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────────────────────────────────────────── 1 - INTRODUCTION ────────────────────────────────────────── Welcome to PC-KEY-DRAW! You are about to encounter one of the most powerful graph- ics programs available for the IBM PC fam- ily and compatibles. PC-KEY-DRAW is a graphics package that can be used by anyone and everyone. It includes many features designed specifi- cally for a mechanical engineer, such as calculate and measure. It also includes many features designed specifically for artists, such as pattern fill and area smear. Its ability to create symbol libraries is ideal for the electrical engineer or the architect. Those into needlepoint will find that the drawing capabilities combined with the zoom printer feature allow interesting patterns to be designed on the computer and easily transferred to a form suitable for stitch- ing. Graphic game designers can use the drawing abilities along with the ability to save an image as a BASICA subroutine to create graphics ideal for animation. Teachers will find the geometry aspects of the program useful in the math and science class room. Business people can create eye catching slides for presentations using such features as slide and text fonts. Drawing with a computer can and should be very different from drawing with more con- ventional tools. PC-KEY-DRAW gives you all the features you need for free hand draw- ing, but its power and the power of the computer lies in the many features that are not possible with conventional tech- INTRODUCTION 1-1 niques. When you learn to use such com- mands as slide, rotate, revolve, mirror, spray paint, etc. then the real power of computer graphics will be in your hands. This manual is provided primarily for those who like manuals. Many people will just dive straight into the program and so PC-KEY-DRAW has been laid out with that in mind. Significant help information is available on the basic program operation from within the program. The manual does include some additional information that will become more and more useful as you proceed to master the numerous drawing functions available. I am always open to suggestions on improving not only the pro- gram, but the manual as well. If you have any suggestions or comments for the man- ual, please let me know. Many of the fea- tures of this manual are a direct result of comments and suggestions from users. This printing of the manual took sometime in coming, but it represents hundreds of hours of work to attempt to make PC-KEY- DRAW a little easier to learn. A number of simple examples are included with each command to help you get started. The com- plete manual with the exception of the pictures and index is contained on disk. This manual is laid out to provide two ways of finding how to perform a function. The Command Summary section is divided by the function keys that activate the vari- ous commands and is further divided into a Short Form section and a Long Form sec- tion. The DEFINITIONS chapter is an alpha- betized listing of the commands and how to use them. Be sure to read chapter 3 on Operation Theory, even if you read nothing else read that chapter. INTRODUCTION 1-2 PC-KEY-DRAW is distributed as User- Supported or Shareware. This means it is not only legal for you to copy the program and give it to friends, but that I actu- ally encourage you to do so. I feel that everyone is entitled to try out a software package before paying for it. If you don't like the program, fine, please give it to someone who might. If you do like the pro- gram, please be sure to register. Your support is greatly appreciated. [faces] [signat] INTRODUCTION 1-3 ────────────────────────────────────────── 2 - HISTORY ────────────────────────────────────────── PC-KEY-DRAW version 3.50 is the result of thousands of hours of development time by myself, Edward H. Kidera IV. I am trained as an ocean engineer, a mechanical engi- neer for equipment to go near, on or in the ocean. Figure 2-1 shows a simple screen created to show my biographical information. I bought a PC in the spring of 1983 to help my engineering. Like most PC users I use the PC for word processing, information filing, and basic accounting. I also wanted to use the PC to do mechani- cal engineering drawings. When I first got the PC there weren't any programs avail- able, in my price range, for doing the type of drawing I wanted to do, so I decided to write my own. [bio] Figure 2-1 Biographical Information. HISTORY 2-1 The first eight months of development pro- ceeded rather slowly, but I had developed a program that I could use. As I started to use the program to create drawings, I realized that there were numerous features that I would like to be able to have to speed drawing and allow the creation of images not possible by purely manual tech- niques. At about ten months into the development I began showing the program to fellow PC enthusiasts. There was great interest in what PC-KEY-DRAW could do and I was encouraged to sell the program. This encouragement prompted me to spend more time on the program development and to add features to improve user friendliness. PC-KEY-DRAW version 1.3 was first