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N O R T H C A D - 3 D Version 4.2 Shareware Release User Manual Copyright (c) 1987-1991 The Quest Company ------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 2 Introduction 2 System Requirements 3 Disk Contents INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE PROGRAM 3 Installing NorthCAD-3D: Floppy Disk Systems Hard Disk Systems 5 Program Configuration HOW TO OPERATE THE PROGRAM 6 Using The Menus 6 Keyboard Reference REGISTERED USERS 7 Version 8 Features 11 Registration Form 3D DESIGN: THE BASIC CONCEPTS 12 3D Space: The Drawing Environment 12 Cursor Movement On The Drawing Planes 12 Drawing Planes And Your Viewpoint 13 Automatic Drawing Plane Selection COMMANDS AND OPERATION 13 The NORTHCAD.N3D File 14 Command Reference APPENDICES AND INDEX 32 Appendix A: Drawing Specifications 33 Appendix B: Error Messages 35 Index Page 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- * INTRODUCTION AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS * ----------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION ------------ Welcome to NorthCAD-3D! NorthCAD-3D is a design and modeling program that enables you to create, view, and edit three-dimensional objects and images. The program is completely menu driven, easy to learn and use, and features versatile commands with primary emphasis on conceptual design and illustration. NorthCAD-3D also features the ability to create drawings from any viewpoint around your drawing, and uses a simultaneous command architecture that allows you to use several viewpoint commands even during the drawing functions. Included with the program are a number of sample files that help illustrate the program's capabilities for both conceptual design and graphic arts applications. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ------------------- NorthCAD-3D Version 4.2 requires the following: IBM PC, XT, AT, 386, 486, PS/2, or 100% Compatible MS-DOS or PC-DOS 3.0 or later Two Floppy Disk Drive or Hard Disk 512K RAM CGA Mode - Color Graphics Adapter and Color Monitor. EGA Mode - Enhanced Graphics Adapter and EGA Color Monitor. VGA Mode - VGA display adapter and VGA Color Monitor. Optional: 8087/80287/80387 Math Coprocessors supported. (3 to 10 fold speed enhancement if present) Notes Printing your drawings using only the Shareware release will require a memory resident screen printing utility. Screen Capture Programs can also be used to import drawings into several Paint Programs. Page 2 DISK CONTENTS ------------- Filename Description NORTHCAD.EXE The NorthCAD-3D Program NORTHCAD.CFG Configuration File MANUAL.DOC Version 4.2 Users Manual README.DOC Printing instructions for the manual REGFORM.DOC Duplicate User Registration Form NORTHCAD.N3D Drawing template file FBPLANE.N3D Illustration file (tutorial file) LRPLANE.N3D Illustration file (tutorial file) TBPLANE.N3D Illustrated file (tutorial file) TEMPLE.N3D A Greek temple (sample file) PYRAMIDS.N3D Pyramids (sample file) STATION.N3D Space Station (sample file) BUILDING.N3D Small boutique style building (sample file) OFFICE.N3D Large office building (sample file) GAZEBO.N3D Backyard Gazebo (sample file) ----------------------------------------------------------------- * * INSTALLING AND SETTING UP THE PROGRAM * * ----------------------------------------------------------------- INSTALLING NORTHCAD-3D ---------------------- The following installation procedures contain the instructions for setting up the NorthCAD-3D program for Floppy Disk or Hard Disk operation. FLOPPY DISK SYSTEM Format Two (2) Floppy Disks. Insert the NorthCAD-3D Shareware Disk into Drive A, and a newly formatted diskette into Drive B. At the DOS prompt, enter the following commands: A> COPY NORTHCAD.EXE B: A> COPY NORTHCAD.CFG B: These are the two main program files needed to run NorthCAD-3D. Once they have been copied to your "new working program disk" in Drive B, remove the disk from Drive B, and insert the other newly formatted disk into Drive B. (Do not place a write protect label on your working program Disk.) At the DOS prompt, enter the following. A> COPY *.N3D B: Page 3 This will copy the Drawing Template File (NORTHCAD.N3D) and all the sample files to the disk in Drive B. When completed, remove the Shareware program disk from Drive A, and store it for safe keeping. Now place your new working program disk into Drive A. The installation of the program disks are complete, you are now ready to start the program and configure it to your system. At the DOS prompt, enter the following: A> NORTHCAD NorthCAD-3D will now be loaded into memory. When the opening menu is displayed, proceed to the section below titled: CONFIGURATION. HARD DISK SYSTEM To run NorthCAD-3D from your hard disk, it is suggested that you first create a subdirectory for the NorthCAD-3D program files. From this new directory containing the program files, create another subdirectory that will contain your Drawing files. This will help keep your hard disk organized, and make it easier to selectively backup or copy the drawing files you create. Procedure Be sure you are in the root directory of your hard disk. C> CD\ Next, create a subdirectory for the NorthCAD-3D program files: C> MD NORTHCAD Go to this new directory and create another subdirectory: C> CD NORTHCAD C> MD DRAWINGS While still in the NORTHCAD directory, insert the NorthCAD-3D Shareware Disk into Drive A, and issue the following commands: C> COPY A:NORTHCAD.EXE C: C> COPY A:NORTHCAD.CFG C: These are the two main program files needed to run NORTHCAD-3D. Once they have been copied to your Hard Disk, go to your new DRAWINGS subdirectory: C> CD DRAWINGS Page 4 And, copy all of the sample files (and the Drawing Template file NORTHCAD.N3D) from the Shareware program disk to this subdirectory: C> COPY A:*.N3D C: When completed, remove the Shareware program disk from Drive A, and store it for safe keeping. The installation of the program files are complete. You are now ready to start the program and configure it to your system. Go back to the NORTHCAD directory: C> CD C:\NORTHCAD and issue the following command to start the program: C> NORTHCAD NorthCAD-3D will now load into memory. When the opening menu is displayed, proceed to the section below titled: CONFIGURATION. CONFIGURATION ------------- Your Graphics Display Adapter: NorthCAD-3D supports the three standard IBM graphics adapters: CGA, EGA, and VGA. Using the cursor keys, move the menu selector to the menu option: GRAPHICS MODE CONFIGURATION, and press ENTER. A submenu will appear, and display a menu option for each of the Display adapters mentioned above. Select the menu option for the Display adapter you have installed in your system. (MCGA users, select the CGA option). Once you have selected an option, you are returned to the Main Menu. Your Drawing File Disk or Directory: NorthCAD-3D allows you to specify any disk drive or directory for the storage of your drawing files. Select the menu option: FILE DIRECTORY CONFIGURATION. You are now prompted to enter the Disk Drive or Directory for your drawing files. If you are using a Floppy Disk system where Drive A contains the NorthCAD-3D program, and Drive B the drawing files disk, then simply enter: B: If you are using a Hard Disk, and you have installed the program as described above in the Hard Disk Installation procedure, then enter the following: C:\NORTHCAD\DRAWINGS Page 5 Saving the configurations: To save your current system configurations, so NorthCAD-3D can use them each time the program is started, select SAVE CURRENT CONFIGURATION from the menu. A pop-up display box will show your current