1 About this manual

The manual is not yet up-to-date. Therefore, there are difference between the manual and the actual functionality. I recommend referring to the tooltips on buttons and other elements within the app for instructions on how to use the app.

2 Screen Layout

2.1 Editing Screen

2.1.1 Mouse Operations

You can create shapes using the mouse with the Drawing Tools. The mouse operations used for drawing are as follows:

• Left Click
  Specifies coordinates at the clicked position. Depending on the tool, you can constrain the direction of movement vertically and horizontally by clicking while holding down the Shift key.

• Left Double Click
  Used to end operations, etc., depending on the tool.

• Right Click
  Displays a menu. Assigned to ending shape selection, depending on the tool.

• Left Button Drag
  Used to select shapes within a range, etc., depending on the tool. The selection tool allows you to select all shapes within a range by dragging from left to right, and select shapes that are partially within the range by dragging from right to left.

• Mouse Wheel

  • Rotating zooms in and out.
    
  • Dragging scrolls the image.
    
  • Holding down the Shift key while dragging zooms in on the area.
    
  • Holding down the Shift key while clicking moves the selected area to the center of the screen.

2.1.2 Cursor

• The cursor displays coordinate values ​​in two lines. The top line shows coordinates relative to the grid origin, and the bottom line shows coordinates relative to the anchor. The anchor is the point you last clicked, or a coordinate determined by the tool you’re using. For example, with the arc tool, the center of the circle is the anchor.

• You can turn the display of coordinate values ​​on and off from the View Menu.
  

• Normally, the cursor is blue, but it changes to red when snapping. When snapping, a mark indicating the type of snap is displayed in the upper left corner of the cursor. See Snap Toolbar for information on the displayed marks.
  

• There are two types of cursors: a crosshair cursor and a full-screen crosshair cursor that draws a line to the edge of the screen. You can switch between them using the View Menu.

2.2 Menus

Commands can be executed from the top menu. Some (though not all) of the commands in the menu are also available on the toolbar.

2.2.1 File

1. New
   There are two options: Create New File and Create New File from Template. Create New File from Template creates a new file based on a pre-existing file.
   

2. Open
   Opens the File Open dialog.
   

3. Save
   Saves the file. If there is no file name yet, the File Save dialog will open; please enter a file name.
   

4. Save As
   Opens the File Save dialog.
   

5. Print
   Opens the Print dialog.
   

6. Print Area Settings
   Switches to the Print Area Settings tool. The cursor position will be the center of the print area. The following options will appear in the tool panel
   

   1. Adjust the print area to fit the paper and change the magnification.
      
   2. Move the print area to the center.
      
   3. Print magnification.
      
   4. Exit the print area setting tool and return to the original tool.

7. Settings
   Allows you to configure various settings.
   

   1. New File Settings
      Sets the default paper size and scale when creating a new file.
   2. Toolbar Reset
      Resets the toolbar layout. The toolbar will be reset after restarting.
      

8. Recently Opened Files
   Recently opened files are displayed and can be selected.
   

9. Exit
   Exits this application.

2.2.2 Edit

1. Undo
   Reverts the last edited action.

2. Redo
   Redoes the action that was undone.

3. Select Tool
   A tool for selecting, moving, and transforming shapes (see Selection Tool (#SelectTool)). It offers various functions.

4. Cut
   Cuts the shape selected with the Selection Tool and copies it to the clipboard.

5. Copy
   Copies the shape selected with the Selection Tool to the clipboard.

6. Copy to Clipboard as Metafile
   Copies the shape selected with the Selection Tool as a metafile.

7. Paste
   Pastes the shape from the clipboard. The pasted shape appears in the center of the editing screen.

8. Paste Selected Layer
   Normal pasting pastes to the source layer, but this pastes to the currently selected layer.

9. Paste Special
   Select various formats (such as PNG) from the dialog box and paste.

10. Insert Image
    Select an image file and paste it.

11. Delete
    Delete the shape selected with the selection tool.

12. Set
    Click again at the location where you last clicked with the mouse. When this item is selected from the right-click menu, it is the location where you right-clicked.

13. Offset
    A dialog box opens. Enter an offset value, and the cursor will click at a coordinate shifted by the offset value from the location where you last clicked with the mouse. When this item is selected from the right-click menu, the location where you right-clicked is the reference point.

14. Mid point
    The midpoint of the location where you last clicked with the mouse and the location where you will next click becomes the click location. When this item is selected from the right-click menu, the location where you right-clicked is the starting point.

15. Cancel
    Cancels the operation being edited (same as pressing the ESC key).

16. Find/Replace
    Allows you to search and replace text. This is enabled with the selection tool.

2.2.3 View

1. Zoom
   The submenu includes options for zooming out, zooming in, fitting to paper, and fitting to all shapes.

2. Status Bar
   Toggles the display/hide of the status bar at the bottom of the screen.

3. Print Area
   Toggles the display/hide of the print area.

4. Coordinate Values
   Toggles the display/hide of the cursor’s coordinate values.

5. Black background
   Toggles the background color between white and black. When the background color is black, the line color switches between white and black.

6. Full screen crosshair cursor
   Toggles between a crosshair cursor and a full-screen crosshair cursor that draws a line to the edge of the screen.

