Copyright (C) 1986-2008 by Daniel H. Hudgins, All Rights Reserved.

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This Web site is dedicated to the thousands of "users" of my programs, those who have helped test my programs over the last 22 or so years, and especially those who shared their experiences with me.

You must read this notice: This is a licensed Web site (HTML document and associated files). You must read and agree to be legally bound in contract by the Terms of Use and conditions given in the End User License Agreement ("EULA"), Legal Notices, Instructions, Warnings, Disclaimers, and all other text in "SECTION: 0" of "This Web Site" (HTML document and associated files) before reading or using any of the information, software programs, and or files, contained in, linked to, and or associated with, "This Web Site" (HTML document and associated files). Any use or "Beta Testing" of "This Web Site" constitutes your acknowledgment of your full agreement with the current End User License Agreement ("EULA") and your decision to have this current license supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements and understandings. Information and files in "This Web Site" (HTML document and associated files) have been placed here so that long time users of "The Author's" programs DANCAD3D.COM (tm) , DANCAM.EXE (tm) , or DANPLOT.EXE (tm) could help proofread the text of the documentation files or screens displayed, and also help test data files, example files, and or any software programs that might be made available from time to time, to aid "The Author" in finding mistakes, bugs, and other errors, omissions, defects, mistakes, and faults. Everything in "This Web Site" (HTML document and associated files) is "Beta Test", "Beta Code", Experimental, Preliminary, requires proofreading, or is being evaluated for possible revision, and is NOT warranted to be free of defect. To help "The Author" report any bugs, foul-ups, defects, or mistakes that you find, see "SECTION: 8" for instructions. "This Web Site" (HTML document and associated files) and all other files and programs by Daniel H. Hudgins are made available "AS IS" without warranty of any kind express, expressed, or implied. All offers and specifications are subject to change or discontinuation without notice of any kind. Please read "SECTION: 8" of "This Web Site" (HTML document and associated files) before trying to contact "The Author."

The text in this section has been revised to include some of the developments for a revision of version v2.7B, program versions, updates, or revisions prior or subsequent may work differently and so what is stated here may not apply to the particular version, update, or revision you might have, i.e. those other versions. The documentation is only generally descriptive of the programs, you should check the operation of each particular program that you will be "Beta Testing" since operation of the programs is subject to change without notice.

This HTML documentation section has documentation mostly about my CAD programs DANCAD3D.COM (tm) and DANCAD87.COM (tm). Most the discussion about DANCAD3D.COM (tm) also applies to "Beta Testing" DANCAD87.COM (tm), the math co- processor version, as well, except for some differences in some of the files saved and the need for a math co-processor. See also the other documentation in this Web site for additional information, particularly the CAM program documentation and the supplemental documentation, tutorials, and appendices. The disclaimer, and most of the other legal text is currently located in SECTION: 0, therefore you must read the disclaimer, End User License Agreement (EULA), legal text and other text in SECTION: 0 before you read any of the other documentation or use any part of this HTML document, this section, or associated files and programs.

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DANCAD3D (tm) has four major parts: the menus accessed from the Main Menu, the Macro interpreter [R]un command, the text editor [W]rite command, and the drawing editor [D]raw command. The drawing editor is the part of DANCAD3D (tm) that allows you to draw lines, arcs, curves, lettering, triangles, and other shapes in 2D or 3D within DANCAD3D (tm)'s workspace. DANCAD3D (tm)'s workspace exists even when you are not in the drawing editor, so you can [Q]uit the drawing editor and return to the main menu (to activate other commands) without erasing the drawing you saw on the drawing editor's screen. To start a new drawing you need to [I]nitialize the workspace. The drawing you are working on in the workspace does not have a name it is just a collection of numbered elements, you need to use the [S]ave commands to save any elements you want to keep as files on your disk drive. You can look at the elements in the workspace with the Drawing editor, the main menu Preview command, the macro DISPLAY command, and the previews of the printing and plotting commands.

