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KD-DOC.5-8
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DRAWING TECHNIQUES
Start out using the program by experimenting. Try
using the various functions and actions and noting
the results. With a little time and practice using
the program becomes very fast and efficient. For
major works take time to plan out the order in
which you will create the drawing. It is generally
best to start with the details, shrink these down
and combine them to produce the final drawing.
If you want the printed drawing to look like the
screen the reverse video action should be chosen
from <F1> just before printing. This is useful
showing things like planetoids. The black back-
ground is more natural. Mechanical drawings should
be printed out without reversing the screen so that
they correspond to the standard method of viewing.
Since many of the actions take place inside of
boxed areas it is advisable to create parts of a
drawing separately and then combine them at the
end. This can be accomplished by drawing the vari-
ous components on different parts of the screen or
by using a screen for each component and combining
screens using the copy action of <F7>.
EXAMPLES:
To draw box: Move the cursor to one of the corners
of the box. Select desired color of box with <F10>.
Select <F2> and <r>ectangle to display the box as
it is drawn. Move the cursor to form the box as
desired. Use the <Shft-Cursor> keys to adjust the
start point of the box if needed. Hit either <F2>,
<ENTER>, or <F1-F8> to complete function and draw
box. Respond <y> to the "Correct (y/n)?" prompt to
keep the box or <n> to return to the drawing as it
was.
DRAWING TECHNIQUES 5-1
To draw a circle: Move the cursor to the desired
center of the circle. Select desired color of the
circle with F8. Select <F3> and <c> for circle.
Move the cursor to the desired radius and hit
either <F3>, <ENTER>, or <F1-F8> to complete func-
tion and draw circle. If the circle is not prop-
erly centered simply hold down the <Shift> key
while using the cursor keys. Respond as desired to
the "Correct (y/n)?" prompt.
To draw a line: Move the cursor to the start of the
line. Select <F6> and <l>. Move cursor to position
line as desired. Use a <ENTER> or <F1-F8> <l> to
mark next point on line. Continue drawing lines.
To stop momentarily use the <Space Bar>. If you
make an error <Back Space> can be use to erase the
last line and redraw up to where you are. Line
width can also be set using the <w>idth command of
the CURSOR MODE and changed at will while drawing
the line. The color can also be varied as the line
drawn and you can switch back and forth with <d>ot,
<p>arallel line, and <s>poked line. When last
point of line has been marked, select F6 and either
<e> or <E> to end the line. If <E> is chosen the
line is not only drawn on the screen, but saved to
disk under user specified name. It can be retrieved
at any angle and any scale using <F6 o>. Even if
you did not save the drawing to disk it is still
available for reuse, continuation or modification.
Select <F6 O> to redraw the last vector.
To erase an area: Move the cursor to a position at
one of the corners of the area to be erased. Select
<F7 e> to mark the corner. Move the cursor to
enclose the desired area with the display box. As
with box the <Shft-cursor> keys can be used to
modify the initial corner position. Select <ENTER>
or <F1-F8> to mark the opposite corner. Copy works
the same way.
DRAWING TECHNIQUES 5-2
Creating 3-D looking spheres or planetoids is easy
using the spray paint feature of <F4>. Start by
drawing a circle of desired size, next paint it
with <F5> as desired. Move the cursor to a loca-
tion on the now painted circle and select <F4 s> to
spray paint one of the colors in the circle or if
you prefer use <F4 Alt-s> to spray paint all fore-
ground colors. Next move the cursor to one corner
of the square containing the circle and select
<ENTER> to mark that corner. Next enclose the
circle in a box by moving the cursor and select
<ENTER> a third time to begin spray painting. This
is a fun operation to use with the key macro since,
by varying the cursor speed before calling the
macro will result in different size planetoids.
Very complex and interesting patterns can be
created by copying and area and then moving off the
screen with <F7 a>nimate. Try this with the file
KD-PTRN.PIC, which can be retrieved with <F7 o>ld.
When you obtain a particular pattern you want to
use leave it on the screen with <F7 M> and then
copy it again. Next move over the object you wish
to paint with this new color pattern. Select <F7
Ctrl-m> to paint the object. (Note the object
should be in color 3 for best results.)
