QCAD.org Forum

Yes we are talking about the same thing here, I hit the Create and no dialog appears!

Hm, no debugger, no dialog. I'm sorry, no idea. Do you have any other plugins / addons installed?

smf wrote: Do you have any other plugins / addons installed?

No other plugins installed.

I've re - read your posts several times, re - installed QCTrack several times - still same result, no dialog window appears.

Maybe this is an issue with Windows 8 ?

I'm very sorry - I have no idea left. You already tried Linux, and you already tried the debugger.

Perhaps we should ask Andrew?

smf wrote: I'm very sorry - I have no idea left. You already tried Linux, and you already tried the debugger.

Perhaps we should ask Andrew?

Yes okay , good idea.

@Andrew, are you able to shed any light on this ?

Hello,

I had the same problem when I first unpacked the downloaded archive. I then renamed the unpacked folder from "QCTrack_V**" (same name as the archive) to simple "QCTrack" and after that the dialog appeared. Maybe you have the same problem...

Regards
Stephan

smf: the folder name might very well be the problem.
I'd generally recommend to create a ZIP file which contains the folder 'VCTrack' at the top level instead of only the sub folders and files. This also has the advantage that the user will get one clean folder after extracting and not a whole number of directories which need to be moved around.

Thank you very much. Attached is the current version 68 within an explicit QCTrack folder. Hopefully this leads to less problems installing QCTrack, all further snapshots will contain this top directory.

Clive, can you test the new version?

"Create" works on Win XP ...

If somebody needs to doublecheck the folder structure - this one works for me

Attached is the current version 71 that uses RMathLineEdit in the Create dialog and supports load/save/restore as Husky suggested.

@Husky: I think, now all your suggestions are implemented, aren't they?

smf wrote:@Husky: I think, now all your suggestions are implemented, aren't they?

Hi - I will test the current version and will be back to you soon.

@clive
Is it now working?

@smf
Well done!


Here are my thoughts - point by point ...

Create Track:
Remember function - nice!
BTW: The name in the QCTrack Menu should also be "Create Track".

Track Widget:
Icons - nice!
Rotation Shortcut - nice!

Question: How works "Align"? Sorry - till now I don't get how it works. Could you give me please a hint?

Menu:
If the Track Widget is NOT started this commands should be grayed.
- Insert new track from Track Widget
- Rotate Track at track widget

Variegate
This wasn't clear to me what it means. I was thinking I have to select something and then I can rearrange tracks.
"Straight Track composition" or "Straight Track configuration" would make more sense to me - but maybe that is just me

Order and Label: Right now the order is:
Minimum track length,
Desired track length,
Maximum track length,

I was struggling many times what this fields are asking me.
How do you feel about to change the order and labels. Something like this:
Single track minimum length,
Single track maximum length,
Desired track total length,


Dialog "Fill with straight tracks"
Do you need in the Dialog the field "Desired track length"?

Question:
Would it be possible to use an already existing track (Block) as a base for a new track? With a Dialog Window (like Create Track) which shows me the used dimension and I can change a few of them to create a new track (Block)?
Command could be "Copy/alter Track"

However - I'm already a big Fan of your work!

Hi Husky,

thank you for your feedback. I'm very happy to see someone is using QCTrack and thinks about how to make it better.

Husky wrote:Create Track:
Remember function - nice!
BTW: The name in the QCTrack Menu should also be "Create Track".

You're right, will be done in the next version.

Husky wrote: Track Widget:
Icons - nice!
Rotation Shortcut - nice!

Husky wrote: Question: How works "Align"? Sorry - till now I don't get how it works. Could you give me please a hint?

I have to write a tutorial. Indeed it is not that clear - sometimes even to me.

Husky wrote: Menu:
If the Track Widget is NOT started this commands should be grayed.
- Insert new track from Track Widget
- Rotate Track at track widget

Huh, um, yes. I have no idea how to do this, but I will try.

Husky wrote: Variegate
This wasn't clear to me what it means. I was thinking I have to select something and then I can rearrange tracks.
"Straight Track composition" or "Straight Track configuration" would make more sense to me - but maybe that is just me

Indeed I will have to write a tutorial for that, too.

Husky wrote: Order and Label: Right now the order is:
Minimum track length,
Desired track length,
Maximum track length,

I was struggling many times what this fields are asking me.
How do you feel about to change the order and labels. Something like this:
Single track minimum length,
Single track maximum length,
Desired track total length,

Ok, the naming was misleading. It is not single track length but complete track length, even for minimum and maximum. The idea behind it: do not show "solutions" that are shorter than the minimum length and stop searching if combinations are longer than maximum (backtracking stop condition).

Husky wrote: Dialog "Fill with straight tracks"
Do you need in the Dialog the field "Desired track length"?

Hm. I have to think about this. I thought of presenting the user the same dialog as in Variegate with filled-in parameters. The user should be able to enter his desired min/max discrepancy, so I thought (s)he should know about the measured (==desired) length.

Husky wrote: Question:
Would it be possible to use an already existing track (Block) as a base for a new track? With a Dialog Window (like Create Track) which shows me the used dimension and I can change a few of them to create a new track (Block)?
Command could be "Copy/alter Track"

This should be possible. Maybe the solution could be "insert existing block into current track", which would be a generalised solution. Perhaps this also could be a "normal" QCad feature: "insert block into current block" or "copy existing block with new name" or something like that. Independent of this, one thing is very important if you modify existing blocks: never mirror lines on TR_END layer - especially at turn-outs you might think of "oh, the right turn-out is just a mirrored left turn-out". This would result in invalid connections (you would only be able connect track "inside" instead of "outside") if you don't mirror the TR_END-lines again...

I will have also to invest more time in testing - the last versions are kind of "very fast rapid prototyping"... Maybe I'll have to create a new library (Ninco?) and play around with it to see some of the new features myself. Again: thank you Husky for your feedback, it's much appreciated!

Hi smf,

smf wrote:... thank you Husky for your feedback, it's much appreciated!

You are more than welcome!

smf wrote:...one thing is very important if you modify existing blocks: never mirror lines on TR_END layer

Yes - that was one thing on my learning curve. I was sure you forgot one Rotation possibility .... but no - you can't mirror a track.

smf wrote:I have to write a tutorial.

Thanks!
Talking about tutorials: As soon as your script is "ready" for the "big" audience - I like to see your English Tutorial moved to the "QCAD 3 Tips and Tutorials" section. And it would be nice to have it at least in English and German. Yes - one of the last steps but let us keep this in mind!


One thing more:
Coordinate Formates are partly mixed up.
In "Create Track" I see my QCAD settings used (Decimal Point = DOT).
In Variegate I have to use Comma and the Dialog is showing both - dot and comma.

Have a nice weekend!

Spatz , Andrew

Thank you very much for your input, it was indeed the folder problem.

smf , Husky

The 'Create Track' dialog window is opening properly now, thanks very much
Now full steam ahead - choo choo