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OS/2 Help File | 1995-12-17 | 15.0 KB | 513 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ Presentation of the Manual This Manual has the aim of being a guide to the program BluePLOT. First time users of BlueCad are advised to read before the manual Guide to using BlueCAD. In this introduction it is possible to have a description of BluePLOT's main characteristics and of BluePLOT's window. Remember that by a double click on highlighted words or phrases further information can be obtained regarding certain topics. You can also go back to the previous help page by pressing the ESC button. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.1. BluePLOT's characteristics ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ With BluePLOT you can print on plotter drawings that have been built with BlueCAD. The drawings can be read by using the Read command, introduce the Options and then print using the Plot command. The drawing can be printed with the view that it has been saved with or by using the print in scale or in optimum scale. If the drawing has been saved with a view on more than one window and an optimum scale is used only the first window will be drawn, otherwise all the windows will be drawn. To every colour of the graphic primitives BluePLOT associates a pen on the plotter. The connection between colour-pen can be set in the Print Options window. To improve BluePLOT's plotting speed draw using one pen at a time. Therefore, all the parts whose colours are associated to the first pen will be drawn first, and then all those which are associated to the second and so on. It is possible to decide to print primitives of all layers of the drawing or it is also possible to print only certain layers. The layers that are to be stamped must always be set in the Options Print window. It is possible to direct the output straight to the plotter via a serial communication port or on a file, which can then be copied manually on to the portr which is connected to the plotter. The direction of the output can be set in the Output Options window. All the settings made by the commands of the Options will be saved at the end of your work session with BluePLOT and will be re-opened when you start your next session. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1.2. BluePLOT's window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ In the window's title bar there is BluePLOT's name and its version. If, a drawing has also been stored this too will be visualised together with the name. On the left of the title bar there is the control menu, which gives access to certain functions of the system of the window such as closing, moving or reducing to a minimum. On the right of the title bar there is the button which reduces the window to a minimum. To be able to view BluePLOT's window again once it has been reduced to an icon press CTRL+ESC and select BluePLOT from the list in the window. Centrally, there is the menu bar where it is possible to send the BluePLOT's commands. Initially the lower left window will be empty. When a drawing is loaded with the Read command the optimum scaling factor will be visualised here in this window to adapt the drawing to the sheet of the plotter. Initially the lower right window will be empty. During printing, which is made active by Plot command, the percentage of the drawing being plotted will appear in this window, this percentage will be gradually updated as the plotting operation continues. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. BluePLOT's windows ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ BluePLOT has the following dialogue windows to aid the user: Format Options window Output Options window Custom size window Print Options window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. Format Options window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This sets the dimensions of the plotter sheets. It is called by the Format Options command. Formats The buttons of this panel allow the dimensions of the sheet to be set in relation to one of the standard formats: A0 (1189x841) A1 (841x594) A2 (594x420) A3 (420x297) A4 (297x210) A5 (210x148) A6 (148x105) To set different measurements use the windows X= and Y=. If the measurements are those of a standard format but the dimensions X and Y are inverted in relation to those proposed you must use the windows X= and Y= so as to set these measurements in the order you want. In this case, the next time the window is opened the measurements will be proposed in the reverse order of the actual one, previously agreed by the setting. X= This allows the horizontal dimensions of the sheet be set. Y= This allows the vertical dimensions of the sheet be set. Ok exit from the Format Options window saving the selected settings. Cancel exit from the Format Options window without saving the selected settings. Help shows the help mask. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Output Options window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This sets the exit format and the communication port or the file on which the program exit is to be directed. It is called by the command Output Options. Formats The buttons of this panel give the possibility of choosing between the HPGL output format and the CALCOMP format. If the HPGL format is chosen the box Read from plotter, the window Initialization string and the button Custom sizes... will be made active. Output It allows a serial communication port to be set (COM1, COM2, ...) or the file that the program exit is to be directed. Read from plotter It is active if the format HPGL is selected. If you see a tick this means that BluePLOT is able to read the dimension of the sheet from the plotter. In this case the dimensions set by the Format Options command are ignored. This option is very efficient if like Output