| ILLUSTRATING SHADOWS focusing on education and interesting practical aspects of sundial design |
| Illustrating Shadows ~ ISBN 0-9765286-8-1 ~ Lib Cong 2005900674 300+ pages of hands on, empirical, geometric, trigonometric, CAD, and spreadsheet dial design with 100 pages of charts, tables, formulae, and lists of useful information THIRD EDITION ~ Table of contents. This edition has expanded tables, more formulae, and more detailed chapters on CAD, vrml. The best book on gnomonics. Much new material. You get a free CD of booklets, spreadsheets, VRML/WRL files, templates, etc with the book. Illustrating More Shadows ~ ISBN 0-9765286-9-X ~ Lib Cong 2006930654 This book continues Illustrating Shadows, and focuses on garden dials using common masonry supplies, clay, and glass, with emphasis on many calendar line techniques, and inclined decliners, while providing details on the use of DeltaCAD programming including the animation of many sheets as parameters vary. Sample here. Get CD here. |
| Book purchase options are here... |
| Email comments or questions to the author at: illustratingshadows at yahoo dot com |
| programming JAVA sundials sun dials |
| MAIN TURBO-CAD FILE PAGE ( vbs macros, notes on programming, and tcw files ) |
| Feb 15, 2008 |
| MAIN PYTHON PAGE (an alternative to JAVA) |
Octave free math system yet programmable... closely compatible with MATLAB from MATHWORKS
(horizontal dial programs)
Compare with SciLab and Euler. Good packages.
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The Octave math system is very powerful in displaying the results of mathematical functions. It is also programmable, but like many other such systems, the documentation is great
once you know it all, but sadly lacking in the real world of human input, practical programming, and usable output. Octave is available from:-
http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/ (which www.octave.org send you to)
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Dial programs in Octave code ~ ~ ~ Download this file which has the notes on how to download Octave, how to load the dial programs, and some pointers. The dial programs work. The
graphical display area aspect ratio is correct. Programs are provided for the h-dial (text only as well as graphic), v-dial, and v-dec dial plates..
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PBE model of programming ~ ~ ~ (programming by example).
This section continues the "PBE" philosophy, namely "Programming By Example". Having started programming in 1966, and having written code for BAL, PL/I, RPG, COBOL, ALGOL,
APL, FORTRAN, C, BASIC, C++, LISP, and for operating systems from mainframe DOS, MFT, MVT, VS1, MVS, GCP (under VM), UNIX, and various PC operating systems, I have become
jaded enough to wade right in and see what works, rather than read several hundred pages of text that mix the language with the object oriented concepts with the development system.
The major problems with current computer languages are:-
1. Manuals and HELP systems are designed for those who already know the system
2. They seldom if ever provide simple programs stipped to bare bones that take input, do something, display graphical output
3. They often have complex build processes, or, very large libraries. Scilab does not, which is in its favor.
So, these web pages are intended to show practical solutions using systems other than the common ones, and to provide a basis for you to develop further. These examples, give you
that leg up.
(horizontal dial programs)
Compare with SciLab and Euler. Good packages.
___________________________________________________________________
The Octave math system is very powerful in displaying the results of mathematical functions. It is also programmable, but like many other such systems, the documentation is great
once you know it all, but sadly lacking in the real world of human input, practical programming, and usable output. Octave is available from:-
http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/ (which www.octave.org send you to)
___________________________________________________________________
Dial programs in Octave code ~ ~ ~ Download this file which has the notes on how to download Octave, how to load the dial programs, and some pointers. The dial programs work. The
graphical display area aspect ratio is correct. Programs are provided for the h-dial (text only as well as graphic), v-dial, and v-dec dial plates..
___________________________________________________________________
PBE model of programming ~ ~ ~ (programming by example).
This section continues the "PBE" philosophy, namely "Programming By Example". Having started programming in 1966, and having written code for BAL, PL/I, RPG, COBOL, ALGOL,
APL, FORTRAN, C, BASIC, C++, LISP, and for operating systems from mainframe DOS, MFT, MVT, VS1, MVS, GCP (under VM), UNIX, and various PC operating systems, I have become
jaded enough to wade right in and see what works, rather than read several hundred pages of text that mix the language with the object oriented concepts with the development system.
The major problems with current computer languages are:-
1. Manuals and HELP systems are designed for those who already know the system
2. They seldom if ever provide simple programs stipped to bare bones that take input, do something, display graphical output
3. They often have complex build processes, or, very large libraries. Scilab does not, which is in its favor.
So, these web pages are intended to show practical solutions using systems other than the common ones, and to provide a basis for you to develop further. These examples, give you
that leg up.