released in May 1984 as two programs, a high reso- lution and a medium (color) resolution version. The response to the program was very favorable and so I began to devote more and more time to its advancement. Several months after the first release I released version 1.8 with many additional features and the color and high resolution portions combined into one program with the ability to readily switch between the two. This was followed by version 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.21 around January 1985. These versions offered many additional features, improved user friendliness, and included a slide show and zoom printer feature. Version 3.0 was released in October 1985 and offers a significant improvement in user friendliness without any sacrifice in power or speed of operation over version 2.21. It also provides many new features to aid drawing of all types of graphics. HISTORY 2-2 The development of PC-KEY-DRAW continues with 3.1 3.2, 3.3 and now 3.5. Appendix D lists the additions that are found with each new version. This time rather than keep the additions and improvements to myself and then releasing them in large chunks as I had done between version 2.2 and 3.0, I have decided to release the newer versions as they become available. I have been slowly adding new features and improving old features to PC-KEY-DRAW. Some of this is driven by the compiler I'm using, some by my time and some by need for a particular feature. Recent versions have added numerous features to make the program easier to learn, features to speed mouse operation and features to make the macro capability very powerful and very useful for presentation slide shows. The overall design of PC-KEY-DRAW has been driven primarily by my needs as an Ocean and Mechanical Engineer and my lack of any reasonable hand to eye coordination for standard drawing. I have found seven dif- ferent drawing areas that the PC-KEY-DRAW has been a great help. 1) It is ideal to create slides to use in presentations. I can quickly and easily put together a series of screens that I then shoot as 35mm slides and show to perspective cus- tomers or use in conferences. 2) I have also created video tape titles using the program. HISTORY 2-3 3) PC-KEY-DRAW is ideal for basic design and layout of new mechanical systems. It is very easy to try a geometry and test it for a new motion compensator or similar device. 4) It is easy to create schematics and mechanical drawings to be used in fabricating machine parts and com- plete systems. 5) it is easy to make drawings for inclusion in technical papers. 6) computer screens shows make ideal demonstrations for new products, old products and anything else you might want to promote. The ability to do animation can really get an idea across. 7) finally, I just like to relax by drawing designs and patterns, just playing and having fun. With pencil and paper I cannot begin to create even the simplest of drawings, but with a computer keyboard I am able to pro- duce just about anything in a short period of time and have fun doing it. Sometimes it even makes me feel like an artist. Three ladies have also had a profound effect on the course the program has taken, my mother, my sister Elizabeth and my wife Brenda. My mother and Brenda are both superb artists with conventional tools and I wanted to create a system that they could use and love. The artistic pic- tures that are supplied with this program were done by my wife. Brenda's primary use HISTORY 2-4 of PC-KEY-DRAW, other than doing some nice works of art for me, has been in the area of graphic design. She has made consider- able use of the program to design logos and letterheads. An example of her artis- tic talent is shown in Figure 2-2, while one of the logos is shown in Figure 2-3. Elizabeth is an architect and I ultimately want PC-KEY-DRAW to be something that she uses on a regular basis. No matter how good the tool, it is still the skilled hands of the artist, designer, draftsman, or architect that determine the output. [girl] Figure 2-2 Girl with sheep, by Brenda Will Kidera, based on a watercolor by Homer. [logo2] Figure 2-3 Logo created by BWK. HISTORY 2-5 What's in a Name? OEDWARE comes from OED which stands for Ocean Equipment Develop- ment. I formed Ocean Equipment Development to design, promote and sell motion compen- sated launch/recovery cranes. A number of the pictures in this manual and on the disk pertain to motion compensated cranes. OEDWARE (owed ware) is just an extension of OED, but if correctly pronounced relates to the marketing method being used to distribute PC-KEY-DRAW. If you are not a registered user you owe me for using the program. The name PC-KEY-DRAW comes about because it describes the program oper- ation. The keyboard is used to draw. Now with version 3.50 the program is also quickly and easily used with a mouse for those of you who prefer the little rodent. Or use a joystick and save some desk space. The choice is yours. Coming Soon: The future of PC-KEY-DRAW looks bright. There are still many things that I want to work on. Some of the planned improvements include HP LaserJet font editing, improved dot matrix printer support, full EGA and VGA support, addi- tional file formats, expanded CAD capabil- ities, additional image processing func- tions, database capability, and much more. OEDWARE is also looking to expand the available libraries of pictures and macros. Version 4.0 should be available in the not too distant future and will be another step in the quest to create a "complete" graphics program. