home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- UTILITY COMMANDS
- ****************
-
- These commands are used to request certain drawing manipulations.
-
- The commands are:-
-
- OPT:- The options implemented are :-
- PROJECT would allow definition of a base line, and
- then project points onto or beyond that line.
- FILLET would put a fillet in between two lines.
- CHAMFER would put a chamfer in between two lines.
- FILL-C-C put fillets between circles.
- FILL-C-L put fillets between circle and line.
- The Off/Set options provide for off-sets to circles,
- curves or planes.
- The MESH option superimposes a mesh onto a quadrilateral
- defined by four vertices. The mesh may consist of quadri-
- laterals or triangles.
- OPT2:- More options including:-
- CUTting lines/arcs that crosses a boundary. The
- boundary is used as default for the next MOVE,
- REPEAT, DELETE or MIRROR operation.
- SHEAR allows for shearing transformation of points.
- SCALE X allows for scaling of point co-ordinates in
- the X direction.
- SCALE Y allows for scaling of point co-ordinates in
- the Y direction.
- SCReen DuMPing of area to graphics printer.
- FILE INPut allows for input of text from a file.
- FILE OUTput allows for output of text to a file.
- WORD PR provides a simple word processing function manipulate blocks of text.
- TABLE allows for the generation of tables from file
- input. Input File should have following format:-
- REC 1:- NUMCOL,(CWIDTH(J),J=1,NUMCOL)
- where NUMCOL is Number of Columns;
- CWIDTH is Field Width of Column.
- REC 2:- (JUST(J),J=1,NUMCOL)
- where JUST is the Justification for
- values inside the column.
- 0 if Centre Justified;
- -ve if Left Justified;
- +ve if Right Justified.
- If non-zero, value is number of half-
- spacings from margin at justified end.
- REC 3... Contain values (any character string).
- BacKGround PLoT allows for initialisation of plot-
- ting as a background operation. A plot file must
- have been genarated.
- UnPacK MSY unpacks screen information into Parametric
- Macro Symbols.
- UNPAK:- Unpacking sub-drawing block to a file definition suitable
- for symbol generation (SYMBOL EDIT in FILE mode).
- The user can specify the order of processing so that
- the drawing sequence for the symbol is defined. If this
- order is specified, the user can also specify scales
- beyond which details in the symbol will not be displayed.
- This option is activated by pressing the RIGHT button when
- specifying the drawing sequence.
- Thus, the same symbol can have different characteristics
- at different scales. (Try bringing the car symbol in CAR.SYM
- into drawings at scales of 20, 25, 100 and 101.)
- DELET:- Block delete; graphics attributes inside or outside the
- box specified can be selectively deleted.
- Alternate selection allows for either deletion of all
- entities not currently displayed or deletion of entities
- by range.
- TEXT:- Allows for the addition of text on the screen. Text
- cannot be plotted. Alternate selection suppresses
- confirmation of placement and first two characters will
- define the row position (1 being near top).
- MIRRO:- Allows the mirroring of all or part of the sub-
- drawing. Mirroring can be about 2 points (1 axis)
- or 1 point (2 axes).
- PAN:- Moving around the drawing without changing scale.
- ZOOM:- Allows for zooming in or out. The user is prompted
- for a drawing point and a screen point (location of
- the drawing point after zooming). The zooming is
- affected by the definition of a new scale.
- Pressing the LEFT button when selecting ZOOM would allow
- the user to select 2 boxes to zoom in or out without
- specifying exact scales.
- VIEW:- After ZOOMing or ROTATing, the user can store or recall
- any of the previously defined views or transformed
- positions. Views can be given a name and named views are
- stored with other Sub-Drawing information. User can also
- recall unnamed transformations by selecting the "FIRST"
- (initial) or "LAST" (previous) block displayed in the
- tertiary menu. QikDraw stores up to 30 levels of unnamed
- transformations, and allows for 30 named VIEWS.
- Selecting UTILI VIEW with the MIDDLE PUCK button indicates
- RECALL while selection with LEFT button request a STORE
- operation.
- ROTAT:- Rotating the drawing about the centre of the screen.
- This transformation, similar to ZOOMing, is only
- temporary and does not affect the actual co-ordinates
- of the points.
- MOVE:- A block on the drawing may be moved to a new location.
- Selection with the CENTRAL button requests translation
- with or without rotation. Alternate selection (with LEFT
- button) primarily requests rotation.
- REPEA:- A block on the drawing may be repeated at a new location.
- Selection with the CENTRAL button requests translation
- with or without rotation. Alternate selection (with LEFT
- button) primarily requests rotation.
- COMPO:- COMPOsing drawings by placing the sub-drawings.
- Selection of this option allows for modification of
- existing drawing specifications (if present).
- Subdrawings may be de-activated or dimensions may
- be suppressed.
- Pen reassignments may be specified for each individual
- sub-drawing if the drawing specifications are modified.