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APPENDIX A: USER-SUPPORTED SOFTWARE
This software is being distributed under the User-
Supported Concept or Shareware. Individuals, clubs
and other non-profit organizations are encouraged
to copy this software and distribute it to members
and friends, provided no price other than the cost
of a diskette is charged, the receiver is informed
of the User-Supported Software (Shareware) concept
and encouraged to participate, and the program and
documentation are not modified in any way. The
printed documentation should not be copied or dis-
tributed!
If an individual finds the program of use, he is
trusted to send in a $100 payment to:
Edward H. Kidera IV
OEDWARE
P.O. Box 595
Columbia, MD 21045-0595
(301) 997-9333
If the software is not of use to you, you should
discontinue its use, but please pass it along to
friends for their evaluation. What constitutes
"use" of a program is a good question. Trying the
program to see what it does is not using the pro-
gram. Creating drawings or other graphics is using
the program. Even if you only use the program on
weekends, or evenings, you are still using it and
should register. Some people seem to think that
they must use PC-KEY-DRAW every day to constitute
"use", but this is not fair to me.
Whether you use the program or not, please give a
copy to someone else. It just may be exactly what
they are looking for. If you have access to a Bul-
letin Board System (BBS), please put PC-KEY-DRAW on
the BBS so that others can use it. If you are a
librarian, please add PC-KEY-DRAW to your library.
If you are a distributor please include PC-KEY-DRAW
USER-SUPPORTED SOFTWARE A-1
in the programs you distribute.
Registered owners will receive periodic updates for
a minimal charge and will receive a phone number
for fast response to questions. I have many future
improvements and companion programs planned. Please
support my effort by registering. Updates to regis-
tered users will never be more than $10.00 for the
program disk, no matter how substantial the changes
are.
Shareware should be very popular with most PC
users. It means that the software is not copy pro-
tected making backup easy and use with a hard disk
or RAM disk a snap. It also allows you to try
before you buy to see if the program actually does
what it says it does. Shareware will only continue
if you the user does support it. Another advantage
to Shareware is price. PC-KEY-DRAW is well worth
the registration price. Many of its features can
not be found for under $500 in commercial software
and some cannot be touched for under $1500. The
final advantage to Shareware is my commitment to
expanding and improving the program.
USER-SUPPORTED SOFTWARE A-2
Why pay for software you are already using?
Registration provides many benefits to the user. If
you register PC-KEY-DRAW you will receive:
. Printed Users Manual in IBM size binder with
information on getting the most out of PC-KEY-
DRAW, (it looks nice on your shelf too).
. Second library disk (see Appendix H) with 640+
fill patterns, several library pictures and
many very useful macros.
. Third library disk with 14 extra fonts and text
oriented macros.
. Fourth library disk with more fonts and flow
chart symbols.
. HP LaserJet printer support.
. Registered version of the program with name in
the program code.
. Telephone or mail support when you need help,
for one year after registration. Phone support
is available from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm seven days
a week.
. Notification of updates and the ability to
update for only $10 for the latest disk.
Registration helps you in other ways:
. You are supporting the shareware concept.
1. You can try the software before you buy it.
2. You pay a reasonable price for you software.
3. You avoid the frustration of copy protec-
tion.
4. You encourage others to develop shareware.
. You are also supporting new OEDWARE develop-
ments. PC-KEY-DRAW is constantly being
improved, your support is needed and appreci-
ated.
Like public television, shareware is supported by
those who find it valuable.
USER-SUPPORTED SOFTWARE A-3
INVOICE
DATE OF ORDER ORDER NUMBER
DATE OF INVOICE
DATE OF SHIPMENT
TO:
___________________________________________________
: QTY : DESCRIPTION : UNIT : EXTEN :
:______:_______________________:_________:________:
: : : : :
: : PC-KEY-DRAW : $100.00 : :
: : Version 3.31+ : : :
: : : : :
: 1 : 0% Discount : : :
: 2-6 : 20% Discount : : :
: 7-19 : 40% Discount : : :
: 20+ : Call for Discount : : :
: : : : :
: : Extra Manual : 15.00 : :
:______:_______________________:_________:________:
SUB TOTAL
MARYLAND RESIDENTS ADD 5% TAX
Shipping (non-North America) $10
---------
TOTAL DUE
Send Check or Money Order in US dollars to:
Edward H. Kidera IV
OEDWARE
P.O. Box 595
Columbia, MD 21045-0595
USER-SUPPORTED SOFTWARE A-4
APPENDIX B: START UP
Welcome to PC-KEY-DRAW. This info is provided to
help the first time user get started. Questions on
disk copying, DOS, formatting, BATch files, etc.
are best answered by the DOS manual and/or local
user group.
Load DOS into your computer. PC-KEY-DRAW requires
DOS 2.0 or later. DOS 3.1 or later is recommended.
If your system has more than 256K of RAM memory
available, set up a RAM disk of at least 40K for
the program workspace. Use larger workspace for
multiple page operation. You may want to add an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file to load the RAM disk at start up.
(RAM disk software is not included.)
Insert program diskette in drive A:. Enter MENU at
the A> prompt to display a menu with basic options.
Start by making a back up copy or two using
INSTALL.BAT. PC-KEY-DRAW is not copy protected.
Place a formatted DS/DD diskette in drive B: and
the original in drive A:. Copy the original dis-
kette onto B: and store the original in a safe
place. While you are at it, make a copy or two for
f r i e n d s .
Next trial users will want to print out the User
Manual and Update sheet by selecting the appropri-
ate menu item number. Registered users should
print out the update sheet.
To run the program select KD. KD.BAT is a BATch
file that can be modified to your particular needs,
such as running GRAPHICS.COM before loading the
program for printing on an IBM or Epson printer.
OEDLIN is ideal for creating and editing BATch
files and is available from OEDWARE for $15 for
full registration.
