IGES files can represent electrical schematics and solid models as well as drawings. Although IGES files are encoded with ASCII characters, the data for entities (the basic unit of information) is divided between two different physical sections of the file, the Directory Entry (DE) Section, and the Parameter Data (PD) Section. A lot of the information is encoded as enumerated types represented by integers, e.g., the value "2" means "RED" in the Color field and "DASHED" in the Line Font Pattern field. This makes it very difficult for a human to interpret or modify the data.
The WiZ WORX IGES Utilities are a collection of programs that are useful for examining, modifying, and displaying IGES files. They are designed to be used infrequently in a production environment. That is, someone who handles IGES files on a daily basis may need to use one or more of these tools only a few times a month, so the commands are simple and intuitive. Using a WiZ WORX IGES Utility for only a few minutes can save hours of work with a text editor; usually, one of these tools will pay for itself the first time it's used!
IGESXTRACT™ is an interactive utility for extracting copies of entities from an IGES file. The recursive algorithm will copy all "child" entities referenced from DE or PD fields, and correct all of the pointers automagically. It will not duplicate previously copied entities. All annotation, geometry (curves and surfaces), and topology (solids) entities are fully supported.
IGESMERGE™ is a utility for merging two IGES files into a single file. It can be used in two ways, either merging two files into a third file, or appending one file to another. IGESMERGE is handy for adding information to an IGES file that is required by MIL-D-28000 but not generated by a vendor's IGES preprocessor. For example, a Drawing (Type 404), its Properties (Types 406:14, 406:15, and 406:17), and a View (Type 410) can be extracted from a conforming IGES file using IGESXTRACT and then appended to another IGES file using IGESMERGE.
IGESDRAW™ is a utility for generating plots of IGES drawings on virtually any display device. It supports all of the entities in the MIL-D-28000 Class I (Technical Illustration) IGES subset and the IGES Engineering Drawing Application Protocol. The data in the IGES file is converted into a file of either Hewlett Packard Graphics Language (HP-GL) or Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) commands. HP-GL and EPS files can be imported directly into WordPerfect and other popular desktop publishing systems. The technical illustrations in IGES Versions 5.0 and onward have been generated using IGESDRAW.
IGESGUMP™ is a brain-damaged version of IGESDRAW. It supports the MIL-D-28000 Class I (Technical Illustration) IGES subset and the 2D Etch-A-Sketch® paradigm, i.e., no dimensions or 3D geometry. This is a sufficient subset of IGES to support all of the technical illustrations in the IGES specification except for the "x-files", some of which use entities outside of the Class I subset.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.
Each WiZ WORX IGES Utility is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find one of these programs useful and find that you are using a WiZ WORX IGES Utility and continue to use it after a 30 day trial period, you must make a registration payment of $50 to WiZ WORX.
The $50 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it is also being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different people at the same time.
Commercial users of WiZ WORX IGES Utilities must register and pay for their copies of them within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. A Site license costs $500 and allows copies to be in use on multiple machines at the same time.
Anyone distributing a WiZ WORX IGES Utility for any kind of remuneration must first contact WiZ WORX at the address below for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering WiZ WORX IGES Utilities immediately. (However, WiZ WORX must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest versions.)
You are encouraged to pass a copy of any WiZ WORX IGES Utility to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of that WiZ WORX IGES Utility.
If you use and like a WiZ WORX IGES Utility, please register by sending $50 to:
This will place you on a list of registered users and entitle you to (a) 90 days of free technical support and bug fixes, (b) free enrollment on CompuServe and a $15 usage credit, (c) the secret to disabling the Registration Reminder Screen (RRS) when the program terminates (d) one free upgrade (i.e., the next released version), plus notification of enhanced product offerings as they become available.
There is an answering machine attached to the 24-hour technical support voice-line, but please allow at least a week for a reply since the author is frequently out of town on business.
The WiZ WORX IGES Source Library (WISL™) can be used to create filter or flavoring tools for IGES files, such as modifying line-weights, layers, status fields, etc. This code can also be used as the nucleus of an IGES pre- or postprocessor, or it can be used to build an interactive IGES file editor.
The sale price of $5,000 includes non-exclusive rights for commercial development, with no royalty requirements (and no support). For an additional $2,000 (plus travel and lodging) a programmer can be located on-site for 5 days to facilitate implementation of a proprietary custom application.
