SPACE 2/SPACE - Library 2 - Volume 1.iso/apps/683/tbx_demo/tbx_cad.txt

Text File | 1993-02-25 | 15KB | 360 lines

tbxCAD

****************************************************************************
This demo may be distributed freely. Print functions are contained in
a separate print utility which is not included in this distribution. Save
functions in the tbxCAD demo are also disabled.
****************************************************************************



Finally, a real CAD program at an affordable price. tbxCAD is a fully featured
two dimensional drafting package, with features such as an infinite drawing
plane, wide range of drawing primitives, exact specification of locations,
multiple layers, scaling, dimensioning, measurement and much more. It can print
to Epson compatible dot matrix printers. Its ability to export GEM METAfiles
makes it the ideal technical illustration tool. Just import the tbx METAfile
into your favourite DTP program for inclusion in your final document or to ac-
cess a wide range of printers.

*   Infinite drawing plane. Drawing size and complexity limited only by memory.

*   Geometric CAD entities:
            Lines   simple, horizontal vertical, angled, XY,
                    tangential, polyline, parallel; trim, break or join lines;
            Rectangles  fast, standard;
            Polygons
            Circles three point, standard, fast; break circles;
            Ellipses    fast, closed, open;
            Arcs    three point, standard, fast; break or trim arcs;
            Bezier curves;
            Fillets.

*   Accurate location of construction points: tangents, intersections, ends,
    centers, on entity etc.

*   Editing: copy, move, move to layer, delete; rotate and mirror at any angle;
    scale and project.

*   Auto dimensioning of length, radius, diameter, and angle. Apply dimension
    vertically, horizontally, angled or parallel to entity. Edit height, arrow size
    and direction, follow line and scaling. Select auto or manual dimensioning.

*   Enter labels in any size or orientation. Normal and draft fonts, skewed or
    unskewed. Font editor included.

*   Choose grid option  visible or invisible, snap, spacing.

*   Measure lengths, vertical or horizontal distances, angles, or point to point.

*   Choose from six line styles; up to 16 line thicknesses.

*   True Vector Crosshatching with user set line, spacing and angle options.

*   Zoom in, out, default and to full screen; set default zoom; zoom to scale.

*   Up to 254 selectable layers per drawing; make layers visible or invisible,
    active or inactive.

*   User library functions for commonly used items may be created, saved and
    loaded into drawings.

*   Built in calculator.

*   Unlimited undo function.

*   Output in METAfile (.GEM - GDOS required but not provided)

*   Imports DXF files via separate conversion utility provided

*   System requirements: ST/STe/TT, double sided drive. Screen support: ST medium
    and high or TT medium and high resolutions.

*   Printing via separate print utility. High resolution printer
    driver for Epson compatible 9 or 24 pin dot matrix printers, or use
    GDOS to access other printers.

tbxCAD is priced at $69 Cdn or $59 US (plus $5 s&h). Ontario residents
add 8% PST; Canadian residents add 7% GST.

Ask your favourite retailer, or send check or money order to:
    ABC Solutions
    4040 Creditview Road
    Unit 11-151
    Mississauga
    Ontario  L5C 3Y8

You may also get in touch with us by calling
[phone], or leave eMail on GEnie to ABC.SOLN.





                       TBXCAD Program

            Programming: Tony Biasutti TBX ENGINEERING

              DEMO-Version 2.2  Copyright 1992, 1993

     The following set of documentation is a brief summary of  the
features  present in TBXCAD.   A complete set of documentation  is
available with the purchase of TBXCAD.

INTRODUCTION

     The  first point that should be made is that TBXCAD is not  a
drawing program.   The difference between CAD and Drawing programs
is  that the latter works with pixels while the former deals  with
drawing entities.  An entity is any of the following :

     1) Line
     2) Circle
     3) Arc
     4) Ellipse
     5) Bezier

Each entity has specific characteristics that can be referenced to
allow   ease  of  drafting.    For  example,   a  line   has   the
characteristic  of having two endpoints; two  non-parallel  lines
have  a characteristic of forming an intersection  point;  a  line
intersecting  a  circle at one point produces  the  characteristic
of being  tangent  to that circle etc.   As one  begins  inserting
entities into a drawing, opportunities arise to reference  these types
of characteristics to produce desired effects     with     extreme
precision.   For  the purpose of this discussion,  these  specific
points or characteristic locations will be called SPECKS.

