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TurboDraw
User's Manual
Last Revised 09/09/89
Daytron Electronics Inc.
P.O.Box 851591
Richardson, Tx 75085-1591
(214) 669-2137
COPYRIGHT
(c)Copyright 1988,1989 Daytron Electronics Inc. All Rights
Reserved
TRADEMARK
EZ-CAD and TurboDraw are trademarks of Daytron Electronics Inc.
Hercules Graphics Card is a trademark of Hercules Computer
Technology
Hewlette-Packard is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Co.
IBM,PC,XT,AT,and PS/2 are trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation
Mouse Systems is a trade mark of Mouse Systems Corporation
Okidata is a registered trademark of Oki America Inc.
NEC is a registered trademark of Nippon Electric Co.
DM/PL and Houston Instrument are trademarks of Amtek Inc.
DISCLAIMER
Daytron Electronics warrants that the enclosed software will
perform substantially in accordance with this manual for a period
of 30 days from the day of receipt. No other warranties are
implied.
GRANT OF LICENSE
This product is only licensed and not sold. It remains the
property of Daytron Electronics Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1: ABOUT TURBODRAW............................................ 1
2: INSTALLING TURBODRAW....................................... 2
2.1 System Requirements.................................... 2
2.2 Installation........................................... 5
3: STARTING TURBODRAW......................................... 7
3.1 Resolving Mouse Problems............................... 7
3.2 Resolving Loading Problems............................. 8
3.3 Running TurboDraw From Another Directory...............10
4: USING TURBODRAW............................................11
4.1 TurboDraw Menus........................................11
4.1.1 Main Menu........................................12
4.1.2 Submenus.........................................12
4.2 Select and Cancel Buttons..............................12
4.3 Cursor Movement........................................13
4.3.1 Cursor Keys......................................13
4.3.2 Screen Cursors...................................14
4.4 Auto Select............................................14
4.5 Pan....................................................14
4.6 Auto Delete/Reposition.................................15
4.7 Drag/Reposition........................................15
4.8 Stretch/Flip...........................................15
4.9 Single key commands....................................15
6: OPTIONS AND COMMANDS.......................................17
6.1 Draw...................................................17
6.1.1 Variable and Fixed Size Symbols..................17
6.1.2 Lines and Curves.................................18
6.1.3 Circle...........................................20
6.1.4 Half Circle and Quarter Circle...................20
6.1.5 Arc..............................................20
6.1.6 Fill.............................................20
6.2 Edit...................................................21
6.2.1 Edit Text........................................21
6.2.2 Select Element, Object, Section..................23
6.2.3 Reduce and Enlarge...............................24
6.2.4 Cut and Paste....................................24
6.2.5 Move.............................................25
6.2.6 Delete Last Object...............................25
6.2.7 Deselect.........................................26
6.2.8 Redraw...........................................26
6.2.9 Change Style.....................................26
6.2.10 Trim............................................26
6.2.11 Rotate..........................................26
6.3 Configuration..........................................27
6.3.1 Drawing Size.....................................27
6.3.2 Full View........................................27
6.3.3 Clear............................................28
6.3.4 Border Line......................................28
6.3.5 Info Box.........................................28
6.3.6 Grid.............................................28
6.3.7 Snap to Grid.....................................29
6.3.8 View = 1:1.......................................29
6.3.9 View = 1/2.......................................29
6.3.10 View = X2.......................................29
6.4 File...................................................30
6.4.1 Read into Cut Buffer.............................30
6.4.2 Write from Select Buffer.........................30
6.4.3 Create PCX File..................................30
6.4.4 Create TIFF File.................................31
6.4.5 Load .LBR File...................................31
6.4.6 Load.............................................31
6.4.7 Save.............................................31
6.4.8 Dir, Del, Copy...................................31
6.4.9 Print............................................32
6.4.10 Plot............................................34
6.4.11 Quit............................................35
6.4.12 Exit............................................35
6.5 Style..................................................36
6.5.1 Font Size........................................36
6.5.2 Line Type........................................36
6.5.3 Plotting with Colors.............................36
6.6 Library................................................38
APPENDIX A: Building Library Files............................39
APPENDIX B: Drawing File Format...............................43
APPENDIX C: Font File Format..................................44
APPENDIX F: TurboDraw Memory Layout...........................50
APPENDIX G: Devices Supported by EZCAD........................52
APPENDIX H: TurboDraw Software Interrupts.....................57
APPENDIX I: Coordinate System.................................58
APPENDIX J: Resolving Plotter Problems........................59
APPENDIX K: Resolving Printer Problems........................60
APPENDIX L: Porting Drawings to DSP or WP.....................61
APPENDIX M: Modifying Text Fonts..............................62
1: ABOUT TURBODRAW
Congratulations on having purchased TurboDraw. We believe it is
the easiest computer-aided drafting (CAD) program available.
It is our goal to provide capable software to maximize the use of
many home or office microcomputers at a price that can be
justified by casual users.
This manual is intended as a reference guide for TurboDraw and
familiarity with microcomputer hardware and operating systems is
assumed. If you are not familiar with microcomputer hardware or
software, please refer to the documentation supplied with your
equipment.
Although we try to keep this manual as up-to-date as possible,
some changes and additional features may be found in the READ.ME
file on the TurboDraw diskette. We recommand that your print this
file and paste the printout on the blank pages toward the end of
this manual.
TurboDraw is an entry level CAD program that combines the easy
point-and-click user interface and the ability to generate user
symbol libraries. TurboDraw can produce professional quality
drawings for electrical, architectural, and mechanical
engineers, as well as dataflow, program flow, and structural
charts for programmers, systems analysts, and database managers.
The drawings produced by TurboDraw consist of elements and
objects (also referred to as symbols) which are defined as
follows:
* Element - line, curve, circle, dot, characters etc.
* Object/Symbol - collection of elements.
The files used to store drawings consist of descriptions of these
elements (or vectors). In other words, TurboDraw does not handle
bit-mapped images like some painting/drawing programs. It is
best used to create technical drawings that consist primarily of
lines and curves.
TurboDraw is menu-driven. That means when the program is ready to
accept a command, it displays all possible choices on the screen.
A convenient feature of TurboDraw is the SPOOLing capability
which redirects output to a file instead of to a device. This
enables you to print or plot output at a more convenient time, or
from a PC that is connected to the proper printer or plotter.
1
2: INSTALLING TURBODRAW
2.1 System Requirements
An IBM PC, XT, AT or compatible with CGA, EGA, or Hercules
monochrome graphics card running MS DOS/PC DOS 2.0 or higher is
required.
IBM PS/2 family computers with MCGA or VGA are downward
compatible with CGA and EGA and therefore are also supported.
A mouse is recommended but not required. The following devices
are supported:
* EPSON/IBM Graphics compatible printer
* EPSON 24-pin printers
* IBM QuietWrite printer
* OKIDATA printers
* NEC/TEC or compatible printers
* HP LaserJet, DeskJet, or any PCL compatible printers
* Toshiba 24-pin printers
* Tally printers
* HP or any HP/GL compatible plotters
* Houston Instrument or any DM/PL compatible plotters
* Sweet P/ComScriber I plotters
* All mouse devices and digitizers that conform to the INT 33H
standard
Either standard carriage (10") or wide carriage (15") printers
can be used.
2
The amount of memory required depends on the type of graphics
card used and the selected drawing size. The minimum is 256K,
although we recommend 640K.
