home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Tech Arsenal 1
/
Tech Arsenal (Arsenal Computer).ISO
/
tek-19
/
r12_386.c2
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-05-10
|
53KB
|
1,369 lines
=============================================================
README.DOC - AutoCAD Release 12 c2 for AutoCAD 386
=============================================================
General Information
March 9, 1993
======================================================================
CONTENTS
========
What's New in Release 12 c2
Platform-Independent Information - General Notes
Platform-Specific Information - AutoCAD 386
R12 Questions and Answers
Manual Corrections and Additions
AutoCAD Reference Manual
AutoCAD Customization Manual
AutoLISP Programmer's Reference
AutoCAD Development System Programmer's Reference
AutoCAD Extras Manual
Bonus CD-ROM Information
======================================================================
See the following documents for more README information:
README.DRV Contains additional information on ADI 4.2 device drivers.
README.ADS Describes the text files that explain how to compile,
link, and debug AutoCAD Development System (ADS)
Applications, and tells where to find them.
README.AME Contains additional information on the AutoCAD Advanced
Modeling Extension Release 2.1 (AME R2.1).
README.ASE Contains additional information on the AutoCAD SQL
Extension (ASE).
README.AVE Contains additional information on AutoCAD Render.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT'S NEW IN RELEASE 12 C2
===========================
Q1: What's New?
AutoCAD's Plotter drivers can now be configured for a logical network
device -- or "captured port" (like LPT1) -- instead of a physical device.
During configuration, the port device names LPT1:, LPT2:, and
LPT3: are listed along with the port addresses in hexadecimal
of the actual available physical ports. If you choose a device
name that is "captured" for network printing, AutoCAD will
honor the network redirection. If you choose a port address,
AutoCAD will always send output to the selected physical port.
You can also send plotter output to a port by plotting to file
and entering a device name. Legitimate device names are PRN:,
LPT1:, LPT2:, LPT3:, COM1:, COM2:, COM3:, COM4:, CON:, and
AUX:. These device names can be entered in upper or lower
case, with or without the trailing colon.
If you are using dialog boxes, these device names can be
selected in the Create Plot File dialog box under
"Directories". If you are using Microsoft Lan Manager, device
names of network redirected ports do not appear in the dialog
box.
Network support has been improved by sending plots to multiple spool
queues for different plotters on the same network.
Updated documentation for these new plotting facilities can be
found in the Platform Specific section of this readme.
International versions that have a hardware lock now provide for
server authorization (for Novell networks only). This allows customers
running AutoCAD 386 Release 12 with hardware locks to have a "floating"
license for concurrent usage. The minimum number of nodes for the network
has been set to five. (Note -- This requires a special hardware lock. Please
consult the AutoCAD Novell Server Lock Documentation)
SQL drivers for INFORMIX 4.1 and ORACLE 6.0 have been added. These
were previously available in the SUN version of AutoCAD only.
Q2: What problems have been corrected?
The c2 update eliminates problems encountered during simultaneous
access of the ACAD.PWD file by contending nodes on network installations.
The R12LAN patch has been included, which corrects file access
problems found with combinations of MS-DOS 5.0 and many popular networks.
The IRQ7 patch has been included, which avoids Phar Lap errors 10025 and
10026 on some "clone" 486 computers.
AutoCAD 386 Release 12 can now run under OS/2 2.0.
Note: this requires an OS/2 Service Pack update from IBM. For further
infomation, please call IBM HelpWare at 800-722-2227. Note -- OS/2 2.0
is not a supported environment, however our customers seem to be happy
running AutoCAD 386 in an OS/2 2.0 DOS box.
The c2 update corrects a problem with the programs in ACADAPP,
including DDCHPROP and DDMODIFY, which previously caused AutoCAD to reject
the functions and report error messages during the QSAVE and END commands.
The plot dialogue now converts fractional scales to full decimal
accuracy.
AutoCAD can now be fully configured through a script. A
configuration script will no longer prompt "Press Return for more."
Entities in external reference files, especially filled regions, now
do not plot when the layer is frozen.
The integrity of linetypes is maintained in Paper Space viewports,
regardless of the LTSCALE setting and ZOOM factor.
The Advanced Modeling Extension, AME 2.1, has been updated to
improve the accuracy of mass properties and moments of inertia, to remove
dead regions when using SOLIDIFY, and to explode blocks correctly with
WBLKSOL.LSP.
DIGITIZER Driver Updates
The c2 release includes earlier c1 updates which improve the
performance of all drivers, offer smooth crosshair movement in very large
drawings, and allow access to older Hitachi models.
Numonics: The driver solves intermittent problems with the pick button.
Summagraphics: The driver eliminates jumpy crosshairs on the
SummaSketch II with a 16 - button puck.
PLOTTER Driver Updates
The c2 release includes earlier c1 updates which improve the speed of
all plotter and printer drivers. The DEFPOINTS layer is no longer plotted.
Houston Instruments: Pen changes are handled properly, and entity
colors are plotted correctly.
CalComp: Corrects improper pen changes, which were causing
multicolored text and lines. Fixes problems with
solid fill regions and omissions of polylines.
Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2: Pen changes are handled properly. Fixes
problems with solid fill regions and omissions of polylines.
PostScript: Pen assigments are handled properly. Fixes problems
with solid fill regions and omissions of polylines.
Raster File Formats: Configuration for only one pen is now allowed.
Also allows multiple pen widths, and pen width definition
is written to the output file. The driver now supports
16-million color output or 256 shades of gray-scale
(for .EPS files).
HP LaserJet: Fills solid regions properly (rather than like a
hatch pattern) when plotting at 300 dots per inch.
