QCAD.org Forum

attached is the current version 80 with added version info menu item, fixed Variegate dialog if no solution is found, and some translation updates

Version Info - very nice!

New question .....

Workflow ...
QCAD session - QTrack not used,
QTrack Menu shows grayed (inactive) entry's for:
"Insert new track from track widget"
"Rotate track from track widget"

Next - I open the "Track Widget" - use it - close it.

Back to the Menu (also Shortcuts) - Insert and Rotate from the track widget are now active and I can use them without an open "Track Widget".

Now my question is: Why I need those commands in the Menu? Is it not bonded to the Track Widget?

Hi Husky,

the menu items for "insert/rotate from widget" are separate scripts. They check if a track is selected in "the" Track Widget - they don't check if Track Widget is visible. In the track widget on the other side, the "insert/rotate from widget" scripts are enabled / disabled depending on the selection state in the track widget, not on "is track widget visible". I have no idea how to start an action on show / hide...

The last days I spent several hours on "testing" (read: playing) QCTrack. It seems that the optimization of Variegate does not optimize the intended way - I have to check this for the next version. Additionally I would like to add some kind of filter to the VariegateResult list (min/max per element, max overall elements etc.) - what do you think?

Three other features I missed the last days: order tracks depending on their layer, select connected tracks on same layer, mark unconnected track ends. Do you think they could be useful?

smf wrote:Hi Husky,

the menu items for "insert/rotate from widget" are separate scripts. They check if a track is selected in "the" Track Widget - they don't check if Track Widget is visible. In the track widget on the other side, the "insert/rotate from widget" scripts are enabled / disabled depending on the selection state in the track widget, not on "is track widget visible". I have no idea how to start an action on show / hide...

Ok - understood.

I tried to use the "Tool settings" in "Application Preferences" to switch off this menu entry's. Good thing - they will disappear. Bad thing - the shortcuts are also gone.
I tried further a couple visibility setting and a only "CAD Tool Bar" visibility will crash QCAD (you can't start it anymore).

Long story short: I think this two entry's should not be listed in the menu because they belong, in my opinion, just to the Track Widget. But we need the shortcuts. If you could find a sort of solution to make them "Disappeared but working" (only in the menu!) then I guess it will work till you found the "Perfect solution" for it.

smf wrote:The last days I spent several hours on "testing" (read: playing) QCTrack. It seems that the optimization of Variegate does not optimize the intended way - I have to check this for the next version. Additionally I would like to add some kind of filter to the VariegateResult list (min/max per element, max overall elements etc.) - what do you think?

Yes - good idea! The current list is nice - but very long.

smf wrote:Three other features I missed the last days: order tracks depending on their layer, select connected tracks on same layer, mark unconnected track ends. Do you think they could be useful?

Yes - that sounds good to me!

Hi there,

meanwhile I'm thinking that the menu items for the Track Widget shortcuts should always be there. This seems to be QCad-conforming, at least the Block menu shows "Insert Block" all the time but it makes only sense together with Block List Widget. So I will keep this as is.

The filter feature for Variegate / Fill Straight is implemented, connected track selection depending on layer is implemented, unconnected track ends can be marked with a red circle on a separate layer now. I changed the shortcut Q-N to insert a new track freely, the former functionallity is now availabe by Q-C (read: QCTrack / connect, it inserts a track connected to another track). With this change, you don't need the Block Widget visible to place the first track and not all track layers have to be visible. This seems some kind of logical to me to have "insert" and "connect" discriminated.

At the moment there is an issue with the newly inserted separators on the menus which I want to fix and the track order feature is still missing. And of course, many new translation strings have to be created. After doing all this, the new version will be released here.

Attached is the current version 90 of QCTrack. Remember: the former Q-N is now Q-C, the current Q-N inserts the track without connection. The features described above are implemented, so no listing here.

Soooo..... Played some time now and couldn't get a crash. Attached is an example layout with three layers created with the current version 90. I would classify this version as "working".

Husky wrote: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!

Husky, you suggested to create a thread in the Tips and Tutorials - I think "now". Did you mean a tutorial on QCTrack usage or a tutorial how I built QCTrack?

Thanks to all of you for all your suggestions and help, without you QCTrack would never have become what it is.

smf wrote:Soooo..... Played some time now and couldn't get a crash.

Me too!

smf wrote:I would classify this version as "working".

Yes! Respect!!!

smf wrote:Husky, you suggested to create a thread in the Tips and Tutorials - I think "now". Did you mean a tutorial on QCTrack usage or a tutorial how I built QCTrack?

Yep - I think it has to be reduced to the plain script and what you can do with it (Installation / Tutorials etc). Presented in a more "Public Corner" of this Forum. I don't think that a "Model Railroad track planing guy" will check that often the "Add-On & Plug-in challenge" thread and I like to send other interested user directly to the tidied up version.

For me is the QTrack usage more interesting than the scripting but I'm pretty sure we have many visitors here which like to learn from you how you did that.
But please - not together in one thread .....


Questions:
Would you consider this script as an Add-On or a Plug-in?
What kind of licensing is your goal? Your script works right now in CE and PRO and I think some sort of info should be in the "QTrack Version" and where ever you can download this script.
This "last post" example.png - is it possible to get the dxf to use it in demos? And whats about the other tutorial dxf's, gif's etc. regarding QTrack?