settings. Select YES to save the configurations. The program is now installed, configured, and ready to be used to create or view 3-D images. ----------------------------------------------------------------- * * * HOW TO OPERATE THE PROGRAM * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------- USING THE MENUS --------------- COMMAND MENUS: Using the UP and DOWN cursor keys, position the menu selector to the desired menu option and press ENTER. On the Main Menu, the selector is a highlight bar, and on the graphics menus, the selector consists of a pointer that moves along both sides of the menu. Program operations that prompt you to select a filename, or enter input from the keyboard, may be cancelled by simply pressing ESCAPE. FILE DIRECTORY MENUS: One other type of menu used in the program is the File Directory Menu. This menu lists the drawing files you have on disk when you select the 3D MODELING menu option. The screen displays the name of the file, its size in bytes, and the date and time it was last saved. If you have any files in the directory, or on the disk, they will be listed here on the screen. The File Directory Menu may contain a maximum of 400 files. If you need to "page" through the directory display, you may use the PGUP, PGDN, HOME, and END keys to move through the listing. The UP and DOWN keys can also be used to scroll through the listing. KEYBOARD REFERENCE ------------------ F1 - Filename input (text) F2 - Previous Viewpoint On-Line Reference (graphics) F3 - Left View F4 - Right View F5 - Top View F6 - Front View F7 - Perspective (Ver8 only) F8 - Axes Grid F9 - Units/Degrees F10 - Redraw F11 - Coordinate Type F12 - Cursor Type Page 6 CURSOR KEYS HOME, PGUP, PGDN, UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT Moves the graphics cursor during the Drawing commands. Moves your viewpoint during the XYZ VP and PAN-ZOOM commands. LEFT, RIGHT Cycles the color palette during the COLOR-FORE command. CHARACTER KEYS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, +, - During PAN-ZOOM, jumps to or increments the Zoom Factor. . (period punctuation key) Executes the Snap-to-nearest-point function when using any of the LINES or editing LN commands. D During any of the Drawing commands, toggles the selection of one of the three Drawing Planes. P or Z Activates the PAN-ZOOM command. R During PAN-ZOOM command, resets Pan and Zoom to Normal. O Coordinate display type, Absolute or Relative. (Same as F11) T Cursor type, Target or Full Screen Cursor. (Same as F12) ESCAPE Where appropriate, cancels a command, exits a drawing or editing command, or cancels an input prompt. ----------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * REGISTERED USERS * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------- NorthCAD-3D Version 4.2 is a shareware program designed to introduce the principles of 3D graphics. A far more advanced level release of NorthCAD-3D, Version 8, is sent to users who contribute a registration fee to help support its production and development costs. Version 8 incorporates a full set of professional-level 3D design tools which include the following: Page 7 MORE DRAWING COMMANDS --------------------- Circles, Arcs, Polygons, Surfaces, Curves, and B-Spline Curve fitting commands. NEW SURFACE MODELING COMMANDS ----------------------------- Automatic 2D to 3D surface extrusions with user selectable relative, or absolute, distances along any axis. For example, a 2D floor plan can be turned instantly into a 3-dimensional house as NorthCAD-3D automatically extends the floor plan into surfaces to create walls. Automatic 2D to 3D circular extrusions with user selectable degrees of revolution and surface sections. NorthCAD-3D automatically performs circular extrusions on 2D contours to create cylindrical objects - everything from spheres, cones, to elaborate circular objects can be created. Options also include horizontal and vertical expansion whereby complex cylindrical objects such as coils and springs can also be created automatically. Mold and reshape objects into other shapes using a command that allows the interactive repositioning of surfaces vertices. Users can specify the movement of just one specific surface vertex, or all vertices and line endpoints common to the same coordinate can be moved simultaneously. It's like pushing and pulling an object into another shape. ADVANCED VIEWING OPTIONS ------------------------ Version 8 colors your imagination. The surface rendering feature automatically "paints" each surface in a drawing, transforming wire-frame drawings into completely painted scenes of solid models. Options include the rendering of surfaces with or without edge highlighting, and the rendering of scenes using the viewport or the entire screen. When rendering to the viewport, access to the COLORS MENU is available to instantly change color palettes while the completed rendering is displayed on the screen - giving users the ability to experiment with different colors for mood, lighting, or seasonal effects. Automatic Hidden Line and Surface Removal can be performed which dramatically enhances the clarity of scenes, and displays your drawing in "solid" form. As in reality, only those lines, or line segments, visible from your viewpoint and not blocked by surfaces will be displayed. These enhanced views may also be output to a plotter, or exported in either DXF or HPGL format for use in other programs. Automatic 3-Point Perspective display. Turn On Perspective Mode and your drawing will be displayed in 3-Point Perspective. And because NorthCAD-3D maintains a true 3D database on every entity in a drawing (including, circles, curves, and text), everything in your drawing will be adjusted for full visual realism. Page 8 MANIPULATE OBJECTS INDEPENDENTLY -------------------------------- Objects and/or Groups of objects can be controlled independently. Version 8 allows the designation of up to 100 different objects in each drawing! They can be Moved, Scaled, Edited, and even Rotated to any angle you desire, enabling users to control the exact location and orientation of any object in a drawing. No control points to set or manual input required - the commands have all been optimized for fast interactive control through the menu. And when needed, even the names of your objects appear directly in the menu - picking the object you want to manipulate is as easy as selecting a command. Copy, and Mirror Copy, commands are also included to quickly, and effortlessly, create duplicate objects. GRAPHICS LIBRARY SUPPORT ------------------------ Objects or shapes can be saved to disk and later merged into drawings whenever needed, saving valuable design time by never having to recreate objects. COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER PROGRAMS --------------------------------- NorthCAD-3D is designed to integrate easily into your current and future design system. Drawings or Views can be exported to other CAD and Desktop Publishing software via HPGL, PCX, or DXF file formats. Additionally, DXF files created from 2D CAD programs can also be imported into Version 8, where the surface extrusion commands can turn your 2D drawing into a 3D image automatically. ADDITIONAL EDITING COMMANDS --------------------------- Erase Last and Undo Last commands give you one key operation to erase or restore any entity (circle, lines, curves, etc.) that has just been drawn or erased. TEXT ---- Version 8 will automatically generate text for any character, word, or phrase input by the user (1-40 characters at a time). The text is created using individual line segments and can be manipulated just like any other object in 3D space. MOUSE