The Mother of All Windows Books/CD-MOM.iso/cd_mom/workmodl/intlidrw/readme.txt

Text File | 1992-07-02 | 21KB | 556 lines

INTELLIDRAW WINDOWS NOTES
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Welcome to IntelliDraw. Get ready for a new adventure
to new horizons. Your drawings are no longer limited to
being static and lifeless, and a chore to change.
IntelliDraw opens a whole new world of possibilities.

HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL NOTES AND LATEST NEWS
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WINDOW SIZING AND POSITIONING

The size of your working window is initially dependent
on the IntelliDraw Defaults document, which is the
master for all your New documents. This document is
installed in your IDRAW directory when you initially
install IntelliDraw.

This installed default document has a 640 x 480 pixel
format. To adjust this document to any size monitor,
there is a simple, and permanent adjustment you can
make:

- Choose New View from the View menu; then, when the
  new small document window opens, close the original
  window.
- Adjust the position of the new view window by
  dragging the Name bar and resizing the window to
  whatever working size you want.

Also make any changes to page orientation,
magnification, text setting choices, printer choices, and
page setup.

Finally, choose Save as Default from the File menu. All
your future New documents will then use this window
size, page orientation, text settings, etc.

You can change the settings of the default document at
any time, and use the Save As Default command to
establish the change.
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POSITIONING PALETTES

IntelliDraw has several palettes that you can move,
reshape, collapse, and hide completely. Their initial
position is determined by the preferences document
called IDRAW.PRF

After you launch IntelliDraw, arrange these palettes as
you see fit. Every time you quit the program,
IntelliDraw remembers which palettes were open and
where you left them. These will reopen at those
positions the next time you use the program.

Because IntelliDraw has both Short and Full menus,
there are separate settings for the Short and Full
versions of the Tool and Action Button palettes. This
means that the placement of the Full Menus tool palette
will not affect the location of the Short Menus tool
palette. Each must be positioned in its own mode.

If you can't see a palette when the menu indicates it's
open, check the following:

- Another palette may be on top of it
- It may be beyond the visible area of the monitor,
  perhaps put there when you worked with a larger
  monitor. To bring it back, do the following:
- Quit IntelliDraw
- Delete the IntelliDraw preferences document
  IDRAW.PRF from the IDRAW directory.
- Launch IntelliDraw, which will open with no palettes.

Use the View menu to open all the palettes you need,
and place them where you want them. Be sure you set
your palettes up in both Short and Full menus.
Finally:

- Quit IntelliDraw to establish the changes.
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PERFORMANCE NOTES

IntelliDraw works best with real RAM. You can do a
great deal of work, even with 4 MB machines. The more
RAM you have, the better.

If you run multiple applications, even if some are
minimized, they will compete for real RAM.

When programs run low on real RAM, Windows uses a
virtual memory scheme where the hard disk is used as
RAM. (Virtual Memory is available only on 386 and 486
computers.) This virtual RAM is much slower to access,
and using it may significantly slow down operation. This
slowdown depends on factors such as the amount of
disk space used for virtual memory, and how often it's
accessed.

The disk area used for virtual memory is called a Swap
File. If your system configuration uses a small Swap File
and IntelliDraw is forced to access the disk a great deal,
it will seem sluggish. It may take a long time even to
launch. When IntelliDraw has to access the Swap File, its
performance is slowed; its performance then is directly
related to the speed of your hard disk.

Here's how you check and change the size of your Swap
file for Windows 3.1:

- In the Program Manager, open the Main program
  group window
- Double-click the Control Panel icon
- Double-click the 386 Enhanced icon
- Click the Virtual Memory Button. This will display an
  information window.
- Click the Change button.

In the window that opens, you'll see in the New Size
box a proposed value. If this is 4MB or more, and
performance has been satisfactory, don't change it. If
performance has been sluggish, and you've noted
frequent disk access, increase the size by 50%. Finally:

- Click OK or Cancel, depending on your findings and
  actions, and continue OK'ing or cancelling out of the
  dialogs.
- Restart Windows to activate the new settings.

To change the swap file size under Windows 3.0,
consult your Windows manual.
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THE COMPUTER BEEPS WHEN YOU'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG, OR
SMART LINKED GRAPHICS ARE LEFT IN A DISJOINTED STATE

Both these conditions are related to the speed of your
CPU, and to the complexity of the special relationships
in the graphic.

