Monday, May 14, 2007

Almost one week later

Ups... I almost failed again to keep this blog up to date.
But recovered "on time". So, what are the news I have to share?

Well, mainly Archimedes news:
We are deciding if we launch the release this week end or the next one. This choice is mainly related to the free time people have to make this happen. The features that we had to develop according to the road map are not ready but a nice bunch is ok.

Just to be a bit more precise:
- The text feature is complete with an Arial font that is being packed with Archimedes. I still have to find out what are the legal issues about that and if I am allowed to distribute this. Otherwise we will have to find a cross-platform TrueType Font open-source or discover how the ones from OpenOffice are used. If anyone has any answer to those questions, please warn me.
- The layers are working again with the combo box and the layer editor window (with a lot of update bugs fixed).
- The Rectangle feature is back.
- The behaviour of the Orto system when you snap to Grid point has been "corrected". Which means that gripping has priority over orto.
- The Pan feature is back (although its shortcut through middle click isn't).
- Moving (or streching) by clicking on the snap points should be ready with a small amout of work.
- Dimensions are walking slowly but surely.
- The mouse cursor now changes when on a command. There is a big cross when waiting for a command and the small rectangle when you are on a command.
- The snap points are now dark red (just like the icons showed) and if you grip to any with the mouse, it will light up to yellow so that it is clear that you snapped.
- The infinite line is almost back. I'm just having a minor problem to render it correctly (meaning infinitely) but it should be solved quickly.

Features that we should have done and will probably be late:
- Zoom command
- Export to PDF
- Open/Save XML(.arc)

There are also several things we would like to improve in the programmer side. I can quote the build process that could be much better with Maven2, the deploy process that could be much better with continuum (or Cruise control), the test coverage of what we have done so far and a few other things.

I will probably focus on the simpler things now which are to finish the features that are almost done and, if I have some time, import the Zoom command from the last version.

I guess that's it. No screenshot this time... I'll let you guys holding your breath for the next release. :)

4 comments:

gtroza said...

Hi Hugo

good news

ps:when in drawing mode, the cursor must be a cross
and when in modify mode, maybe rectangle

buenas dias !

Anonymous said...

about fonts
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Font-HOWTO/fonts.html

gt

Hugo "NighT" Corbucci said...

About the cursor, this is how it is working now. A big cross (all across the screen) when waiting for a command. And the usual square when receiving parameters for the command. You will understand better once I release the software :)

By the way, you still owe me a lesson about where to get your cad, download it and install it!

The problem is not about having a free/opensource font. But having one that is compatible with all platforms (win, mac and linux). The library we use to parse the .ttf file requires us to pick one enconding and platform which seems not to be a choice but something within the file. And the only one we found out to be working nicely on all three is the Arial font. Thanks anyways. I will contact the guys to ask a few questions.

Anonymous said...

"Last week, Red Hat announced the release of three Liberation typefaces as free replacements for the Windows core fonts Arial, Courier New, and Times New Roman -- respectively, the leading sans serif, monospaced, and serif fonts in use today."


http://applications.linux.com/applications/07/05/16/1318240.shtml?tid=13

http://www.press.redhat.com/2007/05/09/liberation-fonts/

gt