SE_READ.ME File
SE_READ.ME file for SuperEdit, Version 2.1
(C) Copyright Tessel Systems, 1999
This document contains the latest release notes for version 2.1
of SuperEdit.
A. New features added to SuperEdit 2.1
1. New editing library for color and gray scale images.
New raster editing library implements new technology in editing color
raster drawings. It gives you better quality of edited images and
greater flexibility in controlling various aspects of image processing
modes. Short description of these possibilities is given below; see
http://tessel.com/ for more details.
a) Raster editor settings
From the Edit tab on Configuration dialog, push the Raster editor
settings button. The settings available from the Raster editor settings
dialog are grouped in three boxes as described below.
All settings chosen during editing session are stored in INI file.
"Filter type"
Choice of filter type influences the way of calculating color of each
pixel in transformed image during resizing, rotating and calibrating.
The Linear and Cubic filters interpolate color value taking two or four
adjacent pixels according to linear and cubic interpolation formulae,
appropriately.
The Lanczos, Hamming and Blackman filters take into account color
values from six neighboring pixels.
The default setting is Linear filter, which is the fastest one and
precise enough for simple applications, like technical drawings and
maps.
"Use filters for files"
Although precise choice of filter type may be individual for each type
of image, the general decision when to use filter and when to not
filter at all may be taken basing on image color format.
Option "In any color format" enables filtering always when transforming
color and gray-scaled images.
Option "Above 16 colors" enables filtering for color and gray-scaled
256- palette images as well as for true-color images.
Option "In true-color only" limits filtering only to true-color images.
Option "Do not use" disables filtering at all.
The default setting is "Above 16 colors".
"Round bits number to"
When the palette image is to be transformed using filtering, it requires
converting to true-color format for processing and converting result
back while storing. Rounding 8 bits per each basic color to some lower
value, e.g. 7, 6, 5 or 4 bits may shorten converting and processing
time, with slight degradation of color precision.
Successive options named 4 bits per color, 5 bits per color, 6 bits per
color and 7 bits per color declare which rounding is to be used.
The default setting is rounding to 6 bits per each basic color.
b) Fill color and image transparency
New raster editing library enhances use of fill color and image
transparency concepts, used in advanced image processing applications.
"Fill color"
The fill color defined from the "Fill Color Filter" dialog is involved
in several situations.
In "Clear Rectangles / Polygons" operations, the fill color fills the
area defined for clearing. Similar "clearing to fill color" is done
during "Cut Rectangle / Polygon" operations.
In "Crop Rectangle / Polygon" operations, the fill color is used to
paint redefined parts of raster image. Similar "completing by fill
color" is done during "Cut / Copy Rectangle / Polygon", regarding
exported part of image.
In "Rotate / Calibrate Drawing" operations, the fill color is used to
paint undefined parts of raster image, that complete transformed shape
of original image to the extent of new image.
In "Paste Drawing" operation, the fill color similarly completes
redefined image extent if the pasted drawing exceeds it. However, the
most important use of fill color during pasting is its interpretation
in image being pasted. All parts of this image that have the same color
as the fill color are treated as if they were transparent. It enables
to handle properly such situations as pasting complicated raster shapes
obtained in "Cut / Copy Polygon" operation, even after resizing and
rotating pasted drawing.
The default fill color is white. You may have to redefine it to some
other color that is not involved in "Cut / Copy / Paste" operations, to
obtain proper results.
"Image transparency"
The set of transparent colors defined from the "Transparent Color
Filter" dialog enables to define and modify selective transparent areas
using "Transparent Clear Rectangles / Polygons" and "Transparent Mask -
Invert / Remove" operations.
Transparent masks introduced in color drawing are now transformed
properly in "Resize / Rotate / Calibrate" operations and preserved in
"Cut / Copy / Paste" operations.
In "Paste Drawing" operation, interpretation of image transparency in
drawing being pasted depends on the setting of "Enable image
transparency" option from the "View" tab on "Configuration" dialog.
Those areas of pasted drawing that have been defined as transparent
ones, are not pasted to current drawing if the "Enable image
transparency" option is on. Otherwise, the whole drawing (excluding
areas of color equal to fill color - see previous section) is pasted,
ignoring transparent mask.
2. Support for editing large raster image files (larger than 32K pixels).
3. Changes in user interface
For better clarity, DWM pop-up menu has been shortened, leaving only
those functions that are most frequently used. You may access other
functions from "Vector" toolbar and from "Vector" menu.
During defining vector entities, you may toggle activation of ortho snap
on and off using F8 key similarly as in AutoCAD. To set or clear ortho
snap permanently, use the "Ortho snap" button from "Input" bar.
