CadStd Help

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Arc (Cen,Sa,Ep)
Arc (Sp,Ep,Mid)
Arc (Sp,Mid,Ep)
Arrow
Circle
Dimension
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Ellipse
Include File..
Line
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Text

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Change
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Move
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File Menu

The New command clears the existing drawing of all entities after warning it is about to do so.

The Open command loads a drawing into the work area.

The Print command prints the existing drawing to the printer after first allowing you to set printing parameters.

The Save command saves the existing drawing.

The Save As command saves the existing drawing to a file after requiring you to designate a filename and location.

The Export DXF command allows you to write a DXF file to a name that you specify. (DXF files can be read by Autocad and many other programs).

The Import DXF command allows you to read a simple DXF file into a drawing

The Export HPGL command allows you to write an HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphic Language) file to a filename that you specify. (HPGL files are used by many companies as a "neutral" format for archiving and plotting)

The Import HPGL command allows you to load an HPGL/1 file into a drawing. Because of all the improvements (and work required) to improve HPGL loading in version 2.5 this command is now only available to licensed users. (However Import DXF was added to the free version).

The Undo Last Exit command only appears if you exited your last drawing without saving. This should also appear if your system crashed (say due to a power failure). After selecting the Undo Last Exit menu the old drawing you thought you lost should reappear.

The Exit command lets you end the program after being asked if you would like to save changes to the drawing.



Draw Menu

Arc (Cen,Sa,Ep)

The Arc (Cen,Sa,Ep) command allows you to input arcs defined by the center, start angle and end point. Zero degrees is to the right of center and all other angles are calculated in counterclockwise direction. The Set Line Type command should have been issued prior to this command to assure that the proper line style is used.

  1. Center? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a center point for your arc.

  2. Start Angle? will appear in the User Prompt after the center point is selected. In the Edit Box labeled ANG, type the desired angle for your arc or pick a point on the screen with the cursor.

  3. End Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the angle value is entered. Select an end point to complete your arc.

Note: The Snap Commands may be used to align any of these three points to an existing entity. Also, you may need to change “snap to grid” to “none” if you are having trouble sizing your arc.

Arc (Sp,Mid,Ep)

The Arc (Sp,Mid,Ep) command allows you to input arcs defined by any three points. The first point will be the start point of the arc. The second will be the mid point to draw the arc through. The third will be the end point of the arc. The Set Line Type command should have been issued prior to this command to assure that the proper line style is used.

  1. Start Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a start point for your arc.

  2. Mid Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the center point is selected. Select a mid point for your arc.

  3. End Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the angle value is entered. Select an end point to complete your arc.

Note: The Snap Commands may be used to align any of these three points to an existing entity. Also, you may need to change “snap to grid” to “none” if you are having trouble sizing your arc.

Arc (Sp,Ep,Mid)

The Arc (Sp,Ep,Mid) command allows you to input arcs defined by any three points. The first point will be the start point of the arc. The second will be the end point of the arc. The third point will be a mid point on the arc. The Set Line Type command should have been issued prior to this command to assure that the proper line style is used.

  1. Start Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a start point for your arc.

  2. End Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the center point is selected. Select an end point for your arc.

  3. Mid Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the angle value is entered. Select a mid point to complete your arc.

Note: The Snap Commands may be used to align any of these three points to an existing entity. Also, you may need to change “snap to grid” to “none” if you are having trouble sizing your arc.

Arrow

The Arrow command is used to point to details for call-outs or labeling. CadStd makes using an arrow very easy. To control the arrow style use the Dimension Settings Leader Arrow Type.

  1. Start Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select the vertex for your arrow.

  2. Once the Vertex is selected, the arrow appears. Now select the distance for the line attached to the arrow. CadStd allows you to create multiple vertices using the arrow command.

  3. Right click when you are finished adding vertices using your right mouse button to disengage the arrow command.

B-Spline

The B-Spline command allows you to input a series of points that describe a B-Spline. A B Spline requires at least four points. Undo backs up one vertex.

  1. Once selected, the text Start Point? will appear in the User Prompt. Select the start point.

  2. Once the start point is selected, the text Vertex? will appear in the User Prompt. Select the first vertex.

  3. Once the first vertex is selected, the text Vertex? will appear again in the User Prompt. Select the second vertex.

  4. Once the second vertex is selected, the text Vertex? will appear again in the User Prompt. Select the third vertex. After selecting the third vertex you can now end your B-Spline or continue to define additional vertex locations.

Circle

The Circle command allows you to input circles defined by two points. The first point will be the center of the circle. The second point will be a point on the radius of the circle. The Set Line Type command should have been issued prior to this command to assure that the proper line style is used.