3-D oblique drawings can be made quickly from 2-D
drawings. In high resolution, draw a box with <F2
r>; copy the box with <F7 c>; set the cursor speed
to 1; move one space to the left and one space up;
select <F7 s>; move alternately one step left and
one step up until cube is of desired size; select
<F7 M>; and the cube is complete.
Schematics and flow charts can be readily created
from predefined symbol libraries. Creating your
own symbol libraries is easy and straight forward.
For objects that you want to bring in at different
sizes and angles the features of <F6> are ideal. As
an illustration, lets consider creating symbols of
furniture to use in laying out an office. Start by
DRAWING TECHNIQUES 5-3
setting the scale of the screen so that the furni-
ture will nearly fill the screen when drawn to get
the maximum resolution. Move to 0,0 with <Alt-1>,
select <F6 l, d, p, s> to start drawing the item.
When you have completed drawing the item select <F6
E> to end line drawing save the vector image to
disk. Give the item an appropriate name and go to
the next item. When you are working on the room
layout simply call up the required object from disk
using <F6 o>, rotate it if desired, and place it
where you want.
Special effects can be created by setting the back-
ground attribute to something other then the actual
background. Try setting the background with <B> to
<1>. Now draw a box or circle or line. Note how
the object is left behind as you move the cursor.
When you hit the <ENTER> key the screen is
refreshed and then the final box/circle/ line is
drawn, but sometimes it is desirable to use <B> to
create patterns and other effects much quicker than
otherwise possible. At any time you wish to pre-
serve what the screen shows, select <k>eep and it
will be saved.
16 Colors: If you have a composite color monitor or
TV set you can obtain sixteen colors instead of the
normal 4 available in RGB. Set the color palette
to the second palette where color 1=Green, color
2=Red and color 3=Yellow. Draw several boxes,
circles, or polygons on the screen. Move the cur-
sor to within one of the figures and select <F5
Alt-p>aint. A color bar will appear showing 16
color choice, but these won't look that great.
Select a </> and the colors change to 16 distinct,
vibrant colors on a composite monitor. Select the
number you desire and specify the color of the fig-
ure and wholla the object is painted. Most of the
other drawing functions only recognize the four
primary colors so some care must be taken when
creating a composite picture.
DRAWING TECHNIQUES 5-4
Macros included with PC-KEY-DRAW can be an ideal
method of learning how to use the program. By
watching the macros you can get a feel for what can
be done. By reading the macro files you can learn
the exact key strokes required to create a given
effect. See the following section on editing
macros for more information. The macros should be
translated to TeXT form for improved readability
and printed out. Try entering the key strokes as
they are and see what happens. Note that some
macros start with a lot of initialization, while
others get right down to drawing.
Several things can be done to slow macros down so
that what is happening is more visible. Try turn-
ing on the Help menu by setting the program to
Novice mode in the <Ctrl-s>tatus screen. Remove
the *|2 or *|1 line in the macro so that the cursor
and prompt are shown when the macro is run. This
makes it run a lot slower. You can even add
<Alt-p>ause commands at various places in a macro
so that it stops for awhile before proceeding.
DRAWING TECHNIQUES 5-5
KEY MACRO
Perhaps one of the most powerful functions of PC-
KEY-DRAW is the key macro command, because it has
so many different uses. I have yet to fully
explore all of the uses of the key macro, but they
include saving entire drawings, creating slide
shows, saving commonly used routines/figures, and
performing repetitive operations. The key macro
command works by recording all of the key strokes
you make and saving them to disk in a sequential
ASCII file. The program keeps track of the same
key being hit a multiple number of times and
records not only the key, but its repetition num-
ber. Key macro files can be very small and still
do quite a lot.
