HISTORY and FAQ

BRIDGE CONVENTION CARD EDITOR (CCE)

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BRIDGE CONVENTION CARD EDITOR (CCE)

Frequently Asked Questions
March 8, 2017.

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Answers

• Will this Convention Card Editor work with the Operating System on my computer?
  • Windows 10: Yes.  You probably will need to download and install a Microsoft-supplied component called MSVBVM50.DLL, as explained on the Home Page.  You probably will have to be in "Administrator" mode while installing.
  • Windows 8: CCE has not been tested on Windows 8 by the author, but people using CCE have confirmed that it does work.

    • If you have been using CCE and are upgrading to a new version of Windows, particularly if you are starting to use a different computer, you may find that the text and marks on cards no longer align properly. If that happens, please see The marks and text used to be aligned properly on the card, but now are too high or too low, below. If you are installing CCE for the first time, please see the next line, as the Windows 7/Vista information applies to later versions as well.
  • Windows 7 and Vista:  Yes.  You probably will need to download and install a Microsoft-supplied component called MSVBVM50.DLL, as explained on the Home Page.  You probably will have to be in "Administrator" mode while installing.
  • Windows XP:  Yes.  You may need to download and install MSVBVM50.DLL, as explained on the Home Page
  • Windows 98, ME, 2000, NT:  Probably not.  It hasn't been tested with them, and CCE relies on some Windows features that were not available in Windows 98.
  • Mac:  Not directly, but CCE does work in a Windows Virtual Machine such as Boot Camp.
  • Linux:  Unsupported.  Someone said it works under Ubuntu, using "Wine".
  • Windows CE:  No.
    • Note: If CCE does not run on your computer, you should be able to use the official ACBL card in PDF format on any computer: you can download and save it on your computer, fill it in, print, and save it under a new name (e.g., of your partner) so that the original remains blank for use with other partners. Alternately, you probably can use the Bridge Buddy PDF card: look for "Bridge Buddy" on the web.
• Why is there is a "DLL" error when I try to start CCE?
  • You probably will need to download and install a Microsoft-supplied component called MSVBVM50.DLL, as explained on the Home Page.
• CCE cannot start because of a problem with COMDLG32.OCX
  • You must be running in "Administrator" mode to make these changes
  • "COMDLG32.OCX" is included with CCE.  If you don't find it in "C:\Windows\System32", (32-bit systems) or "C:\Windows\SysWOW64", (64-bit systems) you should find it in the CCE folder, which usually is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Convention Card Editor".
    • Move it to "C:\Windows\SysWOW64" (if you have a 64-bit version of Windows) or to "C:\Windows\System32" (if you have a 32-bit version of Windows)
    • Access the folder to which you've moved it and find "COMDLG32.OCX" in that folder
    • Right-click on "COMDLG32.OCX", and if you see "Register" on the pop-up menu, left-click on it.  When that step finishes, try starting CCE again.
    • If "Register" is not available on the pop-up menu:
      • click the Windows "Start" button, select "Run", and type:
                   regsvr32  comdlg32.ocx
        and click OK.  When that step finishes, try starting CCE again.
• CCE prints a blank page instead of a convention card, or encounters an error when trying to print, or says there isn't enough memory to print 
  • Please install the latest version from the main page, if you aren't using it already.  Make sure 'Use alternate print method" on the OPTIONS menu is NOT selected, choose your printer from the 'Printer Setup' menu, making sure the correct paper size, tray, and color/grayscale options have been selected; then try printing again.  Initially, be sure to use a real printer, not a Fax or PDF creator.
  • If printing still doesn't work properly, try using 'Use alternate print method' on the OPTIONS menu, then use 'Printer Setup' to select your printer, then print the card.
    • NOTE: if you try the alternate print method and then turn it off to use the normal method, you will have to use 'Printer Setup' again (just once).
  • PDF "printers" are software that create Adobe "Portable Document Format" files.  CCE can use such "printers" if other general programs also can use them.  However, some PDF "printers" only support the programs with which they were distributed, and will not work with anything else. If you have problems trying to use such a "printer" with CCE, try using it with some other programs to see if they will work.
    • Freeware PDF "printers" that work with most programs are readily available on the web.
• CCE cannot start because the computer has no default printer
  • use the Windows "Printers and fax" folder to assign a default printer.  CCE displays a message explaining how to do this.  Be sure to assign a real printer, not a Fax or PDF creator, at least until you've successfully printed somethng on paper.
• CCE worked when I installed it, but now I'm getting error messages, can't open cards, or can't save them
  • The ONLY correct way to open an existing card is from CCE's own Card List.  That's the list that appears whenever you start the program and whenver you select "Open" from the FILE menu.
    • If you try to open a card by selecting it in Windows Explorer, you will have problems sooner or later.  To avoid possible conflicts with other programs you may have on your computer, the CCE program does not tell Windows to associate the ".cce" filetype with the "ConventionCardEditor.exe" program, so Windows won't try to use CCE if you double-click a card.
    • Beginning with CCE version 1.1.24, you can make the file association yourself, but other programs you install later on may change that association because they also use a ".cce" filetype for entirely different purposes and with entirely different file formats.