  1. Center? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a center point for your circle.

  2. Radius? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. There are two methods available for

    choosing a circle’s radius. The first way is to just select a point on the screen. The second way is to type in the Edit Box field labeled “Dist” (Distance) a numeric value for the radius. What you type in the “Dist” field will be value for the diameter. So if you desire a specific radius divide the diameter by 2 and enter that value into the “Dist” field.

Note: The Snap Commands may be used to align either of these two points to an existing entity. Also, you may need to change “snap to grid” to “none” if you are having trouble sizing your circle.

Ellipse

The Ellipse command allows you to input an ellipse defined by three points. The first point will be the center of the ellipse. The second point will be a point on the radius one of the ellipse. The third point will be the second radius and angle of the ellipse.

  1. Center will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a center point for your ellipse.

  2. First radius will appear in the User Prompt after the center point is selected. Select a point for the first radius of your ellipse.

  3. Second radius and angle will appear in the User Prompt after the first radius point is selected. Select a point for the second radius and angle of your ellipse.

Note: The Snap Commands may be used to align any of the three points of an ellipse to an existing entity.

Dimension Commands

The Dimension commands permits the input of horizontal vertical and diagonal dimensioning. The text dimension distances are recalculated with every change. Use the Set Dimension command to specify the number of decimal places displayed with the dimension text.

  1. Select First Point of desired dimension.

  2. Select Second Point of desired dimension.

  3. Select Text Location by moving mouse away from the entity, moving the text and clicking on the desired location.

Dimension Radial

A Radial dimension is defined from an existing arc or circle. Choose the arc or circle you want to dimension and then place the dimension text. You can control the value of the text in the Settings/Dimension dialog box.

  1. Choose Circle or Arc will appear in the User Prompt window. Select the circle or arc you wish to dimension.

  2. Text Location? will appear in the User Prompt window. Select the desired location for the text.

Note: The Set Dimension command will affect the number of decimal places displayed with the dimension text. This can be changed after Radial Dimensions are created.

Dimension Angular

An Angular dimension is defined by three points. The first is the center of the angle to be measured. The second is the start angle and location of extension line. The third is the end angle and the fourth is the text location.

  1. Center? will appear in the User Prompt window. Select the center of the angle you wish to dimension.

  2. Start Angle? will appear in the User Prompt window. Select the start angle location.

  3. End Angle? will appear in the User Prompt window. Select the end angle location.

  4. Text Location? will appear in the User Prompt window. Select the desired location for the text.

Note: The Set Dimension command will affect the number of decimal places displayed with the dimension text.

Include File

The Include File command permits you to insert existing drawings into your current drawing. This command is very useful and will save you time, especially if you have already drawn something and want to use it in a new drawing.

  1. Once selected an Open dialog box will appear on your screen. Select the appropriate file you wish to insert and then select the “Open” button. If the file is inserted in a location or angle that doesn’t work for you, there is no need to reinsert the file by using the Include File command. You can use the Move and Rotate commands to make the appropriate changes. You may also use the Scale Entities command to scale the file you inserted if necessary.

  2. The text Include File: Location? Will now appear in the User Prompt. Select a location for the file to be inserted into the drawing.

  3. The text Include File: Angle of Rotation? Will now appear in the User Prompt. Pick the desired angle by moving your mouse or by entering a numeric value in the “Edit Box” field “Ang”.

Note: This command inserts the complete file that already exists into the new file.

Line

The Line command allows you to input a series of points that describe lines. The Set Line Type command should have been issued previous to this command to assure the proper line style is used. “Undo” backs up one vertex.

  1. Line: Start Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a starting point for your line.

  2. Line: Vertex? will appear in the User Prompt after the start point is selected. Select a point for the vertex of your line. CadStd allows you to select multiple vertices to continue drawing lines without re-selecting the command.

  3. Line: Vertex? Continue as needed or right click your mouse to disengage the line command.

Note: The Snap Commands may be used to align either the start point or vertex of a line to an existing entity.

Polyline

The Polyline command allows you to input a series of points that describe a multiple sided (poly) line. All the segments of the line are treated as a single entity. The Set Line Type command should have been issued previous to this command to assure the proper line style is used. “Undo” backs up one vertex.

  1. Line: Start Point? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a starting point for your line.

  2. Poly Line: Vertex? will appear in the User Prompt after the start point is selected. Select a point for the vertex of your line. Proceed by selecting multiple vertices to continue your polyline.

  3. Poly Line: Vertex? Continue as needed or right click your mouse to disengage the line command.

Note: The Snap Commands may be used to align either the start point or vertex of a polyline to an existing entity.

Rectangle


The Rectangle command is simply an extension of the line command that allows you to draw boxes while only entering two points. SEE ALSO: Draw Line & Set Line Type

  1. Rectangle: Start Corner? will appear in the User Prompt after the command is selected. Select a starting point for your rectangle.