Saving Entire Drawings: PC-KEY-DRAW provides numer-
ous ways to save a drawing, which way you use
depends on a variety of factors. The key macro
offers a way to save a drawing that is rather dif-
ferent from the rest, because, instead of saving a
completed drawing, you are saving the steps to
create that drawing. When the key macro is used to
save a drawing it should start by properly initial-
izing the program, so that each time it is called
the result will be the same. After selecting create
macro with <Alt-k c> and naming it, initialize the
program. Initialization should start with refresh-
ing the screen with <F8 f>, setting the cursor to
0,0 with <Alt-1>, setting the cursor speed to one
with <Shft-F9>, and setting the color to 1 with
<Shft-F10>. Then proceed to create the drawing.
When the drawing is complete, end the key macro
with <Alt-k e>. The drawing can then be redrawn
with <Alt-k r> and the macro name. IRIS2.MCR (on
Library Disk #2) is an excellent example of saving
an entire drawing.
KEY MACRO 6-1
Slide Shows: Very interesting slide shows can be
created quickly and easily using the key macro com-
mand. The complete drawing capability is avail-able
to be used in the slide show. Slide shows are
created simply by starting the macro and then per-
forming the desired steps. This might be as simple
as calling up a series of already completed draw-
ings and pausing in between them or may include the
actual creation of the drawing as part of the show.
The DEMO.BAT (formally SAMPLE) macro included on
the program diskette was created simply by drawing
what I wanted. As with the saving of a drawing,
slide shows should be initialized for best results.
Portions of a slide show can be done separately and
then combined by linking or merging. Linking is
performed by calling the next sequence from the end
of the first. In this way slide shows can be very
long or continuous. Merging is accomplished using a
word processor and actually combining files. (See
Editing Macros.)
The <*> command is useful for slide shows and you
may want to include it as part of the initializa-
tion. Normally the prompts for the program will be
displayed as a macro is run, but by using a single
<*> at the beginning of the command all printed
prompts can be suppressed. This not only improves
the appearance of the slide show, but it greatly
speeds the execution time. Entering <*> twice will
stop printing of prompts and will hide the cursor.
From a text editor put the following to stop the
prompts:
*|1
or use the following to stop the prompts and hide
the cursor:
*|2
KEY MACRO 6-2
Saving Commonly Used Routines/Figures: Certain
operations can be saved for later use in another
drawing. These saved operations can be called from
disk as needed to perform the required task, and
save having to manually do the task. Generally,
routines should include minimal initialization for
the maximum flexibility. Various figures that are
commonly used can also be saved with the key macro
command, as they will probably require less disk
space then if saved with one of the other methods.
The penalty for doing so is the time required to
create the figure on the screen will be longer than
that required to simply call the completed drawing
from disk. However, for saving border patterns and
the like, the key macro command is ideal.
Repetitive Operations: Key macros can be used to
automate certain repetitive actions and save you
significant time. An example of such is the creat-
ing of concentric circles or ellipses using all of
the available colors. Try the following:
1. Locate the cursor in the center of the screen.
2. Set the cursor speed to 1 and the color to one.
3. Start the key macro with the name CIRCLE.
4. Draw a circle of radius one pixel.
5. End the circle and confirm that it is correct.
6. Move the cursor to the center of the circle
using <C>.
7. Step the cursor speed up one using the <+> key.
8. Step the color up one using the <F10> key.
9. Select <Alt-k> and run the macro CIRCLE from
itself.
At this point the program should start drawing
circle after circle, each time incrementing the
color and the size by one. To stop the macro use
<Esc>. Try some other short drawings and linking
them to themselves.
KEY MACRO 6-3
Configuration: While PC-KEY-DRAW provides a config-
uration screen, it does not remember everything
that you may want it to remember the next time you
run the program. A simple solution is to create a
key macro that does the desired configuration, such
as adjusting the screen. Version 3.1 allows macros
to be called from DOS when the program is called,
by simply entering the name of the macro on the
command line after the program name, followed by a
space.
Editing Macros: The editing of macros created from
version 3 is limited to using a word processor. The
file is straight ASCII, but beware that what may
look like a common space CHR$(32) is actually an
ASCII zero CHR$(0). Also beware that cursor posi-
tion is relative, not absolute. The use of a back-
ground editor, such as Sidekick, can be of great
benefit, since it can be called up while you are
working in PC-KEY-DRAW. Be sure that the particu-
lar background program you are using works when the
screen is in a graphics mode!