The TurboDraw package consists of the following
programs:
* Mouse driver
EZMOUSE.COM
* Graphics card drivers
EGA.COM
CGA.COM
MGC.COM
* Printer drivers
EPSON.COM
EPSON24.COM
OKIDATA.COM
IBM.COM
NEC.COM
PCL.COM
QUIETW.COM
GENER24.COM
TOSHIBA.COM
TALLY.COM
* Plotter drivers
HPGL.COM
DMPL.COM
SWEETP.COM
* Installation program
INSTALL.COM
* Drawing program
EZCAD.COM
* Application program
TBDRAW.COM
TBSYMB.COM
* Fonts
*.FNT
* Symbol libraries
*.LBR
3
* Utilities
EZMODE.COM
EZPRINT.COM
FNTTXT.COM
TXTFNT.COM
* Sample Drawing Files
*.DRW
4
2.2 Installation
Before configuring TurboDraw, use the DOS command DISKCOPY or
COPY to create a working diskette from the original diskette.
Then store the original diskette in a safe place.
To Install TurboDraw on a Fixed-disk System:
1. Insert the working diskette in drive A. Set the fixed-
disk default directory and copy the contents of the
working diskette to the fixed disk using DOS commands.
2. Type INSTALL and press Enter.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to continue.
To Install TurboDraw on a Diskette-based System:
1. Insert the DOS diskette in drive A.
2. Insert the TurboDraw working diskette in drive B.
3. At the DOS prompt type B: and press Enter.
4. At the B> prompt, type INSTALL and press Enter.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to continue.
================================================================
EZCAD Installation Menu Rev 1.3
1) Video Display : EGA
2) Printer : EPSON10
3) Plotter : SWEETP
4) Mouse Port : Installed by user
5) Plotter Port : LPTn or special
6) Plotter model :
Please enter item number to change or <enter> to exit:
================================================================
5
The INSTALL program defaults to the following settings:
1. EGA monitor
2. Standard carriage EPSON printer
3. Sweet P plotter
4. Mouse driver loaded by the user before starting TrubDraw.
PS/2 users should select CGA instead of MCGA, or EGA instead of
VGA for video display.
The INSTALL program generates a "batch file" called DRAW.BAT
which loads the proper drivers/programs into memory when
executed. INSTALL is menu-driven and should be sufficient for
most users.
For special configurations, e.g., if a special printer driver is
needed, you can load the drivers manually, or use an editor to
modify the existing DRAW.BAT file. If you modify DRAW.BAT,
ensure that the application program (TBDRAW.COM) is the last to
be loaded, because it takes control from the operating system
and starts the TurboDraw session.
Non-US Keyboard Users:
When you enter text onto the drawing, the character shown on
the screen may not be what you expect. This is because
TurboDraw assumes a US keyboard and forms the shape of the
characters according to it. If you are a non-US keyboard
user, you may want to modify our fonts to add in country
dependent symbols or letters. Please refer to Appendix M for
detail.
6
3: STARTING TURBODRAW
If you use a mouse, load your own mouse driver before starting
TurboDraw. If you purchased a mouse from us, follow the
instructions on the mouse manual.
To start TurboDraw, type DRAW. You should see on the screen that
the drivers are loaded by DRAW.BAT. After all the programs are
loaded, the screen should be cleared and the main menu should
appear on the left of the screen. Your are now ready to draw.
To avoid losing hours of work (by a sudden power failure,
computer crash, etc.) you should occasionally save your drawing
to disk. It is also a good practice to save your drawing before
every major change.
3.1 Resolving Mouse Problems
There is a mouse driver EZMOUSE.COM on the TurboDraw disk. It is
supplied for 2 purposes:
1. If you do not have a mouse and plan to use the keyboard
cursor keys to draw, EZMOUSE will be responsible for
displaying and moving the graphics cursor.
2. If your mouse is compatible with the Mouse Systems mouse,
and its mouse driver does not seem to work in graphics
mode, you can try using EZMOUSE in lieu of your own mouse
driver.
Note that EZMOUSE does not override any existing mouse driver
already loaded.
In the rare event that EZMOUSE.COM works for TurboDraw but not
other programs, and your MOUSE.COM works for other programs but
not TurboDraw, you should change the first line of your DRAW.BAT
file to be
EZMOUSE /F1
if your mouse is connected to COM1, or
EZMOUSE /F2
if your mouse is connected to COM2. The "F" option forces the
mouse driver to be loaded even if another driver has already been
loaded.
7
At the end of DRAW.BAT you should add the folllowing line:
EZMOUSE /P
The "P" option purges the previously loaded EZMOUSE.COM, and
reactivates the original MOUSE.COM.
If you still have problems with your mouse, you can try
contacting the manufacturer of your mouse and get an update of
your mouse driver.
3.2 Resolving Loading Problems
If your computer freezes or crashes during the process of
loading, it is possibly caused by one of the following:
1. A memory resident program has been loaded.
Memory resident programs are usually those that can be
invoked by pressing a "hot key". These programs may
interfere with TurboDraw. Rename your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
to something else and reboot the system to get rid of
these programs to verify this problem.
The solution is to remove this program from the memory.
2. Any interrupt vector between 60H through 67H has be used
This can be verified by using the DEBUG to look at
memory location 0:180 through 0:19F for non-zero bytes.
The solution is to remove the program that uses this
interrupt. If this is not possible, try relocate it to
some other vector.
3. You have specified the wrong video display
The following are the most common causes -
* MGC does not work:
1. The original IBM monochrome display controller
does not have graphics capability.
2. The monochrome display is actually a CGA
connecting to a monochrome monitor.
8
* EGA does not work:
Your EGA board is not 100% compatible.
9
3.3 Running TurboDraw from another directory
To run TurboDraw from another directory, the following
procedure is recommended:
1. Delete the following line from your DRAW.BAT file:
TBDRAW
2. Set current directory to the TurboDraw subdirectory,
type DRAW to load all the drivers.
3. Set your desired working directory, type the
following line to start TurboDraw
\TurboDraw path name\TBDRAW
4. To restart TurboDraw, goto 2.
10
4: USING TURBODRAW
4.1 TurboDraw Menus
TurboDraw is always in one of three distinct levels:
Level 1 - Main menu function selection
Level 2 - Submenu function selection
Level 3 - Submenu function execution
It is very important that you know what level the program is in.
When you load TurboDraw, it displays the level 1 menu which is
the main menu. To move from level 1 to level 3 or from level 3
to level 3 you must go through level 2. To move from level 2 to
level 2, you must go through level 1.
The shape of the cursor indicates the program level:
Level 1 - Arrow, main menu displayed
Level 2 - Arrow, submenu displayed
Level 3 - Non-arrow, no menu displayed
Only one menu is active at any given time.
To select a menu item, simply move the cursor over the menu until
the item is highlighted and press the select button.
11
4.1.1 Main Menu
The main menu is displayed on the left side of the drawing area.
Below the main menu area in the lower left-hand corner, the
current drawing size and cursor position expressed in x- and y-
coordinates are displayed.
Each main menu entry encompasses a set of related functions as
follows:
* DRAW places objects on the drawing.
* EDIT edits a drawing using delete, copy, move, etc.
* CONFIG sets the drawing environment, including paper size,
grid, etc.
* FILE is the disk file read/write function which includes load,
save, print, exit, etc.
* STYLE sets line types and character sizes.
* LIBRARY allows you to draw user-defined symbols.
4.1.2 Submenus
When you select any function in the main menu, TurboDraw always
displays a submenu in the drawing area. Chapter 6 contains a
detailed discussion of the submenus.
4.2 Select and Cancel Buttons
The Select button sets a point or confirms an operation, and is
either the left button on the mouse, the Enter key, or the F1 key
on the keyboard.