  2. Rectangle: End Corner? will appear in the User Prompt after the first corner is selected. Select the end corner and right click your mouse to end the command. If you don’t right click your mouse you can continue using the rectangle command without reselecting it.

Note: CadStd allows you to size a rectangle using the “X Y Edit Boxes”. In the X field type a dimension and press return. Then in the Y coordinate type a dimension and press return. SEE ALSO: Draw Line Set Line Type

Text

The Text command allows you to input ANSI standard text at any angle. After entering the text, an X,Y location and angle are required. The Set Text Type command should have been issued previous to this command to assure the proper text size is used.

  1. An Enter Text dialog box will appear on the screen. Enter text into the field provided and specify appropriate size for the text. CadStd also provides the option to include the degree, plus/minus and diameter symbols in your text string. Select OK when finished.

  2. Text Location? will now appear in the User Prompt. Select location for text.

  3. Rotation Angle? will now appear in the User Prompt. The text will rotate with your mouse until you select your desired rotation. Once this step is completed, CadStd allows you to continue to place the same text as many times as you want in your drawing. Press Esc or right click mouse when finished with command.



Edit Menu

Array Polar

The Array Polar command lets you rotate and copy elements multiple times. Like “Array Rectangular”, this is a great command if your drawing requires many copies of the same entity.

  1. A Array Polar dialog box appears on the screen that prompts you to type the number of copies and the angle of rotation. For example: enter 17 copies and an angle of 20 degrees and select OK.

  2. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select the line and right mouse click to register your selection and to proceed.

  3. Center of Rotation? will appear in the User Prompt. Select the center location.

Array Rectangular

The Array Rectangular command lets you copy elements into rows and columns. This is a great command if you’re drawing a single line schematic or wiring diagram that requires many copies of the same entity.

  1. An Array Rectangular dialog box appears on the screen that prompts you to type the number of columns and rows you want to create. For example: enter 6 columns and 4 rows and select OK.

  2. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select the entities you want to array and right mouse click to register your selection and to proceed.

  3. First Point? will appear in the User Prompt. Select a point that represents a starting point for the array. (similar to copy etc.)

  4. Second Point? will appear in the User Prompt. Drag your mouse to create a square or rectangle. Complete the box (that represents the distance between one column and one row) you are drawing by clicking your mouse once again.

Chamfer

Chamfer is similar to the “Fillet” command. The difference is that Chamfer cuts the corner with a straight line rather than rounding it. With Chamfer you specify the distance from the corner rather than a radius.

  1. The Chamfer dialog box will appear on your screen. Within the box is an example detailing first and second lines and what dimension A and B represent. Type the dimension for A and B in the appropriate field and select the OK button.

  2. Choose Line 1 will appear in the User Prompt. Select line 1.

  3. Choose Line 2 will appear in the User Prompt. Select line 2 and the corner intersection will automatically change.

Change Line Type

The Change Line Type command lets you change the line type of any line element.

  1. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select the entities you desire to change.

  2. A Change Line Type dialog box will appear on your screen. Make the change and select OK.

Change Text

The Change Text command lets you edit the text string of any text element.

  1. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select the text entity you desire to change.

  2. A Edit Text dialog box will appear on your screen. Make the necessary changes and select OK.

Change Text Type

The Change Text Type command lets you change the type and size of any text element.

  1. The text Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select the text entities you desire to change and right mouse click to register your selection.

  2. A Change Text Type dialog box will appear on your screen. Make the change and select OK.

Change Layer

The Change Layer command lets you change the layer of any entity. This command was changed in version 3.5 and subsequent releases to prompt you for the specific layer after the right mouse button is clicked.

  1. The text Change Layer: Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select the entities you want to change to a different layer.

  2. A CadStd: Change Layer dialog box will appear on your screen. Make the change and select OK.

Copy

The Copy command lets you copy elements from one point in 2D space to another. The command is very useful, especially if you’ve drawn an object that will be used more than once.

  1. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select all the entities you wish to copy. Right click your mouse after selecting entities to register your selection and to precede.

  2. From? will appear in the User Prompt. Select a point.

  3. To? will appear in the User Prompt. Select a point.

Note: When using Copy, the snap menu is active allowing you the option to precisely pick the point. Also by dragging a box with your mouse to the right, any entity the box touches will be selected. By dragging a box with your mouse to the left will Unselect any actively selected entity that the box touches. You may also click on an entity to Select or Unselect that entity.

Delete

The Delete command lets you delete one or many elements. If you accidentally delete something you didn't mean to, use the Undo command.

  1. The text Delete: Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select all the entities you wish to Delete.

  2. Right click your mouse after selecting entities to register your selection. The entities will automatically be removed.

