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README.DOC for AutoCAD Release 11 c1(386) February 27, 1991 CONTENTS General notes ....................................... 2 Plot spooling ....................................... 2 Networking notes .................................... 4 International character (8-bit font) support ........ 5 Manual corrections AutoCAD Reference Manual ........................ 9 AutoCAD 386 Installation and Performance Guide .. 14 AutoLISP Programmer's Reference ................. 22 ADS Programmer's Reference ...................... 22 AutoCAD Tutorial ................................ 24 Also see the separate Advanced Modeling Extension documentation update, README.AME The AME option is not available for the SHOW version of AutoCAD. See the printed "R11 c1 Update Detail Document" included with the AutoCAD R11 c1 package for a list identifying the anomalies addressed in this release. AC11386RD-2 Page 1 of 24 General notes ------------- - Release 11 adds the following device support to AutoCAD 386: - Summagraphics Microgrid digitizer - Interrupt-driven choice for Summagraphics Microgrid and MM series digitizers (offering greatly enhanced digitizer performance) - IBM 8514/A display (integrated driver) - COMPAQ Portable III plasma display (integrated driver) - JDL printer plotter model 750 - Canon Laser Beam printer models LBP-8 and LBP-8II - Enhanced CalComp plotter driver (now sends "beginning of plot" and "end of plot" records). This driver should now work with CalComp's electrostatic plotters. - AutoCAD 386 now writes prompts and progress messages to the screen much faster than previous releases. Plot to file and Hide are faster as a result of this improvement. - A utility program is provided to allow large programs to be run using AutoCAD 386's Shell. SHROOM.COM and its documentation file SHROOM.DOC are supplied in the SAMPLE directory. Plot spooling ------------- - The ACADPLCMD and ACADPPCMD environment variable hooks for Plot Spooling have been enabled for all platforms except the DEC VAXstation. When plotting to a file named "AUTOSPOOL", AutoCAD generates a unique file name in the configured plot file directory. Then, if the ACADPLCMD (for Plot) or ACADPPCMD (for Prplot) environment variable exists, it composes an operating system command using the string defined by that variable (substituting the plot file name for the first occurrence of "%s" in the string), and submits the command to the operating system. The spooler program (supplied by the operating system or a third-party application vendor) is typically responsible for the following actions, although it may do other things as well. - plotting the file as a background task. A simple case would use the DOS PRINT utility, but this only works for ASCII plot files. (PRINT must be loaded as a TSR before running AutoCAD, and must be directed to the parallel port to which the plotter is attached.) AC11386RD-2 Page 2 of 24 PRINT doesn't support XON/XOFF protocol, so serial ports can't be used unless the plotter is wired for hardware handshaking.) - deleting the file upon completion to make way for more plot files. Those are the typical requirements, although the actual functionality is not monitored by AutoCAD in any way. To use a plot spooler with AutoCAD: A. Configure AutoCAD to use either an internal driver or a P386 ADI driver that uses AutoCAD's plotter I/O support (see the supporting documents for your driver). The spooling mechanism is activated only if the plot is written to a file, so if you want to use spooling by default, configure the plotter for plot to file. (Real-mode ADI drivers have their own method for writing plots to a file, and cannot use AutoCAD's plot spooling facility. See page 53 of the AutoCAD 386 Installation and Performance Guide.) B. The configured plot spooler directory must exist, and both AutoCAD and the spooler program need read/write access to it. When configuring, include the trailing directory delimiter character for the system, such as "\" for DOS. C. Configure the default plot file name as "AUTOSPOOL", or enter "AUTOSPOOL" as the file at plot time. D. Set the environment variable "ACADPLCMD" to a DOS command string that invokes the plot spooler, with "%s" where the plot file name should get filled in. E. If the operation of the plot spooler command depends on a TSR having been installed, the TSR must be installed BEFORE you start AutoCAD. Loading a TSR via execution of ACADPLCMD at plot time (or via the Shell command) is likely to be fatal to both the TSR and AutoCAD, if the TSR trashes any of the DOS Extender's interrupt vectors. For example, if plots are to be processed by a SPOOLPL program on DOS, the definition of ACADPLCMD might be: SET ACADPLCMD=SPOOLPL %s assuming that a plot spooler program named SPOOLPL is present on the search path and accepts the plot file name as a parameter. The mechanism is the same for the Prplot command, except the ACADPPCMD environment variable is used. NOTE: Placing the definition in AUTOEXEC.BAT is advisable if you intend to use plot spooling frequently. However, in DOS batch (.BAT) files, "%" is used to reference parameters. If you set ACADPLCMD or ACADPPCMD using a .BAT file, remember to use two "%" signs in a row, as in: SET ACADPLCMD=PRINT %%s AC11386RD-2 Page 3 of 24 Networking notes ---------------- AutoCAD Release 11 is designed to operate on a wide variety of networks. Although several popular networks have been tested, no particular vendors have been designated as "supported". A few problem areas have been identified: - Directory permissions for the 386|VMM swap file location must allow file creation and read/write operations to occur. If the swap file cannot be created, 386|VMM prints a message stating "Error creating swap file" and AutoCAD exits. - If you plan to execute AutoCAD while your current directory is one that resides on a remote node, performance will be substantially better if AutoCAD 386 is configured to place its VMM|386 swap file on a local disk drive using the "-swapdir" switch documented on pages 76 and 170 of the AutoCAD 386 Installation and Performance Guide (I&PG). Furthermore, placing the swap directory on local storage is a workaround for an apparent problem on Novell Netware 386, where running with a current directory residing on a remote node often causes AutoCAD to exit immediately after being called from the DOS command prompt. - If you plan to run AutoCAD frequently from a drive mounted on a remote node, you should also consider setting the "-nopgexp" switch to reduce network traffic when paging program code. This switch is documented on pages 43 and 169 of the AutoCAD 386 I&PG. - AutoCAD's file locking, and AutoCAD itself, will not run properly on Novell Netware 286 if read-only directories are used. There is no known fix at this time. - Novell NetWare 386 3.1 allows programs to open read-only files in read-write mode if you have "READ ONLY COMPATIBILITY = On" in your SHELL.CFG file, but reports an error when you try to write to the file. In general, we recommend that you do not turn on this mode. However, if this mode is required by another software application that you use, you will need to obtain the "FIXOPEN" NLM patch available from Novell, or AutoCAD will not function properly when editing read-only files. - SunOS 4.0 lacks the DOS file sharing support required for proper operation of AutoCAD on PC-NFS networks. Operation of AutoCAD in this environment can result in bad data transfers. You can work around the problem by using the /SHARE option on the NET USE command when mounting any network drives used to store drawing files. (See your PC-NFS manual for further information on the /SHARE option.) SunOS 4.0.1 and later releases fix the problem. - On 3Com networks, library/support files such as ACAD.DWG, ACAD.MNX, and TXT.SHX must be read-only in order to be shared by multiple users. This is also true of any other files to be shared on 3Com networks. In particular, the ACAD.PWD login file shared by users must be read-only. However, the copy of ACAD.PWD in the server's temporary files directory must be read-write-createable, as this file keeps track of the number of users currently using AutoCAD. AC11386RD-2 Page 4 of 24 - AutoCAD holds the ACAD.MNX compiled menu file and any running or paused script file open while you're in the drawing editor. Thus, if you've loaded the DOS SHARE utility and you use Shell to run a DOS command such as COPY or DEL on any of these open files, you'll receive a Sharing violation and be given an opportunity to abort the command. International character (8-bit font) support -------------------------------------------- The International versions of AutoCAD 386 Release 11 support 8-bit ASCII text characters for the benefit of languages that require them (provided that the host system, the supplied shape files, and the display drivers support them as well). 