Scheme -- A Schematic Capture system;

Contact:

SoftCircuits, Inc.
701 Nw 13th Street, Suite C4
Boca Raton, Florida
33432

305-368-7024   [ 8:00-4:30 EST ]

This is a demonstration version of Scheme. It does *not* contain the code
required to save drawings. It WILL save objects. Plot files can also
be created. This ARC file may be freely redistributed, as long as no charge
(other than duplication costs) is levied upon the recipient of the file.
The program "Scheme", it's structure, it's name, and it's source code is
Copyright 1987 SoftCircuits Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No modification of
the supplied program(s) in this file is permitted, and is a breach of some
laws. This file was supplied to the public domain in good faith -- please
treat us as you would have us treat you!

Consider the following: (It's a commercial, but please read it anyway)

SoftCircuits, Inc. does NOT copy-protect it's software;
We supply unprotected demos to the public so you can "try before you buy".
All our software is designed to run in environments from floppys to hard
drives or ram without problems... no key disks, no "read this phrase from
the #$&%* manual", and no #$&%* Dongles! Our software is competitively
priced (we're comparing to the ms-dos world -- there ISN'T anything else
for the Amiga!) We have *very* generous upgrade and bug fix policies,
such as free for one year, $20.00 a shot thereafter. If you find a bug
yourself, and we fix it, you get the update free even if your year is up.
We try really hard to provide quality software, without the stupidity
thrust upon many of you by other software vendors who have, in our
opinion, given up on the integrety of their customers. We still get
pirated, just like all the rest -- but we only provide ONE excuse;
If someone steals this software, then it wasn't because it was a challenge,
or out of spite. Is the price too high? We don't think it is... but, if
you examine SoftCircuits pricing policy in the Amiga marketplace, you'll
find that as our product line grows, we drop the prices of the individual
products... We try to have the overall price of our "CAD" tools for
electrical engineering types come to about $1000.00 -- This now covers
two tools, PCLOplus and Scheme. That makes them 499.95 each, and if another
program module is developed to work with these (in development now) then the
prices will drop to $333.33 each. And those who have already shelled out
the $1000.00 can receive the new module as an upgrade, at a minimal
price.

Now; Do your part... if you buy Scheme, or any other SoftCircuits
product, please keep the master and it's backups secure. Is that too
much to ask?

Now, on to the good stuff:

Using the files found in this archive, you should create a disk
with the following structure:

Scheme          in the root.            (in SCH.ARC as "Scheme")
Scheme.info     in the root.            (in SCH.ARC as "Scheme.info")
PlotLib (dir)   in the root.            [ create this ]
  {It will be empty}
ConfigLib (dir) in the root.            [ create this ]
  containing the file "Default.config"  (in SCH.ARC as "DEF.cnf")
ObjectLib (dir) in the root.            [ create this ]
  AnalogLib (dir) in ObjectLib          [ create this ]
    all files from ALIB.ARC -- renamed from "name" to "name.object"
  DigitalLib (dir) in ObjectLib         [ create this ]
    all files from DLIB.ARC -- renamed from "name" to "name.object"
DrawLib   (dir) in the root.            [ create this ]
  containing the file "CoCoGrey.draw"   (in SCH.ARC as "CoCo")
  
  Icons for the various drawers are not required, but won't hurt to
  have around. Scheme does NOT create ICONS for any file that it
  produces. Since you can delete files from within the program, and
  since there is a definite penalty both in speed and in memory
  usage associated with the use of icons, we elected not to use them.
  This allows a drawer with 100 objects to contain 100 files instead
  of 200 files; such a directory is handled more than twice as fast
  within scheme, and by AmigaDOS.

If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to call or write us
with them.

Gadget tools are provided for:

 COPY    ---------------- Looks like a camera.
 DELETE    -------------- An Eraser, tilted a bit.
 MOVE    ---------------- an arrow with a jog in it.
 ROTATE (90/180/270)    - three arrows, curved appropriatly for function.
 FLIP (H/V)    ---------- double headed arrows.
 GROW    ---------------- a small dot, four arrows pointing outwards.
 SHRINK    -------------- a circle, four arrows pointing inwards.
 MAGNIFY    ------------- a magnifying glass with a fat wire in it.
 REDUCE    -------------- a magnifying glass with a thin wire in it.
 PAN (H/V)    ----------- Normal Intuition Gadgets... proportional.
 SPLIT A WIRE    -------- 45 degree arrow pointing into a corner.
 CHANGE PAGE    --------- Big pointers at the bottom of the gadgets.
 MARK ALL    ------------ Laundry marker at the top right.
 UNMARK ALL    ---------- Tiny Schematic.
 UNDO    ---------------- Says "UnDo".
 LAYER EDIT    ---------- Contains either an Op-Amp or a Pencil.
 OBJECT/WIRE MODE    ---- Contains either a hand or a wire.
 TEXT INSERTION    ------ A large "T".
 
