Error checking?

[thendricks]

Is there a way to process an error instead of a macro failing? For instance, I have a macro command to take an open file, run some alterations, save, and quit. I call it from a line command. I can then create a batch process. Problem is that if a file fails due to a rogue font or other problem, the macro hanges. I want to be able to ignore the errors, or process them, and continue the macro. Any suggestions?

[TimSharp]

Being used to programming in CoCreate's ME10, it looks to me like it would need a new function to trap errors in Isodraw. ME10's on_error function could be inserted in a macro before any part where it might return an error. For example on_error run_another_macro So instead of hanging on the error, the above would do whatever you tell it (run_another_macro). This wouldn't specifically ignore the error and continue on, but it could run a macro that effectively continued on from where the expected error occured. There are so many things in ME10's macro language that are missing in Isodraw and it might be useful to make a list of common things that don't seem to be possible yet in Idodraw and see if they can be built into the language at some point. It would help if there were a wish-list facility that all users could easily detail desired enhancements - I think it would help the development team know what users actually need. Sometimes little functional enhancements rather than whole new feature modules that would benefit the most. I'm amazed that there is no stretch function in Isodraw.

[cschmaehl-disab]

Hi, regarding the wish list you always have the ability to file a call and ask for creating an enhancement request. This will be done and routed accordingly. I was very surprised when I heard users assuming that the requests go to nowhere. In fact every entry is routed and causes awareness. It may take time to be implemented (it could also happen that it cannot be implemented) but it will definitely be on a list of potential candidates for implementation. Promised. regards, Christian

[cschmaehl-disab]

"Tim Sharp" wrote:

... I'm amazed that there is no stretch function in Isodraw.

[TimSharp]

Hi Christian No I mean a standard stretch function as part of Isodraw. The other CAD programs I've used have stretch. It's simple really, you draw a box or irregular shape around any geometry on your drawing and you can then move that box to another location. So far it seems just like the standard move, but with stretch, all the lines to points in your selection stay stuck to the points in the selection and are stretched to the new location. This means that you don't have to stretch each individual line to meet the stuff you've moved as it's done automatically. It looks a bit like the extrude function in Isodraw, but it doesn't copy lines, it just moves and stretches them. Take a vehicle for example. Say that you've drawn it OK but it looks too short. To make it longer at the moment, you select one end of the vehicle and move your selection over, then have to stretch each individual line back along to meet the stuff you've moved. With stretch, the lines that attach to points within your selection are stretched to the new location automatically, so you don't have to work on individual lines.

[cschmaehl-disab]

Hi Tim, got it, thanks. What you can do today is to scale in conjunction with the ctrl key depressed. You pros probably know that already. That stretches, but distorts as well. Probably this is not what you want. Another related topic woud be to select a certain amount of anchor points and drag them away to stretch. This appears to be difficult to implement since elements have to be converted to bezier what would destroy the element specific properties (like the abilities to easily scale an ellipse diameter by changing the value). regards, Christian

[TimSharp]

Yes, I was going to mention that the scale function isn't what's wanted as you often need to keep the proportions of the parts you are stretching, but thought I was going on a bit too much! Would it not be easy to add stretch into Isodraw simply by making it select single end points of lines as well as whole lines so that when items are moved, the lines that are only partially selected stay attached?

[cschmaehl-disab]

Hi Tim, first of all it would be nice to have, no doubt. But as I mentioned in my previous post, it us unfortunately not that easy. Are you shure you want it for lines only? What about bezier, rectangles, threads,...? Of course the thread shall strech but probably additional windings shall appear. When following your example with streching a vehicle, given it is a car, how to stretch the rounded roof? Just thinking out loud and these additinal scenarios came immediately in my mind and I assume there are more. regards, Christian (btw. I see we are off topic)

[TimSharp]

Hi Christian Everything within the selection area would stretch. If you selected part of a bezier, the bezier points inside the selection would move as well. If it distorted the curve, you would draw another one, which is what you'd have to do anyway, but you'd save time in stretching each individual line along to the new position. If this was a problem, perhaps stretch settings could switch off drawn types to be ignored, for example beziers. In practice, you'd select the area to stretch carefully, often with the lasso function to miss bits that don't want to change shape. Is there something different in Isodraw than other car programs that makes a stretch function difficult to implement? I've used 3 CAD programs over the years and they all had a stretch function which was just about the most useful feature. When you look at it logically, a proper stretch function is just an extension of the current feature where you click on the end of a line and can extend or shorten in by moving the cursor, The only thing different really is that stretch allows you to select several end points at once.