8-bit ASCII support means that 8-bit ASCII text characters can be displayed in AUI and on the text screen, as well as in Text, Attribute, and Dimension entity strings. There are no commands specific to using 8-bit ASCII text; when an International version is installed and configured with the proper display driver, more characters become available. The domestic (North American) version of AutoCAD 386 continues to support only 7-bit fonts for AUI and text-screen characters. (AUI dialogue boxes use character number 128 as the "check" mark.) If a text character with a value greater than 128 is output to the display driver (in text mode or through the AUI menus, dialog boxes, command line, etc), it is replaced with a "?" character. However, entity text strings can contain 8-bit characters (shape numbers 32 through 255). The following is a fairly complete technical description of AutoCAD's 8-bit ASCII support. Drawings created with 8-bit and 7-bit versions of AutoCAD are compatible with both versions of AutoCAD, with exceptions noted in a later section. I. The features of the 8-bit ASCII (International) version of AutoCAD are listed here. Behavior of the 7-bit version for the same circumstances is also listed when appropriate. 1. Built-in display drivers In the 7-bit version of AutoCAD, built-in display drivers treat character code 128 as the AUI "check" mark, and display "?" when sent ASCII codes greater than 128. In the 8-bit version of AutoCAD, built-in display drivers treat character code 255 as the AUI "check" mark, and can display ASCII codes greater than 127 for AUI text (such as dialogue boxes), the command line, menus, and the text screen. The text "glyphs" are obtained from the active DOS code page, as described in DOS reference manuals. NOTE: The Swedish version of AutoCAD is 8-bit, but may use yet another value for the check mark, as both 128 and 255 are used for ordinary characters by some Swedish platforms. AC11386RD-2 Page 5 of 24 2. ADI display drivers ADI 4.1 protected- and real-mode display drivers now perform additional communication with AutoCAD to determine: - whether they are talking to a 7-bit or 8-bit version of AutoCAD, and: - If an 8-bit version of AutoCAD is in use, which character code is used for the AUI "check" mark. ADI 4.1 display drivers also tell AutoCAD whether they support 8-bit characters. The 7-bit version of AutoCAD assumes that the driver operates in 7-bit mode. 8-bit versions of AutoCAD can work with either 7-bit or 8-bit drivers, but a 7-bit driver forces an 8-bit AutoCAD to operate in 7-bit mode. All display drivers written for ADI 4.0 and earlier operate in 7-bit mode. See the ADI 4.1 Driver Development Kit manual for more information. 3. Special codes for dimensioning symbols The 8-bit and 7-bit versions of AutoCAD use different integer codes for the characters representing the three special dimensioning symbols. The table below shows the names of these symbols, their generic text control sequences, and their version-dependent integer values. Symbol Control 7-Bit 8-Bit Name Sequence Value Value --------------- -------- ----- ----- Degrees %%d 127 248 Plus-Minus %%p 128 241 Circle Diameter %%c 129 237 Although it is possible to use the integer values for these symbols directly in a text control sequence (as in %%127), or to enter them using the ALT key (as in ALT + 1-2-7), these approaches don't account for the differing values in the 7-bit and 8-bit versions of AutoCAD. Therefore, we recommend against using them if you want your special symbols to be compatible with both 7-bit and 8-bit versions of AutoCAD. 4. AutoCAD dimension strings In previous versions of AutoCAD, the dimensioning commands used the control sequences "%%127", "%%128" and "%%129" to generate the above special symbols. In both the 7-bit and 8-bit versions of Release 11, these commands now use the "%%d", "%%p" and "%%c" sequences. Thus, drawings created in one version can be loaded and displayed without error in the other version. AC11386RD-2 Page 6 of 24 5. Automatic conversion of Dimension entity strings in older drawings When a pre-Release-11 drawing is loaded into Release 11's drawing editor (from the Main Menu, or via an Insert, Xref, or Dxfin command), its Dimensions may have text strings containing "%%127", "%%128", and "%%129" control sequences for the three special dimensioning symbols. If any are found, they are translated automatically to "%%d", "%%p", and "%%c", respectively. Once you End, Save, or Wblock the drawing, the new control sequences will be permanently stored. This conversion is not performed on Release 11 drawings. 6. Automatic symbol mapping When an 8-bit AutoCAD loads a font file and determines that it has no entry for code 248, 241, or 237 (but that it does have an entry for the corresponding 127, 128, or 129 code), the 127-129 shape definitions are copied into their corresponding 8-bit codes. In this manner, existing drawings and 7-bit font files can be used with the 8-bit version of AutoCAD without difficulty. 7. Differing alphabetic character sets for different languages Different sets of ASCII characters make up the alphabet in different languages. However, to ensure that drawings will be compatible across different language versions of AutoCAD, symbol table (e.g., layer, linetype, text style) entries must use a common subset of the available characters. Currently, this subset is the upper-case Roman letters "A" through "Z", the digits "0" through "9", and the characters "$", "_" and "-". 8. Command option keyword abbreviations The 8-bit ASCII versions of AutoCAD support abbreviations for command option keywords that begin after the first letter of the keyword, when the allowed abbreviation is represented by the first contiguous string of capitalized alphabetic characters shown in the prompt. For example, the keyword "nanTUCKet" could be specified by the string "TUCK". The 7-bit ASCII version of AutoCAD continues to require abbreviations of command option keywords to begin at the start of the keyword. (Certain keywords, such as "eXit", are exceptions to this rule. In the 8-bit ASCII versions, this is typical.) II. Where 8-bit ASCII characters are defined 1. The DOS Code Page facility is used to change the "glyphs" of all ASCII characters in text mode (and for AUI text on most display drivers). Instructions for the use of Code Pages can be found in the DOS Reference Manual. AC11386RD-2 Page 7 of 24 2. The AutoCAD font files contain symbol definitions for the characters in Text, Attribute, and Dimension entity text strings. Entries for ASCII character codes 32 through 255 have always been supported, but many of the font files shipped with AutoCAD have only their first 129 characters defined. There are exceptions, usually denoted by an "8" at the end of their font name, such as ISO8.SHP/SHX. So, if you intend to use a full 8-bit ASCII character set, you may have to extend some of the font files yourself, or obtain 8-bit font files from other sources. Defining the 8-bit characters is done in the same manner as the existing 7-bit characters, and they can be added to existing font files with no harm done. III. Compatibility notes and exceptions 1. A drawing created in an 8-bit AutoCAD can be edited with a 7-bit AutoCAD. However, if the drawing has the character code 128 in entity text strings, AUI dialogue boxes that display the text (such as for Ddatte or Ddedit) will display a "check" mark in place of the desired character. (The AUI "check" mark is two character cells wide, so it will obscure the following character as well.) This is harmless, but looks ugly. Other ASCII codes greater than 128 are replaced by "?" marks in AUI text strings; this is also harmless. 