Writing PowerCADD Externals

[enderw88]

I have just ordered PC 8 after many years using TurboCAD on Wintel machines. I look forward to learning PowerCADD but one area I have found no mention is writing externals. It is obviously possible (WildTools) where is the documentation? (I am running a licensed copy of PC8, but have not yet received the box, so if it is in the printed material that may be why I haven't found it)...

[enderw88]

Engineered Software emailed their SDK. No real documentation but enough to get started with.

[Alfred Scott]

Craig,

As I recall, you were talking about getting airfoil data from a database on the Internet and drawing the airfoils in PowerCADD.

There is a back-door way of doing this. It's very simple to write a Cocoa program using Apple's development tools that can do one thing and can reach out on the Internet and get data. Integrating that with PowerCADD or doing it from a PowerCADD plug-in is very different and probably more difficult. But you could also do this by using OpenClip to create drawing objects, put them on the pasteboard in OpenClip format and then paste in PowerCADD. It means that you could create any drawing object you want from the stand-alone program and then bring the object into PowerCADD with Paste. For programing details, go to

www.openclip.net

This came up because Matt Arnold is working on a project that involves creating several hundred charts from spreadsheet data, and it's difficult to convert data into a chart in PowerCADD. But he is thinking of creating a simple VisualBasic program that will write out a text file in OpenClip format, then copying that into PowerCADD using the OpenClip Viewer app.

Also, I got started on a project called Going Wild, a basic tutorial of how to write PowerCADD externals leveraging WildTools. That's where the Tree in Plan tool (in NewTools) came from. Matt Arnold was interesting in creating some drawing tools to create trees in various presentations, and I did this tool for him as an example of how to go about doing this where you concentrate on drawing the object but leave all other details to WildTools.

Alfred

[enderw88]

Thanks Al,
I have taken a look at the OpenClip stuff and that seems like a very handy way to do it.

Will "Going Wild" be available soon? If you would like help proofreading or trying examples I would be happy to help out (I would still buy a copy the instant it was available!)

Craig

[Alfred Scott]

Craig,

I only go by 'Alfred'.

I wasn't planning to sell Going Wild, just distribute it to users who are interested. A big worry for me is whether I will suddenly take on a bunch of people who will have demands on my time.

Perhaps you can tell me what sort of experience you have in programming, and maybe also your email address. You have mine in your WildTools manual.

Thanks,

Alfred

[enderw88]

Alfred, my apologies. I will email you separately.

Craig

[paulprd]

Dear Craig,

A word of caution.

OpenClip as it is now called was an idea instigated by the in2space development team. I was talking to Alfred one day and shared with him this idea and that we needed to do it to enable us to copy and paste into in2space as PC8 had dropped vector paste.

Alfred kindly, we thought, said I can help you with that. Great! We thus set about producing this little external. Alfred contributing to the coding. there were many things Alfred could not do, creating a piggy back clipboard for example that sits along side the normal PC clip. Thats not to say he is not a capable programmer far from it, but much essential activity is already handled by PC so there is no need for such skills.

Imagine our dismay when Alfred then decided he had complete right to claim this work as his own. But better still to then try involve every competitive product on the mac to adopt it, peddling it as his own work and with complete rights to the code to do with as he wished.

The many protestations by all the folks involved in in2space were met with a blank. A typical response... Draw your own conclusions.

'''''

But overall, you will have to make a choice between working with me or fighting with me. Before you do the latter, you might want to talk to people who have tried it, and you are certain to do nothing but lose. I can do more for you than you can ever do for me. I've done a lot to help you so far, and I will be doing more. But if you want to see what I can do to make you look foolish, I can accommodate you there as well, but I don't want to go there and neither do you.

AS

'''''''''

Its has since been pointed out by many many people that this is fairly typical behaviour.

Eg.

http://www.designcommunity.com/forums/post-3284404.html&highlight=

Okay, eDrawing Viewer feels good to someone, so maybe they've got a better idea, and if so, then we should go look at what they've done and steal the idea.


http://www.designcommunity.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8356&highlight=rotate+reference+huc

If there's anything left to steal from Microstation, please let me know.

AS.

'''''''
etc.

Paolo Rossi the Italian developer of Topography tools has a similar tale.

Many of the folks he quotes on the openclip web site have told me that he is quoting them without permission and they have no intention of using openclip.

So exercise a little caution if you consider your ideas of any value. Were we able to turn the clock back we would have taken up Bills offer as he too was happy to get involved. I would initially discuss your ideas with ES, Mike, mike@engsw.com, will be able to point you to the right person probably Bill to assist with your external. You will be assured the professional curtsey of confidentiality at the very least.

Paul