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Your support is also greatly appreciated. HISTORY 2-6 Other Programs: OEDWARE has released sev- eral small, simple and useful programs that are available to anyone for the ask- ing. The first of these is called DATEIT and is included with the PC-KEY-DRAW disk as it comes from OEDWARE. DATEIT is for the many of us without a battery backed up clock. It remembers the last date entered and I have personally found it to be very useful. For more information on DATEIT see Appendix G. DATEIT is free. The second program is a batch file editor (OEDLIN) that was written as a test bed for another program and while it is only a simple editor I have found it to be very useful. The name, OEDLIN, was the sugges- tion of an early user and combines the company name with EDLIN, which is DOS's attempt at a text editor. OEDLIN contains a box drawing routine that allows you draw in text mode like you would in graphics mode. Figure 2-4 shows a sample of box and line drawing with OEDLIN. All of the DOS BATch files and menus used with PC-KEY- DRAW where created with OEDLIN. It can be loaded and kept in the background of DOS for use when needed. OEDLIN sells for $15. OEDLIN is also useful for editing short (<500 lines) translated PC-KEY-DRAW macro files. OEDLIN is also useful for translat- ing a text screen into a graphics screen. OEDWARE has also produced custom software for a variety of purposes, including a biomedical monitoring system that is undergoing evaluation and possible further development. HISTORY 2-7 ╔═══════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ ║ ║ │ ╒══════════════════════════════╕ │ ║ ║ │ │ OEDLIN │ │ ║ ║ │ │ BATch File Editor │ │ ║ ║ │ ╘══════════════════════════════╛ │ ║ ║ └──────────────────────────────────┘ ║ ║ ║ ║ ┌───────────────────────────────────┐ ║ ║ │ ┌─────────┐ │ ║ ║ │ │ │ │ ║ ║ │ │ ┌───│────────────┐ │ ║ ║ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║ ║ │ ┌──────│─────┘ │ │ │ ║ ║ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║ ║ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║ ║ │ └──────│─────────│────────────│──┘ ║ ║ └─────────┘ │ │ ║ ║ └────────────┘ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ***************************** ║ ║ *░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░* ║ ║ *░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░* ║ ║ *░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░* ║ ║ ***************************** ║ ║ ║ ║ ╔══════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ ╔═════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╚══════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╒═══════════════════╕ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ │▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╘═══════════════════╛ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╚════════════════════════╝ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╔═══════════════════════════╝ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╚══════════════════════════════╝ ║ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════╝ Figure 2-4 OEDLIN Box and Line Sample. HISTORY 2-8 ────────────────────────────────────────── 3 - OPERATION THEORY ────────────────────────────────────────── PC-KEY-DRAW is a very comprehensive graph- ics system. Its large number of commands may tend to intimidate the initial user if he/she does not fully understand the basic program philosophy. The first thing to remember is that in creating any one par- ticular drawing only a handful of the pro- gram's commands will be used. Don't feel that you have to learn everything from the start. Begin with the basics and build from there. As you become more proficient at creating graphics you may realize the need for an automated way of performing a particular task. Chances are, PC-KEY-DRAW already has the feature just waiting to be used. The program is designed to be run from the keyboard. Version 3 also allows a mouse mode of operation with click to select on pull down menus or instant menu selection with the click of a mouse button. Contrary to what you might think, the keyboard method is an excellent way to run a graph- ics program. The trained user can create all sorts of drawings quickly. You do not have to waste time clicking through a series of menus as with most other graph- ics programs, unless you want to. Keyboard input also means you don't have to have extra equipment cluttering up your desk. Because of the drawing advantages of a mouse and since mouse support is widely requested, I have greatly expanded and improved operation with a mouse. OPERATION THEORY 3-1 Keyboard Operation: When running PC-KEY- DRAW from the keyboard the left hand is used to select the various function keys and make other selections. The right hand is used to operate the cursor