T1 files

[Martin Wynne]

This topic will contain my latest open-source code files derived from Templot2.

I'm calling these Templot1 (T1) files to avoid confusion with the previously released T3 Lazarus files.

These files are from Delphi5. They will need conversion for use in Lazarus.

First a couple of small units.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

3 more current T2 units.

bitmap_viewer_unit is new since T3 (printed page previewer).

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

The current T2 pdf_unit, with licensed stuff redacted.

Martin.

 

[graeme]

Thanks, Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

3 more current T2 units.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

This is what Delphi calls the "Main Form". Closing it closes the application.

I have redacted all the version-check on startup internet stuff.

Presumably T3 will have its own update functions.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

2 more units

create_y_turnout is new since T3.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

More units.

dtp_settings_unit is the sketchboard control panel, and contains remnants of Nils's code.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

This is the sketchboard screen unit.

It contains a few remnants of Nils's code.

Obviously it won't work without Nils's dtp units, but I'm posting it because it contains the sb_draw function which is also used for image and metafile exports.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

The problem with posting my current files is that they change so often.

dtp_unit.pas has a couple of fixes since I posted it earlier.

Martin.

 

[graeme]

The problem with posting my current files is that they change so often.

Hi Martin,

I am not sure what Alistair was expecting, but I thought you would only post a new copy of the files with each new release.

If it is easier for you to post each time you update, though, that's fine too. I can accommodate either.

Whatever is easiest for you, really.

Cheers,

Graeme

 

[Martin Wynne]

am not sure what Alistair was expecting, but I thought you would only post a new copy of the files with each new release.

@graeme @Alistair Ward

Hi Graeme, Alistair,

I'm not sure how best to proceed either.

I made a big mistake with 227 in leaving too long a gap from the previous update, almost 12 months. There was a reason for that -- the urgent need to swap to a new server and a new Templot Club forum software. But I allowed that to distract me too much from the unfinished 227 work. By the time I got back to it I had completely forgotten where I had got to, which bits were finished, which still had loose ends, and which I had barely started. I scribble notes in my notebook, but nowadays they become meaningless within hours. As a result of all that it has taken me 4 updates to fix the bugs in 227a and I still haven't finished.

I should have known better, because I made the same mistake 10 years ago with a long gap going from TemplotZero to Templot2. And at that time I could still remember what I had for breakfast.

I originally added the auto-updating function so that I could make future updates little and often. Small incremental changes which don't leave unfinished loose ends for months, by which time I have forgotten all about them. And which allow easy back-tracking if I mess up. I intend to stick to that plan from now on, making frequent update releases even if they don't contain very much.

How that fits in with posting the updated files here isn't too clear, but the first task is to get every file posted in its current state. I'm working through them alphabetically and so far I have got only as far as D, so even that is going to take a while. After that we can decide how best to feed future changes from Templot2 into T3.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

Next up is the dxf_unit.

This is the export function for DXF files for CAD. Also STL files when exporting in 3D.

This file includes a lot of my unfinished experimental stuff for 3D chairing. I'm not sure how you want to deal with that for T3? A lot of it may never see the light of day. On the other hand, going through it to create a fully functional redacted version would take me several hours.

p.s. large chunks of this file haven't changed for 25 years. Probably I would do things differently now.

edit: updated files now at: https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/t1-files.192/post-3377

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

next 3.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

next 2.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

File viewer.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

This is the new symbols function in 227.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

gauge_unit is the long gauge/scale list

getfile_unit is new in 227

Martin.

 

[graeme]

I made a big mistake with 227 in leaving too long a gap .....

You have my sympathy there. My memory has never been the best (I have NEVER been able to remember what I had for breakfast!) and leaving any kind of gap in development work never ends well for me.

... future updates little and often.... I intend to stick to that plan from now on, making frequent update releases even if they don't contain very much.... the first task is to get every file posted in its current state.....

That sounds like a plan to me. This seems to be going quicker than I expected, so barring whoopsies, it seems we will be there quite soon.

Cheers,

g

 

[Martin Wynne]

That sounds like a plan to me. This seems to be going quicker than I expected, so barring whoopsies, it seems we will be there quite soon.

@graeme @Alistair Ward

How is it going in getting any of this merged into T3?

2 more.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

3 more.

intersect_unit is new in 227

Martin.

 

[graeme]

Thanks Martin,

Actually, we have not yet started to bring them together. Obviously it is going to be a fairly major job, and it may well be that the best strategy is a merge of the two. Whether we can automate any of it will only be clearer once we have pretty much a full set of files in T1.

I think I have been guided by cowardice so far. In the worst case, it will be a manual effort, probably based on functions, rather than files, which is another reason to leave it until we have them at least mostly in place.

Given the amount of work done on T2 in the interim, it may turn out that it is easier to layer our changes on top of these T1 sources rather than the other way round.

@Alistair Ward - have you had any brainwaves in this area?

Cheers,

g

 

[Martin Wynne]

Given the amount of work done on T2 in the interim, it may turn out that it is easier to layer our changes on top of these T1 sources rather than the other way round.

@graeme @Alistair Ward

Bear in mind that I did a lot of work to make the first T3 compile in Lazarus, so if you use T1 as the basis you would need to do all that again.

For example, writing Parent:=pad_form; doesn't work, Lazarus has a different approach to child forms. Also EMF metafiles are not supported, so I replaced the Delphi code with direct calls to Windows API. Which remains non-portable to other platforms of course.

3 more.

keep_select.pas is a large file, contains the storage box and .box file handling.

lib_unit.pas is the new library viewer in 227.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

next 2.

Martin.

 

[graeme]

Bear in mind that I did a lot of work to make the first T3 compile in Lazarus, so if you use T1 as the basis you would need to do all that again.

Yes, indeed.

That thought was the reasoning behind my earlier question about basing T1 on the earlier version that T3 was based on. That would have given us a common base from which both branches were derived, but that turned out to be impractical, so I think it will be a case of comparing T1 with the original (2019) T3 to ferret out those Lazarussian changes.

Hopefully they will be easily distinguished from the changes you have made for T2.

After that .... hmmmm .... well it will depend to some extent on what comes out of that process, I suppose.

At least it is a one-off exercise. Things should be easier after that.

Cheers,

Graeme

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

This is the background maps unit, which is in a constant state of flux as I try to keep up with the web sites.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

Sorry about the delay in posting these files. Alphabetically I have reached the math_unit. It contains a lot of changes in 228, so there didn't seem much point in posting it until I have 228a released. Which will hopefully be in the next few days.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[graeme]

Sorry about the delay in posting these files.

No problem - I guessed that you were busy with the latest release.

... there didn't seem much point in posting it until I have 228a released. Which will hopefully be in the next few days.

Indeed! It will certainly be better if we are working from a complete set of files which represent one release as our base.

Cheers,

Graeme

 

[Martin Wynne]

@graeme @Alistair Ward

Hi Graeme, Alistair,

Here after a long gap (sorry) is math_unit.pas as at T2 version 233a released yesterday.

It changes almost daily while I'm working on the experimental chairing, but if I wait until it's finished it never will get posted. If anything is unclear, just ask.

Also the form math_unit.dfm, although there are no significant (or any) changes to that from previous versions. It's just a general utility form.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Alistair Ward @graeme

Hi Alistair, Graeme,

Here now is the dxf_unit as at T2 version 233a.

This is the export function for 2-D and 3-D DXF files for CAD. Also STL files when exporting in 3D.

This file includes most of my unfinished experimental stuff for 3D chairing. The form is massively changed from previous versions.

cheers,

Martin.