This page contains the revision history and known bugs and fixes for the Virtual Tablet Interface by version and component. Fixes or workarounds are included with each problem unless otherwise noted. If you are experiencing problems with the Virtual Tablet Interface drivers, utilities or applications and don't find the answer here, please contact us via email at support@vtablet.com or by voice at 425-868-3246 during technical support hours if you are a registered user.

Version 6     Version 5    Version 4    Version 3    Version 2

VERSION 1.36

(April 30, 1993)

Drivers

Support has been added for Summagraphics BitPad One; Kurta Series One, XLC, and XLP; AceCad and Mitsubishi Grafnet digitizers. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

Shadow pens in all shapes now paint and print correctly.

VERSION 1.35

(January 30, 1993)

General

All executable Windows modules have been updated to take advantage of assignable system sounds (if you have a sound card).

Drivers

Extensions has been added to support Windows applications that can directly utilize a digitizer such as MapInfo, etc.

A problem using template pointer regions under Pen Windows which caused a fault at the far right or top of the pointer region.

Samples

MapInfo Corporation's MapInfo for Windows.

 VERSION 1.34

(December 10, 1992)

General

Support has been added for Summagraphics SummaSketch III, Summagrid III digitizers. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

Printing now provides the option of choosing a range of pages saving paper on large templates for which only a small area is actually used (pages are tiled left-to-right, top-to-bottom).

Fast files in the File menu are no longer listed if they are invalid or nonexistent, i.e. deleted between sessions.

VERSION 1.33

(November 7, 1992)

General

Support has been added for Kurta IS/THREE and Numonics AccuGrid digitizers. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

You may now change the font name for the entire template with the new Font Name command under the Options menu (with full undo). The default font name is also saved as "FontName" in the [Options] section of VTEDIT.INI and used for all templates.

The Editor now supports "chiseled" dialogs boxes. If you have a laptop or want to disable this feature, add the line "ChiselDialogs0" in the [Options] section of VTEDIT.INI.

Printing templates now automatically changes the paper orientation (portrait or landscape) to match the active area unless disabled by "AutoOrient0" in the [Options] section of VTEDIT.INI.

The Undo command for template comments has been fixed.

Loader

An erroneous error message when using the Loader with the Windows driver loaded dynamically by applications.

Occasional incorrect template file specifications in the main dialog window when changing to a parent template directory.

The Loader now supports "chiseled" dialogs boxes. If you have a laptop or want to disable this feature, add the line "ChiselDialogs0" in the [Options] section of VTEDIT.INI.

Drivers

The Windows driver and Control Panel Applet now support "Air Brushing" or mapping pressure values to buttons even when using a non-pressure stylus. See Appendix B in the manual for details.

A problem with Kurta IS/ONE 12x17 tablets in absolute mode.

Button zero on Numonics 16-button cursors now maps to the 'pick" button for most CAD applications.

Samples

The Virtual Template Editor template has been updated for the Font Name command under Options and to use accelerator keys wherever available thereby minimizing 'menu flash' most commands.

VERSION 1.32

(September 30, 1992)

General

Support has been added for Kontron Electronics Digicad Plus and Digikon digitizers including pressure-sensitivity. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

An occasional erroneous message when opening sample templates from the command line (registered users only).

The Build command now detects target windows owned by DLL libraries which may not work correctly with the Loader.

Loader

The Windows Loader no longer incorrectly asks to save changes to a file which has not been changed.

Target applications whose windows are owned by DLL libraries are now detected which may not work correctly with templates.

Drivers

A replacement Windows library for the CalComp 33000 digitizers is now provided uncompressed on disk or in VtExes.Zip. See the file README.TXT for more information and installation.

VERSION 1.31

(August 31, 1992)

General

Support for a pressure-sensitive stylus has been added for CalComp DrawingBoard II and Wacom digitizers. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their new tablet identifiers.

Support has been added for Houston Instruments HiPad, and Numonics GraphicMaster and GridMaster tablets. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

The Editor now automatically opens templates with the default tablet type (established during installation or changed from within the Format Properties dialog).

Exporting large Metafile and Encapsulated Postscript files no longer exhaust the Windows GDI heap resulting in erratic displays.

Importing Encapsulated Postscript to rectangular objects now clips correctly when printed to a Postscript printer or re-exported.

Drivers

The driver now provides support for mapping tablet buttons.

Second-stage filtering has been added to reduce screen jitter when using a tablet and stylus under Pen Windows or with absolute positioning.

Barrel events under Pen Windows are now handled correctly. Note: Pen Windows does not currently support a middle mouse button.

A number of minor improvements and fixes for CalComp, Numonics, Kurta and Wacom digitizers.

Tablet filtering has been added via the DOS command line switch '/Fn' where n is between 0 and 5 (default3). See the DOS Driver Appendix in the manual or README.TXT for more information.

Applet

The Control Panel Applet and device drivers now provide for mapping tablet buttons to Windows buttons (left, middle and right) and no longer requires restarting Windows to effect the changes.

