The audiovisual file access mode, determined by the setting of Options : AudioVis files, specifies the way in which sound and bitmap files of a given database are accessed. Usually, the author of a database will specify the correct audiovisual file access mode in the database INI file. However, if you decide, for example, to use a CD-ROM drive denoted by a different drive letter, you might wish to understand how to set up the correct audiovisual file access mode. The following four modes are available:

Standard - audiovisual files are located in the same directory as the database, and their association with particular items is determined by their extension. For example, item no 1 is associated with a bitmap file whose extension is AAA and with a sound file YAA, item no 2 is associated with files AAB and YAB, etc. Use this mode to create your own audiovisual databases that do not contain many audiovisual items

Linked - audiovisual files are imported from an external database that uses Standard mode of audiovisual file access. Item no 1 imports sounds and graphics from item no 1 in the external database, item no 2 imports from external item no 2, etc. Use this mode to link yourself to a ready database used by another learner. You will save disk space, but you will be unable to edit external sound and graphics. The path that follows Linked in the AudioVis files edit control, specifies the path and name of the external database

CD-ROM - audiovisual files are located on CD-ROM in a CD-ROM tree structure of directories (see Advanced English Audio on the CD-ROM release to inspect the tree directory structure recognized by SuperMemo). You can use BRANCH.EXE to convert audiovisual files from Standard to CD-ROM mode. Use this mode if you want to prepare a database for CD-ROM release (upon using BRANCH.EXE, you can always use CD-ROM access mode if you want to speed up access to sounds and images in a large database; even if it is located on your hard disk). The path that follows CD-ROM in the AudioVis files edit control, specifies the path to the CD-ROM tree directory structure recognized by SuperMemo

CD-ROM Alias - audiovisual files are located on CD-ROM in a CD-ROM tree structure of directories as in the CD-ROM file access mode, but they are accessed via pointers stored in a file with the extension PTR. The use of pointer makes it possible to freely link audiovisual files stored on CD-ROM with items in your database. For example, item no 1 might be associated with sound file located at the position 33121 in the CD-ROM tree structure of directories. This way, by using CD-ROM Alias mode, you can copy files of the Audio Lexicon associated with Advanced English Audio on CD-ROM, and create your own database that will use the sound phrases stored in the Audio Lexicon of Advanced English. Audio Lexicon files have the extensions *.V??. After copying the lexicon files to your database (e.g. COPY AE.V?? MY_DB.*), use Audio : Import from Lexicon to associate sound files on CD-ROM to items in your database