PVC Designer

[HBWW]

Assuming we're sticking to 2D, I actually have an idea on how to get this implemented quicker: Get all the parts together in Sketchup and take a 2D screenshot to get all the parts needed. I'd like to use a grid system ideally, but not sure how that would go.

I would most likely try to build a web app at this point (the king of cross-compatibility), but of course, none of this project has ever gotten anywhere yet. It'd be fairly useful though, but in order to get anything done, I should focus on usable bits at a time. I also had other stuff I wanted to work on for running games, but that hasn't gotten anywhere and may not for the time being.

What I need is a simple kills counter app, which I could make work in Android, but I don't know any iOS development, even though it'd be easy if I do it all in HTML/CSS/Javascript-JQuery and use a wrapper view for it.

But oh, those workshop repairs ever beckon me to get them done instead of working on anything on the computer. Plus I have a video to edit.

I really need better free time management.

[SEAL]

I'd really love to see an updated version of this. I haven't been able to use it for a few years, since I switched to Windows 7. Drawing on Paint is just too time-consuming and PVC Designer was actually to scale.

[HBWW]

PVC Designer is rather off, but if people feel it's good enough, I may just rip the images straight out of there for my attempt at re-hashing it. (Although I'd rather get image source from Sketchup PVC fitting models, as I said earlier.)

For those who need proof that this is indeed possible to do as a web app, check out SVG Edit: http://svg-edit.googlecode.com/svn/bran ... ditor.html

No Flash, no gimmicks. Just HTML/CSS/Javascript. The source code may help me out here too.

That said, it's better to talk less and code more, and see if I can actually get this thing to be more than just talk and speculation.

[Drenchenator]

I also think a web app would be the right way to go.

I've been actually looking for a project so that I could learn Javascript. I have previously written some stuff with Javascript, but Javascript has seriously changed since then so I need a project to catch up. While I don't think I could write something like this alone, I certainly could help.

I don't think we should make a straight copy of PVC Designer though. We should definitely add some basic engineering features like accurate dimensions and custom sizing. I've never used PVC Designer before, but if I were to remake it, I'd use a very object-oriented architecture. I'd made each part an object, and have all parts be objects in an array. This would make it easy to query them for features, like what color they are, what sizes they are, and what kind of material they are. I'd also like to see some way to add custom parts if needed.

[HBWW]

I'm feeling that adding too much gets into CAD territory, and the point of PVC Designer was to be able to quickly sketch concepts in the first place instead of using paper. Being in digital format allows for easy sharing and for copy/paste. (Some of you may have noticed me writing "etc" on a paper sketch for an APH. I wish I had a pen tab or something to draw on instead of having to use the old stuff.) At most, I'd give an option to control snap to grid, as well as giving arbitrary pipe lengths, but I'd like to keep things simple and quick to iterate through. I think CAD does a far better job of accurate concepts than I could ever setup. Really, at this point all we need is a good collection of fittings models (barbs, tubing, etc.) for Sketchup and/or other software if we want good accuracy.

Since I haven't done enough OoP, I can't critique that approach that well, although putting everything as an array should make it easy to save and parse a plaintext file, an added bonus.

Javascript indeed has changed quite a bit. Lots of libraries are around to make things easier to write, particularly JQuery. SVG-Edit itself uses a lot of various libraries.

Anyway, once I get started, I will throw something on Google Code or whatever, at least once I have a page of some sort ready.

Edit: Apparently, test-driven Javascript exists... Oh my...

Edit: This is no substitute for a proper designer program, but I uploaded some PVC Designer image references; parts you can just throw into paint and put together.

http://www.mediafire.com/?fqcf6qihw01ifer

[HBWW]

Update: Here's a new all-in-one template. Drag it to your address bar (or long tap and select view image) to see the whole thing, or just save it.

Template.png (18.04 KiB) Viewed 2558 times

Off-site link: http://imgur.com/Z41mAOB

[SEAL]

But it still doesn't work with Windows 7, does it?

[HBWW]

Hence why I made the template, so you can go in MS Paint and build the diagrams without having to boot up XP in an old box, a VM, nor in a dual boot setup.

Unfortunately, I simply have not had the time nor much incentive to make a suitable replacement, so this is all that's left. I have too many projects going on as is. Working on something like this would be good for throwing onto a resume, but the project's simply not catching my interest as other ones are.