Cream of the Crop 1

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PC-Draft-CAD version 3.06 Full featured Computer Aided Drafting Copyright 1991 Natural Software 19 South Fifth Street St. Charles, IL 60174 (708) 377-7320 Compuserve ID: 70047,744 PC-Draft-CAD release 3.06 is distributed as three self-extracting LHARC files. The list below shows the file names in each EXE file. If you find missing files please contact us at the above address/phone. To install PC-Draft-CAD: - if you received this shareware version on diskette, there should be three EXE files: PCDCAD1.EXE PCDCAD2 and PCDCAD3.EXE: To install on your hard disk (C:) 1 - Place this disk in drive A: 2 - Enter: [C:] to make it your current drive. 3 - Enter: [A:INSTALL]. To install on a two floppy system, you must have THREE formatted (empty) disks 1 - Place this disk in drive A: 2 - Place a blank disk in drive B: 3 - Enter: [B:] to make B: your current drive. 4 - Enter: [A:PCDCAD1]. 5 - After all files have been extracted from PCDCAD1, 6 - Place a new blank disk in drive B: 7 - repeast steps 4, 5 and 6 for PCDCAD2 and PCDCAD3. - if you received this from a BBS you obviously have already extracted the files (or you wouldn't be reading this!). To select the correct display driver and to set up your sub-directories, run: BBSINST.BAT. Contents of the three self-extracting EXE files: --------PCDCAD1----------------------- ! - LHARC banner read.me1 - you're reading it bbsinst.bat - run this if you got this from a BBS order.frm - fill this in to register products.lst - info on more Natural Software draft3.exe - the main PC-Draft-CAD program draft3.cfg - configuration file draft3.hlp - help file cgadrv.com - driver for CGA (delete if not used) vgadrv.com - driver for VGA/EGA (del if not used) svgadrv.com - driver for Super VGA (del if not used) hgcdrv.exe - driver for Hercules (del if not used) vgastart.bat - starts PC-Draft-CAD on VGA/EGA cgastart.bat - starts PC-Draft-CAD on CGA hgcstart.bat - starts PC-Draft-CAD on Hercules vidtest.com - tests video - used by install.bat --------PCDCAD2 ! - LHARC banner read.me2 - info on distribution files dot--drv.exe - driver for dot-matrix printers hpgl-drv.exe - driver for HPGL plotters hplj-drv.exe - driver for LaserJet/DeskJet printers wpg--drv.exe - "print" drawing in WordPerfect format epson060.cfg - configuration files for Epson epson072.cfg compatible printers: each for a epson090.cfg different horiz. resolution. epson120.cfg (copy one of these to: PRINTER.CFG) epson240.cfg for use by DOT--DRV.EXE ibmdm060.cfg - configuration files for IBM dot matrix ibmdm120.cfg compatible printers. ibmdm240.cfg dot24180.cfg - configuration files 24 pin dot matrix dot24240.cfg (Epson LQ-2500 command set) hpgl-a.cfg - config files for HPGL plotters hpgl-b.cfg the letter indicates the paper size hpgl-d.cfg hpsf-a.cfg - same for small format (A & B size) hpsf-b.cfg plotters. --------PCDCAD3 ! - LHARC banner read.me3 - info on distribution files draft3.doc - Manual. enter: COPY DRAFT3.DOC PRN dline.dwg - Sample drawing: Double line command fndation.dwg - Sample drawing: Patterns house.dwg - Sample drawing: Layers pattern1.lib - Object Library: Patterns archplan.lib - Object Library: Architectural duplex.fon - Font: double line sans.fon - Font: sans serif script.fon - Font: fancy script simplex.fon - Font: single line triplex.fon - Font: triple line arcs.mac - Sample macro file arctutor.mac - Example of Extended Macro Language ------- Files not included (for registered users only) ------- DXF2PCD.EXE - Converts Autocad DXF files to Draft3 drawings WPGCONV.EXE - Converts WordPerfect Graphic files into Draft3 Drawings GEM--DRV.EXE - to dump as GEM Draw file PRTDATA.EXE - Prints Drawing database reports on printer. WINDOWS.LIB - Library of window elevations DOORS.LIB - Library of door elevations PATTERNS.DWG - Source for Pattern1.lib for user modification TUTOR?.MAC - macros for 7 Lessons in the tutorial manual Known Problems: Expanded Memory Managers: PC-Draft-CAD's own virtual memory management code automatically uses your expanded or extended memory. It may not be compatible with other memory management software. For example, Quarterdeck's QEMM. If you have a problem running PC-Draft-CAD, try disabling your other memory managers and TSR (Terminate Stay Resident) programs. Alternatively you may disable PC-Draft-CAD's memory manager by adding the following environment variable via DOS's SET command: SET PCDVM = /NOEMM/NOEXT PC-Draft-CAD will still be able to create and edit large drawings by paging to a hard disk swap file. Zenith EGA display incompatibility: For PC-Draft-CAD to work properly with the Zenith EGA display adapter (model Z-449), dip-switch number five (5) must be set to "OFF". this is called "Auto-Emulation Mode" in their manual. If switch 5 is "ON", the display drivers (VGADRV.COM and CGADRV.COM) will hang the system when run. Dip-switch 5 on the Zenity EGA board is the second switch from the top. Moving the switch to the left is "OFF". Latest Updates: Set Extents You can now more easily change the "Drawing Extents". The drawing extents are coordinates used by the Zoom All command to set the new viewport -- they are normally set to the farthest point you have drawn on the overall drawing area. Press [Alt+D] to change the extents. You then draw a box to indicate the minimum and maximum coordinates. Area Calculation Press [Alt+X] to turn on area calculation. A blank box appears below the control panel. Move the cursor to one corner of the area, press [Enter], move to the opposite corner, press [Enter]. The area is shown in the box below the control panel. Repeat this process. Each sub-total is added to the total. Press [Esc] to end area calculation. Search for Ob[J]ect This works like the search for element command. When you want to make a new object the "current" object, move the cursor near the object you want and press [Alt+J]. The object whose origin is closest to the cursor (on the current layer) will become the "current" object. Orthographic drawing When you want to draw lines that are exactly horizontal or exactly vertical you can now press the [Shift] key while moving the mouse. When either [Shift] key is pressed the mouse cursor snaps back to the closest right angle to the starting point. You can also simply use the arrow cursor keys on the keyboard to move straight vertically or horizontally. Note that the [Shift] key should not be pressed when using the arrow keys because this cause the keys on the numeric keypad to represent numbers instead of cursor movements. Using the [Shift] key for orthographic movement is for use with the mouse only. Improved Double line command: Pg. 31 in the manual talks about using the XLine (double line) command from left to right verses right to left. This has been changed to make it easier and more intuitive. Now the line ends work the same way regardless of which end point is drawn first. US Decimal Units You new have a choice of decimal FEET or INCHES (on the Options/Units menu), the offset indicator on the control panel shows decimal INCHES or decimal FEET as per your choice. Decimal inches is easier for electrical engineering drawings such as circuit boards that are drawn full size. The dimensions are now correctly shown according to your selection. Hercules display type: If you have a Hercules display, the install process will detect it and create the proper start.bat file for your use. The Hercules driver is different than the other display drivers in that it executes DRAFT3.EXE directly and is not a TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) program. So, running: HGCDRV directly works just as good as running START. Menu Choices: If you have a mouse, moving the cursor to the top menu bar changes the mouse cursor to a pointing hand for menu selections. If you do not have a mouse, the cursor disappears when you move into the menu bar, but you can still make menu choices in this way. However, it does not make sense to choose drawing commands in this manner, because the begining cursor position which selects the starting point of a drawing element such as a line will be in the wrong place (at the top of the screen). For drawing commands use the mouse left button or the F2 function key instead (after positioning the cursor at the proper starting location). New [Q]uick move command: You can now precisely position the cursor in relationship to your base point by using the [Q]uick move command. When you press the [Q] key a dialog window opens allowing you to enter the distance in feet and inches for both the Y offset and the X offset from your base point. After entering a value, first for the X offset, press ESC to continue and enter a value for the Y offset, then press ESC to exit the window. At that point (if the new location is within the current view) the cursor will be moved to the specified offset. For example to draw a line that is precisely 10 feet, 6 inches and 3/16 inch long: 1. move the cursor to where you want the line to start. 2. press [Alt+B] to set your base point to zero at the current cursor location. 3. press [L] to start the line command. 4. press [Q] to open the [Q]uick move window. 5. enter "10" for feet, press [Enter], enter "6" for inches, press [Enter], enter "3" for the 16th. field. 6. press [ESC] to exit the X offset window. and [ESC] again to exit the Y offset window (so the line is horizontal -- Y offset = 0). 