MonoGRAF Groups
Groups menu
The following functions are included in the "groups" menu:
Insert group
The "insert group" function draws a previously defined group. When you select the function, a pop-up menu displays all files with the GRP extension from the current drive or directory. After you have selected the desired group for insertion, you are prompted to choose one of the group insertion options. You have two options to insert a group into your drawing: in a rectangular "window" or by specifying the base point, rotation angle and scale factor.
If you select the "window" insertion option, you are prompted:
"Enter/select lower left corner"
"Enter/select upper right corner"
The group is drawn in the specified rectangle.
It is automatically scaled to fit in the rectangle,
with a scale factor equal to the group's initial drawing limits divided
by the limits of the specified window.
If you do not wish to insert the group in a window, you are prompted:
"Enter/select base point"
"Group rotation angle"
"Scale factor"
PARAMETERS available via the "params" function of the control menu:
"new directory, group/entities"
With the "new directory" parameter you may change the current directory
in order to select a GRP file from another directory.
The "group/entities" parameter allows you to insert the group as a set
of the entities comprising it, or to keep it as a group.
In the first case each entity in the group can be selected and
edited individually, whereas in the second case the entire set
can be selected and manipulated as a composite entity.
Define group
Group - that is a finite set of drawing entities and groups, that are treated as a whole. Editing and manipulating functions, when performed on a group, are performed simultaneously on all entities that are parts of that group. Each group has a name, nongeomertic attributes, and base point that are defined when the group is composed.
Groups have a specific nongeometric attribute: 80 bytes long text string that may contain specific information about the object the group represents, (for example, weight, size, model, price, material and so on). That information may be used for other purposes, for example, for cost of materials.
The "define group" function creates a new group by selecting entities and/or existing groups. With this function you may create a new group from an arbitrary set of already existing entities including groups. Up to five levels of group nesting are allowed.
When you invoke the "define group" function, you are prompted to select the entities using any of the object selection options. After you complete the selection you are prompted to name the new group, select a base (reference) point for it and, if you like, enter up to 80 characters of text information you wish to associate with the new group.
PROMPTS:
"Enter group/layer name"
"Enter/select base point"
"Enter group layer text"
If you do not wish to associate any text data with the group, you may respond to the last
prompt pressing the Enter key.
Begin group
The "begin group" function "opens" a new group. With this function you tell MonoGRAF that all entities drawn from now on will be a part of a new group. In order to complete the group, you should select the "end" function from the control menu, or if you work with the keyboard, simply press the
PROMPTS:
"Enter group/layer name"
The following prompts appear after you complete the group, select the "end" function from the control menu, or if you work with the keyboard, the "Enter/select base point"
"Enter group layer text"
If you do not wish to associate any text data with the group, you may respond to the last prompt pressing the Save group
The "save group" function saves the specified group on a disk. When you invoke this function you are prompted to select one of the groups from the pop-up menu. If groups do not exist for the current drawing then the function exits. After you select one of the available groups it is saved in the current directory under its own name with the GRP extension.
Current disk drive and current directory can be changed via the "params" function from the control menu.
Edit group
The "edit group" function clears the screen and displays only the specified group for editing. When you invoke this function you are prompted to select one of the groups from a pop-up menu. If groups do not exist for the current drawing then the function terminates.
After you select one of the available groups, the screen is cleared and only the selected group is displayed on the screen within its original drawing limits. You may change the group by adding new or deleting and updating the existing one. All MonoGRAF draw, edit and move & copy functions are available.
When you finish editing the group by selecting the "end" function from the control menu or the Esc key from the keyboard, the last active view of the drawing is restored and all instances of the edited group reflect the editing.
Change group attributes
The "chng grp attrib" changes the attributes of a group. The attributes are the base point and the optional text data associated with the group. A pop-up menu containing names of all groups included in the drawing, is displayed on the screen. After the user chooses the desired group, the system erases all objects from the screen and displays only the chosen group in the drawing area, where the group was created.
PROMPTS:
"Enter/select base point"
After you select or enter a new base point all instances of the group are redrawn with respect to the new base point.
"Enter group layer text"
You may enter new text data. If you do not wish to associate any text data with the group, you may respond to the last prompt with the Enter key. After the "chang grp attrib" function terminates, the whole drawing is automatically regenerated.
Spline
The spline function interpolates a number of specified points with a cubic B-spline. The resulting cubic curve is approximated by lines, whose length can be specified via a parameter. The points can be specified by any of the point selection options.
PROMPTS:
"Select/enter first point"
"Select/enter point"
The second prompt is repeated until you enter the last point and then select the "end" function or depress the After the interpolation curve is displayed a pop-up menu offers you the following options:
- edit - you may change the original points by deleting or moving any existing point or inserting a new one. Your choice is specified via a new pop-up menu with the "delete point", "replace point" or "insert point" option;
- save - saves the interpolation curve points in the drawing area;
- exit - the interpolation curve and the polyline, connecting the points are deleted and the spline function returns control.
Learning more for MonoGRAF entities