My Ribs are Gone!
09-12-2003, 10:28 AM
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My Ribs are Gone!
A few weeks back I scanned the ribs for my 2m Gnome into a bmp file and imported it into Model Cad 3000. I used Model Cad to size the ribs and print patterns, and saved the file. Now when I open the file my ribs are gone. I tried importing a few other bmp and jpg images and most, but not all, are gone when I re open the model cad file. It is interesting that the image shows in the preview of the file but not in the drawing.
Anyone know what is happening to my ribs?
Paul
Anyone know what is happening to my ribs?
Paul
09-14-2003, 09:44 AM
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RE: My Ribs are Gone!
The preview function has nothing to do with what is within the drawing file. It is a copy of the last saved view, and most often listed in the FILE pull down menu also, but does not have to be present to be listed.
Check your windows recycle bin, otherwise begin again. The file has been destroyed, or renamed. You could do a search for the file title and see if it was written to some other location on the hard drive.
Wm.
Check your windows recycle bin, otherwise begin again. The file has been destroyed, or renamed. You could do a search for the file title and see if it was written to some other location on the hard drive.
Wm.
09-14-2003, 11:21 AM
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RE: My Ribs are Gone!
Nope, not having trouble finding the file. When I open it the ribs are gone. I can use the auto trace function and they survive saving, but the drawing isn't as clean.
Paul
Paul
09-14-2003, 02:21 PM
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RE: My Ribs are Gone!
Going back on my memory now you realize, as I predominently use Autocad and the full version of DesignCAD now. I would have to fire off the old computer sitting in the closet.
However,
This has happend before, like two years ago was the last time, and cannot remember how I flushed out the problem, but here is where I would start.
In DOS, check file size. Make sure the amount of K used is approximately the same as a similar size. If it is near zero, there is nothing to the file left. To create a file takes a certain amount of K, and to place lines and other things on it, builds up the size. If you have maybe ten ribs, all of different sizes and configurations, then use the numbers to compare file sizes. Ribs 1,2,3 consume 1.2 K, and ribs 4,5,6,7 etc consume 5.4 K then you can be assured something is wrong with the first three. Maybe only the drawing set up parameters are still present. The preview is a stored function of the software, not the file. It is stored in the Windows system directory, as other software sometimes can use such file information.
I presume that all your layers are turned on, no hidden or global turned off layers. If you have a black monitor screen, the lines ought to show up in white to contrast, and vice versa. Check lengths, and see that you do not have a new image file with a chord of 1000 inches.
You did Zoom to drawing extents and to drawing limits. Reset the drawing limits. If any object is present, it will not permit this. Even though you cannot see the objects, if you set the wrong or too small of drawing limits, the software will reject or keep asking you for new limits, over and over again. Do a quick sweep of the mouse to erase all objects, then notice how many items it locates to rid. Go back to where you were with the undo command. If you were operating within Paper Space, I would know exactly what the problem is, but MC does not have that option as I remember.
If the image file is turned off, it will overlay the linework for your file. Thus the lines are still present, but they are shaddowed by the image file. I can't remember how to do a change drawing order, but this is a cause here on occasion. The software also relies on secondary graphics software for certain functions. I presume that when you load the image up in Photoshop or Micrografx it shows up fine there. Back when, in using Micrografx I found that the image blew up about 1000%, and the last saved linework looked but a few thousandths of an inch big. The image changed, not the linework. I think that I resized the image, recentered it all, then continued.
One last thing in all this, if anything goes wrong, DO NOT SAVE, but exit without saving. Once you save and exit, you set in a whole new set of parameters, and destroy all ability to back up to a past environment.
You may be taking the long route too. Several readers here at RCU have been using the freeware version of WinTopo by Softsoft. You scan a small image, then save in BMP format. Open up WinTopo, have is convert to lines in about 30 seconds, and save the lines as a DXF format. Open up your CAD, then import the DXF file, and begin laying on new lines using the snap-to functions. Then bleep out the portions of the DXF file as you cover them with new lines. The DXF file will be huge, the new CAD file will be about 10% of the file size when finished.
Tough to remember all of this sometimes. I went to Autocad as the set-up parameters for hardware fit nearly anything out there. Compufoil although popular, was giving erroneous results around the leading edge when using the NACA function. I bought Anderson airfoil for these, and use Compufoil for non-NACA work. Anderson blows up on occasion, but least I don't get errors.
Wm.
>
However,
This has happend before, like two years ago was the last time, and cannot remember how I flushed out the problem, but here is where I would start.
In DOS, check file size. Make sure the amount of K used is approximately the same as a similar size. If it is near zero, there is nothing to the file left. To create a file takes a certain amount of K, and to place lines and other things on it, builds up the size. If you have maybe ten ribs, all of different sizes and configurations, then use the numbers to compare file sizes. Ribs 1,2,3 consume 1.2 K, and ribs 4,5,6,7 etc consume 5.4 K then you can be assured something is wrong with the first three. Maybe only the drawing set up parameters are still present. The preview is a stored function of the software, not the file. It is stored in the Windows system directory, as other software sometimes can use such file information.
I presume that all your layers are turned on, no hidden or global turned off layers. If you have a black monitor screen, the lines ought to show up in white to contrast, and vice versa. Check lengths, and see that you do not have a new image file with a chord of 1000 inches.
You did Zoom to drawing extents and to drawing limits. Reset the drawing limits. If any object is present, it will not permit this. Even though you cannot see the objects, if you set the wrong or too small of drawing limits, the software will reject or keep asking you for new limits, over and over again. Do a quick sweep of the mouse to erase all objects, then notice how many items it locates to rid. Go back to where you were with the undo command. If you were operating within Paper Space, I would know exactly what the problem is, but MC does not have that option as I remember.
If the image file is turned off, it will overlay the linework for your file. Thus the lines are still present, but they are shaddowed by the image file. I can't remember how to do a change drawing order, but this is a cause here on occasion. The software also relies on secondary graphics software for certain functions. I presume that when you load the image up in Photoshop or Micrografx it shows up fine there. Back when, in using Micrografx I found that the image blew up about 1000%, and the last saved linework looked but a few thousandths of an inch big. The image changed, not the linework. I think that I resized the image, recentered it all, then continued.
One last thing in all this, if anything goes wrong, DO NOT SAVE, but exit without saving. Once you save and exit, you set in a whole new set of parameters, and destroy all ability to back up to a past environment.
You may be taking the long route too. Several readers here at RCU have been using the freeware version of WinTopo by Softsoft. You scan a small image, then save in BMP format. Open up WinTopo, have is convert to lines in about 30 seconds, and save the lines as a DXF format. Open up your CAD, then import the DXF file, and begin laying on new lines using the snap-to functions. Then bleep out the portions of the DXF file as you cover them with new lines. The DXF file will be huge, the new CAD file will be about 10% of the file size when finished.
Tough to remember all of this sometimes. I went to Autocad as the set-up parameters for hardware fit nearly anything out there. Compufoil although popular, was giving erroneous results around the leading edge when using the NACA function. I bought Anderson airfoil for these, and use Compufoil for non-NACA work. Anderson blows up on occasion, but least I don't get errors.
Wm.
>