START UP B-1
The first time PC-KEY-DRAW is run, the configura-
tion screen will appear. Set the parameters to
match your system. Use a RAM disk or hard disk for
the workspace. Generally this configuration needs
only to be done once, but it can be done when ever
required by system changes, by selecting <Ctrl-s>
for status from the CURSOR MODE. To move through
the configuration screen use the <ENTER> key.
Selecting a printer number switches to the zoom
printer configuration screen. Store the configura-
tion to disk with <Ctrl-s>.
The program gives you the option of setting the
horizontal screen dimension. This is useful for
engineering drawings. For general pictures respond
to the "set scale" question with a <n>o or <ENTER>
for the default scale. <n> resets the scale to
pixel scaling, while <ENTER> leaves the scale as it
was. If you select <y>es then you will be asked to
enter the horizontal screen dimension (example 40
ft. or 20 meters) and the scale used.
Demo Programs: A library disk is included at no
extra charge. A demonstration slide show is on the
library disk along with many screens. To run the
slide show get yourself a beer or soda, put the
library disk in B: (or better yet on a RAM disk or
hard disk). While in medium resolution select
<Alt-k> and <r>un B:SCNSHOW. The screens can be
used to add to your own drawings. From DOS simple
enter SLIDEMO followed by the drive letter of the
drive that contains Library Disk #1. A second demo
program is included to act as a tutorial and demon-
stration of what the program can do. Select <Alt-k>
and <r>un A:DEMO.BAT or select DEMO from DOS. Sit
back, watch the action, and enjoy the cool one.
<Esc> can be used to exit the demo at anytime.
Both demo programs are actually key macros created
simply by drawing with the program.
START UP B-2
The DRAWING TECHNIQUES section of the manual pro-
vides several examples to help get you started, but
first take a look at OPERATION THEORY. The program
is easy and very fast, if you understand how it
works. Don't let the numerous commands scare you.
Start simple and experiment, learning as you go.
Remember, PC-KEY-DRAW is very case sensitive. It
uses the case of a letter (lower, upper, control,
or alternate to) to determine exactly what it is to
do. Be sure the Caps Lock and Num Lock are off.
If a "C" is flashing on the prompt line it indi-
cates that the Caps Lock is on and it should be
off. If an "N" is flashing on the prompt line it
indicates that the Num Lock is on and it should be
turned off.
You should also take a look at User-Supported Soft-
ware for information about copying and distributing
this program.
START UP B-3
APPENDIX C: PROGRAM FILES
The following list of files are needed for PC-KEY-
DRAW. Check the disk in DOS by using the directory
command (DIR) to see that all of the files are
included. If you do not have a complete set the
program may not operate to its fullest. The time
indicated for the files KD*.* is the version number
you have. Anyone distributing this program to
friends, please be sure to include all files.
AUTOEXEC.BAT Batch file to start the program
on boot
KD-DRAW EXE Main program for creating graph-
ics. The version number is dis-
played when the program is
entered and exited.
KD-DRAW TXT Menu text for KD-DRAW
KD-DRAW HLP Help file for KD-DRAW. Remove
this or rename it to run PC-
KEY-DRAW in a demo mode, ie. to
distribute the macros slide
shows you create.
KD-PAINT PIC Picture of possible colors to
paint with.
KD-PTRN PIC Fill pattern file. See library
disk #2 for other pattern files.
KD-FONT1 FNT Font file for large filled text.
KD-FONT2 FNT Font file for large outlined
text. See Library Disk#3 for
more fonts.
KD-MOUSE MSC Source code for Mouse Systems
mouse driver.
KD-MOUSE COM Mouse Systems mouse driver
KD-MSMOS DEF Source code for Microsoft mouse
driver.
KD-MSMOS MNU Microsoft mouse driver
KD-PRNT? TBL Printer table for zoom printing
PROGRAM FILES C-1
KD-UPDAT TXT Updates to PC-KEY-DRAW not
included in manual.
KD-MENU TXT DOS menu text
BASRUN EXE Required by KD-DRAW, DATEIT, KD-
LASER for them to run. This
file must not be copied except
when included with the rest of
P C - K E Y - D R A W .
KD-TRANS EXE Translates MaCRo files into a
form more easily edited with a
text editor.
KEYTBL DAT Translation data for KD-TRANS
DATEIT EXE Replaces DOS date function
DATEIT DAT Date file for DATEIT.EXE
CAMERA COM Public domain capture program to
grab screen images from other
programs.
H BAT Help file for information on
using DOS menu system.
I BAT Provides basic information on
the program.
KD BAT Batch file to run PC-KEY-DRAW.
This file should be modified as
needed for your individual use.
DEMO BAT Loads KD-DRAW and runs itself as
a macro to demonstrate some of
PC-KEY-DRAW's features.
SLIDEMO BAT Runs SCNSHOW.MCR on Library Disk
#1.
DOC BAT Prints the disk manual
INSTALL BAT Batch file to copy disk to
another or to install PC-KEY-
DRAW on a hard disk.
MENU BAT Displays DOS menu. Run this
first!!!
KD-DRAW DFT Program configuration parameters
(this may or may not be present)
KD-DRAW JMP Jump to file for Alt-0 to Alt-9
(this may or may not be present)
PROGRAM FILES C-2
APPENDIX D: IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS
The following list the more major changes. Numer-
ous other minor changes have been made that are not
listed. (in particular bug fixes, and speed
increases) The following is arrange by version
number.
3.1 adds the following over 3.0
1. Macros can be called from DOS on the command
line when calling KD-DRAW. A>KD-DRAW A:SAMPLE
will call and run the sample macro.
2. Space bar temporarily suspends continuous cur-
sor drawing.
