Before Gbound your plan accommodate 689 seperate entities & gaps

After GBOUND you have 69 perfectly closed polylines

INTRODUCTION

GBOUND is designed to automatically convert AutoCAD geometrical entities into closed polylines. This application is a reliable companion to those who deal with measuring and coloring areas, and with preparing maps to GIS, FM or Architecture Boundary (Region) analysis.

GBOUND provides its users with an analytical method of finding every gap and closing every boundary possible. It works within AutoCAD Releases 14, 2000 and 2000i. This program converts drawing elements, such as lines, arcs, circles, and polylines, into new sets, which contain closed polylines and dangling lines (dangles) only. GBOUND deals with all intersections as if they are located at elevation Z=0. Vertexes of resulting polylines are characteristic nodes of your drawing: end-points of original elements and points of theirs intersections.

Each polyline in the resulting set encircles certain region of a plane and has no intersections with any other region. These polylines and corresponding regions are considered as elementary parts of the processed drawing (map, scheme, etc.).

The main advantages of GBOUND are as follows.
- elimination of tedious and time-consuming manual editing of the drawings;
- minimization of the AutoCAD proficiency necessary for creating closed polylines;
- simple interface which allows for specification of layer names for newly created entities (encircled regions and dangles), and for tolerance definition.

Welcome to GBOUND - the quickest and easiest way from any AutoCAD drawing to a set of accurately computed closed polylines.

We wish you a pleasant work.

2. INSTALLING GBOUND

2.1. Make sure you have at least 3.0 Mb free on your destination drive. Launch gb2000.exe file. The Installation Wizard will appear on the screen and will guide you through the installation steps.

2.2. Once the installation is completed, you can launch

Boundary Generator^TM, you can run the program as a part of the AutoCAD session, by typing GBOUND in the Command Line or choosing the Gbound option from the pull-down menu Tovna.

Note: If the pull-menu Tovna is not available in the upper toolbar, type Tovnamenu in the Command line.

2.3. While running Gbound for the first time, you will be prompted to enter Application Key.

Fig. 1

Fax or E-mail the Key_Code to your dealer and the Application Key will be faxed or E-mailed back to you. Type in the Key and press the OK button.

Alternatively, you can press the Evaluation button. The Evaluation button enables you to activate the program for a period of 30 days before purchase. The Evaluation version can be updated into a full license version once authorized.

For your convinience, a sample file – Gsample.dwg – has been enclosed to the Gbound software, which enables you to examine and analyse the Gbound abilities and characteristics, together with the most common possible problems.

Note: Problems #2 and #3 within the sample can be solved only by defining a slightly bigger tolerance than the default.

3. GBOUND ENVIRONMENT

Fig. 2. Boundary Generator Menu

After typing "GBOUND" in the AutoCAD command line, main menu appears on the screen
  (Fig. 2). A description of the menu controls follows.

3.1. Create internal boundaries on layer:

This toggle option, when in "on" position, activates generation of internal polygons while processing your drawing, and their allocation on a separate layer. Internal polygon is a closed polyline, which encircles certain region of a plane and does not contain any other polygons. The layer can be chosen with the use of a Pop-up list (by default "GBOUND_INTERNAL"). When the option is "off", the Pop-up list is greyed out.

3.2. Create external boundaries on layer:

This toggle option, when in "on" position, activates generation of external polygons in the program run, and their allocation on a separate layer. External polygon is a closed polyline, which encompasses several adjoining internal polygons. The layer can be chosen using an appropriate Pop-up list (by default "GBOUND_EXTERNAL"). When the option is "off", the Pop-up list is greyed out.

3.3. Create dangle entities on layer:

This is a toggle option which, in its "on" position, enables identification of dangles in the process of boundary generation, and allocation of these entities on a specified layer. Dangles are elements or element parts of the original drawing that may not become a part of any polyline. They include end-point(s) that can not be considered as node(s) since they belong to one element only. The layer is chosen with the use of an appropriate Pop-up list (by default "GBOUND_DANGLES"). When this option is "off", the Pop-up list is greyed out.

3.4. Create dangle endpoints on layer:

This toggle option, while "on", activates generation of end-points not converted by the program to nodes, and allows for selection of a special layer to contain those. Said end-points are marked by diagonal cross flags for easy visual identification. The layer is chosen with the use of a Pop-up list (by default "GBOUND_POINTS"). While the option is "off", the Pop-up list is greyed out.

3.5. Create broken boundaries on layer:

This toggle option, while "on", enables generation of the broken boundaries and their allocation on a specified layer. Broken boundary represents a polygon where the sides are not linked. The layer is chosen with the use of an appropriate Pop-up list (by default "GBOUND_BOUNDARY"). While this option is "off", the Pop-up list is greyed out.

3.6. Erase original elements

This is a toggle option, which enables you to state whether or not you wish to save your original set of elements.

3.7. Tolerance

This numeric box enables you to set desired tolerance value in units (minimal distance to be distinguished between two points). If distance between any two points is smaller than the given tolerance, these points will be replaced by a single node. If distance between the end-point of the element and a point of its apparent intersection with another element is smaller than the tolerance value, this element will be extended to the intersection point.

The meaning of the lower row buttons is apparent except, probably, the Sample button. A click on the Sample brings up a sample flow-chart which illustrates the process othe boundary generation. It explains the terminology used in the program and in the current manual (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Sample flow-chart

4. CREATING CLOSED POLYLINES

Type GBOUND to start the BOUNDARY GENERATOR. As GBOUND's menu appears on the screen, the editing steps are as follows.

4.1. Using menu controls described in pp. 3.1 - 3.6, define layer names for internal and external polygons, dangles, dangle end-points, and broken boundaries (or turn "off" the toggle options).

4.2. In the Tolerance box, set reasonable tolerance value in AutoCAD units. Make sure the value chosen is smaller than length of the shortest element / gap in your drawing.

4.3. Click the Apply button. The program will answer by the prompt:
Select objects:

Note: If the software is not registered, a dialogue box will appear at this stage requesting an application key, which is available only by purchasing full software license. Otherwise, the software can be run in the Evaluation mode for initial grace period of 30 days.

Select the drawing part you wish to process with the use of your pointing device and press Enter. All AutoCAD selection methods are supported.

In case dangle end-point flags are left in your dangle end-point layer from previous editing sessions, the following question will appear in the command line:

Erase existing points from layer: GBOUND_POINTS Yes/No:

Upon answering this question, the boundary generation process will be started.

The resulting file will contain the layers you have defined. If you wish to close the remaining gaps, try the same procedure with a slightly greater tolerance.

NOTICE

This publication, software, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose. GBOUND is copyrighted software, and all rights are reserved. This product may not be changed or modified in any way except by the author. All warranties are disclaimed, including damage to hardware and/or software from use of this product. The sole and exclusive liability to Tovna Digital Engineering Ltd., regardless of the form of action, shall not exceed the purchase price of the materials described herein. Tovna Digital Engineering Ltd. reserves the right to revise and improve this program as it sees fit. Current publication describes the state of the product at the time of its publication, and may not reflect the product at all times in the future. This version includes a mode of 30 days grace evaluation. It is allowed for duplication and transfer among other users. The evaluation mode can be upgraded to a full license once authorized. As a registered owner of a GBOUND license, you are entitled to make back up copies and to use GBOUND on only one computer at a time.

Good luck in your work with GBOUND!

For update and purchase of Gbound license,

please, visit Tovna’s Website:

www.tovna.com