The macro files are set up so that each line is a
command followed by a separator (|) and the number
of repetitions. The command is the actual key
stroke code. While MaCRo files can be edited
directly it is easier to first convert them to TeXT
files using KD-TRANS.EXE.
Since errors you may make are recorded you may want
to edit them out of a slide show. This can be done
easily to the ASCII file by removing only the com-
mands and not the cursor movement that may occur as
part of the command.
One of the most common editing method will be the
merging of files together to create one big file.
When merging files care must be taken to ensure
that all parameters are set to the value needed by
consecutive parts of the macro. For example the
cursor position at the start of a macro will deter-
KEY MACRO 6-4
mine the actual end result.
One handy feature of a key macro is the ability to
call a second macro at the end of the first, allow-
ing unlimited macros to be chained together when
run, but reside separately on disk. To avoid hav-
ing to edit the macro, work in reverse, starting
with the last section first and be sure that each
macro includes its own initialization.
Macro files contain the key strokes used, followed
by a separator (|) and a number to indicate the
number of times the key was hit in a row. If the
key was a command it will only appear once while
something like a cursor movement key may have been
hit many times in a row. Text can be added after
the repeat number for the purpose of placing
remarks in a macro. This is especially convenient
for including notes to others on what the macro
does and how to use it. The following is a short
example of what a macro file would look like after
being translated with KD-TRANS.EXE to a TeXT file:
SHFT-F10 |1 Force Color to Color 1
SHFT-F9 |1 Force Cursor Speed to 1
+ |4 Add four to the Cursor Speed
F2 |1 Select Function 2 Rectangles
p |1 Select polygon
5 |1 5 sided
RIGHT |9 Move to the right 9 times
[ |3 Rotate the polygon
F9 |1 Drop speed to 1
[ |1 Rotate the polygon
ENTER |2 End polygon and indicate correct.
F9 |1 Toggle speed back to 5
LEFT |5 Move into polygon
F5 |1 Select F5 Paint & Pattern
ALT-P |1 Select Alternate paint
8 |1 Choose Color 8 for fill
1 |1 Choose Color 1 for border
ENTER |1 Confirm correct.
ALT-K |1 Select Key Macro
KEY MACRO 6-5
e |1 End
You can duplicate the above by simply entering in
the above keys the number of times indicated. The
remarks to the right of the repeat number should
not be entered. Note that KD-TRANS expects the key
stroke name to be exactly 10 characters and spaces.
DOS and Macros: Macros can be called from DOS as
follows:
KD-DRAW FILENAME
where FILENAME is the name of the macro file to be
called once KD-DRAW is loaded. A MCR extension is
assumed. If another extension is used it must be
specified or will not be found. This capability
allows the for slide shows to be run by a user
knowing nothing about PC-KEY-DRAW or allows set-up
routines to be run to customize PC-KEY-DRAW to your
particular application.
Macros can be called from BATch files or macros can
be DOS BATch files. It is possible to create a
macro that is both a BATch file and a PC-KEY-DRAW
macro. This allows for lots of possibilities with
a minimum of extra files on the disk. Some can
must be taken in setting up BATch file MaCRo combi-
nations. Use the samples on the program disk as a
guide. Basically the BATch file is the first part
and the MaCRo the second. Since no action is taken
in a macro file until the separator (|) is located
the BATch file is ignored by the macro.
Run Time Mode: Starting with version 3.24 PC-KEY-
DRAW can be set to work in a Run Time Mode, so that
the end user can view and run macros without any
knowledge of PC-KEY-DRAW. To turn PC-KEY-DRAW into
the run time mode simply remove or rename KD-
DRAW.HLP. When KD-DRAW is called if it does not
find KD-DRAW.HLP it only allows a macro to be run.
In normal operation when a macro is exited by
KEY MACRO 6-6
<Esc>, normal end of the macro, or an error control
returns to the CURSOR MODE. In a run time mode
when the macro is exited control returns to DOS. If
KD-DRAW.DFT is not found the default drive is
assumed to contain everything required by the macro
to run unless a drive is specified in calling the
desired macro, in which case that drive is assumed
to contained the primary files needed by the macro.
