Amiga Format CD 49/Amiga Format CD49 (2000-01-17)(Future Publishing)(GB)(Track 1 of 3)[!][issue 2000-02].iso/-serious-/graphics/amicad/amicad.readme

Text File | 1999-12-06 | 10KB | 243 lines

Short:      Schematics vectorial electronics program
Uploader: [e-mail] (Roland Florac)
Author:   [e-mail] (Roland Florac)
Type:      gfx/edit
Version:  2.03
Requires: 0S 3.0+, 68020+, gtlayout.library
Distribution: Aminet


Changes: see in line 80...

This program lets you design electronics drawings (and more).
The docs are in french language but the executable is in english,
the english guide is joined but not yet finished.

The catalogs are not updated, but the old ones are still working,
some new strings are not translated (see to the end of the .cd file).
If someone is interested to do the traduction of the guide file in
english (even for parts of it), please let me know.

THIS SOFTWARE IS GIFTWARE/EMAILWARE, NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN !

IT'S STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO INCLUDE THIS ARCHIVE IN ANY KIND OF SOFTWARE
COLLECTION EXCEPT AMINET FILESERVER, AMINET CD'S OR BY A EXPLICIT
PERMISSION FROM ME !

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS". NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ARE
MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, PERFORMANCE, CURRENTNESS,
OR OPERATION OF THIS SOFTWARE, AND ALL USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK !

LIn this new version, the program handles a toolbar. This toolbar is defined
with an IFF file, the commands associated are defined in the .info file, in
the tooltypes. With some little job you can define your own toolbar to suit
your needs (you have to load and edit the IFF file, then edit the tooltypes).
Note: you can edit the tooltypes with AmiCAD: for that select the toolbar,
clicking on the drag bar, then click with the right mouse button on the icon
you want to edit), but you have to define the tooltypes COLUMNS and LINES
first to know how many icons are present in the bar. See the examples in
the ToolBars drawer for information. Many of these toolbars can only be
used in a big screen (800x600 or more).
Send me your toolbars for the next release, I'll join them in the archive.

Problem: I have tried to write a new routine for printing bands (not all
the screen in one pass), but it was not working (I got allways a line feed
after each band). I set the SPECIAL_NOFORMFEED flag but something was
surely wrong... Can someone help me ? Perhaps it's a problem with the
printer driver (I use HP_Deskjet) ?

Features:
---------
- Installer scripts (french and english),
- Object oriented,
- use the mouse whenever possible to draw and edit objects (double click),
- multiple windows at the same time, allowing copy or cut from
one sheet to another,
- possibility to convert AmiCAD sheets to vector GFX formats, using
the amigametaformat.library (Henk Jonas),
- good printing (while not very user friendly, a ratio must be
adjusted to your printer and to the size of the document),
- AmigaGuide help,
- ARexx port, with about 150 functions,
- possibility to create Spice netlists (using ARexx scripts)...

Note: some users asked me to write a library editor, don't expect me
to do it now, I don't need it and I had no such returns for this proggy
to write it.

Requirements:
-------------
Hardware
- MC68020 or higher
- AGA chipset or GFX card recommended for high screen resolutions.

Software
- AmigaOS v39 (system 3.0) or higher
- gtlayout.library. This library is not supplied in the package.

Changes:
--------
Version 2.3
- New requesters to edit objects.
- new MapKey script, MAP function bug corrected.
- slight installer script modification (makedir)

Version 2.2
- the bgui.library is not used now, the gtlayout.library is used
in place (faster and shorter).

Version 2.1
- a toolbar (optional, can be edited with a Paint program),
- some bugs removed, many little code optimizations.

Version 2.0
- new zoom function (from 25% to 1000%),
- scaling is now given in percentage (100 gives scale 1),
- some memory errors and macros menus solved,
- some new ARexx functions (CURSMODE, SETORTHO, SNAPGRID, GETLINE, GETZONE, ZOOM)
and changes (ASK converted to ASKTEXT and ASKNUM, REQFILE, SETSCALE...)
- middle mouse support (selection of a sheet)...

Version 1.5
- AmiCAD2META bug corrected (did'nt work with new libraries, thanks to
Henk Jonas for reporting the bug),
- new requester for interrupting printing if needed, new error messages,
- better saving speed (I hope),
- saving the Preferences/Full name in AmiCAD.prefs,
- new user menu (not yet finished, but works),
- new square junctions (alternate symbol),
- problem with bgui requester hopefully solved under PAL screens,
- some little bugs and CyberGuard hits removed (like in PENWIDTH function)...

Version 1.4
- french installation bug removed.
- new functions: GETDEVS, GROUP, UNGROUP, FINDOBJ, FINDLINE, PINCOL,
PINLINE, PINNUM and DEVPINS.
- ARexx scripts for creating Spice netlists.
- Lock bug fixed (thanks to Grzegorz Kraszewski) while loading files.