WiZ WORX is a member of the National IGES Users Group (NIUG), the CALS (Computer Assisted Logistics and Support) Test Network (CTN), and was the Founding Member of the U.S. Product Data Association (US PRO).
Dennette Harrod has been an individual member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), and the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) for many years.
He has been a voting member of the IPO Steering Committee, and a voting member of the U. S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO/TC184/SC4, the body responsible for the development of STEP (ISO 10303), the international standard for machine-interpretable representation of product data.
IGESPEEK is a companion to the various commercial translators and analyzers for IGES files. It saves you the trouble of thumbing through the IGES document to decipher the fields in an entity. You can use it to browse through IGES files or to examine those entities that caused translator errors.
IGESPEEK does not use a WIMP interface (i.e., Windows, Icons, Mice, and Pop-up menus). Versions are currently available for VAX/VMS, Sun/UNIX, and generic MS-DOS. How one gets an IGES file onto their computer is left as an exercise for the user. IGESPEEK is smart enough to recognize files that have any reasonable combination of <CR> and <LF> as record terminators, or files that have no record terminators. If you can "type" the file and it looks like an IGES file on your screen, then IGESPEEK should be able to read it. (This is often referred to as the Duck Rule - "If it walks like a duck, etc.")
IGESPEEK assumes that the file is reasonably correct. This means that a commercial IGES translator can process it without aborting, but might issue a few errors or warnings. As an example, the warning could be of the form, "REQUIRED LEADER POINTER IS MISSING IN DIMENSION AT DE 235". You can use IGESPEEK to examine the file. It will show you (a) what kind of dimension it is, and (b) which pointer is missing.
If you do not understand what the last two paragraphs mean, or if you would not recognize an IGES file if it walked up and gave you a Masonic handshake, then IGESPEEK is probably of absolutely no use to you. In that case, reformat this media and use it for something else.
With all WiZ WORX tools, the flags, syntax, and default assumptions can be viewed by entering the command without any arguments. (This help-screen will contain a Registration Reminder even if you are already registered.)
There is an implicit assumption that the user (a) understands the structure of an IGES file, (b) has a copy of the current version of the IGES Specification, and (c) has spent some amount of time examining IGES files with a text editor.
To get started, try using IGESPEEK with one of the sample IGES files provided. Use the "H" or "?" commands to display the Help Screen, which lists the available commands. If you still need help, call WiZ WORX Technical Support at 202-541-9434.
The command syntax is very simple:
IGESPEEK <filename>
There is no command to cause the output to go to a log file. However, you can use command line redirection via the ">" operator to send the output to a log file or a printer, e.g.,
C> IGESPEEK SOMEFILE.IGS >FOO.BAR
will cause output from examining the file SOMEFILE.IGS to be listed in the file FOO.BAR instead of on the screen. Output can be redirected to a printer by using PRN: (or LST: on some systems) instead of a file name. The prompts still appear on the screen even when output is redirected.
This underscores why IGESPEEK is TTY oriented; the formats for screen display ala windows are incompatible with the desire for hardcopy listings. Since most users will want hardcopy (for bug reports to implementors), the inconvenience of having to use the <Hold Screen> or <Pause> key seemed to be a minor concern. Any normal key (like the space bar) can be used as a <Hold Screen> key. (*NOTE* This feature is inoperative on the SUN version; use "page mode" in a SUN window.)
The first thing a user needs to know is, "How do I get out of this program and back to the operating system?" Well, IGESPEEK doesn't force you to remember... you can enter "QUIT", "EXIT", "END", "DONE", "DOS", or just plain "X". (Just remember to hit the <Enter> or <Return> key, too!)
The commands for IGESPEEK are very simple, and can be displayed at any time from the "DE number" prompt by entering either "HELP" or "?". The prompt also contains the last DE number in the file; entering a larger number has no effect. (Remember, DE numbers are always an odd number because DE records occupy two 80-column lines in the file.)
The Terminate Section and Global Section are displayed when the file is first opened. These sections can be viewed again at any time by entering the "T" or "G" commands.
The "+" and "-" commands display the following and preceding entity in the file regardless of Entity Type. You should use the "+" command to single-step through the file. If you want to see the next entity of the same type, then use the "N" command.
The "=" command redisplays the same entity. Even though keys like the "space bar" can be used as a <Hold Screen>, sometimes you want to review data that has scrolled off the screen.