3. The prompt line has been rearranged for more
information and cleaner look
4. <Alt-F10> provides temporary setting of back-
ground color
5. Outline has been added to F2 to allow any
object to be outlined in color. Use <F10> to
set outline color and <Alt-F10> to set color to
be outlined. Outline has many uses. Try it
with text or use it when transferring from high
resolution to medium resolution.
6. Direct coordinate entry has been added for all
operations to speed input of objects. An <x>
selected in cursor mode or when in a function
allows the user to enter the scaled x and y
coordinates.
7. The menu selection system for each function has
been greatly expand to provide additional
information and make learning PC-KEY-DRAW
easier. Use by selecting the desired function,
use cursor keys to display options, select dis-
played option by hitting <ENTER> or use equiva-
lent command.
1. 3.11 adds 5 different full screen loads for use
in slide shows. Select <F8 Alt-o> for using
the display loads. Select load 1-5.(see <h>elp
from F8 for more information) 1. 3.13 adds
direct partial screen load using <F7 O>.
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS D-1
2. Ability to turn off cursor during macro play-
back if desired.
1. 3.15 removes bug in configuring the printer.
2. Allows absolute setting of resolution for
macros with <Alt-r>.
3. Disable workspace update by setting the update
frequency to 0.
4. Traps additional printer errors.
5. Provides scrolling of text in <F6 T>.
1. 3.16 provides music <Ctrl-p> capability using
the PLAY command of BASICA 1.
2. Screen loads are 5 to 8 times faster. Great
for full screen animation.
1. 3.17 adds the ability of reading text from any
ASCII file.
2. HP LaserJet support is provided for registered
users. KD-LASER.EXE is on Library Disk #2. It
can be run interactively or run in a batch file
by setting the appropriate parameters. Before
running KD-LASER use the following to match the
computer and printer:
MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P
MODE LPT1:=COM1
1. 3.18 adds improved mouse support by allowing
menus to be called with < > or </> from Cursor
Mode.
2. Last copied or erased area is no longer lost
when <Esc> is used to exit
3. Text mode screens can be called up in a macro
slide show from within FATBITS using <o> and
entering name of screen to load. A "40C"
extension is assumed for 40 column text and
"80C" for 80 column text mode.
4. Second library disk of 500+ fill patterns, a
third font, useful macros and library pictures
are available to registered users.
5. A public domain program (CAMERA) is included on
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS D-2
the disk to capture screens from other pro-
grams. See KD.BAT for additional information.
6. Bug in setting visual layers has been cor-
rected.
1. 3.19 speeds up loading of partial screens (F7),
loading of display screens, loading of pat-
terns, and screen scrolling.
2. Grid lines and dots now work properly, indepen-
dent of screen aspect ratio.
3. Full screen zoom has been refined. Macro avail-
able to zoom one screen into 4
4. Use <Esc> to return to Cursor mode when
prompted to Hit Any Key to Continue just before
printing.
5. Default extensions used by PC-KEY-DRAW can be
changed as desired.
1. 3.20 provides filled arrows using <F2 Alt-a>
and provides 45 degree steps to for arrow posi-
tion.
2. Filled boxes can be created automatically using
<F2 Alt-r>.
3. Text can be put on the screen vertically using
<F6 T u>p or <F6 T d>own.
4. Selected fill pattern screen is kept as the
default screen.
1. 3.21's macro files are 30% smaller than earlier
versions. 3.21 can run any other versions
macros, but macros created with 3.21 can only
be run with 3.21 or later.
2. You can ready move through the 8 main functions
without first exiting a function. Simply
select the desired function key.
1. 3.22 provides full access to all DOS drives A-Z
for use with Networks or the SUBST command.
2. Select alternate method of indicating the
amount of zoom. Select </> or < > when asked
for scale factor to put in zoom factor. Scale
factors greater than 1 shrink the screen or
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS D-3
object, while factors less than one expand the
screen or object. Zoom factors greater than 1
expand the screen or object, while factors less
than one shrink the screen or object.
3. Multiple arrows in the same direction can be
Entered with <ENTER> after the first one is
defined with <F2 Alt-a> or <F2 a>.
4. A sixth FONT has been added to the second
library disk. (For registered users only.)
1. 3.23 improves then main menu for mouse selec-
tion of functions.
2. Several minor speed improvements have been
made.
3. Time and Date can be displayed on the screen
for those who like to watch the clock or for
use in demos and slide shows. (You asked for
it!)
4. The top row of numbers can be programmed as
screen positions.
5. <u>pdate of screen 1 and <U>pdate of screen 2
have been changed so that they no longer keep
the help menu on the drawing if it is currently
displayed.
1. 3.24 allows KD-DRAW to be used as a RUNTIME
module for easier distribution of slide show
macros that you create. If KD-DRAW.HLP (the
help file) is not found on the disk KD-DRAW
only allows macros to be run. Exiting or end-
ing the macro automatically returns to DOS.
Only KD-DRAW.EXE and KD-DRAW.TXT are needed,
plus any files called by the macro of course.
If KD-DRAW.DFT (the configuration file) is not
found KD assumes that files are located on the
program disk, help menu is off, and medium res-
olution. Call macros from the DOS prompt as
A>KD-DRAW SAMPLE.
2. A DOS based menu system has been added to the
program to make using it for the first time a
little easier. Enter MENU at the DOS prompt to
display your options. Under general use KD.BAT
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS D-4
will be the only BATch file you use. You should
modify KD.BAT to meet your needs for printing
and a mouse. PC-KEY-DRAW can always be called
from DOS with KD-DRAW.
1. 3.25 eliminates the need for EGA.MCR when run-
ning on an EGA equipped PC.
2. Page scrolling has been sped up considerably if
no additions have been made to a particular
page. (ie. no functions selected)
3. KD-TRANS.EXE is supplied to make editing macros
much easier by translating them into text files
with the key code replaced by the key name. Use
any text editor to edit the file and then
translate back to MaCRo form. KD-TRANS.EXE uses
KEYTBL.DAT for its translation information. A
TXT file extension is assumed for text files
and a MCR for MaCRo files.
