DesignCAD News
DesignCAD News
Tuesday May 21, 2002
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DesignCAD Productivity Tips for the NEW! DesignCAD 3D Max Plus
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Specify
Distance Between Copies for Array Along a Curve
With DesignCAD 3D
MAX PLUS we have added a really nice touch to the array command. With the
array along a curve option you can now define the distance between copies.
This can be used on a line, curve or any vector entity to place a
specific number of copies at a specific distance. |
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Align Multiple
Items in a Straight Row
If you need to align a set
of drawn items in a straight row try the new Align Objects Dialog Box from
DesignCAD 3D MAX PLUS. Vertical or Horizontal aligning of drawn objects is
just a few mouse clicks away with this tool. |
Select Items by
Color, Entity Type, Layer or Line Type
The Selection Filter for
DesignCAD 3D MAX PLUS has a new interface, which makes selecting items by
color, entity type, layer or line type. You can even select groups,
symbols and blocks (blocks are a new feature). So if the need
should arise to edit the colors in a drawing, just select all the items of
one color using the Selection Filter and then use the Info Box to change
their color. |
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Sticky Handles
Setting handles for
repeated use just got easier. Now you can have Sticky Handles which means
you could take a part of a drawing, such as a circle and stick a handle
at its center so it's always moved by the center point - no matter where
you click on it to select it. The handle will be remembered. |
Set
Handles Dialog Box
When you use the set
handles command you can choose the location from a pull down menu on the
Set Handles dialog box. This is a lot faster than trying to use the set
handles and center of gravity command together to put a handle in the
middle of a select item. |
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Macros
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Suggestions
from DesignCAD Users |
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Submitted by Stephen Klebs of Klebs
Woodworks. Thank-you Stephen!
Fit Macros
© Stephen Klebs
These two macros will align one side of a polygon to another side (Fit 2D) or
one facet of a polyhedron to another facet (Fit 3D). They can be used in other
ways as well to align objects on one plane to another plane. Experiment.
··························· Fit 2D ···························
Set 4 points: 2 on the side to move and 2 on the side to move it to.
Point 1 is moved to point 3. Point 2 is rotated to align with point 4.
Example: Open "Fit 2D Example.dc". Set 4 points by gravity snapping to
points 1, 2, 3, and 4. To change orientation set points in opposite order.
··························· Fit 3D ···························
Set 6 points: 3 on the facet to move and 3 on the facet to move it to.
Point 1 is moved to point 4. Points 2 & 3 are rotated to align with points 5 &
6.
The macro "Fit 3D Undo.d3m" can be used to undo changes, but I haven't tested
it very much.
Example: Open "Fit 3D Example.dc". Set 6 points by gravity snapping to
points 1 to 6. To change orientation set points in opposite order.
Click here to
download these macros.
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Customer Suggestion ...
I just read your
newsletter item about "Right Angles, Please". When I first got
DesignCad 3000, I found you had changed ortho line command to be used
from the regular line command (V). Since I work a lot with ortho
lines, I elected to program the "H" key to draw ortho lines leaving
the "V" key for lines at other angles. This gives me the best of both
worlds for my particular applications.
Mike Mayville
Hawkins and Powers
Aviation
Greybull, Wyoming
Noted from Upperspace ...
Mike is right! Ortho Mode
makes it so easy to draw orthogonal lines. Just press H to turn on the
Ortho Mode then draw your lines. The points will remain set at right
angles until you turn off Ortho Mode (click the button or just press H).
You can even toggle in and out of Ortho Mode while in the middle of
using a drawing command. If you're drawing a line you might start with
Ortho Mode turned on, set the points necessary and then turn Ortho Mode
off while still drawing the line so you can make an angle ... keep
setting points this way or turn Ortho Mode back on and set more points
orthogonally. Here's that tip from last month ...
Right
Angles Please!
The Ortho mode can toggle
you into and out of constraints for drawing straight lines. Just press the
H key on your keyboard while drawing a line.
works in
DesignCAD 3000 and DesignCAD 3D Max
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Register Your Version of DesignCAD!
You can register at
http://www.upperspace.com/register/, by calling 800/233-3223, by mailing your
registration card, or faxing it to 918/825-6359. Here's why you should …
#1 All registered
software gets free technical support. Even when new versions are released,
you can still take advantage of free technical support.
#2 When you
register it gives us a copy of your serial number. If you should lose
your serial number sometime in the future, you can call us and we’ll
read it back to you. This can be a real lifesaver when upgrading to a
new computer or if you’re forced to reformat your hard drive. It can
save you from having to buy another package of the software!
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A Chat
about BasicCAD |
In DesignCAD 3D Max Plus (the newly released
program), several additions have been made to BasicCAD.
The new INCLUDE statement allows you to include
a subroutine file and call it from a main program. You are not able to pass
parameters back and forth, but you are able to launch "CHILD" routines from
a "PARENT" script instead of just chaining from one macro to another (which
can make a complex program easier to manage). Here's an example of a small
main program, which includes the subroutine file at the bottom with an
include statement.
