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Alfred Scott
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 749
Location: Richmond, VA
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 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:14 am Post subject: Drawing on the iPhone |
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There's a program called ZeusDraw Mobile just released on the iPhone. As I recall, I downloaded a demo version of their ZeusDraw and play with it for a while.
Recently I've been working on a program I wrote years ago called Benchmark. It worked fine but it really didn't have a user interface and I didn't know how to do it, but I've been collaborating with a guy who knows the Cocoa development system. He's moved it to Cocoa and now I'm working on it. If you would like to see a bit about it, go to
http://www.seqair.com/FlightTest/Benchmark/Benchmark.html
Read through the descriptions but don't bother with downloading the program at this time because it's expired.
I know a lot of people have talked about getting PowerCADD and WildTools into the iPhone, and I've certainly thought about what would be involved with doing that. I'm afraid I don't see the utility in working on this. With a laptop, you can have the full capability of the software with all of the features, and drawing is a very fluid experience. But there are so many pieces to the puzzle and I don't see how you would get them into an iPhone app.
Alfred |
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Matt
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 523
Location: Sterling, Virginia
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:06 am Post subject: |
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| maybe if you could incorporate speech to invoke commands, but I can't imagine trying to draw in an iPhone screen. What is the purpose? |
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Davydd
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 35
Location: Tonka Bay, MN
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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I think the lack of a stylus killed the development of drawing apps on the iPhone. There just aren't many at all and what is there is way too simple to be of any use.
However, it would be nice to be able to sketch out ideas while away from the desk. I doubt that will happen on the iPhone. Alas! Other than that it is a great little tool. I bought one even though I average less than 30 minutes per month on the phone. I'm more interested in the apps, internet and e-mail on the go.
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Davydd
An Anglicized spelling of the Welsh Dafydd or simply David.
http://www.tonkawoods.com
http://www.porktenderloinsandwich.com |
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How Goes It
Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 393
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:24 am Post subject: |
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I'm afraid I don't see the utility in working on this -
1) Convenience in not having to lug around a notebook computer and in not having to look for a place to set up the notebook on-site. Or put another way --- the ease in carrying CAD hardware & a CAD app that fits in your pocket and being able to hold the device IN-HAND while doing input, easily --- while walking & measuring up a site.
2) Saving time in not having to scratch out a drawing on-site using paper, to latter punch the same info into my computer. Why do it twice?!
3) Doing input on-site saves you from forgetting a measurement or two or three. I.E., it's always upon computer input where you see what you forgot to measure.
4) CAD on-site helps in figuring out the closure of irregular shaped perimeters, and the angles involved in that perimeter.
5) Having a device, always on hand, where I could experiment with ideas when inspiration strikes.
6) Being able to take plans with you or download them from the cloud - for example, from your ME.com account or someone else's FTP site.
7) Being able to take pictures with the iPhone, and then draw in dimensions over the top, would be a nice feature also. Put anther way -- how about having a perspective correction plug-in to work with the iPhone camera & PC/WT.
Given time, I could probably think of a half dozen or so other uses.
you can have the full capability of the software with all of the features, and drawing is a very fluid experience.
True. But are you saying that if you don't get the speed and handling of a Ferrari, the luxury of a Bentley, the off-road capabilities of a 4 X 4, with the utility of a motorhome, on top of the mileage of a Prius -- that if you don't get all this, then you don't want anything or any part of it? Hold on now, for there is such a thing as 'the right tool for the job'.
Regarding surveys. There are many tools that I don't need when doing a survey. I don't need the gradient tool, the blend tool, bitmap effect or bitmap transformation tools to name a few.
But there are so many pieces to the puzzle and I don't see how you would get them into an iPhone app.
You don't need to start with everything. You need the basics at this point. Later on, you can add as you figure what works on a hand held device. And, you could always employ something like the loader or different screens of tools for different applications, where you would bring up or load only the set of tools necessary for any given particular job, or for any given particular phase of the job (such as a dimensioning set of tools), in order to cut down on clutter and so as not to encroach on the drawing area more than necessary.