The drawing editor is not needed to create drawings with DANCAD3D (tm), but the drawing editor does make creating drawings much easier since you can see exactly what you are doing on the screen. Other ways to make drawings would be to use the macro commands, type in values for an ASCII file, or to draw on graph paper then enter the coordinates as a list of numbers by using the commands in the main menu's Numeric sub-menu, e.g. [E]nter or [I]nsert. To get into the drawing editor select [D]raw from the main menu.

The primary function of the drawing editor is to place line segments or triangles into the workspace at precise locations. The drawing editor has many commands that make such tasks as automatic dimensioning and lettering much easier and quicker than manually drawing the required line segments. Quasi-curves and quasi-circles are created in DANCAD3D (tm) by using many short line segments, which can look satisfactory when used properly by making many very short line segments, see the [F]it curve command. The drawing editor also lets you edit any drawing made with DANCAD3D (tm) after the drawing has been finished if you save all of the drawing elements by using the Elements filetype. Editing drawings is made easier if when the drawing was being made thought was given as to how the drawing should be broken up into separate elements. The [B]egin and [J]oin commands in the [E]lements sub-menu control which lines belong to the same or different elements. Some of the many commands available in the drawing editor are described below.

The DANCAD3D (tm) drawing editor screen lets you draw and edit lines and elements that are loaded into DANCAD3D (tm)'s workspace. Since DANCAD3D (tm) is a 3D CAD program the drawing editor lets you view the drawing workspace from the Front, Side, and Top. Some variations on the Front view are also available such as Drop, Oblique, Isometric, and Perspective views. Since it is possible to get confused while drawing in 3D I recommend that you ALWAYS look at the reading of the x, y, and z values for the drawing cursor at the top of the drawing editor screen while you are working. It is also wise to change from Front, to Oblique, to Side, to Top views to check that you have the drawing cursor at the actual point that you want the cursor to be. If you are only drawing in 2D you should use the Front view and locate the cursor so :Z value always reads 0. If you accidentally make a 2D drawing that has some lines out of the z = 0 plane simply use the Magnify command in the Elements sub-menu of the drawing editor and set the factors to x=1, y=1, z=0, and all points z values will be set to zero. You can change the view displayed in the drawing editor by pressing [V] (for View) while drawing.

The [V]iew command has some new views, including [P]erspective and [H]idden line, which can be used in combination. The [H]idden command in the [V]iew sub- menu lets you select the triangle display mode. The various triangle display modes are used when the elements in the workspace where drawn by using the hidden line triangles, so you can see the triangles normals, p1 to p2 direction, and filled in triangles. You can change the hidden line display mode from the [V]iew command by picking [H]idden line, this brings up the same menu that you get from the [U]pdate mode command in the [H]idden sub-menu. In the [H]idden [U]pdate menu you can pick from: WIRE-FRAME, EDGES, NORMALS, QUICK, and HIDDEN display modes. The various display modes other than WIRE-FRAME only work with triangle elements drawn for hidden line display modes, if you are just drawing "free" line segments use the WIRE-FRAME display mode. See more information on this feature in the Drawing Editor Hidden Display modes section below.

Additional display modes and hidden line display options can be made with the main menu Preview command. The display modes in the drawing editor are just those that are essential to editing the elements.

After entering the drawing editor from the main menu, you must select the appropriate view that you will use while drawing, before the drawing editor root menu will come up. The command [D]raw in the drawing editor root menu is the principle drawing sub-menu. The other sub-menus have descriptive names and can be seen on the screen. When the root menu of the drawing editor is displayed the menu selection bar is on. When the menu bar is on you can select a command from the menu on the right of the screen with the mouse or cursor keys, thereby pressing the [Right] mouse button or the [Return] key the command will be activated. When you are in the sub-menus of the drawing editor the mouse and cursor keys can be used to control the drawing cursor or the menu selection bar. To toggle the control of the drawing cursor to or from the menu bar while in one of the drawing editor sub-menus (but not the root menu) press the [Center] mouse button or the keyboards [SpaceBar]. The menu bar must be off in the drawing sub-menu in order to draw lines, so the menu bar automatically toggles off when you select the Drawing sub-menu.