Documentation

The Windows Write manual has been improved to include a chapter on using the Setup program to install, update or remove components of the Virtual Tablet Interface.

Setup

Setup now displays and asks you confirm your choices during installation. Click Accept or press ENTER to continue with installation. Click Modify or press ESCAPE to change your choices.

Setup now creates icons for the sample templates (if you are installing them) in the Program Manager's Virtual Tablet Group.

VERSION 1.30

(July 11, 1992)

General

Support has been added for the Numonics 2200 Series of digitizers. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

Encapsulated Postscript files (EPS) are now supported for both exporting and importing. Refer to the chapter titled "Importing & Exporting" in the manual or online help for restrictions and use.

AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Files (DXF) are supported for both exporting and importing. Refer to the chapter titled "Importing & Exporting" in the manual or online help for restrictions and use.

Style sheets which can be saved and loaded independently of the template for standardizing template designs and modifying large numbers of template regions quickly. Standard style sheets are included in the samples.

Circle shapes (ortho); hatching patterns; bold and italic font weights; and hairline and heavy outlines.

The Editor now starts up maximized to the screen size unless loaded as an icon or 'Maximized0' is inserted under the section titled [Options] in the Editor's configuration file VTEDIT.INI.

Meta files are now exported in a more generalized format readable by most Windows applications. In addition, multi-line style labels now output correctly across multiple lines if hard-wrapped.

Font greeking has been dropped due to TrueType technology in Windows 3.1 and widespread use of other type managers under Windows 3.0. The 'Debug Info' option has been moved to the Display and Print dialogs and now also appears in the Status Bar.

Drivers

The Windows driver can now be enabled and disabled from the Control Panel Applet (Standard Mode only) for sharing the Com port with another device such as a modem without leaving Windows.

CalComp DrawingBoard II digitizers no longer need to set or reset the 9X00 command set prefix.

Samples

Freelance Graphics for Windows.

Standard style sheets for the Editor (see below).

VERSION 1.22

(June 5, 1992)

General

Support has been added for GTCO DigiPad, Super-L and Rollup digitizers. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

The font metrics in the Editor have been improved and now conform to the sizes as stated in the manual. Under certain circumstances, this may require changing some label sizes in existing templates.

Loader

The DOS segment of the Virtual Tablet Loader is now fully documented in the manual appendices.

Samples

New sample templates have been added for AutoSketch for Windows, CorelDraw Version 3.0; and Corel Paint, Show and Chart.

VERSION 1.21

(May 20, 1992)

General

Support has been added for the CalComp 33070 (WIZ).

Support has been added for the Wacom 210L, 31xE, 32xE, 42xE and 510C tablets (non-pressure mode only).

Editor

A custom, right mouse button, popup menu is now available anywhere within the Editor's window. To configure or invoke, press the right mouse button or choose the Custom Menu command from the Options menu. Can be configured with any Editor command.

Color labels and outlines have been added to the available styles. The Build command now defaults to using automatic color outlines instead of fills.

The compiler now offers you a choice of highlighting regions in which a problem was detected. When enabled, regions are marked with an "X" from each bounding corner.

The Escape key now switches the display to draft mode for the remainder of a screen refresh rather than just canceling further object rendering.

Loader

Multiple templates can now be executed simply by clicking on their icon rather than manually unloading the current template. This makes switching application templates as easy as a mouse click.

Drivers

Maximum rated speed for most tablets has been boosted an average of 50% or more.

Support has been added to automatically detect and use the 16550A FIFO UART which can reduce interrupts by up to 75%.

Initialization problems with CalComp Drawing Board II tablets. Make sure the 9X00 command set is enabled by Escape.

VERSION 1.20

(April 24, 1992)

General

All aspects of the Virtual Tablet Interface have been updated to conform with the Microsoft Windows Style Guide dated March, 199This mostly applies to dialog boxes and help menus.

Specific support has been added for SummaSketch II and DrawingBoard II series of digitizers. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations. Previous versions are still compatible with both series but for optimum performance, use the new tablet identifiers.

Editor

A new style dialog box now includes hard-coded multi-line labels, triangle and diamond shapes.

Context-sensitive help is now available from within any menu and dialog box by pressing the F1 key.

The help menu now includes an option to search for help by keyword. Choose "Search for Help on...". The Editor template has been updated, as well.

All file dialogs have been updated to conform to the new Common Dialog standard in Windows 3.This includes the "Open", "SaveAs", "Import" and "Export" file dialogs.

Loader

Context-sensitive help is now available from within any menu and dialog box by pressing the F1 key.

The help menu now includes an option to search for help by keyword. Choose "Search for Help on...".

File dialogs have been updated to conform to the new Common Dialog standard in Windows 3.This includes the "Open" and "SaveAs" file dialogs.

Control characters in templates did not work correctly when sent to Multiple Document Interface applications. This problem has been fixed in the current version.

Drivers

The interrupt configuration parameter is no longer needed. The driver now supports only Comm 1 or 2 and uses industry standard Com port parameters (base, interrupt, vector, etc).

