Please don't get excited, this is far from finished, and I'm about to go away for a week.
What I have done so far has taken about a week, but I guess its still a month away from a beta release,
sorry about that but I'm doing this in my spare time.
After reading this thread, I thought this would be a good project to learn VB.net with.
I did a bit of VB6 years ago, but since then its been mainly web stuff (php, javascript, sql),
more recently I have been studying oop Java with the Open University.
I'm going to look for a good VB.net forum when I get back, Ill probably need some help to finish this.
Let me know if you know of one, or even better a VB.net for windows mobile forum
So far, I have read the text files in and drawn them to the screen using GDI+.
The next step is to write the code to let you edit, but before I get to that I need a little help with something else.
The images I'm drawing to screen do not line up perfectly with the levels in Teeter,
have a look at the first 6 levels on this page to see what I mean.
These are composite screen shots, I have overlaid what my program draws onto the real levels in Teeter.
You can ignore the starting dots as the ball had moved by the time i took the screen shot.
My guess is I need to apply a transformation of some kind on the data before I draw it to the screen
(and eventually in reverse before I write it back to the text file),
but I'm not 100% sure if that's right, am I missing something about why this is happening?
Will there be any problems with this approach?
Maybe I can just move the holes a set amount, but what about the walls?
Anyone have any ideas?
Hi
Im not a coder, but just my observation. The black lines that you draw go from corner to opposite corner on each graphic, minus the drop-holes but there still in the corner.
My gues is the coding is seeing this as a full object. So that data that you are pulling and showing looks correct.
Ahh, yeah, so maybe the coordinates of the walls represent the top left and bottom right of the walls, not just end points.
Ill make some screen shots of the rest of the levels to check.
I guess the levels where the walls are not straight up or straight down will give more clues.
Thanks
Glad i could help
I code in php and using the GD graphic librays to display line graphs etc always do have stripped down co-ordinates, i suppose its so you dont have to use loads of info just to draw a line. top corner, bottom corner is far more speedy then drawing 6 coordinates or more.
How have you dound going from php, javascript mysql to vb? I keep getting tempted by vb and id love to make some interesting things for my mobile.
Im pretty much high level php/sql medium javascript, high level xml. Where would you recommend i begin? Cheers!
PS: im from Leeds so just up the motorway lol.
My memory of VB6 is that in general, all the books are wrong.
I really struggled to find examples that worked without fiddling around with it.
VB.net has been a similar experience, maybe a bit easier because Visual Studio has improved so much. I'm still a massive noob with it so I cant really give you that good an answer.
I'm starting to realise that the reason I find programming for the web so much easier than for windows is that the latter has so much more to deal with.
If you think on the web, your playing field is the browser, in windows, your playing field is the OS. There is so much more that you can do, finding help with what you want to do is so much harder.
Some people are very good at working out how to get something working, it sometimes takes me hours to solve one little problem. I don't have that much formal training in programming, so I tend to work by fiddling with things until they work. The difference in php is I've seen so many working examples that I know what I am doing is 'a good way' to be doing it.
In VB I have no idea if what I am doing is good, its just the only way I've found that works. Eventually I will release the source files for this, in the hope that 'good' VB programmers can help me do things in 'a good way'.
Where to begin? Get yourself a copy of Visual Studio, there are loads of versions, don't ask me which one you need, I don't know, I got mine of a friend who runs a software company, they have some package of set software from MS and more licenses than she needs.
Bookmark the MSDN library and start reading
All I use at the moment is that page and google.
Good luck!
Problem solved, it was pretty simple in the end
The top left, bottom right thing dzign-it pointed out (many thanks),
and the gdi draws the hole with the coordinates you give as top left.
I can move on to the actual editing now
Hey
Great to hear, not many people seem interested in this lol, i am though, a level editor would be fantastic, and im sure when you have a beta out for people to start making thier own levels etc..everybody will jump on board.
yeah go for it
go for it hellodavedave. People will be glad.
and credit to you
yeah!
That would be nice!
My little 2-year-old girl loves Teeter but she only solves the first level.
I'd like to have a "kids version" with only a green hole in the middle and kind of these easy things...
(yeah, I know: WHAT!? You give your diamond a baby...!? )
Has any progress been made on this? I'd love to see this working
There is now a level editor. You can download a new level here.
