------------------------------------------------------- 1. TurboCAD v4 READ ME INTRODUCTION (6 May 1997) ------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for purchasing TurboCAD v4 or TurboCAD v4 Professional. We at IMSI are sure that you will find TurboCAD to be an invaluable resource for your day-to-day drawing needs. Please review this README document which contains late breaking information, or information not included in the printed documentation. ------------------------------------------------------- 2. TurboCAD 3D ------------------------------------------------------- TurboCAD 3D is not included on this evaluation CD. ------------------------------------------------------- 3. INTERFACE CONFIGURATIONS ------------------------------------------------------- 3.1. RESOLUTION SPECIFIC USER INTERFACES TurboCAD has the ability to recognize the screen resolution that you are using. (You can change your screen resolution in Windows 95 by right-clicking the Desktop and choosing Properties.) A different (but similar) interface will appear for each resolution. If you change your screen resolution between drawing sessions, TurboCAD will inform you that the most recently used interface does not correspond to the current screen resolution, and ask you if you want to load it. If you answer NO, a new interface will appear that is tailored specifically for the new resolution. You may also load different interfaces manually via "Tools|Customize|Setup|Load From". 3.2. MULTI-LEVEL INTERFACES TurboCAD ships with several different levels of user interfaces. You can load the different interfaces via "Tools|Customize|Setup|Load From". The "Beginner" interface is a scaled down version of the "Standard" (Intermediate) interface. Users who feel that they are overwhelmed by the number of buttons and tools available in the Standard interface should consider using this option. The "Standard" (Intermediate) interface contains all commands. It is the default interface which is used in the documentation and for the different screen resolutions. We recommend that you use this interface. The "Tabbed" (Advanced) interface is a bold attempt to redefine the normal methods that Windows uses for menus and toolbars. Advanced users, who know TurboCAD and Windows commands, might prefer it to the alternative interfaces. The new user who is still trying to get a grip on standard Windows and TurboCAD functions may find it rather overwhelming, as it is so different from conventional methods. ------------------------------------------------------- 4. INTERNET FUNCTIONALITY ------------------------------------------------------- TurboCAD exploits the convenience of the Internet in that Auto-Registration, Technical Support and Program Updates are available online. You may have to log onto your Internet Service Provider (ISP) before using any of these Internet capabilities. However, if you are using Internet Explorer 3.01, or Windows 95 (released after 1st October 96), which contains automatic dial-up features, TurboCAD will automatically connect you to your ISP, if you are not already connected. 4.1. Internet Explorer 3.02 Shipped on the TurboCAD CD, in the folder called "Internet Explorer", you will find the latest version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer. As mentioned above, this installation contains important automatic dial-up features which will enable you to use TurboCAD Internet functionality without prior connection to your ISP. You can also use Internet Explorer (or other web browsers such as Netscape) to take a highly recommended visit to the TurboCAD Web site (www.turbocad.com) for up-to-the- minute product information. ------------------------------------------------------- 5. FONTS ------------------------------------------------------- TurboCAD includes two new TrueType fonts (Letter Gothic and Orator) which are both monospaced fonts. These fonts are thin and equally spaced, similar to the more traditional CAD fonts used in other CAD packages. You should consider using these fonts if you intend to import and export drawings from other packages. ------------------------------------------------------- 6. DIMENSIONING ------------------------------------------------------- 6.1. TRAILING ZEROS New to TurboCAD v4 is the ability to add trailing zeros to a dimension to illustrate the accuracy by the number of decimal places. Two settings affect the functionality of this new feature: Precision (found in Options|Units and Scale) and Round Off (found in the dimension property sheet). These two settings should be set to the following: If Precision is set to 1, set Round Off to 0.1 If Precision is set to 2, set Round Off to 0.01 If Precision is set to 3, set Round Off to 0.001 etc. If these two settings are not set like this, unexpected results can occur. For example, if Precision is 4 and Round Off is only at 0.01, the third and fourth decimal places will always be zero regardless of the true dimension. 6.2. LEADER USED AS ARROW LINE The Leader dimension can be used as a line with an arrowhead if the "Force Text Horizontal" option is unchecked in the dimension property sheet. Define the point where you would like the arrow head, move the cursor to the point where you want the line to start, press and then delete the text string. Press + to finish. 