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SpecChecker FAQ

• Q- Do I have the latest version of SpecChecker?
  
  
• Q- SpecChecker looks scary! How can I learn all of that? What’s the best way to get started?
  
  
• Q- Your Q&A section didn’t answer my question. Now what can I do?
  

Q- SpecChecker looks scary! How can I learn all of that? What’s the best way to get started?

A- I think the best way to get started with SpecChecker is to start working with it. I recommend that you run through the QuickStart Chapters in the SpecChecker and RuleManager manuals and try working with the demos. This may not teach you how to create rules, but at least you go through the mechanics of running rules with SpecChecker and the layout of the rules files. Once you’ve gone through the QuickStarts, get ready to create a simple rules file.

1. Create a new design file and place on level 10, place a line (type 3) with the following symbology: Color = 5; Style = 1; Weight = 4.
2. On level 20, place a circle (type 15) with the following symbology: Color = 0; Style = 0; Weight = 1.
3. Open RuleManager: Name the rules file (including the path) and make sure that your current design file is selected - ACTION should be set to “Automatic design file analysis and rule generation”
4. Hit <START> - You should quickly get a message stating that the rules file was created.
5. Change the ACTION to Edit a “rules file”
6. Hit <START> - Your rules file should open and the contents should be similar to:
   
   ; Rules file for use with Axiom International’s SpecChecker or SpecMonitor.
   
   ; Generated Tuesday, 9 September 2003 1:23 pm
   ; Rules generated from:
   ; \\SAMPLES\Simple.dgn
   REJECT ALL “Exception found: type=%TY, level=%LV, color=%CO, style=%ST, weight=%WT.”
   ACCEPT (TYPE = 5) ; Group data
   ACCEPT (TYPE = 8) ; Digitizer data
   ACCEPT (TYPE = 9 & LEVEL = 1,8) ; Design Header
   ACCEPT (TYPE = 10) ; Level Symbology data
   ACCEPT (TYPE = 66) ; MS Application data
   ACCEPT (TYPE = 87, 88, 90) ; Raster data
   
   #Level_Symbology = Ignore
   
   ACCEPT (COMPLEX = Yes) ; Components of complex elements will be ignored.
   
   ACCEPT (LEVEL=10 & COLOR=5 & WEIGHT=4 & STYLE=1 & TYPE=3)
   ACCEPT (LEVEL=20 & COLOR=0 & WEIGHT=1 & STYLE=0 & TYPE=15)
   
   ; END OF RULES FILE
   
   
7. Let’s take a peek at the rules file contents - the lines that begin with a semi-colon (;) are comments - USE THEM FREELY - add your comments as you are building your file, you know that you won’t go back later!
8. Notice the next line, the first rule in the file is REJECT ALL. This means no element can be placed unless a rule explicitly allows it. (See ACCEPT ALL or REJECT ALL in the RuleManager Manual).
9. The group of ACCEPT clauses that follow the REJECT ALL allow the necessary, non-graphic elements found in most design files.
10. #Level_Symbology - If you set ‘level_symbology=Ignore’, or if you set ‘Use’ and the Level Symbology is not on for the current view, SpecMonitor will analyze each element’s individual symbology. If you set ‘Use’ and Level Symbology is on for the current view, SpecMonitor analyzes only the Level Symbology defined for each level.
11. The next two lines accept the elements that we placed in the design file. The first is the line (type 3) and then the circle (ellipse, type 15). Notice that everything the symbology that we set for these elements is part of the accepted criteria.
12. Now, Open SpecChecker and run the rules file against your design file. It should run quickly, and a dialog box should pop up with the message “NO MORE FILES TO PROCESS”. If you look at the report, you should see that there were 20 elements processed with 0 errors.
    

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Q- Your Q&A section didn’t answer my question. Now what can I do?

A- You can contact us:

1. Fill out a Tech Support Form
2. Call us 727-442-7774 Extension 9110.

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