2. KANJI (Japanese) AutoCAD uses 7-bit codes, but certain codes are interpreted as the first byte of a two-byte (16-bit) KANJI code. Therefore, KANJI AutoCAD drawings will not display correctly on 8-bit ASCII AutoCAD, because all characters will be interpreted as 8-bit ASCII characters. Conversely, 8-bit ASCII strings can be confused for KANJI 16-bit characters in a 7-bit AutoCAD, although this is far less likely, since the code must be defined in a BIGFONT shape file, etc. 3. Drawings that reference font files containing definitions for character codes 248, 241, and 237, when loaded into 8-bit AutoCAD, will use those codes for the degree, plus/minus, and diameter symbols when the AutoCAD dimensioning commands or other commands enter the "%%d", "%%p", and "%%c" control sequences into drawing entity text strings. 4. The text control sequences "%%127", "%%128", and "%%129" are converted to "%%d", "%%p", and "%%c" if found within Dimension entities in a pre-Release-11 drawing. Only Dimension entities are converted, however. Therefore, if such a drawing is loaded into an 8-bit AutoCAD, any non-Dimension entities containing these control sequences may no longer display the desired symbols. There should be no problem in the 7-bit version of AutoCAD, however. 5. At this writing, it is not clear that all languages can be restricted to use of upper-case Roman letters for symbol table entries, and thus be compatible with each other. AC11386RD-2 Page 8 of 24 AutoCAD Reference Manual corrections ------------------------------------ Chapter 2 - "Entity Selection". In the description of the "Previous" option on page 62, the last sentence in the Note should read: AutoCAD remembers the space (model or paper) in which each selection-set is obtained; the "previous" selection-set is also cleared if you switch spaces and attempt to use it in the other space. Chapter 4 - "Text Command", pages 129-134. The description of the new text alignment modes is incorrect, and should be changed as follows: Page 129. The last paragraph should read: You can align text using any combination of top/middle/baseline/bottom and left/center/right alignment modes. Baseline refers to the line along which the bases of the capital letters lie. If you imagine a box surrounding the text, then letters with descenders (such as p, g, and y) dip below the baseline to the bottom of the box, and capital letters reach the top of the box. The middle position is halfway between the baseline and the top. The following figure shows the text alignment positions. Page 130. The "middle" indicator in the figure should be halfway between the baseline and the top. Page 134, "Text M - Fully Centered Text". The Note at the top of the page should read: The difference between this option and MCenter is that rather than using the halfway point between the baseline and the top, Middle uses the midpoint of an imaginary box surrounding the text string. Therefore, its effect differs depending on whether the text string has descenders or any characters that reach the top. Page 134. In Table 4-2, the notation "(same as M)" should be removed from the MC entry. Chapter 5 - "Entity Selection". In the third paragraph on page 146, it should be noted that UCSes whose extrusion directions are directly opposite each other are not considered "parallel". AC11386RD-2 Page 9 of 24 - "Filleting Two Straight Lines", page 172. The first paragraph's second sentence is incorrect and should read: It then trims the lines (retaining the "picked" segments if they cross) and creates a fillet arc with the current fillet radius. - "Undo - Notes and Interactions", page 201. The following should be added: Undo does not undo changes made to the CVPORT system variable by the SETVAR command (or the equivalent AutoLISP/ADS functions). Chapter 7 - "Color Numbers", page 260. At the end of the fourth paragraph, "Mslide command" should be replaced by "Vslide command". - "Entity Handles", page 262. The following should be appended to the first paragraph: Entity handles are often, but not always, assigned sequentially. - "Which Operations Change Handles?". The "Wblock *" command now retains entity handles, so the last paragraph on page 263 should begin: With the exception of "Wblock *", all forms ... - "Ddlmodes Command". Append the following to the first paragraph on page 283: (Hatch blocks, Dimensions, and Blocks whose entities use color "by block" won't adapt to transparent color changes until the next regen, although no alert will appear.) Chapter 8 - "Axis Command", page 291. In addition to the restrictions noted in the second paragraph, the Axis command works only when TILEMODE is on. - "Object Snap Modes", page 307. Add the following to the description of "Nearest" mode: Use of this mode with Circles and Arcs requires that their extrusion direction be parallel to the Z axis of the current UCS. AC11386RD-2 Page 10 of 24 Chapter 9 - "Wblock Command". The "*" form of the Wblock command now retains entity handles, as well as all named views, User Coordinate Systems, and viewport configurations. The first paragraph on page 331 should now read: The entire drawing is written. This is similar to the Save command ("Save Command - Updating Without Exit" on page 68), except that unreferenced symbols (Block Definitions, layers, linetypes, text styles, and dimension styles) are not written. AutoCAD writes model space entities to model space in the new drawing, and paper space entities to paper space. and the third paragraph on page 331 should now read: With the exception of the "*" form of the command, Wblock sets the output file's HANDLES system variable to 0 (disabled) and does not write entity handles to the output file. - "Using an Xref's Dependent Symbols", page 347. In the second paragraph, replace "though any changes" with "but if the VISRETAIN system variable is set to 0 (the default) any changes". Following the second paragraph, add: When VISRETAIN is set to 1, the current drawing's On/Off and Freeze/Thaw settings for Xref-dependent layers take precedence. They are saved with the drawing and are preserved during Xref reload operations. Color and linetype settings for Xref-dependent layers are not affected by VISRETAIN, but are always reset upon reload of the Xref. Chapter 10 - "Diameter Dimensioning", page 375. In the paragraph beginning "The third style ...", the last two sentences are incorrect and should be deleted. Chapter 11 - "Variables and Expressions". Note #2 at the bottom of page 414 is incorrect. TEXTEVAL does not affect the Dtext command. Chapter 13 - New "Processing entity: nnn" messages may appear during plotting if many entities have been processed without generating plot vectors. The new message is simply meant to let you know that something's happening. AC11386RD-2 Page 11 of 24 Appendix A - "Standard Prototype Drawing", pages 446-447. The object selection pickbox size is shown as being stored in both the prototype drawing and AutoCAD's configuration file. It is actually stored in the configuration file only. - "Modify Pull-down Menu", page 451. The "Mirror" description incorrectly states that Auto selection mode is used. - "Options Pull-down Menu", page 453. The "Donut Diameters" description should read: Invokes the Donut command, allowing you to set the inside and outside diameters. - "System Variables", pages 467-475. The following new system variables should be added to Table A-1. DIASTAT (integer, not saved) Dialogue box exit status. If 0, the most recent dialogue box was exited via "CANCEL". If 1, exit was via "OK". (read-only) PLATFORM (string, not saved, read-only) Indicates which version of AutoCAD is in use. This is a string such as one of the following: DOS Sun4/SPARCstation 386 DOS Extender DECstation Apple Macintosh Apollo Domain Sun 386i XENIX 386 Sun 3 OS/2 VISRETAIN (integer, saved with drawing) If set to 0 (the default value), On/Off and Freeze/Thaw settings for Xref-dependent layers are reset to their state in the referenced drawing upon