A cursor is a point or symbol on the screen that tells you where the current active point is. For entry at the prompts you see a small underline or block (blinking in the text screens) under the space where the next letter you type will appear. In the drawing editor there is a different kind of cursor. The drawing editor cursor looks like a large plus (+) symbol. Extending from the plus shaped drawing cursor are some dotted lines that make aligning the drawing cursor to lines and elements already drawn easier. The center point on the drawing cursor is "clear" to allow you to see when the drawing cursor is over a drawn line or point. If you have difficulty locating the drawing cursor over a drawn line, increase the scale (zoom in) by pressing [+] repeatedly and then press [*] to redraw the screen.

The basic drawing technique in using the drawing editor is the drawing of line segments. Select [D]raw from the drawing editor root menu to be able to draw line segments.

It is possible to make perfectly useful drawings with DANCAD3D (tm) simply by repeating the steps 1. through 4. above over and over. When drawing line segments for a tool path that will be given to DANCAM.EXE (tm) you should keep the direction of the line in mind, i.e. from first point to second point, since the line direction will be the direction that the tool will move! Tool paths are normally drawn as a series of line segments that touch end point to end point.

While drawing line segments you can change the line attributes, such as color (plotter pen), width, dotted and such by pressing [L] to bring up the line attribute menu. The triangle fill color, or triangle edge line color, used in some display modes can also be set by using the line attributes, see the [L]ines edit [L]ine style command in the drawing editor to change the line color in a triangle element.

The workspace can store two kinds of elements. Elements made of "free" line segments are used to make regular line drawings, wire- frame 3D animation, and tool path files. Elements made of Triangles are used to draw elements for the hidden line display modes, shaded solid 3D color animation, and for making some special kinds of 3D tool path files through the use of the Fill tri comp command.

Several commands can be used to help you create triangle elements. Some work by converting a free line element into a triangle element, and others let you mark points for the triangle element with the drawing cursor. Examples of the former would be Lathe and Weave, and of the latter would be Triangle, Rectangle, and Cube.

Three kinds of triangles are used to make up the surfaces of shapes in elements. Edge triangles mark an outside edge of a shape so that the Thicken command can know where to add new sides. Junction triangles mark edges to show in some display modes along with showing the Edge triangle's line. Surface triangles are used to fill in the spaces between Edge and Junction triangles, and do not have any sides on an outside or inside edge of a shape.

In the workspace triangles are stored in the workspace by using only two line segments, the p1 to p2 line segment, and the p3 to p4 line segment. The triangle is defined by points p1 to p2 to p3 to p1. The line from p3 to p4 is a normal extending at right angles to the triangle's surface on one side. The side that has the normal line pointing out of it is arranged to be on the outside surface of triangle elements. You can use the NORMALS display mode in the drawing editor to see the normal lines, using the Oblique or other views, to check how you have drawn the triangles. The p3 to p4 line is not normally displayed by the usual display modes, but used by the program for internal uses and display modes. See Appendix N for triangle line attributes information. If you draw some triangles backwards you may be able to use the Revert and Correct commands to flip the triangles around and adjust the p4 values.

The HIDDEN CORRECT SET command in the drawing editor can be used to set the length of the p3 to p4 normal lines in a triangle element, so that you can better see the normal's directions when you use the drawing editors VIEW HIDDEN NORMALS display mode.

You can draw your triangle elements by just using the Triangle command in the Hidden sub-menu of the drawing editor, although you will probably want to use the Fan command and the other commands that make triangle elements to help you speed up drawing your shapes.

The value of the p4 point does not need to be marked by you since the program can figure out where it will be from the other three points. The program assumes that you will be drawing the p1 to p2 to p3 order direction in a clockwise rotation and that the normal will be pointing out of the computer screen at you. If you draw the triangle pointing backwards the program will ask you if you want it reversed. Since there are issues when drawing side triangles you should draw all of the triangles roughly from the front view, and the use the Rotate command to rotate parts of your shape to their new orientation. The Begin command can be used to begin a new element for saving triangles into it. Do not mix triangles and free lines in the same element.

