PLOTWS Process
Note: This legacy plotting process is no longer supported or developed. It is included here for legacy macro support only. For interactive plot creation and editing functions, with template and automation support, consider the Plots window tools.
To access this process:
- Enter "PLOTWS" into the Command Line and press ENTER.
-
Display the Find Command screen, locate PLOTWS and click Run.
See this process in the Command Table.
Process Overview
Section plot in any direction through a wireframe model.
Scaling is completely automatic in this process, and any plot file or null prototype may be used; all that need be defined is the paper size.
PLOTWS produces an output plot file containing the intersection of a given plane with a wireframe model. The triangles of the wireframe model have not been intersected in any particular sequence, so there is no simple means in this program of generating an output perimeter.
Set section orientation as follows :-
>>> SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING --
>>> 1 VERTICAL OR INCLINED SECTION >>> DEFINED ABOUT
CENTRE POINT
>>> 2 VERTICAL SECTION DEFINED BY >>> END POINTS
>>> 3 PLAN VIEW DEFINED BY CORNER >>> POINTS
(>>> 4 SECTION FROM SECTION DEFINITION) (>>> FILE(if
defined) ) >>> Supply 1,2, or 3 (or 4) as appropriate.
If 1 selected, interaction as follows:
XC > X co-ordinate of centre of plane.
YC > Y co-ordinate of centre of plane.
ZC > Z co-ordinate of centre of plane.
DIP> Dip of section plane.
AZI> Azimuth of section plane.
HSIZE > Horizontal size of section plane.
VSIZE > Vertical size of section plane.
These are then echoed back, followed by the prompt
>ARE THESE CORRECT (Y/N) ? If any reply other than Y or y, interaction repeated from the beginning.
If 2 selected, interaction as follows -
X1 > X co-ordinate of bottom left corner of section plane.
Y1 > Y co-ordinate of bottom left corner of section plane.
X2 > X co-ordinate of top right corner of section plane.
Y2 > Y co-ordinate of top right corner of section plane.
Z1 > Z co-ordinate of bottom left corner of section plane.
Z2 > Z co-ordinate of top right corner of section plane.
These are then echoed back, followed by the prompt
>ARE THESE CORRECT (Y/N) ? If any reply other than Y or y, interaction repeated from the beginning.
If 3 selected, interaction as follows -
>>> DEFINE XMIN,YMIN,XMAX, AND YMAX
X1 > X co-ordinate of bottom left corner of section plane.
Y1 > Y co-ordinate of bottom left corner of section plane.
X2 > X co-ordinate of top right corner of section plane.
Y2 > Y co-ordinate of top right corner of section plane.
ZC > Z co-ordinate of section plane.
These are then echoed back, followed by the prompt
>ARE THESE CORRECT (Y/N) ? If any reply other than Y or y, interaction repeated from the beginning.
If 4 selected, interaction is as follows:
>>> WHICH SECTION DO YOU WANT (OR ? FOR A LIST)
Enter SVALUE section number, or ? for a list of available sections.
Input Files
|
Name |
Description |
I/O Status |
Required |
Type |
|
WIRETR |
Input wireframe triangle file. |
Input |
Yes |
Wireframe Triangle |
|
WIREPT |
Input wireframe point file. |
Input |
Yes |
Wireframe Points |
|
PROTO |
Plot prototype file. Must contain the fields X, Y, S1, S2 and CODE (numeric, explicit) and XMIN, XMAX, YMIN, YMAX, XSCALE, YSCALE (numeric, implicit). If these last 6 values set in PROTO , then corresponding parameters need not be set. |
Input |
Yes |
Plot Prototype |
|
SECTION |
Optional section definition file. |
Input |
No |
Section Definition |
Output Files
|
Name |
I/O Status |
Required |
Type |
Description |
|
PLOT |
Output |
Yes |
Plot |
Output plot file. |
Parameters
|
Name |
Description |
Required |
Default |
Range |
Values |
|
LINECODE |
(1001) Line code for plotting - 1001 faint, or 1002 bold. |
No |
1001 |
1001, 1006 |
Undefined |
|
FRAME |
(0) Set to 1 if frame required around plot. |
No |
0 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
|
CHARSIZE |
Character size in millimetres (4). |
No |
4 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
|
ASPRATIO |
Aspect ratio, width / ht. for chars (0.9). |
No |
0.9 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
|
|
Colour [as 'pen' number] for plot (1). |
No |
1 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
|
APPEND |
Plot append flag. If set to 1 then the new plot will be appended to the PLOT file, if it exists and is a valid plot file (0). |
No |
0 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
|
XSCALE |
X scale in user data units per millimetre. If specified here or in PROTO this value will override section limits. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
|
YSCALE |
Y scale in user data units per millimetre. If specified here or in PROTO this value will override section limits. |
No |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Undefined |
|
VERTEXAG |
Controls vertical exaggeration. This must be set to allow different scales. The default is forced equal scales (1). = 0 allows different scales for both axes determined by XSCALE and YSCALE if provided or else by filling the data area to the section limits. > 0 sets value of XSCALE/YSCALE. |
No |
1 |
Undefined |
Undefined |
Example
!PLOTWS &WIREPT(ZON1PT),&WIRETR(ZON1TR),&PROTO(WZON1PRT,
&PLOT(WSZN1PLT),&SECTION(ZON1SEC)Error and Warning Messages
|
Message |
Description |
| >>> ffffffff IS NOT A SECDEF FILE, FIELD aaaaaaaa MISSING |
One of the fields SVALUE, XCENTRE, YCENTRE, ZCENTRE, SDIP, SAZI or STHICK is missing from the section definition file. Processing continues, but the section definition file is not available. |
| >>> ERR 120 <<< ( n) IN PLOTWS |
An error has occurred when reading the input point or triangle file e.g. one or more of the essential fields in the file is absent or of the wrong type. Fatal; the process is exited. |
