CRT USER GUIDE

RM Bridge V8i
November 2013

RM Bridge Professional Engineering Software for Bridges of all Types

RM Bridge Contents
CRT User Guide 1

Table of Contents
1 CRT – PLOT FILE VIEWER AND FILE CONVERTER DESCRIPTION .............................. 1
1.1 OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 1
2 USAGE .............................................................................................................................................. 1
2.1 START THE PLOT FILE VIEWER ........................................................................................................ 1
2.1.1 Open CRT in host application .............................................................................................. 1
2.1.2 Open CRT in Windows Explorer .......................................................................................... 2
2.2 MAIN FUNCTIONS AND NAVIGATION............................................................................................... 2
2.2.1 Viewing plot file files and navigation................................................................................... 3
2.2.2 Load and select plot or text files .......................................................................................... 4
2.2.3 Plot file viewing modes and store new plot file info ............................................................. 4
2.2.4 Print plot and text files ......................................................................................................... 6
2.2.5 Convert plot and text files .................................................................................................... 7

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RM Bridge CRT – Plot file viewer and file converter description
CRT User Guide 1

1 CRT – Plot file viewer and file converter description

1.1 Overview
CRT provides functions for viewing, printing and converting RM meta Plot files with
the extension “.pl”. Alternatively it can be also used for printing and converting text
files into PDF files.

The plot meta file information consists of parts. One file holds the binary vector infor-
mation (plotfile.pl) and the second one the connected viewing information file
(plofile.pla). Additional viewing information of the meta file can be stored as additional
info file(s) “.plb”, “.plc”, .. etc. inside the CRT viewer.

2 Usage
The plot file viewer CRT is integrated in the application software main menu or can be
alternatively started as standalone application by clicking on a meta file (.pl) or info
file(.pla, .plb, etc. ) in the Windows Explorer.

Additionally use the context menu in Windows Explorer and choose more conversion
functions for plot files and also List files(.lst).

2.1 Start the plot file viewer

2.1.1 Open CRT in host application

The plot file viewer is started in the host application (e.g. RM Bridge ) by clicking on
the “Crt” icon the main menu bar :

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Afterwards choose one or several plot or text files and click on <Open>:

Be aware that the content of text files will not be displayed on the screen!
2.1.2 Open CRT in Windows Explorer

Open the plot file by double clicking on the plot file “.pl” or on an info file “.pla”,
“.plb” etc. Alternatively you can click with right mouse button on a plot file and choose
“View plot file “

Additionally use the context menu in Windows Explorer and choose more conversion
functions for plot files and also List files(.lst).

2.2 Main functions and navigation

The functions are chosen by the main menu bar:

Use the quick help function for getting a short help description:
Position the mouse over an icon and stop moving the mouse for some seconds!

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When you have opened several plot files you will have the option to display the plot
files in single file mode or over each other in the same coordinate system.

2.2.1 Viewing plot file files and navigation

The loaded plot files are displayed on the CRT main window. Text files are not dis-
played. As standard mode single plot files are displayed. Use the plot file navigation
icons to select different plot files from your current file list:

You can switch the overlay mode to display all loaded files in the same coordinate sys-
tem as well. Then the file selection icons will be disabled.

Choose a new viewing window by clicking with the left mouse button onto the first co-
ordinate. Hold the mouse button and move the cursor to the second window coordinate,
which is marked with rectangle cursors. Release the mouse button to select the new
window.
The new window size will be displayed optionally as magenta dashed rectangle.

Use either different keyboard keys, freehand symbols or the mouse wheel for choosing
different views of the plot file.
Freehand symbols are drawn directly onto the screen view while pressing the <CTRL>
key and the left mouse key. Zoom and pan functions are available to be used.

Key Freehand Mouse Function

F or Original/full view of the plot file
f

R or Redraw window
r

L or Wheel Enlarge window view

l up

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S or Wheel Smaller window view

s down

Pane window up or down by freehand symbol verti-

cal

Pane window left or right by freehand symbol hori-

zontal

2.2.2 Load and select plot or text files

The left side buttons provide plot/text file open and selection functions. The loaded file
name(s) are displayed in the main window header.

Choose either a new files or a add files to previously loaded ones

For single file mode: Click on the arrows to move to the first, previous, next or last file

2.2.3 Plot file viewing modes and store new plot file info

When you have opened several plot files you will have the option to display the plot
files in single file mode or over each other in the same coordinate system. This display
mode is switched by the mode icon:

Overlay mode: Switch to single file mode by clicking on the icon

Single file mode: Switch to overlay mode by clicking on the icon

Click on icon to store the current view of the plot file.

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An additional dialogue will allow selecting the file name for the info file.
On Default it will be enumerated with the next character in the alphabet. Either click on
the up/down button or enter the desired character in the info character text field. The
standard numbering can also be chosen by the button <AUTO>:

Click on <OK> to store the window on the file or abort with <CANCEL>

Change the window marker mode and cursor mode by clicking on the icon.
The window area is marked with magenta dashed lines. If the plot file is in original size,
the corners will be marked or when in window mode the rectangle will be marked..

