SAVE

Purpose:

To enable a user to create and save, in the system Symbol Font file, a new symbol.

Instructions:

1. The first task is to key-in, into the dialog box that appears on the screen, the 'symbol font' ID number that is to be used, noting that this must be unique and not one that is already used within the 'symbol font' set. When this input has been entered and the OK button has been clicked, the display returns to the open drawing. It is recommended that a drawing form of size 511*511 is used when creating symbols from scratch. (This drawing form is automatically created by the system when a symbol is fetched for any subsequent updating.)

2. The user can then employ the full Drafting capability of the system in order to create a symbol, inclusive of geometry and text, which meets the design needs.

3. The 'symbol' object, when deemed by the user to be complete, will then be scanned for 'contours' that define the shape of the symbol. It is to be noted that geometric or text items that are partly outside of the boundary of the drawing form will, after verification, be omitted from the final symbol. Thus the user needs to exercise some discipline in ensuring that the contours and text that define the required symbol lay completely within the drawing form. The user should note that in subsequent applications of a symbol within a new drawing that he can, of course, change the relative scale of the symbol at that time.

4. The total size of a single symbol is internally maximized by the system and will be checked against the symbol shape definition. If the system considers that the shape is too complicated, then the user will receive an error message and the symbol creation process will be aborted by the system. The user can reduce the apparent 'complexity' of a symbol by 'chaining' geometric elements together, as described in the corresponding Drafting function.

Options:

There are no other options available within this function.

Result:

When the definition of the symbol has been completed, the system will store the symbol in the Symbol font file, with an appropriate graphic representation, and from which it can be accessed at any time for copying into a drawing.