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From: Le Forgeron
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 15 Sep 2014 03:45:49
Message: <5416992d$1@news.povray.org>
Le 14/09/2014 14:04, Nevado a écrit :
> Thanks to Bald Eagle for pointing out some bugs in my 1.0 version of
> PointWriter.
> This version 1.1 has the following fixes:
> 
> * Object points tend to blend in with connecting lines. Points are made larger.
> * Background image disappears when writing points. Subroutine jump corrected.
> * Drawn objects disappear when editing while using background image. Subroutine
> jump corrected.
> 
It looks great... can we have it in Java for a system-independent solution ?

The idea of intersecting two prisms never hit me before, yet so obvious!

I want it! (but I'm not on Windows at home :-/ )

-- 
Just because nobody complains does not mean all parachutes are perfect.


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From: Nevado
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 15 Sep 2014 05:20:00
Message: <web.5416acd69ace5296dce1a360@news.povray.org>
"Bald Eagle" <cre### [at] netscapenet> wrote:
> > The file containing your work is not "POVpoints.txt", but "Work.txt".
>
> Right, I got that.  Somehow I must have wiped out my Work file and all I had to
> transfer to the new directory was povpoints.
>
> Anyway,
>
> Is there a way to test if a file exists before trying to open it?



you have saved work.
Besides, it will be in the PointWriter folder, easy to spot.


> I noticed that the line often disappears when I click on EDIT.
> Adding the following line seems to fix that.


That would be fixed in the new version 1.1, uploaded yesterday.


> (Also - you had the code make the point turn dark green.  My change redraws the
> point as default.  What was the purpose of the dark green coloring?)


The selected point turns green to show the user exactly which one will be
replaced by the next click.
Useful, I think. The color changes back when the point is replaced.


> if Edit = 1 then
>     #grid, "size 5 ; font Arial 20 bold ; color green ; backcolor white ; place
> ";800*WF;" ";80*HF;" ;\EDIT"
>     #grid, "size 2 ; font Arial ";Font1;" bold ; color darkgreen ; backcolor
> white ; place ";400*WF;" ";725*HF;" ;\Click point to be edited"
>     Edit = 2
>     goto [skipline]                         ' Added to redraw line - BW
>     goto [nextpoint]
> end if
>
> As it stands, once EDIT is selected, there's no way to exit EDIT mode.
> I'm thinking that instead of Edit = 1, make it Edit = (Edit-1)^2
> 0-1 squared = 1, 1-1 squared = 0.  Toggled.




If I should make one, I would use Edit = 1-Edit and check for the values 0 and
1, like I did with the grid colours. A tiny bit simpler.


> As I seem to be good at breaking things, I also noticed when experimenting with
> Edit, that I can move points to be coincident.  I haven't gone through the
> code/logic, but it seems that selecting a point at those coordinates would
> select the point earliest on the spline.  An interesting situation to think
> about.
>
> I've made a few other changes - just playing around with the formatting of the
> axis labels and the menu to learn how the screen coordinates work, etc.
>                           See what you think. :)


I thought about giving the points and lines different colours, but stuck with
red for optimum contrast with the background. I did make the points a little
larger in the 1.1 version, though.

the blue grid.
Your changes are mostly a matter of taste, I guess. If they work for you, fine.


> Thanks again, so much for writing this - It's been ages since I've programmed in
> BASIC (!), and it brings me WAY back.
> I've had lots of fun fiddling and translating the Danish commetary.  :D

:-)


> Which reminds me:
> The best I can translate "DETTE ER I SKOVEN" into English is "THIS IS IN THE
> FOREST"   Is that some sort of phrase with another meaning? (idiosyncratic?)
> Like "You have a bird" means "You're crazy" in German? (Du hast ein vogel)


That was a note to myself during programming, basically (no pun intended)




> Thanks again Christian.