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=1536
Surur
Related
hi all...
i am not a programmer/developer... just a big pocket pc fan...
i have an idea to develop a small pocketpc utility that i think could be useful to a lot of users...
although, i have no idea where to start when talking to a programmer about developing it... i want to know how much it could cost to write/develop it...
any ideas on wheere i could start? i guess it'd have to be written in Visual Basic (thats all i know of). the only thing i could compare it to is Spb's Pocket Plus... but i think my software would only be half as complicated as that.
http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=6846
any very rough ideas on how much i should be expecting to pay for it? i know it's not easy to give me an estimate, but like i said-- i have no idea what so ever... $100? $1000?? $10,000???
i was thinking of just having it as a pet project and giving it out as freeware/open source.... but it costs a bundle, i might try to shareware it to atleast cover some of the costs...
thanks for your help all.
Describing the functionality of the app would be a start...
DOH :!:
Seems like i missed out an entire paragraph on what i am actually trying to make...
well, ill try to describe it...
i wanted to create a plug-in for the Task List.... as opposed to just a simple list of tasks, i wanted to create a "floating space", where your tasks can be represented visually through icons, which can moved around...
imagine all your indiviual tasks as post-it notes on your desk. now you're able to move your post-its according to category, importance, etc... around your desk.
in this floating space, you would have control over choosing how things are represented-- things such as priority, deadline, can be represented through colours, little animated icons, etc...
perhaps the tasks can be linked to your programs-- ie, call mum -- is linked to a phone, to put it simply.
i dunno, maybe its just something i've imagined i would like but would be a bit "stuck-up-its-own-ass" type of sotfware for other people...
:?
anyways, id least like to look into how to go about designing it properly... im sure there are a lot of things i havent though about and would be a steep learning curve for me (even if im not programming it), but i want to learn and like the idea of this challenge.
i have a graphic design background also, so id like to do the art/icons myself, and work with a programmer to develop this properly. i guess this'd help a teeny weeny bit....
so, any suggestions? comments?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=21786&highlight=today+plugin
and if you want it to float around on top of other today items then it's much much more complex then anything i've seen from spb
the program would virtualy have to capture all msg sendt from the screen to check if it was something it had to capture before the today item under it did
if it only had to have floating things inside it's own today item space it would be much more simple though
Hello folks,
a friend of my had a funny idea, putting a shaving sound on his phone and playing it. His phone is the MDA Mini and it really looks cool.
Now don't you think it would be fun to write a little programm which plays such a sound and shows the picture of a shaver on the screen. so that it could be assigned to a hardware button.
http://www.sounddogs.com/previews/36/mp3/292083_SOUNDDOGS_SH.mp3
Could be a nice laugh.
Unfortunatelly I don't know anything about programming....
Or is this just to complicated to write and therefore waste of time.
Cheers
Alex
Wouldn't it be more accurate to make it vibrate, perhaps show the Philishave interface on the screen, and make you more attractive to women/men/animals/vegetables?
V
vijay555 said:
Wouldn't it be more accurate to make it vibrate, perhaps show the Philishave interface on the screen, and make you more attractive to women/men/animals/vegetables?
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha...that's gonna be real funny. I'm definitely installing it if anyone manage to write it.
Well I think the vibrate does not quite give it the shaver effect. Since it sounds not like a shaver. Listen to the sound:
http://www.sounddogs.com/previews/36...UNDDOGS_SH.mp3
I already have it on my Hermes using Mediaplayer.
Anybody for programming yet?
Cheers
Alex
I thought this simple project would be a great exercise to use for learning c++, so I bought a book, DLd eVC++ and all the other M$ crap they say you need only to have it crash when trying to create a new project..
So, then I DLd CEGCC to see if it would work, and I managed to compile the "Hello world" program, but when I tried a simple program to load a bitmap and ran into all these missing dependencies (or whatever the errors were).
Well, I didn't manage to get started in c++ because of the lack of information on the differences between the win32 api and wince api, Frankly, I'm freaking lost. In alot of forums I checked out people would ask questions only to be answered with stuff like "Why do you want to do that?"
I'll probably come back to the C++ after it simmers in my mind for awhile.
but, I don't like to give up, and don't mind compromising, so I threw together this package that uses PIE and some simple web pages to do the Pocket Shaver thing.
At least I tried LOL. It's kinda crude, but what the heck, it's for fun anyway.
Joeman
BTW: if anyone knows how to write a C++ program that loads a bitmap and will compile in CEGCC, I'd be very pleased if you'd share the source code...