There are no restrictions to distributing PC-KEY-
DRAW as a Run Time program, ie. without KD-DRAW.HLP
and KD-DRAW.80C, except if a charge for the disk is
made. If you wish to charge for a Run Time version
of PC-KEY-DRAW you must have prior written permis-
sion.
Hot Keys: 27 keys can be assigned a macro file
name so that when the key is struck the appropriate
macro file is run immediately. The Hot keys are
the following:
<Shft-F1 to F8>
<Ctrl-F1 to F10>
<Alt-F1 to F9>
If KD-DRAW.HOT is found on the program disk or in
the program directory on the hard disk the Hot keys
are activated. KD-DRAW.HOT contains the listing of
the key macro files that correspond to the appro-
priate function keys. KD-DRAW.HOT can be edited
with any text editor that produces pure ASCII
files.
There are two primary applications for Hot keys.
The first is to assign commonly used routines so
that they can be called up quickly as needed. A
number of such routines are supplied on library
disk #2 and #3. For example BOLD.MCR produces bold
faced text from any text brought in with <F6
Ctrl-t> or <F6 Alt-t>. The second use of the Hot
keys is for creating a tutorial using the function
keys with an on screen menu.
KEY MACRO 6-7
Supplied Macros: Numerous macros are supplied with
PC-KEY-DRAW. Some are for demonstration of the
programs capability, some are more entertaining
then anything else, while others perform various
routines that are of use to a serious PC-KEY-DRAW
user. The following discusses several of the more
significant macros. Most of the supplied macros
have remarks that can be read using a text editor
or simply TYPE from DOS to show instructions for
the macro. Use <Alt-1> <F6 T a> from PC-KEY-DRAW
to read the macro remarks before running it. Be
sure to answer <n>o when asked if correct or the
text will become part of your drawing. It is a
good idea to add remarks to any macros that you
write. In particular you should provide informa-
tion as to any premacro operations that are needed
for successful operation of the macro. Remarks can
be added with a text editor.
Sample Demo: A sample demo is included on the pro-
gram disk. It was created in several sections and
then edited together. Note that the prompt line
has been turned off for most of the demo for a
cleaner look and faster execution. DEMO.BAT (for-
mally SAMPLE.MCR) may stop at several points and
wait for input from the keyboard before continuing.
A short line is displayed in the bottom right cor-
ner when the macro is waiting for user input. The
<Alt-p> command could also be used when you want
the macro to suspend operation for a specified
length of time. DEMO.BAT is both the Batch file and
the macro.
Slide Show Demo: A demo slide show is included with
the numerous screens and pictures on Library Disk
#1. SCNSHOW.MCR is a macro that calls previously
created screens and partial screens using a variety
of display techniques. This method of operation is
similar to other Slide Show programs, but far more
powerful.
KEY MACRO 6-8
Drawing Demo: Library Disk #2 contains the macro
IRIS2.MCR that creates a drawing of an iris from
scratch. You can watch the moves that the artist
made to construct the drawing. Mistakes and
changes of mind have been left in to show the pro-
cess behind the picture. The completed picture is
contained in IRIS3.SCN. My wife Brenda drew this
picture with minimal help from me. As I said, she
is an artist and it is very clear seeing the
results of IRIS2.MCR. IRIS2 took 4 hours from
start to finish to create and then edit the macro.
In that 4 hours she stopped and we ate dinner.
Routines: Library Disk #2 contains several useful
routines. Two of the most useful are OVERLAY.MCR
and OVERLAY2.MCR. Both take an object currently
being animated and through a series of steps over-
lay the object onto the background. Which one you
use depends on the object that is to be overlaid.
OVERLAY will leave a dark outline around the object
which is ideal for many, but not all objects. OVER-
LAY2 does not leave the outline and is therefore
better for certain objects. Both macros were writ-
ten to make use of Screen 2 and Screen F7 as work-
spaces, so anything in these screens when you call
the macro will be lost. It would be easy to write
a macro that does not use Screen 2, but uses the
disk for temporary storage instead.
