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1991-11-21
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Prototyper V1.1 Demo Document
=============================
Electronic Vero Board Design Tool.
==================================
(c) Derek Pell 1991.
====================
Hello, and welcome to Prototyper. This is a demonstration version of my
new CAD system and it's aim is to show you how easy vero board designing can be
made with the use of this software, some functions are not included with this
version.
Prototyper is due to be released for the end of January 92 and will
cost just £12.00 + 40p postage and packing. If however you wish to confirm
release date before placing your order please do so, but please include a
stamp addressed envelope for your reply.
Prototyper.V1.1 full version........................£12.00 + 40p P&P.
All cheques should be made payable to..........
D J Pell
58 Ash Road
Newport
Isle of Wight
PO3O 2AG.
Will you please specify if you have an Amiga A500 Plus. Prototyper is
perfectly compatible with all Amigas, but I do plan to cater for both
workbenches. WILL YOU ALSO LET ME KNOW WHICH PD LIBRARY YOU OBTAINED THIS
DEMO FROM.
An Important Accessory!
=======================
I feel the Custom Library Creator is a necessary program to have with
both E-CAD and Prototyper as I can not possibly include every symbol/package
on a library disk, new packages are dreamed of by the minute so the library
creator gives you infinite coverage of all things electrical and indeed
mechanical if you wish.
Other Electronic design software
================================
Electro CAD V1.4....................................£15.00 + 40p P&P.
Electro CAD/Prototyper Custom Library Creator........£8.00 + 40p P&P.
PCB Design Libraries and Brushes Disk................£6.00 + 40p.P&P.
Custom Library Creator and PCB lib etc on same disk.£14.00 + 40p.P&P.
Electro CAD V1.4 Complete Kit.......................£29.00 (P&P inc.)
Prototyper Complete Kit.(inc Custom Lib prog.)......£20.00 (P&P inc.)
Electro CAD/Prototyper Complete Kit.................£40.00 (P&P inc.)
About
=====
Prototyper is a CAD program specially designed for 'Vero' strip board
layouts. I assure you this program is a lot easier and quicker than design-
ing layouts on paper and safer than taking pot luck and designing as you
build. The program includes component package library, loadable custom
libraries facility, brushes, powerful zoom editor, all disk activities a printer dump function and much more. In fact as long as you have an Amiga
and Prototyper you will never go back to conventional methods again!!
A word about the component symbols
==================================
The matrix snap shifts every 8 pixles and not every 16 pixles, this
means its possible to place components with there legs in between holes.
This has a memory saving advantage, a maximum of a 15 pixle boundary around
symbols takes extra memory thus reduces the maximum number of symbols in a
library. This 15 max pixle boundary is a must for 16 pixle snap as it is now
I only have to use a maximum of 7 pixles. So I think I'm going to leave the
matrix snap how it is.
A Bug to Watch Out For!
=======================
Some time you might find the mouse rubber disappears. This will be fixed
for the full version.
Future Plans
============
Both Electro CAD and the Custom Library Creator will be updated some
time in the new year. Electro CAD is going to have the new Zoom Editor II
installed, and no doubt some other add extras as well. If you become a
registered Prototyper/Electro CAD user you will receive news letters
notifying you of upgrades and new programs to be released.
Prototyper Instructions
=======================
Always boot from this demo disk, Prototyper will NOT run from your
standard workbench disk. This is because the start up sequence is used to
place files on the RAM disk for use by the program. When you buy the full
version a hard disk boot up program will be provided on the disk allowing
you to use Prototyper from your hard disk if you have one.
YOU ALSO NEED 1MB OF MEMORY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
The Icon Bar
=============
Once the program has loaded you will be presented with an Icon control
bar. This is used to select library symbols in the normal clicking manner.
Use the left mouse button to rotate the symbols one way and the right the
other way. Once you have the desired symbol simply move the mouse pointer
away from the icon bar and the pointer will change to that symbol.
There are four other relevant icons on the bar these are.........
Pencil..... Used for drawing elastic type lines for connections etc.
Shape Draw. Draws elastic boxes, circles and ellipse!
Pen........ Used for labelling your components etc.
Undo....... Tackles that last error in the usual way.
Holes
=====
The shape drawing device can be used to drill holes in the vero board
its self. As you know holes are needed for screws etc, to drill a hole hold
down one of the shift keys while drawing a circle only.
The Track Cutting Device
========================
This can only be used whilst the mouse pointer is on the screen and is
activated like this. Move the mouse pointer to the cut position hold down
either shift key and click the left mouse button. The track cutter will also
cut in between track holes as this is a favoured trick of mine to save
space. If you should happen to find you have cut the wrong track then
repeating the cutting operation over an already cut track will repair that
track. The undo may also be used if the cut was the last operation. Do not
use the rubber to remove cut tracks, although this will work the rubber will
not update the cut track map. The peropus of the map will be reviled in the
section on brushes.
The Menu
========
The menu bar can be activated when the mouse pointer is not over the
icon bar by holding the right mouse button in, the rest works in the normal
manner. The menu bar is split into eight separate sections these being...
Trashcan, Disk, Print, Colour, Shape, Symbol, Zoom and Preferences.
