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Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:23 pm
by SEAL
Malware you say? Hmm... we recently installed malware in our computer to get rid of a virus. (I think I mentioned it.) I wonder if that's causing the problem?

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:54 pm
by cantab
SEAL wrote:Malware you say? Hmm... we recently installed malware in our computer to get rid of a virus. (I think I mentioned it.) I wonder if that's causing the problem?
You've made a mistake there. You wouldn't install malware, at least not intentionally. You might have installed anti-malware software. The only one I know of that actually uses the phrase "anti-malware" is Malwarebytes.

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 6:23 pm
by SEAL
Yeah that's what I meant. We recently installed anti-malware software. Is that what's causing the problem?

EDIT: Okay, I got it running. As usual I clicked the wrong file. I stink at computers.

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:04 pm
by cantab
Anti-malware software can cause problems. "Personal firewalls" have a bad habit of interfering with software. I've had Norton tell me I was being attacked when I was connecting to my own server on my own LAN. Such firewalls are unnecessary if you have a router.

Anti-virus programs can cause slowdowns and sometimes create false positives.

But good to hear you got PVC Designer running.

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:03 pm
by C-A_99
cantab wrote:Have you tried "XP mode". That's only on Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate. It basically runs XP in a virtual machine, so according to MS it will run anything that ran on XP.
I actually got W7 Professional for that (though the other features like remote access are nice but I haven't gotten to use them yet particularly since the only other computer I need with remote access capability is my laptop which only has Home Premium) and experimented with the virtual machine a bit but its pretty problematic and annoying to use. Basically the VM acts as if it were a clean installation alone by itself, so it needs XP drivers installed for some functuality to work. (PVC designer requires video drivers in particular) However, you're not supposed to run things like that (I heard it won't even take drivers anyway); instead you're supposed to simply install programs on XP and be able to run them in XP mode from your Windows 7 desktop. Except PVC designer isn't installed, it's run alone with its necessary files. After that I just gave up on XP mode. All in all it seems pretty useless unless you can get programs to work without having to install them.

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:47 pm
by SEAL
Hey, I'm just wondering, what's that part that looks like a pipe with a line through it? Me and my brother think it's clear rubber tubing like the 1/4 inch tubing seen on 2L homemades. Am I right? I somehow doubt it, cause it comes in 2 inch. I've never seen 2" rubber tubing before.

EDIT: I guess nobody knows either, huh?

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:16 am
by C-A_99
In another thread somewhere, someone brought up the idea of creating another version of PVC designer, updated with more parts and of course, with wider platform compatibility. Flash or Java would be idea to ensure not only Windows 7 support but also those on Linux and Mac OS's.

In the process of tossing ideas around, I suggested a 3D version of PVC Designer but unfortunately, I lack the skillset to create such a program right now. It may be possible if I hunt the net for open source code that could be use, sort of like a building blocks program. Another option is a 2D PVC designer that can generate side views and manipulate everything in a 3D space, but again, I doubt my coding ability could go anywhere near that far.

Just like the WW FPS I dreamt of earlier (which I put on my friend and the community with more programming skill than me to create), I can't make any guarantees, but I can throw ideas around and still try to do this in my spare time. It would be a good project to improve my programming skills and would produce something useful that I could use myself. I don't like to have to flip on old computers just to use PVC designer, the only program I can think of that I use which doesn't work in Windows 7.

As a starter, the grid would probably be accurate up to 1/16". The imperial system is a real pain but unfortunately I have to stick with it. I don't know if I can support metric, and it's unlikely that I'll be able to setup a grid that can switch between the two units. (Which would be ideal.)

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:52 am
by cantab
Maybe a 2.5 D system would be appropriate, where it lets you overlap parts in the two dimensions given, and has a layer system or a raise/lower function, like in image editors, and can optionally use colouring or shading to indicate the depth. I think that would be a lot easier to use than a full 3D editor.

Re: PVC Designer

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:23 pm
by C-A_99
Well, the real issue is that 3D would be too tedious to create, but if setup properly it'd be just as easy to use as 2D if it's nothing more than a redux of the 2D PVC designer with 3D view movements, controls, and pieces.

I would say that the best approach to this project is to stick with 2D, but create pieces that enable users to create side/top diagrams for their concepts.