KEY MACRO 6-9
PAGES AND LAYERS
PC-KEY-DRAW version 3 allows you the option to draw
using up to 64 pages or 64 layers. The two cannot
be used at the same time. Pages and layers are
saved on the workspace disk, which can either be a
RAM disk, hard disk, or floppy. To use all 64
pages/layers about 1.2 megs of memory is required.
In addition to use more than about 20 pages/layers
you must set up a subdirectory for the workspace.
See your DOS manual for information on creating and
using subdirectories.
Screens: There are four screens available for
creating drawings. Generally you will use SCreen 1
or SCreen 2 as the main drawing screen. You must
be in SCreen 1 to access the pages. The other main
screen is generally used as a temporary workspace
or for holding symbols, shapes, patterns that you
need to access quickly and repeatedly. If you are
using layers SCreen 2 becomes the visual layer and
SCreen 1 is the active layer.
Screen 3 is called F7 and it shows that last object
copied, erased, animated, etc. Most of the drawing
functions can be used in F7, although some may
behave differently. F7 is an ideal screen to use
to modify something that was just copied before
placing it on the drawing. For example to change
the color of a FONT before placing it on one of the
main screens. <F8 o>ld, <F8 O>ld sequential, and
<F8 s>ave work differently in screen F7. Instead
of manipulating full screens the partial screens
normally associated with the F7 key are retrieved
or saved. This makes <F8 O>ld sequential particu-
larly useful since it lets you browse through the
partial screens as you normally would with the full
screens.
The final screen is very limited and contains the
25th line of the main screens.
PAGES & LAYERS 7-1
Screens are different from pages in several impor-
tant ways, but perhaps the most significant is
where they are stored. Screens are stored within
the 192K the program uses, while pages, other then
the current page, are stored on the workspace disk.
For fast access use a RAM disk for the workspace.
Pages can be used when you want to create a picture
that is larger than can be reasonably accommodated
on a single screen. This might be a large flow
chart, mechanical drawing, or just a big painting.
Basically the pages are arranged on an 8X8 grid
although they can be used as 64 vertical pages if
desired. It is possible to scroll by 1/2 page
either horizontally or vertically. To use pages you
must be in SCreen 1. Portions of a page can be
readily transferred between other pages using the
<F7 c>opy function. Pages must be saved separately
to disk. While in page mode the cursor line will
show SC1 PG00 when in SCreen 1 & page 00.
To scroll from one page to another use <Ctrl-Home>
to display current position and then use the arrow
cursor keys to scroll/pan in the direction of the
arrow by one half screen. Use <PgUp> or <PgDn> to
move a full page at a time. <Home> returns you to
page 00 and <End> takes you to the maximum page
that has been created. When scrolling the current
screen is saved to the workspace disk, if anything
has been added, and the disk is searched for the
existence of the page you are moving to. If the
page was previously created it is shown, otherwise
a blank page is shown. Selecting <Ctrl-Home> twice
displays page 00 without saving the page you are
currently on.
Ultimately the ability to use multiple screens
should allow some very detailed printed output on
laser printers. Consider drawing on just four
pages then printing them out side by side on a
laser printer for a 1280X400 dot resolution picture
from a standard graphics card. This is an area I
PAGES & LAYERS 7-2
hope to be looking at for the next major update.
Layers or overlays are very powerful and useful.
Think of them as drawing on several layers of clear
plastic. Only the active layer is effected by the
various functions. The other layers can be visual
as desired. To use layers you must be in screen 1
as it is the active screen. Screen 2 becomes the
visual screen and holds copies of all layers that
are visual. To use correctly start with SCreen 2
being clear. Draw the first portion of the graphic
on SCreen 1 and then declare a layer with <Ctrl-l>.
This transfers SCreen 1 to SCreen 2, saves it to
disk and clears SCreen 1. With SCreen 2 now being
overlaid with SCreen 1 the drawing will initially
look the same. Continue drawing and as appropriate
declare the next layer and so on. There are many
uses to layers and many ways that they can be used.
Proper use of layers can greatly speed the creation
of complex drawings. As with pages, if you want to
save the various layers you must do so separately.