The "*" command is intended for use when the output has been redirected to a file. Use this command with caution, especially with very long files, because it cannot be interrupted except by aborting the program with <Ctrl-C>.
The "F)ind" command needs an argument (separated by a space). You must supply the Entity Type Number to be found. For example, to find the first Linear Dimension in the file, enter "F 216" at the prompt. The optional Form Number is separated from the Entity Type Number by a colon (:). For example, to find the first Witness Line in the file, enter "F 106:40". If no Form Number is provided, the first instance with any Form Number will be displayed.
The "F" command will always search from the beginning of the file. If no entities of the type selected are found, a message to that effect is generated at the end of the search. For large files, this may take some time.
The "N)ext" and "P)revious" commands find the next and previous entity of the same Entity Type. (The search is sensitive to Form Numbers unless none was provided on the "F" command.) The search is always forward or backward from the current entity. If no entities are found, the current entity can be viewed again by the "=" command.
The "C)ount" command will count the number of instances of a given Entity Type:Form in the file. For example, "C 106:40" will count all of the Witness Lines in the file, while "C 106" will count all of the Copious Data entities regardless of their Form Number. The entire files is searched from the beginning, but the current entity is retained for viewing by the "=" command.
The "S)how" command will display the DE numbers of all instances of a given Entity Type:Form in the file. It works exactly like the "C" command, except that it displays the DE and Type:Form of each instance as it is located. You should use the "C" command before using the "S" command, especially on large files, since the <Hold Screen> feature is inoperative during the search and display.
The "R)eference" command will list all entities that point to the current entity. The first time that it is used, the entire IGES file is scanned and all references are collected into a structure. (A "please wait" message and a rotating pinwheel at the cursor will be displayed while the initial scan is in progress.) The display will give the DE number of each entity that references the current entity, which section contains the reference (DE, PD, Associativities list, or Properties list), and the index or field within that section. (*NOTE* The "index" in the PD section is not reliable; it may be either a fixed location, or the index into a list, but there is no indication as to which of several lists within the PD this index applies. Common sense and the entity types involved will usually resolve any ambiguity.)
The "#" command (only available to Registered Users) will count and display all entity TYPE:FORM combinations in the file, e.g.:
The command summary (as displayed by the "H)elp" command) is given here for convenience.
The following pages contain an IGES file, a plot produced by it, and the output of running IGESPEEK with the "*" command to display all of the entities. This particular file contains a Circular Arc (Type 100) and a Diameter Dimension (Type 206). Note that this is a MIL-D-28000 Class II (Engineering Drawing) IGES Subset conformant file, so it also contains a Drawing (Type 404:0), a dummy View (Type 410:0), and the required Properties (Types 406:15, 406:16, and 406:17).
You will see that IGESPEEK first displays the Terminate Section and the Global Section. Each individual entity in the file is then displayed with its Directory Entry (DE) Section and Parameter Data (PD) Section formatted for legibility. Notice how enumerated types such as the Color and Line Font fields of the DE have been translated into meaningful values. Also notice how the PD fields that contain coordinate values have been arranged on a single line.
Feel free to use this file (and the others provided with this package) both to gain familiarity with the structure of IGES files and as sample input files for testing IGES postprocessors from various vendors.
IGESPWIN™ is a Microsoft(R) Windows™ version of IGESPEEK. You can use this executable with the File Manager (through the Associate dialog) so that you can "double click" an IGES file and activate IGESPEEK for browsing.
Under the "File" menu in the Windows File Manager is an option labeled "Associate". Use the dialog box for this option to associate IGESPWIN.EXE with files that have the extension ".IGS". (You might also want to associate this with the extension ".IGE" for IGES files from some vendors.)
IGESPWIN does not offer the <Hold Screen> functionality of the DOS version, but it offers an "infinite" scroll buffer. Use your mouse with the scroll bar on the right of the window to move back to earlier output.
All of the commands for IGESPEEK are available in IGESPWIN. Depending on user feedback, a future version may offer a "Print" option from the menu bar and "drag and drop" activation.
