PCPLOT for Windows 95 and NT

Version 1.0

Mustafa Kizilcay FB Elektrotechnik

Fachhochschule Osnabrück, Germany Albrechtstr. 30
D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany
Fax phone +49 541 969-3070
Email: m.kizilcay@fh-osnabrueck.de

Deniz Celikag Großer Kolonnenweg 23

TECAN Software GmbH D-30179 Hannover, Germany
Email: dcelikag@aol.com

1 Introduction

The first version of PCPLOT running under MS-DOS was created by Prof. Kizilcay during his
research assistant time at the University of Hanover and disclosed to ATP-EMTP community in
1988. In the last 9 years it has been steadily developed and improved until 1997. The last version
distributed was 6.51. In 1997 the author decided to stop the development and maintenance of
DOS version of PCPLOT taking into consideration the requirement for a Windows graphical
output program for ATP-EMTP expressed by EEUG members.

Executive Board of the EEUG has decided in 1997 to support the adaptation of PCPLOT, which
was written in Borland's Turbo Pascal originally to MS-Windows using Borland Delphi. Delphi
as an powerful Windows application development tool is based on programming language Turbo
Pascal. ATPDRAW for Windows was also created using Delphi.

Due to different developmental environments (text based MS DOS versus graphic based MS
Windows) only small part of the code dealing with the numerical processing of data could be
adapted directly into Windows version. Graphical user interface (GUI) including screen output
of diagrams had to be completely rewritten. It has been decided to support only 32-bit version
running under Windows 95 and NT.

The first version 1.0 of PCPLOT for Windows has been distributed officially this year to the
EEUG members with the diskettes of “Watcom” ATP-EMTP for Windows 95/NT.

2 Installation

PCPLOT for Windows is currently distributed as part of “Watcom” ATP-EMTP, so that the
program will be automatically installed by executing SETUP.EXE under Windows 95/NT. Next
release of “Watcom” ATP-EMTP contains a custom installation procedure, i.e. the user is
allowed to select the components to be installed individually.

Following three files are required to execute PCPLOT program:

PCPlot for Windows 95/98/NT page 1

– WPCPLOT.EXE
– WPCPLOT.HLP
– WPCPLOT.CNT

Manual installation is simple, i.e. copy these three files into a directory and create a short-cut to
WPCPLOT.EXE under Windows 95/NT. Since PCPLOT is a true 32-bit program, it does not
execute under MS Windows 3.x.

The maximum size of PL4 files to be processed depends on the available resources allocated for
Windows (RAM plus swapping space on hard disk).

3 Features

The most important feature of PCPLOT for Windows compared to DOS version is surely
extensive support of mouse. The other features are described briefly in the following subsections
illustrated using screen hardcopies. The authors feel that there is no need for a program manual
– this article should be entirely sufficient to understand and work with PCPLOT –, because
program handling is similar to old DOS version of PCPLOT and the user will be directed by
allowing him/her certain actions to perform at each program stage. The help function is context-
based, i.e. pressing F1 key pops up a help window with respect to already performed action.

3.1 File Menu: PL4 File Handling

The user can define a working directory for his/her PL4 files using Options, Data directory.
There are two ways to open a PL4 file: 1) Execute first PCPLOT and open PL4 file within
PCPLOT or 2) Drag and drop a PL4 file name onto the program short-cut placed on desktop.

Supported PL4 file types are:

C-like This is binary PL4 file created by "Salford ATP" and/or "Watcom ATP", when
L4BYTE=1 and FMTPL4 is blank in STARTUP.

Formatted PL4 files of FORMATTED type created by any ATP-EMTP version running on
different computer platforms can be plotted using PCPLOT. To obtain
FORMATTED PL4 files, set L4BYTE=1 and enter format via FMTPL4, e.g.
FMTPL4=10E8.0.

Unformatted PL4 files (L4BYTE=0) are not supported by PCPLOT.