6.3. BLOCKS Segment or Entity dimensioning methods will not work on blocks. You have to either explode the block before dimensioning or use the manual method for dimensioning using vertex snaps. ------------------------------------------------------- 7. RUBBER STAMP ------------------------------------------------------- The Rubber Stamp command, available when right-clicking selected objects, now works with snap modes and relocated reference points. As a result, this command offers a viable alternative to the normal Copy commands. ------------------------------------------------------- 8. QUICK TOUR ------------------------------------------------------- The TurboCAD Quick Tour (launched from the opening screen) is a very informative tour of the most important features of TurboCAD. Quick Tour uses Demoshield as a menu, and Lotus ScreenCam to display demonstrations of the features in TurboCAD. The ScreenCam files are rather large and by default the Tour runs from the CD-ROM. Be sure to place the CD in the drive before running the Tour. 8.1. LOCATION When you run the Quick Tour, without the TurboCAD CD in the drive, you will be prompted for a location. The folder on the CD-ROM is \QuickTour\. ------------------------------------------------------- 9. DIGITIZERS ------------------------------------------------------- This version of TurboCAD does not support digitizers. In the past digitizers in TurboCAD have typically been used to trace existing drawings. The Raster-to-Vector converter (File|Trace) should speed up this process dramatically, virtually eliminating the need for a digitizer if you have a scanner. ------------------------------------------------------- 10. SDK (SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT KIT) ------------------------------------------------------- Please be sure to check the TurboCAD SDK Web site, accessed from the TurboCAD home page (www.turbocad.com), for the latest news, examples, and updates regarding the Software Development Kit. ------------------------------------------------------- 11. INTERNET FORUMS ------------------------------------------------------- The standard support forums and the beta forums for future versions of TurboCAD are a good way of getting the answers that you cannot find elsewhere. Please make sure that you check the forums regularly for discussions, views, solutions, and tips and tricks from the TurboCAD support staff as well as from other TurboCAD users. ------------------------------------------------------- 12. SUPPORT ------------------------------------------------------- The best place to receive support is online at www.turbocad.com. Click on the Support option. If you do not have Internet access you can call IMSI support at 415-257-3000 ext. 3. ------------------------------------------------------- 13. UPGRADE INFORMATION FOR TurboCAD 3.0 USERS ------------------------------------------------------- Please note that when you install TurboCAD v4, it does not remove or update your copy of TurboCAD 3.0. TurboCAD 3.0 remains on your system. You can continue to use both programs. ------------------------------------------------------- 14. LINE/PEN WIDTHS ------------------------------------------------------- The default pen width of zero will print the thinnest line possible on a given printer. On high resolution printers this may appear too thin, particularly for dimensions. The default printing width of entities with pen width zero can be adjusted via Options|Display. Setting this default width to zero will have functionality similar to TurboCAD 3.0. ------------------------------------------------------- 15. ENABLE BASIC DEBUGGER - KNOWN PROBLEMS ------------------------------------------------------- There are some known problems with the Enable Basic debugger due to errors in the Enable32.dll from Cypress. The issues relate to the tools Go and Step Into. Cypress Enable's function for stepping into functions/subroutines does not work correctly. It will not pass the correct parameters to the functions/subroutines. Go uses Step Into so that it can monitor when to stop for a breakpoint. You can use Go and Step Into with functions/subroutines that do not take any input parameters. For functions/subroutines that do take parameters, you can use Step Over to single step your programs, though you will not be able to "step into" subroutines/functions. This defect also affects TCWAppPropertyGet/Set, TCWDrawingPropertyGet/Set, TCWGraphicPropertyGet/Set and TCWLayerPropertyGet/Set since they are written in Enable Basic. The wrong parameters will be passed to the TCADAPI DLL and the debugger may crash or give erroneous errors. Step Over works correctly for functions/subroutines. It you only have one subroutine or function and you do not use the PropertyGet/Set routines, Go, Step Into and Step Over are fully functional. You can also use the debugger to create and compile your Enable Basic scripts. To stay up-to-date on the latest developments regarding this and other TurboCAD issues, say "Yes" to be on the preferred customer e-mail list when you register the product online.