Command line and command levels

The command line shows you the commands and their requested values and possible error messages. You can execute any command by entering its name on the command line and pressing Enter.

By default, the command line is docked below the drawing area. You can dock and float the command line wherever you want on the screen. You can also hide the command line by pressing the pin icon on the left side of the command line. You can then see the command line by moving the cursor over the title bar.

You can scroll through the command line history with the buttons located on the right side of the window.

The script changes automatically when you change the language in Windows (if the program has a suitable script). This is useful when you write text in another script on the drawing, and the command line shows the texts in that script as well.

Most of the commands are multiple choice commands. After you start a command, you have to specify which option you want to use. Below are the options for drawing an ellipse:

>ELLIPSE
Center point (or Arc/Center/Axis) :

To start the command you want, enter the first letters of the command on the command line so that they distinguish the command from the other options. If you want to select the arc command in drawing an ellipse, enter ar on the command line and press Enter. Simply a is not enough because the program does not know if you meant to select arc or axis.

Note: You can define synonyms for commands by writing them in the file CADS.CDF. You can use these synonyms to execute commands by entering the synonym name on the command line.

Command levels

You are always on one of the following command levels:

• Main command level – On this level you can execute any command. Command line prompt is >.

• Command level – When you have started a command from the main command level, you move to the command level. You cannot start different command, as long as another command is running. You can end a command by pressing Esc.

• Transparent level – Some commands can be executed transparently, i.e. while another command is running. When a transparent command has been successfully executed, the program will return to the command, that was running before starting the transparent command. Entering a command transparently is done by adding a prefix | (pipe symbol).

In the menus the command lines are constructed so that the | and Esc characters are included in the menu commands where applicable. In other words, there is no need to worry about which command level you are.

The number of transparent commands is unlimited. Because the pipe symbol (|) opens the transparent command level, to insert a pipe symbol to a text in the TEXT command you must enter it using its number code %%124.