    • Beginning with CCE version 1.1.24, you can "drag and drop" a card onto the CCE desktop shortcut.
  • You may have installed CCE using an account that has Administrator privileges, but are trying to run it with a Limited account that isn't allowed to modify anything in the "Program Files" (or) "Programs" folder.  To solve this problem, install the latest version of CCE and run it.  It will move all of your cards and control files to the [My]Documents\CCE folder, which is accessible from Limited as well as Administrative accounts.  The Programs folder will contain only the originally-installed components of CCE.
• The marks and text used to be aligned properly on the card, but now are too high or too low
  • The Windows Font size setting has changed since you installed CCE ("Normal fonts", "Large fonts" settings in the screen's Properties). You may have done this yourself to make text easier to read, or installed a new version of Windows, or bought a new computer and simply copied the "Documents\CCE" folder to it. In all of these cases, Windows generated a new set of screen fonts that are slightly different from the original ones.  CCE supports three common variations of screen fonts and now needs to adjust to the new ones.
  • If the version of CCE you are using does not ask you for permission to adjust to the new fonts, you can just do this:
    • Look in the "CCE" folder within the "Documents" folder. There are several ways to find that folder. One of them is to click the Windows START button, then click "Documents", find the "CCE" folder, and double-click to open it. Another way is to start the CCE program and, when the list of cards appears, don't select any of them. Instead, look just below the bottom of the list, where you should see a line beginning with "Folder:" and followed by the path and name of the folder containing your cards. Click on that name and Windows Explorer will open the folder for you, dispaying the files in it.
      Once the CCE folder is open in Windows Explorer, find the file named "Definitions.ini" (or just "Definitions"), and delete that one file.  (Do not delete any files with similar names that end with a number.)  Then, close that folder window, close CCE itself, and restart CCE.  When it doesn't find "Definitions.ini", it will create a new one that matches the screen fonts you now are using.
    • NOTE: If you've modified any "field" positions to make a custom card, those modifications will be lost and you will have to do them again.  This is why CCE does not just create a new "Definitions.Ini" automatically.
• How can I enter the symbols for the four suits?
  • When entering text, press F5 for Clubs, F6 for Diamonds, F7 for Hearts, or F8 for Spades.  At first, you will see  ^c  ^d  ^h  or  ^s  on the screen, but when the cursor leaves that text area, the actual symbol will appear.
  • You can enter the suit-symbols as (  ^c   ^d   ^h   ^s  ) directly from the keyboard if the Function keys don't work.
• Checkmarks print as P's; Circles print as T's
  • Prior to version 1.1.15, CCE used a symbol font called "Wingdings 2".  I thought it was a standard Windows font, but it's actually part of Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office (one of them ships with most computers).  Beginning with version 1.1.15, CCE uses "Wingdings", which is a standard Windows font.  Here are two solutions to this error:
    1. if you've just started using CCE, uninstall it (use the Windows Control Panel "Add/Remove"), then install the latest version of CCE from the main page;
    2. if you have a copy of Works or Office installed, copy the "Wingdings 2" font from where it is now to C:\Windows\Fonts, then restart CCE.
• Why do my cards print in black on my color printer?
  • Before CCE started, the color option had been set to "black" or "grayscale" for that printer's "Printer Preferences".  Although you can change this temporarily within CCE by using "Printer Setup..." on CCE's "File" menu, the change will not be remembered the next time you use CCE, so you'll have to make the temporary change each time.
  • To permanently change the color option back to "color", use the Windows Control Panel (on the Start button's menu).  Select "Printers and Faxes", right-click the printer you're using, and select "Printer Preferences".  Look through the various Tabs to find the color/grayscale option, change it to "color", click "OK" until you're back to "Printers and Faxes", and close that window.
• Where are CCE's files?  I can't find the cards I've made or an exported Image file
  • The location of your cards and working files is shown at the bottom of the Card List when you Open or Save a card
    • if you are using CCE version 1.1.17 or later, the folder is:
      • My Documents\CCE      (or)      Documents\CCE 
    • if you are using an earlier version of CCE, they may be in that folder or in:
      • Program Files\Convention Card Editor      (or)      Programs\Convention Card Editor
      • Note: Vista may limit your access to files in the "Programs" folders 
  • The original installed components will remain in the Programs folder: Convention Card Editor
• How can I share my cards with my partners?
  • The preferred way is to send them the appropriate "xxx.CCE" files, where "xxx" probably is their names; and for them to install CCE from this website, then place the cards you sent them into the CCE folder (see above).  This will let them edit the cards and make their own changes, as well as create cards for use with other partners
  • If your partner does not use CCE, you can send an image of a card as an email attachment by using "Export to Image file as..." or "Copy to clipboard".  Your partner will be able to view and print the image, but not change it:
    • Use "Export to Image file" if your partner has an image editor (PhotoShop, Picassa, IrfanView etc.).  This will create an image file with whatever name you choose, and your choice of "GIF", "PNG", or "BMP" image formats. "GIF" is the smallest, "PNG" is about twice the size of a "GIF", and "BMP" is about 30 times larger.
