BurrTools development corner

[RKB]

Hello guys, use this thread to give any comments and suggestions on BurrTools.

I'll use this thread to inform you about the current state of development and the directions towards we're working.

Right now (although the idea is not that new) Andreas likes to make it possible to split the 3D viewer into different subviews allowing you to see a shape from different angles at the same time. I think that this feature will be rarely useful, let alone needed, and that other things (more about that in a later posting) have a much higher priority.

Now, try to convince me why this split screen technique could be useful and why you - as a matter of speech since the program is free - would pay an arm and a leg for it. If you support my opinion on this, I also like to hear it.

Ry

[Canuck]

I actually think the spit screen would be good...It would be cool to rotate the piece and entire assembly to see different views for clarity.  It would make it much more versatile

[Canuck]

Also wanted to ask, is there a new version to download?  If so could you post a link please...

[RKB]

Also wanted to ask, is there a new version to download?  If so could you post a link please...

Version 0.5.0 was released on April 5th ---> http://burrtools.sourceforge.net/


But you're not very convincing... The feature would simply be "cool"... that's not enough.
Imaging you're watching a dissaembly in BurrTools and the first piece moves to the right, but in a second view that piece moves upwards... in a third view it's moving to the left... I think that will be very confusing and in such circumstances the feature will hardly (if ever) be used.

[Canuck]

Version 0.5.0 was released on April 5th ---> http://burrtools.sourceforge.net/


But you're not very convincing... The feature would simply be "cool"... that's not enough.
Imaging you're watching a dissaembly in BurrTools and the first piece moves to the right, but in a second view that piece moves upwards... in a third view it's moving to the left... I think that will be very confusing and in such circumstances the feature will hardly (if ever) be used.

Thanks for the link...Okay, but my saying it would be cool was meant in a 'hell ya' sort of way

If the split screen helps me better understand the shape of the piece in relation to the assembly, well of course it would be helpful in a BIG way!!

[Canuck]

Ry, Derek, just wanted to let you both know, I downloaded the newest version of 'Burrtools' on my wife's laptop (mine simply does not have enough disk space ) and with help from Ou Toppie in creating the design file, was able to very successfully export the solution diagram in detail!   

[smiteo]

Glad to hear that you got the export solution to work!

[Johan Heyns]

Boet, When you do the export again, its got an option to "Dim static pieces", which makes that export much clearer in the sense that you know with which piece you are fiddling.

[Canuck]

Sounds good, I'll try it next time

[gibell]

Burr Tools is a fantastic piece of software and I recommend everybody download a copy.  I've been giving it a lot of exercise and have found very few problems.

Recently I have switched to the spherical geometry and have found it to be less stable.  I don't think the spherical grid is as well tested.  I've seen strange things like changing the order of pieces change the number of solutions.  Also, it has crashed.  I don't think it has ever crashed on me in the cube geometry.

One problem I've had when you have 100 or so pieces around is that some of the automatically generated colors are way too dark.  Fortunately you don't run into these colors until you have a lot of pieces.  But I've seen some pieces that are so inky black you can't see them at all.

[RKB]

Recently I have switched to the spherical geometry and have found it to be less stable.  I don't think the spherical grid is as well tested.  I've seen strange things like changing the order of pieces change the number of solutions.  Also, it has crashed.  I don't think it has ever crashed on me in the cube geometry.

Please report any bugs to me (rkb 'at' telenet 'dot' be).
Information to be given:
1. Operating system (OSX, Linux, Windows XP, Windows Vista, 32bit, 64bit,...)
2. Brief computer system (processor, RAM, ...)
3. A discription of the problem and when it occurs (try to replicate the problem and give a step by step description of what you did).
4. If possible an example (BurrTools file). Note that all submitted designs will be treated with the highest confidentiality and that all copyrights - even for unfinished and preliminary designs - will be respected.

[RKB]

One problem I've had when you have 100 or so pieces around is that some of the automatically generated colors are way too dark.  Fortunately you don't run into these colors until you have a lot of pieces.  But I've seen some pieces that are so inky black you can't see them at all.

In a future release of the program all those so called neutral colors will be gone (well they'll still be there as an option) and will be replaced by one single 'universal material'. This will remove the problem that some custom colors (which will become 'materials') are very hard to see against a background of the same or similar neutral color (and this not only for the color blind).

In the meantime, a method to overcome the problem of all too dark colors is using a single (or a few) custom colour(s) for all your shapes.

[gibell]

Hi Ronald!

I recently entered one bug into Sourceforge (even after 0.5.1).  Others I cannot reproduce or remember how they occurred.

Really, Burr Tools is very easy to use and I've had no problem with the cubic geometry.  The only "bug" is that it makes me feel dumb that I can't solve a puzzle the program can solve in a fraction of a second!

The Burr Tools team is doing a stellar job!  Well done folks!  You guys deserve a medal.  When can we expect the much deserved "Version 1.0"??

-George

[Canuck]

Okay so I finally got 'Barb's Cube' downloaded in my 'shapeways store':

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/puzzleparadise
 
however because of my ignorance with 'Burrtools' I did it by exporting each individual piece...I need help figuring out how to combine all the pieces into a single export stl file...can anyone help??? 

[smiteo]

the easiest way is to create a new "puzzle" with a grid that will hold each of the pieces with space between each piece...
After you "solve" that puzzle, use the "import Assembly feature" to generate the new piece, from which you can export the
STL.  Alternately, send me the burrtools file and I'll gladly do it for you...

-Derek