keys and the <ENTER>/<RETURN> key and to help in selecting commands. A variety of commands are available from the CURSOR MODE. These are commands that control general program operation and features that are common to all of the main drawing functions. The function keys are used to select the area of drawing to use next. Either select a function key directly or select the </> or <Space Bar> then enter the desired func- tion number or move thru the menu with the cursor keys and select the displayed func- tion with <ENTER>. The function keys are used to combine commands that are similar to each other. F1 is for modification, in that its commands are used to modify objects or the screen. F2 is for creating boxes and other straight line figures, such as polygons. F3 is for generating a variety of curved lines. F4 is for shading and spray paint. F5 paints areas and modifies existing colors. It also controls the pal- ette and background. F6 draws lines and adds text to the screen. F7 allows portions of the screen to be copied, saved, erased or moved. F8 handles files and exits to DOS. F9 sets the speed of the cursor. F10 sets the color to be used by the majority of functions. OPERATION THEORY 3-2 If the program is set to "Novice Mode" in the Status Screen, a condensed version of the function keys will be displayed in the top left corner of the screen during cur- sor mode. Figure 3-1 shows a screen during operation with the full help menu on. Set- ting to "Expert Mode by entering zero in the Status Screen will remove the help menu. Setting valves greater than 1 will display the help menu, but reduced in size by the amount greater than 1, ie. setting the "Novice Mode" to 4 will drop the help menu to 12 characters, rather than the normal 16. A setting of 8 works out very nice in reducing the amount of screen used by the help menu, but still providing suf- ficient information for operation, as shown in Figure 3-2. [work1] Figure 3-1 PC-KEY-DRAW during drawing creation with full help menu turned on. The prompt line shows that the program is in the CURSOR MODE, in SCreen 1, in PaGe 00, Caps Lock is on (should generally be off!), line width is set to 5, the key macro recording is on, cursor speed is set to 1, the drawing color is color 1, and the background color is color 0. The cur- rent cursor is a double dot near the cen- ter of the screen. OPERATION THEORY 3-3 [work2] Figure 3-2 PC-KEY-DRAW during drawing creation with the help menu on, but reduced in size. The cursor is set as crosshairs near the center of the screen with cursor position information shown on prompt line. The prompt line shows x and y absolute position, measured distance, and angle from measured point. The prompt also shows that the line width is set to 1, the cursor speed set to 8, the drawing color is 2 and the background color is 1. Cursor Movement: The nine key number/cur- sor pad is used to move around on the screen in CURSOR MODE and through the menu in Menu Mode. The cursor will wrap if moved off the screen. Basics: Items enclosed with < and > are commands that are entered via the keyboard using the appropriate letter/key. Certain commands require using the Shft, Ctrl, or Alt keys with the specified key. Where this is required is indicated as <Alt-m>, for example, or <R>, <Ctrl-c>, <Shft-F9>. When sequential key strokes are required they are indicated by separating the com- mands with a space, such as <F3 c> or <F1 Alt-r>. OPERATION THEORY 3-4 Items enclosed with [ and ] are commands that will be taken as the default if <ENTER> is selected. The first mouse but- ton acts as the <ENTER> key, while the second mouse button acts as the <Space Bar>. Both buttons at once will send an <Escape> to the program. If you are using a mouse or a joystick use the button that corresponds to the specified command. Prompts that start with "Enter" require user input followed by an <ENTER>. Other prompts need only a single key to initiate with the exception of "File Name" which also needs to be ended with <ENTER>. When a function is selected a list of pos- sible commands are provided on the prompt line. If the help menu is active the list of function keys will be replaced with the commands for the function selected. More information is available by using the cur- sor keys. Functions can be selected by entering the appropriate letter and Shft, Ctrl, or Alt as needed. Or the <ENTER> key can be hit to select the displayed com- mand. Note that the commands are case sen- sitive. A lowercase "m" is different from an uppercase "M" in its effect, but they both have the same basic meaning. Consider F7 which allows 4 different ways to move an object to the screen. All of them are a type of move so that "m" is appropriate, but to differentiate between the different moves a "m" is used either alone or with the Shift, Ctrl, or Alt keys. Not every command has four levels to it. Those com- mands that have more then one level are designated on the prompt line by the let- ter followed by a ".". OPERATION THEORY 3-5 If you enter a function and then change your mind or realize the need to reposi- tion the cursor first, select <n> or <Esc> or <Space Bar> to return the CURSOR MODE. When operating from the