Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1984 - 40

COMPUTERS

............................................

Product Report

TWO 10d
TOENAILS
EACH
SIDE

by Robert Reinecke

Chessel-Robocom Corporation has
offers a computer aided design (CAD)
system that works with an "off-theshelf" Apple II or Apple lle (an IBM
version is planned). Complete systems
including computer, plotter, controller,
and software start at just under $5,000
retail. Using the system one can draw
on the screen (color or monochrome),
store the image to disk (up to 192 per
disk) and/or draw it to paper with a
plotter.
The system is almost entirely menu
driven with the user selecting from a list
of functions shown on the screen such
as Draw, Zoom, Erase, etc. Selecting a
function as well as actually drawing is
done with an extremely rugged joystick.
Almost no typing is necessary except to
create text. A "Digitizer" that allows
freehand drawing or tracing of existing
drawing exists although I did not try it.
Built in are a system of "locks" to aid
the draftsman in execution of isometric
and orthographic projection. Seven different lines are automatically available
(continuous, dashed, etc.) in six colors.
Circles and tangents can be generated.
Any scale is possible with metric and
English versions available. It is possible to enlarge portions of the drawing
to add fine detail and then return to the
full drawing. The detail may no longer
be visible, but it is there and can be
stored or plotted to paper. An image on
the screen (one just drawn or recalled
from the disk) can be enlarged, reduced, rotated, duplicated anywhere on
the screen, rotated about an axis to produce a mirror image of itself, etc.
Some theatrical applications come
to mind. Floor plans and sections could
be stored and recalled as needed. Show
plans could be drafted onto them. One
could store a perspective grid and
"sketch" onto it. A floor plan could be
made "electronically" available to the
38

BEVELED
RAFTER

ONE 10d
TOENAIL ON
EACH SIDE

TWO 10d
TOENAILS
EACH SIDE
AND ONE
AT FRONT

16d 4"0.C. AND
OVER EACH JOIST

Drawn with Robographics CAD-l Drafting System for the Apple II.

lighting designer to which he could add
instrument layout data. Of unique value
here would be the CAD ability to recall
symbols and place them where desired
in any size with the original symbol
having been drawn only once. A common advantage in all the above is the
ease of storing comp/ere versions of
alternatives.
The system does not create drawings for you. For instance, while you
can do a 3-D drawing just as you would
on paper, the computer will not rotate
the object in space to create a different
view; all it does is rotate the drawing.
Similarly, you can create a perspective
ketch, but the system cannot create a
perspective of the same object with a
different observation point.
System quality seems high. The
"joystick" controller, which is used
constantly, is heavy metal and probably
will outlast the computer. Documentation consists of a several hundred page
manual with many examples. It is indexed by section. I would have found
an additional over-all index useful.

Theatre Design & Teehnology/USITT /Spring 198-t

Whether or not you have need for.
CAD system such as this one is going tl
be determined by the answers to severa
questions. Is your drawing a uniqu
"once-and-done" drawing or can it b
constructed in large part of standan
drawing segments and symbols? Is ther
value in storing whole variations of th
drawing? Are there likely to be mino
changes made to a basic drawing to cre
ate variations of essentially the sam
drawing? Are you willing to take th
time to learn the CAD system and wil
you use it constantly enough to main
tain your skills?
If you stayed away from experi
menting with CAD because of the usua
5 digit price tag, you certainly shoull
consider looking at the Robo Graphic
system. It performs as it claim. A
under $5000 (even less if you alread
own the computer) it deserves very ser
ious consideration. Distribution i
through local Apple Dealers or direc
from Chessell-Robocom Corporation
125 Pheasant Run, Suite 2B, ewtown
PA 18940.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1984