SUPPORT ------------- Mouse support is included (Microsoft Mouse compatibles). PLOTTER SUPPORT --------------- Hewlett Packard and Houston Instrument Plotters are supported to provide high quality hardcopy output. Other plotters, or output devices, using either the Hewlett Packard HP-GL or the Houston Instrument DM/PL command languages are also supported. Page 9 PRINTER SUPPORT --------------- 190 printers are currently supported, including HP LaserJet and compatibles. Portrait or Landscape page orientation can be used. Also features the use of patterns and gray-scales to represent solid colors in drawings that have been displayed using Version 8's surface rendering command. LAYOUT MODULE ------------- Create customized layouts using multiple views of your drawings - all on a single page or screen. Layout views can be saved while you're working in the 3D Modeling program. Layouts can contain not only multiple views from one drawing, but also from many other drawings as well. As with the 3D Modeling program, the Layout module contains full plot and printing capability, as well as file export functions. AND MORE -------- A 170 page printed manual is included with the Version 8 program, and contains illustrations and a tutorial. Installation is easy, it comes with its' own installation program. Free Technical Support is provided to registered users only. Additionally, registered users receive information on all future updates as they become available. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTERED USER RELEASE ----------------------------------------------- VERSION 8 REQUIRES A HARD DISK, and a system equipped with 640K. This differs from the v4.2 Shareware Release, which can run on floppy drive systems and requires only 512K. (Version 8 uses approximately 535K of RAM and 1 megabyte of disk space). How to become a registered user: By Mail: Fill out the registration form on the next page, and send it along with the Registration Fee to the address below. VISA and MASTERCARD are accepted. By Phone: The Registration Fee is payable by credit card. VISA and MASTERCARD are accepted. THE QUEST COMPANY 3117 W. Holland Ave. Fresno, CA 93722 Ph. (209) 222-5301 9:00 AM - 5 PM (Pacific Time Zone) Monday - Friday, except Holidays Page 10 REGISTRATION FORM NorthCAD-3D Registration $79.95 Package includes Version 8 Program Disks, Library Files, Sample Files, and Printed Manual. ADD Shipping and Handling: (check one) ______ U.S. destination - First Class Mail $ 5.00 ______ U.S. destination - UPS Ground $ 7.00 ______ U.S. destination - UPS Blue $ 9.00 ______ Canada/Mexico destination - AIR MAIL $ 7.00 ______ Foreign destination - AIR MAIL $15.00 _______ California Residents Only: ADD Sales Tax $5.20 _______ TOTAL .................... $_______ Payment may be by Check or Money Order in U.S. Dollars payable on a U.S. Bank. Make Check or Money Order payable to: The Quest Company. VISA and MASTERCARD is accepted. Sorry no C.O.D.'s. Purchase Orders must be accompanied with payment. Desired Disk Size: (Circle) 5 1/4 or 3 1/2 SHIP TO: Name: ___________________________________________________________ Company (if applicable) _________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ If payment is by VISA or MASTERCARD, please provide the following information: Card Number: ___________________________________ Exp. Date ______ Name as it appears on card _________________________________ Signature ____________________________________________ Daytime Telephone ____________________________ Page 11 ----------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * 3D DESIGN: THE BASIC CONCEPTS * * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3D SPACE: THE DRAWING ENVIRONMENT To create true three-dimensional images requires the ability to select points in 3D space. To identify these points (the end points for lines or surface vertices) a coordinate system is used that represents the point's location. The coordinate system must specify how far to the side, how close or far back, and how high or low the point is. A coordinate format of X,Y,Z identifies this location. The "X" represents the location from side to side (the X-Axis). The "Y" represents the location's length (the Y-Axis). And the "Z" represents the height or depth of the point (the Z-Axis). Together these three Axes form the three separate "Drawing Planes" that you can draw on, or through, when creating images. The planes are sometimes referred to as the X-Y Plane, the Y-Z Plane, and the X-Z plane. However, to make it easier and more understandable, NorthCAD-3D uses names for these Drawing Planes that in reality correspond to the sides of an image. They are the Left-Right Plane (the Y-Z Plane), the Front-Back Plane (the X-Z Plane), and the Top-Bottom Plane (the X-Y Plane). CURSOR MOVEMENT ON THE DRAWING PLANES When creating a drawing, you will be able to choose the Drawing Plane on which you want the graphics cursor to travel. Simply determine which side of your image the cursor must travel on to get to your desired location, and select that Drawing Plane. Drawing Planes can be selected while using the LINES command, and pressing the letter "D" on your keyboard. The current drawing plane is displayed below the "Model Menu." During the LINES command, the movement of the graphics cursor can be controlled by any of the cursor keys. Each time you press a cursor key, the graphics cursor will move to a new location. When the graphics cursor moves, it moves by a Drawing Unit increment that can be specified by using the F9 KEY. This allows you to set the movement of the graphics cursor to a specific scale. The F9 KEY can be activated whenever the LINES command is in use. The current drawing unit is displayed below the "Model Menu." DRAWING PLANES AND YOUR VIEWPOINT NorthCAD-3D is designed to allow the creation of images from any viewpoint. To accomplish this, NorthCAD-3D not only moves the graphics cursor on the current drawing plane in the direction of the cursor key, but also moves the graphics cursor in relation to your 3D viewpoint. Page 12 Included with the program are three tutorial illustration files. Each file illustrates one of the three drawing planes: The FBPLANE.N3D file shows the Front-Back Drawing plane. The LRPLANE.N3D file shows the Left-Right Drawing plane. The TBPLANE.N3D file shows the Top-Bottom Drawing plane. (For simplicity, only the Left, Right, Up, and Down cursor key directions are illustrated, but you may also use the Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn cursor keys to move the graphics cursor). When viewing the three tutorial illustration files, use the XYZ VP command to pick new viewpoints. Note the direction of the arrows - the arrows indicate the path the graphics cursor will take when either the Left, Right, Up, or Down, cursor key are pressed when using that particular drawing plane. ORTHOGRAPHIC VIEWPOINT KEYS AND AUTO DRAWING PLANE SELECTION NorthCAD-3D has also been designed to automatically select drawing planes for you, but ONLY WHEN USING THE ORTHOGRAPHIC VIEWPOINT KEYS (F3-F6). The drawing plane selected by NorthCAD-3D will be the one most associated with that particular viewpoint, i.e. Pressing F3 will change your viewpoint to the Left View and also switch the drawing plane to the "Left-Right" drawing plane - since that drawing plane would most likely be the one you wish to use from a Left View. (If you wish to use another drawing plane, you may still use the "D" key to switch the drawing plane - similar to drawing from an arbitrary 3-D viewpoint.) Also, using the F2 Key not only switches your viewpoint back to your "Previous 3D View," but also switches you back