Standard: Displays the plot file window area. No cursor is displayed.

Crosshair cursor is displayed, but not window marker.

Displays the plot file window area and also a crosshair cursor.

No window marker and cursor is displayed.

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2.2.4 Print plot and text files

Generally plot files(.pl, pla, ..) are loaded for being displayed on the screen. If you load
text files, you can’t display them, but you can print or convert them to PDF-Files(see
next chapter).

Click on the printer icon to print the current view of the plot file to you
standard windows printer.
Use the printer icon with the pen for choosing the windows printer type and
other printing options.
Choose different plotting and printer options:

And click on <OK> to print file(s) or <Cancel> to abort.

Parameter Description
Name Click on the pull down button to open the printer selection dialogue
and choose a printer. If no printer is found, install a windows print-
er.
<Properties> Opens the windows printer setup dialogue for the current printer.
File Selection Choose either “Current file” or “All files”(includes also text files)
File Type In general you should use “Automatically” for detecting the file
type properly. Use “Plot file” or “Text file” for selecting a specific
type.
Scaling Use in general “Automatically”. “Original” will display the plot
file in original scale (1:1). “Format filled” will use the best fitting
of the paper and plot size for viewing the whole file. Use “Au-

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toFact” for setting the scaling to measurable factors( 1,2,5,10,...) or

a explicit factor for scaling.
Rotation “Automatically” will detect the paper and plot file size and align
the orientation for optimal fit of the plot file on the paper. “Yes” or
“No” define the rotation explicitly. Rotation “Yes” means against
to the best fit direction!
Center “Yes” will align the centre the plot file to the centre of the paper.
Optionally you can also define an “Align offset” in [Cm].
“No” will disable the centre function.
Overlay “No” will print all chosen files. “Yes”, will print all chosen plot
files in one coordinate system on one print out.
Color Mode “Color” will use colour print mode, if available. “Monochrom”
will print all colour lines as black lines. Use it to avoid bad quality
grey scale printing of lines.
Window “No” will print the original plot file size. “Yes” will plot the cur-
rent view of the plot file.

2.2.5 Convert plot and text files

You can convert plot to different files formats and optionally also text files to Pdf- files.

2.2.5.1 Export screen content to a bitmap file

Click on the icon to store the window contents to a bitmap file(.bmp).

Optionally you can define the output file.

Click on <OK> to start the conversion or <Cancel> to stop.

2.2.5.2 Convert plot file(s) to bitmap file(s)

Click on the icon to convert loaded plot files to bitmap files(.bmp).

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Click on <OK> to start the conversion or <Cancel> to stop.

Optionally choose before following options:

Parameter Description
Convert all plot files Disable the option key to convert only the displayed file.
Overlay drawing plot- Choose overlay mode to convert all plot in one bitmap file
files in the same coordinate system.
Rotate plot files Enable or disable rotation.
Plot Window “No” will print the original plot file size. “Yes” will plot
the current view of the plot file.
Resolution Define resolution/quality of the generated bit-
map(good=1280 pixel).
Background Set background of bitmap. “Automatically” will use the
background color of the crt window.

2.2.5.3 Convert plot file(s) to DXF file(s)

Click on the icon to convert loaded plot files to DXF files(.dxf).

Click on <OK> to start the conversion or <Cancel> to stop.

Optionally choose options before the converting options as explained for bitmap files.

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2.2.5.4 Convert plot file(s) to EMF file(s)

Click on the icon to convert loaded plot files to Windows Enhanced-

Metafiles(.emf).

Click on <OK> to start the conversion or <Cancel> to stop.

Optionally choose options before the converting options as explained for bitmap files.

2.2.5.5 Convert plot or text file(s) to PDF file(s)

Click on the icon to convert all loaded plot and text files to Acrobat-PDF
files(.pdf).

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Click on <OK> to start the conversion or <Cancel> to stop.

Use the <DEFAULT> button to load the system defaults or <SAVE> for saving all
options marked with “*”.

Optionally choose before following options:

Parameter Description
Convert all plot files Disable the option key to convert only the displayed file.
Overlay drawing plot- Choose overlay mode to convert all plot in one bitmap file
files in the same coordinate system.
Plot Window “No” will print the original plot file size. “Yes” will plot
the current view of the plot file.
Rotation “Automatically” will rotate into the main direction of the
sheet.
Sheet size Define x(horizontal) and y(vertical) size of sheet. Orienta-
tion will be changed automatically.
Orientation Change orientation. Xsheet and Ysheet will be changed
automatically.
Margins Define if you want to use sheet margins. “No” will disable
the detail margin settings, “Yes” will enable it.
Resolution Define quality of the intermediate bitmap file of the gener-
ated pdf file.
Background Set background of bitmap. “Automatically” will use the
background color of the crt window.
Open PDF file Opens the generated PDF file after conversion

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