Marco Schuffelen: On Editing Grapics for The Blind, Ch. 13, Appendix AutoCAD

13. APPENDIX AUTOCAD

The files mentioned in this chapter will be sent to you by the NLBB upon request.

Contents of braille-custom floppy:

braille6.shp, braille8.shp and braille9.shp : braille fonts

c1-7.dwg and c1-7n.dwg : show space required for braille

acad.lin (customized) : linetypes

acad.pat (customized) : hatch patterns

acad2_6.mnu and acad2_9.mnu (customized) : menus

progsymb.shp : flowchart symbols

subdirectory keydwgs : blocks to be inserted in keys

subdirectory pooldwgs : some examples of useful drawings

blindraw.wp : this manual's text in WordPerfect format

BRAILLE

The braille fonts are in files called braille6.shp, braille8.shp and braille9.shp. These files are to be compiled by option 7 on the Autocad main menu: this will create files with an .shx-extension.
The three files differ in proportion, and accordingly in the size of the braille dot. Try out which one creates the best dot in your plotter or printer, and make that one the dominant text style in your acad.dwg.
Or create a braille font to suit your own needs, it's really not as difficult as it looks: consult your Autocad manual and edit my fonts in a word processor.
The blocks c? and c?n are to be inserted at need in your drawing and will show the amount of exclusive space a certain number of Braille characters requires.

LINES

First create a new linetype for a general-use dotted line, as the one provided by Autocad isn't useful to us. Linetypes are written to a file called acad.lin, and can be created while editing a drawing. Look up the LINETYPE command in your manual, call your new linetype something like "newdot", description "interdot distance 3.333mm", definition A,0,-.1333333 (-.1333333 determines the interdot distance). Create a layer N dedicated to this linetype in your acad.dwg.
In grid, dots should be exactly at the intersections, otherwise we'll have a cluster of dots at those points that'll look like something irregular. So determine the distance between intersections and divide this by an integer to get at an interdot distance of about 3.5mm; divide this distance by 25 and put this number after the minus sign in your new definition.

EXAMPLE
Say the distance between intersections is 18mm. Divide by 6 will give 3mm, that's too small, so choose 5, 18/5=3.6mm, 3.6/25=.144, the number to put in after the minus sign. Autocad will calculate for you at the command prompt: (/ 3.6 25) etc.
Create a new layer for this linetype. In a rectangular grid, two linetypes may be used.
Unfortunately, Autocad also takes line length into account, so your line will have to measure a whole number of interdot distances to be correct.
Below is the customized part of the Acad.lin-file; the first three lines are dashed, in a to the blind discernible way, the others are examples of dotted lines for grid.

*BROKEN,broken line 
A,0.25,-0.25 
*LONGDASH,broken line, double dashes 
A,0.5,-0.25 
*SMALLDASH,borderline small 
A,0.12,-0.13 
*NEWDOT,interdot distance 3.333mm
A,0,-.1333333
*r16x12, 16x12 lines, squares 16.2mm, dot-dot 3.24mm 
A,0,-.1296 
*r15x11, 15x11 lines, squares 17.5x17.5mm, dot-dot 3.5mm 
A,0,-.14 
*r11x8, 11x8 lines, squares 24.5x24.5mm, dot-dot 3.5mm 
A,0,-.14 
*r10x7, 10x7 lines, squares 27x27mm, dot-dot 3.375mm 
A,0,-.135 
*r9x7, 9x7 lines, squares 30x30mm, dot-dot 3.3333mm 
A,0,-.133333333 
*r8x6, 8x6 lines, squares 34x34mm, dot-dot 3.4mm 
A,0,-.136 
*r7x5, 7x5 lines, squares 40x40mm, dot-dot 3.33mm 
A,0,-.1333333

HATCH PATTERNS

Creating hatch patterns is a little more complicated. Just add these lines to your acad.pat-file, otherwise consult your manual.
In the grid and gridaltr patterns insert for scale the desired distances (in mm).

*leen,fat dashed line alternating 
0,0,0,5,5,5,-5 
0,0,.5,5,5,5,-5 
0,0,1,5,5,5,-5 
*jan,medium dots 
0,0,0,4,4,1,-7 
90,0,0,4,4,1,-7 
0,0,1,4,4,1,-7 
90,1,0,4,4,1,-7 
*jelke,fat dots 
0,-.3,.5,4,4,2.6,-5.4 
0,-.3,1.5,4,4,2.6,-5.4 
90,.5,-.3,4,4,2.6,-5.4 
90,1.5,-.3,4,4,2.6,-5.4 
*grid,small dots for square grid 
0,0,0,0,1,0,-1
*gridaltr,equidistant small dots
0,0,0,0.5,0.866025,0,-1

MENUS

Only recently have I started customizing menus, but I have found it to be quite useful. Grouping together the most frequently used commands in a personal submenu will save time in menu-hopping, but as I prefer typing in commands I utilize menus to start macros, chains of commands that will be executed quickly and without mistakes.
Menus are to be edited in the file acad.mnu (save a copy!), compiled by the MENU command. Consult your manual too.
In a multi-user system each user might be provided with a personal menu, geared to his or her needs, installed on logging in.