Q3: What documentation has been updated for this release?
A Network Hardware Lock Notice; included in all International
networked copies of AutoCAD.
The printed manuals have not been updated for this release; only the
readme files have changes. See readme.doc, readme.ads, readme.drv,
readme.ame, and readme.ave for the latest information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL NOTES
=============
- Backwards Incompatibility -- PostScript Fonts
PostScript fonts shipping with Release 12 C2 are not compatible
with the original Release 12 version of AutoCAD. Do not use the
fonts supplied in this C2 version with your original Release 12
product as these fonts will cause AutoCAD to abort.
- Using Custom Menus
Many Release 12 features are implemented as external ADS and AutoLISP
applications. These applications are made available to you by the
loading of the file acadr12.lsp. This file is automatically loaded when
the standard menu that is installed with Release 12 (acad.mnu) is
loaded. If acad12.lsp is not loaded, many features, such as the region
modeler, AVE Render, and various dialogues, will not be available.
If you are using an older menu, or any menu other than the one
installed with AutoCAD Release 12, you must make sure that acadr12.lsp
is loaded. To load acadr12.lsp, insert the following line in the
menu's .mnl file, if it exists, or in acad.lsp:
(load "acadr12")
- Entity Sorting/Drawing Order
The SORTENTS system variable determines whether or not entities are
processed in database order by various AutoCAD operations. By default,
this is set to 96 (entity sorting for plotting and PostScript output
only). If it is important for the display and selection of entities to
have a predictable order, you can change the setting of SORTENTS as
desired. However, specifying sorting for additional types of AutoCAD
operations can significantly affect AutoCAD's performance in large
drawings (especially the time required for a REGEN, if bit value 16 is
set in SORTENTS). See "Entity Sort Method..." on page 29 in the AutoCAD
Reference Manual.
- AutoCAD Release 12 Memory Use
In Release 12, AutoCAD makes more aggressive use of memory than ever
before. Various commands such as Hide, Regen, and Render use memory
intensively and in return either run faster or offer extended
capabilities. Because of these changes, optimizing memory use and the
location of temporary and paging files is increasingly important.
See "AutoCAD 386 Memory Use" in the AutoCAD Interface, Installation,
and Performance Guide for details. In addition, see the corrections
and addenda related to TREEMAX, ACADPAGEDIR, ACADMAXPAGE, and the
placement of temporary files noted below in this document.
- AVE Render and New Drawings
You cannot create a completely empty new drawing if AVE Render is
loaded. If you want to load a complete DXF or IGES file when AVE Render
is loaded, you must first unload AVE Render. To do so, select Unload
Render from the Render pull-down or use the following command line
syntax:
Command: (xunload "averendr")
Then use the NEW command to obtain a new drawing. (Note: If your configured
prototype drawing is not an empty one, you'll also need to select the "No
Prototype" toggle in the New Drawing dialogue box.)
- Automatic Timed Save Feature
The new Automatic Timed Save feature has replaced the Spacer File
mechanism previously used by AutoCAD to reserve hard disk space for the
drawing currently being edited. This feature, common to most programs,
saves your drawing file on a regular, user-defined, interval. See
"Automatic Timed Save" on page 79 in the AutoCAD Reference Manual.
- Moving the AutoCAD Program Files
If you move your AutoCAD program files to a different directory after
initial configuration, you will need to reconfigure AutoCAD. This is
because the entire path to the drivers is saved in the acad.cfg file.
- Quitting a Drawing from a Script
Scripts do not call the Drawing Modification dialogue box that appears
when you issue QUIT, NEW, or OPEN from a drawing with unsaved changes. A
script that uses QUIT, NEW, or OPEN should follow these commands with Y
(discard all changes) or N (don't discard changes) -- not with S (Save
Changes) or D (Discard Changes).
- Release 11 Compatibility with Release 12
Users of Release 11 and Release 12 can freely exchange drawing files,
without any required file conversion. However some support files, such as
the R12 acad.mnu file and many AutoLISP/ADS programs, are not downwardly
compatible with R11. If you plan to intermix or exchange R11 and R12
drawings, we recommend that you keep your R11 support files accessible.
The \r11supp directory contains a self-extracting compressed file
containing many of the R11 support files. When this file is executed (make
the \r11supp directory current and enter `r11supp' at the DOS prompt), it
"expands" into 36 files totaling approximately 730K bytes in size.
- TABLET Command Compatibility
Due to changes in the TABLET Cfg and TABLET Cal commands, scripts, menu
items, the AutoLISP (command) function, and the ADS ads_command() function
may now supply input at the "Digitize point:" prompts of these commands.
Where previously AutoCAD waited for the user to digitize a point at these
prompts, now it is necessary to supply explicit pauses to make it do so.
Since scripts have no mechanism for pausing, these commands should not be
used in a script.
See the section entitled "TABLET command", starting on page 94 of the
AutoCAD Reference Manual, for a complete description of the new tablet
calibration options. Also see the AutoLISP Programmer's Reference and
the ADS Programmer's Reference for information on the (tablet) and
ads_tablet() functions.
- UNNAMED drawings
Prior to Release 12 it was impossible to start a drawing without
naming it. With Release 12, when you start AutoCAD without
providing a drawing name, you are editing a drawing named "UNNAMED"
until you specifically name it with SAVE, SAVEAS, or other commands that
require a name for the drawing. If you plot this drawing to
a file before naming it and don't supply an explicit name for the plot
file, it will be named unnamed.plt. Also, in the unlikely event that
you crash, AutoCAD gives you the option to save the drawing. If this
drawing has not yet been named, AutoCAD saves it as unnamed.dwg.
