Drawing with eDitor  

 

 

eDitor will provide the possibility to produce "All-in-One" Web documents, in which texts, drawings, diagrams, and animations will be included in the same single html file without having to use external images.

eDitor implements the "vml" drawing format (a professional equivalent to the "svg" format) as this W3C format is native inside AUTOCAD, inside Internet Explorer and inside MS Office applications. Also this format is supported by the largest vendors (MACROMEDIA, VISIO, etc... ).

Using the text edition resources

eDitor is just an editable html document.... You can reedit its content and resend it directly by mail to a correspond by using its mail script. You can work with eDitor either from your browser or your mail program. You can also save your new document on your PC be using its saving resources.

These features are common resources for autonomous web documents. eDitor includes an automatic table of content and an automatic document log.

Using the drawing resources

My name is Uruk... My ancestors invented the "writing" ...and built the "Babel tower"
My town is the one of Sheherazade... The town of 1001 nights...
During the XVIII century, our Ambassadors visited Europe. This initiated the "Century of lights"
The total size of this presentation (images and animation) is 8Ko/
 

Every document can include as many draw areas as you like, where you can edit "draw to scale" shapes or animations.
Draw areas can have:

  • predefined dimensions (A10 to A0)
  • scales, measurement units with automatic dimensioning to scale .
  • fixed or absolute positioning,
  • scrolling or hidden overflow
  • transparency or background color
  • layer animation and shape animation

"eDitor" has its own edition  interface with handles, grouping, and ungrouping possibilities.This interface that can be ported on other formats.

Each draw area can be saved as an independant html document. You can actually use "eDitor" to produce and save on the fly "html drawings" and/or "html animations", and this, without leaving your document: all you have to do is to insert a draw area, draw its content, right click in it to open the "DrawArea" dialog window and save your file locally by using the "SaveAs" command of this dialog window. Autonomous web documents are the first and only resources that can provide such a possibility.

Aim of autonomous web documents

The aim of autonomous web documents is far more important than the one of simple web applications. Soon "eOutlook" will reveal this incredible new world where users will be able to produce and exchange web documents without having to be "hooked up" on the internet, and where they will be released from file and application handlings.

Features to be developed

The most urgent task is to provide unlimited "undo" on drawing mode (this feature is native in writing mode).

At present stage the drawing script has added 100Ko to the basic text edition script... The present document interface size of 180Ko should be increased carefully. "eOutlook"  will provide automatic registration of "eDitor" location on client machines. Consequently, the whole 180Ko eDitor interface will have to be sent only one time to every user. Subsequent transmissions will be done on the data only . eDitor data files are extremely compact (10 to 50Ko for a 5pages document with 5 draw areas).

Despite this compacity, the following functionalities will be developed as external services:

Importation of ACAD drawings in VML format

A web-server service is to be implemented so that drawings received in "DWG" format  can be saved, viewed and edited in VML format. 

Drawing libraries

Importation of shapes from the "Microsoft VML ClipArt" library is to made possible, as well as the setting up of a shape library.

3D edition

3D visual effects are made by extrusion of 2D shapes. Real 3D implementation is possible. This development is envisioned.

Animation of shapes

The shape animation dialog window is to be completed.