Release notes for MECCA 2000 version 3.07.  Apr/22/2004


Fixed:

1. Typdrv did not always output text segments correctly for the proper
   sep, this was most obvious with the combination of HR LYR, or HR and
   CLR mark-up commands (typdrv).

2. When printing composite (one part per page), typdrv did not set proper
   color(s) for the barcode human readable (typdrv).

3. The text compose engine did not always mark color change at the right
   place, causing downstream programs sometimes to miss it (m2kbin, galeyc,
   frmpos, hytest, pmugal).

4. In the Border and Panto dialogs, displayed components now adjust their
   size to accommodate long numbers, so that entries/settings are legible
   in the dialogs (setbox.tcl).

5. Group select function did not check the case in which a box panto is
   single-layered (no foreground), so if the foreground layer is currently
   on, the box is selected even though all its other components are on
   layers which are turned off (m2kbin).

6. Fixed a problem in m2kprocs.tcl: when building command lines based on
   a menu file, the quoting method for space characters caused parsing
   error at menu entry invocation time (m2kprocs.tcl).

7. Fixed a problem that may cause mis-mapping of special character codes,
   which can result in different character width being used to calculate
   text string run length (m2kbin, galeyc, typdrv, laserp, rdpswdth).


Changed/New:

1. Minor change made to the Print dialog: when printing with seps, the
   "seps to print" check buttons are now colored to indicate seps better
   (print.tcl).

   For a Process Color part, they are colored CMYK.  For Spot Color part,
   each sep indicator is colored by the "dominant layer": from layer numbers
   1 through 32 in that sep, the first (lowest numbered) layer that "print".
   If a sep contains no layer that "print", the indicator for that sep is
   colored as 30% gray (simply for visual, not that it'll print gray).

2. Minor change to Parts dialog: when defining seps for Process separations,
   knock-out choices are now disabled (parts.tcl).

3. A new site-wide preference variable, m2kPrefs(load_spec), has been added.
   Its value should be set to the full path name of a spec file, which will
   then be loaded automatically on start-up, as well as on each "New Graphic"
   command (m2k, prefs, m2kprocs.tcl).

4. To accommodate old hands and new comers, "in-place copying" (copying a
   component right where it is, regardless target layer) now can be made
   possible, by adding a statement to each user's ~/.m2k.tcl ($HOME/.m2k.tcl)
   file:

   	set m2Kdata(inplace_copy) 1

   If this flag is absent, or has a value of 0, in-place copying will not be
   carried out, unless "target layer" is also set (m2kbin).

5. Shearing function now supports Area components.  Also, text items can be
   optionally made into areas, then shearing applied (m2kbin, shear1d.tcl).

   There are limitations for such areas made from text: 

	1. graduated colors are not preserved.
	2. layer changes in the text are not preserved.
	3. the original text are removed.

   The areas will be placed on the same layer as, and take on solid color
   of, the text paragraph.

8. Minor change to the text box used for input and edit: when editing text,
   the text box may stretch to accommodate long lines, but the maximum display
   line length is 100 characters (text.tcl).

   Also, a horizontal scroll bar has been added to the dialog, hence long text
   lines no longer wrap.

9. "sep per file" in the Print dialog is now also effective when sending to
   printer/RIP; before, it was effective only when printing to file
   (bkg_print.tk, bkg_print.tcl, print.tcl).

10. Add to Site Preference file a new flag, m2kPrefs(color_pdf), which is
    set to 1 (one) as distributed, and causes "part per page" to be
    automatically set when using Ghostscript to generate viewable PDF file
    (prefs, print.tcl).

11. Some old RIPs depend on a non-standard "setpageparams" statusdict
    operator to set page bounds.  This can now be accommodated by inserting
    a "setpageparams" keyword in a PPD style tray file (typdrv).

    Note that typdrv will still output "setpageparams" to roll-film devices.

12. Single, stand-alone special characters are now skipped during spelling
    check (ispell.tcl).

13. Change the Title and "jobname" description in each PS output page, from
    the full-path drawing file name, to include Part Description, separation
    ink color, and per separation notes, when applicable (typdrv).

14. Changed button label "Reset to Start-up Defaults" in dialogs where
    applicable; also update "defaults.tcl" so that each of these reset
    actions may permit per-user customization (defaults.tcl).


::Addendum::
http://www.amgraf.com/updates/m2k/v307A.txt