- Using Files from a Read-Only Directory
By default, AutoCAD creates temporary paging files in the same
directory as the current drawing. If you have not changed the default
configuration and you attempt to open a drawing in a read-only
directory you will get the following message:
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| AutoCAD Alert |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| To access files in a read-only directory, you must configure |
| a temporary file location other than DRAWING |
| |
| [ OK ] |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
Examples of read-only media include write-protected floppy disks,
read-only network directories, and CD-ROMs. To open a drawing in a
read-only directory (or drive), you will need to specify the name of a
writable directory where AutoCAD can create temporary paging files.
Option 5 of the Configure Operating Parameters submenu of the Main
Configuration menu lets you do this. See your AutoCAD Interface,
Installation, and Performance Guide (and later sections of this README)
for more information on temporary paging files.
- Programming with the Get File Dialogue
The AutoCAD Development System Programmer's Reference manual (p 156)
states "The string in the result argument, result->resval.rsting, must
point to a memory area large enough to store a pathname string." This
is erroneous.
The ads_getfiled() function does not always return a pathname. If the
user dismisses the dialogue by pressing the "Type It" button, the
dialogue returns an integer value equal to 1. For this reason it is
necessary for the ADS library to allocate the memory needed to store
the pathname if a pathname is returned. If the caller attempts to
allocate a memory buffer for this purpose, the pointer passed into
ads_getfiled will be ignored and the buffer may become inaccessible to
the caller.
According to the AutoCAD Development Systems Manual, and the AutoLISP
Programmers Reference Manual, if the flags bit 1 is set (Value = 2),
the 'Type it' button will be disabled. This implies that the
programmer would not need to test for the return values caused by the
user pressing this button.
However, if the NULL display driver is configured, ads_getfiled() and
(getfiled) always returns these values - no matter what the flags
setting is. Therefore , the programmer must test for these values, even
if flags is set to 2.
- Executing Lisp Functions with the same name as an icon menu
This can cause the screen menu area to be overwriten. Our recommendation
for people developing custom icon menus is to prefix the icon
menu name with "ICON_" to avoid any conflicts with Autolisp functions.
- AutoCAD Color Dialog
AutoLISP: (acad_colordlg colornum [flag [layer_colornum]])
If the optional "flag" argument is supplied and is non-nil, the layer
color may also be supplied as the third argument.
Examples: (acad_colordlg 1) ; default color is 1; BYLAYER and
BYBLOCK okay
(acad_colordlg 2 T) ; default color is 2; BYLAYER and
BYBLOCK okay
(acad_colordlg 3 nil) ; default color is 3; BYLAYER and
BYBLOCK not allowed
(acad_colordlg 4 T 5) ; default color is 4; BYLAYER and
BYBLOCK okay, layer's color is 5
ADS: acad_colordlg colornum [flag [layer_colornum]])
If the optional "flag" argument is supplied and is not RTNIL, the layer
color may also be supplied as the third argument.
Example: struct resbuf *rb, rslt;
rb = ads_buildlist(RTSTR, "acad_colordlg",
RTSHORT, 4, ; arg1 - default color
RTT, ; arg2 - BYLAYER/BYBLOCK okay
RTSHORT, 5, ; arg3 - layer color
RTNONE);
ads_invoke(arglist, rslt);
PLATFORM-SPECIFIC INFORMATION - 386
========================================================
Dos Extender Version
====================
The version of the Phar Lap Dos Extender in R12 C2 is "4.1_ACAD2." This
includes the AutoCAD patches necessary to run in an OS/2 2.0 Dos Box.
You will still need to install the OS/2 2.0 Service Pack or OS/2 2.1
in order to get the necessary changes for OS/2 2.0 itself.
Font Mapping
============
In Release 12 C2, the PostScript fonts eur_____.pfb and euro____.pfb
now map to the DOS 850 code page. Prior to this release, these two
fonts mapped to the ISO 8859-1 code page. As a result of this change,
8-bit characters entered using these two fonts may map differently in
Release 12 C2.
Novell Issues(International Version)
=============
If you are running the International Version of AutoCAD 386 with the
Novell floating license server and have a printer attached to the
Rainbow lock on server, we recommend using Novell "pserver.nlm" version
1.27 or higher.
If you are printing through the Network Lock attached to a Novell
Server, do not use the Novell feature "AUTOENDCAP."
Lantastic Issues
================
In order to share a common copy of "acad.exe" on a lantastic
server, you need:
* Appropriate number of AutoCAD licenses.
* You must not install "share" on the server.
ADS_DRAGGEN
============
The ads_draggen function in R12 C0 and R12 C1 of AutoCAD didn't
provide the sample point or the final selection point in the same
coordinate system as other ADS functions returning points. This
functions now provides both sample and final selection points in User
Coordinates. Applications written for a previous R12 release may
behave differently when run with this release.
The ADS sample program, dragger.c has not been updated to reflect this
change. The global ads_point variable 'Base' and the ads_point 'pt',
in the dragsampler function, must be transformed from User Coordinates
to World Coordinates before they are used.
New Capabilities for the ACADPLCMD Environment Variable
--- ------------ --- --- --------- ----------- --------
The ACADPLCMD environment variable specifies a command that is executed
whenever AutoCAD completes a plot to the special file name AUTOSPOOL. For
example, you can use ACADPLCMD to initiate plotting, queue the plot file to
a plot spooler, or notify a system operator that a plot file has been
generated and is ready to plot.