to the drawing plane you were using prior to using the F3-F6 Keys. * * * * * * * * * * * * Using the concepts described above, and trying out a drawing of your own, you will quickly discover how the correlation between the Drawing planes and your viewpoint, give you the freedom to accurately create images from any location in 3D space. More specific descriptions for each of the three drawing planes can be found in the command reference section. See the commands: LEFT- RIGHT, FRONT-BACK, and TOP-BOTTOM. THE NORTHCAD.N3D FILE --------------------- Whenever a new drawing is started, NorthCAD-3D automatically loads a template file to initialize the default settings for the new file. This file is called NORTHCAD.N3D. It is just like any other drawing file, and that's what makes it so useful. Page 13 If you find yourself always using certain settings, values, or color assignments, you can make changes to the file by: Loading the template file directly from the file directory menu, just like you do for other existing files. Make your desired changes to the settings. Then save the file, and exit back to the main menu. The next time you start a new drawing, the settings in the template file will be used to initialize the drawing. Note: If you change drawing disks or directories, be sure to copy the template file to the new directory or disk as well, it must remain accessible to the program when starting new drawings. ----------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * * COMMANDS AND OPERATION * * * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------- In the section that follows, detailed descriptions of each command used in NorthCAD-3D Version 4.2 are listed in alphabetical order. 3D MODELING ----------- Summary: Starts a new 3D Modeling session. Menu(s): MAIN Procedure To begin a new drawing, or view and edit an existing one, the 3D MODELING command will list all the files in the Drawings Directory. Move the menu selector to the name of the file you wish to edit or view. If you want to begin a new drawing, press the F1 KEY and input a new filename. Do not include the ".N3D" filename extension. Following the selection or input of a filename, the program will switch to graphics mode. If you entered a new filename, the default drawing settings in the file NORTHCAD.N3D are loaded. Once the Model Menu appears, you are free to begin creating your new drawing. If you selected a file that already exists, the file will be loaded into memory and displayed. You can then begin selecting commands from the menu. Page 14 To end a graphics session and return to the opening menu, select MAIN MENU located at the bottom of the MODEL MENU. You will be prompted to confirm your choice to "Return to Main Menu." Select CANCEL if you wish to remain in graphics mode, or MAIN MENU to end the current graphics session. YOU CAN NOT SAVE YOUR DRAWING FROM THE MAIN MENU, SO BE SURE TO SAVE YOUR FILE BEFORE SELECTING "MAIN MENU" See Also: SAVE FILE, and Section: THE NORTHCAD.N3D FILE COLOR-BACK ---------- Summary: Displays the Background Color Menu. Menu(s): COLORS Procedure The Background Color Menu displays 16 colors (0-15). Next to each color number is a color block so you can see which color is currently set to each background color number. If you are using an EGA or VGA system, selecting a color will immediately redraw your drawing with the new background color. After selecting your background color number, you will return to the Colors Menu. EXPANDING THE BACKGROUND COLOR CHOICES Even though you have only 16 background colors to choose from, with NorthCAD-3D you can still use any one of the 64 colors (0- 63) as a background. For example, suppose you choose color number 12 and your drawing is redrawn but the colors don't look quite right. On the Colors Menu, select COLOR-FORE. When the Foreground Color Menu appears, move the menu selector down to color number 12 and press ENTER. This will activate the palette selector. Using the LEFT or RIGHT cursor keys will allow you to instantly change the background color. You can now cycle through all 64 colors and choose the background color that looks best with your drawing. When you find it, just press ENTER. Your background color is now set, and you can return to the Model Menu by selecting CANCEL. CGA users: The COLOR-BACK command is primarily for use with EGA and VGA display systems. However access to the Background Color Menu will allow you to reset the background color number to 0 if you have obtained drawing files that were created on EGA or VGA displays. If you load a file or perform a screen redraw while using a background color number other than 0, the screen will appear all white (white lines on a white background). If this happens, simply use the COLOR-BACK command and select color number: 0. Page 15 COLOR BARS ---------- Summary: Full Screen display of current colors. EGA and VGA display systems only. Menu(s): COLORS Procedure Selecting COLOR BARS will clear the entire screen and display all 16 colors (0-15) from the current palette selection. This screen allows you to better judge the range of colors you are currently working with. To resume the program, press any key and the graphics viewport and Colors Menu will be redisplayed. COLOR-FORE ---------- Summary: Allows you to set each foreground color to any one of 64 colors. Menu(s): COLORS Procedure The Foreground Color Menu displays 16 colors (0-15). The color numbers are listed, and next to each color number is yet another number, this number corresponds to one of the EGA or VGA palette colors (0-63). Next to each palette color number is also a color block, so you can see which color is currently set to each color number. (EGA and VGA only) NorthCAD-3D always keeps the color Black assigned to color number 0, and is the only color number you can not change. The other 15 color numbers can be assigned any one of the 64 colors. To change a foreground color assignment, move the menu selector to the color number you want to change and press ENTER. A message will be displayed at the top of the screen informing you to use the RIGHT or LEFT cursor keys to cycle through the palette. Next to the message is a much larger color block, and in front of it, the number corresponding to one of the 64 colors (0-63). As you press the cursor key, the color block will change color and any line in your drawing using the selected color number (0- 15) will also change. When you find a color you like, press ENTER. You can now repeat the procedure for another color number, or return to another menu with CANCEL or COLORS. You may also press ESCAPE during the palette cycling process to restore the original color assignment you had before. Page 16 NorthCAD-3D uses color number 13 for the viewport border, number 14 for the menu and setting titles, and number 15 for messages and the menu pointers. Feel free to reassign their colors. See Also: COLOR-BACK, NEW COLOR DP B&W ------ Summary: Clears the menu from the display and temporarily redraws your drawing in full screen mode using a White background and Black lines. Menu(s): VIEW Procedure DP B&W redraws your currently selected view without a menu or message area by using the entire screen as the drawing viewport. The program displays your drawing with Black lines on a White background to better simulate the way your drawing might appear in a Desktop Publishing program, or how it will appear when printed. To end the DP B&W command, press any key, and the viewport redraws and returns you back to the View Menu. See Also: FULL SCRN ERASE ALL --------- Summary: To erase the entire drawing from memory. Menu(s): MODEL Procedure After selecting the