Learning ProgeCAD 2006

progeCAD 2006 - Setting the current lineweight

Lineweights help differentiate the purpose of one line from another. Lineweights determine how thick or thin entities appear both on the screen and when printed. Every drawing has these lineweights: DEFAULT, BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and many additional lineweights in millimeters (or you can use inches).
When you create an entity, it is created using the current lineweight. By default, the current lineweight for a new entity is BYLAYER. This means that the entity lineweight is determined by the current layer.
When you assign BYLAYER, changing a layer’s lineweight changes the lineweight of all the entities assigned that layer (if they were created using the lineweight BYLAYER).
You can also select a specific lineweight (or DEFAULT) as the current lineweight, which overrides the layer’s lineweight setting. Entities are then created using that lineweight (or the DEFAULT lineweight), and changing the layer lineweight has no effect on them. As a third option, you can use the lineweight BYBLOCK property, in which case new entities are drawn using the DEFAULT lineweight until you group them into a block.
The entities then inherit the block’s lineweight setting when you insert the block into a drawing. If you choose a lineweight that is less than .025 millimeter, it displays as one pixel when you create your drawing. When you print your drawing, it prints at the thinnest lineweight that is available for your printer. You cannot assign lineweights to planes, points, TrueType fonts, or raster images (if supported in your version of progeCAD).

To set the current lineweight

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Tools > Drafting Settings.
• Type settings and then press Enter.
2 Click the Entity Creation tab.
3 In the Lineweight list, choose the lineweight that you want
  to make current.
4 Click OK.

TIP On the status bar, right-click the word BYLAYER for the current lineweight, and then choose the current lineweight. You can also click the word LWT to toggle the display of lineweights on and off.

NOTE To see lineweights in your drawing, you may need to turn on lineweights. For details, see “Controlling the display of lineweights” on page 136..

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progeCAD 2006 - Setting the linetype scale

You can specify the linetype scale. The smaller the scale, the more repetitions of the linetype pattern are generated per drawing unit. For example, a linetype pattern is defined as a sequence of dashed lines and open spaces, each 0.25 units long. The linetype scale uses the drawing scale factor to determine the length. A scale factor of 0.5 would reduce the length of each line and space to 0.125 units; a scale factor of 2 would increase the length of each to 0.5 units.

NOTE Setting the linetype scale too large or too small may result in a line pattern looking like a solid line, depending on what the scale view is or at what scale the drawing is plotted.

You can control a new entity’s individual linetype scale factor as well as the overall or global scale factor applied to all the entities in the drawing.

To set the current individual linetype scale

1 Do one of the following:
  • Choose Tools > Drafting Settings.
  • Type settings and then press Enter.
2 Click the Entity Creation tab.
3 In the Linetype Scale field, type or choose the linetype
   scale that you want to make current.
4 Click OK.

To change the global linetype scale

1 Do one of the following:
  • Choose Tools > Drafting Settings.
  • Type settings and then press Enter.
2 Click the Entity Creation tab.
3 In the Global Linetype Scale field, type or choose the
   global linetype scale that you want to change.
4 Click OK.

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progeCAD 2006 - Setting the current linetype

Linetypes help convey information. You use different linetypes to differentiate the purpose of one line from another. A linetype consists of a repeating pattern of dots, dashes, or blank spaces. Linetypes determine the appearance of entities both on the screen and when printed. By default, every drawing has at least three linetypes: CONTINUOUS, BYLAYER, and BYBLOCK.
Your drawing may also contain an unlimited number of additional linetypes. When you create an entity, it is created using the current linetype. By default, the current linetype is BYLAYER. progeCAD indicates that the entity linetype is determined by the current layer linetype by assigning the BYLAYER property as the default linetype setting. When you assign BYLAYER, changing the layer linetype changes the linetype of all the entities created on that layer if they were created using the linetype BYLAYER.
You can also select a specific linetype as the current linetype, which overrides the layer’s linetype setting. Entities are then created using that linetype, and changing the layer linetype has no effect on them. As a third option, you can use the linetype BYBLOCK property, in which case new entities are drawn using the CONTINUOUS linetype until you group them into a block. The entities then inherit the current linetype setting when you insert the block into a drawing.

