The World of Computer Software/The World of Computer Software.iso/edraft11.zip/EDRAFT.DOC

Text File | 1993-01-15 | 13KB | 420 lines

Documentation for EDRAFT  Version 1.1

Getting Started

Unzip files with PKUNZIP. There should be 72 files.
These include...
EDRAFT.EXE
EDRAFT.DOC
OBJL.DAT
DRAW.DAT
25object files
4 drawing files
39 character files

To install Edraft to floppy
1. Insert formatted disk into drive A or drive B
2. Type A: or Type B:
3. Type MD DRAFT
4. Copy All 71 files to A:\DRAFT or B:\DRAFT
                            or
5. PKUNZIP EDRAFT.ZIP A:\DRAFT

To install to hard disk
1. Type C:
2. Type MD DRAFT
3. Copy All 71 files to C:\DRAFT
                        or
4. PKUNZIP EDRAFT.ZIP C:\DRAFT

Running EDRAFT
Make sure that DRAFT is the default directory.
To do this...
Type CD DRAFT
Once you are in the DRAFT directory type EDRAFT
Make sure that CAPS LOCK is on.

Start up Screen
First you are given the choice of working in units of
1. FT./IN.
2. IN.
If the drawing that you will be working on is relatively
large scale (more than 36 in. across actual scale)
then I recommend that you use FT./IN.
After you have chosen working units you will be
asked to enter distance across screen. Choose
a distance based on the largest anticipated size
of the object to be drawn.

Drawing Screen
At the top of the drawing screen X and Y distances
are displayed. The second line of the screen displays
drawing status, the name of the item that is currently
being drawn.

Moving The Cursor
To move the cursor use arrow keys. Initially the cursor
moves in increments of one pixel. To change cursor
speed just type S followed by a number (1-9).
For example S9 moves the cursor 9 pixels at a time.
This is good for moving around the screen quickly,
but for optimum precision you will need to return
the cursor to the slowest speed S1.

Drawing a Line
To draw a line just move the cursor to the starting
point of the line and type M, then move the cursor
to the finishing point of line and type M again.
Note that when you first type M the words PEN ON
are displayed at the top of the screen and also
the X and Y distances are set to zero. After the
starting point of the line is MARKED the X and Y
distance values will change as the cursor is moved
around the screen.

EXERCISE 1
Draw a 4' Horizontal Line
 1.  Start the program
 2.  Set units to FT./IN.
 3.  Set scale to 10 FT.
 4.  Type S9
 5.  Move cursor to the lower left hand corner of the
      screen.
 6.  Type M
 7.  Press the right arrow key until X pos reads
      close to 4'
 8.  Type S1
 9.  Using the right and left arrow keys, move
      the cursor until X pos reads 4'
10. Type M

Measuring Distances
Although the X pos and Y pos indicators give
the distance from the last marked point, this
distance is only expressed in X and Y offsets.
This is adequate for measuring vertical and
horizontal distances. To measure the true
distance along a diagonal you must type D.
This will return the distance and angle from
the last marked point.

EXERCISE 2
Draw a 4' 45deg diagonal line
 1.  Type S9
 2.  Move cursor to the lower left hand corner of the
      screen.
 3.  Type M
 4.  Move the cursor towards the upper right hand
      corner of the screen until X and Y pos indicators
      read close to 3'
 5.  Type D
 6.  Adjust the cursor position and speed until
      you get the correct length and angle.
 7.  Type M

Panning Around The Drawing
Once you have drawn some lines on the screen
you might want to pan around the drawing.To do
this type P and then press one of the arrow keys.
Example...
P followed by the up arrow pans up the drawing.

Zooming
To zoom in or out on part of the drawing press
+ or -

Options List
The following commands listed in this document
can only be accessed through the options list.
To access the options list type O. Options are
displayed in the upper right hand corner of the
screen. Use the up/down arrow keys to scroll
through the options list. Once the desired
option is displayed, press ENTER.

Change Color
This option is used to select the current line
color. 1-15 solid lines of various colors.16-30
dotted lines of various colors. Use the
up/down arrow keys to scroll through the
various colors. Once the desired color is
displayed, press ENTER.

Circle Functions
1. Full Circles Referenced From The Center
Choosing this option allows you to draw
full round circles. First the cursor is moved
to the center. Once M is pressed then the
cursor is moved to any point which is to
end up on the outer circumference, then M
is pressed again.

2. Partial Circles Referenced From The Center
Choosing this function allows you to draw
partial circles. First the cursor is moved
to the center. Once M is pressed then the
cursor is moved to the starting point which
is to end up on the circumference,then M
is pressed again. Then the cursor is moved
to the ending point on the circumference
and M is pressed again. Keep in mind that
circles are drawn counter clockwise, so to
draw a 1/4 circle between 9:00 and 12:00
the starting point on the circumference
should be at 12:00

3. Mark Circle Centers (toggle)
This function is used to display all circle
centers. Useful for centering one circle
inside of another, or placing spokes inside
of a wheel.

Disk Functions
1. Load Drawing From Disk.
Choosing this option will cause a list of
drawings that have previously been saved
to be displayed on the screen. Just
choose the desired drawing and it will be
loaded into memory and ready to work with.

2. Save Drawing To Disk
Choosing this option will cause the current
drawing to be saved to disk. If the current
drawing does not have a name you will be
asked to give the drawing a name. If the
name of the drawing matches the name
of another drawing then the current
drawing will overwrite the other drawing
with the same name.You can make
multiple copies of a drawing by saving
the drawing under a new name.

