This Is Because the XY Coordinate Tracking Dialog Has Been Activated

QUESTION: Will I be able to run 4Design on my NT machine?

ANSWER: You may be able to run 4Design on an XP machine. You definitely can run 4Design in a DOS-VM with the XP OS. For more information about this, click here.

Pre-XP (NT) Operating Systems Unfortunately, NT is not very accommodating to DOS apps like PD that require direct access to the “devices”… Therefore, except in VERY rare cases PD will only run at 640 x 480 resolution. It works well in Win95, Win98, and Millennium...

QUESTION: Where can I get the IGES or DXF translators?

ANSWER: I suggest you contact Brock Rooney at [email protected]

QUESTION: When I choose the icon to run 4Design the dos screen comes up, the program loads, I see the initial screen and the menu screens then the program automatically shuts itself down. How do I get it to open up and run properly?

ANSWER: This is because the XY coordinate tracking dialog has been activated. Either you specifically setup the system configuration for this, or (I just discovered) configuring the menus to upper left will also cause this. Furthermore, there may be other operations that cause the XY coordinate tracking dialog to be activated. However it came to pass, this is the problem. There are two ways to remedy the problem: 1. Edit the shortcut icon and add a dummy file name to the command line. Example: C:\4d\bin\4design.exe dumyfile Note: You will need to do this first just to be able to invoke solution 2. Unfortunately, if you want to have coordinate tracking on at application startup, you will have to leave the dummy filename on the command line, then after start up, exit the dummy file and enter real part you want to edit. We will try to find a better solution for this. 2. Select Setup from the menu bar, then select System. The fourth item down should say Coord with a box next to it that probably says “On”. Pick this box until it says Off. Note: Do solution 1 first, than after completing solution 2 you can undo solution 1.

QUESTION: How can I plot to an inkjet printer using 4Design?

ANSWER: There is a file called PRINTGL on the 4D web site at http://www.4d.com/Downloads/printgl.zip which contains the shareware program PRINTGL.EXE. This is a protected mode TSR that must be loaded before PD is started, and then you plot to a port or specific file name (my preference) using the HP7475a driver. PRINTGL will trap the output and buffer it until it is completed. Upon the end of the plot job it will rasterize the plot in the background and send it to the printer. It can be configured for mono or color, almost any printer, any port or file name. Docs are included in the ZIP file...

QUESTION: Is Personal Designer or 4Design Y2K compliant?

ANSWER: There are only two areas that consider the date in any way. Figures… This should not be a problem because the internal test is for equality not less than or greater than.

The UPL Date() function… This function returns the date in MM/DD/YY format. A simple test show that even this is not a problem. 1. Make this simple UPL program… proc main print Date() end proc

2. Change the system year to 2001

3. Run the UPL program.

Notice that the value printed is 08/18/01 (of course the month and day may be different).

Don’t forget to change the date back to the current year.

QUESTION: How do I edit or change the PD/4D “configuration”?

ANSWER: Computervision used a utility program to do this. 4D Graphics does not support this program. You may do this by directly editing the configuration file as follows:

1) Create a file called GETPDCFG.DEF with notepad or wordpad in your \PD6\PD (or \4D\PD) directory. 2) Put the following text in GETPDCFG.DEF: BEGIN CONFIG FILE PD.CFG DUMP PD_CFG.DEF END CONFIG END 3) Drop to DOS and navigate to your \PD6\PD (or \4D\PD) directory. 4) Be sure the file PD.CFG is present in this directory, if not, find it and navigate to that directory. 5) Be sure the file PD_CFG.DEF does NOT exist in this directory. If it PD_CFG.DEF is already present, you can use it and go directly to step 7. 6) Execute the command: BLDF GETPDCFG (you may have to put the path in front of BLDF… \PD6\BIN\BLDF GETPDCFG) This will create the file PD_CFG.DEF, which is an ASCII representation of your config file (PD.CFG) in the file PD_CFG.DEF. 7) You can edit PD_CFG.DEF with notepad, or wordpad to make the changes you want (see sample file PDSAMPL.DEF with comment lines for an explanation of the content). 8) Finally, run the command BLDF PD_CFG to recreate the binary file PD.CFG with your changes. NOTE: You only have to do steps 1 through 6 once. After that, just do steps 7 and 8 to make changes. ALSO: You could start with the sample file, PDSAMPL.DE, WHICH HAS COMMENTS FOR CLARITY, make the changes you need and rename it PD_CFG.DEF, then use that file thereafter.