After you make a change to a graphic that has
relationships such as objects attached to a shape, many
objects inside a distribution frame, etcetera, IntelliDraw
spends a certain amount of time figuring out where
everything should be redrawn. The more objects are
involved and the more complex the relationships, the
more time this "link resolution" requires. Normally, it all
works, and finishes in short order.

To keep IntelliDraw from spending a long time, possibly
trying to resolve an impossible set of relationships, there
is a time limit that you can set in the Preferences.

If IntelliDraw can't resolve the links in that specified
time, it will beep, and possibly leave the drawing in an
incompletely resolved state.  On faster computers
IntelliDraw completes its work well within the default
time in the preferences. On slower computers you may
need to allow more time.

To change the link resolution time, use the Preferences
command (in the Full Menus mode) and double the
"After dragging" value in the Link Resolution section of
the Preferences dialog. Close the dialog and make a
change to your graphic so that IntelliDraw re-resolves it.

If this time change doesn't correct you particular
problem, you may have established a set of relationships
that are mutually exclusive, and could never be
completely resolved.  In that case, examine or undo your
most recent actions, which may have caused this
condition. If all else fails, select the objects involved and
choose Clear Links from the Links menu, and start
fresh.
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HOW VIDEO CARDS AND MODES AFFECT PERFORMANCE

If you have a Super VGA display, and are using high
resolution, IntelliDraw will need to use a great deal of
memory for its off-screen buffer, which is a method of
enabling smooth, flicker-free drawing. This will tax your
RAM, but if you have sufficient real RAM, it should not
degrade performance.

To improve performance without turning off the off-
screen buffer, reduce the number of displayable colors,
or reduce the resolution.

To free up the RAM (real or virtual) otherwise required
by IntelliDraw for its off-screen buffer, you can try
turning off that mode. Use the View Settings command
to do this, and un-check the 'Use off-screen buffer'
option.

For 16-bit and 24-bit video cards, IntelliDraw
automatically turns off the off-screen buffer. You can
turn it on if you want by using the View Settings
command to check-mark the 'Use off-screen buffer'
option.
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PERFORMANCE ON PORTABLES

Some portables save battery power by slowing down the
CPU clock. IntelliDraw's smart features are directly
affected by this slower clock speed. Consult you
portable's manual on this subject, and choose the
options to run at full clock speed.
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SHORT MENUS AND FULL MENUS

IntelliDraw will initially open in Short Menus. Some
tools and capabilities mentioned in the manuals and
video tape are found only in the Full Menus mode.

Full Menus mode allows you to access the Preferences
settings, as well as the Layers palette and special tools.

To switch to the Full Menus mode, choose Full Menus
from the Edit menu.

A few menu items relocate to different menus,
depending on which mode is active. However, the menu
grouping is still logical.

The reference manual refers to all tools and menu items
in Full Menus mode.
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MICROGRAFX WINDOWS DRAW IMPORT

IntelliDraw does not currently ship with an import filter
that will directly import native Micrografx Designer or
Windows Draw Images in .DRW format.

The capability is available through these various options:

- Export as .PIC or .EPS from Micrografx Designer or
  Windows Draw

OR

- IntelliDraw uses the filters residing in the ALDUS
  directory. If you own Aldus PageMaker or Aldus
  Persuasion, you already own the import filter needed to
  import .DRW into IntelliDraw.

OR

- If you own a Micrografx product that has import filters
  for PageMaker or Persuasion, you can install the filters
  into the Aldus folder that IntelliDraw creates.
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GENERAL MAC/WINDOWS FILE SHARING NOTES

IntelliDraw documents created on Macintosh or
Windows platforms are completely shareable between
these platforms, across a network, or via properly
formatted disks. However, the two operating systems
have different file naming and file-typing requirements,
and don't instantly recognize each other's files.


SHARING FILES: WINDOWS TO MACINTOSH

Because of the different file-typing methods, a
document created in Windows IntelliDraw transferred to
the Macintosh can't be double-clicked to open it. You
must first launch IntelliDraw, then open the document
via the Open dialog. Be sure that the Show All option is
checked in the Open dialog. Once you Save As... on the
Macintosh, that same file will be double-clickable.