When you move the drawing cursor: by rolling the mouse or track- ball, by sliding the tablet "cursor," or by pressing the cursor or num-pad keys the distance the drawing cursor moves on the screen is controlled by the [M]ove and drawing editor [S]cale commands (the tablet has an additional resolution limit you can change.) Before you start drawing line segments you should check the values next to the :S and :M at the top of the drawing editor screen. The abbreviations :S and :M stand for Scale and Move(ment). The :S tells you the current drawing editor scale for the display and can be changed in three ways.

Note that the screen does not automatically redraw after you change the scale with the [S]cale command, this allows you to reposition the cursor so that the point of interest will be in the center of the screen after you press [*] to redraw the screen.

To make it easier to center the area to be zoomed in on a dotted outline border can be turned on by pressing the [1] or [End] key on the keyboard. The dotted border shows what will fill the drawing editor screen when you press the [*] or [*/PrtSc] key on the keyboard to re-draw the screen at the new scale. The dotted boarder will follow the drawing cursor around and can even move completely off the screen if you need to zoom in on some part of the drawing that is not currently displayed, assuming you know or have [R]ecorded the point you want to zoom in on. You can locate the cursor at points off of the screen with the [G]oto command.

When drawing most drawings you do not draw line segments to points that have irrational decimals in the line segments end point values. Rather you usually draw with all the line segments ending on the even mile, inch, mm, 0.001 of an inch, or micron. The [M]ove command in the drawing editor drawing sub-menu lets you set the smallest amount you would want the drawing cursor to move when you roll the mouse or press the cursor keys. You can change the [M]ove at any time while drawing. To know what the current [M]ove value is just look at the value next to the :M at the top of the drawing editor screen.

If you are drawing without a mouse or track-ball you can use the cursor or num-pad keys. The trick to using the cursor keys is to use [M]ove to set the movement to as large a value as you can to get to the points you want to get to. The [D]elta reading can be used so that after pressing [./Del] the position reads relative to the current starting point for drawing a line. Selecting [D]elta again can change the position reading to absolute position again.

[7] or [Home]......Move cursor away from you, -z axis.
[8] or [Up]........Move cursor up the screen, -y axis.
[4] or [Left]......Move cursor left on the screen, -x axis.
[6] or [Right].....Move cursor right on the screen, +x axis.
[2] or [Down]......Move cursor down on the screen, +y axis.
[3] or [PgDn]......Move cursor toward you, +z axis.
[Z]................Put the cursor at x=0, y=0, z=0 (Zero cursor.)
[G]................Put the cursor at any point (Goto point.)
[R]................Record cursor position.
[J]................Jump to recorded cursor position.
[F2]...............Toggle digitizer tablet on or off, overrides keys.

Another way to move the drawing cursor is to use the [G]oto option and simply enter the values you want for the cursor's location. When entering values into the [G]oto command (or any other value prompt) you can press [I] to invert (n=-n), or [R] for the reciprocal (n=1/n) of the value you see at the prompt. The inverse will move the cursor to the other side of the axis prompted for. Reciprocal would be used if you had used the Magnify command and needed to scale the cursor's location. Pressing [H] or [D] at a number prompt will half or double the displayed value. Pressing [UpArrow] or [DownArrow] at a number prompt will let you recall recently entered values, and [=] recalls the last value.

There is a two part command that allows you to record and jump to points that you may need to put the drawing cursor at several times. By pressing [R] for record while drawing you can let one of the letter or number keys on the keyboard stand for that point in the workspace. You simply press [R] then [SomeKey] to assign the current drawing cursor location to [SomeKey]. Then whenever (in the drawing or cursor move sub- menus) you want to have the cursor return to that point you press [J] (for Jump) and then the same [SomeKey] that you pressed before. Actually all the ASCII codes (entered through the num-pad by holding the [Alt] key down) can be used to record points by so up to 255 cursor points can be recorded. To erase a recorded point simply use the key to record some other cursor position. The position values are recorded in a file named DANCAD3D.XYZ so it might be possible to copy that file to another directory folder if you want to save the recorded positions, and the over-write the original with new values, then swap the files to get the old recorded values back.