7. press [Enter] to end the line command. In the case where the specified end point falls outside the current view, the current drawing command will be completed (you dont have to press [Enter]). This command lets you draw elements with precise endpoints even though those points would fall between screen pixels. Otherwise you would have to Zoom in closer to position the cursor to the exact dimension. [N]ew Layer/Object Press [Alt+N] to start a new layer and name the first new object on that layer. You used to have to do this by opening the database window. s[E]t Scale This new option on the Options menu lets you set the drawing scale. You used to have to open the databse window to set the drawing scale. And, since the database window would not open unless you have at least one element, this was inconvenent. Now you can set the scale before drawing anything. New [Z]ip to base command: This new command moves the cursor to the base position: [Alt+Z] (for: "[Z]ip to base") moves the cursor to the base position. The base position is set by [Alt+B]. New Group command: A new command: [G]roup, has been added to the Objects menu. This new function lets you create a new object from existing elements displayed on the screen. To use the [G]roup command, follow these steps: 1 - position the cursor to the upper left corner of the area containing elements you want to add to the new object. 2 - press [F3][G] to select the [G]roup command from the objects menu. 3 - move the cursor to surround the elements with a rubber band box. 4 - press [Enter] once the box surrounds the elements you want. 5 - enter the name for the new object in the pop up window. 6 - the new object will be redrawn in place -- use the Object Move command to display it in a new location. This is very useful when creating new object libraries from existing drawings. A hint: make a new layer in the existing drawing and add the new object that will go into the new object library on the new layer. Then when you are ready, (and have made backup copies of the original and new drawing), delete all the other layers, leaving only the new, object library layer. Then save the objects to your new object library file with the command: [F4][O][S]. New Printer Options: Set Configuration file: This lets you specify which printer configuration file to use by the printer driver. Only the DOT--DRV.EXE and HPGL-DRV.EXE drivers use configuration files. In previous versions, the DOT--DRV.EXE driver looked for the specific filename: PRINTER.CFG. Now you can use different configurations (for different resolutions or different page sizes) without changing the filename. The filename dialog box works just like the other filename selection dialogs. You can enter a wild card string like: "*.CFG" and press Enter to list all the files with the CFG extension. Set Page Size: This option lets you set the paper size you will be printing on. The paper size affects the new Preview command described below. New Preview command: A new menu choice on the Print Options menu (press [F8], then [O] for Options) lets you judge how much of your drawing will be printed at a given scale and a given page size. When you press [P] for Preview, a box will temporarily be drawn on the current view to indicate the area of your drawing that will be printed. This area is determined by the current drawing scale and current print scale. It is further based on an 8 inch by 10 inch paper size. If your current view width or height is too small you will not see the extents of the preview box. This indicates that you should zoom "out" to a larger view before printing (unless you intend for the drawing to be truncated when printed). Press any key to remove the preview box and return to the print menu. 24 pin dot matrix printers: The dot matrix printer driver (DOT--DRV.EXE) has been updated. It now supports 24 pin modes for most 24 pin printers. To use 24 pin mode you must select one the two supplied configuration files: DOT24180.CFG (which uses 180 dots per inch resolution) or DOT24240 (240 dots / inch resolution). Note: you select printer configuration files via the Printer/Options/Config file menu. These files use the Epson LQ-2500 bit image mode selection commands -- the "Esc * 40 shown in the 140 dpi file below: --------------------------------------------------- 8 - page width -- For 24 pin mode 40: 360 dpi 10.5 - page height 360 - horiz dots per inch 180 - vert dots per inch 24 - # of raster passes 24 - # of scan lines per printer pass (print head wires) 2880 - # of bytes = 0b40 hex; bytes = 11, 64 dec... 27 51 24 255 - line feed string (ESC "3" 24) = 24/180 inch 13 10 27 42 40 64 11 255 - graphics line setup string (cr lf Esc * 40 64 11) ---------------------------------------------------- Many other brands of printers use the same command set. If your 24 pin printer uses another command set, you may be able to modify the .CFG file to work with it. The parameter in the .CFG file for # of raster passes is no longer used. The printer driver calculates