7. Option
   The options settings dialog box is displayed.
   

   1. Marker(Dot) radius
      Specify the radius of the dot marker type here.
      
   2. Auxilary line color
      You can change the guide line color here. Be careful, as using a color close to the background color may make it difficult to see.
   3. Dashed line scale You can change the dashed line pitch. Please enter a value between 0.5 and 2.0.
   4. Font
      This specifies whether to use an alternative font if a font not installed on your computer is used. Usually, Windows will handle it appropriately even if you don’t specify it, but in Wine, not specifying it may cause garbled characters.
   5. Background
      You can set an image as the background of the editing screen. Enable it and choose your favorite image.
      Lowering the opacity will allow the paper to show through and the image will be more visible.
      
   6. Polylining
      This sets the criteria for dividing circles (including arcs) and splines (Bezier curves) into lines.
      The number of divisions for circles has circle precision and maximum division. Setting the precision to 0 will always divide it to the maximum number of divisions. Enter a value of 1/4 for the maximum number of divisions of a circle (the actual circle used will be 4 times this value).
      These values ​​are also used for intersection detection during hatching, so setting them too coarse will affect the calculation results.
      Conversely, setting them too fine will affect the amount of data and processing time after conversion, so please set an appropriate value.

2.2.4 Tools

1. Favorite Tools
   You can register frequently used tools and access them from here. Registration is done from Customization.

2. Recent Tools
   You can access recently used tools from here.

3. Tools
   You can access tools by category. For details, please refer to Tool Panel.

4. Customize
   Register your favorite tools from here.
   
   The tool list is on the left, and the favorites list is on the right.
   Select the tool you want to add to your favorites from the tool list, and add it to the favorites list with button (1).
   The button (2) removes the selected tool from the favorites list.
   Checking (3) will prevent tools already in your favorites list from being added to recent tools when used.

5. Shortcut
   Customize your shortcuts from here.
   

   1. Switch the shortcut scope. There are scopes for each tool (not all tools) and “Main”. The Main scope is for shortcuts common to the app. Tool shortcuts are only valid when that tool is selected.
      Shortcuts cannot be assigned to the same key for different commands. However, the same key can be assigned between tools.
      
   2. The combo box displays the shortcut for the item selected in the list above. You can delete it with the delete button.
      
   3. Enter the shortcut in the text box. Shortcuts can be made using each key and combinations of Shift and Ctrl (the Alt key cannot be used as it conflicts with the menu). After entering the shortcut, press the add button to add it. Checking “Warn on overwriting” will display a warning if the same key is already in use.
   4. Reset returns all shortcuts to their default values.
      
   5. “Save” and “Load” allow you to save and load shortcut settings to and from a file.

2.2.5 Style

You can set the style of the shape here. The same items are also available in the toolbar; please refer to the toolbar for details.

2.2.6 Snap

Snap status and settings (see Snap Toolbar).

2.2.7 Drawing

You can set layers, sheets, and pages, but the Document Panel and Status Bar are more user-friendly.

2.2.8 Help

1. Manual
   Opens the manual.

2. About PreCad
   Displays information about PreCad.

3. Send Feedback
   Please use this to send any questions to the author. Your email client will open, and the author’s contact information will be in the recipient field, and the app name and version will be in the subject line. Please write your message in the body of the email.
   

4. Plugin Information
   Many of PreCad’s functions are made up of plugins. This information will be displayed.

2.3 Toolbar

2.3.1 File Toolbar

1. New
   
2. Open
   
3. Save
   
4. Save File As
   
5. Print
   The print dialog box will appear. Select your printer, paper type, etc., and press the print button to print.
   
6. Print Area Settings
   This determines the area that will be printed on the current printer’s paper.

2.3.2 Edit Toolbar

1. Selection Tool
   This tool selects shapes and moves and transforms them (see Selection Tool). It can do many things.

2. Cut
   Cuts the shape selected with the Selection Tool and copies it to the clipboard.

3. Copy
   Copys the shape selected with the Selection Tool to the clipboard.

4. Paste
   Pastes the shape from the clipboard. The pasted shape appears in the center of the editing screen.

5. Undo
   Undoes the last edit.

6. Redo
   Redoes the undo operation.

7. Cancel
   Cancels the current edit (same as the ESC key).

2.3.3 Line Style Toolbar

1. Line Color
   Selects the line color. [L] uses the Layer color.
2. Line Type
   Select the line type. [L] uses the Layer line type. [A] is a non-printable line (construction line).
3. Line Weight
   Select the line weight. [L] uses the Layer line weight.
4. Start Arrow Type
   
5. Start Arrow Size
   
6. End Arrow Type
   
7. End Arrow Size

2.3.4 Face Style Toolbar

1. Face Color
   Select the face color. [L] uses the Layer Color.

2.3.5 Text Style Toolbar

1. Text Color
   Select the text color. [L] uses the Layer Color.
   

2. Font Name
   

3. Font Size
   Units are in mm.
   

4. Bold
   

5. Italic
   

6. Underline
   

7. Strikethrough
   

8. Settings
   Opens a settings window where you can configure other font settings.
   

   1. Character Width Ratio
      Character width scaling factor
      
   2. Character Spacing
      Spacing between characters
   3. Slant Angle
      Character slant angle. A rightward slant is considered positive.
   4. Slant Text Only
      Checking this option slants each character, but the background frame remains slant. Image 1 below shows the option unchecked, and image 2 shows it checked.
      