As an aid to visualizing where the next line segment drawn will be in the workspace an elastic (rubber band like) line segment follows the drawing cursor around the screen. When you click the [Right] mouse button, or press [.] or [Del] keys the elastic line will then stretch from the location of the cursor when you marked this new starting point by clicking the [Right] mouse button, or pressing [.] or [Del] key. You can toggle the elastic line on and off by pressing [E] (for Elastic) while drawing.

The color of the elastic line will change depending on the background color and what line colors it crosses when the drawing editor is in a color display mode. The actual line color will be seen when you press [0/Ins] or [MouseLeft] to draw the line segment. Do not select a drawing line color that is the same as the background color, or the line will become invisible when the line is drawn.

To make editing drawings easier you should group line segments that go together into elements. To begin a new element while you are drawing line segments (in the drawing sub-menu of the drawing editor) press the [B] (for Begin) key. The begin element command may ask you for the position of the center point you want the new element to have. If you do not plan on rotating the new element around some particular point leave the cursor where it is and press [Escape] to get out of the Move Cursor menu and back to the Draw Lines sub-menu. The center point of any element can be changed at any time with the [S]et center command in the [E]lements sub-menu of the drawing editor. You may need to re- set the center point for an element after editing the element with some of the editing commands, it is generally a good idea to set the center point for an element just before you are going to use a command that will use the element's center point so that you are sure that the center point is in the right place.

The [E]lements [J]oin command now can join two elements, all of the elements, or the sub-set of all of the elements with their number above the selected element. After [J]oin is used the identification numbers of the elements in the workspace are changed. If you [J]oin all of the elements the workspace, the workspace will just contain element number one. If you [J]oin two elements the element numbers of the elements above the joined element with the lowest number will be changed, for example if you have five elements, and you [J]oin elements two and three, then element four will become element three, and element five will become element four. If you [J]oin all of the elements above the selected element then the element numbers of the elements above the selected element are no longer in use, for example if you have five elements and you select three and above then elements four and five become part of element three so there will then only be three elements left in the workspace.

The MOUSE command in the drawing editor SET-UP sub- menu now selects the mouse device type. This change was made to avoid some problems that auto-detection of the FastTRAP (tm) 3D track-ball made when the CAD programs where run under Windows 95 (tm). The programs now default to regular mouse, and you need to use this command to select detection of an alternative.

When run under Windows 95 (tm) three button mice may not work properly with my programs, the center button may not operate the way it does with the proper driver under DOS, so you may need to use the alternative keyboard commands, e.g. [Space- Bar] in the drawing editor, and [F1] in the Write command. The Left and Right mouse buttons should work under DOS or Windows 95 (tm) if the mouse driver has been installed before my programs are run.

The CAD programs use a new mouse config file to tell the programs which type of mouse to use. This change was made to avoid some problems that happen under some operating systems when the programs auto detect for the FastTRAP(tm) 3D track-ball. By forcing the program to default to the standard mouse most systems will probably work with the standard mouse. If you have a FastTRAP (tm) you can use the new mouse config file to have the program look for its features.

The name for the mouse config file is: DANCADXX.MOU

and it can contain values in text form on the first line:

FASTTRAP  tells program to check for FastTRAP (tm) driver features.

REGULAR   tells program to only use regular mouse features.

NONE      same  as  regular  at  this  time.  Program normally auto-detects the
          mouse.  Be sure your mouse driver was installed when the computer was
          booted, and before you run my programs.

You can use the DOS COPY command or the [W]rite command to make the DANCADXX.MOU file.