IN THE BEGINNING...
     When TBXCAD is first executed,  the user is presented with  a
virtually blank screen.   There is a familiar menu bar across  the
top and a black command line on the bottom as indicated by the '>'
prompt.  The white (or blue if color monitor is used) area is your
sheet  of paper.   It is an 'infinite' sheet of paper as  one  can
move freely to right,  left, up or down by simply moving the mouse
to  the desired edge (to move upward and avoid activating  a  menu
drop,  move mouse to the arrow pointing upwards).  Obviously, with
a blank sheet, movement in any direction will not be fruitful.

THE MAIN MENU
     The  user  is  probably  familiar  with  some  of  the   menu
selections  available  but not all, so a bit of explanation  is  in
order here:

     ABOUT PROG
          Displays on screen: program name, author and serial
          number.  Instructions on how to purchase non-demo
          version of TBXCAD.

     FILES
          All file functions are listed here.   These include  the
          ability  to  save  and load drawings,  as  well  as  the
          merging  of blocks (smaller drawings that are stored  in
          libraries  ie.  a drawing of a sink for  house  layout).
          METAfile  output  can  be performed  for  use  in  other
          programs (not with the DEMO version).

     TOOLS
          This is where the action is.   The menu reveals all  the
          entities  possible  for  insertion  onto  the  sheet  of
          'paper'.   As  mentioned  before  there  are four   basic
          entities  that  make  up  a  drawing:  a  line,  an arc,
          a  circle  (subset of an arc) and  ellipse.   All  other
          entries in this menu are combinations of the basic  set.
          A  rectangle is made up of four lines,  and a fillet  is
          made  up  of an  arc.   DIMENSION,  XHATCH, and LABEL
          options  are NOT considered entities for the purpose
          of referencing  characteristic properties (SPECKS).
          More  will be explained later on the individual options.

     EDIT
          Once an entity has been inserted into the  drawing,  the
          entity,  or group of entities,  can be altered by any of
          the menu  options provided.   Most involve some form  of
          capture  of  the  entities  that the  edit  is  to  be
          performed  onto.   The  capture may take the form  of  a
          dynamic window that is altered to encompass the  desired
          group of entities,  or the selection process is made using
          the mouse.   Once the selection is made, instructions are
          provided to allow the user to complete the desired task.


     SETUP
          this  menu header contains options for  defining  system
          configurations.   These  include the selection of line
          style for  insertion of LINES; the  selection  of
          LAYER  for  defining  the  current  working  layer   and
          attributes;  and  the control of  GRID  (active/visible)
          functions.

     EXTRAS
          options  under  this menu header provide the  user  with
          tools  to:  aid in moving around  the  'sheet'  (PAN);
          zooming into areas of a drawing;  or move further out (ZOOM),
          making  the  whole  drawing fit on the  screen  at  once
          (ZOOM ALL);  placing the screen over a predefined area of
          the  drawing  and scale (ZOOM  DEFAULT);  scale visually
          the present   drawing  by  a  multiplying  factor   (SCALE);
          measure distances,  or angles (MEASURE);  perform  basic
          mathematical    calculations    using    a    calculator
          (CALCULATOR);  determine  how  many entities  have  been
          inserted  as  well  as the limits to  the  number  of
          entities possible given present memory usage (STATUS).

     DISPLAY
          Menu options under this header allow for the toggling on
          or off of screen display characteristics.   To speed  up
          re-drawing of the screen during CAD modifications,  text,
          dimensions  and  xhatch patterns can  be  selectively  be
          disabled.

LET'S CAD!!!

     The  word  'digitizing' is used to represent  the  action  of
clicking the left mouse button.   In TBXCAD, digitizing is usually
used to select an entity or to position entities.   Generally, the
right button is reserved for exiting a repetitive  command.   Most
mouse button use or 'digitizing' will be prompted by TBXCAD on the
command line.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

                     !!!!IMPORTANT!!!!
Please follow the command line prompts at the bottom of your screen.
These will almost always tell you what to do next.