the communication port to which the plotter is connected is set, but it is not effective if it is set to a file. If you can see a tick then the button Custom sizes... is deactivated. Pure arcs If you can see a tick this means that BluePLOT is able to draw arcs by using the instructions for pure arcs on the plotter. If the tick is shown then the arcs will be drawn as a piecewise linear of segments. In this case the piecewise linear segments will be chosen for each arc on the basis of their dimensions so that they become small enough so that an unbroken arc can be drawn on the sheet. Initialization string The window will be activated if the format HPGL is selected It can be used to send a string of characters to the plotter so as to initiate the parameters. It is necessary to consult the plotter manual to find out whether or not this string is useful and also to find out from which characters it must be made up of. Custom sizes... This button is active if the format HPGL is selected and if there isn't a tick visible on Legge dal plotter. Recall the personalised Custom size window so that you can change the dimensions of the plotted drawing. This can be useful in cases when the dimensions of the plotted drawing aren't correct. Ok exit from the Output Options window saving the selected settings. Cancel exit from the Output Options window without saving the selected settings. Help This visualises this help mask. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2.1. Custom size window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ It allows you to adjust the dimensions of the plotted drawing. It can be activated via the button Custom sizes... from the Output Options window. This setting is useful when the dimensions of the plotted drawing aren't correct. In such a situation it is sufficient to carry out the plotting of a drawing using a suitable scaling factor in this way the dimensions which should be obtained on the sheet will be identifiable. By introducing the real dimensions and the measured ones BluePLOT can correct the scaling errors. For example, a drawing containing a square with the dimensions of 10 by 10 and with a scaling factor of 1 and its unit of measurement in centimeters can be plotted. Therefore, the real dimensions introducedwill be 10 by 10 and the measured dimensions the effective dimensions of the square in centimeters. This setting, when necessary, is used once. When BluePLOT's work session has terminated it will be memorised in the same way as any other setting. Lengths X This allows the introduction of the horizontal dimensions. Real This allows the introduction of the horizontal dimensions that you would like to obtain . Measured This allows the introduction of the horizontal dimensions that have been effectively obtained. Lengths Y This allows the introduction of the vertical dimensions. Real This allows the introduction of the vertical dimensions that you would like to obtain. Measured This allows the introduction of the vertical dimensions that have been effectively obtained. Ok exit from the Custom size window saving the settings . Cancel exit from the Custom size window without saving the settings. Help It visualises this help mask. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Print Options window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ It allows the options of the print to be set on the plotter. It is called by the Print Options command. Layers It allows the setting of the layers that must be plotted. If a layer is plotted this means that all the primitives which belong to this layer will be plotted, too. All layers If you can see a tick this means that all the layers will be plotted, otherwise only the layers selected from the list will be plotted list with the layers If you cannot see a tick on the All layers by means of this list it is possible to select the layers that are to be plotted. In this case, at the beginning the layers were saved as visible in the drawing are selected, and those that were saved as not visible are not selected. Borders This allows the setting of the borders of the drawing. Paper border If you can see a tick then a border will be drawn around the drawing. In this case the windows Color and Style are activated so as to set the colour and line type of this border. Color It is active if you can see a tick on the Paper border. It allows the setting of the colour of the border. The possible values of the colour are the same as those of BlueCad, from 0 to 15. Style It si active if you can see a tick on the Paper border. It allows the setting of the line type of the border. The possible values of the line type are the same as those of BlueCad. Pens This sets the number of pens available in the plotter. Pattern It allows the setting of the length of the pattern of line for the types of line different from 1 (that is for non continuous line types). On the left there is the list of line types, identifiable by their numbers, on the right there is the length of the pattern associated to the line type that has actually selected from the list. The significance of the value depends on the exit format.: 1. HPGL: The unit of length and the 4% of the diagonal of the sheet. 2. CALCOMP: the length expressed in millimeters. Colors-Pens It allows the correspondence between the colour of the part to be drawn and the pen that this part is to be drawn with to be set. On the left there is a list of all the colours available, identifiable by their numbers, on the right there is the number of the pen that is associated to the colour actually selected from the list. The number of the pen can be modified. More than one colour can be associated to the same pen. Measurement unit This allows the real dimensions of the drawing to be set to other dimensions. However, this is only effective if it is set in scale. The units available are: mm (millimeter) cm (centimeter. 