AutoCAD expands special percent characters in the string specified by the
ACADPLCMD environment variable before executing the command. The expansion
of special percent characters in the ACADPLCMD environment variable has
been enhanced by
- adding new percent characters
- allowing multiple occurrences of percent characters
- allowing capitalized percent characters
These enhancements to ACADPLCMD make it easier for you to spool and print
over networks to multiple plotters. The percent characters %s and %% have
not changed from the previous release of AutoCAD.
See the "AutoCAD Interface, Installation, and Performance Guide" for
instructions on using the ACADPLCMD environment variable.
NOTE: On DOS systems, the command line length limit is approximately 125
characters. You might exceed the limit if you combine several special
percent characters in an ACADPLCMD string.
These are the percent characters that AutoCAD expands when you use
ACADPLCMD:
%c or %C
This is replaced with the plotter description. The description is the user-
specified description of the plotter entered during plotter configuration.
For the current plotter, the plotter description is in the AutoCAD system
variable PLOTID. When AutoCAD expands %C, it replaces all sequences of one
or more non-alphanumeric characters (language dependent characters) with a
single underscore. If the plotter doesn't have a description (PLOTID is
""), AutoCAD removes the %C before expanding the percent characters in the
ACADPLCMD value. For example, if ACADPLCMD is "%L %C %D" and the current
plotter doesn't have a description, AutoCAD removes the %C and expands only
the %L and the %D.
If your company has several of the same model plotters with different
configurations (for example, different pen setups), you can use the plotter
description to specify which plotter to use.
Users can change the plotter description during the AutoCAD plotter
configuration. Users cannot change the plotter model (%M) or plotter name
(%N).
%d or %D
Specifies AutoCAD drawing name including the full path and extension. The
drawing name without the extension is in the AutoCAD system variable
DWGNAME, and the path is in DWGPREFIX.
This can be up to 65 characters under DOS. You might exceed the maximum
command line length when using this percent character with others under
DOS.
%e or %E
Specifies the equal sign (=). The DOS SET command does not let you use an
equal sign in the value of an environment variable. With %E, you can
execute a command that contains an equal sign under DOS.
%h or %H
Returns the height of the plot area in the selected plotting units. For
example, if the AutoCAD plot area is 203.20mm high and 266.70mm wide,
AutoCAD replaces %H with 203.2000. The height is specified to four decimal
places.
The paper height and width (%W) can be useful for sorting plot files into
queues of plots on a single paper size.
%i or %I
This becomes the first letter of the plot units. The letter is "I" if you
select inches as the plot units; it is "M" if you select metric.
NOTE: The letters are NOT translated for foreign language versions of
AutoCAD.
%l or %L
This is replaced with the AutoCAD login name. The login name is in the
AutoCAD system variable LOGINNAME.
When AutoCAD expands %L, it replaces all sequences of one or more non-
alphanumeric characters (language dependent characters) with a single
underscore.
%m or %M
This returns the AutoCAD plotter model. The model name is the name AutoCAD
lists during configuration. When AutoCAD expands %M, it replaces all
sequences of one or more non-alphanumeric characters (language dependent
characters) with a single underscore. For example, if you use the model
"HP LaserJet II w/ 1.5 Mbytes," AutoCAD replaces %M with this string:
HP_LaserJet_II_w_1_5_Mbytes
Depending on the number and type of plotters you have, you can use this
percent character to specify which plotter should receive a plot file. You
can also use the plotter description (%C) or the plotter name (%N).
%n or %N
This becomes the plotter name. The plotter name is the name AutoCAD uses to
identify the manufacturer and type of plotter. When AutoCAD expands %N, it
replaces all sequences of one or more non-alphanumeric characters (language
dependent characters) with a single underscore. For example, if you use the
plotter named "Hewlett-Packard (PCL) LaserJet ADI 4.2 - by Autodesk,"
AutoCAD replaces the %N with this string:
Hewlett_Packard_PCL_LaserJet_ADI_4_2_by_Autodesk
If you only have a few plotters from different manufacturers, you can use
this percent character to specify which plotter should receive a plot file.
Some device drivers support only a single plotter, and others support
several models. You can also use the plotter description (%C) or the
plotter model (%M).
%p or %P
This is replaced with the plotter number. During configuration, AutoCAD
assigns a number to a configured plotter and lists the plotters in this
order. The value of %P is the number assigned during configuration.
The value of %P is one greater than the AutoCAD system variable PLOTTER.
See the "AutoCAD Reference Manual" for more information on PLOTTER.
AutoCAD does not permanently assign a number to a configured plotter. If
you have multiple plotters configured and you delete one, AutoCAD assigns
new numbers to the remaining plotters. Use this percent character with
caution.
%s or %S
Specifies the plot spool file name including path and extension.
%u or %U
This is the user name entered when you first install and personalize
AutoCAD. The name is displayed during AutoCAD startup.
If your company places a department name and/or mail-stop within the user
name, you can use %U for delivery of the finished plot within the company.
When AutoCAD expands %U, it replaces all sequences of one or more non-
alphanumeric characters (language dependent characters) with a single
underscore.
%w or %W
Returns the width of the plotted area in the selected units. For example,
if the AutoCAD plot area is 203.20mm high and 266.70mm wide, AutoCAD
replaces %W with 266.7000. The width is specified to four decimal places.
The paper height (%H) and width can be useful for sorting plot files into
queues of plots on a single paper size.
%%
Specifies the percent sign "%".
Notes on Percent Character Expansion
------------------------------------
For any percent character, you can use the uppercase or the lowercase
letter. AutoCAD treats either percent character in the same manner.
All leading and trailing spaces or tabs are removed for all % character
expansions.