this. However the field is left in for backward compatibility. HPGL CFG File: Another major change to the HPGL-DRV.EXE driver: It now uses a configuration file. The filename can be set from the printer Options menu, or if it is left blank, it will look for the file: HPGL.CFG. This CFG file is an ASCII text file with five lines. Each line has a value. The first four values specify the paper size in plotter units. For example, the file: HPGL-AD.CFG contains: -17208 Min. X for Architectural D size paper (24 x 36) 17208 Max. X vertical load (Landscape) -11592 Min. Y 11592 Max. Y 0.3 Pen-tip width in millimetres - can range from 0.1 - 5.0mm This is for Architectural D size paper and has the minimum and maximum X and Y values appropriate for a HP DXL plotter. All text to the right of the value is optional commentary. Note that these sizes are for "vertically" mounted paper, ie: the short side of the paper is inserted into the plotter. The fifth value sets the pen width. We have supplied several HPGL CFG files for various paper sizes. The file names indicate what paper size they specify. For example: -- These are for HP DraftPro large format plotters: HPGL-A.CFG is for A size (8.5 x 11 inch) paper HPGL-AB.CFG is for Architectural B size (11 x 17 inch) paper HPGL-A1.CFG is for metric A1 size (594 x 841 mm) paper -- These are for HP small format plotters (such as model 7475A & B): HPSF-A.CFG is for A size (8.5 x 11 inch) paper HPSF-B.CFG is for B size (11 x 17 inch) paper Note that the small format plotters have the origin (0,0 point) in the upper left corner of the sheet, while the large format plotters have the origin at the center of the paper. If you use a paper size that doesn't match one of the supplied CFG files, you can make chages to the file with any ASCII editor or word processor. You must refer to your plotter manual for the correct settings for the paper size. Plotter Line Width The plotter driver HPGL-DRV.EXE has been changed. Now line widths are plotted to the exact width specified by generating multiple passes of the plotter pen. In previous versions, an element's line width was interpreted as a plotter pen selection. To compose a thick line on the plotter, the pen thickness must be accounted for. The pen thickness (tip width) is set by the fifth line in the config file (see above). PC-Draft-CAD determines the number of passes to make with the plotter pen to create the specified line width. If your plotter uses a different pen width, you must change this value in the CFG file. CAVE Drawings PC-Draft-CAD now supports the exchange of vector based drawings via online services such as CompuServe. CAVE: CAD ASCII Vector Exchange is a file exchange format designed to permit exchange of vector based (CAD) drawings via messages posted on CompuServe Information Service (CIS), or other bulletin board services. CAVE messages contain a compact description of a CAD drawing that you can view and modify. The CAVE drawing format is designed to achieve the following goals: - maintain the CAD drawing logical structure of layers, objects, and elements to facilitate repeated import/export/editing with no loss of structure. - the ASCII format is as compact as possible because of constraints of CIS message size. - by maintaining logical objects, a CAVE message may refer to library objects -- objects that do not appear in the CAVE message, thereby reducing necessary size of the CAVE message. Therefore, the CAVE drawing format closely follows the internal structure of PC-Draft-CAD drawing files. Using PC-Draft-CAD with CAVE messages To create a CAVE drawing follow these steps: 1- Load or create the drawing you wish to convert to CAVE format, 2- Press [F4] for the file menu, 3- Select [C]AVE file type, 4- Select the [S]ave operation, 5- Enter the filename (with optional drive and path information). PC- Draft-CAD uses .CAV as the default CAVE drawing file extension. 6- Press [Enter] to save the drawing in CAVE format. If the current drawing is large or complex enough to take more than 30 lines in the CAVE message, a pop up warning will give you a chance to abort the process. Press [Y] to continue if you don't mind creating "continued" CAVE messages. To load a CAVE drawing for viewing and/or editing: 1- If you have an existing drawing loaded, clear it by pressing [F9], 2- Press [F4] for the file menu, 3- Select [C]AVE file type, 4- Select the [L]oad operation, 5- Enter the filename (with optional drive and path information). PC- Draft-CAD uses .CAV as the default CAVE drawing file extension. 