each reload. When set to 1, the current drawing's settings are preserved. Appendix B - "Extended and Expanded Memory Usage", page 481. This section applies only to the 640K DOS version of AutoCAD. Use of expanded memory with AutoCAD 386 requires a memory manager that conforms to the VCPI interface standard. See the AutoCAD 386 I&PG for further information. - "Menu Bar and Pull-down Menus". Two changes should be made to page 489. The following should be appended to the second paragraph: If the titles won't all fit in the menu bar, AutoCAD truncates characters one by one from the longest title (checking each time to see which is now longest), until they all fit. This can result in some silly-looking titles, so you should attempt to fit everything in 80 columns if possible. AC11386RD-2 Page 12 of 24 and the last paragraph should be changed to read: Each pull-down menu ordinarily appears directly beneath its menu bar title. However, the rightmost menus shift to the left to accommodate long menu items. The maximum number of items in a pull-down menu is governed by the display device, and may be as low as 21; be sure to consider this when designing custom menus. - "Extended big-font", page 512. The first two lines of the bigfont format description should be replaced by: *0, 5, font name character height, character depth, modes, character width, 0 - "Command Aliases and Abbreviations", page 523. The following note should be added at the bottom of the page: Aliases cannot be used in a command script. Use of aliases in menu files is not recommended. Appendix C - "HEADER Section", page 536. $VISRETAIN should be added to the list of DXF header variables (type 70; 1 = retain Xref-dependent visibility settings, 0 = don't retain). - "DIMSTYLE", page 537. Delete the phrase "some or all of". Add to the listing: 146 (dimtfac), and 147 (dimgap). Also, dimclrd, dimclre, and dimclrt should be groups 176, 177, and 178 (not 67, 68, and 69). - "LAYER", page 538. Replace Table C-3 (LAYER group 70 codes) with: Flag bit value Meaning -------------- -------------------------------------------------- 0 Layer is On and Thawed. 1 Layer is Frozen. 2 If set, layer is frozen by default in new Viewports. 4 Unused 8 Unused 16 if set, layer is externally dependent. 32 if this bit and bit 16 are both set, this externally dependent layer has been successfully resolved. Xref-dependent layers are output during Dxfout. For such layers, the associated linetype name in the DXF file is always CONTINUOUS. - "VIEW", page 538. Add to the VIEW group code listing: If the first bit (1) is set in the 70 group flags, this is a paper space view. - "ENTITES Section", page 539. Entities in the BLOCKS section can now have handles, so the exception in the first paragraph should be deleted. - "Block", page 541. Group 3 (Block name) should be removed from the list. - "Attdef" and "Attrib", pages 542-543. Groups 72, 74 are the horizontal and vertical text justification modes, respectively. Groups 11, 21, 31 (allgnment point) appear if group 72 or 74 is present and nonzero. AC11386RD-2 Page 13 of 24 - "Viewport", pages 545-547. Group 68 value -1 should read "On, but fully off-screen...". In Table C-13, the first 1070 group should be described as an integer whose value is 16 for Release 11. Also, the "1003..." entry near the end of the table should read: The names of layers frozen in this Viewport. This list may include Xref-dependent layers. Any number of 1003 groups may appear here. - "Organization of Extended Entity Data", page 554. The "World space displacement" and "World direction" descriptions should read as follows: World space (1012, 1022, 1032). Also a 3D point that is scaled, displacement rotated, and mirrored along with the parent (but not moved or stretched). World direction (1013, 1023, 1033). Also a 3D point that is rotated and mirrored along with the parent (but not moved, scaled, or stretched). - "DXB File Format". Byte code 255 should be removed from Table C-15 on page 560. It is valid for Binary DXF, but not for DXB. Appendix D - "Command Differences". Add the following to Table D-3, pages 571-572: Dim The Radius and Diameter subcommands now issue an additional prompt in some situations. This may cause failure of some old scripts and AutoLISP programs that use these commands. Dxfin All non-baseline/left justified Text, Attrib, and Attdef entities read from the DXF file are now rejustified. Fillet When filleting two Lines that cross, AutoCAD now retains the "picked" line segments. In previous versions, the shorter ends were trimmed, no matter what points you used to select the Lines. Osnap Running Osnap modes are now ignored during entity selection. Also add the following to the "Wblock" entry on page 572: The "*" form of the Wblock command now retains all entity handles, named views, UCSes, and viewport configurations. - "System Variable Differences". Add the following to Table D-4, page 573: CECOLOR In Release 10, this string contained "BYLAYER", "BYBLOCK", a color number (e.g., "15"), or a standard color number and name (as in "1 (red)"). The last form has been dropped, so applications no longer need to cope with its embedded blank. The standard colors now appear simply as "1" - "7". OSMODE Running Osnap modes are now ignored during entity selection. AC11386RD-2 Page 14 of 24 AutoCAD 386 Installation and Performance Guide corrections ---------------------------------------------------------- - "Network Compatibility," bulleted item on page 2. Add this paragraph: The International version of AutoCAD does not support server authorization, which allows a single copy of AutoCAD to be shared over a network by concurrent users. Instead, networking is accomplished by installing and configuring a single-user copy on each network node. The International version supports all other networking-related features such as file locking and plot spooling. - "AutoCAD 386 and Memory Managers", page 3. Add to this section: "HIMEM.SYS does not conform to the VCPI specification, and is not compatible with AutoCAD 386." - "Essential Hardware and Software". In the second paragraph on page 8, "8.7 megabytes" should be changed to "9.5 megabytes". Also, it should be noted that additional free disk space is needed by AutoCAD 386's virtual memory system, especially when editing large drawings. - "Solving the 80386 Chip Problem", The following replaces the entire section on pages 8 - 9: The "B Step" 80386 chips used in early 16-MHz, 20-MHz, and some 25- MHz machines have bugs that appear only when executing 80387 (math coprocessor) instructions while paging is enabled. This bug is in the 80386 chip itself, not in the math chip. Please consult your dealer to find out if you have this or any other problem associated with the 80386/80387 chip set. Technical background: These bugs are known as the Intel 80386 Erratum #17 and Erratum #21. The problems can occur while you use AutoCAD and may result in the system locking. If you suspect you have one of these problems, please consult your dealer. Your dealer should check the 80386 CPU chip itself for one of the following markings. 