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Being as all my work is to scale (precision input), as I would imagine is the same for most who use PC/WT ----- as such, I end up using a fair amount of numeric input when drawing plans. Surveys or as-builts are also very much about numeric / precision input.
Take for example the basic component of many drawings -- the wall.
Here's how I draw a wall.
I START to drag in the direction I want to go, then hit tab, and type in the length.
Being as there is no need to drag out the entire wall, I only have to drag a SHORT distance in the direction I want the wall to go before hitting the tab button to do the numeric input showing the length. This manner of doing a wall can EASILY be done on a small screen. I can easily drag a half inch to the right, hit tab, and then type in 13'-4".
Now upon completing the wall, you can have an option set for the screen to jump to the end of the wall, or, for the screen to stay put where you are, or, for the screen to automatically show the whole line you just drew. OR without any such options set, you can have a button, which upon pressing, you jump to the end of the last element you drew, upon pressing again, you zoom to show the entire element you just drew or modified.
There likely are numerous other ways of jumping around on the drawing, given a little bit of imagination.
When dragging to the edge of the screen, the screen could be set to auto-scroll. Zooming in & out is already no big thing with the iPhone.
Here are VIDEOS of two programs that work in scale on HUGE plans.
They zoom in and out great.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/maps.html
http://www.google.com/mobile/apple/earth.html
There already is CAD on the small screen. On palm pilots. They just have a lousy implementation.
For awhile, I've been contemplating doing some animated examples of how this could work. I've done little in the way of animation in the past. What I've done is a tiny bit of 3D animation. If I could find a SIMPLE 2D vector animation app that does tweening, MAYBE I could post some examples. |
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raleighross
Joined: 12 Aug 2004
Posts: 393
Location: Raleigh, NC
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| How Goes It wrote: |
6) Being able to take plans with you or download them from the cloud - for example, from your ME.com account or someone else's FTP site. |
We do this now with some offices. We have a Rumpus server setup for trading files with clients. For folks with iPhones/iTouch things we give them a log in which puts them at the top of the folder structure. Files are saved as PDFs. Folks on site can pull up anything in Word, Excel, PDF, and other formats.
How about a PCADD plug in for the iPhone/iTouch?
Rumpus is a standalone FTP server that also has a web front end for accessing files. |
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How Goes It
Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 393
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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Hey David,
Sounds great on how you're using your iPhones/iPods.
Steve (alias HGI)
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Some more on how this could be implemented.
So how could I access a tool using iPhone PC/WT with such a small screen?
Wouldn't all those tools leave very little room or space to draw?
In the iPhone Google Earth video, watch how the keyboard retracts into the bottom of the screen. This is a typical window shade type effect.
http://www.google.com/mobile/apple/earth.html
It would be easy to place a TOOLS button along the bottom of the screen that would UNFURL a window of tools in a manner similar (but in the opposite direction) to how the keyboard retracted in the above video. As soon as you select the tool you want, the tools window would automatically retract.
So you press the TOOLS button to reveal (unfurl) your tools.
As soon as you select your tool of choice -- the tools window retracts.
Along the bottom of the screen, there could be an OPTIONS button for opening up the options of any tool that is currently selected.
There could be any number of different sets of tools, or put another way, any number of different tool windows.
You could use a prefs window to select which tool window you want the program to default to or open upon pressing the TOOLS button.
You could make your own custom tool window, that would contain only the tools you want.
There could even be a second (& third) TOOLS button along the bottom of the screen that would open a different set of tools. |
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pbacot
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 959
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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Folks on site can pull up anything in Word, Excel, PDF, and other formats.
I have an iPhone. How do I read these file format, except inside an email?
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Peter B |
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pbacot
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 959
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Folks on site can pull up anything in Word, Excel, PDF, and other formats.
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I have an iPhone. How do I read these file formats, except inside an email.
