VIZPC HELP FILE --------------- THIS FILE HAS THE FOLLOWING STRUCTURE - THE FIRST 3 CHARS OF EACH LINE CONTAINS THE KEYWORD THE USER GIVES A KEYWORD AND THE PROGRAM SEARCHES UNTIL IT FINDS IT. ALL LINES ARE THEN OUTPUTTED UNTIL A NON BLANK KEYWORD IS FOUND. "???" IS USED IF NO MATCH IS FOUND IN THE FILE ??? Rectangular prism "REC" Cylinder "CYL" Extruded shape "EXT" Rotated shape "REV" Pyramid shape "PYR" Sphere "SPH" Hemisphere "HEM" Manual input "MAN" File input "REA" Change colour "CHA" Move "MOV" Copy "COP" Rotate "ROT" Scale "SCA" Edit "EDI" Search "SEA" Delete "DEL" Group "GRO" Ungroup "UNG" Totals "TOT" Invert "INV" Set Colour "SET" Menu "MEN" Bottle "BOT" List "LIS" Dump to file "SAV" Draw "DRA" Define Macro "DEF" Identify "IDE" Axonometric "AXO" Window "WIN" Help "HEL" Finish "QUI" KEY The following keywords are recognised - HELp RECtangle EXTrude REVolution DRAw PYRamid CYLinder MANual IDEntify SET colour BOTtle MOVe SEArch COPy ROTate SCAle INVert EDIt DELete LISt SAVe AXOnometric GROup UNGroup REAd CHAnge colour TOTals WINdow SECtion MENu SPHere HEMisphere DEFine Zoom QUIt HEL Help "HEL" The user is asked to input a Keyword (only first 3 chars. significant). If it matches any of the known Keywords then that section of text is output. If it fails to find the 3 chars input then a list of the menu options is output. "KEY" gives a list of the recognised Keywords. ZOO Zoom window A window-zoom using the mouse (hold a button pressed) can be performed everywhere graphical input is possible. P.e. when in axonometric view, search, plan view etc. DEF Define macro "DEF" The user can define a macro by chosing function-key under DOS and a numeric key under X-windows for executing this macro, until an ESCape is encountered all commands are stored in this macro (file). NOTE: The mouse cannot be used to select a command when defining a macro!!!! REC Rectangular prism "REC" This shape is created by defining the origin (minimum X,Y,Z co-ordinate) and the size of the prism (DX,DY,DZ). This shape is always created orthoganal to the axes. CYL Cylinder "CYL" Creates a vertical cylinder. The user inputs the radius and the number of segments, the minimum and maximum height and the (X,Y) position of the centre of the shape. EXT Extruded shape "EXT" This shape is created by digitizing the section and then specifying the length of the shape by defining minimum and maximum co-ordinates. The section may be defined in either the XY, YZ or XZ plane. The size of the grid is specified. See "SEC" for list of commands to define section. SEC The following commands may be used when inputing the section - 'E' - end section 'D' - delete last vertex 'C' - define circular section 'A' - line at defined angle and length 'X' - line at defined angle to X value 'Y' - line at defined angle to Y value 'P' - select point not on grid '?' - show position REV Rotated shape "REV" Creates an approximation to a solid of revolution. A section is created using the same interface as the "EXT" option. The user then defines the number of rotated segments and the rotated angle of each. See "SEC" for list of commands to define section. PYR Pyramid shape "PYR" Creates a pyramid with its base in the XY plane. The base is defined as a section in the same interface as in the "EXT" option. The user then inputs the Z of that plane and the (X,Y,Z) of the point of the pyramid. See "SEC" for list of commands to define section. SPH Sphere "SPH" Creates a sphere. The user defines the radius and the number of segments to be created. Center is always (0,0,0). Use MOVe to relocate the sphere. HEM Hemisphere "HEM" Creates a hemisphere. The user defines the radius and the number of segments to be created. Center is always (0,0,0). Use move to relocate the hemisphere. MAN Manual input "MAN" The user is prompted to define the vertices and surfaces defining the body. The required input is - Number of vertices Number of surfaces (X,Y,Z) of each vertex for each surface - Number of vertices in surface List of vertices in a clockwise direction. REA File input "REA" Reads into the database an existing data file. If the user gives a filename without an file type then the default file type of ".VIZ" is supplied, otherwise the name given by the user is accepted. If DIR is inputted the user can get a list of files of a chosen directory. For exact definition of legal filenames see - "DOS User's Guide". MOV Move "MOV" The user selects whether to move relatively or absolutely. You can move a group or a number of patches. If a relative move is requested then the user inputs the dx, dy and dz values. If an absolute move is requested then the origin of the body is printed and the user gives the X,Y,Z coordinate that this point is to be moved to. COP Copy "COP" Copy a group or a number of patches with the given displacement. User inputs DX, DY, DZ . ROT Rotate "ROT" A group or a number of patches is rotated by the given angle about the selected axis (X, Y or Z). The user may define the origin of rotation. SCA Scale "SCA" Scale a group or a number of patches. The user inputs a scaling factor for the scaling to be performed about each axis. A scaling factor of 1.0 means no change of scale. Reflections are defined by giving a negative scaling factor. Scaling factors of 0.0 can give erroneous results. EDI Edit "EDI" With this option you get possibilities to manually change the 'contents' of a patch. You can change the position of a vertex, delete verts, add verts and strips. You can change a value (X,Y and/or Z) through a patch/strip. You can change surface-normal orientation of a patch/strip. DEL Delete "DEL" You have four options to choose from: 1) ALL , all patches are deleted. 2) Undelete , all deleted patches are recovered. 3) Group , all patches in the specified group are deleted. 4) Patch , a or a number off patches is deleted. GRO Group "GRO" This option associates patches so that they may be considered as a single entity. You can perform transformations on a group as a whole. Patches can only belong to one group. UNG Ungroup "UNG" This option is used to remove any associations which exist between patches. Three options to ungroup are available: 1) All , all patches are removed from all groups in fact they all become member of the default group '0'. 2) Group, You remove patches from a specified group. 3) Patches, You remove specified patches from their group. LIS List "LIS" Lists the vertices and strips in a patch. If patch 0 is chosen a short list of patches is shown. SAV Dump to file "SAV" The contents of the database is outputted to the given file. If the user gives a filename without an file type then the default file type of ".VIZ" is supplied, otherwise the name given by the user is accepted. For exact definition of legal filenames see - "DOS User's Guide". DRA Draw "DRA" This gives the user 4 options - 1. Plan (You can 'window-zoom') 2. XZ Elevation (You can 'window-zoom') 3. YZ Elevation (You can 'window-zoom') 4. All 3 views (You canNOT 'window-zoom') The pictures are drawn to the current window parameters which may be changed using the "WIN" command. IDE Identify "IDE" This option helps the user to keep track of the patches in the database. (You can 'window-zoom') A plan view of the database is displayed and the choosen patch or group is highlighted (blue). SEA Search "SEA" This option only works with a mouse !!!!!!! The entire database is displayed in an axonometric view. By pointing to one of the lines of a patch and clicking one of the mouse-buttons the patchnumber and stripnumber is displayed. (You can 'window-zoom') INV Invert "INV" This option reverses the orientation of the surfacenormals of all strips in a selected group or number of patches. SET Set colour "SET" Set the default colour of all entities created after this command. AXO Axonometric view "AXO" A axonometric view of the whole database is shown using a given vector as viewdirection. (You can 'window-zoom') CHA Change colour "CHA" You can change the colour of a number of patches or a given group. MEN Menu "MEN" A full list of commands available is shown. BOT Bottle "BOT" This is an alternative way to create a solid of revolution. Section of this solid are inputted manually and you cannot create a toroide using this command. WIN Window "WIN" With this option you generate a 3D-viewport. You can choose to input this window manually, or let the program calculate a window around the whole database. TOT Totals "TOT" With this choice you see the contents of your database. Number of patches, strips and vertices. The available memory is also displayed. QUI Finish "QUI" Exit the program. If the user selects this option without dumping the database to a viewer file then the contents are lost. To avoid the accidental use of this command a confirmation is requested by the program.