Emulation of smaller tablets such as the SummaSketch 1201 by larger tablets could cause a crash in absolute mode due to the active area size differences. The driver now bounds all incoming coordinates to their expected values.

Applet

A problem dating back to Version 1.00 that did not swap the mouse buttons correctly has been fixed.

Documentation

The manual is now provided in Windows Write format. Print and assemble in the following order: Cover, Contents, Part1, Part2, Part3 and Part4.

Samples

In addition to the Virtual Tablet Editor, sample templates now include skeleton templates that you may edit, embellish or use 'as is' for the following applications: AutoCAD for Windows, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw!, Micrografx Designer, FrameMaker, Aldus FreeHand, ImageIn, Aldus Persuasion, Aldus PageMaker, PhotoStyler, Stanford Graphics, Ventura Publisher for Windows, Fractal Painter and WinCAD. See the Editor's template for an example of what a little extra effort can do to embellish a template.

VERSION 1.12

(April 12, 1992)

Editor

Tiny and Huge font sizes have been added to style labels. Font sizes now map to 1/100th (Tiny), 1/80th (Small), 1/60th (Medium), 1/40th (Large) and 1/20th (Huge) of the active area. Existing templates may need to be tuned to these new font sizes.

Button outline pen styles have been added. Give your template that 'Windows' look! Try elliptic buttons for important commands.

Combinations now automatically provide an inside margin eliminating style conflicts with their member regions.

The Build command has been enhanced and can now build templates for even the most sticky, non-standard Windows Apps (like Ventura Publisher). No more rolling menus before building.

VERSION 1.11

(April 6, 1992)

Drivers

A new enhanced mode windows driver significantly speeds up Windows running in enhanced mode. Tablet interrupts are now handled down in the Virtual Machine and not in the Windows kernel. Depending on your tablet model and report rate settings, you should see an improvement of up to 400% faster response times.

The Windows driver has been updated to work with the new enhanced mode windows driver, VTABLET.386. The tracing interface has been updated.

The DOS driver has been updated to work with SummaSketch I tablets and restores their double-click capability.

VERSION 1.10

(March 26, 1992)

General

Kurta IS/ONE tablets for 8.5"x11", 12"x12" and 12"x17" have been added. See DIGITIZE.TXT for their configurations.

Editor

A tool bar now joins the status and scroll bars to assist you in navigating the Editor's window. It contains miniature icons for the twenty-two most commonly used commands. Check it out!

Style labels now automatically wrap to the object's bounding rectangle unless exporting to a metafile or using the Greek Fonts option for either the display or printer.

Drivers

Sixteen button cursor support has been added joining stylus and 4-button cursors. As with all virtual tablets, only four buttons are actually ever used (this is a Windows limitation).

Button handling has been improved for applications that require simultaneous presses and releases of multiple buttons.

The choice of absolute or relative positioning has been added to the Windows driver and Control Panel Applet running under Windows 3.1 or higher.

Report rates can now be configured. Under the Windows driver, an 'AutoEnhance' mode switch automatically lowers the tablets' report rate when running under Enhanced Windows to boost total system performance.

A bug in SummaSketch I (not II) tablets results in loss of double-clicking under Windows and DOS. This problem has been fixed in Version 1.1Download VTSETS.ZIP and VTEXES.ZIP and make sure the new enhanced mode driver is installed.

VERSION 1.01

(March 16, 1992)

Editor

Build problems have been noted with deep cascading menu structures resulting in template regions that are too small for many output devices and are also capable of producing a crash in the Editor. This problem has been fixed in Version 1.10 which now warns you and asks to continue. Answering 'yes' will build a template for the menu but skip the 'menu items/template regions' in question. The work-around for earlier versions is to turn off cascading menus.

Drivers

Problems with certain SummaSketch tablets have been fixed in Version 1.10 that occasionally caused the tablet to hang at startup or when switching back from DOS under Enhanced Windows.

VERSION 1.00

(March 9, 1992)

Editor

Build command problems have been noted with applications such as CorelDraw, AutoCAD for Windows, Ventura Publisher, etc. where menus comprise bitmap images or cascade to deep levels (and no error message was given!). The work around requires unchecking the Cascade Menus option in the Build dialog box. This will work for cascading menus containing bitmaps (CorelDraw) but not for top-level popups (like AutoCAD for Windows).

Drivers

Some problems have been noted using multiple instances of VTABLET.DLL loaded as both the mouse driver and an installable library under the final release of 386 Enhanced Windows 3.1 when other interrupt driven devices are present and a DOS window is closed.

Setup

A problem installing VTUSEREG.DLL from other than a root directory has been fixed (1.00A).

Manual loading of VTABLET.DLL in [MMCPL] under Windows 3.1 was incorrectly stated in the README.TXT. The CONTROL.INI file has changed from Pre-Release Windows 3.1 to Final Release. Consult your final Windows 3.1 documentation for the new location of the [MMCPL] section and how it works.

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Last modified: March 04, 2008