Started iteration 1.0.4

Today started the Iteration 1.0.4. On Thursday planned to make the 1.0.3 release version.

The functionality planned to be implemented in the current iteration (1.0.4):
- Improve the command line: have commands for all functions, add help,
- Scripting improvement,
- Implement revolve and sweep,
- Implement Arc, Axis, Infinite line,
- Improve geometric solver and magic points,
- Linear and circular feature pattern, repeating a shape using a function,
- Bug fixing.

Functionality implemented in the previous iteration (1.0.3):
- Added Cut to depth,
- Added more commands to the command line,
- Fixed the synchronicity between transformations and shape center/location,
- Implemented constraints (fixed size constraint, range size constrained, location constraint),
- Added Group/Ungroup, functionality that makes a face from wires by grouping them,
- Implemented AutoGroup, automatically closed wires are detected and generated a
face from them (with three lines a rectangle face can be generated),
- Implemented interactive help,
- Toolbar improvements, similar shapes grouped,
- Undo/Redo with history list,
- Improved and optimized the shape delete code,
- File header cleanup.

Finished transformations

Finally finished integrating, fixing and testing the transformations into Naro. Modified the NamedShapeInterpreter that after the shape is generated the transformations are applied on it and after that the interactive object generated.

Any shape from the application using the property grid can be now translated at a certain position, rotated around the x, y, z axes having the possibility to rotate around a pivot point, the object can be also scaled.

Made also a screenshot with a circle copy pasted several times and rotated 45 degrees around a pivot point located at (0, 0, 0). The model is finalized applying also some extrudes and transparency.

Will continue with improving the geometric solver and magic points.

Full screen mode

I had worked trying to add some extra data to nodes but I faced some problems. Because I was blocked on this I did continue to improve the user interface to be more understandable for common user.

Right now are added Open/Save buttons to toolbar. The selection toolbar is more logical. There is added a fullscreen mode.

Hopefully you will enjoy new additions.

Transformations fixing

Made test codes for transformations to verify that they work properly even when translations and rotations are mixed.
Reviewed the descriptor code that synchronizes the property grid with the model. This needs improvements.
Improved the NamedShapeInterpreter so that it applies properly transformations when the shape is regenerated.

Will continue with fixing the transformation property grid synchronization end reactivating the translation with mouse.

Small annyances removed

NaroCAD have some annoyances that were mostly addressed:
- startup time was shortened with around 20-25% by not executing IronPython initial code. It will be executed anyway when you really want to write IronPython scripting Also the AppDomain code is not used in NaroCAD so was disabled from SCSF. There was an attempt to run in a multi-threaded manner but makes Naro to crash randomly as modules may not have been loaded in correct order.
- undo/redo exposes the list of events that are done and are disabled when no other item is in their side list
- if you close the active Help view, a crash may occur
- if you go to same help page you get a browser refresh. This in special was mostly annoying if you have a sound setup for refresh browser you will get the same sound over and over again. Right now only if page changes the page is loaded.
- constraint do not get transformation options. As constraints are not visual, the transformations changes are useless
- filtering in Objects' treeview. was broken when constraint code were added, so if you used a previous version SVN version of TreeView and you filter after a key, after first item was matching, all subsequent items were considered as matching. This is fixed too.
- save event do not work as Save As, but there is enabled the Save As action. Save will preserve the file name for the next saves. So you will not get the Save dialog over and over again
- autogrouping is done automatically after every line is drawn

With this fixes and improvements you will probably have the usage experience more pleasant.
Don't forget about Feedback sessions to make NaroCAD and your experience using it even better.

NaroCAD Feedback Sessions

NaroCAD project is a CAD Design tool that have is extensible and every design part can be improved to add extra attributes like CAE/CAM. The sourcecode is accessible both as is opensource and the codebase was enough to make other person to add extra shapes or features (Devast added transformations support in around 10 days this included to understand the needed codebase). Also is based on .NET technology, C# codebase that is easy to debug.

Also as any opensource project both we and users benefit as both gets what it needs. So if the NaroCAD does not fit you, or have a bug that annoys you or you simply need one feature, or you want to add it and you don't know how, the best way to do it is to say it. The easiest way is to write two lines in the comment area of any blog post. If you want a more elaborated answer, or simply you need to not put the question publicly, you can email to bxtrx ( mihaizzz(at)yahoo (dot)com ) or to me (ciprian(dot)mustiata(at)gmail (dot) com).

We want to announce right now the NaroCAD Feedback Sessions which will be done twice in a weekly manner, every Wednesday at 17.00 CET (11 AM EDT - New York) and the same meeting will be done the next day Saturday at the same hour: 17.00 CET (11 AM EDT - New York)

How to attend to meetings? You should download Skype as meeting software. At startup you will create one new user (if you don't have one). At the end, you should send a message to user ciprian.mustiata or mihaizn to add you to the conference named very imaginative as NaroCAD.

There for one hour we can hear all suggestions and we are really thankful to get any kind of feedback. The feedback will make NaroCAD to really met your needs and we will listen very cautiously everything you say.

Remove constraints dialog and other fixes

Remove constraint dialog was done near the add constraint one. This is specially important as the constraints are not visual shapes and cannot be selected even they appear on tree.

Also I had fixed longer standing bug like delete worked only as a hider operation. Right now it really removes the unreferenced geometry.

A small tweak is that Top, Bottom, Axo, etc. views are compacted in one button popup. By compacting this 7 views makes that in a 1280 screen the toolbars can fit in one row.

There are still some bugs in filtering I tried to address but not yet found a solution.