With IGESXTRACT, you can copy all of the Angular Dimension Entities (Type 202) from one file to another, and their associated General Notes (Type 212), Witness Lines (Type 106:40), and Leader/Arrows (Type 214) will be copied as well. Transformation Matrix Entities (Type 124) referenced by Subfigure Instances (Types 408, 412, 414, and 420) and curves (Types 102, 104, 112, 126, etc.) are transferred automagically if they are not already present in the output IGES file. Copy a Trimmed Parametric Surface Entity (Type 144), and get everything down to the base surface used in common by it and the associated Curve on a Parametric Surface Entity (Type 142).
IGESXTRACT is based on the popular IGESPEEK and uses the same convenient user interface to browse through the input IGES file. When you find the entity you wish to add to the output IGES file, use the "W"rite command and it will be copied along with all of the entities that it explicitly references. All of the new entities that appear in IGES Version 5.2 (Nov'93) are fully supported, including the new topology and geometry entities for representing B-Rep Solids.
Please read the User Information section for IGESPEEK first; all of the assumptions and advice apply to IGESXTRACT as well and will not be repeated here.
To get started, try using IGESXTRACT with one of the sample IGES files provided. If you still need help, call WiZ WORX Technical Support at 202-541-9434.
The command syntax is very simple:
IGESXTRA <infile> <outfile>
IGESXTRACT requires an input IGES filename and an output IGES filename. You will be able to browse though the input file with the same commands as IGESPEEK, and the entities you select for copying will be written into the output file. For example,
C> IGESXTRA SFIGTEST.IGS MYFILE.IGS
will open the file SFIGTEST.IGS for input and write the selected IGES entities into MYFILE.IGS. If the output file already exists, its contents will be replaced.
IGESXTRACT is very similar to IGESPEEK with the following exceptions:
Because of the recursive algorithm, entities in the output IGES file will probably not be in the same order in which they occur in the input IGES file. Defaulted parameters in the DE and PD are preserved that way, i.e., they are not replaced with a zero.
Global Parameter 20 (Maximum Coordinate Value) is updated to reflect the entities copied. Global Parameter 23 (Version Number) is set to reflect IGES Version 5.0.
Floating point coordinates are rounded to the number of digits appropriate for the value specified in Global Parameter 19 (Minimum User-Intended Resolution). For example, if this value is 0.0001, then coordinates are rounded to 4 digits to the right of the decimal point. This has the side effect that values such as "0.24999999" will be rounded to "0.25". Coefficients are not effected, and will be copied with the precision represented in the input IGES file.
The command summary (as displayed by the "H)elp" command) is given here for convenience.
IGESTIDY is useful for people who are contractually obligated to deliver digital product data in IGES Version 5.x format, but their CAD/CAM system's IGES preprocessor only generates IGES Version 4.0 or earlier. Note that some IGES postprocessors will abnormally terminate if they encounter IGES version 5.x files.
Please read the User Information section for IGESPEEK first; all of the assumptions and advice apply to IGESTIDY as well and will not be repeated here.
To get started, try using IGESTIDY on some of the sample IGES files provided. If you still need help, call WiZ WORX Technical Support at 202-541-9434.
The command syntax is very simple:
IGESTIDY <filespec>
The <filespec> can be MS-DOS wildcards, e.g., you can use "FIG*.IGS" to convert all of the IGES files in a directory that begin with the text string "FIG" and have the extension ".IGS". Note that you must supply an extension for the <filespec> unless the file has no extension (no default is assumed).
MS-DOS Environment Variables
Several environment variables allow you to control some of the text fields in the Global and Directory Entry sections of the output IGES file:
If these environment variables are not defined, then the values are copied from the input IGES file. This is a useful feature for people making IGES test files. These environment variables are also available for use by some of the other WiZ WORX IGES Utilities that write IGES files as output, e.g., IGESXTRACTand IGESMERGE.
IGESMERGE is handy for adding information to an IGES file that is required by MIL-D-28000 but not generated by a vendor's IGES preprocessor. For example, a Drawing (Type 404), its Properties (Types 406:14, 406:15, and 406:17), and a View (Type 410) can be extracted from a conforming IGES file using IGESXTRACT and then appended to another IGES file using IGESMERGE.
Please read the User Information section for IGESPEEK first; all of the assumptions and advice apply to IGESMERGE as well and will not be repeated here.
To get started, try using IGESMERGE on some of the sample IGES files provided. If you still need help, call WiZ WORX Technical Support at 202-541-9434.