keyboard you should position the cursor as desired first and then select the desired func- tion. Help: Three levels of help are provided within the program. This manual and the quick reference card provide additional help as needed. Registered users can also get help from OEDWARE by mail or by call- ing anytime from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm seven days a week. The first help level is readily reached when selecting a function or selecting a directive within a function. Moving the cursor will display the possible options. As the cursor is moved the letters for each function will be highlighted along with a brief description of the command. A "S" preceding the description indicates that the command is equivalent to using <Shift> with the command letter. A "C" indicates that hitting <ENTER> is equiva- lent to hitting <Ctrl> with the command letter. An "A" indicates hitting <ENTER> is equivalent to hitting <Alt> with the command letter. If the description is not preceded by a letter then the lowercase command is sent to the program when <ENTER> is hit. Note the use of the case modifier as <"A"lt-r> is the "A"ll color version of rotate in <F1>. <"S"hft-o> is the sequen- cial load of old in <F8>. <"S"hft-f> is the "S"creen version of flip in <F1> and so on. OPERATION THEORY 3-6 The second level of help is also immedi- ately available, but must be called up when needed by selecting <h>, <H>, or <?>. It can also be set from within the Status Screen by specifying the Novice Mode. To turn the level two help screen off, simply select <H> from the CURSOR MODE or specify Expert Mode in the Configuration Screen. The third level of help resides on the disk and takes a second or two to be read in when called with <h>, <H>, or <?> (assuming level two is currently dis- played) It displays KD-DRAW.HLP as appro- priate for the CURSOR MODE or for the selected function. Once in the help screen the <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys can be used to move through the entire help file. Mouse Operation: PC-KEY-DRAW is now easy to use with a mouse. Version 3.50 provides an order of magnitude improvement over earlier versions in terms of mouse sup- port. Joystick operation is also provided in version 3.50 and behaves almost identi- cally to a mouse. There are three basic methods of using a mouse with the program: Method one is to use the keyboard to selected commands and use the mouse only for cursor movement. Method two works in conjunction with the Novice Mode (level two help). Use the mouse to click on the function you want with button 1 then move the cursor to start position, click with button 1 a sec- ond time, select desired directive and follow prompts. This simulates how most graphics programs employ a mouse, but does it make sense to be constantly moving the mouse away from where you are working. OPERATION THEORY 3-7 Method three is a much better way to use the mouse than method two, but I still prefer method one. As with method one, you start by positioning the cursor as desired for the start of a directive, ie. the cen- ter of the circle or one corner of box. Hit the second mouse button (=<Space Bar> or </>) to display function menu. Move the cursor through the menu and hit the first mouse (=<ENTER>) button on the desired function. Move the cursor again to select the desired directive within the function and again select with the first mouse but- ton. General Operation: There are two basic types of function commands, (directives) those that act on an object and those that act on the entire screen. For commands that act on the entire screen the action is started by selecting the appropriate command and following any prompts. When the action is complete the program will ask if the result was correct before sav- ing it to the drawing you are working on. Before selecting a command to create or to modify an object, the cursor should first be moved to the desired start of the func- tion, such as the center of the circle, or one of the corners of a rectangle. Some commands that work on an object require that you first define the object by enclosing it in a box, then selecting <ENTER>. Some object functions can be color specific, ie. only the color set by <F10> will be acted on. If a function does not appear to work, it maybe that the color was improperly set. OPERATION THEORY 3-8 [primitiv] Figure 3-3 80 column mode operation of PC- KEY-DRAW. Prompt line shows cursor loca- tion and command selection information. It is somewhat easier to learn PC-KEY-DRAW by working in the high resolution mode. This is because the prompt line allows 80 columns as compared to 40 in the medium/ color mode. The 80 columns allow addi- tional information to be displayed on the prompt line. Virtually all functions available in color are available in high resolution and vice versa. Extra prompts have been added as part of version 3 to help guide the user through each function. If you are using the 40 column mode the prompt will be replaced by the cursor information as the cursor is moved. To see the prompt type any non command key. Pull down menus have also been added to aid learning the program as they display extra information on