3.2 Contents Menu: Selection of Plot Variables

When a PL4 file is opened, following window will be displayed to select plot variables. Double
clicking on names will select these variables and they will be shown in the right-top window. To
deselect use either Deselect button or double click on the name in that window.

PCPlot for Windows 95/98/NT page 2

Maximum 6 curves are allowed to be drawn in one diagram.

Variables can be plotted against time or frequency (in case of FREQUENCY SCAN
computation) or they can be plotted against another variable, which will constitute x-axis and
will be marked by “x” in the right-top window of selected variables. The title bar of the window
Selected Curves shows the creation date of the plot file.

3.3 Axis Labels

By default for t/f function graphs the x-axis is labelled as “t [s]”. Both x- and y-axis labels are
editable text fields. They can be moved to any place within the graphic area using mouse and
holding pressed the Shift-key at the same time.

3.4 Options Menu: Colors

Either by clicking right

mo u se but t o n o n t he
graphic area or selecting
Options, Colors user can
modify background color,
graphic area color, curve
colors, font color, axis
color, etc. as shown in the
screen hardcopy.

The selected colors will be

saved automatically for the
next s e s sio n, when
PCPLOT is terminated.

PCPlot for Windows 95/98/NT page 3

3.5 Edit Menu: Curve Readout

This feature can be activated either using Edit, Curve Readout or using Speed bar. The real
values of plot variables stored in the PL4 file and corresponding x-axis values are shown on the
screen by means of a moving vertical marker. To place the marker to the desired position use
either mouse or arrow keys of your keyboard.

To move the curve readout

marker faster with larger
st ep s, select Op tion s,
Readout step. The Speed
bar should be visible to set
readout step value. Either


by pressing the button or
Shift + arrow keys ,

the marker will be moved
on screen with large steps.
For precise positioning of
the marker use either mouse
(click on
,  buttons or
drag mouse with pressed
left button) or arrow keys

 , .

3.6 Zooming Function

The screen plots can be zoomed in or out using mouse or by entering limits for the x- and y-axis.
Select Edit, Zoom to activate zooming function. Using mouse it is possible to zoom in a diagram
once by defining zooming area on the screen. For comparison purposes it is convenient to
produce plots
wit h exact ly
same x- and y-
limits. In this
case the limits
are entered in
the fields
shown on the
s c r e e n. O r g
button redraws
t he d ia g r a m
with original
limits.

PCPlot for Windows 95/98/NT page 4

3.7 Exporting Plots to include them in Documents

Unlike DOS version of PCPLOT HPGL output is no longer supported. The present version of
PCPLOT for Windows can export only bitmap files (BMP format) as seen on the screen or the
graphic area can be copied into clipboard and pasted into documents created by MS Word or
Corel WordPerfect. Select Edit, Copy to clipboard or Save as BMP... for this purpose.

Black and white diagrams

are convenient for printing
together with the
documents. A diagram in
color can be converted to
black and white by selecting
Options, Monochro me.
Curve identifiers should be
used to designate the curves
before converting them to
black and white, if more
than one curve is plotted in
a diagram. T he labels
(bearing curve numbers) can
be moved and placed to the
corresponding curves to
identify them.

3.8 Features of DOS Version not included in PCPLOT for Windows

Following features of the DOS version are not included in version 1.0 of PCPLOT for Windows:

– Definition of scaling factor and offset for selected curves;

– HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language) output;
– Batch job execution, plotting commands are entered from an attached text file.

There is a no need for PCPLOT.INI file. PCPLOT creates automatically WPCPLOT.INI in

Windows directory storing program settings in this file, which should be edited manually.

4 Considerations of Future Development

In the second phase of program development some of the features, which will be implemented in
PCPLOT for Windows are:

– speed bar with user defined buttons;

– individual scaling factor and offset for curves;
– graphic export in WMF format (Windows metafile);
– automatic point elimination;
– drawing of a grid for diagrams (optional).

PCPlot for Windows 95/98/NT page 5