The Cancel button cancels an operation, exits a menu, or serves
as a negative response, and is either the right button on the
mouse, the Esc key, or the F2 key on the keyboard.
12
4.3 Cursor Movement
The cursor keys allow you to interact with TurboDraw to create
and alter drawings.
4.3.1 Cursor Keys
The keypad cursor keys control the movement of the currently
displayed screen cursor, and move in units of 8 pixels. When
pressed simultaneously with the Shift key, the keypad cursor keys
move the cursor in units of 128 pixels.
To move the cursor one pixel at a time, use the following control
keys (the ^ denotes pressing the Ctrl key simultaneously with the
next key):
^E (up)
^S (left) ^D (right)
^X (down)
Other keys on the keypad also have special meaning:
* Home - Move the cursor to the upper left corner.
* End - Move the cursor to the lower right corner.
* PgUp - Move the cursor up 128 pixels.
* PgDn - Move the cursor down 128 pixels.
13
4.3.2 Screen Cursors
TurboDraw employs four types of screen cursors, each
having a special meaning:
* Arrow (->) - Select a menu item.
* Crosshair (+) - Marking location on the drawing.
* Left bracket ([) - Enter text.
* Question mark (?) - Verify action.
The arrow (->) cursor selects a function from the
main menu or from a submenu if a submenu is dis-
played. TurboDraw always displays the arrow cursor
once an operation is complete. To complete an oper-
ation, press either the Select button or the Cancel
button.
4.4 Auto Select
To display the previously selected submenu, press
the Select button in the drawing area instead of in
the main menu area.
To perform the last selected submenu function, place
the cursor off the submenu and press the select
button again.
4.5 Pan
Pan allows you to scan portions of the drawing
quickly. To use Pan, move the cursor so that it
touches the side of the drawing display area that
you want to view. TurboDraw moves the drawing in the
opposite direction.
14
4.6 Auto Delete/Reposition
If the previous submenu is DRAW, EDIT or LIB, pressing the Cancel
button causes the last drawn or edited symbol to disappear. This
operation if equivalent to the Delete Last Object command (refer
to 6.2.6) followed by the Paste command. To delete the symbol,
press Cancel again. To reposition the symbol, move the dotted box
to the desired location and press the select button.
If the previous operation was a "paste", "autodelete" cuts the
whole pasted section.
If objects are selected, auto-delete deselects only.
4.7 Drag/Reposition
While Pasting/Repositioning, you can press and hold the keyboard
Ctrl key to cause the actual symbol or section of drawing to
appear on the screen instead of the dotted box. This operation is
usually referred to as "Dragging", and is useful for fine
alignment. Note that the ^S, ^E, ^D and ^X control key
combinations also enable dragging.
4.9 Single Key Commands
The following single key commands can be invoked at any time by
pressing the proper key, except during submenu selection:
Single key menu selection:
You can use single key stroke to select an item in any text
menu, if there is one and only one field in the menu
that has this character as its first character in the
field. For example, you can type FQ to quit TurboDraw.
Single key style selection:
"1" - Select single solid line and regular text.
"2" - Select double solid line and small text.
"3" - Select Tripple solid line and large text.
"4" - Select dotted line.
"5" - Select dashed line.
15
Single key commands:
"G" - Turns "Snap to" of or off.
"O" - Set origin of relative coordinate and to toggle the
coordinate display from absolute coordinate to
relative coordinate and vice versa.
16
6: OPTIONS AND COMMANDS
6.1 DRAW
The DRAW submenu is a graphics menu that contains flowchart
symbols. Refer to appendix E for interpretation of the Icons.
6.1.1 Variable-size and Fixed-size symbols
STEP 1 - Select symbol
To select a symbol from the menu, move the cursor over the
cell containing the icon and press the Select button. The
submenu will disappear and the cursor will change to a
crosshair.
STEP 2 - Place symbol
NOTE: To help you align your drawing, TurboDraw provides
the grid function which you can turn on through the Config
submenu.
To place the selected symbol on the drawing, move the
crosshair cursor to the location where you want the upper
left corner of the symbol placed and press the Select
button.
Symbols can be of FIXED or VARIABLE size. If the symbol is
FIXED, TurboDraw places the upper left corner of the icon at
the location defined by the cursor position. Go to Step 4 if
this is the case.
If the symbol is VARIABLE, TurboDraw draws a dotted box
representing the icon's default boundaries, placing the
upper left corner of the box at the location defined by the
original crosshair cursor position and moving the crosshair
cursor to the lower right corner of the box. Go to Step 3
if this is the case.
If you select the TEXT icon, TurboDraw displays the text
cursor ([). Use the keyboard to enter text. See section
6.2.1 for rules about text-editing. To terminate a text
block, press Ctrl-Z. Then go to Step 4.
STEP 3 - Set lower right corner
17
Move the cursor to adjust the size of the dotted box before
pressing the Select button.
STEP 4 - Draw another symbol or exit
* To draw the same symbol again, go to Step 2.
* To exit or draw a different symbol, you can do one of
three things:
- Press Cancel to exit to level 1 and select any item from
the main menu.
- Move the cursor off the menu and press the Select button
to auto-select the DRAW submenu.
- Go to Step 1 to draw another symbol.
* To delete or reposition the symbol, perform the following
steps:
A - Press Cancel to exit to level 1. The arrow cursor
appears.
B - Cancel again. The symbol last drawn disappears from
the screen. The cursor is replaced by a dotted box
which indicates the boundaries of the symbol.
C - Move the box to the desired location and
press Select. The symbol will appear on the screen at
that location.
D - Repeat Step C to place multiple copies of of the
symbol. Or, press Cancel to exit to level 1.
6.1.2 Draw line or curve
* To draw a line, move the cursor to the starting point
and press the Select button. Then, begin moving the
cursor to the desired ending point. TurboDraw
displays a dotted line which moves as you move the cursor.
When you reach the desired ending point, press Select
again. You can either press the cancel button to complete
the line, or continue to mark the ending point of the next
segment of the line. Continue in this fashion until you
have finished drawing the line.
18
* To draw a CURVE, you must mark three control
points, P1, P2, and P3. First, move the cursor to the
beginning point (P1) and press Select. Then begin moving
the cursor to the desired mid-point (P2). TurboDraw draws
a dotted line between P1 and P2. Press Select at the
desired mid-point. Finally, move the cursor to the ending
point (P3) of the curve and press Select. Note that the
curve does not actually pass through P2 but only
"approaches" P2.
19
6.1.3 Draw Circle
STEP 2 - Mark center of circle. Rubberband line appears,
representing the radius.
STEP 3 - Mark radius of circle. Circle is drawn. Go to STEP 4.
6.1.4 Half Circle and Quarter Circle
STEP 2 - Mark starting point. Rubberband line is formed.
STEP 3 - Mark ending point. An arc is drawn clockwise from the
starting point to the ending point. Go to STEP 4.
6.1.5 Arc (partial circle)
STEP 2 - Mark the center of circle. Rubberband line appears,
representing the radius.
STEP 3 - Mark the starting point (the radius is also defined), A
dotted circle appears. Then mark the ending point on the
circle. The Arc is drawn clockwise from the starting
point to the ending point. Go to STEP 4.
6.1.6 Fill
To fill an closed area with a pattern, you must mark a point
within the area. The marked point becomes the control point
of the Fill element. Note that since the area is first solid
filled then turned into the pattern, the pattern may leak
into adjacent fill pattern, if it contains solid horizontal
lines.