Hey guys I hope you dont have any objections to this, if it is against any policies you have just let me know.
Ok the meat is, I am forming a very early stage start up.
I am UK based with (sadly!) no language skills so youll have to be English speaking.
I am seeking a developer to help me put together a prototype software suite.
I do not know this platform AT ALL, so youll have to know how to acces databases via vpn.( may need knowledge of the server side too) youll also have to understand the operations of the bluetooth stack with regards to sending print files.
And lastly you will need to be able to implement and debug a visual input sytem.
Its actually quite basic stuff, but I have no time to learn it as my bank wants to see a prototype ASAP.
Again I apologise if this is against your policy, but I need to get the ball rolling.
To clarify, as I am currently in patenting process I cant discuss much yet, but this can go two ways;
1: If you have the skills I need and spare time we agree on a price and timescale, I pay you for your work, then you walk away.
2: We discuss the project, you come on board with skills provided in return for a percentage of company.
This could be a great oppurtunity either way.
Thanks for listening.
I would prefer an email at [email protected]
What will it take?
I was disappointed to see no responses but oh hey!
SO? what am I doing wrong? what would it take to get some development skills in my pocket?
I would offer a go on the missus but shes not speaking to me right now for ignoring her.
Any advice pos' or negative would be cool.
Cheers guys.
If I were you I'd scan the Development forum and look at our community developers to see what they have done. Some of the more popular and highly respected are
A_C for S2U2 and S2V
Tene for PocketCM and PCM Keyboard
Thundershadow14 for PocketMelody and PictureFlow
DotFred for TaskManager and PPCPIMBackup
Vijay555 for (too much to name)
Slither2006 for SCLPC++
Grumps for iPhone App
I'm sure I missed out a lot of others with some real quality stuff. But I'm just naming off those who has produced software that I use most frequently and/or always see at the top of the Development forum cause the thread is so active. Sorry if I offended anyone by not naming them.
So check out the guys that I listed above and see if they have exhibit the skills that you need require for your project. Also if you need help with the design-side we also have plenty of good GUI/skinning guys.
Appreciated.
I will go check the area you suggested, so thanks for the heads up.
At the moment I am just interested in a rough and ready usable system to show the bank, but Ill definately remember your offer if they like what they see.
Again, thanks bud. And wish me luck.
PS If I wanted to learn the coding myself, do you think it would be completely improbable to do so myself in say 4 weeks?
(I am a mechanical engineering student so not completely dense but pretty busy).
And where would be a good place to start?
Thanks in advance.
You have to find a C++ book and get comfy with that. Then you'd have to look at the Windows Mobile SDK and combine the knowledge of both. Plus its trial and error because its running on different hardware.
Its a daunting task. It took me a good year fulltime to become a decent website developer. The hard part is thinking like a "programmer". Otherwise it'll look like its an alien language
Good luck with it.
Hey Mate,
I'd love to help although I've never worked in the areas you require. I'd recommend posting a slightly more detailed job requirements criteria so you may attract the right young budding enthusiast.
If you're creating software a bank will wish to use then the security side of the VPN will need to be top notch along with the methods in which the app will access data.
Unfortunately I'm more of a GUI designer and the only databases I access are the MS POOM databases for Outlook.
Good Luck!
Can I add I'd _never_ take someone seriously who's asking to reply to a hotmail.* / gmail.* / yahoo.* etc etc, address.
kirstan said:
Can I add I'd _never_ take someone seriously who's asking to reply to a hotmail.* / gmail.* / yahoo.* etc etc, address.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Erm Ok !!! I dont know what to say to that. That is the account I use most often. I didnt claim to rep IBM! This is a personal project and Im just trying to make contacts.
Regarding an other post above, The VPN is further down the road and not needed yet. Also the software will not be USED by a bank just shown to them as a proof of concept.
At that point I would be able to go beyond an overdraft to an actual business loan and be able to contract a developer.
It is hard for me to Give much detail without an NDA as my idea is not revolutionary but the application is novel.
If I were to discuss openly I would lose the ability to patent down the line.
It is essentially A GUI that I need, and a simple underlying app which will give me the ability to enter a small description in 30 odd fields.
When each field is selected a score of -1 is applied (the field value is initially zero).
At the end of a session, ( there will be an option to open new or close a session) a score is given to each field and depending on score, one of 90 text files (3 per field) is linked to.
A print file containing these 30 text files on one page and a score from 0 to -10 for each field in a table on the other page is then produced.