6- Press [Enter] to load the CAVE drawing. You may have to [Z]oom and/or [P]an the view window to display the full drawing. Using PC-Draft-CAD with your Comm program The process of viewing, modifying, and creating CAVE messages can take several different forms. It depends on the way you normally interact with your online service. The CAVE message format was intended for CompuServe Information Service (CIS) users. However, there is no reason why it would not also work on any BBS or other online service. Most users of services such as CIS which charge by the minute, use an automated program such as TAPCIS to automatically log on to the various forums they are interested in, download messages, and quickly log off. They read and reply to their messages offline, thereby saving connect charges. If this is the way you do it (download messages, read and respond offline) then the additional steps to view CAVE messages simply involve editing the message file to isolate the CAVE portions and importing them into PC-Draft- CAD. If you download or capture a single separate CAVE message, no editing is necessary. The message header and any other extraneous characters not part of the actual CAVE format will be ignored. The need for editing arises only if you download a series of messages, containing more than one CAVE format message. In that case you must edit the file containing the messages to create a file with just the particular CAVE message you want to view. If, however, you typically read and respond to messages online, you can capture the particular CAVE message you want and save it to a separate file for viewing with PC-Draft-CAD. In this case you may want to run PCD-CAD directly from within your communication program to view and modify the CAVE drawing without logging off. This is possible with most communication programs. With communication programs such as TAPCIS which do not have a provision for calling another program directly, you must shell to DOS. The TAPCIS command to do this is [Ctrl-F2]. Some programs, such as ProComm Plus provide functions to call other programs directly. In ProComm Plus you can assign a program to a "hotkey". This makes it very convenient to call PC-Draft-CAD by pressing a single key. Extended Macro Language: ------------------------ New macro commands let you make interactive and tutorial macros: When making a macro you can insert special codes to open pop-up windows on the screen, display messages, pause macro execution, suspend macro execution (to get user input) and clear pop-up windows. Since macro files are in ASCII format, you can add these features to the macro after it is created, or you can use special commands while making the macro. Pop-up window: -------------- 1 - Press [Alt+W] while making a macro to start this command. 2 - Then move the cursor to one corner of the rectangular area to define the window size. 3 - Press [Enter]. (Don't use the mouse buttons.) 4 - Then move to the opposite corner and press [Enter], the window will appear. This puts the special code "~B" in the macro file along with numbers that indicate the window location and size. It looks like: ~B x y cols rows You can have up to 6 pop-up windows at one time. Any more than 6 will simply not work. Use the clear pop-up command to remove pop-up windows from the screen. Clear pop-up: ------------- This command erases the last pop-up window. For example, if you use the pop-up window command three times to display three windows, this command erases them in reverse order: the third window first, followed by the second, then the first. Press [Alt+K] to execute this command while making a macro. It puts the special code "~C" in the macro file. When macros finish running, PCD-CAD clears the internal stack that keeps track of them. But it does not clear windows left on the screen. Message text: ------------- 1 - Press [Alt+T] while making a macro to start this command. 2 - Then move the cursor to the place on the screen where you want the text. 3 - Press [Enter]. (don't use the Mouse buttons) 4 - Then type in the text and press [Enter], the text will appear. This puts the special code "~M" in the macro file along with numbers that indicate the text location. It looks like: ~M x y <text> It is up to you to display your text messages within pop-up windows. You have complete flexibility to locate the text anywhere. But if it is not in a window the text will not get cleared until the drawing is re-drawn (by panning, zooming, or redraw). Pause: ------ This command simply causes the macro to stop and wait for a keypress. Press [Alt+V] while making a macro to insert the pause in your macro. It puts the special code "~P" in the macro file. User Input: ----------- This command lets you suspend your macro to get input from the user. It is most useful to get the endpoint locations when drawing elements. Press [Alt+I] to suspend the macro. This puts the special code: "~S" in the macro file. When the macro reaches this code when it is played back, it will stop and accept user input until the user presses [Enter],[Esc] or a mouse button.