Picture

Calling the command:

Vector or bitmap images stored in files of various graphic formats can be added to a T-FLEX CAD drawing:

T-FLEX CAD Metafiles are graphic images of T-FLEX CAD drawings, they do not require parametric regeneration and are quickly displayable on the screen. Those are stored on disk with the extension *.bmf. Metafiles can be generated in the command Export or produced by an animation (the command Animate Model).

Such images can be inserted using various scale, rotated various angles and snapped to nodes, which helps parametrically define their position on the drawing. Unlike fragments, pictures themselves are not parametric, do not use variables or special fixing elements.

Transparent font color can be set for bitmap pictures.

Connection with Source File. Links Mechanism

Pictures, just like fragments and databases, use the links mechanism that allows managing relations of objects with their source files. A picture is related with an object by a "link" that indicates the source of external data.

Recall that the object of a link can be external (external file) or internal (a picture copied from internal file and saved inside the main document, fragment document etc.). Links management is done in the Assembly Structure window.

Links to files are used for 2D and 3D fragments and pictures. The command Update links updates all links to files.

By default an inserted picture uses an "external link" to the source file. By changing the link to embedded in the Assembly Structure window, you can save the picture directly in the drawing file (without relation to the source file).

Internal document-picture can be generated automatically right after inserting the picture. In this case a created picture will be at once connected with two links: a link to an external document (source file) and to an internal document. Such picture will function as an internal one, keeping the image of the source document in the form that the image had at the moment of insertion, but updating an internal image from the source file in case of need will still be possible.

Pictures on the basis of files “*.grb” are always generated as internal ones with the preserved connection with the source file.

Methods of fixing on drawings

The position of a picture on the drawing can be defined by the following methods:

By two corner fixing points. The graphic image of a picture is bounded by a box. By defining two opposite corners of this box on the drawing, you can change the position and size of the picture's image on a drawing. The original aspect ratio of the picture is not preserved in this way. The picture is fit in the specified box.

 

The corner points of the picture can be snapped to nodes on the drawing. This will allow parametric control over the position and size of the picture's image. Additionally, one can specify an angle of the picture's rotation about its center.

By one point, rotation angle and scale. In this case, just one reference point is used for fixing. As in the previous method, the fixing point can be related to a node on a drawing.

Creating picture

After calling this command, the options for creating the picture will appear in the automenu and command's parameters window.

Choosing source file and fixing method

First of all, it is necessary to choose the source file of the picture being created. This can be done with the help of the button in the command's parameters window or with the help of automenu option:

Files can be selected either from the T-FLEX CAD library or just from any folder on the disk.

A picture name can be variable. For this, you shall use a text variable as the picture name.

The drop-down list of the <M> option contains a list of previous files.

If there were no previous files, the drop-down list will not be active.

If the current document (in which the picture is generated) contains internal pictures, the symbol manifesting the existence of the drop down list will appear next to the icon of the option <M>. Another method for selection of the picture source can be picked from the drop down list:

The name of the selected/internal document will be shown in the command's parameters window (to the left of the button ).

If the picture is inserted from a library, then the name of the library is entered in the corner brackets, for example, “<Schemes>Graph node”. If the library name in the corner brackets is omitted, the picture is taken from the same library as that in which the drawing is located.

Grey (not accessible for editing) field, located a little below is informational and shows the absolute path to the file from which the picture is taken.

Upon picture insertion, as a file with bitmap image, a page being inserted from the source document can be selected in the command's parameters window (parameter Displayed Page).

The fixing method for the inserted picture (by two points or by one point, angle and a scale) is selected in the dialog box of the parameters window (parameter Fixing Mode).

Fixing picture by two points

After choosing the fixing method (parameter Fixing Mode > By 2 Points in the command's dialog box) it is necessary to successively indicate location of two fixing points of the generated picture. This can be done with the help of in the drawing's window or by indicating the exact values of the coordinates in the command's parameters window.

Upon defining fixing points, it is possible to select nodes of the drawing with the help of the option:

When the second fix point has been defined, the creation of the picture is automatically completed.

After defining location of the first fixing point, it is possible to finish creating the picture by pressing (in the automenu or in the parameters window). In this case, location of the second fixing point will be determined by the system automatically (on the basis of the initial size of the inserted picture).

Fixing picture by point, angle and scale

Upon inserting picture by one point, angle and scale, the fixing point is defined first. Note that in the command's parameters window location of the fixing point can be selected with respect to the box of the picture (parameter Fixing Point).

Location of the fixing point can be assigned directly in the drawing's window with the help of or by prescribing exact values of the coordinates in the command's dialog box. With the help of the option it is possible to fix picture to a node.

Additionally, in the command parameters window, you can select the way the image is positioned relative to the fixing point.

Fixing Point indicates which one of the characteristic points of the picture rectangle will be combined with the given fixing point. Selection of another characteristic point from the drop-down list of this parameter allows you to change the final location of the image on the drawing. The same can be done with automenu option:

After indicating the fixing point, the picture's contour takes the position in accordance with the parameters (angle of rotation and a scale), prescribed in the command's parameters dialog box (be default, angle of rotation is set to be equal to 0, and scale is 1). At this point it is possible to finish creation the picture by pressing , but it is also possible to preliminarily change the scale, angle and even location of the picture with the help of special markers, located at the corners of the picture’s box. Note that upon fixing by a point, angle and scale, rendering the picture can be completed only by pressing

Scale and angle of rotation of the picture can be also prescribed in the dialog box of the parameters window (parameters Scale and Rotation Angle).

Creating Internal Picture with Preserved Connection with Source File

To create an internal picture, right upon its insertion it is necessary to turn on the flag Create Internal Document under the group Options found in the command's parameters window.

Setting Transparent Color

Prescribing transparent color is possible only for bitmap pictures. Transparent color can be set in two ways: with the help of a special list of colors in the command's parameters window (this list becomes available only upon activating the flag Transparent Background) or directly in the drawing's window with the help of the following option of the automenu:

This option lets a user select color directly from the screen by pointing at the necessary region of the drawing.

Repeated Picture Insertion

For repeated picture rendering it is convenient to use the following options of the automenu:

The option enables to repeat multiple insertion of the last picture created in the given document. By default, parameters of the new picture will be assigned the same values as those of the last inserted picture.

The option enables to repeat insertion of any of the previously inserted pictures many times. After calling this option it is necessary to point at the source picture with the help of .

Picture Editing

Picture editing can be done by using automenu option:

Topics in this section:

•Pictures Parameters

•Edit Picture