The gadgets can be disabled by clicking the right mouse button while the
pointer is over the gadgets. You can still operate, but operations can
only be selected from the menus. Some operations are only available from
the menus in any case. All gadget operations can be performed from the
menus, however.

Most operations are performed by selecting the target object, text, or
wire, and then 'hitting" the appropriate gadget or menu selection.
Operations affect ALL selected items, regardless of the mode (object or
text) you are currently in.

Objects can be moved or copied -- there are two methods for this.
The first method works as follows; select the object, then click at the
location you want the item placed: now hit the move or copy gadget.
The second method is by 'dragging'. You drag an object by poiting at it,
pressing the mouse button (left) and then moving the mouse without
releasing the button. When the image of the object is positioned exactly
as you wish, release the mouse button. Now hit move or copy. Note: the
image that 'drags' is just that - an image. It is NOT the Item itself.
If you make a mistake, you can drag again... even though the image from
the first drag operation remains, it will have no effect, and will
dissapear when the actual copy or move operation is performed.

The object editor can make new objects, or will edit current objects if they
are selected when the editor is invoked by clicking the "grid" gadget.
The editor has several modes you will use; Line mode, where you can place
new line segement. These are used to draw the object -- they are not
connectable in the sense of "wiring". There is "Node mode", which is used
to place connectable points onto the object. These locations are where
you will be able to attach wires. Every object MUST have at least one node,
and one wire, or the system will not accept it. There is "erase mode" which
is used to delete lines and nodes. To delete a line, click on it's endpoints.
to delete a node, click twice on it. There are four arrows in the object
editor palette which are used to re-position the object. The last item you
will use is the "LOCK" gadget. This takes the new object you have created,
and passes it to the main editor... now, if you are using the system, you
can select the "CUSTOM" item and your new object will be placed in the
workspace. NOTE: The object load function uses the custom selection storage
area... if you load an object, then that object becomes the custom object;
So you should be sure to load your new object into the workspace right after
you create it in order to ensure that you don't lose it by accident.

You can save objects (which you can then use later if you purchase the
release version) using this demo; Simply mark (by clicking) any single
object or group of objects, and select SAVE AS OBJECT from the projects
menu. A file requester comes up, you type in a name, and there you have
it.

Scheme has a number of different modes. These are indicated by checkmarks
in the menus, or the drawing in the gadget. These may get out of sync
with each other in this version, but no problems occur because of this.

The Op-Amp symbol indicates you are in object mode. This mode allows you
to either manipulate objects or wires, depening on the setting of another
gadget. If the pencil symbol appears, then you are in text edit mode. In
this mode, the the pointer selects text items, not objects... No matter
what mode you're in, the edit operations (move, copy, rotate, etc) affect
ANY object, wire, or text that is selected.

Selecting wires: you must be in object mode (op-amp shows) with the wire
symbol, not the hand, showing. Click on the endpoints of the wires.
Allowed operations on wires are Delete, and Split.

To Place wires, you must be in object mode (op-amp shows) with the wire
symbol, not the hand, showing. Click on two different nodes anywhere,
and a wire will appear connecting them. If you desire to re-position the
wire, or route it around something, you can either move one of the objects
it is attached to, or you can "Split" the wire. This operation is performed
by selecting the wire (click on it's endpoints) and hit the split gadget
or select split from the menus. The wire is then split, and a small point
is placed in the center of the wire. You can then return to object mode
and drag or click-move this point elsewhere -- the wire will follow.

To create and use wire "busses", you can use the provided connectors in
the menus. These are lines of connectable points that are sloped at 45
degrees. To use them, they should be magnified so that each point is
easily accessable. Once you have connected to them, you can shrink them to
the desired size. If you wish to create bus handlers of your own, using
the object editor, remember that they should be at 45 degree angles, and
that the nodes should be spaced one grid element apart. This will ensure
that the busses make nicely behaved turns and that they can be compressed
to a solid buss.

Mostly, you will have to experiment with the system. If you need help,
you can call us, and we'll try to, but we cannot spend too much time
with each caller or we won't ever get anything else done...So be
considerate... Thanks!

Thank you for your time in examining what SoftCircuits has to offer.

Other products under development are in the areas of CAD (surprised?),
Image processing, Amatuer Radio packet handling, and Amatuer Radio
Slow Scan television, Hard disk drivers, and more.

Bug Commodore for a 68020 machine! And hardware support (new chips) for
1024 by 1024 graphics that the system already implements.

Charles B. Blish, for SoftCircuits, August 28th, 1987