command, a confirmation menu will appear. YES will erase every line from the drawing and set the drawing up as though it were a new file. This command erases only the data in memory, not the data that may still be stored on disk. Therefore, until the SAVE FILE command is executed, the disk file will remain unchanged. ERASE LN -------- Summary: Allows you to pick a line or surface to erase. Menu(s): MODEL Procedure Page 17 After selecting the command, Position the cursor on, or very near, the line or edge of the surface you want to erase and press Enter. The program will then highlight the line in the editing line style. The message: "Line selected. Return selects, ESC exits, any other key continues." will then be displayed. You can either cancel the erase procedure by pressing ESCAPE, or you can erase the currently highlighted line by pressing ENTER. Additionally, by pressing any other key, you can instruct the routine to continue evaluating the rest of your drawing for the "next" line that is also close to the cursor. If the graphics cursor is not close enough to a line, the routine will simply scan through the database and return program control to the Model Menu. If you are editing among a tightly grouped area of lines, you may wish to use the ZOOM or SNAP-PT commands to position the cursor more precisely. See Also: PAN-ZOOM, PICK LN, SNAP-PT F1 KEY ------ Summary: On-line Keyboard Reference. And is also used on the File Display screens for entering new filenames. Menu(s): Nearly all. Procedure IN GRAPHICS MODE Clears the graphics viewport, and displays a listing of keyboard commands. There are two pages (screens) you can review. Page 1 displays the Function Keys usage, and Page 2 displays character key usage. To return back to graphics operation, press Escape. The F1 Key command can also be activated "during" any of the drawing commands. ON THE FILE DISPLAY SCREEN On file operations which ask you to select or enter a filename, the F1 Key is used to initiate the "enter" routine. After pressing F1, the cursor bar is removed from the file listing display, and an input prompt appears on the top row of the screen. You can then enter a new filename. If you change your mind, press Escape, and the cursor bar will reappear on the list of files. Page 18 F2 KEY ------ Summary: Redraws your drawing using the last XYZ VP command viewpoint. Menu(s): Nearly all. Procedure The viewport is cleared, and your drawing is redrawn using the rotation and tip values of your last selected XYZ VP viewpoint (the viewpoint selected from the XYZ VP command). This Function Key command can be used to return to your Previous 3D Viewpoint after having used one of the four Orthographic Views. You can use this command even during the drawing commands, which gives you the versatility for example, to jump from view to view, and then back to your 3D View. This command also sets the previous Drawing Plane that was last selected or used from this 3D Viewpoint. See Also: F3-F6 KEYS, XYZ VP F3-F6 KEYS ---------- Summary: Selects an Orthographic Viewpoint, and automatically selects a Drawing Plane for the view. Menu(s): Nearly all. Procedure The viewport is cleared and your drawing is redrawn using one of the preset Orthographic Views. The views are assigned to a separate Function Key as follows: F3 LEFT VIEW F4 RIGHT VIEW F5 TOP VIEW F6 FRONT VIEW You can use this command even during the drawing commands. If a drawing command is in use, you can use this command to assist you in the positioning of the graphics cursor more quickly and precisely, since you can jump from one view to another. Also, using the F3-F6 Keys automatically selects the Drawing Plane that is most likely to be used at such a view. For example, when the F3 Key is pressed, the Drawing Plane will be switched to LEFT-RIGHT, whereas if the F6 Key is pressed, the Drawing Plane will become FRONT-BACK. Page 19 (If needed, you can also override the drawing plane selection by using the "D" key). Orthographic Views are also useful when you are positioning an image with the MOVE command. To return to a Previous 3D Viewpoint and Drawing Plane use the F2 KEY. See Also: F2 KEY, XYZ VP F8 KEY ------ Summary: Toggles the display of an Axes Grid ON and OFF. Menu(s): Nearly all. Procedure If Axes Grid is OFF, it is now turned ON and your drawing is redrawn with the Axes Grid. If Axes Grid is ON, it is now turned OFF and your drawing is redrawn without the Axes Grid. The Axes Grid is created by drawing a line along each Axes (X- Axis, Y-Axis, and Z-Axis) and is useful when aligning your drawing to the center of the rotation point located at (0,0,0). Notes PLAN VIEW temporarily turns the Axes Grid OFF when drawing the four views. See Also: MOVE F9 KEY ------ Summary: Allows the specification of Drawing Units, or Degrees, during the commands that use these increments. Menu(s): NONE. Active only during the corresponding command operation. Procedure DURING THE DRAWING OR EDITING COMMANDS Used to specify the distance the graphics cursor will move each time you press a cursor key. The F9 KEY is pressed while the LINES command is being used. Page 20 The Draw Menu displays your Drawing Units down in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Pressing F9 will suspend the LINES command and allow you to enter a new drawing unit in the range of 1 to 500. After specifying your new drawing unit, you will then resume with the LINES command. If you wish to cancel the F9 command, press Escape. DURING THE XYZ VP COMMAND While rotating the XYZ VP Axes, you may find that you would like to change the degree of rotation the Axes moves each time. The F9 KEY can be used to specify a new degree increment. You can specify a degree within the range of 1 to 45. The current Degree increment is displayed on the right-hand side of the screen. Pressing F9 will suspend the XYZ VP command and allow you to enter a new degree increment. After specifying your new increment, you will then resume with the XYZ VP command. If you wish to cancel the F9 command, press Escape. F10 KEY ------- Summary: Clears the viewport and Redraws your drawing. Menu(s): Nearly all. Procedure The viewport is cleared, and your drawing is redrawn. Redraw does not perform any rotation, tip, or perspective calculations and therefore redraws the screen much faster than the XYZ VP command. F11 KEY ------- Summary: Toggles the use of either Absolute or Relative coordinate display. Menu(s): NONE. Active only during the LINES command. Procedure When entering the graphics editor, the cursor coordinates are displayed in "Absolute" coordinates. These coordinates specify the exact position of the graphics cursor in your drawing. Another method of tracking the position of the graphics cursor is through the use of "Relative" coordinates. With this method, the display of coordinates indicate the "distance from the last point entered." This assists you in drawing entities to a specific size, by simply checking the coordinate display to see the value differences from each point. Page 21 Pressing the F11 Key, or the "O" Key, while using the LINES command, enables you to switch between the use of either Absolute and Relative coordinate display. F12 KEY ------- Summary: Toggles the display of either the Target Graphics Cursor or the Full Screen Cross Hairs Cursor. Menu(s): NONE. Active only during the LINES command. Can also be activated by the "T" character key. Procedure While using the LINES command, or the editing LN commands, the current X,Y,Z coordinate position on the screen is marked by the graphics cursor. There are two types of graphics cursors available in the program. The selection of which one to use