To set the current linetype

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Tools > Drafting Settings.
• Type settings and then press Enter.
2 Click the Entity Creation tab.
3 In the Entity Linetype list, choose the linetype that you
   want to make current.
4 Click OK.

NOTE On the status bar, right-click on the word BYLAYER for the current linetype, click Properties, and then choose the linetype that you want to make current.

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progeCAD 2006 - Setting the current layer

An entity’s color determines how it is displayed and, if you are using a color printer, how it prints. Entities are created in the current color.
There are 255 standard colors and two additional color properties that are often referred to as colors.
You can use seven of the 255 standard colors by name: red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, magenta, and white.(Numbers eight and nine are not named.) Each color has a unique number from 1 to 255. The two additional color properties are BYLAYER and BYBLOCK.
These color properties cause an entity to adopt the color either of the layer or of the block into which it is inserted.
BYLAYER is color number 256, and BYBLOCK is color number 0. In all commands for which you would use a color, you can indicate BYLAYER and BYBLOCK as well as by numbers 256 and 0, respectively. You can choose colors by selecting them from the Color dialog box.
In the command bar or in some dialog boxes, you specify a color either by name or by number. When you open a new drawing, entities are created in the color BYLAYER, which adopts the color of the current layer. Initially, layer 0 is both the only layer and the current layer. Its default color is white, so your entities appear as white.

To set the current entity color

1 Do one of the following:
  • Choose Tools > Drafting Settings.
• Type settings and then press Enter.
2 Click the Entity Creation tab.
3 Click Select Color.
4 In the Color dialog box, click BYBLOCK, BYLAYER, or the
   color of your choice, or type the color number in the
   edit field.
5 Click OK.
6 Click OK again.

NOTE On the status bar, right-click on the word BYLAYER next to the current layer, click Properties, and then select a color for the current entity.

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ProgeCAD 2006 - Setting up a drawing

You can specify individual settings when you create a new drawing or when you modify settings in a drawing created from a template.

Setting the current layer

Layers are like the overlays that you use in manual drafting. You use layers to organize different types of drawing information. Every drawing has at least one layer, the default layer, named “0.” Your drawing can also contain an unlimited number of additional layers. When you create an entity, it is created on the current layer.

To set the current layer

1 Do one of the following:
  • Choose Format > Layer.
  • On the Entity Properties toolbar, click the Explore
     Layers tool.
  • Type explayers and then press Enter.
  • Type la and then press Enter.
  • On the status bar, right-click on the current layer,
     and from the list, select the layer you want to
     make current.
2 Double-click the layer name that you want to make
   current.
3 Close the ProgeCAD Explorer window.

TIP On the status bar, right-click on the current layer control, and from the list, select the layer you want to make current.

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ProgeCAD 2006 - Opening damaged files

Files can become damaged for many reasons. For example, if you are working on a drawing during a power outage, a system crash, or a hardware failure, your drawing file may become damaged. ProgeCAD allows you to open and check damaged files to attempt file recovery.

Recovering a file attempts to open one of the following file types:
  • Standard drawing files with a .dwg extension.
  • Drawing Exchange Format files with a .dxf file
     extension.
  • Design Web Format files with a .dwf file extension.
  • Drawing templates with a .dwt file extension.

You can also audit any open file to check it for errors. You specify whether you want ProgeCAD to fix any errors that are found automatically. ProgeCAD fixes as many errors as possible and any errors that cannot be fixed are reported as “Ignored” in the Prompt History window.

To open a damaged file

1 Use one of the following methods:
  • Choose File > Recover.
  • Type recover and then press Enter.
2 In Files of Type, choose the type of file you want to
   recover.
3 Choose the directory containing the damaged file.
4 Choose the damaged file you want to recover.
5 Click Open.

If you want to check all drawings for errors automatically when you open them, choose Tools > Options > General tab and mark the check box for Open Drawings using Recover.