1. 3.26 adds a third library disk with extra fonts
including modern, roman, old english, century,
script, and several others.
2. The font handling has been significantly
improved so that the user has full control over
character and word spacing. Larger fonts can
also be handled.
3. Another 120 fill patterns are also added.
1. 3.27 provides more information on the prompt
line to make learning and using PC-KEY-DRAW
easier. Caps Lock, Num Lock, <Q>uality, and
<i>sometric status are displayed. PC-KEY-DRAW
is designed to be very case sensitive. If a
"C" or "N" is flashing the program may not
operate properly. The line width is also dis-
played as a number. When a macro is being
recorded "k" is displayed.
2. When a directory is displayed for a drive it is
temporarily retained as the default drive, mak-
ing file selection easier. Hard Disk users
should use DOS 3.* and the SUBST command for
optimum operation.
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS D-5
3. Hot keys can now be defined for fast access to
macros. Shft-F1 to Shft-F8, Ctrl-F1 to
Ctrl-F10, and Alt-F1 to Alt-F9 can be set to
call commonly used macros. The Hot key defini-
tion file and instructions for its use are
include on the font disk.
4. KD-LASER.EXE which prints to an HP LaserJet has
been greatly improved. It is now possible to
print several seperately saved screens by using
a file name as "FILENUM1+FILENUM2" to print 2
screens consecutively. If used interactively
the prograom will stop between each file and
allow the parameters to be changed, while if
called from the DOS command line the settings
remain the same for all screens. KD-LASER can
now also print the virtual screen called
PAGE.0?? created by PC-KEY-DRAW allowing full
page printing of graphics. Simply specify PAGE
as the file name to print.
5. A fourth library disk has been added to the
registration package and includes several more
fonts. In addition many text related macros
are now supplied to perform automatic bold,
overlay, shadow and other special effects.
Flow charting symbols are also included.
6. Several macros are now supplied to registered
users that allow multiple pages to be shown as
a single page making editing much easier for
large drawings.
1. 3.28 speeds up <F5 s>trip by about 7X and <F5
S>hift by about 10X. <S>hift has also been
added to the fill pattern selection screen,
thus allowing any of the 640 patterns to be in
any color combination. Both strip and shift
are now also available in high resolution.
2. <F1 M>mirror screen <v>ertical line has been
sped up as well by a factor of 8X earlier ver-
sions.
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS D-6
1. 3.29 adds ability to REName files using <F8 K>.
2. A number of minor speed increases have been
made.
1. 3.3 adds b-spline curves allowing freeform
curves to be easily created from the keyboard.
Select <F3 b> and <ENTER> the various points to
be included. Selecting any function key (1-8)
will turn the entered points into a curve.
Width of the line is controlled by <w>idth. (I
should have added this a long time ago. I
makes drawing much easier.)
2. <F6 l>ine has been improved when using line
width. Redraw of line is also much faster.
1. 3.31 improves menu structure, providing more
information for arrow, text justify, box shade
and key macro.
2. Help menu for novice mode can be shrunk for
increased screen space by entering number >1
for Novice mode in Status screen.
3. Width of polygon and box shade is now effected
by the <w>idth command.
4. <F2 R> works with width.
5. The TANDY 1000 keyboard is now supported for
cursor movement from # pad.
6. The <h>elp screens have been improved with more
info and much faster read from disk. 20 help
screens are available.
7. The complete user manual is included on a sec-
ond disk and may be included with the program
disk.
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS D-7
APPENDIX E: HARDWARE
PC-KEY-DRAW version 3 requires an IBM PC/XT/AT/
Jr/Portable/Convertible or most compatibles with
256K memory, one floppy drive, and standard color
graphics card. A second disk drive or hard disk is
preferred as is additional memory. PC-KEY-DRAW can
use over 1.5 megs of RAM memory if it is available.
The additional memory must be configured as a RAM
disk.
Computer: Almost any IBM compatible will run PC-
KEY-DRAW version 3 if it has sufficient memory and
the equivalent of the color graphics board. I have
personally tested the program on dozens of differ-
ent machines and my current users have a wide vari-
ety of systems. PC-KEY-DRAW offers a feature use-
ful for testing out compatible computers and com-
paring their speeds. The key macro feature is
ideal for doing timing runs of graphic functions.
On a standard PC the SAMPLE demo runs slowly, but
try it on an AT&T 6300 or IBM AT and things speed
up significantly and try it on a COMPAQ 386 and
watch the screens fly by. Its enough to make you
crave a second system.
Memory Allocation: The preferred method of oper-
ation is to leave at least 320K of RAM for DOS and
the program. The remaining memory should be parti-
tioned into two RAM disks. One of the RAM disks
will contain the drawing workspace and must be at
least 45K and up to 1.2 megs. This memory can also
be used for holding drawings to be called in a
slide show. The other RAM disk can be used to hold
the program files. This speeds access to fonts,
help, patterns, etc. Such operation is also benefi-
cial to many other programs. Everyone should have
at least 2 megs in their machine. I strongly recom-
mend the JRAM board for additional memory. If you
don't have sufficient memory for a ramdisk you can
use a hard disk or even a floppy to hold the work-
space, but with a sacrifice in speed.
HARDWARE E-1
Graphics Boards: Currently PC-KEY-DRAW is limited
to operation on a standard color graphics card or
any card that can emulate a standard card. However,
you do not need a color monitor to make effective
use of the program. Generally any incompatibility
of PC-KEY-DRAW and a particular computer will be
directly related to the graphics board. Version 3
will work with the PCJr graphics system, but does
not support the extended capabilities of the graph-
ics system. Version 3 will also work on the EGA,
but does not support its extra capabilities. Some
graphics boards may require some adjustment to
operate properly. The need for adjustment is evi-
dent by the location of the display on the screen.
