September 19, 1989 Easy-Draw Version 3.0 Special Release Notes This update file is divided into five sections: 1. Documentation Corrections 2. Enhancements Main Easy-Draw mode Spline Mode 3. Additional Tips and Hints 4. Technical Support 5. Compatability with ST Desktop Publishing Applications ************************* IMPORTANT *************************** One of the most important features that was added at the last minute is extremely important if you are running under the newer TOS 1.2 or 1.4 roms, and are loading your .GEM files into any of the Desktop Publishers which are limited to 127 point polylines. SEE SECTION (2A) AND (5) FOR DETAILS. *************************************************************** 1. ---- DOCUMENTATION CORRECTIONS: ---------------------------- Page 2-15 In the third paragraph, the last sentence: "removed" should be "moved". Page 2-16 First paragraph, selection [1], "F2" should be "F1" to select Manual Mode. In an effort to insure maximum product capability, as well as proper printouts through OUTPRINT, the maximum Polyline limit (where the spline is divided into seperate polylines) is now 254 points! This is true whether you create the polyline with the Sketch, Polyline or Spline tools. 2. ---- LATE BREAKING ENHANCEMENT NOTES: ---------------------- MAIN EASY-DRAW MODE: (a) Limiting Polylines to 127 Points on TOS 1.2/1.4 systems.... Pressing the F5 key at the main level of Easy-Draw 3.0 as soon as you enter the program, will display an alert box which will enable you to select the lower 127 point limit for splines/polylines. This is necessary in order to create and save filled splines/polylines for use in packages that can not load 255 point polylines. (b) Moniterm Monitor Support..... This version has also been designed to work on the Moniterm "Viking" Large Screen monitor. One of the visual changes is the pattern dialog box which now appears right below the menu bar, centered on the current mouse position. SPLINE MODE: In order to help determine at exactly which control point (curve endpoint) the system limit of 127 or 255 polyline points has been crossed, the following keyboard shortcut has been added. Pressing Displays the following message: ______ Polyline Points used up to the selected point. * If more than one point is selected on the same curve, then Alt-C will have no effect. * If you have one point selected on each of two or more curves, the value reported will be valid for the point located on the last curve which was entered. For the above reasons, we recommend that you have only one point selected when using this alert. 3. ---- TIPS AND HINTS ---------------------------------------- (a) Maximizing the printout quality of a 127 point polyline curve. When you are designing a curved object that is symetrical, and are either running on a 127 point system, or are limited by your Desktop Publishing package to 127 point polylines. Use the following guide: Rather then limiting 1/2 of a symetrical object to 64 points because you are going to mirror and join the two halves (as we did in the "telephone" example), you can use the full limit in each half, and then after mirroring the object, simply group the two objects together as opposed to joining them. 4. ---- TECHNICAL SUPPORT ------------------------------------- Problem:Printouts through OUTPRINT of filled splines (Polylines) which contain more than 127 polyline vertices are not correct. Solution: The system being used to print out the .GEM files is not running TOS version 1.2 or 1.4, and therby limited to filled polylines (splines) of 127 points. or The new META.SYS which came with Easy-Draw 3.0 was not installed onto the system which was being used to save the .GEM files. (The files still load correctly back into Easy-Draw 3.0, because they are rebuilt from the control points.) or The GDOS printer driver, and or OUTPRINT are not a version 3.0 or higher. 5. ----- Using with Desktop Publishing Packages --------------- The following list of products specifies whether you need to limit your splines (which are saved as polylines in the .GEM file to 127 points). This limit is true as of the version tested, even if you are running on a machine with new roms (1.2 or 1.4). If you do save out a spline, which when loaded as a polyline has over 127 points, the result is listed under ">127". If the Publishing package you use is limited to 127 points, then use the F5 key as described in 2A above to activate the 127 point limit while you are working in Easy-Draw 3.0. NOTE: If you want to load your bezier designs into a friend's version of Easy-Draw who has version 2.35 or less, then you will also need to use the lower limit. This is due to the fact that older versions of Easy-Draw will load the graphics as polylines, (with a 127 point limit). PRODUCT VERSION PUBLISHER LOAD LIMIT >127 Calamus (ISD) 127 BLANK Desktop Publisher ST 1.1 (Timeworks) 255 OK Easy-Draw 2.35 (Migraph) 127 BOMB The following two companies will support the enhanced polyline limit of greater than 127 points with a near-term release: PageStream 1.58 (SoftLogik) 255 Awaiting release Fleet Street Publisher 3.0 (Michtron) 255 Awaiting release ------------------------------------------------------------------ (This version is not a normal retail distribution product, and is registered directly to the licensee of this diskette.) Migraph, Inc. 200 S. 333rd. St. (220) Federal Way, WA 98003 (206)838-4677