20
6.2 EDIT
The EDIT submenu allows you to modify a drawing using a variety
of methods.
6.2.1 Edit Text
STEP 1 - Select Text
Pan the screen so that the whole text block appears on the
screen. Move the cursor close to the start of the text
block and press the Select button. This action displays the
text cursor ([) at the end of the text block.
STEP 2 - Modify text
Modify text using the following rules:
1. You cannot replace (overstrike) characters.
2. Newly entered text is always inserted.
3. You can create new lines of text by pressing the Enter
key, which generates a Carriage Return <cr> character.
4. The first character of the text block marks the left
margin for subsequent lines.
5. Cursor keys move the cursor WITHIN the text block, and
do not generate spaces. Use the Space Bar to generate
spaces.
6. The Backspace or Delete key deletes characters,
including <cr>.
7. The maximum length for a text block is 256
characters, including <cr>'s.
STEP 3 - Terminate or abort
To terminate the current text block, press Ctrl-Z.
To abort and exit to level 1, press Ctrl-C.
STEP 4 - Create another text block or exit
21
When you complete a text block, the program reactivates the
crosshair cursor which you can move to a new location and
start another text block. Press the Cancel button to quit
entering text.
22
6.2.2 Select Element, Object, and Section
To edit a drawing, first you must specify the element, object, or
section to be modified. To do this, choose one of the Select
items from the Edit submenu.
After selecting and exiting to the main menu, the program places
the selected element, object, or section in the SELECT BUFFER.
Although the program still displays the selected element, object,
or section, the program actually deletes it from the database.
The dotted boxes on the screen are not part of the drawing, and
therefore disappear when you Pan or Refresh the screen. If you
subsequently choose the Config or File submenu, or Select or
Deselect from the Edit submenu, the program returns the selected
element, object, or area to the drawing database.
* Select Element or Object
STEP 1 - Pick element
Move the cursor to the vicinity (within .5") of one of the
control points of the desired element and press Select. A
dotted box appears around the element, and the cursor
changes into a question mark.
STEP 2 - Confirm selection
Press Select to confirm your selection, or Cancel if it is
the wrong element.
If another element shares the same control point, a dotted
box appears around that element as well. If this is the
case, repeat this step.
Once you confirm your selection, the cursor changes to a
crosshair.
STEP 3 - Exit or select another
Press Cancel to exit, or go to Step 1 to select another
element.
STEP 4 - Another way to exit
Move the cursor to the main menu area and press Select.
* Select Section
23
STEP 1 - Mark upper left corner of area
Move the cursor to the upper left corner of the area you
wish to select, and press the Select button.
STEP 2 - Mark lower right corner of area
Move the cursor to the lower right corner of the area so
that the dotted box encompasses the target area, and press
the Select button.
6.2.3 Reduce/Enlarge
You can reduce or enlarge the selected area using one of four
options: Reduce 70.7%, Reduce 84.7%, Enlarge 118.0%, and Enlarge
141.4%. Note the following calculations.
* 0.707=1/1.414
* 0.847=1/1.18
* 0.707*0.707=.5
* 1.414*1.414=2
After the operation, the reduced or enlarged elements remain
selected, as indicated by the presence of the dotted box. You
can repeat the operation as many times as necessary.
6.2.4 Cut and Paste
You will generally use the Cut option to remove the selected
element, object, or area from the drawing. You can then use the
Paste option to restore the CUT BUFFER contents, or to make
multiple copies of the CUT BUFFER contents on the drawing.
* Cut
Cut removes the selected element, object, or area from the SELECT
BUFFER and from the display and puts the associated data in the
CUT BUFFER. You can restore the CUT BUFFER contents with the
Paste command.
WARNING: If you perform another Cut, or a File or Config
operation, the program purges the CUT BUFFER and the previous
contents are lost. Other editing commands such as Reduce,
Enlarge, Edit Text, and Move also overwrite the CUT BUFFER.
24
If you select Cut without specifying an element, line, or area,
it behaves like a Select section followed by a Cut. This feature
provides you with a shortcut for deleting an area from the
drawing.
* Paste
The Paste command transfers the data in the CUT BUFFER to the
drawing. Paste also moves or makes multiple copies of the
element, object, or section in the CUT BUFFER.
STEP 1 - Mark location to paste
When you choose Paste, the program replaces the cursor with
a dotted box which represents the boundaries of the element,
object, or area in the CUT BUFFER. Move the box to the
desired location and press the Select button. The program
draws the element, object, or area in the CUT BUFFER at the
selected location.
STEP 2 - Cancel or repeat
To copy the CUT BUFFER contents at other locations, repeat
Step 1. Otherwise, press Cancel to exit to level 1.
6.2.5 Move
The Move command is essentially a combination of Cut and Paste.
Refer to 6.2.4 for instructions.
6.2.6 Delete Last Object
The primary use of Delete Last Object is to reposition the last
drawn object. Essentially, it cuts the most recently drawn
object and places the associated data in the CUT BUFFER. To
restore the object, use the Paste command.
WARNING: Repititious use of this command can clear the entire
drawing.
Another convenient way to delete the last drawn object is to
press the Cancel button in level 1, but this only works if the
previous submenu is DRAW.
25
6.2.7 Deselect
Deselect appends the selected element, object, or section to the
database, which means that the element, object, or section
becomes the most recently drawn element.
6.2.8 Redraw
Redraw causes TurboDraw to clear the drawing area and repaint it
using the element descriptors in the database. If you have edited
the drawing extensively, you should use this option since the
drawing may not exactly match the database. For example, when
you delete one of two intersecting or overlapping lines, the
remaining line will appear disjointed.
Redraw also causes causes the grid to be cleared.
6.2.9 Change Style
This command cuases the line style of the selected symbols to be
changed to the current line style setting. If no symbols are
selected, the cursor will change to a cross hair and you are
expected to select a section of symbols.
6.2.10 Trim
This powerful command can be used to move the control points of
drawn elements and therefore change the shape of objects. Move
your cursor close to the control point that you want to move, and
press the select button. The selected control point is
highlighted by having a dotted box around it. You should mark a
new locatin for the control point. All elements having the same
control point are affected. This command is useful in adjusting
the length of a line, adjusting the curvature of a curve, or
changing the shape of a symbol.
6.2.11 Rotate
This command is used to change the shape of the selected objects.
The effect of rotate X and rotate Y is similar to stretching. If
the angle of rotation is less than 180 degrees, the object is
reduced. If the angle is greater than 180 degrees, the object is
expanded.
26
6.3 CONFIGURATION
From the Config submenu, you can select the drawing size, display
a full view of most drawings, clear the drawing, create border
lines and an information box, and turn on the grid.
6.3.1 Drawing Size
TurboDraw supports six drawing sizes, ranging from the ANSI A
size to the ANSI E size. The dimensions for these sizes are
listed in the table below. The default drawing size (after
startup) is A (11" wide, 8.5" high).
Wide carriage printer 11" x 14" paper is also supported and is
dubbed W (for wide carriage).
size dimension printed area
---- --------- ------------
A 8.5 x 11 8 x 10.5
B 11 x 17 10.5 x 16
C 17 x 22 16 x 21
D 22 x 34 21 x 32
E 34 x 44 32 x 42
W 11 x 14 13.5 x 10.5
Each size has two orientations, horizontal (width > height) or
vertical (height > width), giving you a total of twelve (12)
drawing sizes to select from.
Note that due to the 640K memory restriction, the E size drawing
is shown on the screen in a 70.7% scale, but the actual
printed/plotted drawing is full size.
