Archiving Repeated Item Libraries Using the "riarch" Command
There is a new command in ARRIS 7.0v that will scan your database for every repeated item that has been placed. It will then prompt you to create a new RI library that contains one copy of every RI used in the database. This is useful for backing up non-active projects without having to manually locate and backup all the linked RI libraries.
Users can type: riarch from the ARRIS "Make selection:" prompt and simply follow the prompts.
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Building Large Custom Menus
Have you ever tried to build a large custom menu and discovered that it only partially displays when loaded? This problem is caused by a system variable whose default value has been set too low to handle the size of the menu being created. To remedy this problem, type the following command at the Make Menu Selection prompt in ARRIS: $setvar(#vwhmax,200000) This will increase the default from 51,000 to 200,000 and should allow the menu to be created in it's entirety. Notice the comma needs to be omitted in the number 200000 when setting the new #vwhmax value.
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Converting 3D Data 2D Data Using The "zflat" Command
Have you ever wished you could quickly convert 3D information (i.e. site plans, survey data, models, etc.) to a flat 2D plane? This can be easily accomplished using the zflat command. Simply follow the prompts for assigning a new 'z' height and placing an edit window around the area to be converted. If desired, ARRIS will convert all z-coordinate values to "0" and the result will be a flat, 2D drawing.
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Creating a "Cycle" Button on the ARRIS Toolbar
Have you ever wished you could map more than just 23 functions to the ARRIS TOOLBAR menu? One easy way to map more buttons is to add a Cycle button that activates a second TOOLBAR menu with another 22 functions. Each time the cycle button is pressed, it ‘toggles’ back and forth between the two saved menus. If this sounds interesting, just follow these steps:
Set Up the First Level TOOLBAR Menu
1) Place (or drag?) all the desired functions to your favorite TOOLBAR menu locations. Reserve one button (the far right, for example) to be the CYCLE 2 button which will take you to your “alternate” or Second Level menu.
Set Up CYCLE 2 Button
2) Right-click on the 'reserved' button (see above) and drag your cursor out to the "drawing" area of your screen and then left-click your mouse to activate the Toolbar Setup menu.
3) First select the CLEAR BUTTON to erase all previous button mapping selections.
4) Now select the gray box opposite the word TEXT and enter the following string using the keyboard:
CYCLE^2
(The '^' is a SHIFT^6 (carat) and will place the word CYCLE above the number 2 in the box for aesthetic purposes)
5) Now select the green box that says, add new command string here and type the following string using the keyboard:
NOTE: The middle character is an ‘l’ (el), not a ‘1’ (one).
:mn_user;l;user2
6) Now save this modified version of the TOOLBAR menu by selecting the button on the far left of the TOOLBAR labeled TOOLBAR.
At the first prompt, pick save from the menu choice
At the second prompt, save toolbar?, type in the following:
NOTE: The last character is a ‘1’ (one), not an ‘l’ (el).
user1
7) Now drag and drop different commands to the TOOLBAR to create another variation that you would like to "cycle" to. But don't overwrite your CYCLE 2 button until the next step!!
8) When you are finished, right-click on the CYCLE 2 button and drag your cursor out to the "drawing" area of your screen and then left-click your mouse to activate the Toolbar Setup menu again.
9) Now select the box labeled CYCLE 2 and change it to say
CYCLE 1
10) Now click on the string of text (opposite the 'X' box) entered in Step 5 and replace it with the following string:
NOTE: The last character is a ‘1’ (one), not an ‘l’ (el).
:mn_user;l;user1
11) Now save this modified version of the TOOLBAR menu by selecting the button on the far left of the TOOLBAR labeled TOOLBAR.
At the first prompt, pick save from the menu choice
At the second prompt, save toolbar?, type in the following:
user2
12) If everything was completed correctly, you should be able to toggle between menus by selecting the CYCLE 1 and CYCLE 2 buttons.
Remember that future updates to the first version (CYCLE 1 menu) must re-saved as user1.
Changes made to the second menu must be saved as user2 (See Steps 6 and 10 respectively)
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Database Cleanup Using the "j_cleanup" Command
There is a command that will assist users in 'cleaning up' duplicate points, line segments, zero-length lines, zero-length arcs, etc. The command is j_cleanup and can be typed at the ARRIS "Make selection:" command line. Just follow the prompts and specify the area(s) to be cleaned up.
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Forced Text
The forced text behavior has changed since the introduction of the "dynamic" text feature in ARRIS 7.
To ‘force’ text between two points by stretching (or shrinking) the spaces between the letters, set your text justification to us, ms or s for upper, middle and lower justified text spacing respectively.
To ‘force’ text between two points by stretching (or shrinking) the letters themselves set your text justification to uf, mf or f for upper, middle and lower justified text forcing respectively.
Use the mnemonic commands, mn_stx or sttx to force the text to be placed between the two points specified. You may wish to store this command under the ARRIS Toolbar menu for easier access.