      

9. Left-aligned text
   

10. Center-aligned text
    

11. Right-aligned text
    

12. Dimension line settings
    You can set dimension lines, leader lines, points, etc. from here.

2.3.6 Zoom Toolbar

1. Zoom In
   
2. Zoom Out
   
3. Displays the entire page.
   
4. Zooms to fit the drawing area of ​​all shapes.

2.3.7 Snap Toolbar

Checking this option fixes the cursor position when approaching endpoints of shapes, etc.

1. Endpoint
   Endpoints of lines, vertices of polygons, etc. A “V” appears on the cursor when snapping.

2. Midpoint
   Midpoints of lines, quarter points of circles, etc. A “M” appears on the cursor when snapping.

3. Center
   Center of a circle, etc. A “C” appears on the cursor when snapping.
   

4. Intersection
   Intersections of lines on the same layer. An “X” appears on the cursor.
   

5. On Line
   Snaps onto lines. An “L” appears on the cursor.
   

6. Orthogonal
   Points perpendicular to lines or circles. A “P” appears on the cursor.
   

7. Tangent
   Points tangent to a circle. A “T” will appear on the cursor.
   

8. Angle
   The cursor position is constrained for each angle. An “A” and the angle will be displayed on the cursor when snapping.
   

9. Snap to All Layers
   When checked, snaps to shapes on all layers of the same sheet.
   

10. Grid
    The grid will be displayed, and the cursor will snap when it approaches the grid. A “G” will appear on the cursor when snapping.
    

11. Grid Origin Setting
    Enters grid origin setting mode. Click the mouse at the desired origin location on the editing screen.
    

12. Pause Snapping
    Temporarily pauses all snapping.
    

13. Snap Settings
    Opens the snap settings dialog. You can set the number of grid divisions and the angle of angle snapping.
    

    1. Grid size
       Grid spacing.
       
    2. Grid div
       Number of sub-grid divisions.
       
    3. Grid angle
       You can set a tilt angle for the grid.
       
    4. Force snap to grid
       When checked, the object will always snap to the grid when there are no other points to snap to besides the grid.
       
    5. Scaled
       When checked, the grid spacing will be the effective value of the scale.
       
    6. Type
       Grid type. You can choose between straight lines and +.
       
    7. Snap angle
       Set the angle for angle snapping here.
    8. Effective snap radius
       The distance from the mouse cursor position to find a snap point.

2.4 Tool Panel

Select Drawing Tools from here. There are tabs for Tools, Favorites, and Recent.

1. Tools
   Select a tool from the categories. The categories are “Line,” “Circle,” “Text,” “Dimension,” “Transform,” “Copy,” “Measure,” and “Other.”
   Pressing the displayed icon selects the tool associated with that icon. Pressing the triangle button next to the icon displays a list of tools included in the category; select the one you want.
   
2. Favorites
   You can register frequently used tools and access them from here. Registration can be done from “Customize” in the “Tools” menu.
   
3. Recent
   This displays the tools you have used recently.

2.5 Tool Options Panel

This panel is for entering numerical values ​​for length, angle, and other settings that can be configured in the Drawing Tools.

2.6 Document Panel

Contains tabs for Layer, Sheet, Page, and Parts.

2.6.1 Layer Tab

This is where you configure layer settings and select the layer to write on.

1. Add/Delete Layer buttons. Deletion is not possible if there is only one layer.
2. Move Layer Order button. Rearranges the order of selected layers. You can also rearrange the order by dragging the layer name in the layer list.
   
3. Layer Display button. From left to right: All layers visible, all layers grayed out except selected, only selected layers displayed.
   
4. Menu button. The following menus are displayed:
   • [Turn all visible flags ON/OFF] Turns all visible flags on/off in the list.
     
   • [Turn all editable flags ON/OFF] Turns all editable flags on/off in the list.
     
   • [Turn all printable flags ON/OFF] Turns all printable flags on/off in the list.
     
   • [Layer Settings] A dialog box for setting the layer name, etc., will appear (you may not need to use this as the items that can be set in this dialog box can be edited directly from the layer list).
     
5. Layer List. A list of layers is displayed. Layers are displayed stacked on top of each other on the screen, with those lower down in the layer list being the ones at the bottom.
   
6. Layer Name. You can edit it by double-clicking or pressing the F2 key. To finish editing, press the Enter key to confirm, and the Esc key to cancel. You cannot enter an unnamed layer or a name that is the same as another layer.
   
7. Layer Show/Hide Toggle. Even when a layer is hidden, the selected layer will still be displayed. Also, hidden layers will not be printed.
   
8. Editable/Non-Editable Toggle.
   
9. Printable/Non-Printable Toggle.
   
10. Layer Style. Clicking this allows you to specify the layer’s color, line type, and line thickness.
    • Line color
      This is the line color used when the shape’s line color is set to L (ByLayer).
      
    • Line type
      This is the line type used when the shape’s line type is set to L (ByLayer).
      
    • Line width
      This is the line width used when the shape’s line width is set to L (ByLayer).

2.6.2 Sheet Tab

This is where you configure sheet settings and select the sheet to write on.