depends solely on your own preference. The TARGET CURSOR appears as a small cross on the screen, the vertical and horizontal alignment are always the same no matter which drawing plane you are working on. The FULL SCREEN CURSOR is a set of cross hairs, and the vertical and horizontal alignment "are always in relation to your 3D viewpoint and your current drawing plane." The cross hairs extend in each direction to the end of 3D space at +-7000 units. When using this cursor type from 3D viewpoints, drawing plane orientation is visually reinforced, because both the vertical and horizontal cursor directions are indicated by the alignment of the cross hairs. FRONT-BACK ---------- Summary: Selects the drawing plane that is associated with the Front or Back Side of your drawing. (the X-Z Plane) Menu(s): NONE. Selected during the LINES command using the "D" key, or by using the F6 KEY. Procedure While using the LINES or editing commands from a 3D viewpoint, you can switch your drawing plane to Front-Back using the "D" character key. Additionally, using the F6 KEY will also select the Front-Back Drawing Plane automatically. The last message displayed below the Model Menu indicates your current drawing plane. Page 22 The Front-Back drawing plane will cause any subsequent movement of the graphics cursor to move in relation to this plane and your viewpoint. The LEFT and RIGHT cursor keys will move the graphics cursor along the "Width" of your drawing (the X-Axis), while the UP and DOWN cursor keys will move the graphics cursor along the "Height" of your drawing (the Z-Axis). The current Y coordinate value (the location along your drawing's length) will be locked in place as you draw on the Front-Back Plane. (To move along the length of your drawing, you can use the LEFT-RIGHT or TOP-BOTTOM drawing plane). See Also: LEFT-RIGHT, TOP-BOTTOM, F6 KEY FULL SCRN --------- Summary: The FULL SCREEN command clears the menu from the display, and temporarily redraws your drawing using the entire screen. Menu(s): VIEW Procedure FULL SCREEN redraws your currently selected view without a menu or message area by using the entire screen as the drawing viewport. The program is paused temporarily, and pressing any key will reset the viewport and return you back to the View Menu. To end the FULL SCREEN command, press any key, and the viewport redraws and returns you back to the View Menu. See Also: DP B&W, PAN-ZOOM LEFT-RIGHT ---------- Summary: Selects the drawing plane that is associated with the Left or Right Side of your drawing. (the Y-Z Plane) Menu(s): NONE. Selected during the LINES command using the "D" key, or by using the F3 KEY or F4 KEY. Procedure While using the LINES or edit LN commands from a 3D viewpoint, you can switch your drawing plane to Left-Right using the "D" character key. Additionally, using the F3 KEY or the F4 KEY will also select the Left-Right Drawing Plane automatically. Page 23 The last message displayed below the Model Menu indicates your current drawing plane. The Left-Right drawing plane will cause any subsequent movement of the graphics cursor to move in relation to this plane and your viewpoint. The LEFT and RIGHT cursor keys will move the graphics cursor along the "Length" of your drawing (the Y-Axis), while the UP and DOWN cursor keys will move the graphics cursor along the "Height" of your drawing (the Z-Axis). The current X coordinate value (the location along your drawing's width) will be locked in place as you draw on the Left-Right Plane. (To move along the width of your drawing, you can use the FRONT-BACK or TOP-BOTTOM drawing plane). See Also: FRONT-BACK, TOP-BOTTOM, F3 and F4 KEYS LINES ----- Summary: Used for drawing lines in your drawing. Menu(s): MODEL Procedure When using the LINES command, you will first be prompted to "Set starting point for line(s)." Move the graphics cursor to the desired location and then press ENTER. The prompt "Set next point for line(s)." will then be displayed. During the positioning of the second point, and the next series of points, a line will be drawn by stretching it from its starting point to the current location of the graphics cursor. When you have drawn a line to the position you want, press ENTER. The line number displayed with the X, Y, Z coordinates will advance by one, indicating the line you will be working on next (your actual line count will be one less). You may have a maximum total of 3000 lines per drawing file. After pressing ENTER, you remain in the line drawing mode and can continue drawing more lines. To stop drawing, press ESCAPE. If you ESCAPE before selecting your line with ENTER, the unselected line will be erased and the cursor will move back to the last starting point, you will then return to the Model Menu. Displayed below the Model Menu is the current Drawing Unit, the increment the graphics cursor will move each time you press a cursor key. You can change this value by using the F9 KEY while the LINES commands. Page 24 The center of 3D drawing space is at X, Y, Z coordinate: 0, 0, 0 and the drawing space extends 7,000 units in each direction. You should try to keep your drawing boundaries between -3000 to +3000, since this is the maximum size of the viewport. See Also: LEFT-RIGHT, FRONT-BACK, TOP-BOTTOM, F10 KEY, SNAP-PT MOVE ---- Summary: Displays the Move Menu, where you can reposition your drawing in 3D space. Menu(s): MODEL Procedure The current Move Unit is displayed below the Move Menu. You can move your drawing, LEFT and RIGHT (X-Axis), FORWARD and BACKWARD (Y-Axis), and UP and DOWN (Z-Axis). Choosing any of these six directions causes the drawing to be recalculated and displayed in the new position. The distance of movement can be set by selecting either 200, 500 or 1000 units from the menu, or by using the SPECIFY command to enter your own increment in the range of 1-3000 drawing units. Notes The program calculates your viewpoint using the center coordinate 0,0,0. Centering your drawing with the MOVE command allows your drawing to have an equal rotation and tip transformation. Using Orthographic Views such as a front and side views, (F3-F6 KEYS) will help center your drawing. Selecting SCALE from this menu, allows you to jump directly to the SCALE menu. See Also: SCALE, F3-F6 KEYS, F8 KEY, F10 KEY NEW COLOR --------- Summary: To select a new line color for drawing. Menu(s): COLORS Procedure The Line Color Menu displays all 16 (0-15) colors that are available for use in your drawing. Color blocks will appear next to each color number on EGA and VGA systems. Page 25 Select the color in which you want your next line or lines to be drawn. This color will remain in effect until you select a new color. After choosing a new line color, you will return directly to the Model Menu. Use the COLOR-FORE command to change the palette color associated with any of the line colors. PAN-ZOOM -------- Summary: To Pan or Zoom the graphics viewport. From nearly any menu, and as part of NorthCAD-3D's simultaneous command architecture, you can also activate PAN-ZOOM "during" any drawing or editing command. PAN-ZOOM allows you to move your viewpoint (PAN), or enlarge the view of your drawing (Zoom). Pressing either the "Z" or "P" keys activates the command. To exit the PAN-ZOOM command, press ESCAPE. ZOOM There are 8 Zoom Levels that can be selected. While the Pan and Zoom Mode is Active, you can move from one Zoom Level to the next by pressing the "+" key for "Zoom In" and the "-" key for "Zoom Out." You can also jump to various Zoom Levels by pressing any of the numeric keys 1 thru 8. This lets you to jump, for example, from Level 2 to Level 7 at the touch of a key. Zoom Level 1 is normal while