Copyright: Copyright © Micrografx, Inc., 1994


Curve Quality Setting

A low Curve Quality Setting produces curves with few points, while a high setting produces curves with many points to create smoother curves. As you increase the Curve Quality setting, the resulting file uses more memory and disk space.


Binary encoding

Binary encoding creates a file that cannot be edited with a text editor. Most CGM translators expect a CGM file to be in Binary encoded format.


Clear Text encoding

Clear Text encoding creates a file in ASCII so that the CGM file can be read and edited by a text editor. Note that most CGM translators expect the CGM file to be Binary encoded, which cannot be edited by a text editor.


Virtual Device Coordinates

Most graphics applications specify the position of objects within a coordinate space. The CGM translator lets you specify coordinate space with either integers or real numbers (fixed or floating). This is known as VDC space in CGM technical documentation. (VDC is Virtual Device Coordinates.)


Editing session

An editing session begins when a Micrografx application is started, and ends when the application is closed.


Using Help
Using On-line Help

On-line help messages provide detailed information about commands and dialog boxes.

Accessing On-line Help

You can access help one of two ways. The first way involves pressing F1. When you press F1, you receive a help message specific to the command you chose or dialog box that is open.

The second way involves using the Help menu. The Help menu lets you see an index of topics.

Jump Terms

Some help messages contain underlined words and phrases called "jump" terms. A jump term takes you to a related message for that term. Jump terms let you move throughout the help system without returning to the Help menu.

Printing Help

You can print a help message using the Print Topic command in the File menu of the Help window.

To print a help message:

·	Choose the Print Topic command in the File menu.

Closing Help

You can close help one of three ways.

·	Double click the Control menu box in the Help window.

·	Choose the Exit command in the File menu of the Help window.

·	Choose the Close command in the Control menu of the Help window.

Micrografx Help

Designed, written, and produced by Shannon B. Krakosky.


CGM Help Contents
CGM Translator Help Topics

Compatibility

Importing from CGM

Exporting to CGM

CGM Output Filter Setup Dialog Box

Creating a New Profile

New Profile Menu Dialog Box

INI File Settings

Limitations of the CGM File Format


CGM Export Setup Dialog Box
CGM Output Filter Setup Dialog Box

When you export a CGM file, you can click the Setup button for the CGM export translator to open the CGM Output Filter Setup dialog box.

Profiles

You can choose one of the many profiles for CGM export from the Profiles list box, depending on the format you want.

New Button

Click New to create a new profile. The New Profile Menu dialog box opens. Type a name in the Profile Name box, and choose an existing profile on which to base the new profile from the Template Profile list box. Your choices for color translation, line mode, text as curves, and gradients are saved to the new profile. Profiles you create are saved with an asterisk (*) at the beginning of the name.

Delete Button

To delete a profile you have created, choose the profile name in the Profiles list box and click the Delete button. You cannot delete the original profiles.

Color Translation

Choosing Normal exports all colors in the Designer drawing to the nearest available color in the CGM format. If you choose Inverse, black is changed to white, red is changed to green, blue is change to yellow, and so on.

Choose Gray Scale to change each color to a corresponding shade of gray. Choose Inverse Grays Only to change only the gray colors to their inverse color (that is, dark gray to light gray, light gray to dark gray). Choose Inverse Gray Scale to change all colors to their inverse shades of gray.

Line Mode

You can choose either Device or Stroked. When you choose Device, all exported lines are mapped and converted to the closest matching line style in the EPS format. Choosing Stroked exports all lines with an exact simulation of the original line styles, caps, and ends.

Export Text as Curves Option

This option lets you select whether you want text to be exported as text, or simulated by first converting the text to curves before it is exported. Text that is exported as text will lose special attributes such as line fills, and might map to a different font than the one selected. However, such text can still be edited.

Text that is exported as curves will retain the same appearance, but will not be able to be edited as text in the target application. Only text in a scalable font can be converted to curves.

Export Gradients Option

This option lets you select whether you wish gradient fills to be exported using a solid color (if deselected), or simulated by converting the gradient to many solid-filled polygons before it is exported (if selected). Exporting a gradient fill as a solid color saves disk space. Exporting a simulated gradient retains the same appearance, but uses more disk space.

OK Button

The OK button closes the CGM Output Filter Setup dialog box and saves the configuration settings for use with all following translations.

Cancel Button

The Cancel button closes the CGM Output Filter Setup dialog box without saving any changes to the configuration settings.