' Main Program
sys(41) = 1
for i = 1 to 10
gosub DrawLine
next i
end
include "drawline.d3i"
And here's the listing for the separate ASCII text file in the same
directory as the macro above, with a d3i extension.
' Include file
DrawLine:
sys(49) = 1 'Disable cursor move on POINTXYZ
>SetPoints
{
<Text "Set one point"
<NPoint 2
<POINTXYZ 0,0,0
<Incomplete 1
}
PointVal x y z 2
>Line
{
<POINTXYZ 0,0,0
<POINTXYZ [x,y,z]
}
Return
The Gosub statement in the main program finds the DrawLine: label in the
include file and runs it before continuing with its execution. External
routines you want to include and call in your code need an include statement
at the end of your main program.
You can also use the new Alias statement in conjunction with the include
statement above to make your own variables. For example, here is the listing
to an include file which defines some custom variables.
Alias SilentMode Sys(36) 'SilentMode = 1 -> No dialog
refresh
Alias From For
Alias Day i
Alias FirstDayOfSpring 20
Alias MyBirthday 29
Alias Today Day
Alias TenDaysLater Today + 10
Alias DrawLine >Line
Alias Point <PointXYZ
Alias Goodbye Message "THE END"
And here is the main program, which uses those variables.
Include "Alias.d3i"
SilentMode = 1
From Day = FirstDayOfSpring to MyBirthday
DrawLine
{
x = Sqr(Today) * TenDaysLater + _
Sqr(TenDaysLater * Today / Day) + _
Day
y = Sqr(TenDaysLater) * Today + _
Sqr(TenDaysLater / Today / Day) + _
Today
Point [x, y, 0]
Point [x + TenDaysLater, y, 0]
}
next Day
Goodbye
As you can see, if you want to use an alias file in this way, just put the
include statement at the top of your code. You can also use aliasing
to make SYS functions more English-like and therefore make your code
more readable. Here's the listing to an include file for some common
SYS functions, which gives them more English-like names (you'll find
a complete listing of these in the Sample Macros folder within the program).
Alias ErrorOn Sys(0)=1
Alias ErrorOff Sys(0)=0
Alias SelectedPoints Sys(1)
Alias Wireframe Sys(2)=0
Alias HideGL Sys(2)=1
Alias Flatshade Sys(2)=2
Alias QuickHide Sys(2)=4
Alias CurLayer Sys(3)
Alias CurLineTypeScale Sys(5)
Alias CurLineWidth Sys(6)
Alias AnglePrec Sys(8)
Alias #ofEnts Sys(9)
Alias CurTextAngle Sys(13)
Alias GridType Sys(14)
Alias LinesGrid Sys(14)=0
Alias TickMarkGrid Sys(14)=1
Alias DotsGrid Sys(14)=2
Alias GridOn Sys(15)=1
Alias GridOff Sys(15)=0
Alias PlotRange Sys(16)
Alias SnapOn Sys(17)=1
Alias SnapOff Sys(17)=0
Alias Plotsort Sys(18)
Alias GridSize Sys(19)
Alias SnapSize Sys(20)
These are all new features in DesignCAD 3D Max Plus. You can upgrade for
$79.95.
go to top of next column for rest of
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The new versions of DesignCAD offer a lot more for the macro developer than
previous versions.
First of all, the best way to learn how to write macros is to see working
code examples. In DesignCAD 3D Max and DesignCAD Express 12, there are a
LOT more macros than what shipped in earlier versions. There are a booming
70+ macros in the Sample Macros folder of DesignCAD 3D Max and DesignCAD 3D
Max Plus.
Just associate the d3m file
extension with Notepad and you'll be able to double-click these files for
quick viewing. Most of them are richly commented and easy to understand.
Many of them are isolated examples of how to do a specific operation in
BasicCAD, and lots of them are customer requests. Some examples include:
1) Batch drawing export to DWG format
2) Batch JPG image export
3) User Input
4) Changing the color, line type and layer of objects
5) Length of lines in layers
6) Exporting XYZ drawing data to a file
7) File I/O and reading variables from files
8) Searching the drawing for a piece of text
9) Drawing objects based on values in data files
10) Cycling through the drawing to select objects of a specific type
There are even a few larger examples of more complicated drawing tasks. For
example in DesignCAD 3D Max Plus Office, there is a macro
which draws a 3D deck based on a data file and one that draws a 3D shed.
Aside from these samples if you have the Developer's Toolkit, you have all
you need to know to get up and running with BasicCAD quickly. If you own
DesignCAD 3D Max or DesignCAD Express v12 you already have the Developer's
Toolkit on your CD-ROM. Just re-run the DesignCAD setup program and choose
Custom for your installation type. From the custom choices listed, choose
DesignCAD Developer's Toolkit to install it. If you have an older version of
DesignCAD, you can download the Toolkit for free here:
http://www.upperspace.com/support/
The download is offered in both a single large self extracting file or in
several smaller files for dial up users. Once downloaded, just run the setup.exe and the Toolkit installation program will guide you through the
installation process.