For the %C, %L, %M, %N, and %U characters, AutoCAD replaces all sequences
of one or more non-alphanumeric characters (language dependent characters)
with a single underscore.
Example
-------
You can use ACADPLCMD to start a plot routine that uses several parameters.
If you enter this SET command at the DOS system prompt and set up AutoCAD
to use ACADPLCMD, AutoCAD starts the batch file plot.bat with the login
name, user name, drawing name, plotter model, and spool file name:
D:\> SET ACADPLCMD=plot.bat %l %u %d %m sp%e%s
When a user plots a file, AutoCAD creates a spool file and issues a DOS
command like this (converting the %e to an equals sign):
plot.bat B_Smith Plot_Rm d:\dwgs\r1.dwg HP_LaserJet sp=d:\v1234567.ac$
You can enter this in an autoexec.bat file to set ACADPLCMD during startup:
SET ACADPLCMD=plot.bat %%l %%u %%d %%m sp%%e%%s
You need two percent signs for the percent characters when you set
ACADPLCMD from a DOS batch file.
- Why don't the Dialogue Box Sliders Work with my Digitizer?
Dialogue box sliders require device drivers written to the newest ADI 4.2
specification. Contact the maker of your tablet or original supplier of
the ADI driver for a newer driver.
If you cannot obtain a working ADI 4.2 driver for your digitizer, it
is possible to use AutoCAD R12 with the old driver by setting the
IGNORE_DRAGG environment variable. See the Interface, Installation, and
Performance Guide for more information.
- Using Old ADI Drivers
All drivers must obey a specific naming convention for R12 to find them.
Digitizer drivers start with DG, Plotter drivers start with PL, Display
drivers start with DS, and combined Rendering and Display drivers start
with RC. R11 protected-mode drivers must be renamed for AutoCAD to
locate them. Note: You may have to use the -priv switch on cfig386 in
order to use pre-4.1 protected mode drivers. For more information, see
the Interface, Installation and Performance Guide.
- Upgrade Installation Information
When upgrading from an earlier release of AutoCAD, we recommend that
you install Release 12 in a separate directory, rather than installing
on top of the existing software. This is particularly important if you
are using the Release 11 AutoCAD Extension for Windows or any
third-party applications.
If you install on top of an older version, various support files required
for use with R11 AEW will be overwritten. The support files needed by
R11 AEW are installed as part of Release 12. They are stored in a
self-extracting compressed file in the \r11supp directory called
r11supp.exe.
See the 386 Interface, Installation, and Performance Guide for further
details.
- AVE Render and Color Mapping
Display colors with a value of 16 or greater reference the standard
AutoCAD color map, which, on most displays, is overridden by certain
rendering operations. If you have assigned these higher-numbered colors
to your dialogue boxes (with DLGCOLOR), you can avoid potential display
conflicts by invoking the dialogue from a NON-RENDERED viewport.
- DLGCOLOR Command
As supplied, AutoCAD's dialogue boxes use very few colors (this is to
ensure proper visibility on all types of displays). You can use the
DLGCOLOR command to liven up the colors of these dialogues considerably
and to give their buttons a 3D appearance.
You can use DLGCOLOR to create your own color combinations or to choose
one of several color schemes provided as .DCC (dialogue color
configuration) support files. To select one of the supplied color
schemes, pick "Read file" from the DLGCOLOR dialogue box, and then select
one of the .DCC files from your SUPPORT directory. To see what a color
combination looks like on your display, pick "Show..." to display a
sample dialogue box that uses the color scheme you selected. If you like
what you see, dismiss the sample dialogue box and pick "OK" in the main
DLGCOLOR dialogue box. The color scheme you choose is saved in acad.cfg.
- Configuring the DOS-Extender Switches for a Networked Environment
In a networked environment, customers frequently prefer to load a single
copy of the executable on a file server after purchasing multiple licenses.
AutoCAD provides several configuration options to ensure smooth operation
in this case. Specifying a network node name, redirecting temporary files
to local drives, and setting the ACAD and ACADCFG variables to specific
pathnames can help.
With AutoCAD 386, you may need to account for the DOS-extender settings as
well. For example, concurrent users may need to redirect their swap files
to local drives. This requires setting the -swapdir parameter. However,
this option can be configured only once in the AutoCAD 386 executable.
There is a way around this limitation, since the DOS-extender kernel
present in AutoCAD 386 allows the specification of "run-time" environment
variables. The technique:
Configure the AutoCAD 386 executable for a run-time environment
string by typing:
cfig386 acad.exe %ACAD386
If you are specifying multiple DOS-Extender switches using cfig386,
then %ACAD386 must be specified last, e.g.:
cfig386 acad.exe -nopgexp [...] -vscan 20000 %ACAD386
Then, prior to running AutoCAD 386, set the environment variable
ACAD386 to a string defining the DOS-Extender settings, either by
typing the following in at a DOS prompt or by using a batch file:
SET ACAD386= -swapdir d:\swapf
Using the above commands, one could configure the acad.exe file residing
on the file server for a run-time %ACAD386 variable, and have a unique
batch file on individual workstations that specifies a value for the
ACAD386 environment variable. Note that you must configure the AutoCAD
386 executable first for this to work.
- Limitations on the use of the MULTIPLE command
If you use the MULTIPLE command in conjunction with any dialogue box
command, you will need to issue multiple Ctrl-C's quickly to end the
command repetition.
R12 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
=========================
Q. I have script files to do my plotting, but these no longer work. Why?
A. Some of the major enhancements to AutoCAD R12 are in the PLOT command.
Unfortunately, old plotting scripts will no longer work because the
command has been so completely altered. To force AutoCAD to follow
pre-R12 formats, set the system variable CMDDIA to 0.
