Use the G-DEFAULTS menu to set the default properties that will apply to subsequently inserted graphic picture elements. A separate menu, the T-DEFAULTS menu, controls the default properties for text elements. (See Chapter <[11]>.)

The G-DEFAULTS/PATTERN command controls the default fill pattern for filled regions. The set of available patterns is determined by the currently installed pattern file. This can be changed by using the SETUP/INSTALL/PATTERNS command <[12.5.2]>. These basic patterns can be varied by color and by reversing the roles of foreground and background. Use the this command to display a new menu, from which you can change the basic pattern, the pattern reversal, and the pattern background color. (The default foreground color of the pattern is the default drawing color which can be modified via the COLOR command <[10.3]>.) Patterns can also be used when drawing lines and arcs (which includes drawing the border of a filled region). To change this default pattern, use the G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/LINE-PAT command <[10.7.4]>.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/PATTERN/PATTERN command to change the basic bitmap of ON and OFF pixels for the default fill pattern. Press the command letter to display a menu of available patterns. Choose one to set the default basic bitmap pattern.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/PATTERN/REVERSE command to change the default fill pattern by reversing the ON and OFF pixels of the basic pattern. REVERSE is a multiple choice command with two values, ENABLED and DISABLED.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/PATTERN/BACKGROUND command to change the color used when drawing the OFF pixels of the default fill pattern. (The ON pixels are drawn using the current drawing color.) Press the command letter to display a menu of seventeen choices, the sixteen colors and NONE. If you choose a color, that color becomes the default pattern background color. If you choose NONE, then the OFF pixels of the default pattern will be transparent.

The G-DEFAULTS/BORDER command controls the default border color for filled regions. Press the command letter to display a menu of 17 choices, the 16 colors and NONE. If you choose a color, that color becomes the default border color that applies when groups are converted into filled regions (see the MODIFY/FILL command <[4.8]>). If you choose NONE, then no border will be drawn when regions are created.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/COLOR command to select a new graphic default color. Subsequently inserted lines and filled regions will be drawn in this color. (To set the default color for text labels use the T-DEFAULTS/COLOR command <[11.5]>). If you have a monochrome display, all colors appear the same except color F (BACKGROUND). The display of most monochrome monitors for the PC and compatibles is green or amber on a black background. Most printers print black on a white background. Therefore, the names BLACK and WHITE are not used in the color menu, and the substitutes FOREGROUND and BACKGROUND are used instead. FOREGROUND color will be green or amber on screen and black on paper. BACKGROUND color will be black on screen and white on paper.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/OVERRIDE command you to override the native colors and/or line styles of subsequently inserted objects. Type the command letter to cycle through the four modes: NONE, COLOR, LINES, and BOTH. When the setting is NONE, an inserted object is drawn exactly as it was defined, using its native colors and line styles. When the setting is COLOR, the object is drawn in the current default color. When the setting is LINES, the object is drawn in the current default line style. When the setting is BOTH, the object is drawn in both the current default color and line style.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/ROTATION command to set the rotation of all objects subsequently inserted. Press the command letter to display a menu of eight choices: 0, 90, 180, 270 (degrees clockwise), \, -, /, | (mirror images).

Use the G-DEFAULTS/STRETCHES command to set the default stretch factors applied to all subsequently inserted objects. It is an XY input command. If you specify X=1/2 and Y=1/2, for example, all objects inserted thereafter will initially appear at half of their native size.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE command to set the default nib type, pen size and dashing parameters.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/NIB-TYPE command to set the nib, or pen point, to be used in drawing lines and region boundaries. Type the command letter to display a menu of possible nib types. The nib shapes include: point, horizontal line, vertical line, up-sloping line, down-sloping line, box, ellipse, and rhombus. Most nib types require X and Y input to determine their size. These are set by the PEN-SIZE command (see below).

Use the G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/PEN-SIZE command to set the size of the nib used in drawing lines and region boundaries. It is an XY input command; type in the desired values. Note that three nib types ignore one or both of these settings. They are: Point, which is always one pixel by one pixel, Horizontal line, which ignores the Y setting, and Vertical line, which ignores the X setting. (See the NIB-TYPE command, above.)

The G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/DASHES command has two capabilities. Use it to turn line dashing on and off. It is also an XY input command in which, when dashing is on, X = dash length, and Y = space between dashes (in pixels). If the pen size (see above) is larger than 0, the dashes will overlap unless you set Y sufficiently large to compensate.

The patterns used to draw filled regions can also be used when drawing lines. Initially, the default line drawing pattern is set to SOLID, but you can use the G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/LINE-PAT command to change to a different pattern. Lines drawn with a point pen are usually too thin to display these patterns to advantage, and so, you will normally want to use one of the other nib types when drawing with patterns other than SOLID. To change the default pattern for filled regions, use the G-DEFAULTS/PATTERN command <[10.1]>.

The G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/LINE-PAT/PATTERN command lets you set the basic bitmap of ON and OFF pixels for the default line drawing pattern. Press the command letter to display a menu of available patterns. Choose one to set the default basic bitmap pattern.

The G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/LINE-PAT/REVERSE command lets you change the default line drawing pattern by reversing the ON and OFF pixels of the basic pattern. REVERSE is a multiple choice command with two values, ENABLED and DISABLED.

The G-DEFAULTS/LINE-STYLE/LINE-PAT/BACKGROUND command lets you set the color to be used when drawing the OFF pixels of the default line drawing pattern. Press the command letter to display a menu of seventeen choices, the sixteen colors and NONE. If you choose a color, that color becomes the default pattern background color. If you choose NONE, then the OFF pixels of the default pattern will be transparent.

Use the G-DEFAULTS/INITIALIZE command to reset all graphics defaults to their standard values: COLOR 0 PATTERN (SOLID) BORDER 0 OVERRIDE NONE ROTATION 0 STRETCH 1 X 1 NIB-TYPE POINT PEN-SIZE 4 X 4 DASHES OFF 0 X 0 LINE-PAT (SOLID)