Once installed, you'll have a directory underneath the folder where you put
the toolkit called Dev Guide. In this file is a single PDF file which can be
read or printed with Adobe Acrobat software, (the Toolkit installation
installs Adobe for you). This PDF file is divided in half, with its first
half serving as an introduction to BasicCAD for the beginner, and the second
half covering our OLE Automation interface. Anyone wanting to get started
writing macros should read the first half of this PDF file. All of the
source files which are explained in the PDF file are also available in the
folder called Dev Guide Macros.
Once you've read this introductory material, you're ready to start writing
your own macros. You can still record a macro in DesignCAD, then edit the
macro file to get the syntax for the macro commands if you want to, but we
have a help file which makes this easier. In the Dev Help folder, are two HLP
files which can be double-clicked on to open them. And the one you want to
double-click on is called Macros12.hlp. This help file has the BasicCAD
syntax for every DesignCAD command listed, as well as all the information
that appeared in the older printed BasicCAD manual (much of which has been
expanded since then). Just type in the DesignCAD command name you want and
up pops the syntax to use it in BasicCAD.
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Blocks - A new feature in
DesignCAD 3D Max Plus |
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If you're interested in these instructions
click the red link below. You can follow the text instructions
here or go to the page with images for visual aids.
Click here for instructions
with visual aids.
A First
Look At Blocks
DesignCAD 3D Max Plus offers a new and powerful feature called Blocks. What
are blocks, anyway? - Blocks are compound objects which behave very much like
symbols. Blocks differ from symbols in several important ways, however:
Blocks are stored in the drawing file in a format that is very close to that
of embedded symbols. This means that older versions of DesignCAD will be
able to treat block entities in a drawing as a symbol, allowing the data to
be displayed correctly.
As
with symbols, you won't be able to hatch-fill an object contained inside a
block entity. As with symbols, you won't be able to edit an individual
object inside a block entity.
Click here for instructions
with visual aids.
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1)
Blocks can be generated on the fly -- you don't have to save them to a file
before using them.
2)
Blocks can be redefined. If you forgot to add an important detail to your
chimney block, you can edit a fresh instance of the block, draw the missing
detail on top of it and use Block Define to redefine the block with the
same name. All existing copies of the original block are updated to match
the new definition.
3)
Blocks can allow you to insert them with custom text data for each block
instance, using Attribute Definitions.
4)
The Gravity Snap command (but only Gravity Snap) snaps to the member
entities of a block. With Symbols, you can only snap to the handles or the
bounding corners.
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Winner of the April Design Contest for a
free package of symbols ...
2D park design by Kianoosh Nik Hoosh ...
click on either image to see a
larger view
Win a Copy of Instant
Landscape Design in the May DesignCAD Design Contest!
Enter to win in the May Design
Contest. Best design wins a copy of Instant Landscape Design software ($79
value).
Rules:
The
design must have been created in DesignCAD, any version, 2D or 3D. You must
submit it in DesignCAD file format. You can only submit your own designs. You
can submit as many as you want (please zip them up before sending if you're
sending more than one). Please add your name to the design. If you want the
DesignCAD file to remain confidential and not a part of the DesignCAD sample
drawings you must specify this. You can submit images of the rendered design and
a picture of the constructed design along with the DesignCAD file if you'd like
them to be posted. Upperspace has the right to use these as marketing materials
on our website, in print material or other promotional material. Should
Upperspace Corporation run another design contest after this one, the winner of
this contest cannot win the subsequent design contest but may enter and win
following contests. An individual cannot win two contests back to back or win
multiple contests using the same design.
Criteria for winning is subjective. If you submit a design
for this contest and don't win this contest you can submit the same design file
to subsequent contests. When submitting your design please include: your full
name, shipping address, e-mail address and the version or versions of DesignCAD
you used to create your design.
Winner of the May contest will receive a copy of Instant
Landscape Design software by Upperspace Corp. Product may not be returned for
refund of any kind. Product will be shipped at no charge to winner within the
continental United States via UPS ground shipping. Shipping charges will apply
outside of the continental United States. Product will be shipped in a
reasonable period of time (usually within 2-3 working days) after winner is
announced.
Email your designs to
press@upperspace.com
Last day to submit your design is June 10th, 2002.
Winner will be decided and announced in the June newsletter 2002.
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1. SETUP
In this edition we will
show you how to draw a fancy 3D trim board complete. Start
out in 2D mode to simplify the drawing of the base elements for the trim.
Once you are in 2D mode, start by setting your units. Activate the Units
command by pressing U on the keyboard, then set two points by clicking on the
far left and also clicking far right of the drawing window. When the units box is
displayed enter 3 for the measured distance. Select a brown color.
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Here's an image of the final trim board created.
Click the thumbnail to see a larger view.
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These instructions can be
found on their own page by clicking this link.
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feedback please email
newsletter@upperspace.com.
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