Add a line like:

[MACROS]$S=X $S=MACROS

to your root-menu to open a way to this submenu
root screen-menu:

**S 
[AutoCAD]^C^C$S=S $P4=P4A 
[* * * *]$S=OSNAPB 
[SETUP]^C^C$S=UNITS 
 
[BLOCKS]$S=X $S=BL 
[DIM:]$S=X $S=DIM ^C^CDIM 
[DISPLAY]$S=X $S=DS 
[DRAW]$S=X $S=DR 
[EDIT]$S=X $S=ED 
[INQUIRY]$S=X $S=INQ 
[LAYER:]$S=X $S=LAYER ^C^CLAYER 
[SETTINGS]$S=X $S=SET 
[PLOT]$S=X $S=PLOT 
[UTILITY]$S=X $S=UT 
[MACROS]^C^C$S=X $S=MACROS 
[KWIKHATC]^C^C$S=X $S=KWIKHATC 
[KEY]^C^C$S=KEY 
 
[3D]$S=X $S=3D 
[ASHADE:]^C^C^P(cond ((null C:SCENE) + 
(vmon) (prompt "Please wait...  Loading ashade.  ") + 
(load "ashade")) (T (princ))) ^P$S=X $s=ASHADE 
 
[SAVE:]^C^CSAVE

In the submenu below are macros that I use quite often:

**MACROS 3

[LEFTPAGE]^C^CLIMITS;0,0;272.5,190;ZOOM;W;0,0;272.5,190;INSERT;+ 
LEFTPAGE;0,0;;;;DTEXT;264,190;-90 $S=S

for page facing right

[TABLCAL]^C^CTABLET;CAL;0,0;285,0 $S=S

calibrates tablet

[TITLE]^C^CDTEXT;R;264,5;-90;DTEXT;264,185;-90 $S=S

dtext at page number first, consequently at title location

[PAGENUMB]^C^CDTEXT;R;264,5;-90 $S=S

dtext at page number

[PEDWID1]^C^CPEDIT;\W;1; $S=S
[PEDW2.5]^C^CPEDIT;\W;2.5; $S=S

changes Pline width

[COPYSAME]^C^CCOPY;\;0,0;0,0 $S=S

copies one object over itself

[POLYCOPY]^C^CCOPY;L;;M;@; $S=S

multiple copy of last object (especially inserted objects)

[ZOOM LIM]^C^CZOOM;W;0,0;285,185 $S=OSNAPB

zoom back at once to original drawing format

For hatching I have put together a submenu containing all useful hatch patterns, scale and angle automatically provided.
submenu key:

[KWIKHATC]^C^C$S=X $S=KWIKHATC 
  submenu: 
**KWIKHATC 3 
[DOTS]^C^CHATCH;DOTS;50;0 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[JAN]^C^CHATCH;JAN;.8;0 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[JELKE]^C^CHATCH;JELKE;.8;0 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[LEENH]^C^CHATCH;LEEN;.9;0 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[LEENV]^C^CHATCH;LEEN;.9;90 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[LINEH]^C^CHATCH;LINE;30;0 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[LINEV]^C^CHATCH;LINE;30;90 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[NET]^C^CHATCH;NET;15;0 $S=X $S=KWIKHATCH 
[ZIGZAGV]^C^CHATCH;ZIGZAG;48;45 $S=X $S=KWIKHATC 
[ZIGZAGH]^C^CHATCH;ZIGZAG;48;135 $S=X $S=KWIKHATC

H and V mean horizontal and vertical

Also rather labour-saving is this submenu to insert key blocks:
submenu key:

[KEY]^C^C$S=KEY 
  submenu:
**KEY 3 
vertical 
[DOTS]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;C:DOTS;\;;0
[JAN]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;C:JAN;\;;0 
[JELKE]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;JELKE;\;;0 
[LEENH]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;LEENH;\;;0 
[LEENV]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;LEENV;\;;0 
[LINEH]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;LINEH;\;;0 
[LINEV]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;LINEV;\;;0 
[NET]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;NET;\;;0 
[ZIGZAGH]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;ZIGZAGH;\;;0 
[ZIGZAGV]^C^C$S=KEY INSERT;ZIGZAGV;\;;0 

[ROTATEL]^C^CROTATE;L;;@;90

the last command rotates the last block inserted for horizontal-direction drawing
The key blocks have to be created as drawings first, of course.

SCRIPT

The command Script will also execute a string of commands, using a so-called script-file (extension .scr), but in contrast to menus allows you to leave the drawing manager. For instance put this line in a submenu:

[PLOTEND]^C^CSCRIPT;PLOTEND

and create a file

plotend.scr: PLOT L N AUTOSPOOL
               (blank line)
             END
               (blank line)

to ease your plotting In a network, it might look like this:

             PLOT L N AUTOSPOOL   Autocad command
                             (return)
             SHELL                leaving Autocad temporarily
             NPRINT \P\*.MAR      Novell command
             SHELL                leaving Autocad temporarily
             DEL \P\*.MAR         DOS command
             END                  Autocad command

(in Autocad operating parameters configuration, plotfiles have been ordered to subdirectory /P, Autospool will make up a filename for my plotfiles with extension .mar)

FLOWCHART SYMBOLS

Progsymb.shp is a shape-file containing a number of flowchart symbols. Compile this file by option 7 on main menu, load at shape-submenu; or, if you have copied the 2_9 menu and progsym.dwg from the braille custom floppy, choose progsymb at the shape-submenu and watch the show.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Baker&Rice: Inside Autocad
Omura: Mastering Autocad
Thomas: Advanced Techniques in Autocad
Peter Norton's DOS Guide

What I hope for in praising AutoCAD is the emergence of a group of users sharing a large pool of drawings.

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Questions? Comments? email me

Last modified: Thu May 15 10:40:19 PDT 1989