Graficalc Expert Details
GrafiCalc offers a collection of facilities that have been significantly enhanced over a period of seven years to incorporate latest computing technology and valuable inputs from users and educators. Following are GrafiCalc specifications.
User sensitive features
- Automatic unit checking and conversion
- Continuous discrete prompts for tools and commands
- Double precision floating point accuracy - accurate to ten decimal places
- Mouse controlled automatic constraint inference capability
- Multiple documentation interface (MDI) for simultaneous display of multiple worksheets
- Multiple level user definable (up to 1000 steps) Undo/Redo capability
- On-line help and tips
- Sketch mode for creating printable drawings
- User definable units library
- Windows standard graphical user interface
- Work with inch and metric units, as well as user defined unit system
Sketching tools
GrafiCalc includes a geometry behavior editor incorporating an ultra-fast constraint manager especially tailored for function modeling. The powerful point and click constraint manager can resolve virtually unlimited number of circularities. It tracks original design intents to automatically resolve plural solutions. Initial geometry can be entered within GrafiCalc as well as imported from any DXF compliant CAD software using the built-in 2-way automatic translator.
Geometry definition tools: Line, Circle, Arc, Poly Line, Closed Boundary. Initial geometry can also be imported from any DXF compliant CAD software.
Constraint tools: Free point, Concentric, Centroid, Endpoint, Proportional, Tangent, Intersection, Virtual Intersection, On-Entity/Slider, Parallel, Perpendicular, and at a fixed angle with respect to another line.
Automatic Constraint inferring facility: GrafiCalc 2006 includes an automatic constraint inference facility which, when turned on, allows you to snap automatically to center, endpoints, tangents, centroid, and on-geometry automatically. Lines snap automatically to horizontal and vertical.
Value generator: The Value Generator wizard can be setup to control the starting freedom of any entity. Then the entity can be stepped up through user defined incremental steps to simulate any motion behavior. User can apply any of the built-in functions to determine the starting as well as incremental values.
Text tool: Allows entering notes and annotations. Use all available fonts in your computer.
View manipulation tools: Pan, Zoom, Zoom by 2X, Zoom by .5X, Zoom to fit, Show paper boundary.
Calculations facilities
Formula Bar: GrafiCalc incorporates a "point and click" Excel type Formula bar that is used to establish bi-directional association between geometry, dimension, values, and calculations.
Programmable geometrical calculators: GrafiCalc includes a programmable calculation facility that enables users to setup multi-line x = f(y) type of calculations. Dimensions and geometrical values can be directly incorporated in the calculation statements that are checked for unit integrity on a line by line-by-line basis. If and Else statements are supported. Multiple calculations can be combined. Results are used for developing calculation driven geometry. Calculation statements and answers can be copied into the Windows clipboard for pasting into technical reports.
Built-in calculation functions: GrafiCalc includes a library of 88 built-in functions to setup in the Formula bar and the Programmable calculator. Complete built-in function listings is available at the end of this page.
Automatic backsolving
GrafiCalc allows users to stipulated any measured or calculated value as design target and then have the computer Goal Seek the characteristics of any geometry that participates in the result until the actual value of the measurement or the calculated value is equal to the stipulated target value.
Automatic measurements
GrafiCalc incorporates linear, radial, and angular dimensions that can be constrained to measure any aspect of the flexible model. The measurements are updated automatically as design intents are altered. The measurements can be directly included in calculations setup in GrafiCalc's Formula bar.
Analysis facilities
Data collection: The data collection feature allows user to collect the transient values of selected dimensions and cells in Windows clipboard for analysis by external programs such as Excel.
Trace: The Trace facility allows user to trace the footprint of any selected point through a defined number of iterations. The length of the resulting spline can be calculated with a single mouse-click. Endpoints of two traces can be connected to define motion envelopes and the area of the envelope can be calculated with a single mouse click.
Tolerance analysis: GrafiCalc allows users to exercise any attribute of geometry through a range of random values. An on-demand statistical analysis wizard allows users to perform instantaneous Monte Carlo analysis assuming sigma 3, 4.5, and 6 normal distribution as well as uniform distribution well as to obtain the Standard Deviation, Average, Maximum, Minimum, Medium values assuming a normal distribution. Given an acceptable delta, the Sigma quality value is automatically calculated. The result of an experiment can be saved.
Input Output
- Built-in 2-way DXF translator
- Print drawing directly from GrafiCalc
- Cut, copy, and paste information from GrafiCalc to Windows clipboard.
- Cut, copy, and paste information from Windows clipboard into GrafiCalc
- Windows standard 2-way Dynamic data exchange (DDE)
System requirements
Personal computer running Windows 9X, 2000, NT, and XP.
Disc requirement
<2 MB
Built-in Functions Listing
Trigonometric Functions
ACOS(number)
ACOSH(number)
ASIN(number)
ASINH(number)
ATAN2(number_y,number_x)
COS(number)
COSH(number)
SIN(number)
SINH(number)
TAN(number)
TANH(number)
Mathematical Functions
Alphanumeric Word
abs()
ANGLE(point_or_complex)
CEIL(number)
FLOOR(number)
DISTANCE(point_a,point_b)
E()
EXP(number)
I()
LN(number_or_complex)
LOG(number_or_complex)
MOD(number_a,number_b)
NOUNITS(value)
NROOT(number_or_complex,optional_nth,optional_ii)
PI
QUADRATIC(number_a,number_b,number_c,optional_number_ii)
RAND()Returns a random number between 0 and 1.
RANDOM(number_a,number_b)
ROUND(number_a,number_b)
SQRT(number_or_complex)
Geometry-associative Calculation Functions
Area
Distance of neutral axis to extreme fiber
Diameter
Moments a of Inertia
Polar Moment of Inertia
Product of Inertia
Radius of Gyration
Perimeter
Static Moment of Inertia
Centroid
Radius
Section Modulus
End or Endpoint
Included Angle
Length
Angle
Origin
Start Vector
Value
Vector
Statistical Functions
MAXIMUM(number_1,number_2,...)
MINIMUM(number_1,number_2,...)
Monte Carlo
Point and vector Functions
HORIZONTAL()
Point
UNITIZE(point)
Vector Add
VECANG(number)
Vector Dot Product
Vector Subtract
Vector Return
VERTICAL()
point_or_complex.X
point_or_complex.Y
Control Functions
Choose
False
IF
Is Complex
Is Error
Is Geometry
Is Logical
Is Not Available
Is Number
Is Point
True
Binary Operators
A plus B, A minus B
A times B, A dot B, A divide B, A ratio B
A exponent B
A not equal B, A equal B etc.
A or B, A and B
Average
Unary Operations
A
~ A
Postfix Operators
A%
Textual Components
Comment
DDE Reference
Dot Field Operator
{geometry Tag}
Variable