1. Add/Delete Sheet Buttons. Deletion is not possible if there is only one sheet.
   
2. Sheet Display Buttons. From left to right: All Sheets Visible, Unselected Sheets Grayed Out, Selected Sheet Only Displayed
   
3. Menu Button. The following menus are displayed:
   • [Turn All Visible Flags ON/OFF] Turns all visible flags on the list ON/OFF.
   • [Turn All Editable Flags ON/OFF] Turns all editable flags on the list ON/OFF.
   • [Turn All Printable Flags ON/OFF] Turns all printable flags on the list ON/OFF.
   • [Sheet Settings] A dialog box for setting the sheet name, etc., will appear (you may not need to use this as the items that can be set in this dialog box can be edited directly from the sheet list).
4. Sheet list. A list of sheets is displayed.
5. Sheet name. You can edit by double-clicking or pressing the F2 key. To finish editing, press the Enter key to confirm, and the Esc key to cancel. You cannot enter an unnamed sheet or a name that is the same as another sheet.
6. Sheet Show/Hide Toggle. Even when hidden, selected sheets will be displayed. Also, hidden sheets will not be printed.
7. Editable/Not Editable Toggle.
8. Printable/Not Printable Toggle.
9. Scale Button. Clicking this will display the scale setting dialog box.

2.6.3 Page Tab

This is where you configure page settings and select the page to write on.

1. Add/Delete Page Buttons. You cannot delete a page if there is only one page.
2. Add Page from File button. Clicking this opens a file selection dialog, allowing you to add a page by selecting a file.
3. Page List. Displays a list of pages.

2.6.4 Parts Tab

Frequently used shapes can be reused as parts. Parts are group shapes.

1. Add/Delete Parts button. To add a part, select the shape you want to make a part using the selection tool, and then press the Add Part button. It will be added as a part to the selected parts file. If the parts file does not yet exist, a file selection dialog will appear. Please create a file with an appropriate name.
2. Add Part File button. A file selection dialog will appear.
3. Delete Part File button. The file will be deleted from the list. The file itself is not deleted and remains on the disk.
4. Import Other Part Formats button. You can use JW_CAD part formats (JWS), etc.
5. Paste button. Pastes the selected part to the center of the screen.
6. Enable Scale checkbox. When checked, the object will be pasted at its actual size. If unchecked, it will be pasted at the size of the paper. It’s best to uncheck symbols and other elements.
7. Switching Part Files. Clicking this allows you to switch between part files.
8. Part List. The selected part will have a blue border. Double-clicking a part will paste it to the center of the screen.

2.7 Preview Panel

The entire editing screen is displayed. Selecting an area by dragging with the mouse will display that area on the editing screen.
If ‘Drawing’ is checked, the drawing is displayed; if unchecked, the selected layer is displayed when the Document panel is in the Layers tab, and the selected sheet is displayed when it’s in the Sheets tab.

2.8 Status Bar

1. Information Display
   The name and operation description of the current tool are displayed. Errors during drawing editing are also displayed here.
   
2. Layer Button
   The current layer is displayed. Changes can also be made from here.
   
3. Sheet Button
   The current sheet is displayed. Changes can also be made from here.
   
4. Page Button
   The current page can be displayed and changed from here.
   
5. Paper Size Button
   The current paper size is displayed. Changes can also be made from here.

3 Saving/Importing Files in Other Formats

PreCAD supports saving and importing files from other CAD software. However, compatibility for both saving and importing is not very high. Even if you save an imported file in the same format, the resulting file will be completely different. Please be careful.

3.1 jw_cad

Conversion is difficult because the layer structure is quite different.

• jwc format is only supported for import.
  • Layer groups are converted to sheets.
    
  • Only layers and layer groups that are in use are imported.
  • Line widths are not reflected. Line types are converted to the closest line type in PreCAD.
• jww format saving
  • Sheets are converted to layer groups.
  • Group shapes are converted to block shapes.
  • The font of text will be “MS Gothic”.
  • Attributes of various shapes are not saved.
  • Color tables, etc., are reset. Colors other than solids are not saved.
  • Line widths are not reflected.
• jww format import
  • Layer groups are converted to sheets.
  • Only layers and layer groups that are in use will be imported.
  • Block shapes will be converted to group shapes.
  • Font settings will not be reflected.
  • Line width will not be reflected. Line types will be converted to the closest line type in PreCAD.
  • Pasted images will not be imported.

3.2 DXF

• DXF Save
  • Line width will not be reflected.
  • Line colors will be limited to the 16 basic colors.
  • MTEXT will be converted to multiple texts.
  • Group shapes and dimension shapes will be saved separately (they will not become blocks).
  • Sheet scale will not be reflected.
  • The number of characters in layers and unusable characters are not checked. There may be problems.
  • Only the minimum necessary information is written in the header, etc. There may be problems.
• DXF Import
  • Line width will not be reflected.
  • MTEXT formatting is partially supported.
  • Block shapes will be converted to group shapes.
  • Many elements are not supported.
  • Font settings will not be reflected.
  • White color is not visible in PreCAD and will be converted to black.

4 Drawing Tools

Tools used for drawing and transforming shapes are divided into the following categories: “Line”, “Circle”, “Text”, “Dimension”, “Transform”, “Copy”, “Measure”, and “Other”. Please select from the “Tool Panel” or “Tool Menu”.
Also, tools will be added and improved sequentially, so the content may often differ from this manual. We plan to display tool descriptions in tooltips and status bar messages.
When you select a tool, the following numerical input options will appear in the Tool Options panel.