SHARING FILES: MACINTOSH TO WINDOWS

Macintosh files typically have names that are longer than
8 characters. Windows requires names of 8 characters
or less, followed by a 3-character extension. In the case
of IntelliDraw, this extension is IDW for working
documents, and IDT for template files.

You can have Macintosh files recognized by Windows
IntelliDraw by naming them with a name of 8 characters
or less, and adding the proper extension. If you don't
use an extension, you can still make IntelliDraw
Windows recognize the file in the Open dialog by
choosing "All files" from the drop-down list.
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THE BEST WAY TO OLE

The best way to link your IntelliDraw object with OLE
is to first create a group or a symbol, and then copy and
Paste Link the group to the other application. This will
enable you to add or remove items from the IntelliDraw
group, maintaining the existing OLE link. You'll save
the trouble of re-establishing the link when you have to
make a change.
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TEXT, ATM AND TRUETYPE

For Windows 3.0 systems, you will need to install
Adobe Type Manager (ATM), and a set of Adobe Type
1 outline fonts in order to properly display type that is
rotated or otherwise manipulated in IntelliDraw.

If you've installed ATM, and your text still comes out
jagged or even as gray boxes, you may not have
properly installed the outline fonts into your System, or
they may have been deleted some time after installation.
Consult your ATM installation guide.

We recommend that you install ATM even if you have
Windows 3.1, for several reasons:

- You'll have a wider selection of fonts
- General character positioning will be more consistent
  between Windows and Macintosh platforms.
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TEXT APPEARANCE CHANGES WHEN DOCUMENTS ARE TRANSFERRED
BETWEEN MAC AND WINDOWS

One major factor is that Windows TrueType fonts don't
have close equivalents to Macintosh TrueType fonts.
This affects the size and spacing of text transferred from
one platform to another.

Even with ATM used on both platforms, there may be
differences introduced.

A text block in a cross-platform document may need to
be size-adjusted to hold the same text that it held in the
platform on which it was created.

For example, the Windows TrueType font Arial will be
interpreted as the TrueType font Geneva on the
Macintosh. These fonts have different basic dimensions,
and text blocks that contain these fonts will need
adjustment.

Depending on whether your system utilizes ATM or
TrueType, and on the fonts installed, the IntelliDraw
clip art, which has embedded text instructions on its use,
may open with its text in an odd state, perhaps flowing
out of the text blocks in which it was created.

Adjustments you can make include resizing the blocks;
selecting the text blocks and choosing a different font;
or changing the font size or line spacing. Other
adjustments to fit the text back inside the blocks, include
resizing a text block slightly, or typing a space in a text
block, then deleting it.
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GREEKING TEXT

When text needs to be displayed as extremely small
characters, as in highly reduced views or extremely
small point sizes (below 3 points), it is displayed as gray
bars, each bar representing a line of text. This is not a
problem with fonts. It's an intentional process commonly
called "Greeking," and found in desktop publishing
programs as well. It's only a screen-display shortcut,
your text will print fine. Zooming in will reveal that your
text is safe.
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TRUETYPE AND HEWLETT-PACKARD PCL PRINTERS

There is an option on Hewlett-Packard PCL printers
with HPPCL5A drivers that allows you to print
TrueType fonts as graphics. This option MUST be
enabled for IntelliDraw to print  text correctly on these
printers. IntelliDraw will print the text without this
option, but the text may cover some graphic objects.
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THE COLOR OF OBJECTS EXPORTED AS EPS

Color-filled shapes exported as EPS imports back in as
black & white in other programs. This is only a screen-
display condition. This is intentionally done in order to
remain compatible with some other applications which
do not display imported EPS color to the screen. The
graphic will print in full color or grays.
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EXPORTING TILED GROUPS AND CROPPED GROUPS

Exporting IntelliDraw graphics that contain tiled groups
and cropped groups as Windows metafiles will lose vital
cropping information. The metafile format does not
support objects that are cropped inside a shape, so the
resulting Windows metafile image will look like the
shape contents have been unmasked.

