Release notes for MECCA 2000 version 4.15. Jul/24/2008 Fixed: 1. When printing a Process Color part as composite (part/page), all CMYK seps will print; but the Print dialog behaved as if individual CMYK seps can be selectively turned off. This dialog problem has been corrected (print.tcl, typdrv). 2. Barcodes not having start/stop digits, or they do but start/stop codes have been marked off (not printable), can sometimes be picked or grouped when all layers of a barcode are turned off. This has been corrected (fim.tcl, zip.tcl, ean13.tcl, m2kbin). 3. In Type color mode, Area and Box background/bars now are no longer displayed (even when grouped), and therefore cannot be picked (m2kbin). Previously, Area and Box in Type mode displayed and picked differently, based on whether they were grouped. 4. Corrected an error in "makefcp01" script (for generating fcp01 based on a named-color master file, e.g. pantone.master), when output file name is given on the command line (makefcp01). 5. Group/Ungroup-Intersect with splines, should be more accurate now (m2kbin). 6. Zoom and Position Assistant's working states are now retored properly (m2kprocs.tcl, pos.tcl). 7. Querying 2 barcodes of the same type caused error (query.tcl). Changed/New: 1. Output file Title/Jobname string now includes the token "sep" to indicate a "black sep", and "csep" for a sep with color -- targeting a color device (typdrv). !!!!!!!!!! PLEASE NOTE !!!!!!!!!!! Although this change is small, it may affect customer's own programs which look at this string. If such custom programs are in use, please review and update them if needed, before installing this update. 2. For outputting to PostScript level-3 target (such as PDF), radial graduation has been enhanced to use level-3 "shfill" when possible (PSgraduate.ps). Notes to customers: a. Directional graduation has been using "shfill" for level-3 targets, since version 4.06. b. Adobe Distiller 5 produces inconsistent results with shfill; standard open-source Ghostscript releases 7.x and 8.x tend to create a raster image in the PDF for shfill. As a result, these products/versions are checked at PostScript run-time, and will not be deemed a "level-3 target" if found. c. When such output is converted to PDF, different PDF viewers may exhibit varying degrees of color fidelity/accuracy/efficiency due to how they implement "shfill". 3. When CMYK composite output is converted to PDF, pure CMYK Black does not always display as black. A workaround has been employed to use the Black in DeviceGray colorspace, instead of DeviceCMYK. This is only for solid black color in CMYK composite output (typdrv). 4. In the "Step and Repeat" dialog (under Parts edit), each layer's values can now be copied to arbitrary target layers (parts.tcl, tclIndex). How it works: Any stepped layer (checked, turned on) can be selected as "copy from", simply by clicking its associated "CopyTo" button; when activated, that button will remain in depressed state, as a visual reminder. Then simply click the target "Layer N" checkbutton to copy to; target layer can be in either state (already on, or off). If a target layer was clicked by mistake, right-click that layer's checkbutton again to undo. Click the "CopyTo" button of the source layer to turn off copying; or directly click another layer's "CopyTo" button to select it as the new "copy from" source. 5. Some graphic element coordinate values were output with excessive precision (6 decimal places), and are now changed to at most 3 decimal places (typdrv). 6. When printing to a file, there is now an option to set the paper size to any custom values, including fitting to parts or drawing dimensions (print.tcl, tclIndex). How it works: If printing to a file, a new button "Set Paper Size" (next to Browse) becomes available. Clicking it opens a sub-dialog that contains: A pair of entry boxes for manually entering desired paper size, plus a checkbutton, labeled "Fit to Part dimensions" or "Fit to Drawing dimensions", depending on whether there are parts defined. If "Fit to Part/Drawing dimensions" is checked, the paper width and depth entry box values will be ignored. Setting "Fit to Part dimensions" results in output page size matching each part being printed. If parts are of different sizes, but uniform output page size is desired, then in the main dialog, the checkbutton "Use drawing dimensions for all parts" should be set. Please note custom paper size is only for printing to file, and has no effect when printing to EPS. 7. In Window control, a new option "Grouped Items Only" has been added. This can be used to verify "What's currently being grouped" (m2k, m2kbin, tclIndex, xforms.tcl, vector.tcl, text.tcl, spline.tcl, raster.tcl, patterns.tcl, move.tcl, modify.tcl, m2kprocs.tcl, group.tcl, delete.tcl, copy.tcl, boxes.tcl, barcodes.tcl, area.tcl, arcs.tcl, fnmgt.tcl, xform2.tcl, popups.tcl, query.tcl, print.tcl, miscmain.tcl, combinefile.tcl, setbox.tcl). When this mode is activated: a. any active component editing function and/or grouping function will be automatically finalized. b. the "Window" button will change color, from green to white, as a reminder that the drawing window is in "grouped mode"; c. a snapshot is taken on the current layers on/off states; d. all currently grouped components will be drawn in their normal colors (instead of all white), without any non-grouped components, along with an automatic window-fit; e. layers on/off states will change to reflect the layers of grouped components being on, and all other layers off. Under this mode: a. "Combine File", adding/modifying components, and "Delete" will not function, nor will group-select functions (un-group, of course, can be used at will). Query works, but does not permit Change. b. Save and Save-As will save the normal data (not just the grouped components being displayed). c. Layers on/off, and zoom/window-positioning functions work as usual. However, window-fit always fit to the normal data, not just the grouped components. To exit this mode (and back to normal): a. Window -> uncheck "Grouped Items Only", then Okay; or b. Group -> ungroup all. -- the above choices will restore the original layers on/off states. c. Open a new drawing file; or d. Project -> New Graphic. If "Grouped Items Only" in the Window dialog appears disabled, it indicates there is currently nothing grouped. 8. Strictly for batch-compose where the end result will be PDF, it is now possible to use PDEF commands with different page sizes (pmunu, typdrv). This is so that, for instance a double-wide page (normally a fold-out) can be accomodated in the final PDF. To be practical, such a PDEF will need to come after an NP (new page) command. If the output is directed to a printer rather than a PDF, such pages will not print correctly. 9. Added an "Info" button directly in the "Barcode Select" dialog, so that information about a particular barcode can be quickly reviewed (tclIndex, barselect.tcl). 10. Added short description on how to set up an EAN-13 barcode when using the ISBN of a book for the barcode (ean13.tcl).