[comp.windows.interviews] more idraw enhancement suggestions

rosen@polar.bu.edu (David B. Rosen) (04/29/91)

Congratulations to the authors of idraw, unidraw, and interviews for
writing some great software.  Here's my list of suggestions for
enhanced capabilities of idraw:

1) Ability to include (and scale/stretch/etc.) arbitrary EPSF/EPSI
files as objects.

2) Ability to use the entire postscript character set in text objects
(not just the bottom 128!).

3) Choose centered, right, or left alignment of text in text objects.
This is mainly for alignment of multiple lines of text
within an object, but would also affect where the text appears in
relation to the place you originally clicked to place it.

4) Subscripts and superscripts within text objects.

5) Ability to mix different fonts and font sizes within a single text
object.

6) Raster objects. (Or does IV3.0 version of idraw already have this?
I think unidraw does, so it should be easy to put it in.)
Import/export in some popular image format(s).

7) Constrained move, like on the mac.  I.e. when you hold down the
shift key during a move, you can move the object horizontally or
vertically, but not both.  (Suggested by Gary Bradski I think.)

--
David B Rosen, Cognitive & Neural Systems         Internet: rosen@cns.bu.edu
Center for Adaptive Systems                  Bitnet: rosen%kenmore AT BUACCA
Boston University.                 UUCP: {harvard,uunet}!bu.edu!bucasb!rosen
"Says who?                  I speak for nobody, except occasionally myself."

kthompso@PTOLEMY.ARC.NASA.GOV (Kevin Thompson) (04/30/91)

In article <12244@ptolemy-ri.ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov> rosen@bucrf3.bu.edu (David B. Rosen) writes:
>Congratulations to the authors of idraw, unidraw, and interviews for
>writing some great software.  Here's my list of suggestions for
>enhanced capabilities of idraw:

I just wanted to put in another vote for 3 of his suggestions, especially the
first two; having a text string with italics in the middle need to be 3
separate objects lined up is a real bear.

>4) Subscripts and superscripts within text objects.
>
>5) Ability to mix different fonts and font sizes within a single text
>object.
>
>7) Constrained move, like on the mac.  I.e. when you hold down the
>shift key during a move, you can move the object horizontally or
>vertically, but not both.  (Suggested by Gary Bradski I think.)

Thanks for idraw though, it's a wonderful program.

Kevin Thompson
--
kthompso@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov     NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA

mrs@MS.SECS.CSUN.EDU (Mike Stump) (04/30/91)

> From: rosen@bucrf3.bu.edu (David B. Rosen)
> Subject: more idraw enhancement suggestions
> Message-Id: <ROSEN.91Apr28215642@polar.bu.edu>
> References: <1991Apr17.125617.19077@ira.uka.de>
> 
> Congratulations to the authors of idraw, unidraw, and interviews for
> writing some great software.  Here's my list of suggestions for
> enhanced capabilities of idraw:
> 
> 2) Ability to use the entire postscript character set in text objects
> (not just the bottom 128!).

Gee, we added this back in 2.5 or 2.6, did they take it out?!
(I guess the switch to Unidraw messed this functionality up!  We
should protest, and get it back, patches anyone?)

I looked thru the Unidraw stuff quickly, but could not find the code to
patch, if someone points out the place where a single keyboard event
goes when text is selected for editing goes, I will provide the patch.

linton@marktwain.rad.sgi.com (Mark Linton) (04/30/91)

In article <9104292109.AA29464@ms.secs.csun.edu>, mrs@MS.SECS.CSUN.EDU (Mike Stump) writes:
|> > From: rosen@bucrf3.bu.edu (David B. Rosen)
|> > Subject: more idraw enhancement suggestions
|> > Message-Id: <ROSEN.91Apr28215642@polar.bu.edu>
|> > References: <1991Apr17.125617.19077@ira.uka.de>
|> > 
|> > Congratulations to the authors of idraw, unidraw, and interviews for
|> > writing some great software.  Here's my list of suggestions for
|> > enhanced capabilities of idraw:
|> > 
|> > 2) Ability to use the entire postscript character set in text objects
|> > (not just the bottom 128!).
|> 
|> Gee, we added this back in 2.5 or 2.6, did they take it out?!
|> (I guess the switch to Unidraw messed this functionality up!  We
|> should protest, and get it back, patches anyone?)
|> 
|> I looked thru the Unidraw stuff quickly, but could not find the code to
|> patch, if someone points out the place where a single keyboard event
|> goes when text is selected for editing goes, I will provide the patch.

8-bit characters should work fine.  lib/IV-X11/xevent.c turns on the 8-bit
when the meta-key is down, so this handling is performed for all applications.

vlis@lurch.stanford.edu (John Vlissides) (04/30/91)

In article <ROSEN.91Apr28215642@polar.bu.edu> rosen@polar.bu.edu (David B. Rosen) writes:

   2) Ability to use the entire postscript character set in text objects
   (not just the bottom 128!).

3.0 idraw is meant to support such characters via the Meta key;
however, there is a bug that prevents this from working consistently.
Below is the patch:

*** /interviews/dist/3.0-beta/iv/src/lib/Unidraw/manips.c	Thu Apr  4 22:46:50 1991
--- src/lib/Unidraw/manips.c	Tue Apr 30 12:03:29 1991
***************
*** 608,614 ****
          case '\015':  if (_multiline) InsertCharacter('\n'); break;
          case '\033':  manipulating = false; break;
          default:
!             if (!iscntrl(c)) {
                  InsertCharacter(c);
              }
              break;
--- 608,614 ----
          case '\015':  if (_multiline) InsertCharacter('\n'); break;
          case '\033':  manipulating = false; break;
          default:
!             if (!iscntrl(c & 0x7f)) {
                  InsertCharacter(c);
              }
              break;

   7) Constrained move, like on the mac.  I.e. when you hold down the
   shift key during a move, you can move the object horizontally or
   vertically, but not both.  (Suggested by Gary Bradski I think.)

This works in 3.0 idraw exactly as you describe.
--
John Vlissides
Computer Systems Lab
Stanford University
vlis@interviews.stanford.edu