3. Load Object From Disk.
Choosing this option will cause a list of
objects that have previously been saved
to be displayed on the screen. Just
choose the desired object and it will be
loaded into memory and ready to work
with.
(See Object Functions)

4. Save Object To Disk
Choosing this option you will be able to
select an object from the list of objects
that part of the current current drawing
to be saved to disk.This way objects
created in one drawing can be used in
another drawing.
(See Object Functions)
Note...
This option is not available
in the Freeware version
of this program.

No Paint Toggle
This option toggles between painting and
not painting.When paint toggle is off
painted items will be displayed as
unpainted items.

Objects
When working with Edraft you are either
drawing to the Main Drawing or you are
drawing to an object. This status is
indicated on the second line from the top
of the screen, left hand side. If you were
editing a drawing called DECK1 and you
were editing the main drawing the drawing
status line would display...
DECK1 / MAIN DRAWING
If you were editing an object  called CHAIR
in the drawing DECK1 the drawing status
line would display...
DECK1 / CHAIR
What are objects ?
Objects are part of a drawing. Yet objects
are also independent of the main drawing.
Objects can be...
Moved
Rotated
hidden
displayed
copied
removed
without affecting the main drawing.
When objects are loaded from the object
list into a drawing, the object is set to the
scale of the main drawing.

Object functions
1. Start Object
Choose this function when you want to
start creating an object. You will be
prompted to give the object a name.
Object names should be precise.
Example
5/16 x 4in. Lag Bolt
is better than
Lag Bolt
Once you have supplied the object name
everything you draw from this point on
will be part of this object. When you have
finished drawing the object you can either
start a new object by choosing object
function 1 again or you can choose object
function 2. Stop editing current object.

2. Stop Editing Current Object
Choose this function when you have
finished drawing an object and you want to
return to drawing to the main drawing.

3. Move Object
Choose this function when you want to
re-locate an object. You will be asked to
choose the object from a list of objects
that are already part of the drawing. Once
you have chosen the object from the list
the drawing will be displayed with the
chosen object MARKED. Now move the
cursor to the spot where you want the
object MARK to be located and press M.

4. Rotate Object
Choose this function when you want to
rotate an object. You will be asked to
choose the object from a list of objects
that are already part of the drawing. Once
you have chosen the object from the list
You will be asked to enter the rotation
in degrees
Example...
-90 will rotate an object 1/4 turn
counter clockwise

5. Hide Object
Choose this function when you want to
hide an object. You will be asked to
choose the object from a list of objects
that are already part of the drawing. Once
you have chosen the object from the list
the object will not be displayed in the
drawing, but will remain a part of the
drawing.

6. Re-display Object
Choose this function when you want to
display a previously hidden  object. You
will be asked to choose the object from a
list of objects that are already part of the
drawing. Once you have chosen the
object from the list, the object will be
displayed in the drawing.

7. Copy Object
Choose this function when an object
appears in a drawing more than once.
You will be asked to choose the object
from a list of objects that are already part
of the drawing. Once you have chosen
the object from the list the drawing will be
displayed with the chosen object MARKED.
Now move the cursor to the spot where you
want the duplicate object MARK to be
located and press M.

8. Remove Object
This function is similar to the Hide Object
function except that objects that are
removed are no longer a part of the current
drawing, unless they are re-loaded into
the drawing from disk.

Paint Function
Use this function to fill in an area with
solid color. You will be asked to choose
the color 1-15. Then move the cursor to
the middle of the area to be painted and
press M.
Note...
Be sure that the area to be painted is
completely surrounded with solid lines
all of the same color, or else paint will
be spilled into the rest of the drawing.

Parallel Lines
Choosing this option causes the program
two draw 2 parallel lines between marked
points instead of 1 line between marked
points. You select the distance between
the parallel lines.
Note...
See the drawing Demo 4 for examples
of parallel lines.

Quit
Use this option to return to DOS

Rotate
Use this option to rotate the entire drawing
in increments of 90 deg. Use the up/down
arrows to select rotation and then press
ENTER.

Text
Use this option to add Text to a drawing
First select the height of  the text in inches.
Then select rotation angle of the text
0 degrees is normal right to left across the
screen (even if the drawing is rotated)
-90 degrees is bottom to top
90 degrees is top to bottom
and so on...
After you select the text angle, just
start typing the text in. When you have
finished entering text press ENTER.
Note...
Keep in mind that text will be located
starting at last point to be marked so it
is a good idea to mark the location where
you want the text to begin before choosing
the text option.

Erase
Use this option to Erase previously drawn
sections of the drawing. After selecting this
option you then move the cursor to one
corner of the area to be erased. Then press
M. You will then be asked to move the
cursor to the opposite corner of the area to
be erased and press M. As you move the
cursor, a box will be drawn between the
previously marked spot and the current
cursor location. Once the box completly
surrounds the section that you want erased
press M. All lines that are completly inside
the box will be removed from the drawing.
Note...
Objects or parts of objects cannot be erased.


If you have any questions or comments
send E mail to Scott Andrews 71450,216
or write to
Scott Andrews
3987 Peachwood Dr
Pomona Ca 91766

You may copy and distribute the Freeware
version of this program.


To obtain the registered version of this
program with all functions intact, send $20.
to ...
Scott Andrews
3987 Peachwood Dr
Pomona Ca 91766

Be sure to specify  3 1/2 or  5 1/4 disk.