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Many CAD systems don't offer a correct display of a technical drawing with pen width on the screen.

If  a user wishes to read a technical drawing (which was created with CAD) into a word processing program, DTP or any other Windows/Macintosh program, he needs such a program to be able to understand the plot-format (usually HP-GL/2). Hardly any DTP, word processing- or internet program can do this. Therefore an appropriate interface needs to be found.

NORMICA creates an exact display of HP-GL/2 files and enables the user to proof-read the drawing before printing. This HP-GL/2 Editor is a safe and low-priced interface for speedy exchange of data between CAD and DTP and the internet.

In CAD originally only a theoretical pen width of zero units is used. Only in this way the constructor receives clear intersections of the crossing lines. This is why there are only few CAD systems which display pen width on the screen. The crucial result is the drawing printed with pen width on paper. Other than the pure construction with the computer, in the printing different pen widths are necessary for display conforming to the standards, e.g. 0.35 mm for subsidiary lines, 0.5 mm for hidden edges and 0.7 mm for visible edges. In many other CAD systems, the different pen widths are defined through the line colors. I. e. most CAD systems offer correct display of the drawing only via printing. Therefore the only format which has the correct and valid information about the drawing is that file, which was created for plotting. Usually this file is in the HP-GL/2 format.

Key functions are the viewing, editing, printing/plotting of CAD plot-data (HP-GL/2, HP-RTL, HP-GL), as well as the precise exportation of this data into Windows, Macintosh and Internet compatible files.

Data generated with Normica can be integrated into all standard word processing, DTP and Internet applications. You receive an exact rendering of your technical drawings in any media. What you see is what you get!

NORMICA View and NORMICA^V2000 saves on resources.

Drawings can be checked and corrected before they are printed or exported. Changeable pen widths, line color, orientation and drawing order greatly simplify the adaption of drawings for any purpose. NORMICA^V2000 is based on the HP-GL/2 (HP-RTL, HP-GL) format, the industry standard for printing and plotting.
Every CAD software supports plotter systems and can therefore write HP-GL/2 files. HP-GL/2 is an exact representation of the printout, and can process vector and raster information using very little memory. NORMICA^V2000 easily reads and writes HP-GL/2. When exchanging data between CAD and DTP, NORMICA^V2000 uses only files which exactly replicate the paper print. Without NORMICA^V2000 this conversion process requires the generation of many different file formats, as well as different software systems. A large number of newly generated files in different formats makes a clear overview a problem. Drawing storage can also be difficult and expensive . Furthermore, the copies, as an additional result of these long conversion processes, often no longer correspond to the original CAD drawings. With NORMICA^V2000 these extra steps and additional costs are a thing of the past. Only data which exactly corresponds to the original drawing, will be converted.

Viewing CAD plot-data before they are printed

On of the major benefits of NORMICA is the ability to show CAD plot-data perfectly on screen, which in turn enables the user to check the drawing before printing.
A lot of CAD-systems do not offer the possibility of a correct printing-preview. Without NORMICA the drawing has to be plotted/printed to be checked for mistakes. With NORMICA you can spot mistakes and correct them before you print.

Using NORMICA on a Laptop

Excellent zoom features, and the precise on-screen display of CAD plot-data, make the presentation of technical drawings on a laptop possible. You can open as many plot-files within NORMICA as needed.
The definition of up to four different viewports within a window and the possibility to open another window in the same file, help to maintain a clear overview.
The automatic display of object definitions (via Tooltip), the crosshair option, the display of absolute and relative coordinates, angles, and distances, all greatly facilitate presentation and analysis of drawings.

Processing CAD plot-data

The features of NORMICA focus on typical CAD-plot characteristics, such as line width, line color, line join, end cap, draw order and others. Bitmap importation of (BMP; TIFF; JPEG; TGA), and the editing of raster size, -contrast, -transparency, -position etc., are all made easy with NORMICA.

These tasks are not usually part of a CAD operator's job. They are a combination of layout tasks and plot management, which, with a little training, can be performed by almost anyone. You don't need to study architecture or technical engineering to be able to work with CAD plot-data. What you need is some basic knowledge of technical drawing, in addition to design and marketing skills.

To create drawings for estimating purposes, for example, you need to decide how many photographs should be placed in the drawing, how big they should be, and what colors are to be used in the drawing. The typical CAD operator isn't trained to deal with these kinds of questions. With NORMICA^V2000, these tasks can easily be handled by someone with a more appropriate background.

For the best results in the shortest time possible, NORMICA^V2000 has been created as a processing-center for CAD plot-data.
NORMICA^V2000 is not intended for construction use. That is what CAD is for.

Everything but the crucial construction-data should be processed with NORMICA^V2000.

