General Preferences
When designers have a bunch of settings that they don't know what to do with, they create a General Preferences page. On this screen you'll find a bunch of miscellaneous stuff that doesn't necessarily go together but it's all important, nonetheless.
Start Encoding on Startup
Dr. DivX keeps a waiting room of encoding jobs in the batch queue even when the doctor is not running. You can exit Dr. DivX, restart it, and you'll find your files are still waiting in the queue.
Normally, the files just wait in the queue for you to manually kick off the encoding. However, if you check the Start Encoding on Startup option, Dr. DivX will automatically resume working on the queue as soon as the program starts.
Check for Updates
Dr. DivX may be good, but there's always room for improvements and there is a dedicated team working 'round the clock to make the doctor a more capable physician. By ticking the Check for Updates option, you will allow Dr. DivX to quietly and periodically ask the Dr. DivX website if a newer version of the doctor is available. If an improved doctor is waiting in the wings, Dr. DivX will prompt you to upgrade.
Dr. DivX will use the Internet to look for new versions of Dr. DivX, but only if the Check for Updates option has been selected.
Remove Working Folder
Sometimes Dr. DivX doesn't get to finish operating. There are a few different reasons why an operation may fail, but when it does, the doctor may leave some files behind in the temporary directory. If the Remove Working Folder option is checked, the doctor makes sure those temporary files are tossed out so they don't languish, wasting space. If you aren't a software developer and have no desire to become one, you probably want to check this option. The only reason to keep such files is for postmortem studies.
Dr. DivX will delete all working files in the temporary directory if a failure occurs and the Remove Working Folder option is checked.
Encode All Files To...
When Dr. DivX gives birth to a fledgling DivX video file, the newborn is gently deposited into the directory specified under Encode all files to. This is a setting you probably change. By default the target directory is well hidden. You may prefer to specify a custom location such as your DivX movie directory or your My Videos directory. You can also choose the Input Directory option if you want to keep the newborns with their parents.
Dr. DivX uses the Encode all files to Custom Location directory to store all newly encoded files. If the Input Directory option is selected, Dr. DivX will store each encoded file in the same directory as the input file that was used to create the DivX encoded file.
Plug-in Folder
No doctor works alone so Dr. DivX keeps a staff of helpers in the Plug-in Folder. If you think you know best, and you'd like to tell the doctor what to do, then write your own plug-in and plop it into the Plug-in Folder. This User Guide won't explain how to write a plug-in. You'll need to find a Developer Guide for that.
Dr. DivX looks in the Plug-in Folder directory for dynamic link library (DLL) files that extend the available features and functions.
Profiles Folder
Dr. DivX has a repertoire of standard DivX Certified Profiles for encoding files. Don't go looking for those profiles in the Profiles Folder directory. They aren't there. However, you can create custom profiles and those will indeed land in the Profiles Folder.
Dr. DivX uses the Plug-in Folder directory to store XML files which define the custom profiles of encoding settings.
Log Files
Since most doctors have horrible handwriting, Dr. DivX neatly types notes and stashes them in the Log Files directory. If something unexpected occurs while the doctor is working, you may find a few clues in the log files. Unfortunately, even though the logs are neatly typed, they mostly read like gibberish to the untrained eye.
Nonetheless, while Dr. DivX is encoding files, detailed progress reports are written to plain text files and stored in the directory designated for Log Files. Log files generally aren't more than a few hundred kilobytes but a string of errors can cause log files that are several megabytes.
Temp Directory
The doctor keeps doodads in a temporary directory. Don't get too excited about any of the treasures you find in the trash. There probably isn't anything useful in there. It's also unlikely that you need to change this directory. However, if you have multiple drives and you want to spread the trash around, the doctor lets you specify any temporary space you'd like.
While Dr. DivX is encoding files, some intermediate results are stored in the directory designated as the Temp Directory. Make sure there is plenty of space available in the temporary directory.
Language
Dr. DivX is full of buttons, menus and checkboxes. They all have labels. The Language option allows you to choose the dialect used by the doctor to speak to you. There are at least a dozen language options available and more will be added as new translations are completed. If you can translate the doctor's lingo to another language, step up and volunteer for the open source project. Anyone speak Klingon?
To change the language, select your preference using the drop down list, press the OK button, and then exit Dr. DivX. The next time you start the program; all the labels will appear in the language of your choice.