During defining vector entities, you may toggle activation of grid snap
on and off using F9 key similarly as in AutoCAD. To set or clear grid
snap permanently, use the "Grid snap" button from "Input" bar.
B. New features added to SuperEdit 2.0
1. File preview in File Open dialog.
Dialog with the preview of the selected file is accessible in
commands: File Open, Paste Raster and Browse for choosing a
prototype drawing.
The file preview is displayed if a user selects file in format
supported by SuperEdit (e.g. raster image, TCD, TVD). User can
choose (with a check-box) whether or not to show the preview.
While a preview is being prepared, a progress of that operation
is shown in the dialog-box. However, if the preparation of
preview does not take much time, progress does not even appear
on the dialog window. After preview has been put in its window,
the progress window (if it was visible in the meantime) is
being hidden.
A user is able to take any action concerning to the FileOpen
dialog, while a preview is being prepared. Any of the controls
can be clicked and the appropriate action follows.
That means, that for example one can:
a) change file selection or directory (-> preview of
new selected file will begin to prepare from
the very beginning),
b) click Cancel (-> leaving dialog at once),
c) click OK (-> accepting the selected file to open).
2. New version of Merge Raster Drawings command.
New version of the Merge Raster Drawings command allows to
create raster file, which dimensions exceed 32768 pixels. In
this case, choice of raster file formats for the destination
file is limited to TIFF, CALS or BMP only.
The selected subdocuments can have different resolutions and
scales. If either any of the resolutions differ from one
another or scales are not the same, a dialog is shown to let
the user choose the best of the possible parameters. A
parameter can be chosen from a list (which contains values
concerning all of the selected drawings) or written in an
edit-box. However a typed-in value is accepted only if it is
between the minimum and maximum values in the appropriate list.
While subdocuments are being merged into one picture, the
progress of that operation (in %) is shown on the status bar of
the main window.
3. New version of Paste Raster Drawing command.
New version of the Paste Raster Drawing command has been
implemented in similar way as Insert Block Reference in the
vector drawing. Now you may inspect details of raster drawing
being inserted, which is displayed as a raster icon that you
may move, scale and rotate appropriately.
4. Grid support
It is possible now to display grid in the Drawing window. The
grid size may be set independently in x and y directions,
defined in user-preferred units, and the grid itself may be
activated from separate dialog after pushing "Grid options"
button from View page on the Configuration dialog. Grid nodes
are displayed as dots, with major grid lines enhanced. If the
grid is too dense to display, some of its nodes are omitted.
You may easily switch the grid on and off using the "Grid"
button on main toolbar, placed together with two other new
buttons, "Crosshair" and "World-size cursor".
You may activate snap to grid in drawing operations, using new
"Grid snap" button placed on the Input bar, or keeping Ctrl key
pressed while moving mouse cursor. Similarly, you may activate
orthogonal snap, using new "Ortho snap" button placed on the
Input bar, or keeping Shift key pressed.
5. Snaps to vector elements
In this version of SuperEdit, snaps to vector elements have
been implemented. They are controlled in similar fashion as
raster snaps.
Several kind of vector snaps are possible; you may activate
them concurrently. Separate Vector snap page on the
Configuration dialog, new Vector snap toolbar and Vector snap
submenu from the OTM list vector snaps according to their
priority as follows: cross snap, snap to insertion point, snap
to geometrical center, snap to midpoint, snap to endpoint and
snap to nearest point of the entity. You may activate vector
snaps as single-click snaps or as permanent snaps, or disable /
enable them at once.
After activating vector snap, a blue pickbox is displayed
together with drawing cursor (the pickbox concerned with raster
snap is red). After successful vector snap, a small blue circle
is displayed in the snapped position (after successful raster
snap, the snapped position is marked as small red cross).
6. Block support
New version of vector drawing library has a full capability of
defining separate block lists in vector drawing. Block
definitions list vector entities that may be easily referenced
from special vector entities called inserts, each one with
individual insertion point, scale and rotation angle. Insert
entity does not duplicate all entities from block definition,
but displays them and allow to snap to them as if they were
"inserted" in given position, scale and rotation. Changing the
block definition updates all inserts from which it is
referenced automatically.
You may examine the list of all block definitions in the vector
drawing and preview each block from the Blocks page on the
Drawing properties dialog.
To define (create) a block definition, draw appropriate
entities, select them and choose the DWM Block - Create option.
