OS2 World Community Forum

OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Applications => Topic started by: xynixme on June 29, 2019, 07:42:43 pm

Title: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: xynixme on June 29, 2019, 07:42:43 pm
FTR.

Here PMDRAW_197.ZIP's PMDRAW.EXE (IBM EWS) never worked. A fatal "Initialization warning", "Can only examine 307 of 0 fonts installed in system" message.

The parameter /? (or -?) helps. One of the shown parameters is /D. Debug. When used, that initialization warning will still appear in some debug mode, but selecting "OK" finally results in a displayed main window of PmDraw. I've tried just this parameter, and didn't RTFM.

Please note that PmDraw (http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/apps/graphics/cad/pmdraw_197.zip) (simple CAD) and PM Draw (http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/apps/graphics/paint/PMDraw_3.zip) (bitmap creation) are different apps.
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 30, 2019, 05:11:55 am
Hi André.

I downloaded "PMDRAW_197.ZIP" to gave it a try on my test ArcaOS 5.0.3 VM.
In my case, it is running and I was able to draw something to test it out.

Regards
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: xynixme on June 30, 2019, 09:20:28 am
I downloaded "PMDRAW_197.ZIP" to gave it a try on my test ArcaOS 5.0.3 VM.
Same main window here, but only with the debug parameter. The fonts message always popped up. With eCS and many extra fonts (fatal, without /D and not fatal with /D), and with a clean OS/2 Warp 4 install without extra fonts (fatal, without /D; no test with /D).

If you don't need the parameter with AOS, which is good news, to start drawing, then there's no reason to use the /D parameter. Here (eCS 1.2) it's required to be able to start drawing, like you.

IIRC I've deleted font files and font settings in the system's INI file, to end up below 307, but that didn't help.

I haven't played with the Options -> Startup Options yet, which has a Quiet start and Expert dialog (requires a configuration INI file, which is another parameter). I guess the Expert dialog just gets rid of the welcome screen, and Quiet start may be a minimized start.
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: Sean Casey on June 30, 2019, 04:48:20 pm
I gave pmdraw2 (beta) a try on ArcaOS 5.03 and it works fine.
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: xynixme on June 30, 2019, 08:47:50 pm
The PmDraw uploaded to Hobbes is probably newer (1992 vs. 1994), but unfortunately there's no WHATSNEW.TXT file.
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: Joop on June 30, 2019, 10:31:11 pm
I run eCS 1.2Dutch, downloaded the program with the link behind the line "Please note that PmDraw (simple CAD) and PM Draw (bitmap creation) are different apps". Did go to my sub-directory "CAD", made a new directory PMDRAW and copied all files from the zip to it. Next closed all programs for you never know things. Did go to drives and did find the directory with de PMDRAW stuff and started the exe from it. No warning, just running the program. Its a little sensitive with a pen as mouse. But after a few tries I did manage to make a drawing like the one from Martin. On closing something did go wrong, my guess is there was no ini files or something. The drawing was however saved and I could restart the program and open my drawing. So, another CAD program on my drive. 

I get the idea that all file names are truncated originally to 8.3. So there is some to read, but not with the .txt extension but with the .rea from read extension. They are IMGTK.REA and PMDRAW.REA. The .txt files are added by someone else on a later date.
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: xynixme on July 01, 2019, 08:27:03 am
Thanks, all. So the (fatal) warning message may actually have something to do with ((missing) installed) fonts, and failing can be avoided by using the -D parameter. As stated earlier, I gave it a try with a fresh OS/2 Warp 4 NL and eCS 1.2, with and without removed fonts.

AFAICT PmDraw should support several INI files (Options, Personalize...), which can be selected via the -I parameter. Multi-user'ish, or perhaps a different INI file per CAD project.

It looks like the -I parameter also doesn't fully support long names (containing spaces, in the case of no support).

And yes, PMDRAW.REA contains the What's New(s)-items of a few releases indeed.
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: Mentore on July 01, 2019, 09:25:50 am
Thanks, all. So the (fatal) warning message may actually have something to do with ((missing) installed) fonts, and failing can be avoided by using the -D parameter. As stated earlier, I gave it a try with a fresh OS/2 Warp 4 NL and eCS 1.2, with and without removed fonts.

AFAICT PmDraw should support several INI files (Options, Personalize...), which can be selected via the -I parameter. Multi-user'ish, or perhaps a different INI file per CAD project.

It looks like the -I parameter also doesn't fully support long names (containing spaces, in the case of no support).

And yes, PMDRAW.REA contains the What's New(s)-items of a few releases indeed.

I'd really love if we could gather the sources for the EWS. PMDraw /2 is IMHO a nice piece of software, nowadays crippled by its limitations (8.3 naming convention and some missing features).
I still have at home my DevCon CDs, with a (seemingly) final release of PMDraw/2. Never understood if this can be put on Hobbes, though it seems you already have it.

Mentore
Title: Re: PmDraw's (CAD) fatal fonts warning
Post by: xynixme on July 01, 2019, 12:46:42 pm
nowadays crippled by its limitations (8.3 naming convention and some missing features).

In some way that may be related to former CD-ROM release requirements, if PMDRAW.REA(dme) is anything to go by:

Quote
The following files were renamed to meet a requirement for the CDROM version of PmDraw:

That may account for truncated *.REA file names. One of the documented rename ops is "LOGO-IBM.PMD is now LOGO_IBM.PMD", so the author originally supported different file names and apparently had to deal with CD-ROM release requirements (possibly now known as DevCon).

FWIW: I haven't tested long file name with, including the quotes, a more complex "-IC:\AD\My -h INI file.INI" argument.

For now I'm glad the /D parameter of PMDRAW.EXE is a way to avoid the fatal fonts warning. Thanks for your earlier efforts, Mentore.