Use the <(> and <)> commands from the CURSOR MODE
to properly show and center the display. An exter-
nal macro can be written and called with the pro-
gram to automatically set the display as desired.
Version 3 does not work with the Hercules mono-
chrome card, but may sometime in the future.
Monitors: If you are looking for a color monitor to
use with your PC for graphics I would strongly rec-
ommend the Sears Total Video System, since it is
not only a RGB monitor with 640X200 resolution, but
a composite video monitor and high quality TV as
well. The cost can't be beat either. General
drawing will probably be done in the RGB mode, but
the composite video mode has a lot to offer. In
RGB, with a standard color card, colors are limited
to 3 foreground and one background in a variety of
palettes. PC-KEY-DRAW provides color mixing for 29
different colors in RGB, although the colors are
obviously color mixes. In composite video 16 true
colors are possible. Composite video signals can
also be saved to video tape.
HARDWARE E-2
Keyboard: PC-KEY-DRAW as its name implies is
intended to be used from the keyboard. Version 3
also allows mouse input, if desired. The keyboard
makes for a very effective graphics input device
for a variety of reasons, especially if you are not
an artist, but even artists can make effective use
of the program. The actual keyboard you have may
make some difference in how easy the program is to
use. Since it is designed to be run from the func-
tion keys they should be in a position that is easy
to reach. I find having the function keys on the
left side is the best. The cursor key arrangement
is also important. The program is designed to make
use of a 9 key cursor pad to not only allow hori-
zontal and vertical movement, but 45 or 30/60 move-
ment as well. Some compatible keyboards are less
then ideal because of their non-standard layouts.
They will work, but not as easily as a standard
keyboard.
Printers: Any printer that works with GRAPHICS.COM
of DOS 2+ can be used with PC-KEY-DRAW for doing
standard screen dumps. A zoom printing routine is
also provided that can be used with any printer,
even letter quality printers, since it includes a
configuration routine as part of the program con-
figuration. You will need your printer manual to
set it up for your printer if not already on the
disk. Please send me any printer configurations
that you develop so that I may give them to others.
The HP LaserJet is supported for printing graphics
screens in 300DPI to 75DPI. KD-LASER.EXE is the
file that runs the HP LaserJet and is located on
Library Disk #2. BASRUN.EXE (from program disk) is
needed for operation. KD-LASER.EXE can be used
interactively or as part of a BATch file to print a
series of screens. KD-LASER lets you print a
single screen or the multiple screens of PC-KEY-
DRAW's virtual page on one sheet.
HARDWARE E-3
KD-LASER.EXE routes the printing to LPT1: so you
must first set the COM port and redirect from DOS
using the MODE command as follows:
MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P
MODE LPT1:=COM1
The multiple page capability of PC-KEY-DRAW is
ideal for creating pictures of high resolution
when printed by combining four pages onto one for
1280X400 resolution in the high resolution mode or
640X200 in the medium resolution mode. Starting
with Version 3.27 KD-LASER.EXE can be used to print
the multiple screen virtual page to a single page
o n a n H P - L a s e r J e t .
Many users have found other printing and page lay-
out programs to work well with PC-KEY-DRAW. They
use PC-KEY-DRAW to create the drawings and then
insert the created graphics into text files for
printing.
Mice are supported by version 3 by using an exter-
nal mouse driver. A mouse can be used with the
novice mode to click and select, but this is slow.
The keyboard is a much better input device. A mouse
is handy for freehand drawing. The first mouse
button should be set as the <ENTER> key and the
second mouse button as the <SPACE BAR>. A mouse
driver for use with the Mouse Systems Mouse is
included on the disk as is one for the Microsoft
mouse. Source code for both are provided so that
the user can modify them as needed or to aid in
creating mouse drivers for other brands of mice. If
you have a mouse that is not supported directly at
this time, you should be able to write a mouse
driver yourself using the manual and software that
come with the mouse. PC-KEY-DRAW uses external
mouse drivers, ie mouse drivers that are simulating
the key board. See your mouse manual on writing
mouse drivers (menu systems) for a program without
mouse support. Because PC-KEY-DRAW works in the
HARDWARE E-4
graphics video mode the mouse menus can not be
used.
Plotters are not currently supported.
Digitizers are not currently supported.
Joysticks are not currently supported, but should
be ready soon thanks to a local computer store for
supplying OEDWARE with a game port card and joy-
stick.
Lightpens are not currently supported.
If you cannot live without one of the unsupported
hardware items, but would like to make use of the
power of PC-KEY-DRAW I have a suggestion: Donate
the appropriate hardware to OEDWARE and I will
gladly write the interface, time permitting.
Hardware vendors are welcome to distribute PC-KEY-
DRAW with their products at no charge, provided a
request in writing is received and approved before
distribution and PC-KEY-DRAW is distributed in its
complete and unaltered form.
HARDWARE E-5
APPENDIX F: CREATING 35mm SLIDES
One of the primary uses of computer generated
graphics is the creation of slides for use in pre-
sentations. PC-KEY-DRAW is ideal for creating all
types of slides. The following discusses the
basics of slide creation, special features of PC-
KEY-DRAW that speed and improve slide creation, and
tips on getting the screens from the computer to
film.
Personal computers are an ideal tool for creating
35mm slides to use in product presentations, busi-
ness meetings, professional conferences and more.
Many programs are available to generate a variety
of computer graphics, from charts to title slides,
from company logos to product illustrations, but
getting the graphics from the computer to a 35mm
slide may at first seem harder than it actually is.
The following tutorial describes a tried and true
method of creating professional quality slides
using your computer and any 35mm camera.
Start by considering the basics of good slide pre-
sentations. The four C's of slide presentations are
consistency, color, composition, and collections.