16-MHz chips affected: A80386-16 or A80386-16 S40343 S40344 20-MHz chips affected: A80386-20 S40362 25-MHz chips affected: A80386-25 SX050 The only known solution is to replace a bad 80386 CPU chip with a good one. Contact the hardware manufacturer of your computer for a BUG-FREE 80386 CPU chip. - "Supported Peripherals", pages 9 - 11. The following peripherals are either not supported or are obsolete: - Under "Digitizers", Houston Instrument tablets, HIPAD DT11AA and True Grid 8000 Series, (described on page 112) are not supported. AC11386RD-2 Page 15 of 24 - Under "Plotters", the Alpha Merics Alphaplot (described on page 130) is not supported. In the Houston Instrument DMP Series (described on page 136), DMP-7, DMP-8, and DMP-29 are not supported. - Under "Printer Plotters", the Okidata Printer Plotters, 84 Step 2 and 93 (described on pages 156 - 157), are obsolete. This means that they will not be supported in future releases. - "1.2 Megabyte Release Format" and "720K Release Format", pages 13-18. The acad.pwd login file is not supplied on the release disks; it is created during initial configuration. Also, the ADS disk for AutoCAD 386 does not include a DDE directory. - "Installation Steps", The second paragraph on page 24 (a bullet concerning acadcfg.old) is incorrect and should be deleted. - "Server Setup Before Installation", page 25. In the first paragraph, the location of the temporary files is incorrect. The second sentence should read: "By default, AutoCAD writes these temporary files in the root directory of the drive containing the active AutoCAD executable, acad.exe." - "Reconfiguring AutoCAD", page 27. Add the following: Never swap ACAD.CFG configuration files (via a Shell or Files command) while AutoCAD is running; doing so may cause unpredictable behavior of AutoCAD. In some cases AutoCAD will prematurely reach the limit of concurrent users and can even fail to run at all. - "Files Not Subject to File Locking", page 37. This section should include files output through AME commands. - "Configure for Authorized Maximum Only". This is a new section that would follow "Server Authorization Code" on page 38: You should not configure AutoCAD for fewer users than the authorized maximum of your network license. For example, you have installed AutoCAD with a license for ten users but only six users are currently on the network. Configure AutoCAD for your authorized maximum -- 10 in this example: Enter the maximum number of users for this package <1>: 10 The configuration routine accepts any number of users without checking. However, the server authorization code is derived from this number and the serial number. If the number of users is different from your network license, AutoCAD displays an error message when you try to open a drawing. Be sure to enter the correct number of users to avoid reconfiguring. - "Network Configuration Steps", page 38. These are changes and additions to individual steps: - Page 39, step 5, at end of step: "If server authorization is already configured, you should accept the default established during server configuration. Continue to accept defaults to the end of configuration." AC11386RD-2 Page 16 of 24 - Page 39, step 7, after prompt at end of step: "The path specification you enter must indicate the same physical file for all nodes." - Page 39, step 8. Replace the last paragraph (on page 40) with this text: "If the password is lost or forgotten, you can either delete the acad.pwd file in the executable directory and reconfigure Server Authorization or reinstall AutoCAD." - "Changing the Login Name", page 41. First paragraph, first sentence, should read: "The login name is stored in the acad.pwd file." Additional paragraphs: The login name is case-sensitive: this means that "william" and "William" are different login names. The login name must be at least one character in length and begin with a nonblank character; spaces are permitted between characters. The login name identifies owners of locked files. Each login name must be unique during concurrent AutoCAD sessions. In other words, avoid having two people log in as "maryb" at the same time; this defeats the purpose of clear identification of locked files. - "The Acad.pwd File", page 42. The two paragraphs in this section are incorrect and should be replaced by the following: Acad.pwd is the "login file" that contains encrypted authorization data essential to running AutoCAD on both stand-alone and networked machines. AutoCAD creates the acad.pwd file during the server authorization phase of the configuration process. If the file becomes corrupted, AutoCAD forces a reconfiguration and rebuilds it. - "The Acad.pwd File on 3Com". This is a new section that would appear on page 42. You might want to keep a backup copy of the original acad.pwd on your hard disk to use for future reconfiguration. For example, copy it to another filename such as acadpwd.saf. If acad.pwd becomes inoperable, follow these steps: 1. Delete the acad.cfg file (the configuration file) from the network node's directory specified by the ACADCFG environment variable. 2. Link to the read-write directory containing the executables ("execadmn", for example). Delete acad.pwd from that directory. 3. Delete any copy of acad.pwd from the directory containing server temporary files. 4. Copy the uncorrupted acad.pwd (acadpwd.saf in this example) to the read-write "execadmn" sharename directory. Be sure to rename acadpwd.saf to acad.pwd. 5. Start AutoCAD and follow the configuration procedure. This creates a new acad.cfg and updates acad.pwd. 6. After you have completed and saved your configuration, link the sharename "exec" for read-only access by concurrent multiple users to the AutoCAD executables. AC11386RD-2 Page 17 of 24 - "The Ame.pwd File on 3Com". This is a new section that would appear on page 42. Follow these steps when you load the Advanced Modeling Extension (AME) for the first time: 1. Change the permissions on the main AutoCAD directory to READ- WRITE. 2. Follow the directions in "Loading AME the First Time" on page 35. This creates the ame.pwd file in the AutoCAD directory. 3. After ame.pwd is created, return the permissions of the AutoCAD directory to READ-ONLY. If ame.pwd becomes corrupted, repeat these steps to recreate the ame.pwd file. - "File Locking on Single-User Node", page 42. - Add to the Important note (second paragraph): "With this kind of network configuration, we STRONGLY recommend that you enable file locking." - Add this sentence: "When file locking is off, AutoCAD still honors locks but does not create them." The Ame.pwd File ---------------- This is a new section that would appear on page 42 of the existing IPG. Like acad.pwd, ame.pwd is a "login file" that contains encrypted authorization data essential to running the Advanced Modeling Extension (AME) on both stand-alone and networked machines. AutoCAD creates the ame.pwd file when you load AME the first time. If the file becomes corrupted, AutoCAD forces a reconfiguration and recreates it. The ame.pwd file stores the authorization number and number of users. It is functionally identical to acad.pwd. - "Plot Spooler Directory", page 53. When you enter the filename AUTOSPOOL during configuration, use all capital letters: "AUTOSPOOL". - "AutoLISP Feature", page 55. Add this note: "AutoLISP must be enabled to run the Advanced Modeling Extension (AME)." - "Calculating RAM Requirements for AutoCAD 386". This is a new section that would appear on page 57. To run AutoCAD 386 Release 11, your computer must be equipped with at least 2 megabytes of physical memory (RAM), of which at least one megabyte must be extended memory reserved for AutoCAD 386. The AutoCAD 386 executable, acad.exe, uses most of the extended memory requirement. AC11386RD-2 Page 18 of 24 When all available RAM is used, AutoCAD 386 begins to page unused executable code and data to disk. The installation of more RAM will improve performance by reducing the need for AutoCAD to utilize virtual memory (page to disk). Most customers find that 4 megabytes is the minimum needed for satisfactory performance in design and production work. We recommend adding additional RAM as the single most effective means of "tuning" your system for improved performance. Virtual memory is the sum of available physical RAM and the free disk space on the partition containing the swap file. The total amount of virtual memory required by AutoCAD 386 Release 11 cannot be calculated precisely because it is dependent on the following: the size and type of drawing being edited; the size of the additional application programs (such as ADS and AutoLISP programs) that are loaded and executed. As a rule of thumb, the virtual memory used by AutoCAD 386 will be at least three times the size of the drawing file being edited plus the size of any executable code loaded by the 386|DOS-Extender. For example, a one-megabyte (MB) drawing will require at least 4.9 megabytes of memory: 3 x 1MB + 1.8MB + 0.1MB = 4.9MB (3 x .dwg file) (AutoCAD 386) (AutoLISP) (minimum virtual memory) These figures show the amount of virtual memory needed to enter the AutoCAD drawing editor. Memory requirements can grow with subsequent editing operations up to one or two megabytes. Disk requirements can increase if the drawing file