Tip: Use the keyboard shortcuts. You can work much faster. And study the


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From: Nevado
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 15 Sep 2014 05:35:02
Message: <web.5416b1289ace5296dce1a360@news.povray.org>
Le_Forgeron <lef### [at] freefr> wrote:
> Le 14/09/2014 14:04, Nevado a écrit :
> > Thanks to Bald Eagle for pointing out some bugs in my 1.0 version of
> > PointWriter.
> > This version 1.1 has the following fixes:
> >
> > * Object points tend to blend in with connecting lines. Points are made larger.
> > * Background image disappears when writing points. Subroutine jump corrected.
> > * Drawn objects disappear when editing while using background image. Subroutine
> > jump corrected.
> >
> It looks great... can we have it in Java for a system-independent solution ?


Glad you like it! Alas, I haven't learned Java (at least not yet.) If a good
programmer feels up to the task of translating it, my code is available in the
..zip file.


> The idea of intersecting two prisms never hit me before, yet so obvious!
>
> I want it! (but I'm not on Windows at home :-/ )
>
> --
> Just because nobody complains does not mean all parachutes are perfect.


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From: Bald Eagle
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 15 Sep 2014 13:55:01
Message: <web.541727d09ace5295e7df57c0@news.povray.org>
I'm still playing around with this to appreciate Christian's workflow, see
what's possible with this JustBasic language (looks like a fair amount), and see
if there's some neat goodies that can be added at some point.

Do we have the equations for how POV-Ray handles interpolation of cubic splines
handy?  That would be a sweet feature to add.

I'll likely be using this along with EPSpline for some tc-rtc work, so I'm sure
I'll give it a good workout over the next month or so.

I'd like to make some decent furniture - Queen Anne table legs, etc.  Prisms get
me the rough outline, but maybe someone could offer some advice on how to
elaborate further on that to get a nice, sculpted shape.  It might inspire
further developments.  :)   Thanks.


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From: Nevado
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 17 Sep 2014 11:35:01
Message: <web.5419a8a19ace5296dce1a360@news.povray.org>
Version 1.2 with a few enhancements:

* You can now switch outline color for your shape at any time with the keys 3,
4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Choose between gray, red (default), blue, black, yellow or
green. Points will remain red.

* You can use those same keys and outline colors for your "Work in Back" shape.
Just hold down "Shift". Points will remain black.

* Shapes can now be nudged left, up, down and right with Function keys 1-4 in
steps of 0.1 units instead of 0.25.

* When choosing a "Write" option or saving work, you now get confirmation at the
bottom of the screen.

* "PointWriterHelp.txt" is updated with these changes.


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From: Nevado
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 27 Sep 2014 10:15:01
Message: <web.5426c4ea9ace5296dce1a360@news.povray.org>
Version 1.3 with some new user-friendly features:

* Every time you close PW down, your settings for Grid, Snap, CenterX, CenterY
plus your chosen outline colors for Work and Work in Back shapes are now saved
to the file "Settings.txt". Next time you start up, your settings will be
restored.

* When you use Work in Back to create a new shape on top, the file "Work.txt"
with the background shape is overwritten when you save the new one. In case you
want to keep the background shape, "Work.txt" is now automatically copied to the
file "WorkBack.txt" when you use Work in Back. (You still have to rename the
copy "Work.txt" before you can reload it.)

* In addition to the F1 to F4 keys for nudging your shape 0.1 unit left, up,
down and right, you can now use F5 to F8 for moving it one whole unit in each
direction. This also means that when you trace images for lathe shapes, the
template for precise image placement in relation to the Y-axis becomes
unnecessary. You can just trace the outline anywhere on screen and move it in
place along the Y-axis before writing it as a lathe shape.

* A couple of new shape outline colors, only accessible by keyboard: "3" for
dark gray (Shift-3 for Work in Back shape) and "9" for pink (Shift-9 for Work in
Back shape.)

* Trying to open a non-existent file will now just generate a warning and let
you continue, not crash the program.