It is very important that the slides you are creat-
ing be consistent in both color and composition.
Remember, the message you are trying to convey to
the audience has nothing to do with the number of
different fonts the program is capable of produc-
ing, or with the number of colors that can be dis-
played simultaneously. All of the slides in a set
should be done in a way that ties them all
together.
Keep colors simple and consistent. Slide presenta-
tions based on only four colors can be very effec-
tive. Too many colors can confuse and distort your
intentions. Again you should be consistent with the
colors, from one slide to the next. Start by choos-
ing a suitable background color. Black is probably
CREATING SLIDES F-1
best, but dark blue and other dark colors can also
be effective. Bright backgrounds are hard on the
eyes and not very pleasing to stare at for any
length of time. Next choose a color palette that
compliments the background and use it consistently.
The foreground colors should be of sufficient con-
trast so they stand out from the background. One
particularly pleasing combination is a dark blue
background with white letters for the main text and
red for bullets and highlights. Perhaps your com-
pany logo colors can be used. The basic text in
each slide should be in the same color and high-
light colors should also be consistent throughout.
This lets the audience know what to focus their
attention on.
Composition of the slides is perhaps the most
important. Try to keep the slides simple and bold.
Each slide should be concise and to the point. Try-
ing to cram in too much copy on a slide is a quick
way to loose an audience. A single slide should be
limited to 15 to 20 words tops. Text should be of
sufficient size that it can easily be read by those
in the back of the presentation room. The forty
column text of most computers is about the smallest
size that should be used in a slide. Try to use
charts and graphs, rather than tables of facts and
figures to convey your message. Remember it is
generally better to use two simple slides than one
complicated slide. A simple bullet slide is shown
in Figure 8.
Start your own library of commonly used symbols,
titles, and pictures. One of the nicest features
of computer generated graphics is the ability to
save your graphics to disk for later retrieval and
manipulation. Predefined collections of graphics
may be nice at first, but soon your talk looks like
everyone else's. Create your own collection and
use it when its needed. Don't use pictures just to
CREATING SLIDES F-2
be cute either. Be sure the picture has some bear-
ing on what your message is. Again your own
library collection is the best. Figure 9 shows a
title slide created for a presentation I gave on
how an electrical mechanical cable interacts with
the various parts of a handling system. A vital
feature to look for in any graphics program is the
ability to shrink or enlarge a pixel image by any
amount desired. For instance this would allow you
to create the company logo once full size and to
use it with your various title slides at a much
reduced size.
Once you have produced your slides on the computer
it is time to produce hard copy. Begin by printing
out the slide on a graphics printer. This serves
two functions, first it makes it easier to spot
errors and inconsistencies, and secondly, printed
hard copy is ideal for organizing and practicing
the slide show. For some presentations it may be
easier to make view graphics from the printouts,
but for a more powerful presentation use 35mm
slides.
There are several companies that sell equipment
designed to aid you in taking slides from a com-
puter. The equipment tends to be very expensive and
the results are no better than what you can do
without the expense. To make professional quality
slides, all you need is a color computer monitor
and a camera. Slides can be shot directly from the
screen with fantastic results, if you know what you
are doing.
My photography experience has been rather limited.
Up until I started shooting computer graphics,
about all I had done was take typical vacation and
family party pictures. After some experimentation I
have developed the following method that just about
everyone can use to take high quality 35mm slides
of computer graphics. With your camera you will
need the slide film, a tripod, and a telephoto
CREATING SLIDES F-3
lens. Polariod's instant 35mm slide film is ideal
for computer graphics because of the speed at which
you can develop the pictures and have them in your
hand. Presentations tend to get done at the last
minute (at least by me). With the instant slide
film you can shoot a roll and have it developed and
the slides mounted in 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Reg-
ular slide film works equally as well, but be sure
to use 64 ASA or slower. Print film can also be
used if it is slow enough. Taking slides of com-
puter graphics is no place for high speed film.
A tripod is mandatory equipment for shooting graph-
ics from a computer. Don't even attempt to take a
picture without one. With the Polariod film I shoot
at 1/4, 1/2, or 1 second exposure. To further help
minimize motion use the shutter timer on your cam-
era so that your hands are clear when the picture
is shot.
The main trick to taking high quality slides from a
computer screen is the use of a telephoto lens. A
standard lens will produce pictures with signifi-
cant distortion. Boxes will look rounded and this
is very annoying and unprofessional to say the
least. I use a 135mm lens to produce slides with
zero distortion. The quality is actually better
than what is achievable with many of the high
priced boxes used to shoot slides. The format of
the camera/lens matches the screen size and shape
rather closely. The only disadvantage of using a
telephoto lens is that it requires you to be sev-
eral feet away from the screen.
The computer graphics should be fully prepared and
saved on disk before setting up to shoot the slides
with the camera. The slides are best shot in a
dimly lit room, making sure that there are no
reflections on the monitor. The first slide you
bring up should be one with a border drawn around
the screen. This might be one of the slides you
are actually shooting or might just be a test pat-
CREATING SLIDES F-4
tern you have created. The border makes it easy to
align the camera. Set the camera/tripod in a posi-
tion so that the border is perfectly framed through
the view finder. Take your time in setting up, this
is no place to hurry. Be sure the camera lens is
perpendicular to the screen horizontally and verti-
cally. Again the border on the screen is a signifi-
cant help. If you have enough film and are using
the instant Polariod film, take a picture of the
border as your first slide to aid in the mounting.
I use a Canon AE-1 with automatic aperture and
built in light meter. On cameras without automatic
aperture use a lightmeter and set the aperture.
Note that the light meter will tend to fluctuate
somewhat, so take an average reading. With an
exposure of 1/2 second the f-stop will be about 4
for a typical monitor and 40 ASA film. You may
want to experiment some with the various settings
to find the best combination for your system. 1/25
of a second would be the fastest exposure speed you
would want to use. Any faster and the screen
refresh may be caught by the photo.