Tools with a checkbox before the numerical input field, like in 1, will only be valid when checked. Pressing the calculator icon in 2 will display a calculator, allowing you to input calculation results.

4.1 Line Category

4.1.1 Line

Draws a line by specifying two points. You can specify the line length and angle from the options.

4.1.1.1 Options

• Length
  Checking this option allows you to specify the length.
  
• Angle
  Checking this option allows you to specify the angle.

4.1.2 Continuous Line

Draw a line by specifying points consecutively. To finish, click the “Finish” button or double-click. Press the Esc key to return to the previous point.
Checking “Polyline” creates a polyline, and you can specify the face color.

4.1.2.1 Options

• Length
  Checking this option allows you to specify the length.
  
• Angle
  Checking this option allows you to specify the angle.
  
• Close
  Checking this option creates a closed shape with the start and end points closed.
  
• Polyline
  Checking this option creates a polyline. You can specify the face color for polylines.
  
• Finish
  Finishes drawing.

4.1.3 Rectangle

Draws a rectangle. If the “Center” option is not checked, specify two vertices. If “Center” is checked, specify the center and a vertex.

4.1.3.1 Options

• Width
  Checking this option allows you to specify the width of the rectangle.
  
• Height
  Checking this option allows you to specify the height of the rectangle.
• Polyline
  Checking this option creates a polyline. You can specify the face color for polylines.
• Center
  Checking this option draws the rectangle by specifying the center point and endpoints.

4.1.4 Polygon

Draws a regular polygon.

4.1.4.1 Options

• Side
  Number of sides of the polygon
• Length
  Enables when checked. Means as follows depending on the mode:
  • Center->Vertex
    Distance from the center to the vertex
  • Center->Edge
    Distance from the center to the edge
  • Base
    Length of the base
• Angle
  Enables when checked. Means as follows depending on the mode:
  • Center->Vertex Angle from the center to the vertex
  • Center->Edge Angle from the center to the edge
  • Base Angle of the base
• Polyline
  Checks to create a polyline. You can specify the face color for polylines.
• Mode
  There are three modes: Center->Vertex, Center->Edge, and Base.

4.1.5 Double Line

Draws two parallel lines. Pressing the Ctrl key allows you to specify a starting point with the same X or Y coordinate.

4.1.5.1 Options

• Gap
  The distance between lines
• Length
  Checking this allows you to specify the length.
• Angle
  Checking this allows you to specify the angle.
• Polyline
  Checking this creates a polyline.
• Endpoint Type
  Specifies the treatment of the line ends.
  • Open: The ends are not connected.
    
  • Closed: Two closed lines are created with the start and end points connected.
  • Closed End: One closed line is created with the start and end points connected.
• Exit Ends drawing.

4.1.6 Freehand

Draws lines by tracing the mouse movement. The lines are polylines.

4.1.6.1 Options

• Interval
  A point is added to the polyline when the mouse movement distance exceeds this value. Reducing this value will increase the data size, so please do not make it too small.
• Close
  Closes the start and end points.
• Disable Snap
  Check this if snapping interferes with drawing.

4.1.7 Spline

Draws a cardinal spline.

4.1.7.1 Options

• Close
  Checking this will create a closed shape with the start and end points closed.
• Exit
  Ends drawing.

4.1.8 Perpendicular Line

Draws a line perpendicular to the selected line/circle.

1. Select a line or circle
2. Specify the start and end points

4.1.8.1 Options

• Length
  Check this box to specify the length.

4.1.9 Parallel Line

Draws a line parallel to the selected line.

1. Select a line
2. Specify the distance from the selected line
3. Specify the start and end points

4.1.9.1 Options

• Length
  Check this box to specify the length.

4.1.10 Middle Line

Draws a line midway between the two selected lines.

1. Select two lines
2. Specify the start and end points

4.1.10.1 Options

• Length
  Check this box to specify the length.

4.1.11 Tangent Line

Draws a tangent line to a circle.

1. Select a circle
2. Specify the start and end points

4.1.11.1 Options

• Length
  Check this box to specify the length.
• Angle
  Check this box to specify the angle.

4.1.12 Line Tangent to Two Circles

Draws a line tangent to two circles. The tangent lines are drawn from the vicinity of the selected points on each circle.

4.1.13 Circle Centerline

Draws the centerline of the selected circle.

1. Select the circle
2. Specify the length of the centerline

4.1.13.1 Options

• Ratio [%]
  Checking this box allows you to specify the length of the centerline as a ratio to the diameter.

4.1.14 Break Line

Draws a break line.

4.1.14.1 Options

• Type
  The type of break line. Zigzag, wavy, and S are available.
• Size
  Consider this as a guideline.

4.2 Circle Category

4.2.1 Circle

Draws a circle by specifying the center and radius.

4.2.1.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify the radius.

4.2.2 3-Point Circle

Draws a circle passing through three points.

4.2.2.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify the radius. The third point determines the direction of the circle.

4.2.3 Ellipse

Draws an ellipse by specifying the center, radius, flattening ratio, and angle.

4.2.3.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify the radius.
• Flatness
  Checking this box allows you to specify the aspect ratio.
• Angle
  Checking this box allows you to specify the ellipse’s inclination.

