SoftSource DWG/DXF Plug-in Help

Vdraft Internet Tools
Commercial Version
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Use this page to test Vdraft Internet Tools and explore a few sample DWG/DXF drawings. DWG is the file format used by AutoCAD and Vdraft. DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) is used for transfering CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) files between CAD systems and other engineering applications.

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Tips for Using the DWG/DXF Plug-in

With SoftSource's DWG/DXF plug-in, you have full access to the rich, complex information normally stored in a CAD drawing, such as this example of a house plan:

As you'll see, the drawing actually consists of several layers that organize the information. Using SoftSource's DWG/DXF plug-in, you can view or hide selected layers to focus only on information you're interested in. You can also pan around the image and zoom in/zoom out to get a closer look at intricate detail. In other words, the plug-in provides access to all the extra data (for example, layers) in the original DWG file--information normally only available by viewing the drawing in its parent CAD application. And, since the DWG image is a vector graphic, it also scales with total accuracy. Viewed through the plug-in, the drawing again becomes the rich, precise, dynamic communication tool it really is!

We'll take a closer look at all the features of this example later in this document. For starters, here are some tips to get you up-and-running with the plug-in, which you can try out on the above example:

Use the right-click, pop-up menu to control all options. To display a pop-up menu with all DWG/DXF plug-in navigational controls and options, click the right mouse button while the mouse pointer is directly over the DWG/DXF image.
Use the cues on the status bar. As you work with the plug-in pop-up menu, notice the tips and information displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
Use Zoom Extents to quickly restore the graphic to full-view. Right-click over the image to display the pop-up menu, and then click Zoom Extents. This redraws the entire image as large as possible within the boundaries defined for the drawing.

More Information...

The next sections of this document include simple procedures for exploring the specific examples. As you work with the examples, you may find the following additional information helpful:

Step-by-step procedures. For detailed, step-by-step procedures covering each pop-up menu option, see Help Using Vdraft Internet Tools.
Embedding DWG/DXF files in documents. For more information on embedding DWG/DXF files in HTML documents, see HTML for Vector Files.
Creating spiffy DWG/DXF files. Get the scoop on the ultimate tool for creating DWG/DXF files, Virtual Drafter (Vdraft), SoftSource's great, new, affordable, full-featured CAD system! Vdraft reads and writes native DWG/DXF file formats directly without translation, establishing a new industry standard (for example, not even AutoCAD itself reads DXF format without translation).

Have fun exploring the examples and adding the power of DWG/DXF images to your own HTML documents!

Note: When viewing the following examples, if you're not sure whether you're seeing the entire image, right-click over the image, and then click Zoom Extents to restore the entire graphic to full-view.

Example 1: Houseplan (DWG File)

Now take another look at the house plan. This DWG drawing illustrates a typical CAD treatment of a building plan, with information logically organized on multiple layers. With the plug-in, you can display or hide selected layers, viewing only the information you're interested in.

Try these techniques to further explore the drawing:

Navigating. To Zoom and Pan the drawing, right-click to display the pop-up, and then click the Zoom or Pan option you want. Use the Zoom Extents command to restore the drawing full-view.
Viewing/hiding layers. To control the visibility of each layer, right-click to display the pop-up, and then click the Layers command to display the Layers dialog box. To hide a layer, select it in the dialog box, click the Display check box to turn off display of that layer, and click OK. To redisplay a layer, select it in the dialog box and click to turn on the Display check box.

Example 2: Plan for Hexagonal House (DWG File)

Example 2 is a more complicated houseplan. Take a look at:

Using Zoom Window. Right-click over the image, and then click Zoom Window on the pop-up. The status bar prompts you to specify a first and second point--the two diagonal corner points--that define the Zoom Window rectangle. For example, here, try a Zoom Window over one hexagonal module of the houseplan.
More ways to work with Layers. Building on techniques you learned for Example 1, try hiding and redisplaying various combinations of layers. The Layers dialog box is modeless, so you can move it around on the desktop and leave it open as you work with the example. Shortcut: To toggle the on-off display of a given layer, simply double-click the layer name in the Layers dialog box.

Example 3: Pipe Symbols Library (DXF File)

This drawing contains standard symbols used in pipe fittings. Try the various viewing and navigation techniques you used with the previous examples to explore this drawing.

General plug-in information
How to embed vector images in HTML
Info on Virtual Drafter, our new CAD program
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