The text of PDSAMPL.DEF follows… Cut & Paste the following text into another file…

-- PDSAMPL.DEF ------PD Configuration file ------

BEGIN CONFIG

FILE NEW PD.CFG

--Device driver files

1 GRAPHICS --Graphics device driver 2 INPUT --Input device driver --3 NONE 10000 --Initial Plot device driver, max driver size 3 HPLASER4 10000 --Initial Plot device driver, max driver size -- 4 not used

--OTHER SUPPORT FILES

5 PD.VNP --Verb/Noun command table 6 PD.MSG --Prompts/Message file 7 PD.HLP --Help file 8 PD.MAC --Macro definitions 9 PD.TAB --Initial tablet menu file 10 DEFAULT --Initial Color/Pen table 11 OOPS.TMP 20000 20000 --Undo (OOPS) transaction file 12 INIT.UCD --Startup UPL prog. (see code line 62 to activate) 13 TF000002.FNT --Initial text font definition 14 PD.MOD --Modifier words 15 PD.GCP --Get Data command words 16 PD.SMC --String macro substitution file 17 CVMIB.TMP 16000 16000 18 CVPDF.TMP 50000 50000 19 4D.MNU 0 --Initial menu file, use memory flag = 1 use memory -- = 0 use file 20 ENTLIST.TMP 2000 2000 --Entity list overflow file name, initial number --of bytes to allocate in memory IO system and --increment number of bytes to allocate when more --is needed. 2 bytes used for each entity in list -- +--auto file backup part name (.DRW is added automatically) -- | +------on / off (2 = prompt only, file = 1, off = 0) -- | | +------number of minutes, to trigger -- | | | +------number of commands, to trigger -- | | | | +-- number of entities, to trigger -- V V V V V 21 BACKUP 0 20 100 500 --Auto File 22 LOAD1.FNS --contians list of programs to load before initialization 23 LOAD2.FNS --contains list of programs to load after database is opened 24 VIEWDEF --file name of view definition drawing -- +--amount in memory, -2 = index in mem, -1 all in mem, -- V 0 = none in mem, xxxx = that amount in memory 25 PD.MSE -1 --file name for mouse macro file

53 50000 --Number of bytes to reserve in IO system for UPL data and code --If UPL is not allocated enough bytes it will severly impact the --execution speed of UPL programs.

--Graphics cursor parameters

-- +--+--X,Y size of cross hair in screen inches -- | | +--menu cursor size factor (1 - 8) -- | | | +--menu cursor style, -2=none,-1=block,0=variable arrow, -- | | | | 1-8= arrow in given direction, 1=up,3=right...ect -- | | | | +--icon menu pick area hilite flag (0=no, 1=yes hilite) -- | | | | | +--cross hair position display update rate -- | | | | | | (bigger the number, updates less often) -- | | | | | | +--cross hair update speed, smaller the number -- | | | | | | | update cross hair more often -- V V V V V V V 54 2.0 2.0 1 8 1 250 1

55 8000000 --maximum number of bytes of memory to allocate for --the memory IO system.

-- +--network file locking enable flag, = 0 disable always -- | = 1 enable always -- | = 2 enable if network detected -- | +--node name flag, = 1 try to get name from system, else use name below -- | | = 0 always use name below on line 58 -- | | +--ask for user name option, = 1 always ask for name -- | | | = 0 use name from line 59 below -- V V V 57 0 1 0 --network/part history options 58 'No network name' --network node name 59 'No user name' --user name

--Initial default text parameters------

--General flags

-- +--DB pack 0=don't, 1=do, 2=ask -- | +--UPL startup flag (see code line 12 also) -- | | +--0=soft font, 1=hard font -- | | | +--figure update 0=don't, 1=do, 2=ask -- | | | | +--cross hair style 4=rubber-band ELSE normal cross hair -- | | | | | +--initial 'messages' flag 0=normal,1=debug,2=number,3=off -- | | | | | | +--on screen icon menus, 0 = off, 1 = on -- | | | | | | | +--not used -- | | | | | | | | +--display X,Y cursor position 0=no, 1=yes -- | | | | | | | | | +--UNDO switch -- | | | | | | | | | | +--disable AV rubber band cursor snapping, 1=yes, 0=no -- | | | | | | | | | | | +--0 = fig extent ident, 1 = sub-fig ident -- | | | | | | | | | | | | +-- -1 = don't do graphic device line vector -- | | | | | | | | | | | | | buffering -- | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 = do graphic device line vector buffering -- | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 = do graphic device line vector buffering -- | | | | | | | | | | | | | and dump the buffer after each entity -- V V V V V V V V V V V V V 62 2 1 1 2 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

--System colors------

65 0 --cpu speed factor (leave at 0 and it will automatically -- be determined at runtime, or put in a -- NEGATIVE delay count ie -80 for 8mhz or -- -160 for 16mhz, ect)