4.2.4 Ellipse (2 points)

Draws an ellipse by specifying two points.

4.2.4.1 Options

• Width
  Checking this box allows you to specify the width.
• Height
  Checking this box allows you to specify the height.
• Center
  Checking this box specifies the center and vertices.

4.2.5 Circle Tangent to a Line

Draws a circle tangent to a line or circle.

1. Select a line or circle
2. Specify the center point

4.2.5.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify the radius.

4.2.6 Two-Line Tangent Circle

Draws a circle tangent to two lines or circles.

1. Select two lines or circles
2. Specify a passing point

4.2.6.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify the radius.

4.2.7 Three-Line Tangent Circle

Draws a circle tangent to three lines or circles.

1. Select three lines or circles. If all are lines, the circle will be drawn here.
2. Select the desired circle from multiple drawable circles.

4.2.8 Ellipse Tangent to Two Lines

Draws an ellipse tangent to two lines forming a parallelogram.

4.2.9 Arc

Draws an arc by specifying the center, radius, starting angle, and angle width.

4.2.9.1 Options

• Radius
  Check this to specify the radius.
• Starting Angle
  Check this to specify the starting angle.
• Angular Width
  Check this to specify the angle width.

4.2.10 Three-Point Arc

Draws an arc by specifying the start point, end point, and passing points.

4.2.10.1 Options

• Radius Checking this box allows you to specify the radius.

4.2.11 Semicircle

Draws a semicircle by specifying the start point, end point, and direction.

4.2.11.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify the radius.
• Angle
  Checking this box allows you to specify the slope of the semicircle.

4.2.12 Quartercircle

Draws a semicircle by specifying the center, end point, and direction.

4.2.12.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify the radius.
• Angle
  Checking this box allows you to specify the angle of the semicircle.

4.3 Text Category

4.3.1 Text

Draws a single line of text.
The background color of the text can be specified using the “Face” color of the style.
Due to font issues, the font and size of the text may vary depending on the device. Please position the text with sufficient margin.

4.3.1.1 Options

• Text Input Area
  
• Text Reference Point
  Reference point for placing text
• Angle
  
• Vertical Writing
  Checking this box enables vertical writing.

4.3.2 Multi-Line Text

Draws multiple lines of text.
The background color of the text can be specified using the “Face” color of the style.
Due to font issues, the font and size of the text may vary depending on the device. Please position the text with sufficient margin.

4.3.2.1 Options

• Text Input Area
• Text Alignment Reference Point
  The reference point for aligning text. You can set the center, bottom left, etc.
• Angle
• Vertical Text
  Checking this will enable vertical writing.

4.3.3 Leader Line

Draws a leader line.

4.3.3.1 Options

• Text Input Area
• Settings
  Opens the leader line settings dialog.

4.3.4 Balloon

Draws a balloon.

4.3.4.1 Options

• Text Input Area
• Settings
  Opens the leader line settings dialog.

4.4 Dimension Category

4.4.1 Dimension

Draws a dimension shape.

4.4.1.1 Options

• Mode
  • Normal: No constraints
  • Horizontal: Dimension line constrained horizontally
  • Vertical: Dimension line constrained vertically
  • Horizontal/Vertical: Dimension line constrained horizontally and vertically
• Continuous
  When checked, the dimension line is drawn continuously from the previous point. Press the Esc key to exit.
• Center
  When checked, the dimension value is drawn at the center of the dimension line.
• Text
  When checked, arbitrary text is drawn on the dimension line.
• Settings
  Opens the dimension line settings dialog.
• Tolerance
  • Type: How to display the tolerance value (None: No display; One line: One line (±); Two lines: Two lines)
    
  • Value: Tolerance value
    
  • Decimal places: Number of decimal places
    
  • Suffix: Characters to add after the tolerance value

4.4.2 Diameter

Draws the diameter dimension of a circle.

1. Select the circle
2. Specify the angle of the dimension shape and the position of the text

4.4.2.1 Options

• Center
  Checking this option draws the dimension value at the center of the dimension line.
• Text
  Checking this option draws arbitrary text on the dimension line.
• Settings
  Opens the dimension line settings dialog.
• Tolerance
  • Type: How the tolerance value is displayed (None: No display; One line: One line (±); Two lines: Two lines)
  • Value: Tolerance value
  • Decimal places: Number of decimal places
  • Suffix: Character to add after the tolerance value

4.4.3 Radius

Draws the radius dimension of a circle.

1. Select the circle
2. Specify the angle of the dimension shape and the text position

4.4.3.1 Options

• Center
  Checking this option draws the dimension value at the center of the dimension line.
• Text
  Checking this option draws arbitrary text on the dimension line.
• Settings
  Opens the dimension line settings dialog.
• Tolerance
  • Type: Display method of tolerance value (None: No display; One line: One line (±); Two lines: Two lines)
  • Value: Tolerance value
  • Decimal places: Number of decimal places
  • Suffix: Character to add after the tolerance value

4.4.4 Angle

Draws an angle shape by specifying the center, two leader points, and text position.