Command: cmddia 0
In R12, AutoLISP now remains active during the PLOT command; new
AutoLISP functions can be written to do an even better job of plotting
than pre-R12 scripts. Here is an example of an R12 PLOT command
written in AutoLISP:
Command: (command "plot" "e" "n" "filename" "")
Q. AutoCAD doesn't locate any of my drivers during configuration.
What's wrong?
A. The environment variable ACADDRV is not set to the directory
containing the AutoCAD drivers. By default, the drivers are placed in
the \drv directory. See your AutoCAD Interface, Installation, and
Performance Guide for more information.
Q. When I use the menu I frequently get the error message: "Unknown
command. Type ? for list of commands." What's wrong?
A. AutoCAD is unable to locate the menu lisp file. The menu file for R12
has been broken into two parts, the standard menu file, acad.mnu, and
the AutoLISP menu file, acad.mnl. These files must be located in the
same directory and have like names. See page 112 of the AutoCAD
Customization Manual for more information on .mnl files.
Q. What is base.dcl? Why does AutoCAD report that it cannot be found?
A. AutoCAD R12 has customizable dialogue boxes. The definitions for
these are stored in .dcl files. The file base.dcl contains basic
dialogue definitions used in the layout for AutoCAD's internal
dialogue boxes, as well as items useful to application developers. If
AutoCAD cannot find base.dcl it usually means that the AutoCAD
\support directory has not been added to the ACAD environment
variable.
Q. Occasionally when I enter AutoCAD, I receive an error message
reporting that the digitizer is not responding or Analog
Circuitry Failure. In the past, a PLOT command followed by
a Control-C would restart the tablet.
A. R12 has a new command called REINIT which will reinitialize the
digitizer, the plotter, the display, or the .pgp file.
NOTE: You can also use the RE-INIT System Variable, see the AutoCAD
Reference Manual for more information.
Q. I installed AutoCAD R12 but now I have to reconfigure whenever I go
from R11 to R12 or vice-versa.
A. If you have two versions of AutoCAD installed on the same computer,
you must specify a different location for the acad.cfg by using the
ACADCFG environment variable.
Q. How do I reconfigure AutoCAD now that there is no main menu?
A. To configure AutoCAD R12, you can either: specify the -R command line
option to the ACAD executable (ACAD -R), type CONFIG at AutoCAD's
command prompt, or select Configure from the File pull-down menu.
Q. Where can I get more PostScript fonts?
A. AutoCAD uses any Type 1 PostScript Fonts. They are sold by a variety
of vendors and are available at local computer stores. See chapter 10
of the Customization Manual for additional information.
Q. Can I distribute an .shx file which I have compiled from a font
supplier's .pfb file?
A. No. The font supplier's copyright prohibits distribution of any files
derived from their .pfb files.
Q. Why don't I get PostScript fonts when I plot with PSOUT?
A. The acad.psf file contains the logical mapping between the AutoCAD
font name and the PostScript font name. This font mapping references
the .shx or .pfb file name and not the AutoCAD style name. For more
information refer to the text included in the acad.psf file and
chapter 10 of the AutoCAD Customization Manual.
Q. Where is the PRPLOT Command?
A. The PRPLOT command is now part of the PLOT command. Printers and
printer plotters are handled just like plotters, and can be configured
by the Configure plotters option of the CONFIG command. All plotter
and printer plotter drivers are discussed in appendix C of your
AutoCAD Interface, Installation, and Performance Guide.
MANUAL CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS
================================
AutoCAD Reference Manual
------------------------
Chapter 6
- "PEDIT Command--Polyline/Mesh Editing", page 243. The following should
be added to the discussion of the Join option of PEDIT:
Note: Using the Join option on a curve-fit Polyline removes the curve
fitting.
Chapter 13
- "Freeplotting--Using AutoCAD to Plot", page 545. The following should be
added to the description of using a script with Freeplotting:
In Freeplot, AutoCAD prompts for the drawing name after the PLOT
command is issued. When plotting from a script, you must provide the
drawing name after the PLOT command.
Appendix A
- "PostScript Fonts", page 580. The name of the PanRoman font "Pan" is
incorrect, it should be "Par".
- "DDIM", page 643. Contrary to its table entry on page 643 of the AutoCAD
Reference Manual (May 28, 1992 edition), the DDIM command cannot be used
transparently. It can be used as an ordinary command, or as
a DIM subcommand.
AutoCAD Customization Manual
----------------------------
Chapter 5
- "Shape Descriptions", page 51. The first sentence of the fifth paragraph
in this section should be replaced with the following:
Every shape in a particular shape file must have a unique number
between 1 and 258 (numbers 256, 257, and 258 are for the symbolic
identifiers "Degree_Sign", "Plus_Or_Minus_Sign", and
"Diameter_Symbol").
Chapter 7
- "Invoking a Script When Loading AutoCAD", page 102. The following
sentence should be added to the Note about Freeplotting:
See the AutoCAD Reference Manual for information on the Freeplot
feature.
Chapter 11
- "HEADER Section", page 252. The $DWGCODEPAGE variable is listed as a
type 70, this is incorrect it is really a type 3.
- "TABLES Section", page 258. A portion of the description in the VPORTS
group is incorrect.
The text "... 12 and 22 (view center point, in WCS) ..." should read
as "... 12 and 22 (view center point, in DCS) ...".
It should also be noted that the groups 68 (status field) and 69 (ID)
are never saved.