the screen. A sample of what the screen would look like in medium resolution with the main menu is shown in OPERATION THEORY 3-9 Figures 3-1 and 3-2, while a sample screen from high resolution is shown in Figure 3-3. The menu is toggled with <H> or can be set as part of the program configura- tion with <Ctrl-s>. A complete help file is included and can be called up when entering a function if further information is needed by select <h>. The help file can also be reached from the CURSOR MODE for information on commands that can be used at anytime the cursor can be moved on the screen. Consider the keyboard as an input device compared to a two or three button mouse. Most people have ten fingers, why not use them. Version 3 does allow a mouse to be used in much the same fashion as with other point and click programs. The choice is yours. CAD VS. PAINT: PC-KEY-DRAW is much more than a paint program, but it is not yet a true CAD program. True CAD programs oper- ate by storing everything entered in a vector format, while paint programs store things only as bitmapped images. PC-KEY- DRAW provides vector save capabilities only for line drawing in F6. Bitmapped graphics are used as the primary save method, but unlike other graphics programs you can draw on up to 64 screens at once or use multiple layers. The key macro capabilities provide a relative vector system for saving drawings that can be very useful. The key macro used with direct coordinate entry provides true CAD capability to a limited extent. These three methods of operation make PC-KEY- DRAW very powerful. It has all of the fea- tures of low cost paint programs combined with many of the features of high cost CAD OPERATION THEORY 3-10 programs. The hybrid design allows you to do things that cannot be done with either pure CAD or pure paint programs. It also means that you don't need one program to design with and a second program to do illustrations. But PC-KEY-DRAW doesn't stop with just providing CAD and paint features. It also includes one of the most comprehensive slide show systems as part of its macro capability along with banner and poster printing. Because of the numer- ous commands and the hybrid design differ- ent users will use different functions. Note the contrast between the two pictures of Figure 3-4. [joes] [mountbas] Figure 3-4 Paint vs. CAD. OPERATION THEORY 3-11 Summary of Operation: There are several important things to remember when using PC-KEY-DRAW: 1. PC-KEY-DRAW is very case sensitive. Be sure to use lower case as pri- mary. There are 4 possible cases for a given key. These are: lower case, uppercase (Shft), Ctrl case, and Alt case. If a "C" flashes in the CURSOR MODE the Caps Lock is on and should be turned off. 2. Some directives operate on objects and must be defined by enclosing in a box, while some directives oper- ate on the entire screen. 3. Position cursor first, then select desired function. 4. Some directives are color sensi- tive. If an operation doesn't appear to work it may be that the color, as set by F10 is not appro- priate. All color sensitive com- mands have an all color alterna- tive. 5. Most actions work from a single key or SHFT-key, Alt-key, or Ctrl-key combination and do not require an <ENTER>. 6. "Enter" preceding a prompt indi- cates that a prompt answer must end with an <ENTER>. 7. Use <ENTER> after entering a File Name. 8. Brackets ([ ]) enclosing part of the prompt line indicate the default value that will be used if <ENTER> is selected. 9. Nothing is saved to the drawing until user responds <y>es to "Cor- rect (y/n)" (correction check) or <k>eep is selected. OPERATION THEORY 3-12 The chapter you have just read is probably the most important section of the manual. If you understand the theory behind PC- KEY-DRAW you will find it easy to use and very fast. If you don't understand the basic operation of the program reread this section, then try the program. Some find the best way to learn PC-KEY- DRAW is to play and experiment, rather than jumping right in and attempting to create an architectural drawing or other work of art. The first time you picked up a pencil, pen, or paintbrush you probably did not create a work of art. Others find it is best to have a project in mind before starting. In that way they learn the commands they need immediately and don't bother with commands that aren't needed for their particular project. Give yourself time to learn. PC-KEY-DRAW is not designed to mimic existing manual drawing tools, it is more of a new way to draw. It is a tool, just like the manual tools mentioned, and learning to use it may take time, but once you have learned it the program is very fast, easy to use, fun, and very powerful. Some new users think that any program that is given away should be easy to learn and any program that costs a lot takes train- ing as well. This is a severe misconcep- tion. Some users find PC-KEY-DRAW diffi- cult to learn, while others have no prob- lem learning. PC-KEY-DRAW is designed primarily for power and not for ease in learning. PC-KEY-DRAW as shareware lets you try it out before purchasing to see if it works for you! Don't you wish all soft- ware let you try it first? OPERATION THEORY 3-13