Write the name for new block in the "Name" box on the Blocks
page and click the "Add new" button. Alternatively, choose an
existent block from the list and click the "Change" button, if
you want to redefine it. Click the "OK" button to close the
dialog. Now show the position of the insertion point of the
block, marked with small yellow circle. It will be used during
inserting block references. Choose the OTM Accept option to
create the block. The selection used to define the block list
will be left untouched, removed from the drawing or replaced by
insert reference according to setting of the OTM Leave / Remove
/ Replace selection option.
To insert the block reference into the drawing choose the DWM
Block - Insert option or press the "Insert" button on the
Vector toolbar. From the Insert properties dialog, choose the
block definition to be used, set appropriate values for
insertion point, scale and rotation angle while examining the
appearance of the insert in the Preview window. You may check
boxes for presetting desired transformation parameters, and /
or check additional boxes for automatic Repeat, Explode or
Complex options. Now you may define interactively moving,
scaling and rotating operations that define insert
transformation. Operations marked as preset ones will be
skipped. Using appropriate OTM options, you may switch between
various actions, set additional Auto Repeat option and Explode
/ Complex options, examine and change Properties again, and
finally choose the OTM Accept option to accept the inserted
reference. If you want to repeat the action, use the OTM Repeat
option. With the OTM Auto Repeat option active, you may insert
multiple references to the block in single operation; use the
OTM Accept option when finished. With the OTM Explode option
active, the inserted reference will be instantly exploded,
duplicating all entities from block definition list into the
drawing. The OTM Complex option works similarly, but exploded
entities are grouped in complex.
To explode inserted entities, duplicating all entities from
block definition list into the drawing, select appropriate
inserts and choose the OTM Block - Explode option. Only those
inserts that have isotropic X and Y scales, can be exploded;
otherwise the exploding action will be cancelled.
To redefine existing block e.g. by correcting some of its
entities, insert its reference in 0,0 insertion point, with 1,1
scale and at 0 angle, exploding it at once. Make necessary
editing changes, set final selection and choose the OTM Block -
Create option choosing the same block name to change. After
entering again 0,0 insertion point, choose the OTM Accept
option with the OTM Remove selection option activated.
7. Default file units support
SuperEdit can display several raster and vector drawings at the
same time. To place them in the common world system
coordinates, the coordinates and distances related data have to
be interpreted in a context of units they have been defined.
Default file units support lets you set and store (in TAF
files) default units for any opened drawing file that does not
contain such information inside it. The units can be choosen
from "Default units" combo-boxes in the "Options -
Configuration - Edit" dialog. You can set units for:
a) background raster files,
b) backgroud vector files (vector drawings in
DWG, DXF and HPGL format that SuperEdit with
TSLETF option installed can display but not edit),
b) TCD (Tessel Composite Document) files,
c) TVD (Tessel Vector Document) files,
c) DXF files, that can be imported/exported to/from
current foreground TVD drawing (see the next point),
8. DXF improvements
The format of exported DXF drawing file is compatible with AutoCAD
DXF drawing database version number R13 and R14. The structure
of the DXF drawing is conformed with SuperEdit TVD vector
drawing structure as far as layers, blocks and tools are
concerned. You can notice some minor divergences that result
from different attitude to base notions; for instance: AutoCAD
line entity can not be thick but SuperEdit segment can,
SuperEdit complexes are realized as AutoCAD blocks, bitmap TVD
hatches are not supported, but vector hatches are, borders of
texts are not supported either.
SuperEdit can include (by improved version of "Import" command)
an external DXF file that is compatible with AutoCAD DXF
drawing database version number R10 - R14 (both included). In
the case of re-import of a file that was previously exported by
SuperEdit all it's structure and tools are recreated so it
looks and behaves like the original TVD vector drawing. In
other cases some tools such as: vector hatches other then
SOLID, LINE, ANSI31, ANSI37, NET and values of variable
thickness' of polylines are lost. You can export DXF file with
all coordinates and distances recalculated to predefined kind
of units. You can import DXF file with all coordinates and
distances treated as they are expressed in predefined kind of
units. The units can be choosen from "Default units for DXF
file" combo-box in the "Options - Configuration - Edit" dialog.
9. New vector entities
New vector entities have been introduced.
Point.
To define a point, click the "Point" button on the Vector
toolbar, move the drawing cursor to desired position of the
point and click the left mouse button. Points with no size are
displayed as small circles with 8 pixels diameter,
independently of the view scale. If you set the point size from
the Thickness box on the Tools page of the Point properties
dialog to some non-zero value, it will be used as absolute
value of point diameter. You may also use Fill brush and Fill
color combo boxes if you want the point to be filled.
Ellipse.