contains External References, since these are stored in the drawing file in a compact form and expand during an editing session. If you are using AME, you need an additional 1.1 megabytes. ADI drivers used in conjunction with AutoCAD 386 may also increase the total memory required, since these are actually executable programs competing for memory with AutoCAD. - "The AutoCAD Shell Command". The following should be added after the fourth paragraph on page 63: A utility program called SHROOM.COM is provided to allow very large programs to be run via AutoCAD 386's Shell. [ For details, see the separate file SHROOM.DOC. SHROOM.COM and SHROOM.DOC are supplied in the SAMPLE directory. ] Before running SHROOM.COM, load any TSR programs (such as DOS PRINT) that you plan to use from the Shell command. AC11386RD-2 Page 19 of 24 - "What To Do If AutoCAD Crashes", page 82. This replaces the original section on page 82, including the subsection "Network Node Crash". A "crash" is any abnormal termination of AutoCAD. The possible reasons include the following: power failure; program error; rebooting your computer before you exit AutoCAD. After a crash, a few files are left on disk. They include the swap file and its associated swap reserve file. By default, AutoCAD places these files in the root directory of the drive where you started AutoCAD. See "Swapdefdisk Switch" on page 76 for further details. The swap file has an 8-character name with no extension; the reserve file has the same name with a .SWR extension. Use the DOS DIR command to list these files. This is a representative example: 0F2B265F 397313 9-9-90 3:44p 0F2B265F.SWR 100000 9-9-90 3:43p Other temporary files may be left in the drawing directory or the temporary file directory, if one is configured. These have extensions like .AC$ (for temporary files) and .ACK (the lock file for .AC$), and possibly .ACL (the lockfile for .ACK). Ordinarily AutoCAD erases the swap files when you exit from the Main menu and deletes temporary files when they are no longer needed. If the time stamp is not recent, you can safely delete them. If disk space is not an issue, or if the files may still be in use by other active sessions, you can also leave them in place. In general it's a good idea to delete any old swap or temporary files you find, but only after verifying that they are not part of any active editing session. Network caution: Before deleting these or any other temporary files on a network, be sure all other users are logged off. Otherwise you might delete files that belong to a session someone is currently working on. - Network Node Crash After a crash occurs on a network node, you must execute AutoCAD again using the same configuration file (acad.cfg) you used before the crash. Usually this means running it from the same network node. AutoCAD can then safely detect the crash and correctly update its list of concurrent users. By the time you see the Main menu, the acad.pwd file has been cleared, and you can continue editing or exit AutoCAD. If the configuration file is accidentally deleted, you need to do the following: delete the acad.pwd file; reconfigure server authorization. See "Revising Server Authorization" on page 40. - "Special Instructions for the IBM CGA", page 89. The second prompt should read: "C> dscga -v79" AC11386RD-2 Page 20 of 24 - "IBM Enhanced Graphics Display", page 92. Append the following to the first paragraph: EGA cards with less than 256K video memory are not supported. A "semi" dual-screen mode occurs if you are using two video displays, and the EGA is not the current display. In "semi" dual-screen mode, AutoCAD uses the EGA to display the drawing, the status line, the menus, the dialogue boxes, and the command prompts, and uses the other display for the text screen. (In true dual-screen mode, the other display is also used for the command prompts.) - "Color Numbering Scheme for 1024 x 768 16-Color Mode", page 98. The next-to-last paragraph should read as follows: To each hue number, adding 0, 1, 2, or 3 will have no effect on brightness. Adding 4, 5, 6, or 7 will make the color a dark hue. Adding 8 or 9 to the number will make the color display as dark gray. For example, colors 10 to 13 are bright red, colors 14 to 17 are dark red, and colors 18 and 19 are dark gray. - "Configuration" for ADI Interface for Plotter Drivers, page 127. The paragraph and prompt for plotter steps should read as follows: These parameters are real numbers, used to compute the plotter size in plotter steps. The calculated step count cannot exceed 65535 (or 32767 for DXB files). If the specifications exceed the limit, the following message appears (after you specify the steps per inch): ** Error: Plot size multiplied by steps per inch cannot exceed 65535. Specifications resulted in ?????. - "Houston Instrument DMP Series", page 136. The number of pens supported on the DMP-62MP plotter has been increased from 6 to 8. - "PostScript Laser Printers", page 138. Replace the first paragraph with the following: AutoCAD 386 supports PostScript laser printers and plotters using either a Centronics-type parallel I/O port or an RS-232C serial I/O port. If a serial port is used, set the printer for 9600 baud, even parity, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit, and XON/XOFF protocol (some have a choice of XON/XOFF or DTR). See your hardware documentation for specific installation instructions. - "PostScript Laser Printers", page 138. Add this note to the end of the section: Note: PostScript now supports a variety of sizes. To obtain correct plots on 8.5-by-11-inch paper, enter the following during configuration for a PostScript printer: Enter the Size or Width,Height (in Inches) <MAX>: 8.0,10.5 No spaces are allowed. These measurements are the reverse of those given for size A on the configuration menu. AC11386RD-2 Page 21 of 24 - "Hewlett-Packard PaintJet", page 150. At end of section, add this to the second bulleted note: "For B-size paper, you must use the paper tray." - "Noswfgrow1st Switch", page 170. The following should be added: The longer you remain in AutoCAD, the larger the swap file will grow (up to a point). If you often spend hours or days without exiting AutoCAD, we suggest that you use the "-noswfgrow1st" switch so you'll be less likely to run out of disk space during an editing session. - "Swap File Size", page 170. In the second paragraph, "-maxswfize" should be "-maxswfsize". AutoLISP Programmer's Reference corrections ------------------------------------------- - "(fix)", page 42. If the result is outside the range of integers for this implementation of AutoLISP, (fix) returns as a real. For instance, if the implementation uses 16-bit integers, (fix 32767.5) would return 32767 but (fix 32768.5) would return 32768.0 - "(*error*)", page 76. The following should be added: Your *error* function should NOT include any calls to (command). - "Error Codes". The description of ERRNO code 52 on page 169 is incorrect. It should be "Entity selection: null response". ADS Programmer's Reference corrections -------------------------------------- - "Common Characteristics of ADS Library Functions", page 8. Add the following to the end of this section: ADS user functions and data type definitions begin with the prefix "ads_". Another prefix, "adsi_", is reserved for internal use. - "Retrieving Extended Entity Data". At the bottom of page 78, "static struc resbuf" should be "static struct resbuf" (add missing "t"). - "Entity Data Functions". In the example on page 71, the first argument to ads_buildlist() should be RTDXF0 rather than 0. - "ads_cmd", page 89. In the second paragraph, RTSTRING should be RTSTR. - "ads_cmd" and "ads_command", pages 89-90. The following details should be added to the descriptions: AC11386RD-2 Page 22 of 24 - ADS programs can pause for user input by using ads_cmd() or ads_command() to pass a string containing a single backslash. Since the particular control string may change in the future, we suggest that a preprocessor macro be used for this purpose. For example: #define PAUSE "\\" /* a single backslash */ ads_command(RTSTR, "Zoom", RTSTR, PAUSE, RTNONE); (In C, as in AutoLISP, two backslashes must be used