The new zip version has been uploaded (it took two attempts - don't know why) and it's labeled with today's date (Nov 17). I downloaded it, unzipped it, and tested out each application and they all worked. I double-checked the files in the download to make sure they were the correct ones (a paranoia check).
Again, you have to make sure that the top level MDE folder (along with all of the subfolders) ends up unzipped in your C: drive top folder so that the MDE folder is "C:\MDE". There are path links that expect that. I hope to change this download from a zip format (which I do not like) to one that is a more traditional install. The problem is that as others add changes to their own download (add their own calc engines or GUI front end customizations), we can't have an install that deletes or overwrites what is there. I haven't thought much about this, but we will probably need different tools (our own?) for this.
When you try out the programs, keep in mind that the spreadsheet GUI front end program is exactly the same for all calculations: the input appears on the first worksheet (input goes in column 'D') and the results table or grid goes on worksheet two. See the Intro/Install/Use document for a fast start and to find sample input for each calculation. One can customize each GUI frontend, but my hope is to have one version that works for most all calc engines.
In some cases, the generic spreadsheet GUI front end will not work. Rik wants the Hydro program to display the offsets of the hull and to allow editing and display of the shape. That would require a custom GUI frontend - probably. I want to add in generic drawing tools to take advantage of Excel's capabilities, so maybe it's possible to make editing and display a generic capability. However, it might require a separate spreadsheet "form"(?). However, it might be OK to keep the editing and display of the hull (or whatever) separate from the calculations as long as the transition is smooth and quick.
I would also like to have us (?) start defining industry standards (strong recommendations?) about things like hull and compartment definitions. The GHS shape-component-part organization is good, but is incomplete and mixes up fixed geometry with operating condition information, like sounding tube readings and flooded conditions. Marcus Bole at AVEVA sent me a hull/compartment XML definition using polyhedra called CXML, but says that there is no official documentation for it. Life and tools will be a lot better if everyone can use the same format and if we can provide/encourage open software for reading and writing those files. The included Hydro program accepts 4 different offsets file definitions, but my hope is to decide on one format/definition but then provide separate conversion calc engine tools.
There are two issues here. The first is the general idea of the split of GUI and calculations and the second has to do with how the details (GUI and calc engines) work. Separating the GUI from the calculations for one application is very useful, but I think the real "killer app" will be one that shows how we can sequence several calc engine EXE files from different sources - without having the source code of the calculations and without writing a line of GUI code. I want to be able to have open code that can automatically sequence and "wrap" multiple calc engines.
First, we have to muck around with a perhaps annoying prototype.
Steve
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Stephen Hollister
Chief Executive Officer
New Wave Systems Inc
United States
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