The command syntax is very simple:
IGESMERG <file1> <file2> [ <file3> ]
If you only give two filenames, the second IGES file is combined with the first IGES file. For example, the command
C> IGESMERG MYFILE.IGS CALS2.IGS
would combine the contents of CALS2.IGS with MYFILE.IGS (replacing its previous contents), while retaining the Global Section information from MYFILE.IGS. As an example, you could take an IGES file created by IGESXTRACT that contains drawing sheet format and an isometric view and merge it into one that does not have any drawing or view structure.
If you specify a third filename, then the first two files are merged together to create the third IGES file. If a file with the same name already exists, its contents is completely erased by the combined file, but this will preserve the original contents of the first two IGES files.
There are some side effects cause by the WISL routines. The IGES entities are reformatted to use the minimum space for the representation of REAL numbers and TEXT in the Parameter Data (PD) Section. See the IGESXTRACT User Information for a detailed discussion of the "intelligent rounding" algorithm.
Reformatting of the General Note Entity (Type 212) can actually create more records in the PD of the new file than in the original because WISL recognizes the value of pi/2 within a tolerance range of +/-0.0001 and resets it to 1.507963267949 for output. If the value had been 1.5708 in the original IGES file, this might cause the text string to be forced to a new record. WISL attempts to keep a Hollerith string on a single record, so it will force a new record to begin the Hollerith string if there is not enough room on the current record.
1) Remember that the second IGES file specified (file2) is the first file copied; this is so that the Global Section of the first IGES file will be used for the combined file. In other word, the second IGES file is prepended rather than appended.
IGESDRAW "strokes" the splines and text, and it supports IGES colors, line weights, line font patterns, pattern fill codes, and text font codes. All of the technical illustrations in the published IGES specification since Version 5.0 were generated using IGESDRAW.
By default, the data in the IGES file is converted into a file of Hewlett Packard Graphics Language (HP-GL) commands with the extension ".HPG". Converters for display of HP-GL files on CGA/EGA/VGA monitors and Hewlett Packard LaserJet and DeskJet printers are provided. An optional command line flag directs IGESDRAW to generate an Encapsulated PostScript file with the extension ".EPS".
The IGESDRAW package includes the source file HPGL2XXX.C, a program to read and display a .HPG file. It is your responsibility to provide routines named init(), term(), move(), and draw(). These routines might supply support for a CalComp pen plotter, a Tektronix monitor, or ReGIS commands for a VT-240 terminal. When linked with a library of IBM-PC screen graphics routines, this program creates the module HPGL2IBM. HPGL2JET is created by linking with the LJGRAFIX library to produce rasterized, 300 dot-per-inch images for Hewlett Packard LaserJet and DeskJet printers, or rasterized files in HPCL format.
HP-GL and EPS files generated by IGESDRAW can be used with many plotters and desktop publishing systems, such as WordPerfect. EPS images and HPCL images (generated from HP-GL files by HPGL2JET) can be merged with LATEX .DVI files (using the "\special" command).
Please read the User Information section for IGESPEEK first; all of the assumptions and advice apply to IGESDRAW as well and will not be repeated here.
To get started, try using IGESDRAW on one of the sample IGES files provided. If you still need help, call WiZ WORX Technical Support at 202-541-9434.
The IGESDRAW is only available to Site and Corporate registrants.
The command syntax is very simple:
IGESDRAW takes an input IGES filename and an optional DE number of a Drawing or View entity.
If <de_num> is not provided, IGESDRAW will scan the file for Drawing (Type 404) and View (Type 410) Entities. If only one 404 is found, then it will be used. If more than one is found, then the user is prompted for a selection from a list. If there are one or more 410s and no 404s, the same logic is applied. If there are no 404s or 410s in the IGES file, then a default view of the X/Y plane is assumed. (You can use IGESMERGE to add drawing/view structure to the file if the default view is inappropriate.)
-POST creates an Encapsualted PostScript file (.EPS) instead of a HP-GL file (.HPG).
-SCALE will add "scale" and "translate" commands, and adjust the "%%BoundingBox" of the .EPS file, so that all of the image fits within a 7.5x7.5 inch area. Since the default is to create an image with extents as specified by the IGES data, you can use this flag for "proof" prints guaranteed to fit on a single printed sheet.
-COLOR will permit the IGES colors to be displayed in the .EPS file. The default is to ignore the colors, because black&white printers usually attempt to display colors with a dashed pattern that can degrade the image.