to produce one backslash in a string constant.) - Certain AutoCAD commands (such as Trim, Extend, and Fillet) require a "pick" point to be supplied along with the entity to be operated upon. In order to supply such entity/point data pairs, an ADS program must use the sequence: RTLB, RTENAME, <entity>, RTPOINT, <point>, RTLE or RTLB, RTENAME, <entity>, RT3DPOINT, <point>, RTLE with ads_command(). A similar chain of result buffers can also be built using ads_buildlist()) and passed to ads_cmd(). The 2D or 3D "pick" point must follow the entity name, and the pair must be surrounded by RTLB/RTLE. For example, the following trims a line to a circle. ads_point p1 ads_name first, last; ads_command(RTSTR, "Circle", RTSTR, "5,5", RTSTR, "2", 0); ads_command(RTSTR, "Line", RTSTR, "1,5", RTSTR, "8,5", RTSTR, "", 0); ads_entnext(NULL, first); /* Get circle */ ads_entlast(last); /* Get line */ p1[X] = 2.0; p1[Y] = 5.0; p1[Z] = 0.0; /* Set pick point */ ads_command(RTSTR, "Trim", RTENAME, first, RTSTR, "", RTLB, RTENAME, last, RT3DPOINT, p1, RTLE, RTSTR, "", 0); - "The DOS Extender (AutoCAD 386) Environment", page 171. The supported version of MetaWare High C 386 is 1.62 (for 32-bit systems). The Watcom C 386 compiler is not yet supported. A Watcom environment will be provided in a future update. - "Avoiding Trouble", page 163. The following new topic should be added: File Access Modes For compatibility with the way AutoCAD and AutoLISP open files, ADS programs should set the appropriate network file access modes whenever opening files with the fopen() library function. In MetaWare High C 386, this is done by #including <system.cf> and setting a global variable just before calling the fopen() library function. If you're opening a file for writing or appending, use: Sharing_mode = Deny_read_write; AC11386RD-2 Page 23 of 24 to prevent others from reading or writing the file while your application is accessing it. To open a file for reading: Sharing_mode = Deny_write; allowing others to read the file, but not write to it. When fopen() returns, reset Sharing_mode via: Sharing_mode = Compatibility; - "Symbolic Codes for On-Line Program Errors". The description of error code OL_ENTSELNULL (value 52) on page 185 is incorrect. It should be "Entity selection: null response". AutoCAD Tutorial corrections ---------------------------- - "Creating Another Dimension Style", page 54. In the example, "dimclre" should be "dimclrd" to change the dimension line color. - "Plotting to Scale in Model Space Viewports", page 166. At the bottom of the page, the ".25xp" example should read "1mm=4mm" rather than "1mm=14mm". - "Editing Viewports", page 170. The third paragraph should begin: Since we no longer need the 2-foot line ... - "Standardizing the Height of Dimension Text in Model Space", page 179. The arithmetic should read: .18 (size in model space drawing units) X 1/180 (XP zoom scale factor) -------- = .001 (size in plot units) In the next large paragraph, "setting DIMSCALE to 96" should read "setting DIMSCALE to 180". - "Adding the Border and View Labels". On page 195, in the paragraph below Figure 6-46, "8-by-10-inch border" should be "32-by-21-inch border". AC11386RD-2 Page 24 of 24 README File for AutoCAD AME 1.02 March 15, 1991 CAUTION: Dangling edges in AME 1.0 Solids ------------------------------------------- The SOLCHAM command in AME 1.0 and 1.01 does not work properly for straight edges of solidifed polylines or swept solids whose adjoining faces meet at an angle of less than 90 degrees. It leaves the edge behind as a dangling edge on the chamfered solid. This bug have been fixed in AME 1.02. Solids created by AME 1.0 that have dangling edges can be repaired with the following procedure: 1. XLOAD AME 1.02 and load the affected .DWG file. 2. Do SOLPURGE(Bfile). (This has to be done as the first command) The SOLPURGE Bfile option on the selected solid(s) will delete the old boundary-file of the solid(s) and force a recomputation of the boundary-file for the solid(s) during any subsequent AME command. 3. Save the drawing. This will automatically eliminate the dangling edges. AME Executables and AME.TXT --------------------------- The ame and amelite executable files (ame.exp and amelite.exp for DOS386), and the ame.txt file must reside in the same directory or AME will not be able to locate the ame.txt file. The AutoCAD Install program will always install them together. International User Authorization (DOS386) ----------------------------------------- When AME is used in conjunction with an International version of AutoCAD Release 11, there is no initial prompt for the number of users, only for AME Authorization Code. AME Reference Manual corrections -------------------------------- p.46, in Step 5: The layer name "0-ph-2" should be "ph-2". p.51, all occurrences (3) of "SOLAREAV" should read "SOLAREAU". p.57, last line on the page should read: "... current UCS except when extruding or solidifying -- then the height is along the positive Z axis of the entities' coordinate system (ECS)." p.65, fourth paragraph, first sentence and p.66, last paragraph, first sentence list "3D Poly" as one of the entities that can be extruded or revolved. "3D Poly" should not be listed. p.67, second paragraph, second sentence and p.68, last body paragraph, third sentence - Should read "...Solext command.", not "...Extrude command.". p.76, under the heading "Revolution" there should be no prompt "Specify taper angle of extrusion <current>:" p.88, After the first paragraph the naming conventions for the layers should read: "PV-viewport handle Visible profile lines" "PH-viewport handle Hidden profile lines" The second paragraph contains an explanation of the SOLPROF layer naming convention which is no longer valid. Read section on SOLPROF below for description of new convention. p.94, first sentence under "SOLAXcol" should read: "This variable sets the color of the MCS icon used in the Solmove and Solchp commands." p.95, first prompt - Should read: "Hatch angle <0>:" "Enter a valid hatch angle." p.105, second paragraph, second sentence - Should read : "See chapter 4,...",not "See chapter 5,...". p.118, third paragraph, third sentence "readme.doc" should read "readme.ame". SOLPROF layer naming convention has changed ------------------------------------------- SOLPROF previously created layer names that included the layer of the solid and the current viewport id. The layer of a solid can be changed and the id of a viewport is not guaranteed for the life of a drawing. The Handle of the vport will remain constant. The layer names created by SOLPROF will now contain the letters "PV" or "PH" followed by a "-" followed by the Handle of the vport (i.e. if the Handle of the current vport is 4B the hidden entities would be placed on a layer named "PH-4B"). The use of the viewport Handle will assure that profile lines remain in the correct viewport and that SOLPROF will update the information on the SOLREV and SOLEXT reject 3D Polyline entities --------------------------------------------- 3D Polyline entities are not accepted as input to SOLREV or SOLEXT. SOLREV and SOLEXT expect 2D Polylines and Circles. SOLPROF command --------------- The AME SOLPROF command ignores any non-solid entities that are selected. No attempt is made to solidify such entities or inform the user that non-solid entities were selected. SOLPROF in perspective view --------------------------- The SOLPROF command will not give correct results in perspective view. Its algorithm is designed for parallel projections only. Caution on accuracy of DXFOUT ----------------------------- The default DXFOUT accuracy of 6 places is not sufficient for AME. In order to reliably recover AME solids via DXFIN it is recommended that 16 decimal places of accuracy are used for a DXFOUT of AME solids. Caution on use of DXFOUT/DXFIN ------------------------------ Since all AME solids are internally generated blocks, using the ENTITIES option of the AutoCAD DXFOUT command on solids will create DXF files that are pretty much useless, as they will not have the solid BLOCK definition included. Also, using DXFIN in a drawing with existing entities will not bring in any solid BLOCKs in the