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Peter B |
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raleighross
Joined: 12 Aug 2004
Posts: 393
Location: Raleigh, NC
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:47 am Post subject: |
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| pbacot wrote: | | Quote: | Folks on site can pull up anything in Word, Excel, PDF, and other formats.
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I have an iPhone. How do I read these file formats, except inside an email. |
Since the iPhone/iTouch doesn't have a Finder per say, you have to have another application open a file. As an email attachment is one way. With Rumpus you have web access to file and so when you click on a link Safari downloads it and opens it for you via (I'm assuming) a plug in based on the file type.
David |
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Greg
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 228
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 9:59 am Post subject: |
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I use an iPhone app called "AirSharing", though there are other similar ones ("Files" & "Files Light"), which enable you to place documents in many formats via a wireless network on the iPhone as if it were a "wireless drive".
They are then on your iPhone and readable without a connection. Handles many formats (pdf, MS Word/Excel, iWork, etc.). I use it often to take documents on a trip when I don't want to lug along my laptop. |
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pbacot
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 959
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:27 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, sounds good. I haven't found a lot of use for the iPhone, except as an excellent and pretty cell phone. I usually have a laptop nearby and the iPhone is so slow for internet.
Here's my ideal iPhone drawing tool. You enter c for corner. touch the devise to the corner of a room. you enter w for window touch both sides and enter head and height. etc. iPhone draws plans and elevations and uploads to PowerCADD while you drive back to the office. Also automatically creates a SketchUp model, incorporating pictures you took. A cup of coffee is waiting when you arrive at the office.
And it's hot.
This IS the 21st. century after all.
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Peter B |
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Alfred Scott
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 749
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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Unfortunately, all this talk about PowerCADD and WildTools on the iPhone is a moot point, at least for WildTools.
About six months ago I completely shut down all development work in WildTools and plan only to maintain the existing software in the future.
I know this comes as a surprise to many of you, so let me explain my decision.
I write software because I wake up in the morning thinking of something to do in WildTools, but for the last two years all my motivation has been sapped because of ES’s lack of cooperation and support.
The reason for my frustration is dealing with two things. One is the accelerated scroll wheel zooming (which I’ve discussed here in detail, see http://www.designcommunity.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21632) and the other (exporting Z height) is equally simple.
Despite my many years of making contributions to ES and the world of PowerCADD, such as creating the Drawing Room or doing promotional writing for new versions or difficult situations (creating the PowerCADD and Intel statement), ES has been unwilling to make these two simple changes which benefit the PowerCADD world. I’ve concluded it’s pointless for me to make the effort to create world-class software if I cannot get their reciprocal cooperation.
On one hand, you could say that these are incredibly tiny things, and they are, but like any creative field, programming is all about your inner fire and passion. The inaction on these two issues is demoralizing and has broken my spirit. I’ve thrown in the towel, and I’m going on down the road to spend my time on other things.
If you guys want to make a fuss with ES to get some action on this, I will certainly welcome it. I hope you have better luck than I have.
Alfred |
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pbacot
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 959
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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There's been fussing.
Thank you Alfred, for your continued dedication to WildTools. I fully understand, within my limitations, where you are at. I will continue to enjoy your creations every day for a long time regardless. I hope you have great satisfaction in knowing that I am only one in many.
Peter
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Peter B |
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Howard
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 70
Location: Durham, NC
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| For a long time, I have felt that Engineered Software has fallen down on the job of promoting its own product, and in general communications to its users. I find it odd that pertinent discussions about how to better use PowerCadd are found only on this discussion board, and rarely, if at all, on E.S.'s own web site. Compare the communications and promotions efforts of SketchUp, especially before Google took over, to E.S. I think this has to do with the idiosyncratic nature of family run and owned businesses. I would like to hear someone from E.S. actually defend their company, promote their business and provide helpful communications with its users. I am afraid that in the rapidly evolving business of software development, E.S., which has provided an exceptional product, will be left in the dust, in part by its own seeming indifference to the needs of its users, as exemplified by its poor communications. Am I the only one who feels this way? |
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Matt
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 523
Location: Sterling, Virginia
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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