AutoLISP Programmer's Reference
-------------------------------
Chapter 1
- "Function Libraries--Automatic Loading", page 15. The following should
replace the last sentence in the second paragraph:
When a menu file is loaded (either by starting a drawing or issuing
the MENU command), AutoCAD searches the directory containing the
newly loaded .mnu file for a .mnl file of the same filename. If a
matching .mnl file is found AutoCAD loads the AutoLISP code in that
file after loading the menu file (e.g., AutoCAD loads the file
acad.mnl after loading the acad.mnx compiled menu file).
- "Function Libraries--Automatic Loading", page 15. The following should
be added to the description of the .mnl file.
If a menu file is loaded with the AutoLISP (command) function, its
associated .mnl file is not loaded until the entire AutoLISP
routine has run to completion.
Chapter 4
- "(entget)", page 102 and "(entmod)", page 107. These sections should
include the following information:
Before performing an (entget) or (entmod) on Vertex entities, you
should read or write the header (Polyline entity) for the Polyline
to which they belong. If the Polyline entity most recently processed
is different from the one to which the Vertex belongs, width
information (the 40 and 41 groups) can be lost.
- "(*error*)", page 111. This incorrectly states that your *error*
function should not include any calls to the command function without
arguments. This paragraph should be replaced with the following:
Your *error* function can include calls to the command function
without arguments (i.e., (command) ); this will cancel a previous
AutoCAD command called with the command function.
- "(grread)", page 121. Value 16 (bit 4) of the <allkeys> argument is
not supported.
- "(grread)", page 123. The text "... grread returns a type 11 code ..."
should be replaced with "... grread returns a type 6 or type 11 code ...".
- "initget - Keyword Specifications", page 127. The following
information should be added to this section:
A legal keyword can contain letters, numbers, or hyphens (-).
- "(tblnext)", page 157. The following note should be added to the
(tblnext) description:
Hint: Since the (vports) function returns current VPORT table
information, it might be more appropriate to use (vports) as opposed
to (tblnext).
Appendix B
- "Entity Group Codes", page 200. The meaning of Text entity group code 41
should be "Relative X-scale factor (optional; default: 1.0)
Appendix C
- "Error Codes", page 210. The following error code should be added to
the "On-line program error codes" table:
+-------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| Value | Meaning |
|-------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 85 | AutoLISP/ADS operation attempted and prohibited while |
| | a dialogue box was displayed |
+-------+--------------------------------------------------------+
AutoCAD Development System Programmer's Reference
-------------------------------------------------
Chapter 2
- "File" Search, page 57. The third line of code in the example,
if (ads_newrb(result) == NULL) {
should read as follows:
if ((result = ads_newrb(RTSTR)) == NULL {
Chapter 3
- "Filtering for Extended Entity Data", page 88. The examples on pages 88
and 89 are incorrect. They should be replaced with the following
examples:
Example 1:
eb1.restype = 0; /* Entity type */
strcpy(sbuf1, "CIRCLE");
eb1.resval.rstring = sbuf1; /* Circle */
eb1.rbnext = &eb2;
eb2.restype = -3; /* Extended entity data */
eb2.rbnext = &eb3;
eb3.restype = 1001;
strcpy(sbuf2, "APPNAME"); /* Application name */
eb3.resval.rstring = sbuf2;
eb3.rbnext = NULL;
/* Select Circles with XDATA registered to APPNAME */
ads_ssget("X", NULL, NULL, &eb1, ss);
Example 2:
eb1.restype = 0; /* Entity type */
strcpy(sbuf1, "CIRCLE");
eb1.resval.rstring = sbuf1; /* Circle */
eb1.rbnext = &eb2;
eb2.restype = -3; /* Extended entity data */
eb2.rbnext = &eb3;
eb3.restype = 1001;
strcpy(sbuf2, "APP1"); /* First application name */
eb3.resval.rstring = sbuf2;
eb3.rbnext = &eb4;
eb4.restype = 1001;
strcpy(sbuf3, "APP2"); /* Second application name */
eb4.resval.rstring = sbuf3;
eb4.rbnext = NULL;
/* Select Circles with XDATA registered to APP1 and APP2 */
ads_ssget("X", NULL, NULL, &eb1, ss);
Example 3:
eb1.restype = 0; /* Entity type */
strcpy(sbuf1, "CIRCLE");
eb1.resval.rstring = sbuf1; /* Circle */
eb1.rbnext = &eb2;
eb2.restype = -3; /* Extended entity data */
eb2.rbnext = &eb3;
eb3.restype = 1001;
strcpy(sbuf2, "APP1,APP2"); /* Application names */
eb3.resval.rstring = sbuf2;
eb3.rbnext = NULL;
/* Select Circles with XDATA registered to APP1 or APP2 */
ads_ssget("X", NULL, NULL, &eb1, ss);
Example 4:
eb1.restype = 0; /* Entity type */
strcpy(sbuf1, "CIRCLE");
eb1.resval.rstring = sbuf1; /* Circle */
eb1.rbnext = &eb2;
eb2.restype = -3; /* Extended entity data */
eb2.rbnext = &eb3;
eb3.restype = 1001;
strcpy(sbuf2, "APP[12]"); /* Application names */
eb3.resval.rstring = sbuf2;
eb3.rbnext = NULL;
/* Select Circles with XDATA registered to APP1 or APP2 */
ads_ssget("X", NULL, NULL, &eb1, ss);
- "Transforming Selection Sets", page 94. In the second example of the
dragsample() function, the declaration of the matrix argument should be
as follows (as it is in the first example):
ads_matrix matrix;
- "Entity Name Functions", page 97. This section should include the
following information:
If a call to ads_entsel(), ads_nentselp(), or ads_nentsel() returns
RTERROR, and you want to know whether the user picked a point that
had no entity or simply pressed <CR>, you can inspect the value of
the ERRNO system variable. If the user picked an empty point, ERRNO
equals 7 (OL_ENTSELPICK). If the user pressed <CR>, ERRNO equals 52
(OL_ENTSELNULL). (You can use the symbolic names if your program
includes the header file, ol_errno.h.)