-WORDPERF is required for HP-GL files that will be used with WordPerfect. This flag compensates for two bugs in the WordPerfect import code for HP-GL files. First, it omits the scaling information that gets misinterpreted and creates distorted images. Second, it strokes the "asterisk" point symbol that is ignored by WordPerfect.
Two executable programs are included for your convenience in displaying HP-GL files: HPGL2IBM.EXE and HPGL2JET.EXE. (The HPGL2xxx tools assume ".HPG" for the input filename extension if none is provided.)
HPGL2IBM.EXE displays the .HPG file on an IBM monitor at the highest possible resolution. HPGL2IBM will scale and center .HPG files created by IGESDRAW so that the image will fill the screen. On EGA and higher resolution monitors, correct IGES colors are displayed. BLACK is displayed as "dark gray" and NOCOLOR is displayed as "light gray". When the entire file has been displayed, the terminal will "beep"; press any key to clear the screen and return to DOS. (*NOTE* HPGL2IBM will accept any file extension except .IGS)
An example of using IGESDRAW to display the file STARTREK.IGS on an IBM-PC with would be:
C> IGESDRAW STARTREK
C> HPGL2IBM STARTREK
HPGL2JET.EXE either draws the .HPG file on a HP LaserJet or DeskJet printer or rastersize it into a HP-PCL file. You may use logical combinations of five optional flags with HPGL2JET:
-PORT (default) will scale and center for a 6x8 inch image (full page on 8.5x11 paper in portrait orientation) with the date/time stamp and filename.
-LAND will rotate the image 90 degrees, scale and center it for a 10x7 inch image (full page on 8+x11 paper in landscape orientation).
-RAST will create a HP-PCL file (with the extension ".PCL") at 300 dots-per-inch; this file can be imported to LATEX using the "\special" macro command.
-FULL creates a 6x8 inch image (for full page); this is the same as -PORT.
-HALF creates a 6x4 inch image (for half page)
Several MS-DOS command (.BAT) files are included for your convenience. These files assume that the WiZ WORX tools are in a directory specified in your PATH environment variable, e.g., "C:\BIN\UTIL". If you do not wish to place the executables in a commonly accessible directory, then you should edit the .BAT files so that the full pathname (including drive) is explicitly referenced.
IGS2IBM.BAT is an MS-DOS command file that displays an IGES file on an IBM-PC monitor by performing the steps outlined above. Use the command,
C> IGS2IBM STARTREK
and the sample file STARTREK.IGS will be processed.
IGS2JET.BAT is a command file for generating plots on HP LaserJet and DeskJet (ink jet) printers. Images are automagically scaled to fit in a 6x8 inch area (portrait orientation) on a 8.5x11 inch sheet. This batch file will also accept the optional argument "HALF" and "LAND" after the filename, e.g.,
C> IGS2JET STARTREK LAND
will create a 10x7 landscape image of the sample file. The default resolution for output from HPGL2JET is 300 d.p.i., but you can set an MS-DOS environment variable called "LJRES" to 300, 150, 100, or 75 d.p.i. You can set this variable either interactively, in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, or you can edit IGS2JET.BAT to include the SET command.
IGS2WPG.BAT is a command file that invokes IGESDRAW and then it invokes the WordPerfect utility GRAPHCNV to create a .WPG file. (*NOTE* Unless you have the directory where GRAPHCNV.EXE is located in your PATH environment variable, you should edit this file to specify the correct disk and path.)
IGS2RAS.BAT will create a .PCL file for use with LaTeX, and delete the intermediate .HPG file.
There is an anomalous difference between the command files that is caused by the inability of the MS-DOS batch processor to strip extensions from filenames. IGS2RAS.BAT and IGS2WPG.BAT will not work correctly if a file extension is used on the IGES filename; the command file adds appropriate extensions for various steps in processing.
A note of caution... even though the examples use STARTREK.IGS, this is a very large IGES file and it will take a lot of time to process, especially on a machine that does not have a numeric co-processor. Start with SLOT.IGS, then try some of the other files to get a feeling for the processing time. Remember that the size of an IGES file has very little to do with the time required to process it.
If you enter the commands HPGL2IBM or HPGL2JET without any arguments, you will be reminded of the syntax and flags. Here are examples of what you will see:
Microsoft Windows users can use the File Manager to ASSOCIATE the utility HPGL2WIN.EXE with the file extension .HPG, and then simply double-click the file to display it.