Note: By dragging a box with your mouse to the right, any entity the box touches will be selected. By dragging a box with your mouse to the left will Unselect any actively selected entity that the box touches. You may also click on an entity to Select or Unselect that entity.

Fillet

Fillet allows you to conveniently round corners (the intersection of two lines) to a specific radius.

  1. The Fillet dialog box will appear on your screen. Within the box is a detailed example and a field for you to type a specific radius. Type in the Fillet Radius you desire and select the OK button.

  2. Choose Line 1 now appears in the User Prompt. Select line 1.

  3. Choose Line 2 now appears in the User Prompt. Select line 2 and the radius will automatically appear.

Gap

The Gap command lets you a create a gap within an arc or line.

  1. First Point? Will appear in the User Prompt. Select the first point by left mouse clicking on it.

  2. Second Point? Now appears in the User Prompt. Select the second point by left mouse clicking it. The segment of the entity between the selected points will automatically disappear.

Intercept

The Intercept command lets you extend a line or arc to the intercept point of another line or arc.

  1. Select Entities? will appear in the User Prompt. Left mouse click on the line or arc that will be intercepted.

  2. Entity to Modify? will appear in the User Prompt. Left mouse click on a line or entity (that you would like to extend to the intercept point) to complete the command.

    Note: This command is available to licensed Pro users only.

Join Lines

The Join Lines command lets you combine two lines or polylines into a single polyline.

  1. First Line or Polyline? will appear in the User Prompt. Left mouse click on the first line.

  2. Second Line or Polyline? will appear in the User Prompt. Left mouse click on a second line that you would like to join to the first line to complete the command.

Mirror X

The Mirror X command lets you mirror elements in the X axis (horizontal). Like “Mirror Y”, this is a helpful command if the entity you are drawing is symmetrical. You can draw half and mirror the other half.

  1. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select all the entities you wish to mirror. Right mouse click after selecting entities to register your selection and to proceed.

  2. Point? will appear in the User Prompt. Select a point.

  3. CadStd will now display a Mirror dialog box asking the question, Copy While Mirroring? Select Yes to complete copy the entities. By selecting No, the entities will be mirrored on the X axis, but the original orientation of the entities will no longer exist.

Note: When using Mirror X the snap menu is active allowing you the option to precisely pick a point.

Mirror Y

The Mirror Y command lets you mirror elements in the Y axis (vertical). Like “Mirror X”, this is a helpful command if the entity you are drawing is symmetrical. You can draw half and mirror the other half.

  1. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select all the entities you wish to mirror. Right mouse click after selecting entities to register your selection and to proceed.

  2. Point? will appear in the User Prompt. Select a point.

  3. CadStd will now display a Mirror dialog box asking the question, Copy While Mirroring? Select Yes to complete copy the entities. By selecting No, the entities will be mirrored on the X axis, but the original orientation of the entities will no longer exist.

Note: When using Mirror Y, the snap menu is active, allowing you the option to precisely pick a point.

Move

The Move command lets you move elements from one point in 2D space to another.

  1. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select all the entities you wish to copy. Right click your mouse after selecting entities to register your selection and to proceed.

  2. From? will appear in the User Prompt. Select a point.

  3. To? will appear in the User Prompt. Select a point.

Note: When using Move, the snap menu is active allowing you the option to precisely pick a point. Also by dragging a box with your mouse to the right, any entity the box touches will be selected. By dragging a box with your mouse to the left will Unselect any actively selected entity that the box touches. You may also click on an entity to Select or Unselect that entity.

Offset

The Offset command lets you precisely offset existing lines or entities. This command eliminates the steps of redrawing the lines or entities that you wish to offset.

  1. Pick either Style 1 or Style 2 and enter the offset distance in the Offset dialog box that appears on the screen once the command is engaged.

  2. Select Entity appears in the User Prompt. Select the entity to offset by left mouse clicking it.

  3. Direction will now appear in the User Prompt. Pick the direction to offset by a single left mouse click on the screen.

    Note: This command is available to licensed Pro users only.

Project

The Project command allows you the ability to make a 2D entity into an Isometric, Cavalier, or Cabinet projection.

  1. Select your intended projection type and select the OK button.
  2. Select Entities will now appear in the User Prompt. Select the entities you wish to project and then right click your mouse to register your selection and to proceed.
  3. From will now appear in the User Prompt. Select to point on the drawing where you’d like to project from.
  4. To will now appear in the User Prompt. Select where you’d like the entity to be projected to.

Note: Refer to Lesson 5 in the Tutorial for more information about “Creating Isometric Projections”.

Replace Text

Replace Text is used to do a global search and replace from values that you enter or (for advanced users) from a tab delimited file in the form of {From String}<TAB>{To String}.