1 With the drawing open that you want to check, do one of
   the following:
  • Choose File > Audit.
  • Type audit and then press Enter.
2 Choose whether you want ProgeCAD to fix any found
   errors automatically, and then press Enter.

NOTE If the AUDITCTL system variable is set to On and errors are found during a file recovery or audit, an ASCII file is created that describes the audit. The ASCII file is saved in the same folder as the audited drawing and has the same name as the drawing file, but with an .adt extension.

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ProgeCAD 2006 - Opening damaged files

Files can become damaged for many reasons. For example, if you are working on a drawing during a power outage, a system crash, or a hardware failure, your drawing file may become damaged. ProgeCAD allows you to open and check damaged files to attempt file recovery.

Recovering a file attempts to open one of the following file types:

  • Standard drawing files with a .dwg extension.
  • Drawing Exchange Format files with a .dxf file
    extension.
  • Design Web Format files with a .dwf file extension.
  • Drawing templates with a .dwt file extension.

You can also audit any open file to check it for errors. You specify whether you want ProgeCAD to fix any errors that are found automatically. ProgeCAD fixes as many errors as possible and any errors that cannot be fixed are reported as “Ignored” in the Prompt History window.

To open a damaged file

1 Use one of the following methods:
  • Choose File > Recover.
  • Type recover and then press Enter.
2 In Files of Type, choose the type of file you want to
   recover.
3 Choose the directory containing the damaged file.
4 Choose the damaged file you want to recover.
5 Click Open.

If you want to check all drawings for errors automatically when you open them, choose Tools > Options > General tab and mark the check box for Open Drawings using Recover.

To check a drawing file for errors

1 With the drawing open that you want to check, do one
   of the following:
  • Choose File > Audit.
  • Type audit and then press Enter.
2 Choose whether you want ProgeCAD to fix any found
   errors automatically, and then press Enter.

NOTE If the AUDITCTL system variable is set to On and errors are found during a file recovery or audit, an ASCII file is created that describes the audit. The ASCII file is saved in the same folder as the audited drawing and has the same name as the drawing file, but with an .adt extension.

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ProgeCAD 2006 - Opening an existing drawing

You can open any of these drawing files:
  • Standard drawing files with a .dwg extension. In addition
     to your own drawing files, you can open and use one of
     the sample drawings that are included with ProgeCAD.
  • Drawing Exchange Format files with a .dxf file
     extension.
  • Design Web Format files with a .dwf file extension.
  • Drawing templates with a .dwt file extension.

To open an existing drawing

1 Use one of the following methods:
  • Choose File > Open.
  • On the Standard toolbar, click the Open tool.
  • Type open and then press Enter.
2 In Files of Type, choose the type of file you want to open.
3 Choose the folder containing the desired file.
4 Choose the drawing you want to open.
5 Click Open. If the drawing requires a password, enter the
   password, click OK to verify the password, and then click
   Open again.

NOTE To quickly open a drawing file from the Open Drawing dialog box, double-click the drawing name.

NOTE To quickly open a drawing file that you recently used, choose File > . The program tracks the last four drawings.

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ProgeCAD 2006 - Opening a drawing

You can open drawing (.dwg) files, Drawing Exchange Format (.dxf) files, Design Web Format™ (.dwf) files, and drawing template (.dwt) files.

You can also open and check drawings that you suspect are damaged.

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ProgeCAD 2006 - Creating a new drawing

When you start ProgeCAD, the program automatically creates a new drawing based on a template drawing, icad.dwg.
This template includes predefined settings such as drawing units, text size, and drawing area. You can either use these settings or change them according to your needs.
There is nothing unique about a template drawing. You can use any drawing as a template for future drawings.

You can save many steps by basing a new drawing on an existing template. By doing this, a new drawing will contain all the settings and entities you need.
When you open a new drawing from your custom template, you can modify existing settings and delete any entities that you don’t need.

To create a new drawing based on a template

1 Do one of the following:
  • Choose File > New.
  • Type newwiz and then press Enter.
2 Click Use A Template Drawing, and then click Next.
3 To display the Open Template dialog box, click Browse.
4 Select the drawing you want to use as the template,
   and then click Open.
5 Click Finish.

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