I'm right now working on a personalized translation just for me - if you interested on a second opinion - I can send you the .ts


However. I'm really impressed what you have implemented in your script and I think it will be recognized in the Model Railroad world. Congratulation!
Keep up this good work! I'm looking for more ....

Husky wrote:Yep - I think it has to be reduced to the plain script and what you can do with it (Installation / Tutorials etc). Presented in a more "Public Corner" of this Forum. I don't think that a "Model Railroad track planing guy" will check that often the "Add-On & Plug-in challenge" thread and I like to send other interested user directly to the tidied up version.

I will add this (I would love to do this right now, but I have to do "real work" for the next days).

Husky wrote:Would you consider this script as an Add-On or a Plug-in?

Uh, never thought of that. I think, it's an Add-On, because QCTrack minus QCad equals nothing.

Husky wrote:What kind of licensing is your goal?

Public domain without guarantees, feedback in the QCad-forum appreciated.

Husky wrote:This "last post" example.png - is it possible to get the dxf to use it in demos?

See attachment here. You can use it in demos freely.

Husky wrote:And whats about the other tutorial dxf's, gif's etc. regarding QTrack?

Same here, use it as you like as long as you don't take me to court after finding a bug.

Your translations are indeed better than mine - I never use German user interfaces although being a native German speaker. Therefore I never tested my translations. If you could post them here, the QCTrack user can decide which ts-files they prefer.

Seeing your screenshot reminds me, that I have no idea why there is no separator between QR and QP (they belong to different MenuGroups so there should be one)... Do you know why the separator is missing here?

Thanks for all your feedback!

smf wrote:

Husky wrote:Yep - I think it has to be reduced to the plain script and what you can do with it (Installation / Tutorials etc). Presented in a more "Public Corner" of this Forum. I don't think that a "Model Railroad track planing guy" will check that often the "Add-On & Plug-in challenge" thread and I like to send other interested user directly to the tidied up version.

I will add this (I would love to do this right now, but I have to do "real work" for the next days).

Hi smf,Husky

Where would you like this finished plug-in to go?

How about a sub forum to this forum and maybe announcements could be made for things like this to attract attention?

let me know.

Hi Clive,

I'm completely open - at first, I thought this sub "script Add-On & Plug-in challenge" would be the right one, but I agree to Husky that the current thread is way too long for a "normal user" and a model railroad track planner perhaps would not look at this subforum at first. Like Husky I would like to send a link to a thread (independent of subforum) where users not familiar with QCad and/or forum software can get all relevant information without scrolling through all the discussion and changes.

Perhaps a subforum for "ready to use with tutorial" plug-ins/add-ons with locked (no-discussion) threads would be the easiest way. There I would open a new thread and put in the respective current version and all tutorials with a link to this thread for discussion.

What do you think?

Clive wrote:How about a sub forum to this forum and maybe announcements could be made for things like this to attract attention?

let me know.

Good idea!

smf wrote: ... at first, I thought this sub "script Add-On & Plug-in challenge" would be the right one ...

It was the right one - but now you have a "ready to go" product!

smf wrote:... Like Husky I would like to send a link to a thread (independent of subforum) where users not familiar with QCad and/or forum software can get all relevant information without scrolling through all the discussion and changes.

Yep - thats the idea of it!

smf wrote:Perhaps a subforum for "ready to use with tutorial" plug-ins/add-ons with locked (no-discussion) threads would be the easiest way. There I would open a new thread and put in the respective current version and all tutorials with a link to this thread for discussion.
What do you think?

Yes - makes sense to me. Whats about "QCAD User scripts"

Thanks for reply to my questions.

smf wrote:Your translations are indeed better than mine - I never use German user interfaces although being a native German speaker. Therefore I never tested my translations. If you could post them here, the QCTrack user can decide which ts-files they prefer.

I will do that - after I slept over my Kauderwelsch!

smf wrote:Seeing your screenshot reminds me, that I have no idea why there is no separator between QR and QP (they belong to different MenuGroups so there should be one)... Do you know why the separator is missing here?

No - sorry - no idea. But it would be nice to have this separator between QR and QP ......

smf wrote:Thanks for all your feedback!

My pleasure!

Hi smf,

can't change it by myself ...
"Keine Gerade zum durchprobieren gefunden"



Talking about translation possibility's: Not urgent but would it be possible to provide more variables for the translation in different languages? Variables for Windows like "Track Widget", "Variation" etc and also the Info text in the Command line? Over time - they will ask for it ....


Cosmetic!!!!!
It looks to me that this Tickerbox needs to be more to the right (center of field?). I'm right?

Hi Husky,

thanks again for your feedback. I'm sorry for not-understanding the translation issue. Your screenshots show the German translations - what is missing? Only the "OK" and "Abbrechen" buttons are Qt-default buttons, so they are not in the ts-files, everything else should be translated and translatable.

On your screenshot the checkbox indeed seems to be zero instead of one pixel away from the border like the "Dreh"-button. Using XUbuntu, both are zero pixel away from the border like the buttons in original QCad widgets which look fine. Perhaps moving the combobox to the right (after "Dreh") would make sense. Formerly I had a text at the checkbox, but then the minimum widget width was too large. Hmm. I have to play with it. Luckily I have no Windows machine to test with.

I added some license text to the version info for V91 which is untranslatable at the moment. Do you think it should be translated, too?

Text is: