Machine Dependency in KID

Contents

• F.1 Introduction
• F.2 open_device and close_device
• F.3 Which key for pick?
• F.4 KID interrupts

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F.1 Introduction

Very few KID commands are device dependent. The ones described are functions of the graphics class.

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F.2 open_device and close_device

In general it is not necessary to change the default settings for a particular graphics device. If these defaults are to be changed, the function enquire gives information on these settings. The graphics functions open_device and close_device are used with an argument, to initialise or change the device type.

> ( graphics enquire )           --> information
> ( graphics open_device ´x )
                       -- initialise device setting to Xwindow
> ( graphics close_device ´x ) --> unset current device setting

The available devices are: cifer, new_cifer, plotter, laser, vt240_regis, vt240_tek, postscript, Xwindow, Xcolor, Xcolour, nt, ntcolor, ntcolour, interleaf, framemaker and null.

A null device is sometimes useful to ensure that a device is open even if the output is not to be viewed.

The shade function is only available with X devices, not on NT.

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F.3 Which key for pick?

The pick command belonging to the entity and p_points classes enables the cursor when used without argument. To pick an object or screen coordinate pressing any key achieves the pick.

> ( define p1 p_points )
> ( define b0 p_cone )
> ( define f1 face )
> ( b0 lrad 10; urad 0; height 30; create )
> ( graphics sketch ´b0 )
> ( f1 pick )      -- cursor enabled for face pick
> ( p1 pick )
           -- cursor enabled for image plane coordinate pick(s)

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F.4 KID interrupts

KID contains an error handler which allows the user to interrupt the execution of a KID or FLICK command without exiting from the KID session. On most machines this responds to ctrl-C.

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