4.4.4.1 Options

• Center
  Checking this option draws the dimension value at the center of the dimension line.
• Text
  Checking this option draws arbitrary text on the dimension line.
• Settings
  Opens the dimension line settings dialog.
• Tolerance
  • Type: How to display the tolerance value (None: No display; One line: One line (±); Two lines: Two lines)
  • Value: Tolerance value
  • Decimal places: Number of decimal places
  • Suffix: Character to add after the tolerance value

4.4.5 Angle between two lines

Draws the angle between two lines.

1. Select two lines
2. Specify the text position

4.4.5.1 Options

• Center
  Checking this option draws the dimension value at the center of the dimension line.
• Text
  Checking this option draws arbitrary text on the dimension line.
• Settings
  Opens the dimension line settings dialog.
• Tolerance
  • Type: How to display the tolerance value (None: No display; One line: One line (±); Two lines: Two lines)
  • Value: Tolerance value
  • Decimal places: Number of decimal places
  • Suffix: Character to add after the tolerance value

4.4.6 Line Dimensions

Draws the length of the selected line and the diameter of the circle.

1. Select the line/circle
2. Specify the text position

• Settings
  Opens the dimension line settings dialog.
• Tolerance
  • Type: How the tolerance value is displayed (None: No display; One line: One line (±); Two lines: Two lines)
  • Value: Tolerance value
  • Decimal places: Number of decimal places
  • Suffix: Characters to add after the tolerance value

4.4.7 Dimension Line Skew

Skews the dimension line. After selecting the dimension line, specify the angle to skew. You can also choose whether to skew the text. Can be used to create dimensions in isometric drawings.

4.4.7.1 Options

• Text Skew
  When checked, the text will be skewed along with the dimension line.

4.5 Transformation Category

4.5.1 Corner

Select two lines or arcs to connect them and create a corner.

4.5.2 Chamfer

Two-line chamfer

1. Select two lines
2. Specify the chamfer size

4.5.2.1 Options

• Length
  Checking this allows you to specify the chamfer size.

4.5.3 Round Corner

Select two lines or arcs to connect them and round the corner.

1. Select two lines
2. Specify the radius for rounding the corners

4.5.3.1 Options

• Radius
  Checking this box allows you to specify a radius.

4.5.4 Line Extension

First, select a line. Then, extend or shorten the selected line so that it is tangent to the first selected line.
The first shape can be a line, circle, arc, or polyline. The second shape can be a line or arc.

4.5.5 Line Deletion

Deletes the selected line or circle up to the intersection point of another shape.

4.5.6 Line Cutting

Specify a rectangle at two points and delete the line between them.

4.5.7 Trim

Specify a rectangle with two points and cut or connect the endpoints and intersections of lines within it (envelope operation).

4.5.8 Operation

Perform an operation between two circles or a closed polyline. Operations include AND, OR, and SUB. Please select from the options. The result of the operation will be a closed polyline. Parts of circles, etc., will be divided into line segments.

4.5.9 Stretch

Specify a rectangle with two points and extend the endpoints of lines within it.

1. Specify the area including the endpoints with two points.
2. Specify the reference point.
3. Specify the extension point.

4.5.10 Selection Tool

• Select shapes and perform actions such as moving and transforming them. Grouping shapes and creating parts are also done with this tool.
• There are two ways to select shapes: by clicking directly on the shape, or by drawing a box around it with two points.
• When drawing a box with two points, drawing from left to right selects the entire shape within that box. Drawing from right to left selects only a portion of the shape within the box.
• Drag the selected shape to move it.
• Handles will appear on the selected shape; dragging these handles will resize it. If “Handle Movement” is checked, dragging the handles will move the shape.
• Holding down the Ctrl key while moving or resizing will leave a copy of the original shape.
• Holding down the Shift key while moving restricts the movement direction to vertical and horizontal. Resizing by dragging the handles locks the aspect ratio.

4.5.10.1 Options

• Mode

  1. Move with Handle Drag
     Normally, dragging the handles resizes the object, but when enabled, it moves without resizing.
  2. Vertex Editing Mode
     Normally, handles are on the outline of the rectangular area of ​​the shape, but when enabled, handles are displayed on the vertices of polylines, etc. In this mode, you can edit the vertices of polylines.
  3. Continuous Line Selection Mode
     When enabled, you can select all lines connected to the clicked line at once.

• Transform

  1. Flip Horizontally
     Clicking flips the selected shape horizontally.
  2. Flip Vertically
     Clicking flips the selected shape vertically.
  3. Rotate Left
     Clicking rotates the selected shape 90 degrees to the left.
  4. Rotate Right
     Clicking rotates the selected shape 90 degrees to the right.
  5. Rotate
     Clicking this will display a rotation angle input dialog, allowing you to specify an angle for rotation.
  6. Move
     Clicking this will display a move coordinate input dialog, allowing you to specify relative coordinates for movement.
  7. Resize
     Clicking this will display a resize dialog, allowing you to specify a magnification for scaling.
  8. Shear
     Performs shear deformation. Clicking this will display a dialog where you can select the type of shear.

• Change

  1. Group
     Clicking this will convert the selected shapes into a group shape.
  2. Ungroup
     Clicking this will ungroup the selected group shapes.
  3. Convert to Polyline
     Clicking this will convert the selected shapes into a polyline.
  4. Decompose into Line Segments
     Clicking this will decompose the selected shapes into line segments.