**NOTE** 15-Sep-94 - Earlier versions of the utilities used "PGL" instead of "HPG". This change has been made to conform to the general convention of .HPG as the file extension.
The following IGES Entity Type Numbers and Forms are supported by IGESDRAW:
| TYPE | FORM | ENTITY NAME |
| 0 | 0 | Null entity |
| 100 | 0 | Circular arc |
| 102 | 0 | Composite curve |
| 104 | 1 | Conic arc - ellipse |
| 104 | 2 | Conic arc - hyperbola |
| 104 | 3 | Conic arc - parabola |
| 106 | 11 | Copious data - Piecewise planar, linear string (2D linear path) |
| 106 | 12 | Copious data - Piecewise linear string (3D linear path) |
| 106 | 20 | Centerline |
| 106 | 21 | Centerline through circle centers |
| 106 | 31 | Section lines - General use, iron, brick, stone masonry |
| 106 | 32 | Section lines - Steel |
| 106 | 33 | Section lines - Bronze, brass, copper |
| 106 | 34 | Section lines - Plastic, rubber |
| 106 | 35 | Section lines - fire brick, refractory material |
| 106 | 36 | Section lines - Marble, slate, glass |
| 106 | 37 | Section lines - Lead, zinc, magnesium, insulation |
| 106 | 38 | Section lines - Aluminum |
| 106 | 40 | Witness line |
| 106 | 63 | Simple closed planar curve |
| 110 | 0 | Line |
| 112 | 0 | Parametric spline curve |
| 114 | 0 | Parametric spline surface |
| 116 | 0 | Point |
| 124 | 0 | Transformation matrix |
| 126 | 0 | Rational B-spline curve |
| 126 | 1 | Rational B-spline curve - Line |
| 126 | 2 | Rational B-spline curve - Circular arc |
| 126 | 3 | Rational B-spline curve - Elliptical arc |
| 126 | 4 | Rational B-spline curve - Parabolic arc |
| 126 | 5 | Rational B-spline curve - Hyperbolic arc |
| 202 | 0 | Angular dimension |
| 206 | 0 | Diameter dimension |
| 210 | 0 | General label |
| 212 | 0 | General note |
| 212 | 1 | General note - dual-stack dimension |
| 212 | 2 | General note - imbedded font change dimension |
| 212 | 3 | General note - superscripted dimension |
| 212 | 4 | General note - subscripted dimension |
| 212 | 5 | General note - superscripted/subscripted dimension |
| 212 | 6 | General note - multiple stack - left justified |
| 212 | 7 | General note - multiple stack - center justified |
| 212 | 8 | General note - multiple stack - right justified |
| 212 | 100 | General note - simple fractional dimension |
| 212 | 101 | General note - dual stack fractional dimension |
| 212 | 102 | General note - imbedded font change/double fractional dimension |
| 212 | 105 | General note - super-/sub-scripted fractional dimension |
| 214 | 1 | Leader arrow - Wedge |
| 214 | 2 | Leader arrow - Triangle |
| 214 | 3 | Leader arrow - Filled triangle |
| 214 | 4 | Leader arrow - No arrowhead |
| 214 | 5 | Leader arrow - Circle |
| 214 | 6 | Leader arrow - Filled circle |
| 214 | 7 | Leader arrow - Rectangle |
| 214 | 8 | Leader arrow - Filled rectangle |
| 214 | 9 | Leader arrow - Slash |
| 214 | 10 | Leader arrow - Integral sign |
| 214 | 11 | Leader arrow - Open triangle |
| 214 | 12 | Leader arrow - Dimension origin |
| 216 | 0 | Linear dimension |
| 216 | 1 | Linear dimension (Diameter) |
| 216 | 2 | Linear dimension (Radius) |
| 218 | 0 | Ordinate dimension |
| 218 | 1 | Ordinate dimension with datum |
| 220 | 0 | Point dimension |
| 222 | 0 | Radius dimension |
| 222 | 1 | Radius dimension/multiple leader |
| 228 | 0 | General symbol |
| 228 | 1 | Datum feature symbol |
| 228 | 2 | Datum target symbol |
| 228 | 3 | Feature control frame |
| 230 | 0 | Sectioned area (Standard Crosshatching) |
| 230 | 1 | Sectioned area (Inverted Crosshatching) |
| 304 | 1 | Line font definition - subfigure |
| 304 | 2 | Line font definition - repeating pattern |
| 308 | 0 | Subfigure definition |
| 314 | 0 | Color definition |
| 402 | 3 | Views visible instance |
| 402 | 4 | Views visible, Color, Line weight instance |
| 402 | 7 | Unordered group without back-pointers instance |
| 404 | 0 | Drawing |
| 406 | 1 | Property - Definition levels |
| 406 | 3 | Property - Level function |
| 406 | 15 | Property - Name |
| 406 | 16 | Property - Drawing size |
| 406 | 17 | Property - Drawing units |
| 406 | 18 | Property - Intercharacter spacing |
| 408 | 0 | Single subfigure instance |
| 410 | 0 | View - Orthographic parallel |
| 412 | 0 | Rectangular subfigure instance |
| 414 | 0 | Circular subfigure instance |
This is a sufficient subset for processing what I call Class pi/2 files (i.e., an irrational number between 1 and 2). If you create a CAD drawing with all information in the "zed-nought" plane, then IGESDRAW should give you very acceptable output. It is capable of generating dimensions by processing the parent entities.
