GUI for LDmakeList?

[Willy Tschager]

Hi,

since Tim is busy I'm looking for a good soul who has the skills and little bit of spare time to write a GUI for LDMakeList:

http://code.google.com/p/ldmakelist/

w.

[Tim Gould]

Note it's stock standard GNU C++ (and quite possible ANSI C++) using a few standard libraries and a parameters class for the inputs. For someone with a good IDE and basic GUI skills it should be very easy to build a face for. I have neither.

Tim

[Michael Heidemann]

I can do this, but only for dot.net. I have no experience how the calls that I produce works under linux.
I implemented similar in LETGUI, but I got no response until today how it works (if it works) under linux with MONO framework.

[Max Martin Richter]

Wouldn't it be possible to make a GUI, which calls the Commandline with some paremeters only, like it is done in LUTGUI?

The c++ code doesn't look to hard. But I'm out of time for the moment. :-( Maybe I find the time to write a real GUI-Application at the end of the year. (Yes, I know it's just started...) Until then it would be OK for me to have something similar to LETGUI here.

/Max

[Scott Wardlaw]

Please consider a feature set similar to this:

ability to filter what gets put into parts.lst
ability to add other groups (like primitives, needs work, etc.)
ability to poll the bricklink database to determine which parts are available in the selected color

I have source code in Java for this, and C++ for an older version, but I have no time now either.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wardlws/6552228707/



Thanks,
Scott

[Michael Heidemann]

I have just started this GUI.

Do you like to have the last used settings stored and restored between session?
I start without because it is less code

[Michael Heidemann]

Here it is. A very, very simple GUI for LDMakeList.
Just copy the content of the zip in the same folder like LDMakeList.
You need .NET framework installed.

Hope it works on your systems.

[Philippe Hurbain]

Seems to work fine. Possible improvements:

• the 3 sort methods are mutually exclusive, using radio buttons instead of checkboxes would be better
  
• the checkboxes in front of "strip leading characters..." and "hide description starting..." don't seem very useful since they light up when you start typing in the character boxes, and unchecking doesn't remove the option (you have to clear the character box for that).
  

[Willy Tschager]

Mike,

many thanks! I'd add to Philo's list a Cancel button.

The odd thing is that MLCad apparently does read something else or doesn't read the Parts.lst at all. I sorted by "Description" with the pattern last, but in MLCad all the patterned 1x1 bricks are grouped at the very top with the non-patterned version.

The virtual folder in C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86) has been deleted.

w.

[Michael Heidemann]

I'd add to Philo's list a Cancel button.

Ok, Cancel or Close button is no problem to shut the GUI. If you like to have LDMakeList stopped, please let me know.

The odd thing is that MLCad apparently does read something else or doesn't read the Parts.lst at all. I sorted by "Description" with the pattern last, but in MLCad all the patterned 1x1 bricks are grouped at the very top with the non-patterned version.

This is out of my scope. Maybe MLCad sorts internally ?

The virtual folder in C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86) has been deleted.

I doubt that this is related with the GUI, as I do not write or read anything from disc.

[Michael Heidemann]

the 3 sort methods are mutually exclusive, using radio buttons instead of checkboxes would be better

You are right and I'll change that, but what happen if you use all those on the command line? What sort will be done ? The first or the last?

the checkboxes in front of "strip leading characters..." and "hide description starting..." don't seem very useful since they light up when you start typing in the character boxes, and unchecking doesn't remove the option (you have to clear the character box for that)

It should remove the option - that was my plan and I am sure I tested it. Will be fixed in any way.

[Tim Gould]

Ok, Cancel or Close button is no problem to shut the GUI. If you like to have LDMakeList stopped, please let me know.

I do not recommend stopping LDMakeList halfway through. It might destroy Parts.lst

You are right and I'll change that, but what happen if you use all those on the command line? What sort will be done ? The first or the last?

If you select multiple sort options it will use the last one.

Tim

[Michael Heidemann]

Hopefully all mentioned issues are solved.

[Michael Heidemann]

Thanks for clearifying the options question.

The just uploaded build should avoid this as i used option buttons like Philo suggested.

[Michael Heidemann]

I got no feedback so far.

My question now:
1) Has anybody used it with success ?
2) Has anybody problems / errors with this GUI?

A little feedback would be great, so I can close this and focus on other things.
Thanks for your comments.

[Tim Gould]

Sorry. It seemed to work fine for me Windows 7 64bit

Tim

[Rolf Osterthun]

Hey,

my "LDraw-VM" has installed the .NET Framework 3.5SP1 only. I gave it a try but the .NET Framework 4.0 is required. So I can not give you a feedback curretly, sorry.

Rolf

[Michael Heidemann]

Thank you very much for this feedback.
I'll see if I could switch to 3.5 which I normally use.

It was no problem to switch to 3.5 as nothing special is used.

[Michael Heidemann]

Thank for your feedback.
If you change anything to the parameters please let me know, so i can adjust this tool as well.

[Rolf Osterthun]

Ah, thank you. I will give it a try. Would it also be possible to downgrade LETGUI and DATHeader? ;-) No, its my fault. I am not up to date (at least not in my VM...)

Rolf

[Michael Heidemann]

I am not sure. There must have been a reason why I switched to 4.0.
Maybe it's easier to update your VM

[Rolf Osterthun]

Hey Michael,

it works fine now (after I installed LDMakeList, too). (Win XP 32Bit)

Thanks Rolf

[Michael Heidemann]

Thanks Rolf, glad to hear that.

[Magnus Forsberg]

It work fine on my machine, Win7 64.

I have some questions though, which may not be related to the gui.

What's the point of having both "Include Unofficial part directory" and "Include official parts only"?
What will happen if I tick both?

What will the "Remove duplicate entries" do?
Remove is such a strong word. Do I dare using it?

I don't understand what the "Sort by Description (Patterns at end)" is trying to do.
Why isn't all patterned parts moved to the end of the file? It seams to gather all files with a "p" in the filename instead.

Who, or what program, wants to have the patterned parts moved to the end?
MLCad doesn't care. It seams to do its own sorting, regardless of the order in "parts.lst".

[Tim Gould]

What's the point of having both "Include Unofficial part directory" and "Include official parts only"?
What will happen if I tick both?

Some people (like me) have their unofficial parts in the official folder. Others may have official parts in the unofficial parts folder. One option includes additional directories, the other eliminates parts based on their status metatag. They are not the same, and are indirectly a result of LDraw having different systems nominating "officialdom".

Selecting both options will include all official parts in your main, and unofficial parts folders, and include zero unofficial parts.

What will the "Remove duplicate entries" do?
Remove is such a strong word. Do I dare using it?

Probably "exclude" is the better word. Will change that in the next release. No parts will be harmed while using this option

I don't understand what the "Sort by Description (Patterns at end)" is trying to do.
Why isn't all patterned parts moved to the end of the file? It seams to gather all files with a "p" in the filename instead.

Who, or what program, wants to have the patterned parts moved to the end?
MLCad doesn't care. It seams to do its own sorting, regardless of the order in "parts.lst".

I think I added that option for MLCad's benefit. If MLCad will ignore it, then it has little use. But it does (or at least approximates) what it says on the box, so I'll leave it in for the time being. The benefit of options is that they're optional

Tim