Here's an over lay of the various menu functions......
Trashcan Menu
=============
Rubber: This rubs out mistakes and replaces them with strip board tracks.
This is used when the mistake has gone past the Undo stage.
Clear Board: Clears the current layout to start a fresh one.
Disk Menu
=========
Load Board: Loads a Prototyper layout. When the file selector opens clicking
the right mouse button will display the available devices.
There is a demo layout on this disk in the Examples folder on
this demo disk try loading it. I wish I could have supplied
more, I like to give value for money!
Save Board: Save a Prototyper layout by passing the file selector and saving
the file under the current name saves you time!
Save Board As: Save layout under your name specified with the file selector.
Erase Board: Deletes an unwanted layout.
Snap Shot: Saves just the view area only as a standard IFF file for
importing into DTP's art packages and Kind Words word processor!
Note. All save functions are full version only.
Print Menu
==========
Provides you with a print-out so you may construct your board with
maximum ease. Full version only, ***uses workbench printer setup***
The end result of this function will be similar to the lay-outs used
in magazines such as Every Day Electronics and will include the solder side
of the board as well.
Colour Menu
===========
Changes the current drawing colour, symbols and brushes will be
re-coloured to the new colour.
Shape Menu
==========
This changes the current shape to be drawn by the icon shape drawing
device.
Symbol Menu
===========
Flip Horz: Flips a symbol/brush on the horizontal axis.
Flip Vert: Flips a symbol/brush on the vertical axis.
Vert/Horz: Rotate the symbol ONLY axis by 90 degrees.
Load Custom: Load a custom library which has been defined using the Custom
Library Creator. These libraries are exactly the same format as
the default library so they come with there own icon bar and
every other feature of the default library.
Exit Custom: Exit from a custom library and re-loads the default one. I
regret there is no custom library on this disk to show you,
but their just like the default lib, so I guess you could say
you've seen them!
Grab a Brush: Grabs a rectangular area of the screen which can be used as a
brush. The left mouse button copies the section of the screen
into a brush whilst the right lifts the section away from the
board so you can just move it up a bit giving you more room
instantly. I used to swear when I had to rub a big section out
because I'd forgotten something!
Brushes are perhaps one of the most powerful features of
Prototyper, when a brush is grabbed the section of the cut
track map under that brush is copied into that brushes personal
map. When the brush is pasted on the board this map enable the
the tracks underneath to be cut automatically for you. This
personal map will be saved with the brush if you chose to make
it part of your collection. The map will be flipped on ether
axis when the horizontal or vertical flip functions are used
with a brush. When a brush is lifted from the screen that
section of the main map will be reset. In short the map keep
record of all your cut and uncut tracks.
Load a Brush: Loads an Prototyper/Electro CAD brush from disk.
Save a Brush: Saves the current brush in use. Full version only.
Zoom Menu
=========
Zoom Editor II
==============
Prototyper includes a brand new powerful zoom editor . As always it is
easy to use, icon driven and was a pig to program.
Icon 1: Provides a selection of different sized pixle blocks for free hand
drawing. The X key provides an X axis lock and the Z does the Y
axis, so you don't necessarily need a steady hand. This function can
also be used to fill a shape in the current colour by holding down
the 'F' key as you click the mouse.
Icon 2: Lets you grab a brush in zoom mode. Functions the same as the menu
version.
Icons 3-4: Provide horizontal and vertical flip with brushes.
Icon 5: Elastic line drawing device.
Icon 6: Elastic box.
Icon 7: Elastic circle.
Icon 8: Elastic ellipse.
Icon 9: Changes the current drawing colour.
Icon 10: The vital Undo.
Icon 11: Restores screen to normal display mode.
Arrows: Scrolls other areas of the screen in to the zoom rectangle.
Now it so easy to define brushes inside Prototyper and Electro CAD is
getting this new function soon! Note Zoom Editor II is totally icon driven
and the menu can not be accessed.
Preferences Menu
================
Coordinates: Turns coordinates on/off.
Memory Check: Enables you to see the current memory available.
Matrix Snap: Turns the matrix snap on/off.
Auto Track Cut: Turns the automatic track cutting with brushes on/off.
Clean Up: This will add a slight perimeter to the area to be cleared when
the lift brush function is used with matrix snap on. This is to
can be used to clean up any tracks which are cut right on the edge
of the brush. Its probably a good idea for you to experiment with
this one.
Set Font: Set the font style to be used with the icon pen.
Set RGB: Sets the colours palette.
Open WorkBench: Opens and closes the work bench for multi tasking Prototyper
with other programs. To open the work bench Prototyper
checks to see if there's a suitable amount of memory to do
this. Other programs will tend to run a bit slow with
Prototyper because the multi tasking wait has not yet been
programmed in.
Exit System: Exits Prototyper to the workbench.
Save Prefs: Save all the above preferences to the disk so Prototyper can
boot up how you last set it!
About: Last but not least the all important credits.
Well that just about ties up the instruction I'm now going to add the
rest of the finishing touches. Before I do I would like to say thank you
for looking at the demo version and I look forward to reading your letters
and receiving your future orders.
Buy for now!
Derek Pell.
End of Document.