The database access and VPN would come later on but in the prototype that is all thats needed.
Im sorry thats about all the exp' I can give in open. But if you feel you could help and would like to get involved I could arrange an NDA.
I am currently speaking to a couple of people but there is nothing concrete yet so if at all interested, do get in touch.
Thanks for reading (and please take me seriously whatever my Email.)
solved.
Just in case anyone was interested, I finally found help on a site called Rentacoder so if anyone else is looking for development help, try there.
Cheers.
Updated: 2009-01-03, 21:05 (GMT+1)
Me and Swoop2 is creating a Tetris game for us HTC Touch Diamond users out there in need for a great one! Why I wanted to create a new Tetris game for the HTC Touch Diamond was because all of the Tetris games out there got some flaws (imo); not supporting VGA resolution, visually looking bad, running slow etc.. The closest thing I got was TeKnowMagic Tetris, but I wasn't satisfied either way. There's simply no Tetris game out there filling my requirements.
DiamondTris so far:
VGA resolution
Moving pieces - with the wheel sensor or via the on-screen buttons
Rotation of pieces - with the enter button or via the on-screen buttons
Line completion and destruction
Statistics: score, hi-score, level, lines done/remaining
Difficulties: easy, medium, hard (different speeds)
What needs to be done:
Some minior GUI tweaks
Sound effects
Settings (sounds, controls)
You'll need .NET Framework 3.5, which you'll find here
Changelog:
DiamondTris_20090103.cab:
Installs on device or internal storage
Creates a shortcut in Programs\Games
Pause function implemented
DiamondTris_20090102.cab:
New, better looking on-screen buttons
Added some statistics
Disabled piece rotation by tilting the device (needs further tweaking)
Application icon added
+1
sounds like a fairly simple and easy project... if only i had listened in class...
Why don't you get some pledges to encourage a developer
I would pay around £3 for a tetris game designed for our device
Not loads, but if enough people were too pledge their support...
hays said:
Why don't you get some pledges to encourage a developer
I would pay around £3 for a tetris game designed for our device
Not loads, but if enough people were too pledge their support...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good idea.
i'll let hays pay £3 for a Tetris game
(and i suppose i could chuck a few quid in as well )
Of course I'm in for some donations if this game is created
I started a very basic Tetris app for my touch diamond a while ago - just as a play around as my first Windows Mobile application. It uses the wheel for moving the current piece left and right and I was going to have a go at using the accelerometer to turn the piece clockwise/anticlockwise (i.e. a flick to the left or right).
I've never used OpenGL or anything so it was just done using a timer and the graphics object off the OnDraw event. I got as far as creating the grid, drawing the pieces, moving them around and knowing when lines were completed, etc. Still had a lot to do but it was a proof of concept more than anything else.
I'm just a normal application developer and develop form based applications and back end stuff. If I can get to where I am with my effort in the time I have, then someone who knows how to write games properly could easily do something really good.
Swoop2 said:
I started a very basic Tetris app for my touch diamond a while ago - just as a play around as my first Windows Mobile application. It uses the wheel for moving the current piece left and right and I was going to have a go at using the accelerometer to turn the piece clockwise/anticlockwise (i.e. a flick to the left or right).
I've never used OpenGL or anything so it was just done using a timer and the graphics object off the OnDraw event. I got as far as creating the grid, drawing the pieces, moving them around and knowing when lines were completed, etc. Still had a lot to do but it was a proof of concept more than anything else.
I'm just a normal application developer and develop form based applications and back end stuff. If I can get to where I am with my effort in the time I have, then someone who knows how to write games properly could easily do something really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, that sounds great! Got any plans on continuation of your work? Onscreen buttons instead of accelerometer sounds even better imo, and is easier to do I think..?
Care to share your source? I can have a look at it myself and see if I can get into Mobil application programming too... or at least someone else here can continue on your base work.
I do plan on finishing it at some point - though I'm not 100% sure when! I don't mind sharing the code anyway, so once I'm back home I'll try and remember to put it on here.
Swoop2 said:
I do plan on finishing it at some point - though I'm not 100% sure when! I don't mind sharing the code anyway, so once I'm back home I'll try and remember to put it on here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds cool. Looks like I might get a good weekend after all! Do... not... forget... the... add... the source code!