WARNING: If you change the paper size after you have started the
drawing, you will lose everything up to that point. Therefore,
ensure that you change the paper size BEFORE doing any work.
6.3.2 Full View
Full View shrinks the drawing and displays it in reverse
highlight at the upper left corner of the screen. To remove the
Full View display from the screen, pan the drawing in any
direction.
27
6.3.3 Clear
Clear deletes the drawing display and database. Note, however,
that the CUT BUFFER is not affected by this operation.
6.3.4 Border Line
Border Line draws a line around the border of the drawing .8"
from the paper edge. If you decide to use this feature, do it
before you start the actual drawing.
6.3.5 Info Box
Info Box draws an information box on the lower right corner of
the drawing. If you decide to use this feature, do it before you
start the actual drawing. An example of how to use this feature
appears below.
--------------------------------
| company name/logo |
|--------------------------------|
| project name |
|--------------------------------|
| SIZE | drawing name/revision |
|--------------------------------|
| scale | date | sheet |
--------------------------------
6.3.6 Grid
Grid superimposes a grid on your drawing by displaying a dot
every 16 pixels both horizontally and veritcally. This feature
enables you to align the objects in the drawing.
Note that the grid is not part of the drawing, and only appears
on the screen for reference. This command acts like a toggle in
that it turns the grid on and off.
28
6.3.7 Snap to Grid
This command causes the cursor to be attracted to the closest
grid point, or to the mid point between grid points. In essence
the cursor moves in .125 (1/8") steps.
Using the cursor keys causes the cursor to snap to grid whether
the command is in effect or not. Note that this commnad also acts
like a toggle.
6.3.8 View = 1:1
This commnad causes the drawing to be displayed in full size.
6.3.9 View = 1/2
This command causes the drawing to be displayed in one half of
the original size. Note that this command only affects the view
of the drawing, the size of the drawing remain unchanged.
The result of this commnad is cumulative. Executing this command
twice causes the drawing to appear to be 1/4 the original size.
6.3.10 View = X2
This command causes the drawing to be displayed in twice of the
original size.
This command allows you to zoom-in to your drawing for detail
work. Note that the drawing area remains the same size, and
therefore only 1/4 of the drawing remains in the drawing area.
To view the whole drawing in this expanded view, change your
drawing size to 4 times larger before executing this command.
29
6.4 FILE
The File submenu enables you to perform several fundamental
tasks, for example, load a drawing, load a .LBR file (user-
defined object definition file), save a drawing, print or plot a
drawing, and exit or quit the program. In addition, you can
perform several essential DOS commands from inside TurboDraw
without having to exit the program, for example, delete a file,
copy a file, and list the contents of the current default
directory.
Note that a file name can include drive specification and
pathname, or can be a device name. The file name extension
defaults to the following if not specified. To specify blank file
name extension you must terminate your file name with a period.
* When saving or loading a file, the file name extension is
assumed to be .DRW if not specified. File name is
deblanked.
* When saving a file, the original file is renamed to
"filename.BAK" to provide a backup.
* When loading a library file, the file name extension is
assumed to be .LBR.
6.4.1 Read into Cut Buffer
This option reads a previously saved partial drawing into the Cut
Buffer and make it ready to be pasted.
6.4.2 Write from Select
The selected objects are saved to the specified file. This option
is used to save partial drawing which can later be merged with
other drawings.
6.4.3 Write PCX file
TurboDraw can save the drawing in .PCX file format. The
resultant drawing has the same resolution as your video
display. Note that TurboDraw cannot read .PCX files.
30
6.4.4 Write TIFF file
TurboDraw can save the drawing in .TIF file format. The .TIF file
has a resolution of 150 dpi in both the horizontal or vertical
direction. The maximum drawing area that is written to the .TIF
file is 14"X11". Note that TurboDraw cannot read .TIF files.
6.4.5 Load .LBR File
This option allows you to open and read into memory a user-
defined or user-created (using TBSYMB, refer to appendix A)
object definition file.
On startup, TurboDraw automatically loads the file DRAW0.LBR as
the default library file.
6.4.6 Load
Load allows you to read into memory a previously saved drawing.
Since this operation DOES NOT CLEAR the current drawing, you can
use it to merge multiple drawings.
6.4.7 Save
This option saves the current drawing to the file you specify, in
the format as defined in Appendix B.
6.4.8 Dir, Del, Copy
The Dir option allows you to list the file names and sizes in the
current default directory.
Del deletes a file.
Copy copies a file.
31
6.4.9 Print
The Print option saves the current drawing in EZCAD.TMP,
generates printer output, and sends the output to a printer or
SPOOL file.
A convenient feature of TurboDraw is the SPOOLing capability
which enables you to direct drawing output to a file. If you
direct output to a file, you can print drawing output at a more
convenient time, or from a PC that is connected to the proper
printer.
In addition, you can create a SPOOL command to print drawing
files in background. See Appendix D for instructions on creating
SPOOL.COM.
When you select Print from the File submenu, it displays the
following prompt:
Device name: PRN
You your output is not LPT1, you must specify another file name
or device name.
To accept the default, simply press Enter. This action causes
the drawing output to be printed on your printer.
To enter another file name, type the file name using standard DOS
file-naming conventions, and press Enter. This action causes the
drawing output to be written to the file whose name you
specified. TurboDraw generates one output file for each sheet in
the drawing. In this case, TurboDraw increments the file name
extension. For example, if you entered SPOOL.0, the output for
the first sheet is written to SPOOL.0, the second to SPOOL.1, and
so on. If you specify another file name, e.g. TEST.A, then the
first sheet is written to TEST.A, the second to TEST.B, and so
on.
To print a SPOOL file, use the TurboDraw EZPRINT utility included
in this package.
WARNING: Since the TurboDraw Print option generates a binary
bit-image dump and the DOS "PRINT" command expects ASCII-coded
characters, you cannot use DOS "PRINT" to print TurboDraw SPOOL
files.
32
EZPRINT has the following format:
EZPRINT <filename> <devicename>
For example, if the file name is SPOOL.0 and the device name is
LPT1, the command would be:
EZPRINT SPOOL.0 LPT1
To send drawing output directly to a device (e.g. PRN, LPT1,
COM1, or other custom-installed devices supported by custom
drivers), type the device name at the prompt, and press the Enter
key. Note that if the target printer is connected to a serial
port, you must set the proper baud rate using the DOS MODE
command prior to loading TurboDraw.
You can abort the Print command by pressing the Escape key or the
Ctrl-C combination.
33
6.4.10 Plot
The Plot option generates plotter commands and sends the commands
directly to a plotter or SPOOL file.
A convenient feature of TurboDraw is the SPOOLing capability
which enables you to direct drawing output to a file. If you
direct output to a file, you can plot the drawing at a more
convenient time, or from a PC that is connected to the proper
plotter.
Ensure that the plotter is on line and set up properly before you
start to plot.
When you select Plot from the File submenu, it displays the
following prompt:
Device name: SPOOL.0
You can accept the default file name (SPOOL.0), or specify
another file name or device name.
To accept the default, simply press Enter. This action causes
the drawing output to be written to the file named SPOOL.0.
To enter another file name, type the file name using standard DOS
file-naming conventions, and press Enter. This action causes the
drawing output to be written to the file whose name you
specified.
To plot a SPOOL file, use any program that sends files to a
device (e.g., COPY, PRINT, EZPRINT, etc.). Since SPOOL files
contain only "printable" ASCII codes, you can use any program
that sends files to a device to plot them as in the following
examples.