  1. Once the command is selected a Search and replace text box will appear on the screen.
  2. Specify the criteria for your search in the fields available on the box and select OK.

Rotate

The Rotate command lets you rotate elements at any angle about any point in 2D space.

  1. Once activated, you will see Select Entities in the User Prompt. Select the entity or entities you want to rotate. Once selected, right mouse click to register your selection and to proceed.

  2. Center Of Rotation? will now appear in the User Prompt.

  3. Rotate: Angle Of Rotation? will now appear in the User Prompt. Enter your rotation angle in the Edit Box field “Ang” and hit return. The entities will automatically rotate according to your specifications.

Note: A positive number entered in the “Ang” field will rotate your entity counter clockwise. A negative number will rotate your entity clockwise.

Simplify

The Simplify command lets you simplify (explode/smash) an element. For example if you simplify a dimension, each element will become its simplest form: two lines, two arrows and one text element.

  1. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select the entities you wish to simplify.

  2. Right mouse click after selecting entities to register your selection.

Note: By dragging a box with your mouse to the right, any entity the box touches will be selected. By dragging a box with your mouse to the left will Unselect any actively selected entity that the box touches. You may also click on an entity to Select or Unselect that entity.

Scale

The Scale command lets you scale elements about any point in 2D space.

  1. A Scale dialog box appears on the screen that prompts you to type a value from .001 to 100 to scale the entity by.

  2. Select Entities will appear in the User Prompt. Select your entities and right mouse click to register your selection and to proceed.

  3. Point? will appear in the User Prompt. Select an origin for the entities to scale about.

Note: When using Scale, the snap menu is active, allowing you the option to precisely pick the point of Scale: Point?

Trim

The Trim command allows you trim a line or an arc to the intersection of another line or arc.

  1. Trim: Select Entity? Will appear in the User Prompt. Select an intersecting entity that will define a trim boundary by left mouse clicking it.

  2. Entity to Modify? Now appears in the User Prompt. Select the entity to be trimmed by left mouse clicking it.

    Note: This command is available to licensed Pro users only.

Copy Clipboard

The Copy Clipboard command lets you copy the display area into the Windows copy buffer. This is useful if you would like to use a part of your image in a Word, WordPerfect or Paintbrush program. CadStd gives you three formats to choose from when copying entities to the clipboard.

  • A Raster image is made up of pixels and is resolution-dependent. Paint programs such as Photoshop and PaintShop use Raster images.
  • A Vector Enhanced Meta File (EMF) image is made up of lines and curves that are defined mathematically in the computer. A Vector image is resolution independent. This is the best choice for resizable figures in word processors. Word processing programs such as StarOffice, Word, WordPerfect, PowerPoint, Illustrator, Freehand and CorelDraw can work with vectors EMF files.
  • Whole Window copies everything that appears in the CadStd window. This includes the visible drawing space and all of the surrounding menu items and toolbars on CadStd’s main screen. This is similar to using the Print Screen feature in Windows.

Note: When copying Raster or Vector images you can zoom in on an entity to copy it and to exclude any other entities in your drawing that you don’t want copied.



Select Menu

The Select menu should not have to be used very often by most users. However there are times when selecting a vertex or entity and moving it is the simplest way to perform your edit.

The Select All command select every entity in the drawing.

The Invert Selection command select every entity that is unselected and unselects every entity that is selected.

The Invert Select Ent command selects a single entity that is unselected or unselects an entity that is selected.

The Select Entity command selects one entity at a time.

The Select Entity Window command selects all entities within or crossing a window area.

The Select Vertex command selects a single vertex at a time.

The Select Vertex Window command selects all vertices within a window area.



Unselect Menu

The Unselect menu should not have to be used very often by most users. However there are times when selecting a vertex or entity and moving it is the simplest way to perform your edit. Use these menu items when you have selected more entities than you intended to or wish to unselect all entities.

The Unselect All command unselect every entity in the drawing.

The UnSelect Entity command unselects one entity at a time.

The UnSelect Entity Window command unselects all entities within or crossing a window area.

The Unselect Vertex command unselects a single vertex at a time.

The UnSelect Vertex Window command unselects all vertices within a window area.



Settings

The Set Display commands allows you to make several choices about how CadStd displays data or menus.

  • The Fast check box forces CadStd to show all lines and text in a simplified manner (Default=Unchecked).

  • The Show the Icons check box turns the icons on the right side of the CadStd window on or off (Default=Checked).

  • The Reverse Video check box tells CadStd to draw white entities on a black background (Default=Checked).

  • The cursor setting control allows you to set the size of the select box that appears when you need to select an entity.

The Set Text Type command allows you to select one of the following text styles to be the default text style. All text sizes are NOT affected by drawing scale. In accordance with ANSI standards the changing of drawing size (i.e A..E or A4..A1 ) may change text size.