Typical plot- and layout-mistakes should not be corrected or edited with a CAD-system, but with a workplace and user much cheaper and more suited to such tasks.
There are at least two reasons for delegating plotting tasks:
First, many typical plotting mistakes cannot be corrected with CAD-systems which i.e. do not support bitmaps. When plotting within CAD, a plotter will sometimes "overflow", causing the plotter-driver to change object order, or even system failure. Second, final plot design is better left to a layout professional with the proper training, than to an expensive CAD operator with a more technical background.

NORMICA^V2000 is designed to be a processing-center for CAD plot-data. NORMICA^V2000 is not intended for CAD-construction, but offers powerful features for editing typical plotting and layout characteristics, which don't directly influence the construction data.

Apart from these powerful editing features, with NORMICA^V2000 bitmaps (such as photographs, drawings or renderings) can also be put into HP-GL/2 files or technical drawings, which can then be positioned and processed (brightness, contrast, transparency, etc.).

Converting CAD plot-data 
For exportation of CAD-plot data NORMICA uses only the most important standard formats.
NORMICA offers the best formats for the most common applications; for Microsoft products, QuarkXPress/Pagemaker, the internet and more.
No matter which format is used, NORMICA^V2000 only exports what you see on the screen, or what has been chosen for export.
With NORMICA^V2000, one can also export the whole drawing, any selected parts thereof, or extract specific raster images from a HP-GL/2 file.

Printing and Plotting

NORMICA^V2000 will support any standard system printer. Drawings can be plotted using corresponding plot-drivers, these plot-drivers can also be used to create new HP-GL/2 files. The image to be printed can be seen beforehand with "print preview".

To fit a drawing to a page using a Windows-system printer, it must be adjusted to fit the maximum print-area of your printer. The drawing can be adjusted to any size through DTP-Scaling.

In other words, if objects to be printed are to fill a page, they must correspond to, or be smaller than the maximum print-area of your printer.

Besides printing the whole drawing, it is also possible to print user-defined rectangular sections. With the "define print- & export window" command, one can define the area to be printed simply by creating a window using the "shift and drag" method (left mouse button).

In any producing company it is necessary for the construction to continually offer its crucial data of the drawings to the records department or any other publishing department.

This connection rarely works optimally, as ...

• in many companies the records department, the writing of manuals or material for marketing, internet-publications etc. are almost completely isolated from the construction department.  
  There is loss of time and inevitable personnel cost, as a lot of effort is put into venturesome conversion methods.
• quite often there is misunderstanding,  so that confusion and high cost is the consequence because of the many different files on the way between construction and records. 
  Consequently the construction data is spread over a vast number different DTP channels, which in turn makes protection and consistency of these data difficult and expensive.
  The safest method to avoid confusion because of data being created in construction and processed in records at different times is a direct connection via NORMICA. With this program only the crucial plot data will be used for printing and DTP. One consistent file generated for printing and connection to DTP/records keeps the costs low, while offering high flexibility and a high level of safety.

NORMICA is a speedy interface between CAD and DTP, which keeps files tidy and consistent through "as the crow files".

NORMICA have been developed and trade by IT BASE GmbH Germany. IT BASE is based in and was founded in 1997 in Munich. Besides its own products, IT BASE offers programming services and system extensions.

NORMICA is available in English and German language. There will be other languages. In case of interest please ask for it.

Architecture - GIS - manufacturing - documentation - plot-/reproservices

• Every user wanting to check drawings visually and make any necessary corrections before printing.
• Every user desiring an exact, workable replica of a technical drawing or a scaled version thereof, in a Windows/Macintosh or internet format.
• Every company or business wanting to be certified according to DIN/ISO 9000/1/2. This certification requires efficient and transparent documentation of all production and business courses, and makes a rapid exchange of information in all areas necessary.
• Every DTP company working with the CAD sector.
• Every CAD company wanting to import drawing data into, for example, Microsoft Word.
• Every plotter company requiring rapid file viewer functions, or desiring to edit and tune HP-GL/2 files according to the What You See Is What You Get principle.

NORMICA was developed for Windows Vista/2003/XP/2000/98/Me.

Generally any HP-GL/2 format from every CAD system can be read. NORMICA can export a plotter generic HP-GL/2 file.

The export formats PDF/EPS/EMF/WMF and BMP/TIFF/JPEG are supported by virtually all the popular graphics-, DTP- and Office-systems operating on Windows and Macintosh. DWF is a standard for presenting CAD files in Internet. DXF as a standard exchange format for CAD drawings.

NORMICA is distributed through NORMICA retailers and directly via the NORMICA Shop on this homepage. You will get there detailed information about the prices, the terms of delivery and payment. 
 

Prices and conditions you will get from our sales partners and in the NORMICA online shop.

You can welcome to download NORMICA demo versions from our website for your test. Files in the HP-GL/2 format are included with the program, so that the program can be tested immediately. Click on Download on the main navigation bar.

Nowadays the computers are usually all powered enough to run NORMICA software. If you want to view or process true color drawings, a true color graphic card will be needed. NORMICA runs on Windows.

NORMICA uses a software lock, no hardware lock. In order to use the commercial version of NORMICA you need an authorizing code.