COPY SPOOL.0 COM2
PRINT SPOOL.0
Name of List Device [PRN]: COM2
EZPRINT SPOOL.0 COM2
To send drawing output directly to a device (e.g. COM1, COM2, or
other custom-installed devices sup-ported by custom drivers),
simply type the device name at the prompt, and press the Enter
key.
To resolve plotting problems, refer to Appendix J.
34
6.4.11 Quit
Quit ABANDONS the current drawing and returns control to the
operating system.
WARNING: This option does NOT SAVE the current drawing. Use
this option only to ABORT.
6.4.12 Exit
Exit saves the current drawing to the file you originally loaded
and returns control to the operating system.
35
6.5 STYLE
The Style submenu allows you to set the font size (character
size), line spacing and style, and color for plotting. An
asterisk (*) to the immediate left of a submenu item indicates
the current selection.
6.5.1 Font Size
You can select from three font (character) sizes: small, medium,
and large. The last-selected font size stays in effect until you
change it again.
* Small
Character cell size is .07" x .15", which is equivalent to
14 CPI and 6.7 LPI.
* Regular
Character cell size is .12" x .25", which is equivalent to
8.3 CPI and 4 LPI.
* Large
Character cell size is .2" x .3", which is equivalent to 5
CPI and 3.3 LPI.
Note that these sizes are not compatible with the 10 CPI and 6
LPI industry-standard printer or typewriter character size.
The characters consist of built-in bit-mapped images and cannot
be enlarged or reduced. TurboDraw dynamically loads the font
files (*.FNT) according to the type of display used.
6.5.2 Line Type
You can select from among five line types: Single, Double,
Triple, Dotted, and Dashed.
TurboDraw uses the line type to construct symbols consisting of
lines. As with font size, the last-selected line type remains in
effect until you change it again.
36
Note that the plotter driver does not support double or triple
line types, and therefore draws these lines using single solid
lines.
6.5.3 Plotting with Colors
You can select a different color for each object or symbol on
your drawing through the Style submenu. As with line type and
font, the last-selected color remains in effect until you select
another.
Note that the colors are plotted only, and do not appear on the
display.
37
6.6 LIBRARY
The Library Submenu allows you to draw with user-defined symbols
contained in library files. The default file name for the file
containing user-defined symbols is DRAW0.LBR. You can build
additional libraries or expand DRAW0.LBR using the information
in Appendix A.
As shipped, DRAW0.LBR contains four non-standard symbols:
Organizational chart box, Floppy diskette, Queue structure
(FIFO), and Stack structure (LIFO).
38
APPENDIX A: Building Library Files
A.1 Elements, Objects, and Control Points
The element is the most basic drawing unit that EZCAD can
produce. All drawings are built from command codes describing
elements which EZCAD interprets. Command codes with values 0
through 20 are for elements.
An object or symbol consists of a set of elements and is usually
a common symbol on a drawing. For example, a box consists of 4
lines (elements). Objects are defined in the application program
or in libraries.
Elements are defined by control points. For example, a line is
defined by the starting and ending points. These points form the
"descriptors" for elements. The descriptors also contain style
and size information.
A.2 Symbol Libraries
A symbol library is not just a collection of lines and curves
that you draw and save. Instead, it is a program written in a
simple language consisting of single byte commands followed by 0,
1, or two-byte operands, which EZCAD.COM interprets and
executes. You can write the program in straight-forward Assembler
syntax and assemble it into binary code. DRAW0.ASM on the
distribution disk contains the source for DRAW0.LBR. A summary
of available Assembler commands appears on the next page.
A.3 Using TBSYMB
A more productive way t¬ î ¬√brary file is to use the
TBSYMB utility:
1. Draw your symbols, save each symbol in one file.
2. Exit TurboDraw
3. Load your CRT driver (EGA, CGA or MGC)
4. Load EZCAD
5. Run TBSYMB
6. Speficy Icon or Text menu.
39
7. Enter symbol file names, wild card is recommended.
8. TBSYMB will continue to prompt for symbol file names
until a single <Enter> is pressed as the reply.
9. Specify how menu cells are organized.
10. Enter output library file name. File type .LBR is
recommended
A.4 EZCAD commands
Mnemonic Value Function
--------- ----- --------
RETURN 0 End of object. Put all elements
into database.
LINE 1 Draw line from PNT1 to PNT2.
OVAL 2 Draw ellipse using PNT1 and PNT2 as the
envelope.
CURVE3 3 Draw curve through PNT1, PNT2, and PNT3.
CURVE4 4 Draw curve starting at PNT1, using imaginary
line formed by PNT1 and PNT2 as the tangent
vector, and ending at PNT4, using the
imaginary line formed by PNT3 and PNT4 as the
tangent vector at PNT4.
ERASE 5 Blank a 16x16 bit area.
DOT 6 Draw a solid dot with radius of .06" at PNT1.
CIRCLE 7 Draw a small circle with radius of .04" at
PNT1.
ARROW 8 Draw an arrow head at PNT2 using the
imaginary line formed by PNT1 and PNT2 as
the vector.
BITMAP 9 Draw a 24x36 bitmap at PNT1. (Upper
left corner of bitmap is aligned with PNT1).
PRINTS 10 Draw ASCII string.
POINT 11 Turn one dot (pixel) on at PNT1.
HCIRCLE 12 Draw half circle clockwise (visually) from
PNT1 to PNT2.
QCIRCLE 13 Draw quarter circle clockwise (visually) from
PNT1 to PNT2.
RBOXON 21 Form rubber band box using PNT1 as the upper
left corner and PNT2 as the lower right
corner.
RBOXOFF 22 Turn rubber band box off.
RBNDON 23 Form rubber band line from PNT1 to PNT2.
RBNDOFF 24 Turn rubber band line off.
PNT1 25 Change cursor to crosshair and read next
location, marked by the Select button, into
40
PNT1.
PNT2 26 Same as PNT1.
PNT3 27 Same as PNT1.
PNT4 28 Same as PNT1.
PNT5 29 Same as PNT1.
PNT6 30 Same as PNT1.
PNT7 31 Same as PNT1.
PNT8 32 Same as PNT1.
MOV 33 Move word from operand 2 to operand 1.
SWAP 34 Swap word operand 1 with operand 2.
ADD 35 Add word operand 2 into operand 1.
SUB 36 Subtract word operand 2 from operand 1.
MUL 37 Multiply word operand 2 with operand 1,
leaving result in operand 1.
DIV 38 Divide word operand 1 by operand 2, leaving
result in operand 1.
AND 39 AND operand 2 into operand 1.
OR 40 OR operand 2 into operand 1.
NOT 41 Invert word operand.
NEG 42 Negate word operand.
SHFR 43 Arithmetic shift right word operand.
SHFL 44 Shift left word operand.
CONST 45 Define word operand as the CON (used as
operand).
MSG 46 Display message pointed to by word operand.
TEXT 47 Draw text pointed to by word operand.
ATTR 48 Define attribute contained in word operand.
D2I 49 Convert dot coordinate contained in PNT1 to
real (.01") coordinate.
I2D 50 Convert real (.01") coordinate to dot
coordinate.
41
SETPNT 51 Move word operand 2 into operand 1, and move
cursor to operand 1.
TLINE 52 Draw line from operand 1 to operand 2. As
long as ABS(X1-X2) or ABS(Y1-Y2) is less than
7 (pixels) the line is drawn as a vertical or
a horizontal line.
42
APPENDIX B: Drawing File Format
The drawing file contains 16-byte records. Each record contains
information for one element, with the following two exceptions:
* 4-point-curve
This element requires four control points, and therefore
consists of two records. PNT4 is located at offset 4 in the
second record.