66 20 --keyboard wait factor (how long to wait for keyboard macros) 67 2.0 --default zoom all border percentage

-- commonly used scale factors -- 1.0 INCHES -- 12.0 FEET -- 0.3937 CENTIMETERS -- 0.03937 MILLIMETERS -- 39.3696 METERS 68 1.0 --global scale factor

69 0.75 --default chord height tolerance for arc generation 70 0.07 --default trap distance in screen inches 71 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0 --grid parameters

-- +--depth -- | +-----+-----+--model space eye point -- V V V V 73 -10.0 20.0 -20.0 10.0 --perspective parameters

--Dimension parameters------

-- THGT ------+ -- MTOL ------+ | -- PTOL ------+ | | -- BTOL ------+ | | | -- SCL ------+ | | | | -- OFFSET ------+ | | | | | -- ASIZE ------+ | | | | | | -- LNSP ------+ | | | | | | | -- WDT ------+ | | | | | | | | -- HGT -----+ | | | | | | | | | -- ANG -+ | | | | | | | | | | -- | | | | | | | | | | | -- V V V V V V V V V V V 75 0.0 0.15 0.15 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.005 0.005 0.005 1.0 -- ^ -- +--Leave this at 0.0!

-- Epsilons -- +------Chain -- | +------Resolution -- | | +------Min. Meas. Delta -- | | | +------Minimum zoom scale -- | | | | (limit) 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000001 -- | | | | +------Maximum zoom scale -- | | | | | (limit) 100000000000000000000000000000000000000.0 -- V V V V +------V 78 0.00002 0.0 0.000001 0.000000000000000000001 1000000000000.0 0.0 0.0 0.00001

--Soft font definition -- 80 1.0 --initial soft font scale factor

81 0.010 0.240 0.000 --font 1 82 0.125 0.125 0.000 --font 2 83 0.200 0.100 0.000 --font 3 84 1.000 0.095 0.010 0.095 0.000 --font 4 85 1.000 0.100 0.200 0.100 0.000 --font 5 86 1.000 0.100 0.200 0.100 0.200 0.100 0.0 --font 6 87 0.010 0.090 0.000 --font 7 88 0.020 0.080 0.000 --font 8 89 0.050 0.100 0.000 --font 9 90 0.010 0.040 0.020 0.040 0.040 0.040 0.000 --font 10 91 0.010 0.040 0.010 0.080 0.010 0.016 0.000 --font 11 92 0.010 0.040 0.020 0.080 0.040 0.016 0.000 --font 12 93 0.020 0.040 0.020 0.016 0.000 --font 13 94 0.020 0.040 0.040 0.020 0.000 --font 14 95 0.001 0.049 0.000 --font 15

-- +--inital status on flag, 0 = off, 1 = on-full update -- | 2 = on-incremental update -- | +--inital status window number -- v v 100 1 15 --status window flags

--Set of status items to display in the status window --set 1 is coresponds to line(s) with 101, set 2 is 102, etc up to line 106 --for set 6. Multiple lines can be used if not all of the status items you --want will fit on one line. ie 101 could be used more than once. --The valid status items are:

-- 1 Display a space -- 2 Layer number -- 3 Color number -- 4 Mode draw/model -- 5 current time hh:mm:ss -- 6 current date -- 7 Z depth -- 8 Text Font # -- 9 User name -- 10 Node name -- 11 Graphics driver -- 12 Input driver -- 13 Plotter driver -- 14 -- 15 VNP file -- 16 Message fle -- 17 Help file -- 18 Keyboard macro file -- 19 Tablet menu file -- 20 Plotter pen file -- 21 Undo overflow file -- 22 UPL prog. -- 23 Text font file -- 24 Modifiers file -- 25 Getdata words file -- 26 String macro file -- 27 MIB overflow file -- 28 PDF overflow file -- 29 Icon menu file -- 30 Entity list overflow file -- 31 Backup part name -- 32 API prog. list 1 -- 33 API prog. list 2 -- 34 Default view def. part -- 35 -- 36 Part name -- 37 Entity index size (includes deleted entites) -- 38 View number -- 39 View extents -- 40 View scale -- 41 Part file mode -- 42 Font number -- 43 Font type hard/soft -- 44 Appearance on/off -- 45 Associativity on/off -- 46 Text on/off -- 47 Undo on/off number of undos -- 48 Global scale factor -- 49 Grid origin -- 50 Grid size -- 51 Grid on/off -- 52 UPL not running/running/sleeping UPL name -- 53 Extents frozen/thawed -- 54 Visibility vcon/vall -- 55 MViews on/off -- 56 CPL number -- 57 Angle lock on/off -- 58 Last coordinate for getdata lcoor -- 59 Display list on/off -- 60 dig mode dig/end/on/org/intof/intov -- 61 time hh:mm -- 62 drawing file name, no path or extension

-- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 --123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789- 123456789-1234 101 7 -40 62 37 -47 2 3 -61 38 56 4 --Z:xxxxxxx Scl:xxxxxxxxxxxx _ --xxxxxxxx Ent:xxxxx Un:xxxx_ --Lay:xxx Color:xx xx:xx _ --Vw:xxxxx CPL:xxxxx Model _ 102 62 37 47 4 2 40 61 103 62 37 47 4 2 40 61 104 62 37 47 4 2 40 61

-- Dual Dimension Parameters -- +------0 = off, 1 = on -- | +------secondary value scale factor (e.g. 25.4 = inch->mm) -- | | +------dual prec -1 = auto calc from primary prec -- | | | +------1 = put dual val on separate line, else space -- | | | | +------1 = do dual tol if there is a primary tol -- | | | | | +-----dual tprec -1 = auto calc from primary tprec -- | | | | | | +--dual thgt -1 = same as primary thgt -- V V V V V V V 111 0 25.4 -1 1 1 -1 -1

112 '[' 113 ']'

-- Color by Layer Table

-- +------Layer -- | +------Color -- | | +----Layer -- | | | +-Color ... ditto ... etc. etc. -- V V V V 114 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 114 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 1 114 17 2 18 3 19 4 20 5 21 6 22 7 23 8 24 9 114 25 10 26 11 27 12 28 13 29 14 30 15 31 1 32 2 114 33 3 34 4 35 5 36 6 37 7 38 8 39 9 40 10 114 41 11 42 12 43 13 44 14 45 15 46 1 47 2 48 3 114 49 4 50 5 51 6 52 7 53 8 54 9 55 10 56 11 114 57 12 58 13 59 14 60 15 61 1 62 2 63 3 64 4 114 65 5 66 6 67 7 68 8 69 9 70 10 71 11 72 12 114 73 13 74 14 75 15 76 1 77 2 78 3 79 4 80 5 114 81 6 82 7 83 8 84 9 85 10 86 11 87 12 88 13 114 89 14 90 15 91 1 92 2 93 3 94 4 95 5 96 6 114 97 7 98 8 99 9 100 10 101 11 102 12 103 13 104 14 114 105 15 106 1 107 2 108 3 109 4 110 5 111 6 112 7 114 113 8 114 9 115 10 116 11 117 12 118 13 119 14 120 15 114 121 1 122 2 123 3 124 4 125 5 126 6 127 7 128 8 114 129 9 130 10 131 11 132 12 133 13 134 14 135 15 136 1 114 137 2 138 3 139 4 140 5 141 6 142 7 143 8 144 9 114 145 10 146 11 147 12 148 13 149 14 150 15 151 1 152 2 114 153 3 154 4 155 5 156 6 157 7 158 8 159 9 160 10 114 161 11 162 12 163 13 164 14 165 15 166 1 167 2 168 3 114 169 4 170 5 171 6 172 7 173 8 174 9 175 10 176 11 114 177 12 178 13 179 14 180 15 181 1 182 2 183 3 184 4 114 185 5 186 6 187 7 188 8 189 9 190 10 191 11 192 12 114 193 13 194 14 195 15 196 1 197 2 198 3 199 4 200 5 114 201 6 202 7 203 8 204 9 205 10 206 11 207 12 208 13 114 209 14 210 15 211 1 212 2 213 3 214 4 215 5 216 6 114 217 7 218 8 219 9 220 10 221 11 222 12 223 13 224 14 114 225 15 226 1 227 2 228 3 229 4 230 5 231 6 232 7 114 233 8 234 9 235 10 236 11 237 12 238 13 239 14 240 15 114 241 1 242 2 243 3 244 4 245 5 246 6 247 7 248 8 114 249 9 250 10 251 11 252 12 253 13 254 14 255 15 256 1

-- Centerline Parameters

-- +----0 = No History -- | 1 = History, No Comment -- | 2 = History, with Comment -- V 116 1 --ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE NAMES FOR SUPPLYING PATHS TO FIND FILES

120 1 'PATH' 120 2 'CV_PATH' 120 3 'CV_FIGPATH' 120 4 'CV_PARTPATH' 120 5 'CV_DEV' 120 6 'CV_UPL' 120 7 'CV_SGX' 120 8 'CV_API' 120 9 'CV_MNU' 120 10 'CV_SUPPORT' 120 11 'USER' 120 12 'NET_NAME' 120 13 'CV_BACKUP' 120 14 'CV_TMP' 120 15 'CV_SHADE' 120 16 'CV_TOOL'

END CONFIG END -- END PDSAMPL.DEF