The Set Dimension command is used set values that effect the way dimensions are displayed. You can control the way dimensions are displayed changing the following settings:

Units of Measure :

  • Architect (Feet/Inches) i.e. 1'11-3/4"

  • Engineering Inches i.e. 23.750

  • Metric (Millimeters) i.e. 603.25

  • Metric (Centimeters) i.e. 60.33

  • Metric (Meters) i.e. 0.60

  • Metric (Kilometers) i.e. 0.00060

Accuracy

the accuracy setting is used to define the number of digits following the decimal point when displaying dimensioning. ACCURACY does NOT effect in any way the precision of the data base entities.
EXAMPLE:

With a dimension distance equal to 0.12345 :

 ACCURACY Displayed Dimension

 0 0
 1 0.1
 2 0.12
 3 0.123
 4 0.1234
 5 0.12345

Align Text With Arrows

This check box determines whether the dimension text style should be aligned or non-aligned. SEE ALSO: Dimension.

The Set Linetype command allows you to select one of the following line styles to be the default line style. These line styles are defined by the ANSI standard.

The Set Paper command allow you to set the size and scale of your drawing. The paper offset is the lower left corner of the drawing area that represents the finished paper. When creating drawings with a CAD program it is important to draw entities exactly the same size as they will exist in the real world. For example if you are drawing a bolt that is two inches long it should be drawn two inches long in the CAD database. The Paper command is important because the physical drawing size is a limitation. If you create a drawing that fits within the area of one square inch you may want to set your Paper Scale to eight to one which means that eight inches on the paper represents one inch in your database and in the real world. Or you may have a drawing that contains a entity that is one hundred inches long that you wish to represent on paper a proper scale for this drawing may be one to ten which means one inch on paper equals ten inches in the real world.

The Save Settings Command lets you save values (like paper size) for use the next time you start CadStd.

The Set Grid command allows you to define a grid pattern that displays on your screen that help you to enter coordinates with a mouse in an accurate manner. The grid size is entered by an X dimension and a Y dimension.

The GRID OFFSET (Grid Offset) command allows you to offset the origin of the grid while retaining its spacing.

Considering the X axis only, imagine a grid spacing of .1, the grid points would lie on positions .1, .2, .3, .4 etc. With a grid offset of .025 in the X axis the grid points would lie on positions .125, .225, .325, .425 etc.

Pro Version 3.5 allows you to display the grid in three new ways : Isometric front/rear, Isometric left/right and Isometric top/bottom.



Undo Menu

The Undo menu item is available whenever it is possible to undo a user action.



Window Menu

The Repaint command repaints the entire drawing.

The Center command allows you to center the display around a point that you specify.

The Zoom Window command allows you to zoom the display to a window that you specify.

The Zoom All command zooms out to view the entire paper limits.

The Zoom In command zooms closer to the center of the display.

The Zoom Out command zooms farther from the center of the display.

The Query command displays information about the elements selected.



Help Menu

The About command display information about CadStd.

The Help command display this help information.



Snap Commands

The Snap Intersection command lets you snap a point at the intersection of two entities.

The Snap Tangent 2 Arcs command lets you snap a line to the tangent point of two arcs or circles.

The Snap Center command lets you snap a point to the center of arcs or circles.

The Snap End command lets you snap a point to the end of arcs, lines or circles.

The Snap Tangent command lets you snap a point to the end of arcs, lines or circles.

The Snap Perpendicular command lets you snap a line perpendicular to lines arcs or circles.



What's New

Version 3.6.8 (May 2007).

  • Added "Write to PDF file" option in the printer dialog box (Pro only).
    (This will enable the creation of small paper size, multi-page PDF files for scale model aircraft etc.)
  • Added "Join" command to connect two lines or polylines into a single polyline.
  • Added new keyboard shortcuts:
    • F5 - repaints the screen.
    • Up, Down, Right, Left arrow keys now pan the window a short distance.
    • Ctrl + (Up, Down, Right, Left) arrow keys pan the window a larger distance.
    • A - Snap between two arc tangents.
    • C - Snap to arc center.
    • E - Snap to end.
    • I - Snap to intersection.
    • M - Snap to midpoint.
    • P - Snap to perpendicular.
    • R - Redo
    • U - Undo
    • T - Snap a line to an arc tangent.
  • Removed "Fast (and simple)" display mode to prevent confusion over missing text etc.
  • Fixed a problem that caused large arcs (with stitch line types) to appear as circles.
  • Added support for display settings other than 96 DPI.
  • Added DXF Layer table to establish color for multi-layer DXF exports.
  • Select cursor now shown in dimension radial.

Version 3.6.7 (July 2006).