* Text string
The text string can contain up to 256 bytes; therefore, a
text string can require up to 22 contiguous records.
The extension flag in each record indicates whether the
text string extends into the next record. Text information
starts at offset 8 in the first record, and starts at offset
4 in the extended records.
The record format for the remaining elements appears on the
next page. Note that only the control points required by the
element are filled in. The rest of the bytes remain
undefined.
Offset Size Contents
------ ---- --------
0 word (Ignored)
2 byte Element code, taking a value from 0 through
20 as listed in Appendix A.
3 byte b7 : start of object flag
b6 : extension flag
b5-b3 : color
b2-b0 : line type or character size.
4 word PNT1, X
6 word PNT1, Y
8 word PNT2, X
10 word PNT2, Y
12 word PNT3, X
14 word PNT3, Y
43
APPENDIX C: Font File Format
EZCAD character fonts are defined in special font files which
differ for each display or printer. The number of dots required
by each character cell for some standard devices are listed
below. Note that the Epson printer, printing with a resolution of
120 dpi horizontal and 144 dpi vertical, requires more dots than
any other device.
The size of a cell is actually larger than the character to
provide spacing between characters. For example, a 6 X 8 cell
contains a 5 X 7 character.
Device Small Regular Large
-----------------------------------------
MGC (12") 6 x 8 10 x 14 17 x 17
CGA (13") 5 x 4 8 x 7 14 x 9
EGA (14") 5 x 8 8 x 13 14 x 16
IBM 8 x 10 14 x 18 24 x 21
EPSON 8 x 21 14 x 36 24 x 43
NEC 6 x 10 11 x 18 19 x 21
OKIDATA 5 x 10 8 x 18 14 x 21
All characters of the same style occupy the same amount of space
in the font file. Unused bits are zero-filled so that all cells
are of the same size regardless of the type of the device. This
allows the font files to be accessed uniformly.
Byte offset Contents
----------------------------------------------------
0 - 0A1F 144 8 x 18 small fonts, ASCII 20-AF
A20 - 2BDF 144 16 x 30 regular fonts, ASCII 20-AF
2BE0 3593 23 24 X 36 special symbols, ASCII B0C6
3594 - 35B3 32 filler bytes
35B4 - 7273 144 24 x 36 large fonts, ASCII 20-AF
44
APPENDIX F: TurboDraw Memory Layout
The DRAW.BAT command file causes the following programs to be
loaded into memory. When you exit TurboDraw, all programs except
the mouse driver are purged from the memory.
1. Mouse driver
2. Video driver
3. Printer driver (optional)
4. Plotter driver (optional)
5. Drawing program (EZCAD)
6. Application (TBDRAW)
Stack
Font
Drawing Area (virtual screen)
User Library
8K Bytes reserved for Library
Database
The application program (TBDRAW) is the last to be loaded and is
responsible for providing the stack. The memory space from the
end of this program (which is also the end of stack area) to the
end of memory (as reported by BIOS) is used for storing the draw-
ing and the database. The order in which the drivers are loaded
is not important.
TurboDraw uses two main data structures--the drawing area and the
database.
50
* Drawing area
This is a contiguous piece of memory used to store the image
of the whole drawing as it appears on the screen. Each bit
in this area corresponds to a pixel on the screen. What you
see on the screen is a small section of this area. The
amount of memory used depends on the type of display and
the drawing size.
* Database
The element descriptors are stored in the database. The
database is a linked list of 16-byte buffers which extends
to the end of memory.
When TruboFlow is terminated or aborted, the operating
system purges the application (TBDRAW) and regains all
memory used by the drawing area and the database area.
51
APPENDIX G: Devices Supported by EZCAD
Before discussing the devices supported by EZCAD, we will clarify
some characteristics of the IBM asynchronous port (also known as
the serial port or RS-232 port, designated as COM1 or COM2). The
asynchronous port on the PC is a DTE device. That is, it
transmits on pin 2 and receives on pin 3. To connect to a DCE
device, use a straight- through cable (pin 2 to pin 2, pin 3 to
pin 3, etc.). To connect to another DTE device, cross pin 2 and
pin 3 (pin 2 to pin 3, pin 3 to pin 2).
Also, for the port to transmit, the CTS signal (pin 5) must be
high; for the port to receive, the DSR signal (pin 6) must be
high. The DTR signal on the PC (pin 20) is output and is
programmed high once initialized.
G.1 Video Display
MGC - Compatible with the IBM monochrome display adapter and
monitor, but with all-dots-addressable graphics capability.
Not supported by BIOS INT 10H. It has more dots on the
screen than both the CGA and the EGA. It is also known as
the Hercules monochrome graphics card, or simply as the
Hercules card. (Note that Hercules also markets color
graphics cards.)
CGA - IBM Color Graphics Adapter. It loses color capability when
used in the high resolution all-dots-addressable graphics
mode. Supported by BIOS and BASIC.
EGA - IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter. Delivers 16 colors even in
the graphics mode. When treated as a CGA it automatically
switches to the CGA mode.
MCGA- Multi-Color Graphics Array. Built on the system board of
the PS/2 model 30. Providing CGA compatibility (in CGA
mode, the MCGA doubles the number of scan lines, delivering
a sharper and much more pleasing image).
52
VGA - IBM Video-Graphics Array. Built on the system board of the
PS/2 model 50, 60 and 80. Compatible with the EGA and the
MCGA. Providing 16 colors in the highest resolution
graphics mode.
MGC CGA EGA MCGA/CGA VGA/EGA
----------------------------------------------------
Dots 720X348 640X200 640X350 640X400 640X350
Colors 2 2 16 2 16
DPI 85X58 72X31 72X54 72X31 72X54
Memory Requirement:
Device Min. (8" X 10.5") Max. (32" X 21")
----------------------------------------------------
MGC 48K bytes (640x609) 400K bytes (2688x1218)
CGA 26K bytes (640x325) 184K bytes (2304x651)
EGA 44K bytes (640x567) 319K bytes (2304x1134)
EPSON 177K bytes (960x1512) 299K bytes (1620x1512)
G.2 Printers
EZCAD supports 4 major categories of printers: EPSON/IBM,
NEC/TEC, OKIDATA, and HP LaserJet and DeskJet. Most printers are
either compatible with, or emulate at least one of these
categories.
* IBM
The IBM Graphics Printer is actually an EPSON printer. It is
emulated by almost all dot matrix printers. It is capable of
printing 240 dpi horizontally, and 216 dpi vertically. The
EZCAD IBM printer driver prints with a resolution of 120 dpi
by 72 dpi.
* EPSON
The EZCAD EPSON printer driver prints with a resolution of
120 dpi by 144 dpi. Since it lacks the ability to advance
the paper in increments of 1/144", the vertical dot gaps
(center-to-center) are 1/216", 2/216", 1/216", and so on.
Delivers an average resolution of 144 dpi.
53
* EPSON 24-pin printer
EPSON24 printer driver prints with a resolution of 120dpi by
180 dpi.
* NEC
Capable of printing at 136 dpi horizontally and 144 dpi
vertically, the driver delivers 96 dpi and 72 dpi
respectively.
* OKIDATA
Prints at 72 dpi horizontally and 72 dpi vertically. You
must set this printer to accept 8-bit data.
* HP LaserJet and DeskJet
Capable of printing at 300 dpi horizontally and 300 dpi
vertically, the driver delivers 150 dpi in both directions.
The following table lists the dimensions of the twelve drawing
sizes supported by EZCAD.