* "PointWriterHelp.txt" and "READ_ME.txt" is updated with these changes.


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From: Nevado
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 4 Oct 2014 11:30:01
Message: <web.543012159ace5296dce1a360@news.povray.org>
Version 1.4 with improved file handling options:

* "Save work" will now open a dialogue box, let you choose a name for your work
file and save it anywhere you want.
Keyboard shortcut: "s" (lower case).
* You can also do a "fast save" by pressing "S" (upper case). Your work will be
saved as "Backup.txt", skipping the dialogue box.

* "Reload work" will now open a dialogue box, let you select any work file and
open it for editing.
Keyboard shortcut: "r" (lower case).
* You can also do a "fast reload" by pressing "R" (upper case). "Backup.txt"
will be reloaded, skipping the dialogue box.

* "Work in back" will now open a dialogue box, let you select any work file and
place the contents as background.
Keyboard shortcut: "a" (lower case).
* You can also do a "fast work in back" by pressing "A" (upper case).
"Backup.txt" will be placed as background, skipping the dialogue box.

* "'Model.bmp'" will now open a dialogue box and let you select any bitmap image
regardless of name and place it as background. The image still needs to keep the
proportions 4:3 to avoid distortion.
Keyboard shortcut: "m" (lower case).
* You can also do a "fast bitmap in back" by pressing "M" (upper case).
"Model.bmp" will be set as background, skipping the dialogue box (provided you
have named your bitmap "Model.bmp" and placed it in the PointWriter folder).

* With all other keyboard shortcuts than these four, upper and lower case
letters will have the same effect.

* "PointWriterHelp.txt" and "READ_ME.txt" are updated with these changes.


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From: LanuHum
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 4 Oct 2014 12:35:00
Message: <web.543020b79ace5297a3e03fe0@news.povray.org>
Sorry!
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Curve/Curve_Tools


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From: Nevado
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 5 Oct 2014 05:30:05
Message: <web.54310e519ace5296dce1a360@news.povray.org>
"LanuHum" <Lan### [at] yandexru> wrote:
> Sorry!
> http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Curve/Curve_Tools

I know. It would be great to have the cubic curves displayed as such instead of
as line segments.
I don't think that is possible in JustBasic. At the very least, it would require
a complete rewrite of the program and the introduction of equations I can't even
begin to imagine.

On the upside, making test renders of your cubic shapes in POV-Ray to see the
curves is very easy with PointWriter. Click shape, Ctrl+V into your POV-Ray
scene, "Run."


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From: Bald Eagle
Subject: Re: PointWriter: New app for making spline-based shapes easily
Date: 5 Oct 2014 15:55:00
Message: <web.5431a1b09ace5295e7df57c0@news.povray.org>
> It would be great to have the cubic curves displayed as such instead of
> as line segments.
> I don't think that is possible in JustBasic. At the very least, it would require
> a complete rewrite of the program and the introduction of equations I can't even
> begin to imagine.

I think that it's absolutely possible, it's just a matter of knowing exactly
what the specific equations are that POV-Ray uses to interpolate, so that the
curve displayed in JustBasic will be the same as that rendered.

I'm glad that you've been keeping up with this, as I think it's an excellent
little utility, and not only works well, but has great potential for
improvement.

I haven't had much time lately to work on the code, but I have made some
modifications which were partially for my benefit to improve readability of the
code, and other "improvements" such as "linearizing" things to get rid of gotos
and gosubs, writing some subroutines and functions, and working out some
algorithms that replace a lot of (IMO) unnecessary code.

It's still really messy since I'm in the midst of unraveling what does what and
where it needs to be, but hopefully I'll have enough time and motivation to
hammer out a rough working version that you can look at and get an idea of what
I've been playing with.

Thanks again for adding the extra features, and maybe if we can get the cubic
spline equations, we can see if there's a way to make them work in JustBasic.
:)


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