  • Modified wizard for correct metric grid sizes and decimal feet.

Version 3.6.6 (May 2006).

  • Added Decimal Feet option (i.e 1.25').
  • Installer now has digital signature.
  • Many small quality fixes.

Version 3.6.5 (April 2006).

  • Added the "Export only visible layers" to the export dialog box.
  • Fixed a minor problem with PDF export that affected older versions of Adobe Reader.
  • Made changes that affect the way metric values are entered and displayed (2 place mm, 3 place cm).
  • Changed Alt Key values for Exit (now Alt-F-X) and Export (now Alt-F-E).
  • Fixed a minor problem with large arcs.

Version 3.6.4 (December 2005).

  • Added PDF Export to Pro version.
  • Fixed a dimension select problem.
  • Improved SVG compatibility.

Version 3.6.3 (August 2005).

  • Added PostScript Export to Pro version.
  • Improved SVG export for FireFox compatibility.
  • Fixed a problem that caused the default layer to change to layer 1 during a Simplify command.
  • Allow Snap/Angle during angular dimension command.

Version 3.6.2 (June 2005).

  • Added Export Dialog and "Simplify Data" export option.
  • Improved repaint behavior at startup and while dialog boxes are open.
  • Added a "Loading Please Wait" dialog box.
  • Fixed a problem that caused a custom line width to reset after pressing OK in the paper dialog.

Version 3.6.1 (Mar 2005).

  • Switched to NSIS Installation Program for faster, smaller, 32 bit compatible installs.
  • Include File can now Import read-only files.
  • Attempted to solve a rare text size problem.

Version 3.6.0 (Nov 2004).

  • Added wheel mouse zoom.
  • Upgraded Installshield installation program.
  • Fixed an error that occured when clicking on a snap icon multiple times.
  • You can now single-select a circle for simplification.
  • You can now single-select a a b-spline for changing line type (width).
  • Text Slant + Text Zero Slash no longer creates strange "0" characters.
  • Many other minor fixes.

Version 3.5.9 (Feb 2004).

  • Fixed a problem that affected grid settings when using some architect and fractional values.
  • Pen selects for HPGL output are now pen=layer+1.
  • Line rubber-banding no longer frozen during snap functions.
  • You can now use the snap commands during X and/or Y entry.
  • Arc Resolution Improvement for Printing and HPGL Export.

Version 3.5.8 (May 2003).

  • Added Pixel to ends of lines that lineto omits (makes small text more accurate).
  • Added DecimalSeparator:='.' to correct file export svg errors where a comma is the default.
  • Added ability to enter 1.5' as an alternative to 1'6" or 18".
  • Updated the Draw and Edit section of this help file.
  • Integrated User's Guide and added to Help menu.

Version 3.5.7 (Mar, 2002).

  • Integrated CadStd Pro and Tutorial into a single installation.

  • Added Edit/Change/Entity to the main (dropdown) menu.

  • Added Help/Tutorial to the Pro version.

  • Added Help/Check for Updates to the Pro version.

Version 3.5.6 (Nov, 2001).

  • Fixed a pesky printer select problem and made minor modifications to full scale printing.

  • Increased resolution for Edit/Copy Clipboard/Vector. Image quality is now better for pasting into word processors.

Version 3.5.5 (Sept, 2001).

  • Added File/Open Samples.. and included more sample files in distribution.

  • Fixed a problem that misread some date information when reading GEDCOM files.

  • Added www.apperson.org/cadstd to help menu.

Version 3.5.4 (Sept, 2001).

  • Recompiled with Delphi 6.0 (Build 6.190 Update Pack 1) to improve XP performance.

  • Fixed a problem that caused an IO error when loading a read-only file.

  • Fixed a minor problem in the fillet and chamfer commands.

Version 3.5.3 (July, 2001).

  • Fixed a bug in the Radial Dimension command that caused radial dimension accuracy to be ignored. (Pro only)

  • Addressed some line width problems.

  • Improved HPGL/1 reading to allow for missing terminators.

Version 3.5.2 (Apr, 2001).

  • Modified SVG to accomodate changes in Adobes SVG viewer version 2. (Pro only)

  • Fixed a bug in the Radial Dimension command that caused trailing zeros to be removed. (Pro only)

  • Added AA (Arc Absolute) support in HPGL import. (Pro only)

Version 3.5.1 (Mar, 2001).

  • Added Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) to export command to Pro. (Now you can export your drawings to a compact vector format (SVG) and add them to your web pages. See adobe.com for plugin details.)

  • Fixed a bug in the fillet command that prevented large fillets on short segment lengths.

  • Fixed a bug in the export dxf command that prevented arcs from importing into other cad systems properly.

Version 3.5 (Oct, 2000).