Zoom Level 8 is maximum enlargement. PAN Using the cursor keys, you can "Pan" the display of your drawing. Like the XYZ VP command, you are moving your viewpoint not the drawing itself. Press the cursor key for the appropriate direction you want "your viewpoint moved." The Pan increment is controlled dynamically by the program, and will Pan your viewpoint by One-Third the distance of the graphics viewport on each press of a cursor key. The increment is also based on your current Zoom Level, and will therefore eliminate any possibility of Panning in too large an increment. If you attempt to Pan farther than the limits of "3D space," the program will simply sound a short "Beep" and will not continue to pan farther than is possible. Notes While in the Pan and Zoom Mode, pressing "R" will Reset both Pan and Zoom to Normal settings. Pan and Zoom settings remain in effect even when redrawing your drawing after using the XYZ VP command. Your viewpoint may therefore appear to have shifted after using the XYZ VP command. Page 26 PICK LN ------- Summary: Allows you to pick a line for editing. (for instance to change its' color with the CHG LINE color command). Menu(s): MODEL Procedure After selecting PICK LN, position the cursor on, or very near, the line you want to select for editing. The program will then highlight the line in the editing line style. The message: "Line selected. Return selects, ESC exits, any other key continues." will then be displayed. You can either cancel the command by pressing ESCAPE, or you can pick the currently highlighted line by pressing ENTER. By pressing any other key, you can instruct the routine to continue evaluating the rest of your drawing for the "next" line that is also close to the cursor. Notes The command finds the first item in the database it believes is closest to the line you want to edit. If the graphics cursor is not close enough, the routine will simply scan through the database and return to the Model Menu. If you are editing among a tightly grouped area of lines, you may wish to use the ZOOM or SNAP-PT commands to position the cursor more precisely. See Also: ERASE LN PLAN VIEW --------- Summary: Simultaneously displays three Orthographic Views and your current 3D viewpoint using Full Screen Mode. Menu(s): VIEW Procedure The screen is cleared and is divided into four equal sections. In each section a different view of your drawing will be drawn. Three of the views are Orthographic Views, which are "straight on" views of your drawing. The fourth view will be the same view that was previously displayed when you selected this command. Top View Current 3D View Front View Right Side View Page 27 After viewing your drawing with PLAN VIEW, press any key and the viewport redraws and returns you back to the View Menu. Notes If the Axes Grid is ON, it will be temporarily turned OFF for this command. See Also: F3-F6 KEYS, XYZ VP SAVE FILE --------- Summary: Saves your drawing and current settings on disk. Menu(s): MODEL Procedure Your drawing is saved on disk. The file will have the name you specified when you started drawing or editing, and will have the .N3D filename extension. All the main drawing settings will also be saved, including the current drawing plane, graphics cursor location, and color palette information. After the file has been saved, press any key to continue. Notes Your drawing is saved as numerical data and not as a memory image of the screen. The size of the file will be directly related to the number of lines you have in your drawing. Should you ever create an 3D drawing with the maximum amount of lines, the file will probably require around 90K bytes of disk space. After each save, the program also displays the amount of Free Space available in your drawings directory. SCALE ----- Summary: To increase or decrease the size of your drawing, including scaling each Axis independently. Menu(s): MODEL Procedure The Scale Menu will appear and display the current Scale Factor and Scale Type below the menu. Page 28 To change your Scale Factor, select from the menu one of the following: .99, .95, .75, .50. A Scale Factor of .50 will cause the greatest amount of scaling occur, whereas a Scale Factor of .99 will cause the least. You may also use SPECIFY to enter your own Scale Factor between the range .1 - .99. ALL SIDES indicates you want to scale all the sides of your drawing equally by the same factor, and at the same time. HEIGHT specifies that you want only the height (Z-Axis) scaled. LENGTH indicates you want only the length (Y-Axis) scaled. And WIDTH specifies you want only the width (X-Axis) scaled. The SMALLER and LARGER commands will scale your drawing using the Scale Type and by the Scale Factor currently displayed. Your drawing is recalculated and then redrawn on the screen. The MOVE command can be used to jump directly to the Move Menu. Notes Scaling your drawing down to a tiny dot on the screen will run the risk of setting some of the X, Y, Z coordinates to Zero. If this happens, you will be unable to bring your drawing back up to its normal size or shape. Scaling the drawing 3 to 4 times larger than the viewport will run the risk of your drawing hitting the edge of 3D space (+- 7,000 units). The coordinates of your drawing will begin to reset to +-7,000 and alter the shape of your drawing. Use the PAN-ZOOM command to view drawings in closer detail. SNAP-PT ------- Summary: Automatically repositions the graphics cursor to the nearest endpoint of a line segment. Menu(s): MODEL, also during any drawing or editing command by pressing the "." period key. Procedure SNAP-PT enables you to quickly reposition the graphics cursor to the exact X, Y, and Z coordinates of the closest endpoint of a line segment. Any subsequent drawing or editing command will begin at this new position. In addition to the menu option, the SNAP-PT can also be initiated during any of the drawing or editing commands by pressing the "." period key. This reduces drawing time, since you "snap" instantly to the closest point and do not have to manually position the graphics cursor. Page 29 SNAP-PT also enables you to quickly change the coordinates of your current drawing plane, since the drawing plane coordinates are also shifted to those of the snap point. Notes SNAP-PT is an excellent command to use when you need to get back "in scale" with a drawing you have just moved or scaled. Drawing entities in the database consist of individual line segments. Therefore, you can also "snap" to segments on curves, arcs, etc., giving you greater precision in the placement of drawing entities. TOP-BOTTOM ---------- Summary: Selects the drawing plane that is associated with the Top or Bottom Side of your drawing. (the X-Y Plane) Menu(s): NONE. Selected during the LINES command using the "D" key, or by using the F5 KEY. Procedure While using the LINES or editing LN commands from a 3D viewpoint, you can switch your drawing plane to Top-Bottom using the "D" character key. Additionally, using the F5 KEY will also select the Top-Bottom drawing plane automatically. The last message displayed below the Model Menu indicates your current drawing plane. The LEFT and RIGHT cursor keys will move the graphics cursor along the "Width" of your drawing (the X-Axis), while the UP and DOWN cursor keys move the graphics cursor along the "Length" of your drawing (the Y-Axis). The current Z coordinate value (the location along your drawing's height) will be locked in place as you draw on the Top-Bottom Plane. To move along the height of your drawing, you can use the FRONT-BACK or LEFT-RIGHT drawing plane. See Also: FRONT-BACK, LEFT-RIGHT, F5 KEY Page 30 XYZ VP ------ Summary: Used to select a viewpoint around your drawing. Menu(s): MODEL, VIEW Procedure The viewport clears, and displays an XYZ Axes Tripod. The current degree of Rotation and Tip of your viewpoint is displayed on the right-hand side of the screen, as well as the currently set Axes Degree increment. The Axes are labeled with a letter that corresponds to the sides of your drawing, R (right), T (top), F (front). These labels will help you track your viewing position. Using the cursor keys, you can rotate and tip the Axes. The rule to remember is: YOU ARE MOVING YOUR VIEWPOINT, NOT YOUR DRAWING. For example, if you press the Right cursor key you will move your viewpoint to the right, and the Axes will actually spin to the left. And, if you press the Up cursor key you will move your viewpoint higher, and the Axes will actually spin down. When you have selected your viewpoint, press ENTER. Your drawing will be recalculated and displayed using your new viewpoint. If you wish to exit the command and return to your previous viewpoint, press ESCAPE. Notes The degree of movement the Axes rotates and tips each time you press a cursor key, can be set using the F9 KEY - while you are using the XYZ VP command. If you have previously used the Pan or Zoom commands, you may need to use them again to realign your view. The drawing rotates around the point 0,0,0 and the area you were viewing may have been rotated out of view. See Also: F9 KEY Page 31 ----------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * * * APPENDICES AND INDEX * * * * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------- APPENDIX A: DRAWING REFERENCE ----------------------------- This reference describes Version 4.2 & 8.0 drawing specifications. Database 3D Vector & Boundary-Rep Coordinate System. Object oriented. Resolution and Display Independent. Layout files: 2D Vector. Maximum Lines And Surfaces 3000 lines, 750 (4 vertex) to 1000 (3 vertex) surfaces. Layout files: 8000 lines. Contingency Drawing Space -7000 to +7000 drawing units along each axis Normal Drawing Space, Maximum Viewport -3000 to +3000 drawing units along each axis. Viewport height depends on the aspect ratio for the display. Aspect ratio adjustable in Version 8. Maximum Objects And Groups 100 individual objects. 20 individual group designations. Version 8 only. Disk Directory\Paths 4 user defined. Drawings, Library, Export, and Picture Files. Version 4.2: Drawings only. Maximum Drawing Colors CGA Mode: 2, Black & White. EGA Mode: 16, user defined from 64 color palette. VGA Mode: 16, user defined from 64 color palette. Viewpoint Control User controlled, 360 Degrees. 4 defined Orthographic views. Drawing File Storage Binary Format. Data Point, Line Vector, and Surface Boundary database. N3D File Format. Layout files: N2D File Format. Filename Extensions Drawing Files: "N3D" Versions 4.2 and 8 Library Files: "N3D" Version 8 only Picture Files: "PCX" Version 8 only Plot to Disk Files: "PLT" Version 8 only HP-GL Disk Files: "HPL" Version 8 only DXF 2D and DXF 3D: "DXF" Version 8 only Layout Files: "N2D" Version 8 only Page 32 APPENDIX E: ERROR MESSAGES -------------------------- The following is a list of error messages used by NorthCAD-3D. Bad Filename The filename contains characters that are invalid. Consult your DOS manual. Also, remember not to include the filename extensions when entering a filename. Device unavailable An attempt was made to access a device that is either not "on-line" or does not exist. For example, setting a directory specification to "C:" when in fact, a hard disk is not in the computer. Disk is full, unable to save file NorthCAD-3D attempted to write a file on a disk which contains insufficient free space. Replace the disk with another that contains more free space and retry the command. Disk media error An attempt was made to write or read a file from your disk. This error indicates your disk may be defective. Consult your DOS manual for procedures to check your disk. Disk not ready An attempt was made to write or read a file from your disk. Check to be sure the drive door is closed properly. Disk write protect An attempt was made to save a file to your disk and encountered a write protect label, remove it and retry the command. File not found The file you specified could not be found. Retry the command and be sure the file is listed in the directory. If you are starting a new drawing, be sure that the template file: NORTHCAD.N3D is in your Drawings Directory. File: NORTHCAD.CFG not found The NORTHCAD.CFG file contains program settings and configuration information, and must be kept on the same disk or in the same directory as the NORTHCAD.EXE file. Page 33 File: NORTHCAD.N3D not found When starting a new drawing, the default settings in the drawing file: NORTHCAD.N3D are loaded into memory and become the initial drawing template for your new drawing. NORTHCAD.N3D must be kept in your Drawings Directory. Incompatible File The specified file is not NorthCAD-3D Version 4.2/8 compatible. Internal error 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, or 106 An internal error in the program has occurred. Please send a description of the circumstances that has caused the error, the error number, and the actions the program took after it happened. However, if you receive an Internal error 105 message, first check to be sure you have properly configured the program for your display adapter. The program is specifically designed to work with CGA, EGA, and VGA systems with color monitors. Invalid Directory The directory specification is not correct. Check to be sure the proper syntax is being used, see program configuration for more information about specifying directories. Maximum drawing memory You have executed a command that would exceed the current maximum memory limits of the program. NorthCAD-3D allows up to 3000 lines per drawing. Out of Memory Out of String Space There is insufficient free RAM. Check to be sure you do not have too many unnecessary memory resident programs currently in memory. To check your available memory, use the DOS command CHKDSK. If you do not have enough RAM, it will be necessary to remove some of your memory resident programs before running NorthCAD-3D. Page 34 INDEX ----- 3D Space, 12-13, 24-25, 29 N 3D Modeling, command, 14-15 NEW COLOR, command, 25 NORTHCAD.N3D, file, 13-14 A Axes Degrees, 20 O Axis Grid, Key, 19 Orthographic, views, 18-19 C P COLOR-BACK, command, 15 Palette, colors, 15-17 COLOR BARS, command, 16 PAN-ZOOM, command, 26 COLOR-FORE, command, 16-17 PCX Files, 9 Configuration, 5-6 Perspective, Key, 6, 8 PICK LN, command, 27 D PLAN VIEW, command, 27-28 Directory, files, 5 Printers, 10 DP B/W, command, 17 Drawing Planes, 12, 13, 19, R 22, 23, 30 Redraw, Key, 21 Drawing Units, 20 Registered Users, 7-11 DXF input/translation, 9 S E Sample Files, 3 ERASE ALL, command, 17 SAVE FILE, command, 28 ERASE LN, command, 17-18 SCALE, command, 28-29 Error Messages, 33-34 Shareware, 7 Export, files, 9 SNAP-PT, command, 29-30 Starting The Program, 5 F Surface Rendering, 8 FRONT-BACK, command, 22 System Requirements, 2, 10 FULL SCRN, command, 23 Function Keys, 6, 18-22 T Table Of Contents, 1 H Template File, 13-14 Height, scaling, 29 TOP-BOTTOM, command, 30 Hidden Lines, removal, 8 V I Viewpoints, 18-19, 26, 31 Installing NorthCAD-3D, 3-5 Introduction, 2 W Width, scaling, 29 K Keyboard, reference, 6-7 X XYZ VP, command, 31 L X-Axis, 12, 22, 23, 25, 29, 30 LEFT-RIGHT, command, 23-24 Length, scaling, 29 Y Library Files, 9 Y-Axis, 12, 22, 23, 25, 29, 30 LINES, command, 24 Z M Zoom, 26 Memory, 2 Z-Axis, 12, 22, 23, 25, 29, 30 Menus, 6 Mouse Compatible, 9 MOVE, command, 25 Page 35