• Order

  1. Top Layer
     Clicking this will move the stacking order of the selected shapes to the top layer.
  2. Bottom Layer
     Clicking this will move the stacking order of the selected shapes to the bottom layer.
  3. Change Layer
     Clicking this will display the Change Layer dialog box, moving the selected shapes to another layer.

• Align
  Aligns the selected shapes.

• Distribute
  Distributes the selected shapes evenly.

4.6 Copy Category

4.6.1 Offset

Offsets lines and circles.

4.6.1.1 Options

• Gap
  Specifies the offset interval.
• Copy
  Checking this option preserves the original shape.
• Copy Formatting
  Checking this option uses the line color of the original shape. If unchecked, the current line color, etc., are used.
• Re-execute
  The offset is executed at the interval from the previous execution.

4.6.2 Line Copy

Copies the selected shape along a straight line.

1. Select the shape and right-click to finish the selection. The reference point is the point where you right-clicked.
2. Specify the End Point of the Copy

4.6.2.1 Options

• Number of Copies
• Interval
  You can specify the interval for copying.

4.6.3 Circle Copy

Copies the selected shape in a circle.

1. Select the shape and finish the selection by right-clicking. The reference point is the point where you right-clicked.
2. Specify the center point of the shape to be copied.

4.6.3.1 Options

• Radius
  You can specify the radius for the circle copy numerically.
• Rotation
  Checking this will rotate the shape.
• Number of Copies

4.6.4 Array Copy

Copies the selected shape vertically and horizontally.

1. Select the shape and right-click to finish the selection. The reference point is the point where you right-clicked.
2. Specify the end point of the copy.

4.6.4.1 Options

• Column
  Number of copies in the column direction
• Row
  Number of copies in the row direction
• Column Spacing
  You can specify the spacing of the columns to copy.
• Row Spacing
  You can specify the spacing of the rows to copy.

4.6.5 Rotation

Rotates the shape.

1. Select the shape and right-click to finish the selection. The reference point is the point where you right-clicked.
2. Specify the center point of the shape
3. Specify the rotation angle

4.6.5.1 Options

• Angle
  Checking this box allows you to specify the angle.
• Copy
  Checking this option will keep the original shape.

4.6.6 Baseline Copy

Performs horizontal flip and tilt correction.

1. Select the shape and right-click to finish the selection.
2. Specify the start and end points of the baseline.

4.6.6.1 Options

• Copy
  Checking this option will keep the original shape.
• Type
  • Mirror: Flips horizontally relative to the baseline.
    
  • Horizontal: Rotates the baseline to be horizontal. Used for tilt correction.
  • Vertical: Rotates the baseline to be vertical. Used for tilt correction.

4.6.7 Intersection Copy

Places the copied shape at the intersection of the shapes.

1. Select the shapes and right-click to finish the selection. The reference point is the point where you right-clicked.
2. Select the shapes where you want to find the intersection. Right-click to finish the selection, and the copy will be executed.

4.6.8 Equally Spacing Copy

Duplicates shapes at equal intervals between them. Lines, circles, and arcs are targeted.

If the target shape is a line, you can choose from the options to divide the interval equally or divide the angle equally.

1. Select two shapes to copy. The second shape selected must be the same as the first shape.

4.7 Measurement Categories

4.7.1 Measurement (Line)

Measures the distance and angle between two points.

4.7.2 Measurement (Area)

Measures the area and length of a region enclosed by multiple points.

4.7.3 Measurement (Shape)

Measures the area and length of a shape.

4.8 Other Categories

4.8.1 Point

Places a point.

4.8.1.1 Options

• Angle
  Point inclination
• Temporary Point
  Checking this option uses a guide line type (not printed).
• Settings
  Opens the settings dialog. You can choose the type and size of the point. The “dot” type of point will be displayed at the same size regardless of the screen zoom level (size cannot be specified).

4.8.2 Divide Point

Places points that divide lines or circles into equal parts.

4.8.2.1 Options

• Number of Divisions
• Temporary Points
  Checking this option uses auxiliary line types (they are not printed).
• Settings
  Opens the settings dialog. You can choose the type and size of the points. The “dot” type of point will be displayed at the same size regardless of the screen zoom level (size cannot be specified).

4.8.3 Hatching

Creates hatching. Hatching becomes a group shape.

1. Select the hatching area. The hatching area does not need to be closed, but often fails if it is not.
2. Right-click to perform hatching. The point where you press the right button becomes the hatching reference point.

4.8.3.1 Options

• Type
  Select the hatching type.
• Pitch
  Hatching pitch
• Angle
  Hatching angle
• Spacing
  Spacing between lines for 2- or 3-line hatching styles

4.8.4 Coordinate File

This tool draws a shape with the cursor position as the origin, connecting the coordinates in a loaded coordinate file.
The coordinate file consists of XY coordinates separated by spaces on each line. For details, please refer to the sample file which can be loaded from the options.

4.8.5 Script

Allows you to load and use Jw_cad line symbol files.

4.8.5.1 Options

1. Open File Button
   Clicking this button displays the file open dialog.
2. The opened file name is displayed.
3. Title
4. When a file is opened, an icon is displayed; selecting it executes its function.

4.8.6 Milling G-Code (Experimental)

This creates G-code for planar milling on a desktop CNC milling machine. Currently, there is no opportunity to test it on a real machine, so it is only being tested on a simulator.