CAUTION: You should inspect ERRNO immediately after ads_entsel(),
ads_nentselp(), or ads_nentsel() returns. A subsequent ADS library
call can change or clear the value of ERRNO.
- "Anonymous Blocks", page 110. Lines 5 through 8 of the example at the
bottom of the page are incorrect. They should be replaced with the
following lines of code:
ads_point pnt1 = { 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 };
entlist=ads_buildlist(RTDXF0, "BLOCK",
2, "*ANON",
10, pnt1,
70, 1,
0);
Chapter 4
- "ads_entget()", page 145 and "ads_entmod()", page 149. These sections
should include the following information:
Before calling an ads_entget() or ads_entmod() for Vertex entities,
you should read or write the header (Polyline entity) for the
Polyline to which they belong. If the Polyline entity most recently
processed is different from the one to which the Vertex belongs,
width information (the 40 and 41 groups) can be lost.
- "ads_getfiled", p. 156. In the paragraph below figure 4-2, replace the
first two sentences with the following sentences:
If the dialogue box gets a filename from the user, ads_getfiled() sets
the string in the result argument to a string specifying the filename;
otherwise, ads_getfiled() sets the string in result to NULL. The
ads_getfiled() function allocates the pathname string. Your program is
responsible for freeing the string by calling free() (if result is a
static buffer) or ads_relrb() (if result is a dynamically allocated
buffer).
- "ads_getkword", page 160. In the final paragraph on p. 161, replace the
words "RTNONE or RTKWORD (for arbitrary input)" with "RTNONE (if the
user enters a null response or arbitrary input)".
- "ads_getsym", p. 162. Delete the last sentence of the first paragraph,
"It also fails if the symbol is not bound, or is bound to nil.", and
replace it with the following sentence:
If the symbol not bound or is nil, ads_getsym() returns RTNORM and
sets the value argument to NULL.
Replace the first sentence of the second paragraph with the following
sentence:
The ads_getsym() function returns RTNORM if it succeeds; if it fails,
ads_getsym() returns RTERROR.
- "ads_getsym", page. 162. The ads_getsym() function can access AutoLISP
symbols that AutoLISP cannot. (Such symbols can only be created by
ads_putsym() calls.) This will cause an error in a future upgrade or
release of AutoCAD. Your programs should not rely on this capability.
- "ads_grread()", page 165. The text "... ads_grread() returns a type 11
code ..." should be replaced with "... ads_grread() returns a type 6 or
type 11 code ...".
- "ads_initget() - Keyword Specifications", page 170. The following
information should be added to this section:
A legal keyword can contain letters, numbers, or hyphens (-).
- "ads_putsym", p. 180. An ads_putsym() call can create a new AutoLISP
symbol that AutoLISP cannot access -- for example, by including illegal
characters in the symbol name, such as "pair(s". An ads_getsym() call can
access such symbols, but they will cause an error in a future upgrade or
release of AutoCAD. Your programs should not rely on this capability.
- "ads_polar", page 180. All references to 'ptres' should be changed to
'result'.
- "ads_regfunc", page 182. The following sentence should be added to the
ads_regfunc() description:
An external function handler registered by ads_regfunc() must have no
arguments and must return an integer, one of the application result
codes--either RSRSLT or RSERR, as appropriate.
Appendix B
- "Entity Group Codes", page 255. The group code 40 is missing from the
ATTRIB entity group. The following should be added to that section:
+-----------+-------+-----------------------------------+
| ATTRIB | 40 | Text height |
+-----------+-------+-----------------------------------+
- "Entity Group Codes", page 258. The meaning of Text entity group code 41
should be "Relative X-scale factor (optional; default: 1.0)
AutoCAD Extras Manual
---------------------
Chapter 2
- "RIEDGE Edge Detection and Extraction", page 35. The third sentence of
the first paragraph should be replaced with the following:
Specifying values from 1 to 255 set the threshold for RIEDGE
detection.
Chapter 3
- "Tips and Techniques", page 85-95. This section should include the
following subsection:
SOLCHP Command
While in the SOLCHP command, if you perform any operation that
forces the screen to redraw (like entering 'redraw), all of the
primitives for the selected solid or region may be displayed.
Entering the SOLCHP Instance, Replace, or Delete option while your
grid is on will also display all the primitives in some cases.
Bonus CD-ROM
============
- The AutoLISP routine mmo_edit.lsp lets you interactively test and edit
MODEMACRO strings. It displays six edit boxes for entering text strings
but only evaluates the first five. To correct this problem revise the
AutoLISP file as shown below.
Add `l6' to line #121,
(setq mmo (strcat l1 l2 l3 l4 l5))
so it reads
(setq mmo (strcat l1 l2 l3 l4 l5 l6))
- AutoCAD Lock Utility (CADLOC) Note
In Release 12, there is an additional swap file (DOS386 only) which did
not exist in R11 and is therefore not removed by cadloc -c (crash
recovery). This file, if it exists following a crash, will normally be
located in the root directory of the drive containing the current
working directory, or drawing directory. There will be two files of
the same name; one with an extension of '.SWR', and the new one - with
no extension. CADLOC finds and removes the one with the '.SWR'
extension, but the other will need to be deleted manually. The name is
a random sequence of letters, which changes each time AutoCAD is run.