VersaCAD
DOS Support
If you are having problems getting VersaCAD or PenDrafter to run
on a new computer read through the different problems below. They
are in order of most likely to least likely.
Download VersaCAD Application Files
VersaCAD Design versus VersaCAD 386
PenDrafter
Graphic Card Troubleshooting
Input Device Troubleshooting
Running VersaCAD from Windows
Plotting Troubleshooting
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VERSACAD
DESIGN VERSUS VERSACAD 386
What are the differences between VersaCAD Design and VersaCAD 386
and which one is better.
VersaCAD 386 is a newer better product than VersaCAD Design. VersaCAD
Design was the original suite of products from Versacad Corp. that
included 2D, 3D, Bill of Materials and a number of translators.
VersaCAD 386 is exactly the same product but developed using programming
tools that allowed the product to make better use of extended memory
and processor functionality. Thus VersaCAD 386 runs faster and is
easier to get to run than VersaCAD Design.
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PENDRAFTER
What is PenDrafter?
In the early 1990s when pen computers were hot Archway Systems
licensed the 2D portion of VersaCAD from Computervision to adapt
to pen computers. PenDrafter became a private labeled version of
VersaCAD. PenDrafter version 8.1 is the exact same software as the
2D portion of VersaCAD 386. It includes the same DXF translator
that exists in VersaCAD 386. PenDrafter does not include the IGES
translator, Bill of Materials module, or 3D.
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GRAPHIC
CARD TROUBLESHOOTING
Most of the graphic card drivers that come with VersaCAD are now
obsolete. The driver we recommend most often is the VESA driver.
Changing Screen Drivers
In Enviro there are a number of choices for VESA. Once a VESA driver
is selected you need to make sure to update the batch used to run
VersaCAD as well. For example, for VersaCAD 386 if you select VESA
in Enviro you will need to modify the file VCAD386.bat usually located
in the root of C:. When you exit Enviro it will tell you the name
of the screen driver that needs to be loaded. For VersaCAD 386 or
PenDrafter this name will be "VESAP", for VersaCAD Design
the name will be "VESA".
Edit the VCAD386.bat file. Directly above where it says "VRUN
." there should the name of the screen driver currently loaded.
This needs to be changed to "VESAP". Save this file. The
computer must be rebooted to kick out the old screen driver and
load the new one.
Note: For PenDrafter the batch file
is Draft.bat and the directory is PenDraft. For VersaCAD Design
the batch file is something like VCAD80.bat and the directory is
something like VCAD80.
Problems with VESA screen drivers
Unfortunately, many of the newer VESA cards have recently dropped
the font used by VersaCAD. The font is called Font 24, which is
an 8 x 14 EGA font.
If you run with the VESA driver and what you see is a correct graphics
area but the menus look like they were blasted with a shotgun then
the Font 24 is missing from your graphics card. Note: If you know
the menu commands the program will actually operate.
Cirrus Logic was the first chipset maker to drop Font 24. At the
beginning of 1998 a number of other graphic card makers began dropping
the font as well.
The good news is that some of the manufacturers have a fix for
the problem.
This is the description of the problem as described on the cirrus
logic web page:
The CL-GD5429 and CL-GD543X chipsets do not support the 8 x 14
(EGA) font on the BIOS. This EGA font is used by some older DOS
software applications, producing garbage text characters when used
with these chips. To use these applications, execute this file (tsrfont.com)
just before starting the DOS program or add it to your autoexec.bat
file.
Where to find the fix
For Cirrus based graphic cards look for "TSRFONT.COM"
For Matrox graphics cards look for "FNT8x14.COM"
For ATI Graphics cards go to http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/drivers.html
Select the graphics cards you have and then look for a driver for
VESA
Add this file to the VCAD386.bat file just prior to the VESAP driver.
For example:
Cd \vcad386
Tsrfont (or Fnt8x14 or M64vbe)
Vesap
Vrun \vcad386 license
Graphic cards that we have heard still support Font 24:
STB Virge 1024
Diamond Stealth 3D 3000 or 2000 @ 800 x 600
Unfortunately, the graphic cards change on a monthly basis so we
can not guarantee VESA support for any graphic cards.
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INPUT
DEVICE TROUBLESHOOTING
When you run VersaCAD if you get a message like:
"Could not open graphic input device" then you have an
input device problem. With a new computer this usually is caused
by one of two problems:
- If you are trying to run with
a graphics tablet then double check that the serial port that
you are connected to is set correctly in Enviro.
- If you are using a mouse then
the problem is usually that you do not have a mouse driver loaded
in DOS. Windows does not require a mouse driver set up in DOS
so the mouse may work in Windows even if it does not in DOS.
One way to check to may sure VersaCAD is working properly except
for the input device is to temporarily set the Input Device as Keyboard.
To do this, execute Enviro, Select 'I' for Input, and 'K' for Keyboard.
Exit Enviro and try to run "Draft". Use the arrows to
move around and the * key
to place points.
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RUNNING VERSACAD
FROM WINDOWS
VersaCAD Design 386 is still a DOS program. VersaCAD 2008 for
Windows is available for an upgrade fee.
If you want to run VersaCAD from Windows 95 or 98 you can create
a Windows shortcut that will go to a DOS shell and run VersaCAD.
Cautions:
- Make sure the DOS shell is full
screen
In the properties screen for the "DOS
prompt" within the "Options" tab, select "Full
Screen"
- Make sure that you do not have
a screen saver active in Windows. If VersaCAD is running and a
screen saver tries to activate it will trash VersaCAD.
The safest way to run from Windows is to reboot in DOS mode
(VersaCAD does not run from Windows NT. Windows NT does not
allow programs to directly address graphics memory)
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PLOTTING TROUBLESHOOTING
If you are trying to connect up a new plotter or printer to a DOS
version of VersaCAD be aware of the following considerations.
- Double check that the serial
or parallel port that you are connected to is set correctly in
Enviro.
- If you are trying to connect
to a printer, it must support HPGL, HPGL/2 or Postscript in order
to work with VersaCAD.
We have heard of a product called "PrintGL"
from Ravitz Software that will allow HPGL, spool files to be sent
to printers like the HP DeskJet series that don't support HPGL,
HPGL/2 or Postscript formats natively. You can find information
about this product at www.concentric.net/~ravitz.
We have not tried this solution ourselves.
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APPLICATION
FILES
(Submitted by various users. Made available as is. All
for DOS or Windows.)