To define an ellipse, click the "Ellipse" button on the Vector
toolbar, move the drawing cursor to desired position of the
center of the ellipse and click the left mouse button. Now drag
the shape of the ellipse, defining its both axis as the corner
of the rectangle with ellipse inscribed. From the Ellipse
properties dialog, you may define its center, lengths of both
semi-axes and the angle of slope of the first axis.
Circular Arc.
To define a circular arc, click the "Circle Arc" button on the
Vector toolbar, move the drawing cursor to desired position of
the beginning of an arc and click the left mouse button; then
move the drawing cursor to desired position of the end of the
arc and click the left mouse button again. Now drag the shape
of the arc, defining its medium point with third click. From
the Circle Arc properties dialog, you may define its center,
radius and starting and ending angles.
10. SaveAs TIFF improvements
While saving TIFF drawings into another file (using Save As),
it is possible to force the file extension to either tif or
tiff. (The file is now saved correctly, with the specified
extension, with no messages about errors.)
11. Printing mono drawings without template
Drawings printed without printing template use the smallest
possible palette type. For example mono drawings are printed as
mono ones, 16-color drawings use 16-color palette type.
Due to that change, these kind of documents are printed quicker
(not in 256 colors, as it has used to be until now).
12. Editing transparent mask
New raster operations are available - transparent clearing.
It is possible to choose from a dialog in "Options/Transparent
Colors" the colors, which are to be cleared within the chosen
area.
The area is defined similarly to clearing: it can consist of
many either rectangles ("Raster - Transparent Clear Rectangle")
or polygons ("Raster - Transparent Clear Polygon").
A user can invert the actual transparent mask of the selected
drawing ("Raster - Transparent Mask - Invert") or remove it
("Raster - Transparent Mask - Remove").
Editing transparent mask is possible only if there are rasters
of True Color type and TIFF format selected.
One can enable / disable transparent viewing with changing the
check-box "Enable image transparency" state in the "Options -
Configuration - View" dialog.
13. Add new vector based on prototype drawing
It is possible to a add a new vector drawing based on a
prototype file (another vector drawing).
The prototype file name is specified in "Options -
Configuration - Open" dialog.
A user can use a browse button to find the wanted file (the
chosen file name and location appears in an edit box).
It is possible to choose with a check-box whether or not to use
the prototype drawing in "Add new vector" command. The
prototype is used only if the check-box is set and the
prototype-path is not empty.
14. Calibrate Raster Drawing improvements
Some additional options are accessible while defining
calibration vectors based on net or on vector entities during
"Calibrate Raster Drawing" action.
With the OTM Next / Previous Node option, you may switch to
next or previous node independently if the calibrating vector
has been defined there or not.
With the OTM Next Empty / Previous Empty Node option, you may
switch to next or previous node where the calibrating vector
has not been defined yet.
If some of these options are disabled, it means that there are
no nodes of given type in chosen direction.
With the OTM Delete Current option, you may delete the
calibration vector from current node if it has been defined by
mistake. This option is disabled if there is no vector at
current node.
15. Macros in SuperEdit
For users wanting customize SuperEdit to face their own purposes
we have added a possibility to write and execute macros. More
information about SuperEdit's programming interface and macros usage
you can find in "SuperEdit Customization Manual". This document and
sample macro files you can find in the Macros subdirectory of
SuperEdit directory.
16. Other user interface improvements
Common Drag / Add / Delete Vertex options
The DWM Drag Vertex / Add Vertex / Delete Vertex options that
are shown in pop-up menu after right click with cursor placed
over the active grips or over the polygon / polyline edge, are
displayed together with rest of standard DWM options, not as
separate menu as before.
Zoom while editing
You may use click-and-drag technique to start defining zoom
window not only in idle SuperEdit state, but during most
editing actions as well. This feature may be switched off if
not needed.
Command auto-repeat
You may easily call most recently used command of any type,
using the Repeat option from DWM menu.
Defining simple vector entities, e.g. points, segments, ...,
may be performed in automatically repeatable fashion; this
feature may be switched off if not needed. With command
autorepeat enabled, use OTM Break option (instead of OTM Cancel)
to stop defining entities.
Cancelling complex commands
Some complex commands, like Insert Block Reference or Trace
Raster, may be repeated internally, defining several inserts or
several trace segments in single command. If you use the OTM
Cancel option or Escape key, additional message asks you if you
really want to discard the whole operation.
B. New features added in version 1.3
1. Geographic coordinates
2. Import/Export raster image parameters in Map-Info and ARC/INFO formats.
3. Insert vectors to raster image.
4. Create raster image from composite document.
5. Trace raster lines.
6. Export to DXF drawing format.
7. ORTHO mode while drafting.
8. Printing multiple documents using print template.