Text (Type 212) is properly scaled, slanted, rotated, mirrored, etc., and the "degree" and "plus/minus" symbols are supported (FC 1002 & 1003).
Cross-hatching (Type 230) supports nested islands and variable section line spacing and angles.
As of the January, 1993 release, IGESDRAW supports the IGES Engineering Drawing Application Protocol. This means that robust model/view/draw IGES files, such as the AUTOFACT-6 test part, can now be processed. (*NOTE* View clipping is not supported yet.)
** NOTE ** 3D processing by IGESDRAW is only available to registered users.
To enable support for FC 2001 (Kanji), IGESDRAW must be able to access the stroke file JIS6226.WIZ by use of the MS-DOS environment variable KANJI. For example, assuming that you place the file in the directory C:\WIZWORX\BIN, you must add the following command to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
SET KANJI=C:\WIZWORX\BIN\JIS6226.WIZ
Display of the ANSI Feature Control Symbols (FCS) in IGESDRAW follows the rules for the IGES Type 212 (General Note) Entity, so they may appear distorted if they are imbedded in an multi-character text string. To generate FCS characters with the correct aspect ratio in spite of incorrect Text Box Width in the IGES file, define the MS-DOS environment variable ANSIFCS:
SET ANSIFCS=YES
"WiZ WORX", "IGESPEEK", "IGESDRAW", "IGESXTRACT", "IGESMERGE", "IGESTIDY", "WISL", "LJGRAFIX", and "The source for IGES tools" are trademarks of Dennette Arthur Harrod, Jr.
Other trademarks used in this document are the sole property of the parties to whom they belong.
This manual was generated on Friday 2001-07-13.
Please note that the sample IGES files provided on the distribution media may vary slightly from the versions shown here. As part of our ongoing commitment to the CALS Test Network, parameters in the DE and Global Sections (line fonts, colors, etc.) may be tweaked from time to time.
Sample IGES file collections (from various sources) on the www.IGES5x.org site.
Dear WiZ WORX IGES Utilities User,
Each Single User registration of an individual WiZ WORX product costs $50 (US) and entitles you to use the software as you would a book and to make as many copies of the software as you wish for backup.
Upon receipt of your registration fee you will receive a disk with the latest version of the software, notice of updates to the software, notice of any bugs that may be found in the software, and you will be entitled to telephone support for 90 days at 202-541-9434 (there is a 24-hour answering machine).
Site and Corporate Licenses are available from WiZ WORX. A Site License costs $500 (US) and entitles you to use this software on all of the computers in a building, campus, or plant. A Site License includes copies of all WiZ WORX IGES utilities, including IGESPEEK™, IGESXTRACT™, IGESMERGE™, and IGESDRAW™.
A Corporate License costs $5,000 (US) and entitles you to a copy of WISL, the WiZ WORX IGES Source Library, which contains the source code for all of the IGES utilities from WiZ WORX. A Corporate License includes the right to use the code in product development for commercial sale without any further royalty payments.
Telephone support and update notices for site and corporate licensees of WiZ WORX products must be directed through one person at the licensee's location.
Sincerely,
Dennette A. Harrod, Jr
Imagineer in Residence