  • Added 255 level undo/redo to Pro, 4 level undo/redo to Lite.

  • Added Ellipse Command.

  • Added B-Spline Command.

  • Added Change Entity command to allow the simple editing of drawing elements.

  • Added Dialog to Change Layer Command to allow the selecting of a specific layer instead of using the default layer.

  • Added Isometric Grid support. (Pro Only)

  • Added Fillet Command (Pro only)

  • Added Chamfer Command (Pro only)

  • Added Replace Text Command (Pro only)

  • Added Project Command (Pro only) to allow the projection of Orthographic information into Isometric Cabinet or Cavalier views.

  • Added Import Gedcom command to allow the importation of family history pedigree chart data (Pro 12 generations, Lite 5 generations) .

  • Added Angular and Radial dimension primitives (Effects only Pro).

  • Added Layer Support in Lite.

Version 3.1a (Minor fixes May 24, 2000).

  • Fixed a plotting bug that caused large (B-E and A3-A0) sizes to print extremely small when not printed a full scale.

  • Added ability to print using only black ink.

  • Fixed a bug that set the default layer to 1 (instead of 0) when opening old (pre version 3) .cad drawings.

Version 3.0 and 3.1 (Feb-May 2000).

  • New cleaner look with all icons visible all the time.

  • Layers with color support. (Pro Only)

  • Angular Dimensions. (Pro Only)

  • Radial Dimensions. (Pro Only)

  • Printing large drawings on many small pieces of paper. (Pro Only)

  • Variable Line Widths.

  • Dimension and Arrowhead style variations.

  • Auto-simplify dimension on creation option.

  • Angle snapping

  • Ability to change text size on entry or edit.

  • Linetype selection available on draw tab.

  • Architectural values smallest unit now 1/32" instead of 1/16".

  • Snap end now snaps to dimension when zoomed in on extension line.

  • Printing now automaticaly exits from fast display mode.

  • Start of line notification.

  • Zoom to imported data extents when opening a DXF or HPGL file.

  • DXF Closed Polygons now read correctly.

Version 2.6 (Aug 1999). (reunification of the free and licensed version)

  • Offset. Lets users create lines, arcs and circles parallel to existing objects. (Pro only)

  • Scrollbars.

  • Copy while mirroring.

  • ISO 8859-1 character set with european letters. The degree and plus and minus characters.

  • Save settings command.

  • A simple DXF import.

  • All the bug fixes since 2.03b

Version 2.5.3 (June 1999). (Was only available to licensed users)

  • You can now select multiple entities by dragging a window to the right (select) or to the left (unselect).

  • Added an Edit/Copy Clipboard menu lets you copy the window in raster or vector mode.

  • Modified the distance box to accept metric or feet and inches input.

Version 2.5 and 2.5.1 (Late 1998 and Early 1999). (Was only available to licensed users)

  • Added Scrollbars.

  • Added Copy while mirroring.

  • Added new ISO 8859-1 character set with european letters. The degree and plus and minus characters.

  • Added Save settings command.

  • Added a simple DXF import.

  • Improved HPGL import.

  • Added the ability to double click on .cad, .hpg, .dxf and .plt to open files with CadStd.

  • Corrected to the snap pulldown that caused it to lose its user defined setting.

  • Fixed a problem that caused the import dialog box not to appear on some systems.

  • Many other small fixes..

Version 2.03b (Aug 1998)

  • Made necessary changes and compiled with Delphi 4.

  • Created resource string unit to prepare for multiple language support.

  • Fixed a problem with the "Gap" command that caused newly created points to be inaccurate.

  • Fixed a problem with typed entry that caused values to be calculated in inches.

Version 2.03a (June 1998)

  • Added A4-A0 Paper Sizes

Version 2.03 (June 1998)

  • Created "Gap" command (Similar to Autocad's Cut command).

  • Created "Intercept" command (Similar to Autocad's Extend command).

  • Created "Trim" command (Similar to Autocad and ComputerVision's trim commands).

  • Moved prompts from the banner to the bottom of the window.

  • Right mouse button now repeats the last command.

Version 1.02 (April 1998)

  • Created "Simplify" command.

  • Created "Query Element" command.

  • Created this HTML help file.

  • Toggle menu removed. Associated options added to associated dialog boxes.

  • White lines on black background was made the default display mode.

  • "Plus & Minus" and Degree characters added.

  • "Misc" tab menu added.

  • Ability to import some HPGL/1 files.

  • Ability to export HPGL/1 files.

  • Added Millimeter,Centimeter and Meter units of measure.


Special thanks to :
  • Bob Warn for contributions to this document and the user's guide.
  • Brent Sherwood of Base2 Technologies for permission to use the zlib library.
  • Sherrie Apperson for proofreading.