When layers are activated the prompt line will show
SC1L0* when in SCreen 1 and layer 0. The * indi-
cates that not only are layers active, but that the
visual layer is currently being shown along with
the active layer. If the prompt line reads SC1L3
it means that you are in SCreen 1, Layer 3 and only
the active layer is being shown.
A simpler way of using the layer feature is to load
a pattern screen into SCreen 2. For example a
screen containing perspective lines might be put in
SCreen 2 as the visual layer. Switch to SCreen 1
and activate layer with an <l>, causing the per-
spective screen to be shown. Create your drawing
using the perspective screen for guidance.
PAGES & LAYERS 7-3
Another use for layers is to load a complex object
as the visual layer and use the active layer to
trace the visual layer and save it in a vector for-
mat.
Saving Pages/Layers: As noted the layers and pages
must be saved separately from within the program.
An alternate method of saving layers/pages can be
accomplished from DOS. After completing the vari-
ous pages exit the program to DOS. If the work-
space drive is the same as the drive you save draw-
ings on then use the following command in DOS after
switching to the workspace drive:
REN PAGE.* FILE.*
where FILE is the name that you want the file to
have. To recall the file at a later data you must
first rename it as follows:
REN FILE.* PAGE.*
Run the program and select <Ctrl-Home> twice to
restore the first page.
If you use a RAM disk for a workspace then a
slightly different procedure is needed to save the
drawings from DOS. Instead of RENaming the files
COPY them to the desired disk (X:) as follows:
COPY PAGE.* X:FILE.*
And to retrieve the files use:
COPY X:FILE.* PAGE.*
Enter the program and retrieve the files using
<Ctrl-Home> twice.
PAGES & LAYERS 7-4
Compressed Saves: A modification of the above tech-
nique can be used to not only save the pages or
layers, but to compress them and combine them into
a single file. Several programs are available such
as ARC and LUE/LUU that can compress and library
files. The graphics screens can be significantly
compressed and by combining them into one file they
can more easily be kept track of. Which library
program you use is up to you, but a faster one has
some advantage over an more efficient one. By
writing the appropriate macro-batch file combina-
tion the entire operation can be operated to the
point where the user has little knowledge of what
actually takes place.
! REMEMBER!
<F8 s>ave will save only the screen you are in and
not the pages and layers. Refer to the previous
discussion for information on how to save pages and
layers.
PAGES & LAYERS 7-5
LIBRARIES
PC-KEY-DRAW provides 6 methods of saving libraries
of commonly used pictures, screens, fonts, vectors,
macros, and patterns. Line drawings can be saved
as vectors for later recall at any angle and scale
using F6. Portions of the screen can be saved as
bitmapped images under F7. Fonts can be created
and then saved using F7 as can patterns. Entire
screens are saved with F8, while key macros can be
created for a wide variety of uses. PC-KEY-DRAW
can also save files as a BASICA subroutine.
Vector Saves are ideal for creating objects that
need to be retrieved at different angles and sizes.
Possible uses include electrical schematics, flow
charts, architectural symbols and more. Each ele-
ment is saved with its own name providing easy
recall of the elements by name. Artists could use
this to create special brush patterns/shapes to
paint with. VCT is the default extension. Cur-
rently the only objects that can be saved as vec-
tors are those created entirely from lines, dots,
parallel lines, or spoke lines. On ending the line
drawing with <F6 E>nd the vector can be named and
saved to disk for later use. A vector file con-
tains the x and y coordinates of the object along
with color and width information. Previously
created vector files can be loaded with <F6 o>ld.
The scale factor is matched to that of the drawing
unless forced to something else. The rotation
angle can also be set.
Picture Saves are used for complex objects. They
are ideal for animation and a whole lot more. One
use is to create small patterns to use as brushes
for painting with, but a more common use is to save
parts of the screen for use in other drawings. <F7
C>opy & save is used to copy an area from the
screen and save it to disk. PICtures are ideal for
animation. PIC is the default extension. A FIG
extension can be specified which results in the
LIBRARIES 8-1
file being saved as a series of ASCII numbers. The
files can be retrieved with <F7 o>ld or <F7 O>ld &
place. <F7 o>ld brings the file in to animate,
while <F7 O> places it directly on the screen. To
view all of the PIC files on the drawing disk, move
to the F7 Screen, select <F8 O>ld, and the files
will be brought in one at a time and displayed in
the upper left corner of the screen.