DXF file and the resulting drawing will be incomplete. Caution on AME Solids and AutoCAD Blocks ---------------------------------------- Caution should be exercised when inserting AME solids into AutoCAD blocks. AME solids can be placed within blocks and the blocks can then be used as any other AutoCAD block is used. However, the AME solid loses its identity as a solid while it is within the block. It regains its identity when the block is exploded, provided a SOLPURGE ERASED command has not been issued while the solid was in the block. If a SOLPURGE ERASED command is issued while an AME solid is within a block, the solid will lose its identity permanently. When the block containing the AME solid is exploded, the solid will no longer update. If you place AME solids within an AutoCAD block, and expect to explode the block later and use the AME solids that were in the block, the SOLPURGE ERASED com- mand should not be issued while solids are within the block. If you place AME solids within a block, and do not expect to explode the block, then the SOLPURGE ERASED command will operate as documented. AutoCAD OOPS command and AME Solids ----------------------------------- The AutoCAD OOPS command is used to unerase the last erased entity. If you erase an AME solid, you can resurrect it using the OOPS command, provided you have not entered the SOLPURGE ERASED command since the solid was erased. If you entered the SOLPURGE ERASED command since the solid was erased, the OOPS com- mand will unerase the AME solid (provided it was the last entity erased), but if the solid is a complex (booleaned) solid, it cannot be updated because the SOLPURGE ERASED command has removed its children. In this situation, you can retrieve the solid by using the UNDO command. Undo back to the ERASE command that erased the solid and it will again be a valid solid. AME Solids/Dimensioning/Osnap ----------------------------- Page 110 of the AME manual states that when dimensioning solids you cannot "snap" to features within a block (solid). You can use Osnap options to select points within a block, but you cannot select lines, arcs, or circles within a block for dimensioning purposes. Single edges as multiple pieces ------------------------------- Some circular, elliptical, cone-cone and cylinder-cylinder edges might be bro- ken into pieces even though the pieces appear to be continuous. This can occur when extruding or revolving an arc segment of a polyline. The arc edge may be broken into multiple edges. Commands that will show the multiple pieces are SOLFILL, SOLCHAM, SOLFEAT, and SOLLIST EDGE. SOLCHP and LAYERS ----------------- If you copy a primitive using the SOLCHP INSTANCE command, the instanced primitive is created on the current layer. However, the DELETE and REPLACE options of the SOLCHP command let you retain a primitive as a top level solid on the layer on which it was originally created. You do this by answer- ing "Yes" to the "Retain detached primitive? <N>: " prompt. Restrictions of SOLFILL/SOLCHAM ------------------------------- Only straight and circular edges can be filleted and chamfered. For straight edges, the adjacent faces should be planar. For circular edges, the adjacent faces can be planar, circular cylindrical, or circluar conical. For example, edges which have elliptical cones or elliptical cylinders as adjacent faces cannot be chamfered or filletted. This case may result when trying to fillet/chamfer tapered extrusions of polylines consisting of arcs. An appropriate message is printed when the user tries to fillet/chamfer such an edge. Limits on SOLFILL radius and SOLCHAM distances ---------------------------------------------- When filleting or chamfering a solid's circular edge, it is possible to enter a fillet radius or chamfer distance for which a fillet or chamfer cannot be constructed. The SOLFILL and SOLCHAM commands will detect these cases and prompt you for new values. Specifically, two cases can lead to fillet or chamfer values being rejected. First, if the radius/distance is so large that the fillet/chamfer extends beyond the center of the circular edge, it results in a self-intersecting solid which is not allowed. Second, if the circular edge has planes at the end points which make an angle of more than 90 degrees to the edge, the fil- let/chamfer may not intersect the end-plane for large fillet radius or cham- fer distances and will be rejected. If this angle is close to 180.0 degrees, acceptable fillet radius and chamfer distances are very small. This will give rise to fillet/chamfer primitives which have null wireframes, which may cause confusion. In these circumstances, it's better to recreate the solid so that the edges are tangential (angle is exactly 180.0 degrees) or the angle is significantly away from 180.0 degrees. After creating a fillet or chamfer, you can change its radius or distances using SOLCHP SIZE command. AME Command Synchronization --------------------------- During the course of executing AME commands, the AME executable invokes various AutoCAD commands via the ads_command function. Occasionally, the AutoCAD command may fail to execute properly and the system will abort to the command prompt. When this occurs, AME becomes unsynchronized and the system will fail to recognize the next AME command that you try to execute. In this event, re-invoke the AME command a second, or even a third time. This will force the system to re-synchronize. AME commands will then be accepted. It should be noted that exactly repeating the command that failed will cause this situation to re-occur. One example of this may be seen when SOLUCS is used with certain OSNAP modes set. This condition results in duplicate points being passed to the AutoCAD UCS command causing it to fail. AutoCAD AME Applications Program Interface ------------------------------------------ Unique Solid-ids ---------------- Functions affected: ap_union(), ap_int() and ap_diff() Solid-id's passed to the above mentioned functions should be unique (no solid- id should be repeated). If a solid used in a boolean operation needs to be re- used in another boolean operation, you must use ap_dupsol() to duplicate the solid before re-using it. Invalid sequence of events: ap_box(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, &sol[0]); ap_cone(1.0, 2.0, 2.0, &sol[1]); ap_sphere(1.0, &sol[2]); sol[3] = 0L; ap_diff(sol[1], sol[1], &sol_diff); /* NOT VALID, Cannot use the same solid-id twice in a boolean operation */ ap_diff(sol[1], sol[2], &sol_diff); ap_union(sol, &sol_union); /* This is NOT VALID as sol[1] and sol[2] are already used in ap_diff() */ Valid sequence: ap_box(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, &sol[0]); ap_dupsol( sol[0], &solnew[0] ); ap_cone(1.0, 2.0, 2.0, &sol[1]); ap_dupsol( sol[1], &solnew[1] ); ap_sphere(1.0, &solnew[2]); solnew[3] = 0L; sol[2] = 0L; ap_diff(sol[1], sol[2], &sol_diff); ap_union(solnew, &sol_union); /* VALID, solnew solids not yet used */ ads_command() and ap_name2sol() ------------------------------ If ads_command() is used to manipulate AME solids, you must use ap_name2sol() to update the solid before calling any other API function. Invalid sequence: ap_box(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, &sol); ap_postsol(sol, AP_POSTWIRE); ap_sol2name(sol, name); ads_command(RTSTR, "MOVE", RTENAME, name, RTSTR, "", RT3DPOINT, p1, RT3DPOINT, p2, NULL); ap_q_solinfo(sol, &info); /* Wrong! Solid "sol" has been moved but not updated. */ Valid sequence: ap_box(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, &sol); ap_postsol(sol, AP_POSTWIRE); ap_sol2name(sol, name); ads_command(RTSTR, "MOVE", RTENAME, name, RTSTR, "", RT3DPOINT, p1, RT3DPOINT, p2, NULL); ap_name2sol(name, &sol); /* Update solid */ ap_q_solinfo(sol, &info); /* Valid. Solid "sol" has been updated */ ads_entdel() Cautions --------------------- ap_sol2name() returns the entity representing the solid in AutoCAD. Deletion of this entity using ads_entdel() potentially deletes the solid from the AutoCAD database. ap_evalpmesh() and ap_evalwire() return the representations of the solid which are used by AME. You must NEVER use ads_entdel() on entity names returned by these functions.