Command: wcloth (deprecated)

Syntax

wcloth <window> {,<file>}

or

wcloth <window> {
    <data_block>
}

Description

Define the backcloth characteristics for a graphic window. A backcloth is one or more image files over which entity graphics are displayed.

Several layers (levels) of image files are permitted to accommodate different levels of detail.

Parameters

• <window>
  A window identifier. It must be a graphic window.

• <file>
  Use the contents of a text file to define the backcloth characteristics. If <file> is omitted, then the cloth data is taken from <data_block> enclosed within { and }. If <file> has the string value , then the backcloth characteristics of the window are set to null, i.e. no backcloth.

Switches

• -q
  Quiet mode. The default behavior during cloth redraws is for change-of-scale messages to be displayed on the monitor. In quiet mode these messages are suppressed.

Block

Each line within <data_block> should contain one or more backcloth definition phrases. Multiple phrases on a line should be separated by commas. Each level of backcloth should have the following:

• level=<num>
  The backcloth level number. The first should be 1, and others should follow sequentially. The maximum number of levels is 32.

• { cache }
  If included, this implies that image file contents should be cached to help speed up retrieval and display times. Caching should only be used when there are a few files in a level (e.g. less than eight) likely to be in view at any one time. Caching many files can severely impair performance. The default behavior is not to cache.

• { fc=<color> }
  The default foreground color for monochrome images on this level when displayed on a color workstation. If omitted, black is used. The background color for monochrome images is that of the graphic window in which the cloth is displayed.

• { scale=<num> }
  The scale of the image files available for this level. This provides the number of world units which each pixel of a image file represents. Current modeling units are assumed unless the units phrase is present.

• { max=<num> }
  The maximum scale at which this level of image files can be drawn. If the current window 'scale' is greater than <num> the previous level of image files is displayed, or none if this is the first level in the hierarchy. See the threshold phrase for the meaning of scale.

• { min=<num> }
  The minimum scale at which this level of image files can be drawn. If the current window ‘scale’ is less than <num> the next level of image files is displayed, or none if this is the last level in the hierarchy. See the threshold phrase for the meaning of 'scale'

• { trans }
  If included, this implies that the image files on this level are transparent and should be overlayed on top of previous levels of image file.

• { view=<text> }
  An indication of which view the image file represents, typically ’plan’.

Within each level of backcloth, the following phrases are permitted to defining the image ‘tiles’:

• file=<file>
  An image file.

• { fc=<color> }
  The foreground color for the image, if it is monochrome, when displayed on a color workstation. If omitted, the default foreground color of the level is used, typically black. The background color for monochrome images is that of the graphic window in which the cloth is displayed.

• { k=<nums> }
  The key position in the image file used to locate the image in world space. If omitted the bottom left corner of the image is used. <nums> should comprise two numeric values corresponding to x,y pixels in the image where 0,0 is the top-left corner of the image.

• { p=<point> }
  The world coordinates corresponding to the key position. If omitted, the value (0,0,0) is assumed. Current modeling units are assumed unless the ‘units’ phrase is present.

• { ang=<num> }
  A rotation angle (counter-clockwise).

• { title=<string> }
  A title to be displayed when the image is displayed in outline only.

The following phrases is permitted once only in the data block, and provide general information for the whole cloth system:

• { stencil=<tile> }
  A bitmap to be used as a stencil through which the image files are drawn. By using for example a "greying" bitmap, the backcloths will appear in a lower intensity than entity graphics.

• { threshold=P|S }
  Whether the scale thresholds (defined by the ‘min’ and ‘max’ phrases are pixel factors (P) or screen scales (S). When pixel factors are used then the ratio of world pixels to screen pixels are used, i.e. window.pixel_factor (adjusted by any change of units.) When screen scales are used then the true scale is used, i.e. window.scale. The default threshold mode is P.

• { units=<string> }
  The unit of measurement for the cloth coordinate system. If omitted, the units are dynamic and are assumed to be the current modeling units whether the cloth is drawn. This can create a problem if an application redefines what the current modeling units are. Including this phrase ensures the correct cloth scaling whatever the current modeling units.

Notes

A window's backcloth characteristics may also be set to the contents of a file by setting the window.cloth attribute.

Examples

# Cloth definition:
wcloth mywin, -q {
# Define a grey bitmap for lower intensity ...
    stencil=grey50
# Define the units to be meters ...
    units = 'm'
# Define level 1 as a small scale overview ...
    level=1, scale=139, max=500, view=plan
    file=$MXIMAGES/xras/index.ras, title='Index Raster',\
        p=(194600,5718700.9746,0)
# Define level 2 as larger scale, transparent
#   so that level 1 shows through:
    level=2, scale=10, max=20, min=0.1, view=plan, trans, -fc=blue
    file=$MXIMAGES/xras/s10_1.ras, title='Streets 1',\
        p=(278610,5758763.3711,0)
    file=$MXIMAGES/xras/s10_2.ras, title='Streets 2',\
        p=(286550,5758763.3711,0)
    file=$MXIMAGES/xras/s10_3.ras, title='Streets 3’,\
        p=(282580,5770005.2126,0)

The above code within { and }, if stored in a file named clothinfo.dat, could be assigned to a window by the following:

wcloth win1, clothinfo.dat

See Also