Font Saves provide a method of saving small com-
monly used portions of a screen, such as text, but
not limited to text. The portions of the screen
are created individually and saved under a common
file. They are retrieved with <F6 Alt-t> based on
the letter assigned to each picture when saved. FNT
is the default extension. To save a character use
<F7 C>opy and name the file with an FNT extension.
You will be prompted for the character that corre-
sponds to the one just copied. To ensure that the
characters line up properly be sure to be consis-
tent with the location of the top of the character.
To modify the default letter and word spacing
select <Space Bar> when prompted for the character
and enter the desired size in pixels. TYPEMAKE.MCR
(on Library Disk #3) creates an unusual looking
text font from the primary text fonts. The created
font is readily available as KD-FONT3.FNT, but it
is interesting to watch as it is created. Direc-
tions for TYPEMAKE.MCR are contained in the file.
Screen Saves can be used as a library by saving
multiple pictures on one screen and then recalled
using template of F8. This lets you group commonly
used pictures under one name and uses them as
desired. Generally saving complete screens will be
the most commonly used storage method. SCN is the
default extension. SCN files can be view sequen-
tially for either screen 1 or screen 2 by selecting
<F8 O>ld.
LIBRARIES 8-2
Pattern Saves are in the same basic format as Pic-
ture Saves, only arranged as 40 X 23 blocks for
retrieval using the pattern fill function of F5.
Actually any PIC file can be used as a pattern
file. Pattern files can be used for simple painting
or definitive patterns used for architecture or
cartography can be created. 64 different patterns
can be saved in one file. The <F1 Ctrl-z> screen
size is identical to the pattern size. PIC is the
default extension. PATMAKE.MCR (on Library Disk
#2) will create a blank pattern screen with a grid
of 64 blocks that can be replaced with the patterns
you are creating.
Macro Saves have many, many uses. See section on
KEY MACRO for details as to macro use. MCR is the
default extension.
BASICA Saves are accomplished in much the same way
as Picture or pattern saves using <F7 C>, except
that when a BAS extension is added to the file name
the file is saved as a subroutine that can be
merged into a BASICA program that you are writing.
The file will always start a line number 20000 so
you will have to RENUMber before merging several
together. The subroutine created can be called and
will load an array with the data so that the array
can be put on the screen using the PUT command of
basic. This is ideal for writing games or for
writing programs with graphical interfaces. PUT is
an ideal way to get simple animation in a BASICA
program. Any of the files on the library disks can
be turned into BASIC subroutines. See your BASICA
manual for detail information on merging BASICA
files, and using graphic commands, like PUT and
GET.
Creating Libraries: While PC-KEY-DRAW is ideal for
creating libraries, it currently comes with a lim-
ited supply of libraries. I have created many
libraries for my own use, but they include things
that would be of little use to anyone else. Most of
LIBRARIES 8-3
the libraries I have created relate to motion com-
pensated cranes and there just isn't much call for
such symbols. At the time of this writing PC-KEY-
DRAW includes four font libraries, seven pattern
libraries, and a number of macro libraries. I do
not have the time or the talent to create general
purpose libraries, but some of you might. Please
send any libraries that you create to me for evalu-
ation. Unregistered users can receive credit
towards registering, while registered users can
receive credit towards updates or CA$H back. Yep,
I am willing to pay for good libraries in any of
PC-KEY-DRAW's formats, including printer configura-
tion. The actual price will depend on the type,
quality, and general use of the library. Please
indicate what you think the library is worth.
I reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any
time. Please send original libraries only and not
copies of other program libraries.
Library Disks: Several library disks are supplied
with PC-KEY-DRAW. The library disks contain numer-
ous files saved with many of the possible save
techniques offered by PC-KEY-DRAW. See Appendix H
for listing of the library disks currently avail-
able.
LIBRARIES 8-4