Shoot the roll of film, develop it, mount the
slides and you are ready for the presentation. Any-
one can create an eye catching, effective slide
presentation. You don't need a graphic design
department, an art degree, or any more equipment
than you probably already have to produce high
quality slides at a very affordable cost. Go to it
and good luck with the presentation.
CREATING SLIDES F-5
WAIT - WHAT ABOUT VIEWGRAPHS?
Standard viewgraphs can be easily created with PC-
KEY-DRAW, printed on your dot mat, and then turned
into a black and white viewgraph with appropriate
viewgraph material and most copiers.
How would you like to create color viewgraphs using
your black and white printer and the local color
xerox machine? Yes it can be done, although the
price is a bit steep. To create a four color view-
graph with a black and white printer you must used
a technique of color separation.
1. Start with your color drawing and be sure it is
saved to disk.
2. Update the workspace with <u> for screen 1
3. Use the <S>trip function of <F5> to remove all
colors except color 1.
4. Print the resulting screen.
5. Retrieve the workspace with <F8 w> to restore
the original picture.
6. Repeat the strip and retrieve operation for
each of the other two colors. The results of
such an operation are shown in Figures 10, 11
and 12.
7. Take the three printouts to a place with color
copying capability.
8. Copy printout one to a viewgraph in the color
of your choice.
9. Repeat with the other two printouts using dif-
ferent colors.
10. Overlay the three viewgraphs and align them
carefully.
11. Copy the three together on to a fourth view-
graph and you have it, a three color viewgraph
without a color printer. Sorry no color photos
in this manual.
A variation of the above technique combined with
the slide information can be used to create color
35mm slides from a monochrome monitor.
CREATING SLIDES F-6
APPENDIX G: DATEIT
DATEIT is a utility program designed to replace the
DOS DATE command for those without an on board
clock calendar. It is not part of PC-KEY-DRAW, but
compliments its use. DATEIT remembers the last date
entered so that if you reboot or even turn the com-
puter off for a while the date will be correct when
the computer is powered back up. The next day you
use it the day will be off, but the month and year
will be correct, so just enter in the correct day
and the correct date will be set for your machine.
The first of the month will require the month and
day to be entered and of course on January 1 you
will have to enter the entire date.
It is a good idea to always set the date on your
computer since it makes it much easier to determine
when a file was created. The best way to be sure
the date is properly set is to include an AUTO-
EXEC.BAT on the DOS disk you use to boot your sys-
tem. Include DATEIT as one of the commands of the
batch file and you will be sure to have your com-
puter's date set. For more information on AUTO-
EXEC.BAT and batch files in general consult your
DOS manual, computer magazine, or local user group.
Feel free to copy DATEIT to other disks.
DATEIT G-1
APPENDIX H: LIBRARIES
Several different file types may be found on the
supplied library disks. These include files with
the following extensions:
BAS BASICA program file. Size is variable.
Save BASICA subroutines with <F7 C>opy and
specify a BAS extension. Retrieve in
BASICA by MERGEing into your own programs.
May also be a BASIC program file. Supple-
ments PC-KEY-DRAW main program files.
BAT BATch files used from DOS.
DAT Scale and grid information for a scaled
screen file (SCN). Created when a screen
is saved with <F8 s>ave.
EXE Executable program file. Supplements PC-
KEY-DRAW main program files.
FIG Partial screen file. Size is variable.
ASCII integer file with first number the
horizontal size and the second number the
vertical size of the array. Save with <F7
C>opy and specify a FIG extension.
Retrieve with <F7 o>ld or <F7 O>ld place.
FNT Font file. Size is generally 25 Kbytes.
Save with <F7 C>opy and specify FNT exten-
sion and the character to save under.
Retrieve with <F6 Alt-t>ext font.
HOT Hot key assignment file.
JMP Jump file.
MCR Macro file. Size is variable. Save with
<Alt-k c>reate key macro. Retrieve with
<Alt-k r>un key macro or from DOS with KD-
DRAW filename, where filename is the name
LIBRARIES H-1
of a file with a MCR extension. Many
macros have explanations of their use in
the first few lines.
PIC Partial screen file. Size is variable.
BLOAD/BSAVE binary file mapped to integer
array. Save with <F7 C>opy. Retrieve
with <F7 o>old or <F7 O>ld place. Pattern
files also use PIC as the extension.
SCN Full screen file. Size - 16512 bytes.
BLOAD/BSAVE binary file mapped to video
screen with 7 byte header. Save with <F8
s>ave. Retrieve with <F8 o>ld or <F8 O>ld
sequential.
TBL Printer table file.
VCT Vector line file. Size is variable. File
contains X and Y screen coordinates with
scale, width, and color information. Save
with <F6 E>nd when drawing with lines,
parallel lines, spoke lines, and/or dots.
Retrieve with <F6 o>ld
80C 80 column text mode file.
40C 40 column text mode file.
LIBRARIES H-2
Library Disk #1:
HOUSE SCN Simple house floor plan
PANDM PIC Planet and moon
OED PIC OEDWARE logo
SOFTNOW PIC SOFTWARE NOW logo
PCKEYDRW PIC PC-KEY-DRAW
GIRL SCN Girl and sheep in meadow
SUDSFISH SCN Submersible dye system
SINE PIC Sine curve for pump
SADDLE SCN Capture saddle for submersible
ESCHER PIC Impossible 3-D outline
GRAPH1 PIC Imported line graph
GRAPH2 PIC Imported bar graph
GRAPHT PIC Text to go with graphs
COMET PIC Shades of Halley's
SPACE2 SCN Space scene
SPACE4 SCN Space scene
JOES SCN Eat a Joes
GPLANE PIC Geometric horizontal plane
GPLANEV PIC Geometric vertical plane
SAUCERS PIC Small flying saucer
RECOVERY SCN Submersible recovery slide
SAUCERL PIC Large flying saucer
HANDLING SCN
DESIGN2 PIC Oriental rug pattern
SAUCERM PIC Medium size flying saucer
COUCH VCT Vector symbol of couch
PATTERNS PIC Sample of patterns
SAUC PIC Flying saucer
PUMP PIC IV pump design
INVESTWD PIC Logo
PLAN PIC
PLANE MCR Macro to create GPLANE.PIC
ESCHER1 MCR Recursive macro
XMAS SCN Christmas scene
GLASHOUS PIC Logo of building
SUBURB SCN Small suburb
PART3D PIC 3D part
README Info about disk
SCNSHOW MCR Macro to use most of the files
on the disk and display it.
