Grid Pro (demo of version 1·10, 170K)

An application to automatically generate grids, regular patterns and tessellations as Draw or Vector files. A variety of basic patterns such as dot lattice, line grid, polar grid, checker board, tessellation and tiled sprite are available. Sheets can be built up from one or more of these basic patterns (with full WYSIWYG on screen and with full control over size, position, detail etc.) and saved in this form.

For anyone involved in education, science or engineering, Grid Pro allows custom grid sheets to be produced to suit a specific application with complete control over the characteristics of the grid (size, colour, subdivisions, spacing etc.). These sheets can be quickly designed and printed, and then stored for later use.

Objects created by Grid Pro can also be exported to any other application (such as a drawing or DTP package) where they can be used as a background for other objects or text, or further manipulated to produce sophisticated effects.

Grid sheets for games and other activities, such as the dot array for playing the "enclose-the-squares" game (I don't know what the game is actually called, but everyone must have played it at least once in their life!) or the hexagon grid for playing RPGs, can be produced and printed at any size or resolution.

Why use Grid Pro instead of commercially-produced grid sheets? Consider:

• Sheets can be produced to your requirements as and when you need them, rather than having to stock a large variety of sheets (which can be very expensive, especially in small quantities or in designs for which there is little demand, and the stock always runs out at the most inconvenient time!).

• The design can be produced and printed on any size of paper. Even if the size you require is too large for your printer, the file can be exported to an application such as Vector, Poster or Chameleon which will split up the design and print it over as many sheets as is necessary.

• Sheets can be produced to any specification. No more hunting through stationery catalogues trying to find an A3 sheet with a linear X-axis with twenty major divisions and four subdivisions, and a logarithmic Y-axis with six cycles...

• Sheets can be exported in Draw-compatible form to another application, so predefined axis numbering or a title can be added before printing.

• Six basic pattern object types: dot lattice, line grid, polar grid, checker board, tessellation and tiled sprite. Any number of objects can be placed on a sheet.

• Complete control over object size and position, either interactively with the mouse or precisely by specifying dimensions. User-definable lock grid.

• Sheet sizes up to 12A0. Grid lines and printer limits can be displayed on the sheet.

• Sheets can be saved in Grid Pro's own format (producing very small files giving substantial savings in disc space), Draw format (for complete compatibility with other applications) or Vector format (using the special object types supported by that application).

• Printing of sheets (up to the page size allowed by your printer) from within the application.

• Style Guide compatible (nearly!). User-settable display colours.

Grid Pro is fully RiscOS 3, Risc PC and StrongARM compatible. It supports high resolution and 16- and 32-bit colour graphics, background printing, etc. On RiscOS 3·5 and later, dynamic areas are used to improve performance and allow Clares' Virtualise to be used.

The downloadable demonstration version includes a restricted Grid Pro application (with all of the facilities available apart from saving and printing) and a number of example files showing the facilities available.

The full Grid Pro package (one disc and a printed manual) is available in two versions. A single-user version costs £37+VAT; this can be installed on any number of machines but the original application disc is required to start the application. A site licence version costs £75+VAT; this can again be installed on any number of machines but does not require a key disc. There is no !System-date, limited install or machine ID protection. Both versions include a set of sample files, examples and tutorials.

Schools and other educational establishments may order the single user version of Grid Pro on 28 day free approval. Contact 4Mation for details.

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Page by Jonathan Marten Last modified: Sat Dec 13 12:45:44 GMT 2008