1cm = 10mm) m (meter. 1m = 100cm) km (kilometer. 1km = 1000m) in (inch. 1in = 2.54cm) ft (foot. 1ft = 12in = 30.48cm) yd (yard. 1yd = 3ft = 0.9144m) mi (statute mile. 1mi = 1760yd = 1609.344m) Scale It is active if you can't see a tick on the Optimal window. If you can see a tick this means that printing will be carried out in scale using the scaling factor of the window on the near right and the Measurement unit selected. The scaling factor can be introduced either as a single number, or as terms in the formats x/y o x:y. If you can see a tick this means that the Optimal window will be deactivated. Optimal window This is active if there isn't a tick on the Scale. If there is a tick this means that printing will be carried out with a scale that will be automatically chosen so that the drawing can be adjusted to the plotter sheet.This scaling factor is the one visible in the lower left BluePLOT window when a drawing is loaded. If you can see a tick then the button Scale will be deactivated. Origin[center] This is active if its exit format is HPGL. If you can see a tick the drawing will be plotted in the center in relation to the sheet, otherwise the origin of the drawing is the lower left corner of the sheet. Rotation If you can see a tick the drawing will be plotted rotating 90 degrees. Hatching scale If you can see a tick then the hatching lines will be scaled in the same way as their perimeters. In this way the hatchings will be plotted in exactly the same way as they are drawn on the screen by BlueCad. If you can't see a tick then the hatching lines will be plotted at their actual step, regardless of the set scale. In this case the set unit of measurement is taken into consideration. Point size If you can see a tick this means that the dimension of the points is the one set, in millimeters, in the near window on the right. If there isn't a tick the dimension of the points is arbitrary. Ok exit from the Options Print window saving the selected settings. Cancel exit from the Options Print window without saving the selected settings. Help It shows this help mask. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. BluePLOT's commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ BluePLOT' commands can be introduced from the menu bar. The menu bar is made up of : File menu Options menu Plot command Break command Help menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. File menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ In the File menu there are the following BluePLOT commands: Read Command Exit command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.1. Read Command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This loads into the memory the drawing that is to be plotted. The name of the drawing appears on the title bar. The selection of the drawing's name takes place via this window which is automatically activated by the program. It is a command of the File menu. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1.2. Exit command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This terminates the work session. Before the operation is carried out the user is asked explicitely for confirmation (Yes/No). It is a command of the File menu. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Options menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ In the Options menu there are the BluePLOT commands to set the plotting options: Format Options command This sets the dimensions of the plotter sheet. Output Options command This sets the exit format and of the relative options. Print Options command This sets the print options on the plotter. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.1. Format Options command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This recalls the Format Options window to set the dimension of the plotter sheet. It is a command of the Options menu. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.2. Output Options command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This recalls the Output Options window to set the exit format and of the relative options. It is a command of the Options menu. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2.3. Print Options command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ It recalls the Print Options window to set the print options on the plotter. It is a command of the Options menu. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.3. Plot Command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This carries out the plotting of the loaded drawing with the Read command using the options set. The percentage of the plotted drawing appers in the lower right window, as the plotting operation continues this percentage is gradually updated. The plotting can be interupted at any given time via the command Break. This command is active only if a drawing has been loaded. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.4. Break command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ This interupts the plotting actually taking place. It isn't usually active. It is made active when plotting is started with the Plot command and it is deactivated at the end of plotting. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5. Help menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ In the menuHelp there are the following BluePLOT commands: Using Help command Help Index command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5.1. Using Help command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ The use of help gives general information about how to access help. It is a command of theHelp menu. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.5.2. Help Index command ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ The help index gives an index with which all the various BluePLOt voices can be accessed in an orderly way It is a command of theHelp menu.