topic Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files in Mathcad

Old Mathcad MCS image files

Lou5 — Thu, 03 May 2018 16:22:04 GMT

How can I retrieve MCS image files created in a very old version of Mathcad? I don't have the old version of Mathcad.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

RichardJ — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 17:02:11 GMT

I've been working with Mathcad for a very long time, and I don't even know what an "MCS image file" is.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

ValeryOchkov — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 19:15:29 GMT

MSC - Mathcad Calculation Server?

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

Werner_E — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 21:55:36 GMT

No, it was a proprietary vector graphics format.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

RichardJ — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 21:59:35 GMT

Does it actually have anything to do with Mathcad though?

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

Werner_E — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:11:27 GMT

MCS was a proprietary vector graphics format. It was primarily used to import files in HPGL format (a Hewlett Packard language for plotter output). Mathcad 3.1 and 4.0 came with a converter (mctrans.exe) for HPG or PLT --> MCS, as long as the HPGL file would only use one of supported six commands (LB,PA,PD,PR,PU,SP). Beginning with Mathad 5 the clipboard had to be used to insert plot files.

Unfortunately I don't know of any graphics program capable of reading MCS files and also have no documentation of the file format itself. But given that mctrans only supported 6 HPGL commands it may be possible to encypher the MCS format if you have a couple of files.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

Werner_E — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:12:21 GMT

Richard Jackson wrote:
Does it actually have anything to do with Mathcad though?

Yes, see above.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

RichardJ — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:14:39 GMT

I don't remember it at all.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

Werner_E — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:16:51 GMT

Richard Jackson wrote:
I don't remember it at all.

Neither did I. But my library does 😉 I just looked up the information in a book about MC 3.1 for Win and another one dealing with MC5.0&PLUS 5.0. I knew I would have a use for those books one day 🙂

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

RichardJ — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:21:11 GMT

LOL! And I thought I was a pack rat! I still have a book on Algol 60. I'll mail it to you if you like

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

Werner_E — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:48:12 GMT

Good to see that I'm not alone 😉

I guess if I dig a bit deeper I may find something on Algol on my own - may be 68 though, not sure.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

RichardJ — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:54:39 GMT

I wrote a lot of code in Algol 60, but not by choice. I inherited a very large amount of legacy code (so I'm not quite as old as "Algol 60" might imply!), and it was just a better option than porting everything to C. I wrote some stuff in Algol 68 too, which was a vastly superior language to Algol 60.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

Werner_E — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:02:38 GMT

I never did much in Algol and was very soon exposed to (hold it!) Pascal. It was only later when I became familiar with C. Only legacy code I had to deal with was Fortran - fortunately not often as I hated it.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

RichardJ — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:10:44 GMT

I wote stuff in Fortran IV and Forthan 77. Hated both of them. Still do. I wrote a very small amount in Pascal. It's actually kind of similar to Algol 68.

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

Werner_E — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:16:47 GMT

yes, but without the quotes, which makes a big difference!

Re: Old Mathcad MCS image files

LucMeekes — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 09:46:33 GMT

You may find something useful in:

http://communities.ptc.com/message/189615#189615

Success!

Luc