CasterOil cannot play videos, but you can double-click them to play then within your system’s default video player.

- Unavailable icon – gray indicates that the Podcast is unavailable, which typically means that it hasn’t been downloaded.

Name – The name of the Podcast.

- Status Icon – A green Checkmark indicates that everything is OK with this Podcast.

- Status Icon – A gray Checkmark indicates that the Podcast is missing due to not being downloaded yet (as opposed to missing because it was deleted).

- Status Icon – A blue Exclamation point indicates that new Podcasts have been downloaded for this Feed.

- Status Icon – A red Question mark indicates that a Podcast which was previously downloaded is now missing and should be re-downloaded.

- Status Icon – A red X indicates that the download failed.

Updated – Displays the last date that the Feed was successfully updated.

Duration – Play length in Hours:Minutes:Seconds.

File Location – Displays the location of each Podcast on your hard drive.

URL – Displays the URL of the Podcast.

Size MB – Displays the size of the Podcast file in Megabytes.

Click any Podcast to select it and display it’s description in the description window. Double-click any Podcast to activate it for playing.

SETTINGS TAB

GENERAL OPTIONS

Main Podcast… Displays the Main (Parent, top-level, etc) folder for storing Podcasts. All Feed folders should be created within the Main Folder. If you have existing Podcasts that you want CasterOil to maintain, you must do the following:

1) Separate the Podcasts into distinct Folders

2) Name the Podcast Folders the same as the Feed name you will use. For example “The Bugle”.

3) Move the Podcast Folders into the Main Folder.

Browse Browse your machine and locate the folder that should be used for the Main Podcast folder. All existing Feed folders should be inside the Main Folder. CasterOil will create new Feed folders inside the Main folder each time you Add a new Feed.

Open website… When checked, clicking the Feed or Podcast Icon window will open the Author’s website in the window to the right of the icon (the Description window). When unchecked, CasterOil will open your default browser to view the website.

Play an alert… When checked, CasterOil will play an alert sound each time it finishes an automatic update (even if nothing new is downloaded). You can select your own sound to play in the General Functions section below.

Keep a log… When checked, a log file of all downloads (and errors) will be kept. You can view this file using the General Functions below.

Backup datafile… When checked, a backup of the primary datafile will be made each time before Auto-Updating.

Backup datafile… When checked, a backup of the primary datafile will be made each time before manual downloading.

Run Auto-update… When checked, Auto-Update will be run each time you start CasterOil. Note that it is recommended that you put a shortcut to CasterOil in your Startup folder instead so that it runs all the time.

Show leading… When checked, Duration times will be shown with leading “00” for readability.

Window ‘X’… When checked, closing CasterOil by clicking the window ‘X’ will minimize it to your task tray and will not exit the program.

Minimize window… When checked, minimizing the CasterOil window will hide it and only show the icon in the task tray. Click the task tray icon to open.

Start with the… When checked, CasterOil will start minimized instead of as an open window.

Show popup tips When checked, popup tips are displayed when your cursor hovers over a button.

GENERAL FUNCTIONS

Alert sound Displays the name of the sound selected for the Alert Sound. It is “Default sound” unless you choose something else. You can only use “.wav” files.

Browse Browse your machine to locate a sound file to use as the Alert Sound. Sounds must be “.wav” files.

Test Sound Plays the Alert Sound.

Use Default Sets the Alert Sound to the CasterOil Default sound.

Backup Now Makes a backup of the primary data file. If you are manually updating Feeds or Podcasts, it is a good idea to make a backup first.

View Log Opens the log file (if you use one) for viewing using your system default text viewer.

Delete Log Deletes the log file (if you use one).

Refresh Refresh the Feed and Podcast lists by comparing and updating the existing files, existing lists, and any downloaded feed lists. Note that this is done automatically when first starting CasterOil, and after any Feed Update (Manual or Automatic) and Mapping.

Update Now Perform an Auto-Update immediately.

Help F1 Display the online help. Click this button or hit the F1 key.

About Click this button to open a window with information about CasterOil, including a link to our web site.

FEED OPTIONS

When updating… When checked, and you click the Update Feed button, all Feeds in the list will be updated. When unchecked, only the selected Feeds in the list will be updated.

When adding… When checked, and you Add a new Feed, all available Podcasts for that Feed will be downloaded. When unchecked, the Feed will be added but no Podcasts will be downloaded until either a Manual or Auto-Update.

When deleting… When checked, deleting a Feed will also delete all associated Podcasts. When unchecked, the Feed will be deleted, but the Podcast files will remain on your disk.

Show Author’s… When checked, the image for each Feed will be shown above the Feed list.

PODCAST OPTIONS

When updating… When checked, and you click the Update Podcast button, all missing Podcasts in the list will be updated. When unchecked, only the selected Podcasts in the list will be updated.

When deleting… When checked, deleting a Podcast will delete the file from disk. When unchecked, the Podcast information will be deleted, but the Podcast file will remain on your disk.

Rename Podcast… When checked, downloaded Podcast files will be renamed to match the title of the Podcast. Many times Podcasts are named using numbers or some other method, so it’s not easy to tell what they are when you see them on disk.

Start playing… When checked, double-clicking a Podcast in the list will begin playback immediately. If this is not checked, double-clicking a Podcast in the list will load it, but not play it. You should use the “Play” button to start playback. This applies to MP3 files only – not video.

Force Genre tag… When checked, downloaded Podcasts will have their “Genre” tag changed to “Podcast”. This applies to MP3 files only – not video.

Show Author’s… When checked, the image for each Podcast will be shown above the Podcast list.

AUTO-UPDATE SCHEDULING

When CasterOil… Select the frequency that CasterOil should automatically update and download Feeds and Podcasts. Options are:

30 minutes

1, 4, 8, or 12 hours

1, 2, 4, or 7 days

CasterOil must be running in order to Auto-Update. We suggest you leave the shortcut in your Startup folder so that CasterOil starts when your machine starts.

Update all… When checked, all Subscribed Feeds will be updated during the Auto-Update.

Download new… When checked, new Podcasts will be downloaded during the Auto-Update.

Download the… Select the quantity of Podcasts to download during the Auto-Update. The most recent Podcasts will be downloaded. Options are:

All (available), 1, 2, 5, 10, or 20

Overwrite… When checked, new Podcasts will overwrite existing Podcasts of the same name during an Auto-Update. When unchecked, the new Podcast will not be downloaded if it already exists on your machine. During a manual download, you will be prompted whether or not to overwrite the existing Podcast.

Reset the Next… When checked, manually executing an Auto Update will reset the ‘Next’ Auto-Update time. This will occur if you use the ‘Update Now’ button, or the ‘Auto-Update Now’ menu item. When unchecked, the Auto-Update time is unchanged.

DATE/TIME FORMATS

Day Month Year… Select the order for displaying Date and Time in all windows and the log file. Options are:

Day Month Year Time

Month Day Year Time

Year Month Day Time

Each time you select one of these options, the Sample will be updated.

Separator… Select the character used to separate the Day Month and Year. Options are:

Forward slash “/”

Period “.”

Underscore “_”

Each time you select one of these options, the Sample will be updated.

Display time… When checked, the time will be displayed using 24 hour (military) time. When unchecked, 12 hour time will be displayed, including “AM’ or “PM” as appropriate.

Each time you select change this option, the Sample will be updated.

Sample Displays the current Date and Time in the format selected. Each time you change an option, the Sample will be updated.

WEB SITE

If you have questions that cannot be answered in this help file, would like to make a bug report or enhancement request, please visit our web site.

You can get to our website by clicking this link: www.FreewareOnly.net