EXAMPLE: C:\>COPY CON DANCADXX.MOU
         REGULAR
         ^Z
                 1 file(s) copied

         C:\>

In the above example the ^Z is produced by pressing and holdin down the [Ctrl] key, then pressing [Z], then letting the [Ctrl] key up, then press [Return]. This "control Z" tells the OS you are finished and to save the new file.

As was mentioned, under Windows 95 (tm) a three button mouse may not retain the capabilities of the center button with the CAD programs, but you can use the substitute keys on the keyboard e.g. [Space] in the drawing editor, and [F1] in the [W]rite command.

The CAM programs in v2.7 added the use of the mouse to operate the menus and move the cursor in some prompts.

The CAD and CAM programs can still be operated just by the keyboard keys, or my both the keys and the mouse when a mouse is loaded. Under DOS be sure to load the mouse driver before you run the programs or the mouse will not work. You should have a DOS mouse driver on the floppy disk that might have come with your mouse, if you did not get a disk with your mouse you might check the mouse company to see if they have a driver on their Web site that you can download. Under Windows 95 (tm) you may not need to install the mouse driver yourself, since Windows 95 (tm) probably installed the mouse driver when it was installed.

The PALETTE command in the drawing editor SET-UP sub- menu lets you change the colors or gray tones displayed for the line color numbers. You can also change the normal black background color in the graphics modes to a color or gray shade by altering palette index 0.

The colors are used for feed rates. If you do not like line color 1 to be dark blue, you can change it to something else like red without altering the line color in the element which will still be number 1. If you want to change the line color numbers see the LINE_STYLE command, this command only changes the color displayed for that color number, and only in the modes that display such colors or gray tones.

The graphic modes in the CAM programs can also display colors, and the line colors that are used to change the feed rates, so you may want to make up a table for your own use to match up the colors displayed, the line color index numbers, and the feed rates you have installed, to correlate the colors used in the CAM programs with the colors used in the CAD programs, since you want the colors to help you when you view your tool path files to check for errors and not confuse you as to what speed various colors mean when used in the CAD or CAM programs.

The [F]iles [P]alette lets you save the palette settings for matching the line color numbers to the colors displayed on the screen. The colors are set with the [S]et-up [P]alette command. If you do not like the background color, or the colors assigned to the line color numbers you can adjust the correspondence, and save all of the settings to reload when needed for a particular drawing. The palette settings are generally for use if you are using a color display mode.

The background color of the main menu [P]review command can also be changed with this command in the drawing editor. See also the new macro PALETTE command to set the palette, as well as the [S]et-up [P]alette command in the drawing editor.

The KEY CHECK command in the drawing editor SET-UP sub-menu is for slowing down the program, particularly in the drawing editor, since on fast computers if you do not let up on the keys very fast the program can pass onto the next option accidentally.

If you have slow hands, you might try this option to slow down the program's response to your pressing some key strokes in various menus. This is particularly pertinent on faster computers which can complete commands before you have fully let up on the keyboard keys.

There may also be a keymatic or key repeat option in your computer's set-up. In order to draw with the cursor keys I always set the key repeat rate in the set-up to the fastest speed option, but you may want to check this in the set-up of your computer depending on if you like the drawing cursor to move fast or slow when you hold down the cursor keys. On many computers if you hold down the [Del] key while the computer boots it will ask you if you want to change the BIOS set-up. While you are in the computer's set up you might want to also set the boot up [NumLock] state to off.

The HIDDEN command in the drawing editors SET-UP sub-menu and also in the VIEW command lets you select the current hidden line display mode for the drawing editor. The new display mode selected will be used when you press the [*] key in the drawing editor to redraw the drawing editor screen.

"Free" line elements are displayed like they where in v2.6x and before, but the new "triangle" elements can be displayed in different ways to help you with issues that come up while drawing triangle elements as well as to see your shapes better.

Triangles in triangle elements are made up of two consecutive line segments, the first line marks p1 to p2 of the triangle, the first point of the second line marks p3 of the triangle. The second point of the second line segment in a "triangle" is called p4 and is the end of a normal line to the surface of the triangle extending from p3 to p4. Lines p2 to p3 and p3 to p1 are implied and not stored in the workspace, in order to save space and improve speed.