EPS is the format of choice for this type of graphic.
Even though the screen appearance of EPS files may not
match the original document, it will print fine.
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EXPORTING OR COPYING GRADIENT-FILLED SHAPES TO
OTHER APPLICATIONS

If you want to print IntelliDraw gradients from another
application to a PostScript printer, you must export
your drawing as an EPS file. If you use the Windows
clipboard or export to a Windows metafile, your
gradients display correctly, but will print as large
rectangles.

If you copy gradients to the clipboard and paste them
into other drawing programs, they will be disassembled
by the drawing program, and appear as many separate
objects; they will not be contained within your original
filled shape.

EPS is the format of choice for this type of graphic.
Even though the screen appearance of EPS files may not
match the original document, it will print fine.
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BREAKING APART TILED GROUPS

IntelliDraw lets you tile any object or group of selected
objects. After creating an expanse of tiled objects, you
can break it apart into individual objects so you can edit
them as if you had drawn them separately.

After the Break Apart operation, for easier management
of complex tiles, IntelliDraw automatically groups the
individual tiles. This may not be obvious, because even
if the tiles are plain rectangles, they will be one-item
groups.

Immediately after the Break Apart operation, you can
ungroup all the tiles (which will already be selected).
This will make them fully editable as individual objects.
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CLOSING AND CLOSING ALL

If you have multiple windows of the same document
open, the document is not considered closed until you
close ALL the windows pertaining to it. This includes
the symbol window, any group windows, page
windows, and any multiple views onto the same page.
You can close all those windows at once by holding the
shift key down BEFORE choosing Close in the File
menu. The shift key changes the Close command to a
Close All command.
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ROTATION BY NUMERIC VALUE IS THE REVERSE OF
DOCUMENTED BEHAVIOR

When an object is rotated via the dialog box, entering a
POSITIVE value rotates the object COUNTERCLOCKWISE,
entering a NEGATIVE value rotates the object CLOCKWISE.
The documentation calls for clockwise rotation with
positive values. The Rotate Tool is discussed on
pgs. 83-84 of the Reference Manual.
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THE RESHAPE POINTS OF LOCKED OBJECTS CAN BE SHIFTED
BY A LINKED OBJECT

To use auto-align against the reshape points of an
object, you must put it in reshape mode by double-
clicking. If you then align and link an object to a reshape
point of a locked object, then move the linked object,
the point of the locked object point will move, as if it
were unlocked. The following steps will allow you to
work around the problem:

- Create a point with the point tool (Full Menus)
- Align the new point with the point on the  reshapeable
  object
- With the point objects selected, choose Move to Back
  from the Object menu
- Lock that point object.

You can then align other objects and dimension lines
against that locked point, and nothing will unexpectedly
shift. (The properties of a locked object in Reshape
mode are misstated on page 139).

You may run across this condition in the Space Planning
exercise in the manual. One possible place is when you
first set the space between the hallway walls, and when
you set the space of the prototype lab doorway. Use
manual dragging at 200% magnification to set these
distances.
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KANJI SUPPORT

IntelliDraw does not currently support the Kanji
alphabet.
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AVOID OVER-LINKING

IntelliDraw gives the day-to-day user the ability to link
graphics in all kinds of relationships. You may have the
natural tendency to link everything to everything else,
and produce an amazingly tangled web. Our advice is to
only link what you need to.

Consider linking as the fasteners in a tool-kit. You only
use them when it makes sense. You would not, for
instance, glue your cup to your desk, or bolt your car to
the floor of the garage.

Remember that IntelliDraw offers other object
management controls like grouping and locking, which
are familiar and easily manageable.

In other words, use linking sparingly to better control
your documents.

Because most links are not obvious unless you change
something and watch the results, it's perfectly possible
to establish multiple identical links between the same
objects. These are redundant, and while they don't hurt
anything, they can add processing overhead to otherwise
simpler actions. You can use Show Links to examine the
"wiring" in your drawing, and check  for multiple
identical links.

Early in your linking experience, it's best, and least time-
consuming, to clear a link and re-establish it correctly.
As you us it more, you'll become link-savvy, and you'll
fly through your linked relationships, recognizing them
on sight and making swift changes.
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AND FINALLY...

Thank you for purchasing IntelliDraw. We hope that the
ideas we put into it will help bring your own ideas to
life.

The Team