CODE SIZE 10" 15" ACTUAL SIZE
----------------------------------------------------
A,A' 8.5"x11" 8x10.5 8x10.5 8"x10.5"
B,B' 17"x11" 8x10.5(2) 8x10.5(2) 16"x10.5"
C,C' 22"x17" 8x10.5(4) 8x10.5(4) 21"x16"
D,D' 34"x22" 8x10.5(8) 10.7x10.5(6) 32"x21"
E,E' 44"x34" 8x10.5(16) 10.7x10.5(12) 42"x32"
W,W' 14"x11" N/A 13.5x10.5 13.5"x10.5"
G.3 Plotters
* HP
The Hewlett-Packard HP/GL graphics language is emulated by
other plotter manufacturers. The following models are
supported:
7090A, 7440A (ColorPro), 7470A, 7475A, 7510A, 7550A, 7570A,
7580A/B, 7585A/B, 7586B, 7595A, 7596A.
The DTE-DTE cable must connect the DTR signal (pin 20) on
each end to the CTS (pin 5) and DSR (pin 6) signal on the
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other end.
* HI
The Houston Instruments DM/PL graphics language is emulated
by other plotter manufacturers. The following models are
supported:
PC595, PC695A, DMP29, DMP40, DMP41/42,
DMP51/52, DMP56C
The DTE-DTE cable must connect the DTR signal from the
plotter (pin 5 on the RJ12 or pin 20 on the DB25 connector)
to the CTS signal on your PC (pin 5). In addition, pin 6 and
20 on the PC should be wired together. The plotter's
operation manual should contain information for making such
a cable.
* Enter
EZCAD supports the Sweet-P 100 plotter, which is also
marketed by COMREX as the ComScriber I plotter.
The Sweet-P model 600 and model 1000 emulate HP/GL. The
Sweet-P model 1200 emulates DM/PL.
* Comrex
The ComScriber I plotter is supported.
* Roland
Compatible with HP/GL.
* Zericon
Emulates DMP41.
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* Mural
Emulates HP 7475A.
* Western Graphtec
Compatible with HP/GL. EZCAD does not support GP/GL
(Graphtec Protocol / Graphics Language).
G.4 Mouse Devices and Digitizers
EZCAD supports all mouse devices and digitizers. Since EZCAD
provides the driver, you can use a low-cost Mouse Systems serial
mouse or compatible that comes without software.
G.5 Non-standard Printer/Plotter Ports
Standard ports and semi-standard COM3 and COM4 ports are
supported at the BIOS level. Other custom installed ports are
interfaced through DOS.
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APPENDIX H: TurboDraw Software Interrupts
All loaded programs communicate with one another via software
interrupts. Interrupts X'60' to X'67' are either used or reserved
by TurboDraw. The EZCAD Interface Guide contained in the EZCAD
Developer's Package covers details about software interface to
these software interrupts.
Interrupt Interface to
60 EZCAD
61 Video driver
62 Reserved
63 Plotter
64 Printer driver
65 Reserved
66 Reserved
67 Used by video driver
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APPENDIX I: Coordinate System
EZCAD uses a two-dimensional coordinate system with the origin
(0,0) fixed at the upper left corner of the drawing. The unit is
in inches. The resolution is .01 inch. This coordinate system is
referred to as the "real coordinate system."
The real coordinate system is used by the database and for
displaying on the screen only. The rest of the system uses the
dot coordinate system which is in unit of screen pixels. EZCAD
performs the conversion internally.
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APPENDIX J: Resolving Plotter Problems
The plotter driver sets the baud rate, cleans up the
communication link, and sets the timeout period to the maximum if
the plotter is connected to the RS-232 port.
Always reset the plotter before plotting, regardless of whether
you redirected output or are plotting directly to the device.
If you have rebooted the computer for any reason (by powering
down or Ctrl-Alt-Del), the serial port is no longer set up. This
situation is certain to cause problems when you attempt to send a
SPOOL file to the plotter. In this the case, run the EZMODE
utility to initialize the serial port.
EZMODE works exactly as the DOS command MODE, with one exception:
it also clears any pending characters sent from the plotter.
Without this last step, the Houston Instrument plotters will
probably not work.
If the targer plotter is connected to a serial port, TurboDraw
sets the serial port as follows:
HP-GL plotters: 9600,N,8,1
DM/PL plotters: 2400,N,7,2
If you cannot set the plotter to the conditions shown above, or
if you have a "handshaking" or baud rate problem, direct the plot
to a SPOOL file, and use the following procedure to plot:
1. Reset or power off/power on the plotter to set the current
baud rate, parity, and number of stop bits to known values
(either the power-on default or dip-switch setting).
2. Use the EZMODE command to set the proper baud rate, parity,
and number of stop bits for your computer.
3. Use the COPY, PRINT, or EZPRINT command to send your SPOOL
file to the plotter.
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APPENDIX K: Resolving Printer Problems
If your Okidata printer does not print properly, make sure
that your printer is setup to accept 8-bit data instead of 7-
bit data. Note also that your COM port has to be setup to
handle 8-bit data.
If your network OS does not intercept BIOS call, you need to
redirect your printer output to a file, and use the copy command
or EZPRINT utility to send that file over the network to the
printer.
Some printers that are EPSON compatible are not 100% compatible.
Please send us a copy of the control codes of your printer and we
may come up with a patch in our EPSON driver to handle your
printer.
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APPENDIX L: Porting Drawings to DSP or WP
Most desktop publishing or drawing/painting programs support at
least one of the following file formats:
1. PC-Paintbrush .PCX file
TurboDraw can save the drawing in .PCX file format.
The resultant drawing has the same resolution as your
video display. Note that TurboDraw cannot read .PCX
files.
2. Scanned Image TIFF file
The .TIF file has a resolution of 150 dpi in both the
horizontal or vertical direction. The maximum drawing
area that is written to the .TIF file is 14"X11". Note
that TurboDraw cannot read .TIF files.
3. HP-GL plotter file
To create an HP-GL file you should specify an HP
plotter even if you do not have a plotter when you
install TurboDraw, and plot your drawing to a file
which has a file name extension of .PLT.
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APPENDIX M: Modifying Text Fonts
1. Make sure that you have backup copies of the font files:
EGA.FNT, CGA.FNT and EPSON.FNT.
2. Use the FNTTXT utility to convert the desired font file
to plain text file, for example, type
FNTTXT EGA.FNT
would cause EGA.TXT be created in the same directory as
EGA.FNT. A portion of the text file is shown here:
;Medium font"A", ASCII 41H
................
................
...X............
..XXX...........
.XX.XX..........
XX...XX.........
XX...XX.........
XXXXXXX.........
XX...XX.........
XX...XX.........
XX...XX.........
................
................
................
................
................
................
................
................
................
;Medium font"B", ASCII 42H
................
................
XXXXXX..........
.XX..XX.........
.XX..XX.........
.XX..XX.........
.XXXXX..........
.XX..XX.........
.XX..XX.........
.XX..XX.........
XXXXXX..........
................
................
62
The text file contains comment lines which start with
a ";" and pattern lines which consist of "."
and "X" characters.
3. Use your editor/word processor to edit the text file.
Refer to Appendix C for font file format. The width
and height of each character cell (pattern lines
between 2 comment lines) should not be changed.
4. Then use the TXTFNT utility to convert the text file
back to the binary font file:
TXTFNT EGA.TXT
5. Once the .FNT file is verified, the text file can be
deleted.
6. Modify all font files.
Note that TurboDraw supports ASCII 20H through 0AFH only.
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