Here's the source code. It is VERY much a work in progress. I started it as a windows application and ported it over to WinMob6. Here's a list of things that I know I still needed to do:
1. Optimise the graphics to get rid of the irritating flicker.
2. Add the piece rotation.
3. Add the score and level display, etc.
4. Decide on the size of the grid (considered leaving it customisable).
5. Add score saving and option saving, etc.
6. Add some backing music.
They're the things I can remember off the top of my head anyway. Lemme know if you have any ideas or questions, etc.
Swoop2 said:
Here's the source code. It is VERY much a work in progress. I started it as a windows application and ported it over to WinMob6. Here's a list of things that I know I still needed to do:
1. Optimise the graphics to get rid of the irritating flicker.
2. Add the piece rotation.
3. Add the score and level display, etc.
4. Decide on the size of the grid (considered leaving it customisable).
5. Add score saving and option saving, etc.
6. Add some backing music.
They're the things I can remember off the top of my head anyway. Lemme know if you have any ideas or questions, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet! I'm at home now, downloading all the requried applications to put up a proper environment here... big packages, so it'll take a while until I'm set.
I'll see if I can manage to do anything, and in case - I'll get back to you
Hi there again Swoop2!
Just tweaked the grid some, added some stats + onscreen buttons (stretched until later ;P) and changed some minor stuff. Here's my latest source. Thanks for sharing!
There's still bunch of stuff to tweak and add. Adding rotation to the game would make it fairly playable. The screen flickering is quite annoying, but perhaps we'll manage to get it working right in the future
Also adding a screenshot of how it looks with the current source.
EDIT: removed the source code, since there's a newer one out there.
Hi Sibbor
That's looking pretty good mate - I like it! I already have some ideas on how to fix the flicker - for the majority of the time anyway. Rendering the image as a bitmap in the background and then just drawing that should hopefully work like a double buffer or something. Also, only invalidating the relevant part of the screen instead of all of it should make a difference too. It worked for my other application anyway.
I'll try and have a play with it this week and send you an update
Swoop2 said:
Hi Sibbor
That's looking pretty good mate - I like it! I already have some ideas on how to fix the flicker - for the majority of the time anyway. Rendering the image as a bitmap in the background and then just drawing that should hopefully work like a double buffer or something. Also, only invalidating the relevant part of the screen instead of all of it should make a difference too. It worked for my other application anyway.
I'll try and have a play with it this week and send you an update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds great! Made a few more changes but haven't got the latest source available here at work. I'll see if I can get time to upload it later. Otherwise it doesn't matter too much.
I reacted at the code where the grid updates, but have too less experience with WM6 and .NET to actually optimize this to a grade where we'll have no flicker at all. So with other words: I'm looking forward to your anti-flicker code !
I should finally have some time to look at this at the weekend so if you have an updated version can you post it on here?
Swoop2 said:
I should finally have some time to look at this at the weekend so if you have an updated version can you post it on here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi again mate! Good to hear. Sadly I haven't been able to get too much done since last time, but I'll attach the current source now.
Thought about the rotation and how to create it. Had an idea where you could destroy the current piece when rotating, and creating a new - rotated - piece at the given location. You got any ideas about it otherwise?
I've been looking for a decent Tetris game for Diamond/TP myself.
Question: are you planning on implementing the scrollwheel to move the pieces? I think that would be a nice touch.
Good luck on this. I'll donate to the cause when you guys have something.
hefman said:
I've been looking for a decent Tetris game for Diamond/TP myself.
Question: are you planning on implementing the scrollwheel to move the pieces? I think that would be a nice touch.
Good luck on this. I'll donate to the cause when you guys have something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The requested function is already supported We'll make sure to setup donations when we're ready
this is definately a worth while project, i wasted my time for about 3 hours looking for a nice tetris game 4-5 days ago and came up with very nasty looking basic tetris clones.
which all sucked, id donate £5-7 just for saving me the time!!
thanks
CDMA Tetris
I am so all about Tetris.
I also spent some time looking for some decent versions of Tetris but they all flopped.
I cannot wait till you guys complete this.
My team has been vigorously working on a CAD application for android. I will post some screenshots of the tool if anyone is interested, so please let me know.
It's currently being tested and developed using a Motorola Droid running 2.0.1. Although we can run the emulator and test different screens using it, we find great difficulty in knowing if the "feel" is nice on a smaller screen.