Version 1.3
- english guide (not yet finished).
- The undo bug is fixed (I hope...) Some bugs with boxes (printing
and import from clip file) are fixed.
- Boxes and components can now be drawn in dashed lines.
- new function BOX.
- new tooltype GRIDSIZE (from an idea of Graham Maddox).
- some functions enhancements: WRITE, INPUT, OUTPUT...
- some new (AddRefs...) or enhanced ARexx scripts.
- New slovenian catalog from Daniel Krstic (no source available).
- some changes in the libraries including AOP (power lines drawn
only for the first device of a part). See the sheet file "Symboles
analogiques" to see the different models of circuits available.

Version 1.2
- The screen has now 16 colors, different colors are used for the
  components, wires, etc... Just adjust the palette to your needs
  or load the file AmiCAD.palette if you want to keep your old
  config file.
- Some bugs corrected: DATE, DEF, SETDEV, SETGRID, REMLIB...
- New functions SAVEALL and GETCOLOR
- Better Symmetry handling, rotations, symmetry, scaling can now be
  performed on clips.
- New box object.
- New Preferences menu (Full name in the title bar).
- The format of the title bar has changed (suggest from Sébastien
  VEYRIN-FORRER).
- Better and new ARexx scripts.
- Italian catalog (thanks to Massimo Basso), new spanish catalog
  from Benjamin Morente (source not available).
- Possibility to localize the library files (italian and english
  versions available for Symboles_AmiCAD and Symboles_électriques).

Version 1.1
- ConfigFile.library is no more needed. The configuration file is now
  called AmiCAD.prefs (not compatible with the older files, but can be
  adapted with a text editor),
- better install script,
- Deutsch catalog (thanks to Henk Jonas),
- Czech catalog (thanks to Vit Sindlar),
- Spanish catalog (thanks to Benjamin Morente),
- Workbench screen is now cloned (except number of colors) if no prefs
  are valid,
- some little bugs are corrected (SYMMETRY, LOADCLIP...),
- New tooltypes SHEET_WIDTH and SHEET_HEIGHT,
- new ARexx functions SETPINS and COORDS,
- Some code optimisations (program has new features but is shorter),
- Possibility to set lines to any width for all objects,
- better cursor arrow keys handling,
- groups handling modified (surely better),
- AGA screens colors bug hopefully corrected,
- new requesters in separate windows...

Installation
------------
Use the "install english" installer script (or the "installation
français" script if you are a french language user). You'll also
need Installer from AT to do the job.
You can also use the program only after you unarchive it, just
copy the AmiCAD directory anywhere you want...

Usage
-----
Click on the AmiCAD icon to start the program. The first time, as the
preferences are not set correctly, a screen at the dimensions of the
Workbench screen will be opened. You can then change the screen mode
with the Preferences menu. Choose a font for the screen with the font
requester, choose your palette, then save the configuration before
leaving the program to keep your choices.
Use the Draw menu to get objects on the window. Double click on the
objects if you want to modify one of them. You can also use the mouse
with the left button pushed to select multiple parts (in combination
with the shift key to extend a selection, and the ctrl key to
deselect some objects). You can also move objects with the mouse,
dragging them with the left button. To modify a line, click on one
of the extremity and drag it with the mouse (or use the cursor keys
in combination with the shift (optionnal) and alt or ctrl keys for
adjusting each extremity). The other functions should be self
explanatory, I hope. Use the Draw and Edition menus.
You'll also have to set the icon tooltypes to your needs.

Note to CyberVision users
-------------------------
The program works pretty well under CyberGraphX but there are some
visual problems under this system: when you draw some components
with filled areas, like triangles or boxes, the complement mode
doesn't work at all, so there are many traces on the screen. This
bug has been reported to Phase 5 but there is no correction for the
moment... Use the Z key to redraw the screen and all will be corrected.
This problem doesn't appear under Amiga native modes and with the
Picasso system (it seems it's CyberVision specific).

Credits
-------
The deutsch catalog was written by Henk Jonas:
    [e-mail]
The czech catalog was written by Vit Sindlar:
    [e-mail]
The spanish catalog was written by Benjamin Morente:
    [e-mail]
The italian catalogs were written by Massimo Basso:
    [e-mail]
The slovenian catalogs were written by Daniel Krstic:
    [e-mail]

    Some clips and sheet were also provided by Benjamin
    Morente: PIC16C54_DIP, PIC16C54_SSOP, PIC16C56_DIP,
    PIC16C56_SSOP and the RF_Amp sheet.

    Some sheets were supplied by Sébastien VEYRIN-FORRER (Renard...)
    [e-mail]

    Some projects were supplied by Graham Maddox (6w_Stereo_Amp
    and Transistor_Tester, MS100-PA, 100W_Linear_Amp...):
    [e-mail]

Thanks to them all, but specially for Graham Maddox and Sébastien
Veyrin-Forrer for their support.

Thanks to:
----------
    Krashan/BlaBla ([e-mail]) for their VRastport routines: they
    gave me some help to write the zoom routines.
    Giovanni Bianchessi ([e-mail]) for his generous gift (the ONLY one).