Use this page to test the SVF plug-in and explore a few sample drawings in SVF (Simple Vector Format). And, for the latest information regarding availability of all our Internet offerings, visit the SoftSource World Wide Web site!

Tips for Using the SVF Plug-in

As you can see from viewing the status bar, the map is dynamic and "alive" with information. For example, it contains annotations linked to some of the streets and a hyperlink to SoftSource's home page (linked to the hot pink rectangle). As you'll see later, the map also contains several layers of data, a standard strategy for organizing complexity in CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drawings.

Using SoftSource's SVF plug-in, you can pan around the map and zoom in/zoom out to get a closer look at intricate detail. You can also view or hide selected layers to focus only on information you're interested in. In other words, the plug-in provides access to all the extra data (for example, layers) in the original SVF file--information normally only available by viewing the drawing in its parent application. And, since the SVF 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! Along with these capabilities, the plug-in allows you to navigate via HTML hyperlinks.

We'll take a closer look at all the features of this example later in this document. For starters, here are a few 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 SVF plug-in navigational controls and options, click the right mouse button while the mouse pointer is directly over the SVF 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. Move the cursor over the file and watch the status bar; any time the mouse pointer is over an available hyperlink, you can see the associated URL (Web site) or text displayed there.
• 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...

• Step-by-step procedures. The following sections include simple procedures for exploring the specific examples. For detailed, step-by-step procedures covering each pop-up menu option, see Help Using SoftSource Plug-ins.
• Embedding SVF files in documents. For more information on embedding SVF files in HTML documents, see HTML for Vector Files.
• Creating your own spiffy SVF files. After seeing just a few of the nifty things you can do with SVF files, you'll probably be rarin' to go on to creating your own SVF masterpieces. Get the scoop on the ultimate tool for creating SVF files, Virtual Drafter (Vdraft), SoftSource's great, new, affordable, full-featured CAD system! Vdraft both both reads and writes SVF files! Take a look also at a document called Technical Information on SVF for more information on this file format.

Have fun exploring the examples and adding the power of SVF 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: Stock Prices Chart

• 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 chart full-view.
• Displaying/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 re-display a layer, select it in the dialog box and click to turn on the Display check box.
• Using hyperlinks. To see hyperlinks in action, click a company name at the top of the chart. This will link to the home page of that company.
  

  Note: For the hyperlinks to work, make sure you have a live, on-line connection to Netscape.

Example 2: Map of Downtown Bellingham, WA

Now take another look at the map of Bellingham to see the variety of options for using HTML hyperlinks with SVF files. Links can be one-dimensional (attached to a line or curve), two-dimensional (attached to a region such as a circle or polygon), or associated with text items or even point objects.

In addition to the techniques you used to explore Example 1, note these features:

• One-dimensional, inactive links. Move the cursor over the streets in the map. The status bar annotations for several streets indicate that they are one-way streets. These are examples of one-dimensional links--i.e., they're attached to lines, which represent streets in this graphic. Here, we've used inactive links to display simple text annotations in the status bar.
• Two-dimensional hyperlink with alternate text. You can also specify alternate text in place of a URL for an active link. Move the cursor again over the hot pink rectangle on the map (corner of Bay Street and Holly). The status bar message reads, "The home of SoftSource;" clicking the rectangle links you to SoftSource's home page. This is a two-dimensional link attached to a polygon in the drawing.
• Links on hidden layers. Keep in mind that if you hide a layer, any link on that layer will remain unavailable until you again turn on display of the layer. For example, if you turn off display of the Buildings layer in this drawing, the link to SoftSource is not accessible.

Example 3: The "Empire State 999"

• 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 4: House Plan

• 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.

Example 5: Toolpost

• Communicating with immediacy. Move the mouse pointer over the circled numbers to see the corresponding part name for each displayed in the status bar. Even though this information is shown in the drawing's original part name schedule (right-hand corner of the drawing), the simple text annotations make online viewing a lot easier. You can perhaps begin to see how even a simple enhancement like this can greatly facilitate studying large or intricate drawings over the Web or Internet.

Further Exploration (and Fun!) with SVF

Finally, the reward! Now that you're a veteran SVF explorer, check out our SVF Mystery page for some real SVF fun and adventure!

• General plug-in information
  
• Info on Simple Vector Format (SVF)
  
• How to embed vector images in HTML
  
• Info on Virtual Drafter, our new CAD program
  
• Return to the SoftSource Home Page
  

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