Anyway - current features that are working:
Objects: Line, Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, 3 Point Arcs, Text Areas
Drawing Modes: Orthographic (including 45s), Grid On Off, Snap Mode On Off (Endpoints, Centerpoints, Midpoints, Quadrants)
Other Things: Undo, Redo, Erase, Modify (reshape & move), Pan, Layering System, Linetypes, Colors & Text Sizes.
In The Works: Zoom (Option for Pinch), Configurable Toolbar (Add/Remove Tools), Export to DXF & Linetypes.
We are looking for a few people that would be willing to get in on a "PRIVATE Beta" to assist us with the continued development. We have our day jobs, so this is a project that when we have time to work on, we do. However, we do spent quite a bit of time working on it .
Anyway - We want to be picky about the testers, simply because we need to have a nice round group of people. Not plumpy, just round. We need a couple guys that are good with input, finding problems, etc. And we also need a few that dont know anything about CAD and can help us to see if the average joe can figure it out.
We also need a couple good mathmeticians or programmers. Or even one would do. We are having some trouble computing certain boundaries (ellipses to be more precise) that we need to understand so that we can build in other commands like Trim or Extend. (Plus our select option on ellipses is a bit hokey, but knowing how to find an ellipse will solve that for us)
For now, the only assistance I can give you is through the board here, and help you get started. The tutorial will come soon, once we get the basics figured out as to how we want to make it really work.
Anyway - To make a long story even longer - let me know if you might be interested. I would be more than happy to post some screenshots if you like of its current state. So let me know if you are interested.
Thank you very much for sticking through the long a$$ read, or even for skipping through to the "thanks" is enough for me.
That being said - LMK! Thanks!
A capacitive touch screen doesn't seem a good candidate for controlling a smooth CAD experience. However on second thought, when coupling together this technology with a trackball, the possibilities really open up. Harness these well and I know you'll be onto something here.
Post some screens to show everyone the progress of your development and I'll let you know if I'd be interested in testing.
Cheers
Well if your looking for anyone with CAD knowledge, I have a degree in engineering with CAD, and Pro Engineer. I don't have much time to devote to beta testing, but I do have time every now and then. I run a ION with 1.6. Good luck on your software!
(Unfortunately - my account has not been enabled for posting outside links or images - so this is the best i can do for you until that is enabled)
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/11.jpg
Above is a screen shot with a couple drawn elements, and the right side of the toolbar tools.
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/09.jpg
Above is a screen shot with a couple drawn elements, and the left side of the toolbar tools.
There are a handful of more screenshots posted up on my site, the links are as follows:
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/01.jpg - Layer select screen
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/02.jpg - File Operations
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/03.jpg - Display Settings
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/04.jpg - Samle Help Screen (Line)
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/05.jpg - Snap Settings
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/06.jpg - Color Picker
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/07.jpg - Snapping to Midpoint
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/08.jpg - Selection of Ellipse
talon-designs.net/android/andcad/10.jpg - Text Input Screen
That should be plenty of screens to keep interest.
@Lancealot - Thank you very much, and I completely agree, that when we started this, there was some doubt as to how precise you could actually be using a "touch based" screen. The good news, through playing with it, and given ability to set tolerances based on the size of your "touch area" as well as snapping options, we found that you can actually be quite precise.
Ill fiddle with it a little today, put together a drawing and give you a nice example of something that can be made with this.
Keep in mind, this is a work in progress, and although much of the functionality that is currently built into the tool, is at a "finished" state, there is certainly room for input and comments from others that may find use in this tool.
Anyway - here are the screenshots as promised, let me know if you have any further questions.
(Again - sorry about the inconvenience on the links)
(edit to update image types to jpg instead of png)
@zul8er - we are certainly interested in your input. Check out the screenshots and let me know if you are still interested. We dont need a huge commitment, but anything that you might be able to provide would certainly be a big help.
Android 1.6 is the minimum OS currently supported. We need to do some work on the graphics to go as far back as 1.5 to compensate for screen size, and we intend on doing so.. Just not at this current time.
I would be interested in trying out your CAD program. I've been doing CAD for ove 10 years now, started with AutoCAD but have been using Solidworks for the last 8 years.
In addition to using the touch screen for input, will you be able to enter X and Y coordinates using a keyboard or virtual keyboard?
What format will it save the files? DXF, JPG, or what?
