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DansMark Projects

  DansMark is updating some of it's software!
A few software packages will go through re-vitalization... making better use of new programming techniques.

  DansMark is committed to creating some of the best programming on the market today.

  This will be an ongoing sample project to show how software is created.
  DansMark will post the progress here, so check back frequently to follow the results.
  You will see the different stages of development, and time involved to produce shop drawings that can be drawn in seconds/minutess.
  This can be a big savings on often used drawings.
  At the end of project LadderMaster will be for sale (if your interested).

  The finished product will create this drawing.
  This ladder will be fully user adjustable. All materials will be variables (that is to say, material sizes - width, thickness and lengths) and are picked from a pop-up dialog.
  Users simply pick from the available choices.

  Day one.

  Hours into the project and the ladder is starting to have a mind of it's own.

  Already it has variables that include:
Height to top of landing (this will create the overall scale factor)
Main leg supports
Main leg spacing
Height to top of main support (user picked. Also parametric from landing)
Floor clips (angles that are user picked. The G.O.L is to standards)
Floor clip holes are parametric with anchor size
Anchors for floor clips (user sized)
Wall clips (user sized. The G.O.L is to standards)
Wall clip holes are parametric with anchor size
Wall clip spacing (user adjustable. Auto adjusts to landing height)
Rung size (user pick)
Rung length (parametric from leg spacing)
Title-border not included (must self-adjust at the end of program for greater height requirements)

  Two more hours of programming has produced part of the right view.
Really, this is quite amazing!
  I can now draw any size of ladder using any combination of materials, in 2-3 seconds!

Enough for one day!

  It occurred to me as I was wrapping for the day, this whole program is just a very complex calculator. By that I mean the drawing is calculated from one known point (the point the user picks to start the drawing process).
  Every line, arc, circle, dimension, text, and entity, is calculated from that single know point!
  Try that with your calculator!
Now change any of the the design criteria! (catching on?...)

  Day two.

  Another day into the project and the program is getting close to annotation time.
  Layers are incorporated using basic drafting standards so the finished printed drawing will be easy to see and read in the shop.
  If any of the sections view design criterias are changed from the default sizes, the elevation and right views are automatic updated to the change.
  Everything is drawn parametricly.
  You will see any interferences at a glance!
  It can't be drawn wrong!
  Ok! Maybe some people can, but design guidelines can even be wrote into the software upon request.

  Normally, on a custom design program like this, a series of questions are asked on the command line as the program requires them (this is the cheapest version), but in this case, I might develop a ".dcl" dialog to control the drawing output (depends on my time restraints).
  There are a couple of reasons for a ".dcl" dialog to control the information.
  1st, all the design criteria can be entered quickly.
  2nd, users can interface with the program, see what info is being asked, and decide what parameters will work best for the project they're working on.

More on the ".dcl" dialog later... it's back to work on the ladder project!

  I've thrown the dialog together and made an example (click here) of what it will do and how it will control LadderMaster.
This dialog will add about 12 more hours to the project. But it will be great when finished!

  Again, I'm pressed for time, gotta go!

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