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Installation Troubleshooting Tips
Proper installation requires that you 1) install ARRIS 2001 from the CD, 2) download and install Update A issue 2, and 3) enter your application and authcodes in the Authcode Manager. You should install Update A issue 2 before you attempt to enter your authcodes. The Rainbow Sentinel key should be inserted in the parallel port before you do the installation.
After a successful installation ARRIS 2001 will run in Standard mode. Also after you load ARRIS enter the command ‘vers’ at the prompt line and you’ll see the ‘Arris for Windows: About Arris’ pop-up. Near the top you should see ‘UPDATE A2 (sp#120) and the date May 19, 2000. If you see different information you need to download and install the latest version of Update A from the support page www.sigmasupport.com. This command will report the version of ARRIS running in demonstration or standard mode.
If ARRIS 2001 only runs in Demonstration mode check the following:
1) Go to the Authcode Manager and look in the upper right corner. You should see the description of your key type and your key ID number including the letter prefix. In the lower left corner you should see ‘License Manager for Sigma Design Products’ next to that you should see ‘updated 04/10/2000’ or a later date. Near the top left of the Authcode Manager you should see the Product Location; it’s telling you where you installed ARRIS 2001. Confirm this is correct. Also you should have entered the application and authorization codes. They should appear with an appropriate description. If you see ‘A0’ next to the key type the system is not seeing your key; refer to step 3. If you do see the key refer to step 2.
2) If ARRIS 2001 is running in demo mode, your system is seeing the key and all application and authorization codes appear with an appropriate description then you may have one of the older Rainbow keys. The old Rainbow keys are flat and square (2”x2”). The new Rainbow Super Pro keys are flat and in the shape of a small rectangle (either 1”x2” or ½”x2”). If you have an old Rainbow key select on the button ‘Config’ on the Authcode Manager. This will open the ARRIS ini file in Notepad. Find the entry ‘KEYTYPE=’ if you have one of the old Rainbow keys you must enter ‘RAINBOW_OLD’ after the = sign. The entire entry should read ‘KEYTYPE=RAINBOW_OLD’.
3) If the Authcode Manager doesn’t recognize the Sentinel Rainbow key it maybe because the Rainbow driver didn’t install automatically when you installed ARRIS 2001. To install the driver manually go to the Start>>Programs>>Windows Explorer. Find the ARRIS 2001 program folder (the default location is C:\Program Files\ARRIS 2001). Browse through the folder ARRIS 2001\perms\rainbow\win_nt and double click the file ‘setupx86.exe’. This will open the Rainbow Technologies Sentinel Functions program. Select on the ‘Functions’ button then select the ‘Install Sentinel Driver’ option. You’ll see a pop-up box that displays the path to the Sentinel driver. Select OK. The Sentinel program will install the driver and tell you that you need to restart you PC. After you restart, go to the Authcode Manager again and verify that you can see the key ID #. Then enter you application and authorization codes. If the Sentinel program tells you that the driver is already installed and you only have 1 parallel port proceed to step 5. If you have more than 1 parallel port proceed to step 4.
4) If you have more than 1 parallel port double click ‘setupx86.exe’ in ARRIS 2001\perms\rainbow\win_nt again. Select on the ‘Functions’ button again but this time select the ‘Configure Sentinel Driver’ option. Change the selected port. Go to the Authcode Manager again and verify that you can see the key ID #. If you see your key ID # enter your application and authorization codes. If the Authcode Manager doesn’t see the key proceed to step 5.
5) If the Sentinel driver is installed and you still see A0 instead of your key ID # in the Authcode Manager you must determine why your PC isn’t reading the key. First you need to verify that the driver is installed. Use the right mouse button to select on the My Computer icon, right click (NOT dbl click). Of offered options select Manage then select System Tools \ System Information \ Software Environment \ Drivers. After you select Drivers you should see, on the right, a list of drivers and an indication that they are 'Running' and 'OK'. If the driver is "stopped" right click on the Sentinel Driver. You should have an option of Properties and 2 tabs, General and Driver. Select the Driver tab and you should have buttons at the bottom, ‘Stop’ and ‘Start’. Select the Start button. If you don’t have the option to start the driver proceed to step 6.
6) If the Rainbow driver is stopped but you don’t have the ability to Start the driver go back to the Windows Explorer and the ARRIS 2001 program folder. Double click ‘setupx86.exe’ in the perms\rainbow\win_nt folder. Select on Functions and Configure Sentinel Driver. Note the port type displayed. If it isn’t ECP type you may have to go into your computer’s BIOS and force ECP mode with DMA and I/O 378. Note: If you do not have experience with modifying settings in the BIOS you should consult your hardware vendor or a capable consultant!
7) Download the latest driver at http://www.rainbow.com/tech/download/drivers.html. (Note: this driver was released after Update A2) Extract the package sysdrv.exe. DON'T RUN SETUP. Go into the Win_nt directory and run Setupx86.exe. Go to Functions >> install To determine if the driver install properly, From the start button choose Programs>>>Accessories>>>System>>>System Information. Expand the symbol next to Software Environment and highlight Drivers. The installed driver will appear under the listing for Sentinel. If the driver is installed and running your customer ID # should appear in the Authcode Manager. You should then enter your application and authorization codes.