Noob Squared said:
I would be interested in trying out your CAD program. I've been doing CAD for ove 10 years now, started with AutoCAD but have been using Solidworks for the last 8 years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems there are more and more of us creeping out of the woodwork on a daily basis
Noob Squared said:
What format will it save the files? DXF, JPG, or what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Currently the file format is a proprietary format. But we are currently (today actually) working on saving out to a DXF format to be able to reload your files into AutoCAD or other supported softwares.
The ability to import is also in the works, but will require some massaging on the users end to make sure the DXF file is not binary etc. (MTEXT may not be supported either)
Noob Squared said:
In addition to using the touch screen for input, will you be able to enter X and Y coordinates using a keyboard or virtual keyboard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have toyed with the idea of being able to put in specific dimensions on objects, and also work with x/y coords, but at this time, it only supports point to point drawing. We arent completely sure if we intend on building a "FULL ON CAD" application, or an application for people to use to simply get an idea of what they need to do for a job. The other key, is to keep the application at a price range that is reasonable for people. Most "PocketCAD" applications run around 50 bucks a copy - and rightfully so. To keep the tool at a reasonable range (below 10 or 15 dollars) it may need to be a bit lighter weight than those. Most people cringe at a 2.99 app..
IF we could devote our time 100% i am sure we could build a really nice full blown cad app Unfortunately as with most of us, the day job prohibits some of that time.
Its a WIP I'll put you on the list. Thanks for the input.
Are you looking for beta testers?
Hi, are you looking for beta testers. I'm a long year CAD user, and I'm sure I can help with the app development.
[email protected]
Have you tried using some of the java based cad software as a source for your project? There are many and some might be open source.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ycad/
Yeah I am still interested. It will be neat to play with and see how it works. The coordinate input is a good idea, also, ever play with Pro Engineer? They have a cool way of building an initial drawing. You just sketch, regen, and then input your dimensions to make the object to your liking. Makes things a lot faster and easier to edit a shape if changes need to occur.
I dont know how in depth you want to go, or if that idea can be used.
My email is [email protected]
Nice
Give me a couple more days to get a good product out for you guys to test. Currently we are cleaning up a few little "we'll get that later" issues, and should be good to go by mid/late next week.
Thanks for providing the contact info, I will shoot you a message through email shortly.
Thanks agian for the interest.
@zul8er: nice. Look forward to hearing how you like the feel of it. I havent had a chance to play with ProE, as AutoCAD has been my forte for the last couple decades. Ill see if i can any kind of demo for ProE, and get an idea of how it works. Who knows Anything to make it easier for everyone is a good thing.
But yah - the indepth thing is the issue. We keep tossing with ideas and putting them "on the list" in case people start asking for them. I guess it just depends on how people really want to use this tool. (and of course, how much time we can continue to devote to it) - bah i hate day jobs
I enjoyed the screen shots that were posted. Any idea whether you guys will support rendering/raycasting, or physics with inverse kinematics? Either way it looks great; Sign me up!
haha Not sure if we are going to go the IK way. Maybe as a different project, something more suited to 3D, but for this app, we are only intending on running the 2D route.
My lack of knowledge about the OpenGL portion, really limits us with regards to 3D implementation. I spent a good 3 days just trying to get ahold of loading in a 3D model.. Still never got there (or would have probably released a 3D model viewer first).
At any rate, its hard to say where this will go. It mostly depends on the overall interest i suppose. Its certain that the sky would be the limit, if time were as available as the sky
But cool.. Glad I was able to keep your interest.
Currently (as I type even) I am finishing up all of the help documentation for the app, the inline tutorial, and what not.. A couple more days on the file handling (DXF in particular) and should be set to go for a BETA run. ('couple more days' - like we all havent heard enough of that)
@lancelot - can you send me your email address via private message? That way I can do the BETA communications through there (link to files etc). You are welcome to email me as well:
support AT talon-designs.net
cheers!
Hey, I'm a high school student that has just started learning CAD, does that count as average Joe? I'd love to help beta test, I really want android to overpower iPhone 3.0 lol. My e-mail is [email protected] I use g1 with cyanogenmod 1.6...so idk if that qualifies. But anyways, Good luck!
This really sounds promising. In the last few weeks, I really had the need for a good drawing software on my mobile device. But my Tytn II lacks of power. As I soon will get the Desire, I will hopefully have a quite powerful device for all day use (my Tytn II really sux atm). And because I have the re-occurring need of a drawing app, this could be it.
I mean I don't need it for simple drawing, but for constructing things CAD style and on the go Graphics of furniture or something with measures and all that stuff.
