gent / News: Recent posts

After a week's break, here's a new release with splash screen, progress dialog on POV-Ray run, semi-working "-no-gui" option, and other minor fixes.
And yeah, still no alpha-1 pass. But getting closer.

In the canvas controls, numpad-0 will flip the color in a layer, so transparent pixels get the layer color, and colored pixels become transparent. This is also default on "stc" and "sts" layers now.

Using numpad digits, adjust pixel offset per layer in 2D canvas view.
Also use '[', ']' to switch active layer, and space to toggle visibility.
Render-button in POV export dialog works now.
For frivolity, see -do-jingle / -no-jingle.

Like previous releases, yet another half-implemented feature added: File->Html for image with component map. Lacks compo info for now.

Some fixes in compo export to povray, otherwise still far from complete.

For component placement we need 5 things:
(1) Centroid file parser,
(2) mapping to component models,
(3) generating shapes in 3D export,
(4) ditto in 3D viewport, and
(5) plot on 2D viewport.
We now have partial (1) - single sample tested only; some (3) - just yellow markers, and no (2) (4) (5) at all.

The new, separate POV export dialog now has half the options it should have, but it's a start. Also merged over to -out/-err/-std options from qtamaze.

New pre-alpha release 0.1-10, includes invoking POV-Ray automatically during export to gen image. Prelim version, no error checks, threading, etc.; cf. options -povrun, -povexe.
File args on CLI now open as separate layers (in CLI order).

New release 0.1-9 does partial support of board outlines define in ".dim" file when doing POV-Ray support. Still very partial: only handles 1 exterior, which must be first, followed by only cuts inside that exterior outline, and no drill-holes (".txt" file) support yet. Note the 3D OpenGL view does not support outlines yet. The POV-Ray export uses "prism" objects for this.

Got tested and linked by Softpedia: see http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Graphic-Others/gent.shtml and http://www.softpedia.com/progClean/gent-Clean-154307.html for more info. Thanks!

This may be a little premature though as we're still pre-alpha, don't try to use this for anything until version 0.2 comes out, unless you're a developer on this project.

Fixes for the (still far from complete) 3D/OpenGL panel.
Also: File>Pov does (mostly working) export as POV-Ray model, with the PCB sitting at an angle on a wooden table. Primitive but it's a start.

Unstable, but first try at incorporating 3D/OpenGL panel into gent.

Another not-quite-there release.
Added snapshot feature in stepper, fixed step/cont.
Minor other fixes e.g. window icon.

Halfway working code in state view now, not ripe for production use.
New options: -do-view, -no-view, -active, -load; new shortcut Ctrl-B.
Still no progress on 3D-view and load wizard.

Merged in save-settings code from qtamaze.
Started adding scanner state viewer, but not complete yet; see View>View for the mock-up panel.
Try option "-alpha 150" for semi-transparent layer overlays.
No progress yet on load-wizard or 3D view.

Release 0.1-3 out; adds multiple layers, see control panel on right.
New: Edit>Clear, Edit>Remove, Edit>Active, Edit>Load.
Old File>Open is now Edit>Load, new File>Open loads files as separate layers.
Supports a few more AM/AD variants.
Added dummy Help>Help text. Updated dev document.

Added File>Open, File>New, Help>Update, and more stuff inside.
Still not usable except for initial testing of the scanner.

Produced and distributed binaries for Ubuntu and WinXP.
These are not actually useful, this is just to test out the build scripts and distribution system.

The very first part of this program, the scanner that reads RS-247X files, just managed to successfully scan its first real-life sample file. The scanner is far from complete, just implemented enough to pass this one test; still, it's a good validation of the basic scanner/lexer logic, and a very first milestone (one of many...).