VersaCAD Quickstart

Introduction

Installing VersaCAD for Windows

Changing the operating environment with Enviro

Printers and Plotters

DWG/DXF Direct Translator

Other Translators and Utilities

Digitizer Support

VersaCAD Quickstart

If you are not familiar with VersaCAD and you are evaluating it, you can do these few steps to learn the basic approach after launching the program as described herein.
1. VersaCAD uses single keystroke letters for commands. Don't press <enter>, just the upper case letter shown on the command.
2. To start out, load a file by pressing F for Filer and then G for Get. Then, press control-L to see a list of files on bottom of window. Use > or < to highlight a file. Then, press Enter to load that file.
3. Quit out of Filer by pressing Q.
4. Press A for Add. Press R for rectangle. Click on 2 points, i.e. opposite corners to define the rectangle. Draw a couple more. Press Q to stop rectangles. Try L for line etc. Remember to read the prompting messages on the bottom of the window to see what to do next.
5. Quit all the way back to the main Drafting menu. Then, press O for Output. Then press P for Plotter. Press Enter then the OK button then Enter 2 times. Your drawing will print on whatever windows print device you have.
6. Quit out of Output and hit X to exit the program. You will be warned that you didn't save your file
7. That's all there is to it. There are 100s more commands, but, all work like above. We have a complete reference manual plus a training manual with lots of exercises and a book "Mastering VersaCAD" if you want more references.

Introduction

Installing VersaCAD for Windows

Changing the operating environment with Enviro

Note the keys at the bottom of the window: N for next window, X to exit etc. Note also that a single letter takes you to the fields to be changed. For example, in Menu1, type I to go to the Input device. In each field, hit the space bar to go between options for that field. Hit the enter key, to accept the input in any field. Menu1 would be used to change between Mouse, Tablet or just Keyboard. Menu2 is used to select Output Device. Here you can either select Windows Printer monochrome or color, or you can specifically choose an HPGL/2, HPGL, Postscript or DMPL device. See below for more details on output device. Menu3 is for screen graphics. Windows Graphics is the only choice for the Enviro screen selection. It uses whatever Windows graphics device you have setup in your Windows Control Panel. You can change "use hardware features" to use built-in Windows linestyles which provides faster operation. You can change the screen color combinations from this menu. You may ignore port, display list, palette, monitor, print screen device and port as these are all preset by Windows. Menu4 and then D for Drafting presents the file information i.e., where program files are stored, pathnames, startup files and file allocation. A more thorough description is contained in Volume I of the User Reference Guide, in the Enviro Section. Note new maximum file sizes: object 65358, different symbols 10000, symbol components 55395. Time required to load VersaCAD increases with file size.

Printers and Plotters

There are two basic approaches to using a Windows print device. In Enviro, you can select either Windows System Printer or one of the HPGL, Postscript, HPGL/2 or DMPL devices.

By default, VersaCAD for Windows will use the system printer as Enviro is set to Windows System Printer Color. To plot black & white, change to Windows System Printer monochrome.

In VersaCAD, after Enviro is set, to plot a file using the Windows System Printer, just select Output>Plotter. Then, use the dialog to select the specific device, choose Landscape or Portrait, paper size etc. (Note that Output>Extents will override the Windows paper size.) Click Ok>enter. Now enter for default specs or type specs name. See User Reference manual for how to setup specs.

If you want to use HPGL/2, Postscript, DMPL or HPGL, make the change in Enviro to the desired driver such as HPGL/2 using pens for colors, or HP7585 for an HPGL output or DMP51 for DMPL driver. Then, when you are in VersaCAD, select Output>Plotter. Select the device (which is the only purpose of that dialog), then select OK. Now, hit enter for default specs or setup specs as described in User Reference Manual.

DWG/DXF Direct Translator

Here is the detailed procedure for DWG to Vcad as an example:

When converting VersaCAD to DXF/DWG, you can accept defaults or set VersaCAD options prior to loading:

Link Objects into Polylines (only applies when going VersaCAD to DWG). If checked, VersaCAD lines which are connected will become Polylines in DWG.

DXF Units

Map File

Other Translators and Utilities

Digitizer Support

To run the help program select "VersaCAD Help" within Start/Programs/VersaCAD.

Once in help look for the section entitled "Installation. On that help page there is a section entitled "Input Devices".