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Key Compatibility
ARRIS7 now uses an environment variable to specify the type of hardware key being used. By default, the software is configured to use the new Rainbow SuperPro key that is shipped with all new seats of ARRIS 7. If you are using the older style Rainbow key or a "Softlock" evaluation copy of ARRIS, you must add one of the following entries to the ARRIS70\etc\arris.ini file to run ARRIS 7 in Standard Mode
KEYTYPE=RAINBOW_OLD
This is for existing users who wish to use their old keys from release 6.0x. SDI will no longer supply Rainbow keys of this type.
KEYTYPE=SOFTLOCK
This scheme is used only for evaluation copies of ARRIS 7. With it, ARRIS7 can be authorized without any external security devices.
Smart Wall Cleanup Tips and Tricks
How to automatically "cleanup" the intersection of two walls
ARRIS 2001 Installation Troubleshooting Tips
A step-by-step guide to a successful installation of ARRIS 2001.
Archiving Repeated Item Libraries Using the "riarch" Command
There is a new command in ARRIS 7.0v that will scan your database for every repeated item that has been placed. It will then prompt you to create a new RI library that contains one copy of every RI used in the database. This is useful for backing up non-active projects without having to manually locate and backup all the linked RI libraries.
Users can type: riarch from the ARRIS "Make selection:" prompt and simply follow the prompts.
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Restricting Access to Style Libraries
System managers can now restrict the updating of line, dimension, text or pattern styles by specifying which users are allowed to make or remake styles within each style library. This can be done by creating a file named users_rw and placing it below the desired .prj sub-directory of styles.dir. For example:
C:\STANDARDS\styles.dir\default.prj\users_rw
The users_rw file should contain a list of all “authorized” users, one per line, and can be created with any simple text editor. If the file does not exist, there are no restrictions. This restriction is not currently implemented for project wall files.
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Setting Default Text Editor
A new paragraph text editor function has been introduced in ARRIS 7 that makes use of any text editor available on the current platform. To select a text editor which is different than the default setting, add the new environmental variable GEDCOM to the ARRIS70/etc/arris.ini file. The value should equal the pathname of the text editor executable. See the ARRIS 7 New Feature Reference Guide (pg. 127) for more information.
Smart Wall Cleanup Tips and Tricks
How to automatically "cleanup" the intersection of two walls
ARRIS 2001 Installation Troubleshooting Tips
A step-by-step guide to a successful installation of ARRIS 2001.
Archiving Repeated Item Libraries Using the "riarch" Command
There is a new command in ARRIS 7.0v that will scan your database for every repeated item that has been placed. It will then prompt you to create a new RI library that contains one copy of every RI used in the database. This is useful for backing up non-active projects without having to manually locate and backup all the linked RI libraries.
Users can type: riarch from the ARRIS "Make selection:" prompt and simply follow the prompts.
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UNIX Platforms
Remote Printing Scripts
Sharing a printer between different UNIX platforms (i.e. between a SUN and SGI) can be difficult due to the differences in operating systems and their respective print commands. One way to accomplish this is to use a shell script which simply copies the file to be printed to a remote print-server, prints the file, and then deletes the remote copy. Here is a script that can print a SUN-resident file through a specified printer on an SGI or SCO UNIX platform which is connected to the same network:
#!/bin/csh
foreach i ( $* )
rcp $i indy:/tmp
rsh indy -n "cat /tmp/$i | lp -dhplaser"
rsh indy "rm /tmp/$i"
end
Note: In the example above, indy is the hostname of the remote SGI or SCO platform and hplaser is the name of the remote printer on indy.
The following script would print an SGI or SCO UNIX-resident file to a SUN platform that is connected to a network:
#!/bin/csh
foreach i ( $* )
rcp $i sparky:/tmp
rsh sparky -n "cat /tmp/$i | lpr -Phplaser"
rsh sparky "rm /tmp/$i"
end
Note: In the example above, sparky is the hostname of the remote SUN platform and hplaser is the name of the remote printer on the sparky.
After you create your new script, don't forget to make it executable by typing: chmod 755 script_name
Copying Tapes
In UNIX, there are several ways to make a copy of a tape. ARRIS provides a script called cpmedia which is stored in the $ARRIS/bin directory. It allows you to make multiple copies of a tape or floppy diskette from the default drive for that platform.
If you would like to copy data between different types of tape drives (i.e. a 1/4" and 4mm DAT), you may wish to use the UNIX dd command which converts and copies files with various data formats. When using the dd command, the if option represents the input filename, and the of option represents the output filename. Here is an example:
dd if=/dev/rst0 of=/dev/rmt/0
This would copy the contents of a tape on device /dev/rst0 to a tape on device /dev/rst1. You can also use dd to copy files to a tape accross a network. Here is an example:
rsh kojak dd if=/usr/fred | dd of=/dev/rst0
This would copy the /usr/fred directory from a remote machine named kojak to a local tape on device /dev/rst0. The vertical bar is called a pipe symbol.
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