                   ==============================
                    README.AME - AME Release 2.1
                   ==============================
                           June 17, 1992


This document contains last minute-changes and instructions that could not
be included in the printed AME Reference Manual.


Reduced File Size
-----------------

    The file size of AME drawings is significantly reduced in AME R2.1 due
    to two changes: first, the initial value of the SOLWDENS variable is
    changed, as described below; and second, any arcs and circles that
    become elliptical edges when projected to a plane in the SOLPROF
    command are now represented by curve-fit polylines, which are smaller
    in size and provide a smoother representation of the edges.


SOLWDENS System Variable
------------------------

    The initial value of this variable has been changed from 4 to 1.
    This change significantly reduces the size of AME drawing files by
    decreasing the number of tessellation lines displayed on curved faces
    of solids when in a wireframe representation and decreasing the number
    of vectors used to represent curved edges of solids and regions when
    in a mesh representation. This also reduces the time AME takes to
    complete phase II of boundary evaluation while reevaluating solids,
    and performing union, subtraction, and intersection operations.

    For meshed solids and regions, a SOLWDENS value less than 3 is
    treated the same as 3. In other words, if you set SOLWDENS to 1,
    you will get a wireframe (tessellation) density of 1, but a mesh
    density of 3.


Purging Layers Created by SOLPROF
---------------------------------

    You can skip steps 4 through 7 of the procedure described on page 131,
    as these steps are no longer necessary.







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SOLMAINT.LSP Sample Program
---------------------------

    A new command, SOLUPDATE, has been added to the SOLMAINT program.
    SOLUPDATE purges the boundary file (Bfile) and memory of selected
    solids and regions, and reevaluates them using current settings.
    This command makes it easy to change the mesh and wireframe density
    of a solid or region. You can also easily change the hatching of a
    region by updating it after changing the SOLHPAT, SOLHANGLE, and
    SOLHSIZE variables. 

    If the selection set contains any solids that do not have a Bfile,
    SOLUPDATE displays this harmless error message:

        Unable to retrieve entity.
        1 object ignored.
        No objects selected.
        Unable to retrieve entity.
        1 object ignored.


Selecting Objects
-----------------

    Combining objects from both paper space and model space into a single
    selection set can produce unexpected results in some AME commands.
    The "Previous" object selection option will select the previous
    selection set even if it was in paper space and you are now in
    model space, and vice versa. The "ALL" object selection option
    selects all objects on non-frozen layers in your drawing. Both
    of these options can create a selection set that contains a mix of
    paper space and model space entities. 


AME/Region Modeler Tablet Overlay
---------------------------------

    The AME/Region Modeler tablet overlay is provided in a drawing named
    TABLETAM.DWG. This drawing is externally referenced from the AutoCAD tablet
    overlay drawing TABLET.DWG. The half-tone (grayed-out) areas of the tablet
    menu represent AME-only commands that are not available in the Region
    Modeler. The half-tone is created with a PostScript fill and can therefore
    only be printed on a PostScript printer. If you want to plot the drawing
    to a pen plotter, you can set the SOLHPAT variable to "dots" and create
    regions over the half-tone areas.




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Extended Entity Data
--------------------

    Extended entity data that is automatically updated when you edit
    an object with an AutoCAD command is NOT automatically updated when
    you edit the object with an equivalent AME command. For example,
    the value of extended entity group codes 1011, 1021, 1031, 1012, 1022,
    1032, 1013, 1023, 1033, 1041, and 1042 is automatically updated when
    you mirror, move, scale, rotate, or stretch an object in AutoCAD.
    The same group code values are not updated when you modify the
    object using the AME SOLMOVE command or the AutoLISP and API
    ap_scale_obj and ap_move_obj functions.

    AME does not rely on these extended entity group codes to function properly,
    but other ADS applications might rely on their values.


API Data Types
--------------

    A new data type has been added to ap_Surftype (shown on page 254)
    and ap_Curvetype (shown on page 255) to ensure that all compilers will
    use 4 bytes of memory space for enum data type. Both of these data
    types are defined in the header file "apbndry.h".

    /* Surface Types */

    typedef enum {
      AP_PLANAR = 0,
      AP_CYLINDRICAL,
      AP_CONICAL,
      AP_SPHERICAL,
      AP_TOROIDAL,
      AP_SURFTYPE4BYTES = 65537 
            /* Dummy value to ensure 4 bytes memory spaces */
     } ap_Surftype;

    /* Curve Types */

    typedef enum {
      AP_LINE = 0,
      AP_ELLIPSE,
      AP_HYPERBOLA,
      AP_PARABOLA,
      AP_CYLCYL,
      AP_CONCON,
      AP_CURVETYPE4BYTES = 65537 
            /* Dummy value to ensure 4 bytes memory spaces */
     } ap_Curvetype;

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AME.PWD File
------------

    If you installed AutoCAD on a network that required you to move the
    ACAD.PWD file to another directory, after installing AME you must
    move the AME.PWD file to the same directory.


Setup Menu
----------

    The description for "British Units" (page 68) says "Sets SOLLENGTH
    to feet"; it should say "Sets SOLLENGTH to inches".


File Size and Performance
-------------------------

    The third bulleted paragraph of "File Size and Performance"
    (page 148) states that you can use the SOLPURGE 2dtree command to
    reduce the structure of regions. After running SOLPURGE 2dtree you
    must also run SOLPURGE Erased to see a decrease in drawing size.


SOLCHP Command
--------------

    While in the SOLCHP command, if you perform any operation that
    forces the screen to redraw (like entering 'redraw), all of the
    primitives for the selected solid or region may be displayed.
    Entering the SOLCHP Instance, Replace, or Delete option while your
    grid is on will also display all the primitives in some cases.


















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