Related Topics

Procedure information

Compatibility

INI File Settings

Limitations of the CGM File Format


Exporting to CGM

To export to CGM:

1.	Select the symbols you want to export. If no symbols are selected, the entire page is exported.

2.	Open the File menu and choose Export. The Export dialog box opens.

3.	Choose a drive and directory for the exported files destination, if necessary.

4.	Type a name for the file.

5.	Click the down arrow in the List Files of Type list box.

6.	Choose CGM - Computer Graphics Metafile. Designer automatically adds the proper extension to the filename.

7.	Click Setup. The CGM Output Filter Setup dialog box opens.

8.	Choose the CGM profile you want.

9.	Choose the color translation you want.

10.	Choose the line mode you want.

11.	Choose Export Gradients, if necessary.

12.	Choose Export Text as Curves, if you want.

13.	Click OK.

14.	Click Export. Designer exports the file in CGM format.

Note: If you skip steps 7 through 13, Designer uses the settings previously used when exporting to a CGM file.

Related Topics

Dialog Box information

Compatibility

INI File Settings

Limitations of the CGM File Format


New Profile Menu Dialog Box

The New Profile Menu dialog box lets you name a new profile and select an existing profile on which to base the new one.

Profile Name

You can type a name in the Profile Name box.

Template Profile

You can choose an existing profile name from the Template Profile list box (including ones you have already created) on which to base your new profile.

Related Topics

Creating a New Profile

CGM Output Filter Setup Dialog Box


Creating a New Profile

To create a new profile:

1.	Click the New button in the CGM Output Filter Setup dialog box. The New Profile Menu dialog box opens.

2.	Type a new profile name in the Profile Name box.

3.	Choose a profile from the Template Profile list box to use as a template.

4.	Click OK.

5.	Choose other settings in the CGM Output Filter Setup dialog box and click OK.

Note: All the settings you choose, except for the check box options Export Gradients and Export Text as Curves, are saved to the new profile.

Related Topics

New Profile Menu Dialog Box

CGM Output Filter Setup Dialog Box


Importing from CGM

To import a CGM file:

1.	Open the File menu and choose Import. The Import dialog box opens.

2.	Click the down arrow in the List Files of Type list box.

3.	Choose CGM - Computer Graphics Metafile.

4.	Change to the drive and directory you want.

5.	Highlight the name of the file you want to import.

6.	Click Import. The dialog box closes and the imported file appears in the drawing area.

Related Topics

Compatibility

INI File Settings

Limitations of the CGM File Format


Export Profile Considerations

Applause II

Applause II does not support Character Spacing.

Lotus Freelance Plus

Lotus Freelance Plus does not support the following CGM elements:

Append Text

Auxiliary Color

Cell Array

Character Expansion

Pattern Size

Pattern Table

Restricted Text

Sheer (UpVector)

Text Path

A CGM file exported using the Freelance Plus profile has a limited 12-color table and no support for background color.

MIL-D-28003 (CALS) and MIL-D-28003A (CALS)

The CALS 3 and 3A specifications support only four fonts.

Related Topics

Exporting to CGM

CGM Output Filter Setup Dialog Box


CGM Compatibility

CGM Color Support

Freelance 2.0 reads RGB color values correctly; however, Freelance 3.0 is printer dependent and does not dither colors--it maps colors to a close match.

CGM background colors are not supported by Harvard Graphics. When importing a file into Harvard, change the background color to what it was in the originating application. Otherwise, you may not be able to see symbols with colors which are the same color as the background, because Harvard's default screen color is black.

Size Limitations

When PageMaker and Pixie import CGM files, they first convert the CGM file to WMF (Windows Metafile Format). PageMaker and Pixie cannot accept WMF files that are larger than 64K. Therefore, CGM files larger than approximately 64K may not load into PageMaker or Pixie.

Scaling and Harvard

When importing a CGM file into Harvard Graphics, translated symbols may appear smaller than they were in the original program; this is how Harvard Graphics works. You will have to resize the image to the size you want.

Points in CGM Files

Harvard Graphics limits the number of points in a polygon or polyline to 200. When you run Harvard's META2HG utility, if there are too many points, you receive a warning message that there are too many points, and the symbol was reduced to 200 points. Therefore, you may need to use a lower Curve Quality setting to avoid having a polygon with too many points to be loaded.

Related Topics

INI File Settings

Limitations of the CGM File Format


Limitations of the CGM File Format

Gradient Simulation

The Export Gradients option in the CGM Export Setup dialog box lets you choose how gradients are translated to the CGM file.

Related Topics

Compatibility

INI File Settings


INI File Settings

The CGM translator stores configuration information in the files named IMCGM9.INI and EMCGM9.INI, for CGM import and export settings, respectively. CGM export options are automatically configured in the CGM Output Filter Setup dialog box.

Related Topics

Compatibility

Limitations of the CGM File Format