The drawing editor [V]iew command display modes are:

WIRE-FRAME: This displays like v2.6x and before, but works in color now with EGA or VGA video when the color display modes are selected. WIRE-FRAME should be used when displaying elements made of just "free" line segments. When triangle elements are displayed with WIRE-FRAME the first line of the two in the triangle is displayed as p1 to p2, then two synthetic lines are displayed for p2 to p3 and p3 to p1, where p3 is the first point of the second line in the triangle. The line p3 to p4 is not displayed in WIRE-FRAME mode, see the NORMALS display mode for display of the p3 to p4 normal line.

EDGES: Triangles can have their p1 to p2 line in three different types, EDGE, JUNCTION, and SURFACE. EDGES mode displays EDGE and JUNCTION triangles only. This makes for a less confused display than WIRE-FRAME if the elements have been drawn properly using the triangle types in the right places.

NORMALS: The NORMALS display mode is like WIRE- FRAME but adds the display of the p3 to p4 line that marks the triangle's normal direction. You can set the normal length with the CORRECT SET command in the drawing editor. You should use this display mode to check the directions of the normals in the elements you draw to make sure that the normals are pointing to the outside of the shapes drawn.

QUICK: The QUICK mode is like EDGES but omits the edge and junction lines of triangles when those triangle's normals are pointing away from the viewer. This also helps you check if some of the triangles are rotated around the wrong way, and gives you a quick pseudo-hidden line display that lets you set the Perspective view values without the wait for the triangles to sort as they would in the HIDDEN display mode.

HIDDEN: The HIDDEN display mode sorts and fills triangles to hide the lines in the hidden parts of the display. The sorting can take a long time, so this mode is best used on single elements. You can turn off the extra elements by using the Update list command in the drawing editor root menu. More advanced hidden display modes are available with the main menu Preview command, this simple black filled mode is meant to be a help in drawing triangle elements. When using the HIDDEN display mode in the drawing editor it helps to use a gray or colored background if you are using the color display modes, see the SET- UP PALETTE command to set the line colors and background color displayed, the background color is palette index 0.

At the bottom of the drawing editor the numbers before the :L and :E tell you how many lines and elements have been placed into the workspace and correspond to the values displayed at the top of the main menu. The values before the :C and :W tell you the current values for the line color, and line width attributes. The drawing line attributes are set from the [L]ine style command in the [L]ines sub-menu of the drawing editor. The words "NEW macro", "Macro OFF", or "Append MAC" displayed in the lower right of the drawing editor screen tell you the status of the automatic output macro. You can change the status of the output macro by selecting [O]utput from the [F]iles sub-menu of the drawing editor.

When moving the drawing cursor the display of the cursor's position can be toggled between reading the absolute position in the workspace, and reading the distance relative to the last point marked by pressing the [Right] (or [Left]) mouse button or the [.] or [Del] key (or, the [0] or [Ins] key.) To toggle between the reading of absolute and relative distance measurement press [D] (for Delta) while in the Draw lines or Move cursor sub-menus of the drawing editor. If you are drawing many small objects distributed over a large area (such as in making maps of archaeological sites) use the [G]oto command to move the cursor to some reference point near where the small object is to be drawn, then use the relative distance measurement (i.e. :DX :DY :DZ) to locate the cursor accurately.

The [M]easure command from the drawing editors root menu lets you measure angles and distances in three-dimensions. The distance measurements are given in three ways: the absolute position of the cursor relative to the center of the workspace, the distance from the marked point that you are measuring to (you mark a point by pressing the [.], [Del], or [Delete] keys or the [Right] mouse button), from the cursor position, and the distance along a arbitrary line through the workspace from the marked point to the cursor's current position. The angle measurements are given in degrees around each of the three axis and are angles equivalent to the angles that would be required for use with the Rotate command if the marked point was the center of the element. Automatic dimensioning is available with the [D]imension command in the [C]alligraphy sub-menu of the drawing editor root menu.