      • "JPG" is not supported because the image quality is lower and the file size is larger than either GIF or PNG.
    • Use "Copy to clipboard" if you both have Microsoft Word.  Then, immediately start WORD, use "Page Setup" to set the margins so that the page is 8 inches x 10 inches, then paste the clipboard image to the Word document.  Save the document and send it.  Word's File Menu has a "Send to" option with a sub-menu that includes "Send to mail recipient (as attachment)."
  • To send a card or card image from CCE (there are other ways; this is just one approach):
    1. if you have not already done so, Save the card or use the "Export to Image file" option
    2. select "Open" from CCE's File Menu
    3. the Folder location for all of your cards and images is shown at the very bottom of the card list
    4. click that folder name to open the folder in Windows Explorer
    5. in that Explorer window, find the cardname.CCE or imagename.BMP / GIF / PNG you want to send
    6. right-click that file
    7. in the pop-up menu that appears, select "Send to" and then select "Mail recipient"
    8. your normal email program will start, with the selected file as an Attachment.  Fill-in the email address to which the file should be sent, the Subject, and any body text you want to include, then send your email
    9. the person who receives it can save the attachment to his/her own CCE folder (if s/he is using CCE), or can open the image file and print it
• How can I change the card layout?
  • There are three parts to a CCE card, and they're stored separately:
    1. the blank card itself.  This is an actual an image of a card (like a digital photo), and CCE uses the same image for every card it prints.  You can modify that image with a program such as PhotoShop Elements, then make the fill-in fields match your changes by using CCE's Design Menu.  Please see the next topic, "Where can I get an image of a blank ACBL convention card?"
    2. the field definitions (the positions of the checkmarks, the circles, and the text areas, and their colors).  There's only one set of definitions.  Since the card is just an image, CCE uses those field definitions to tell it where to put your marks and text.  The definitions are kept in the "Definitions.Ini" file, and you can modify them by using CCE's Design Menu.  That menu normally is hidden, but you can make it appear by using CCE's OPTIONS menu.  You can learn how to use it by referring to the "Help" that's built right into CCE.
    3. the content you enter for each card you make (the checkmarks, circles, and text).  You'll probably have a lot of cards.
  • Changing the card layout or field definitions will not change the content, but all layout and definition changes will affect every card you print from now on.  That means you won't have to revise your existing cards individually; just re-print them.
• Where can I get an image of a blank ACBL convention card?
  • You can download a "TIF" image of the card used by CCE (it's name is "Convention_card.tif").  If you want CCE to use a modified version of it, make those modifications with an image editor such as PhotoShop Elements, and save the result as a ".GIF" in the folder that contains "Definitions.Ini", using the name "Convention card.gif" (a space instead of an underscore, and a 'gif' instead of a 'tif').  A modified card may not be ACBL-compliant, and won't match the pre-defined fields that come with CCE.  You can use CCE's Design Menu to create a custom layout,  as explained in CCE's on-screen Help.
  • The most current card is always at the ACBL's own website, where you can download a high-quality PDF of the current card.  Please see the Readme.txt file that comes with CCE for details about using that PDF.
• I need more lines to explain some of my conventions
  • Here's a Convention Card with extra lines at the bottom.  When you don't need the extra lines, you can just cut them off, leaving a standard 8x8" card.  (Needless to say, this longer card won't fit in regular card holders unless you fold it.)
    • download longer card  to your computer (it's name is "Convention_card_longer.gif").  If your browser displays it, rather than downloading it, use the Browser's File menu to Save the image to your own disk
    • move it to the CCE folder whose name is shown at the bottom of the Card List CCE displays when it starts
    • change its name to "Convention Card.gif"  (a space instead of an underscore)
    • you also can download the normal-length card and change it's name to "Convention Card.gif".
    • if you are using a version of CCE prior to 1.1.15, install the latest version of CCE from the main page, then delete "Definitions.Ini" from the CCE folder whose name is shown at the bottom of the Card List.  The next time CCE starts, it will recreate that Ini and use the longer card.
• The card my Club uses looks different from the one printed by CCE
  • CCE uses the official ACBL card as shown at their website. Your Club may be using one from another source, such as Bridge Buddy. The Bridge Buddy card is a copyrighted product, sold by Bridge Buddy, so CCE cannot use it. However, Bridge Buddy offers a free, downloadable PDF version of their card. You can save that on your computer, fill it out, print it, and save the completed card under a new name. You can make further changes to that card at any time, and still have the original blank card to use as the starting-point for another card. Since it is a PDF, you should be able to do this on any operating system, not just Windows.
  • The CCE author does not endorse or provide support for cards or programs offered by other sources.
• Questions about version 0.92, 1.0.14 or 1.0.15, and .AC2 files.
  • Card Editors with those version numbers, and .AC2 cards, were written by other people.  Please check their websites for support. I do not know of any programs to convert those cards to .cce cards.

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