-----------------------------------------------------------------


2.0 TOOLS

     The drop-down menu shows all the available entities that  can
be inserted:

               LINE
               CIRCLE
               ARC
               ELLIPSE
               RECTANGLE
               FILLET
               BEZIER
               ---------
               LABEL
               SHADING
               DIMENSION


  Once  the  menu  has dropped  selecting an option will produce a
submenu  called  a  'Magic Menu'.   This menu  is  like  no  other
previously seen,  in that moving the mouse will cause the menu  to
drag along  with it.  This allows the user to remove the menu from
areas  of the CAD drawing that are of  interest,  thus  preventing
obstruction.   Digitizing  on the desired Magic Menu  option  will
register a selection,  and depending on the command options,  more
Magic Menus may appear with the appropriate prompts.

     If  one  wants to abort the Magic Menu  selection,  that  is,
abort the present command,  enter the <ESC> key.  This will return
the user to the main menu.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------


3.0 EDIT

     In  all  edit commands the user will be  required  to  select
which  entities  are to be involved in the edit.   There  are  two
methods available in the selection process.  One may digitize each
entity  desired for editing,  or one may use a 'window' to  select
the entities.   Using a window will select all entities within the
window boundaries.  An entity must be completely inside the window
for it to be selected.  This process of selecting entities will be
called CAPTURING for the purpose of this discussion.



4.5 SETUP-LAYER OPTIONS

   A user may specify the layer onto which the insertion of entities
is made.  Up to 254 different layers are available.  The best way to
understand layers is to imagine clear sheets of paper stacked  one
on top of the other.   Each of those sheets is considered a layer.
One may make the layer nonactive, but visible, so that editing of
that particular layer is not possible.  (This becomes really handy
in  floor layouts where you wish to capture a piece  of  furniture
for a move, but don't want the wall right next to it to move.  You
would move all fixed entities,  like walls,  on a separate  layer,
and  define  this layer as visible but not active.)


6.0 DISPLAY

     Menu options under this header allow for the toggling on
or off of screen display characteristics. To speed  up re-drawing
of the screen during CAD modifications,  text, dimensions  and
fill  patterns can  be  selectively  be disabled.



7.0 SPECIFIC LOCATIONS

     This menu allows for the selection of specific points on the cad
drawing with accuracy. You may also press the space bar to call up
the menu at any time when it is appropriate. The options are as follows:

7.1 END POINT- this modifier will allow the selection of the end point
of any entity.   One must point in the near vicinity of the end of
the entity to ensure correct selection.

7.2 INTERSECTION-  will select the intersection of any  two  entities.
In some situations there may be more than one intersection ie. line
cutting a circle.   In those situations the  TBXCAD will  mark
all  intersection and prompt the user to digitize the  intersection
desired.

7.3 RELATIVE TO- selecting this option will allow the user to  specify
an  offset relative to the point selected.   For  example:   if  a
point desired is x4 y5 units from the end of a line,  one may  use
RELATIVE TO,  followed by selecting END OF (line),  and specifying
the relative offsets desired.

7.4 CENTER  OF - selecting this option will allow the user  to  specify
the center of an entity.   On a line,  this will be the mid  point
between the two endpoints.  On a circle, arc or ellipse, this will
mean the center of the entity.

7.5 TANGENT TO- allows point to specified tangent to an entity.

7.6 ON ENTITY - will select point on entity nearest the digitizing
location.

------------------------------------------------------------------

8.0 HOT-KEYS

<UNDO> - pressing this key will result in the 'undoing' of the  last
entity  command performed.   One may continue to press undo  until
the desired effect is reached.

<CLR HOME>- re-draws the screen.

<ESC>  -  will  terminate command at any point of  the  process  and
return the user to the main menu.

<ARROW KEYS> - move the drawing in the direction of the drawing.

CLICKING BOTH MOUSE BUTTONS AT THE SAME TIME - pop up calculator.

<space bar> - calls up the Specific Locations menu at most times in
drawing mode.

<Help> - calls window panning function
-------------------------------------------------------------------

end of info.