Hey guys.. just wanted to pass you an update on status (which is so much more than I seem to be getting from Verizon on the 2.1 update).
Small rant, but its done now.
Ok - status..
DXF Export is working now, supporting layers, linetypes, colors, and elements throughout the drawing. Am having some issues with getting ellipses to export via DXF (and im not alone - faulty specs are at fault), and that combined with the other issues regarding the math behind finding ellipse edges, we decided to comment out the ellipse alltogether for now. Not that it wont be back, but having so many rules with "you can do this to anything - except an ellipse" left us with no other choice.
It's coming back, just not right now.
We have saving and opening completed (simple proprietary ascii format, but it works for what we need it to do).
Zoom is currently partially working (difficult to complete the recalculation on the elements, but its really close) touch events for zoom are coming up as well. Maybe a pinch zoom even, considering that all devices are getting the 2.0+ upgrade - but we will see.. We dont want to keep anyone excluded from being able to use the tool.
@Balrog82 - we have definately taken this tool a long way since its initial conception. We hope to be able to bring more features that are more "CAD Specific" to the application, and will if it becomes a tool that gets used. We want to release it initially as a "basic" drafting tool, and see what kind of input we get. If we see that a lot of people are using it, and would like the ability to put in dimensions the same way that cad does (within limits) we will certainly look into it.
That being said - I hope the tool is still something you would be willing to try out. I find a lot of enjoyment with working with a tool at its early conception (started using paint shop pro at version 1.42) and now its on to version 14 or something and owned by corel. I just kinda get into that sort of thing, and hope that you all will do.
Good thing is, we hope its a draw to the tool, we plan on releasing it at the market both as a free version (no saving abilities) and a full version at a low price. As the tool grows, the price may increase a bit.. Keeping of course the original buyers at a place that they can keep updating the software at no cost to them. We think that will help the advancement and development of the tool quite a bit.
Anyway - It is right around the corner for initial testing. Please to all interested - send me a PM with your contact information (just an email would be great) I am going to see if i can start a private discussion here to invite you all to as well.
@Lancealot - i got your PM.. Am very happy that you are interested in helping. Expect to hear from me again soon..
Until we can see a working model of this app, I thought I would throw out an app that has some great drawing capabilities. The paid was is called "Picso" by Tiki Move, but I used the free version to try out; it's called "Picso Lite".
It's not a CAD app, but it's different from the other Paint apps on Android in that it has tools the other ones don't. It has the usual tools a CAD user would need, such as Rectangles/Squares, Circles/Ellipses, and Lines. You can change the colors and widths of these entities.
What I like about your program is that it has snaps, and the tools are on the bottom of the screen so they are easy to get to: /talon-designs.net/android/andcad/07.jpg
A feature Picso needs is a Zoom tool so you can zoom in to an area and draw whatever you need to and then be able to zoom full screen. It also needs a text tool. Since there is no dimension tool, you could put a text for the dimension.
P.S.,
I want to try your app, but I am only posting this to show how someone else has put these tools on their app and also to have a comparison on ease-of-use. One other thought, you mentioned the files your CAD app will create will be proprietary file types. Will you be able to save-as .jpg or .png so you can email or text-message a sketch to someone? That way if your on-site you will be able to send someone back at the office whatever it is to explain your ideas, and also they would not have to have an Android phone to view it.
Idea sounds great. Good luck with it!
Sorry for being away for so long.. but we had something going on that we had to attend to..
http://developer.att.com/developer/index.jsp?page=event&id=6.3_v1_9700324
More news as it allows.
Android Category Winner
Talon Designs, AndCAD
This application allows users to create simple geometric shapes, combined with notes, to describe plans associated with the art, architecture, engineering and manufacturing industries. Many of the tools familiar to CAD users are incorporated into this utility, meaning that fluent CAD users will feel right at home using this tool. However, the interface for this tool is simple enough for even the most novices of users to understand. This enables certain users (Contractors, etc) to be able to take notes while on a job site and associate them with vector elements within the drawing.
talondesigns said:
Sorry for being away for so long.. but we had something going on that we had to attend to..
More news as it allows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T Open Call-Apps for All! Contest
Thank you to all the participants in the 2010 AT&T Open Call—Apps For All! Contest. This year's contest was filled with many great entries. AT&T reviewed over 90 applications this year ranging from games to business applications. The winners from each category will receive $10,000 and co-marketing opportunities with AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get $10,000?