Flowol Frequently Asked Questions

Can Flowol run on a Windows Server through Terminal Services?

We have successfully tested Flowol 3 and Flowol 4 on a Windows Server 2003 or Server 2008 with multiple remote clients running Flowol simultaneously via Terminal Services on a single server. The that the quality of the graphics of the new 3D mimics will depend upon the CPU load of the server.
Note that since more than one user can use Flowol in this configuration, a site licence of Flowol would be required.

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Can Flowol be installed onto my network?

Yes, Flowol can be installed onto may different networks. Instructions for installing Flowol onto your network are contained in the Flowol tutorial (which is available for download). Explicit instructions for installing Flowol 3 onto Windows and RM Connect networks are included.

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When Flowol 3 is installed on an RM CC3 network, the shortcut is missing on for some users

A big thank you to Debbie from Juniper Hill School for the details here.

To fix this problem, re-create the shortcut for Flowol 3 by performing the following:

  • On a CC3 workstation, login as systemadmin and browse to X:\Group Resources\Shortcut Bank.
  • Right-click on the contents pane --> New --> Shortcut.
  • Click Browse in the new window to select the appropriate Flowol 3 icon for the shortcut (which should be in C:\Program Files...please search) --> Next.
  • Give an appropriate name --> Next.
  • Just to make sure check if the shortcut has been created (there should be an arrow in the image of the icon which represents it as a shortcut)
  • Launch RM Management Console --> create a new Program Set and add the shortcut that you just created. (Alternatively it can be added to the already existing program set). [Step 4 of TEC8224 details this].
  • Assign the program set to a test user and if it works, assign it to all required pupils.
  • Re-deliver the program set --> login as the affected user to see if Flowol 3 appears and works correctly..
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How can Flowol 3 be configured to use Flowol 2 Mimics?

Flowol 3 supports all the Flowol 2 mimics, whether they are from the Keep I.T. Easy mimic packs, or mimics you have made yourself with the Mimic Creator.

By default, Flowol 3 will search for Flowol 2 mimics in the Program Files\Keep I.T. Easy\Flowol 3\Mimics folder. This is the folder into which the Flowol 2 mimic packs will install the mimics when Setup.exe (or the MSI file) is run from the mimic pack CD ROM.

As a Flowol 3 user, you may want to adjust which folder Flowol 3 searches for Flowol 2 mimics. You can do this from within Flowol 3, by choosing the Flowol 2 mimic folder ... button at the bottom-left of the Choose Mimic dialog box. Adjusting the mimic folder like this will modify a per-user setting in the computer's registry. Therefore, any change made here will only be remembered for that particular user. This is useful to point Flowol to your own documents folder to use Flowol 2 mimics that you have made with the Mimic Creator.

Using Flowol 2 Mimics on Multiple Workstations (Network Configuration)

You may have some Flowol 2 mimics already installed somewhere (either in a particular folder on the local workstations, or as a shared folder on the network) and want to use them with Flowol 3 on all computers.

There are three options:

  • The solution that is mentioned in the Flowol 3 tutorial is that once you've installed Flowol 3, you can re-install the old Flowol 2 mimics. This will install them to the C:\Program Files\Keep I.T. Easy\Flowol 3\Mimics folder which is where Flowol 3 looks for the mimics by default. [The mimic CD ROMs should have an MSI installer which could be used for automatic network deployment].
  • Manually copy the contents of the Flowol 2 mimics folder to C:\Program Files\Keep I.T. Easy\Flowol 3\Mimics on each workstation. [This could be done by a logon script].
  • The default Flowol 2 Mimic Directory setting can be modified so that Flowol 3 will, for all users, look at your existing Flowol 2 mimics folder for Flowol 2 mimics. This is done by changing the registry entry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\KeepITEasy\Flowol2, name Mimics to the path of your Flowol 2 mimics folder. Be careful when modifying the registry that you only change the value you intend. Changes to other keys in the registry can have unintended effects on the computer. [Modification of the registry could be done by a logon script, or through a Group Policy deployment].
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How can I create thumbnail images for the Mimics I create with the Mimic Creator?

In Flowol 3, users can see a small thumbnail picture of the mimic when choosing which mimic to show. This is possible because a small bitmap image was created for each mimic. You can simply do this for mimics that you've created with the Mimic Creator.

First, create a Windows bitmap image (.bmp) which is 40x32 pixels and has a colour depth of 24 bit (24 bits per pixel). Name this bitmap file with the same name as your mimic file, but give it a .bmp extension. (For example, to create a thumbnail for the LIFT mimic, name the bitmap LIFT.BMP) Finally, place this bitmap file in the same folder as the mimic file (not the sub-folder where the bitmaps for the mimic are). Opening the Choose Mimic dialog in Flowol 3 should now show your thumbnail rather than the generic green icon.

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