Glossary

A glossary of terms used at Protocase, Inc., and in Protocase Designer.

Assembly

General term for enclosures and related items such as brackets.

Bitmap

The term used for raster files (BMP, .PNG, .GIF, .JPG, etc.) as opposed to vector files (.SVG, .AI, .EPS, .DXF, .DWG, etc.). Note: A .PDF can be either raster or vector. For details and help in determining which yours is, see Spotting the Difference.

Bounding box

In Designer, the dashed outline around items that are grouped or selected for editing.

Canvas

In Designer's Cutout Library, the canvas is the green area on which a cutout is drawn; it is recommended that you make the canvas the size that the entire object will use, beyond just the size of the cutout, so that no adjacent objects can bump into it. In Designer's Face Editor, the canvas is the entire drawing area.

Connector

The part of a cable that plugs into a port or interface to connect one device to another. Connector types include DB, DIN, and Centronics. In Designer, you create cutouts for I/O connectors.

DXF Files

.DXF is a CAD file format that enables AutoCAD files to be read by Designer. These DXF files can be used as vector image files (when they contain graphics information only), or as cutout or panel files. Designer accepts only 2D DXF files of cutouts or panels. A 2D drawing of an outline of a panel lets you create a flat panel design with an arbitrary outline and any number of cutouts. See also Graphic and Image.

Footprint

In Designer, the 2-D representation of a bracket or other item when it is mated to a face.

Graphic

Text and/or graphics added directly to a face, using Designer tools, for printing or silkscreening. See also Image and DXF Files.

I/O

Input/Output device for computer peripherals, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus), a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) expansion card, etc. In Designer, cutouts are designed for I/O connectors.

Image

An image file, imported to or exported from Designer. See also Graphic and DXF.

Machining

At Protocase, machining refers to tapping and countersinking, or to milling.

Motherboard

The PCB for a computer, containing the CPU (Central Processing Unit). See also PCB.

PCB

Printed Circuit Board, either plain or populated with components. See also Motherboard.

PCI

See I/O.

Properties

The specifications (parameters) of an object, such as height, width, color, etc. When you click an object, the Properties panel on the far right includes current properties of the selected object. If you right-click an object and choose Properties from the floating menu, a dialog opens with properties that are most commonly edited.

Raster

See Bitmap.

Release

A software release of Protocase Designer. A General Release is a major (e.g., 5.0) or minor (e.g., 4.9.0) release of Designer, which contains major enhancements and/or new features, whereas a Beta Release (e.g., 4.5.3-Feb24,16) contains mostly defect fixes.

Tapped hole

A hole made smaller than the nominal size of a screw or pipe to allow for tapping. (Drilling and tapping are two distinct actions. Drilling refers to creating a smooth hole in a material with a drill and motor. Tapping is the action that creates a thread into the side of the hole.) ((from http://solutions.borderstates.com/tapping-vs-drilling-whats-the-difference))

U (or RU)

Unit of measure describing the height (or number of units) of a server rack in a Rackmount enclosure. One rack unit is often referred to as "1U", 2 rack units as "2U", and so on.

USB

See I/O.