On Tue, 12 Mar 2019 17:09:14 -0500, you wrote:
On 3/12/2019 1:28 PM, Harvey White wrote:
<snip>
I have download Lazarus before and tried Delphi a long time ago when
trying to ditch Microsoft. I tried to learn PowerBASIC but it was
confusing.
never tried that one. Basic is not structure enough for me. Things
like C, C++, pascal are structured, and that makes a large difference.
I learned programming on a Commodore 64. Then I moved up to VB. Worked for me. But I understand that stuctured languages are best.
I have edited LUA scripts before and that seems more like
Python. Isn't OpenSCAD Python based?
If that's python, then I know python (now). It has elements of both C
and Pascal, but due to the way they wrote the language, it's a bit odd
in how it behaves and what you can do with it. Highly suggested if
you want to do cases for your projects, though, and have a 3D
printer.
I have watched a few vidoes on OpenSCAD but that will have to wait. Too
many irons in the fire.
The easiest thing to do with that is start to make a box. Two cubes,
one smaller than the other by two wall thicknesses. Offset the
smaller one by one wall thickness in all dimensions. You get a hollow
cube.
From there, you figure out how to make a box top and bottom, how to
lock them together, where to put the holes, etc.
Easiest thing is to (rather seriously) keep it one file and just print
the parts you're interested in. No alignment problems, no size
problems, etc....
Think about it a bit, and it will start to make sense.
I want to get a handle on FreeCAD
but have used Fusion 360.
I rather dislike the subscription model.
But there's really two methods of 3D modeling, one, like OpenScad is
essentially a program that describes the model. With other programs,
you deal in shapes, and don't easily (depends) have control over the
parameters.
Actually FreeCAD is Free and Fusion360 has a hobby license that too is
FREE, if you make less than 6 figures a year with it. I am eligible.? :)
EAGLE has a hobby license, but it's far from the one in Fusion360.
EAGLE is (for me) crippled since my normal maximum boards are 4 x 4
inches and EAGLE does 3 x 4.
EAGLE's hobby licence is if you make ANY money, you're expected to get
the appropriate license.
And I guess Arduino code is C so I have edited
that code before but wouldn't be able to write something from scratch.
Ah, yes, Arduino is C.
There's lots of tutorials out there, though, especially for Arduino.
I really recommend for anyone in college (or not...) that if you're
going to do hardware, that you do some software in addition. (and
vice versa).
Just as you can't really design a good board without knowing what the
circuit is doing, you will find that knowing the software helps you
design better hardware, and knowing the hardware helps you design
better software.
Yes, very good advice. I think all my life I had so many interests I
tries to do them all, but none with focus.
Focus on the task at hand. Interests are like rooms. You go in, and
there's doorways to other rooms, but inside the room is what you need
to do whatever. Depending on how much you do, the room has stuff in
it or not.
When you do what you need, you still know the way back to the room,
but you don't have to keep the room's contents with you.
When you go back to that room, stuff will still be there. You may
have a bit of difficulty finding it at first, but it's there. And for
all you know, there might be a bit more in there leaking in from other
rooms.
I wrote a software program
and sold/sell it as shareware and that was a ride. Spent a good year
getting it good and years later I was still finding bugs in it. My beta
testers were worthless. But that is to be expected when they don't
understand what the software was for. :) They always say, "your
customers are your best beta testers".
When I was writing test specification for industry, I made sure that I
took that document, and asked the supervisor of the test line to help
me find the mistakes. I figured he was much smarter than I in this
department. And yes, *they* were my customers.....
On the other hand, not everybody appreciates being a beta tester....
<grin>
So as you see, the interest has been there but not always the time to
dedicate fully. I even burned some EPROMS in the Commodore 64 days. :)
Interest is good, what you do with it depends on what projects you
want to make, and what with. My first 6502 systems ran from UV PROM.
I still have the UV lamp and (now) the DATAIO programmers to program
them.
Harvey
I think I still have a UV light to erase the EPROM's and may even have
the EPROM burner. I know I sold one but I usually have a spare of just
about everything. I have a bunch of EPROM's too.
Oh, I got the stuff. Spent some money to get it, may never use it,
but it's nice to know if I have to.
Repairing old Tektronix equipment with UVPROMS kinda requires some way
of reading them, programming them, and the like.
Harvey
Thanks