LIBRARIES H-3
HEAD PIC Head of sheep for GIRL.SCN
KEYDRW2 PIC
BIRDS PIC Flying birds for GIRL.SCN
HAT PIC Fluttering hat for GIRL.SCN
LRTITLE SCN Title screen for talk
MOUNTBAS SCN LRMC-18 mounting base design
LIBRARIES H-4
Library Disk #2:
READ ME Information about the disk
KD-LASER EXE HP-LaserJet printer program.
CONVMACR BAS Converts macros from pre version
3.2 to 3.2 format.
SYMBOLS SCN Symbol screen from PC-PG
GOLF SCN Golf ball in hole
FACE PIC Alien being that stopped in one
night for a chat.
TREE PIC Christmas tree
WREATH PIC Christmas wreath
MAN1 PIC Simple stick figure
MAN2 PIC Simple stick figure 2
BRIDGE PIC Suspension bridge
CITY PIC Scene of city skyline with
bridge
DONDUCK PIC Needs work, but the beginnings
of Mr. Donald Duck
CLOWN PIC Clown face
KD-PTRN2 PIC Pattern screen
KD-PTRN3 PIC "
KD-PTRN4 PIC "
KD-PTRN5 PIC "
KD-PTRN6 PIC "
KD-PTRN7 PIC "
KD-PTRN8 PIC "
KD-PTRN9 PIC "
KD-PTRNA PIC "
FLOWER PIC Simple flower picture
WRK MCR Macro to load wrkspace
LOAD MCR Macro to load pages
PATMAKE MCR Macro to make basic pattern
screen that can then be filled
in and saved.
ROTSCN10 MCR Rotates screen in 10 degree
increments and saves to PAGEs
OVERLAY MCR Use to overlay one complex
object onto another
BOWLUP21 MCR Creates bowl effect upward with
a factor of 2 and 10 steps
BOWLRT21 MCR Creates bowl effect to right
LIBRARIES H-5
BOWLUP22 MCR |
BOWLUP41 MCR | Creates bowl effect in the
BOWLRT41 MCR - | direction, power and step
BOWLDN21 MCR | as indicated by name.
BOWLDN41 MCR |
BOWLDN22 MCR |
ROTA10 MCR
OVERLAY2 MCR Alternate overlay macro that
works better for some objects
than OVERLAY.MCR does.
FLOWER MCR Macro to create FLOWER.PIC
IRIS SCN Outline of IRIS
IRIS MCR Macro to draw outline of IRIS
and create IRIS.SCN
IRIS2 MCR Macro that starts with IRIS.MCR
and continues to complete draw-
ing and create IRIS3.SCN
IRIS3 SCN Completed IRIS drawing
LIBRARIES H-6
Library Disk #3
KD-FONT3 FNT Font created by TYPEMAKE.MCR
KD-FONT4 FNT Small font that gives 80 column
text in the color mode.
STICK FNT
HELVOUTL FNT
CENTURY FNT
OLDENGLH FNT
ROMAN FNT
MODERN FNT
SCRIPT FNT
SMALL60 FNT
OUTLINE FNT
GDPFONT1 FNT Capital letters only
GDPFONT2 FNT Capital letters only
GDPFONT3 FNT Capital letters only
TYPEMAKE MCR Macro to create KD-FONT3.FNT
OUTLINE MCR Creates outlined text font from
any standard font
OVERLAY3 MCR
OVERLAY4 MCR
TXTOVER MCR | Use with any text font.
TXTOVER2 MCR | Places text over complex back-
TXTOVER3 MCR | ground. Each with slightly
TXTOVER4 MCR | different results.
BOLD MCR | Use with any text to create
BOLD2 MCR | bold faced text.
BOLD3 MCR |
KD-DRAW HOT Hot key file. Use to call macro
routines from function keys.
SHADOW3 MCR
SHADOW2 MCR
SHADOW1 MCR
UP-EXIT MCR Update both workspaces and exit
LOADPAGE MCR
LOADWORK MCR Load workspace 1
LOADWRK2 MCR Load both workspaces
ZD4X1 MCR Zoom Down 4 vertical screens to 1
ZD2X2 MCR Zoom Down 2X2 screens to 1
ZD4X4 MCR Zoom Down 4X4 screens to 1
LIBRARIES H-7
Library Disk #4
COUNTDWN FNT
DATA FNT
HELVETIC FNT
HELVETBD FNT
ROMAN40 FNT
HELVET40 FNT
HELVET33 FNT
ROMAN33 FNT
INOUT VCT | Flow chart symbols
DECISION VCT |
MAGTAPE VCT |
MAGDRUM VCT |
OFFLINE VCT |
ONLINE VCT |
KEYING VCT |
COLLATE VCT |
SORT VCT |
PUNCHTAP VCT |
CARDFILE VCT |
CARDDECK VCT |
CARD VCT |
DOCUMENT VCT |
DISPLAY VCT |
OFFPAGE VCT |
MANUALIN VCT |
MANUALOP VCT |
PREPAR VCT |
TERMINAL VCT |
LIBRARIES H-8
