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Subject: 
Re: Backwards Compatibility (Was Calling all Meta-commands)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad.dev
Date: 
Sun, 16 Mar 2003 15:58:30 GMT
Viewed: 
2282 times
  
On Sun, Mar 16, 2003 at 03:53:02PM +0000, Tim Courtney wrote:
I'll make a side note on the { } issue. One of my goals (as Kevin knows) is
to see this software more useable and accessible to general computer users
and even kids in the intermediate level on up. I'd like people to have
access to good quality free CAD software they can understand. Having watched
your average computer user try to familiarize themselves with this, I can
attest that even the concept of hand-editing a file makes them uneasy.
Requiring { } on meta-commands would just add another layer, albeit
perceived, on their part of this system's complexity. Allthough we see them
as characters, they see them as jibberish they don't understand.

Making LDraw accessible to the average computer user is a great thing!
But, as you mentioned yourself - these users won't be editing the files
by hand, they'll be using "good, free CAD software".  So whatever meta
commands they need to add, the software will be adding for them, right?
So Mary Smith could select "Set light value" from a menu in her GUI,
enter some data in a dialog box, and the program would add

0 {LIGHTVALS} 0 1 2 3

I think the fileformat spec should be completely transparent to the
(average) user.  Advance users that edit the files manually already have
to understand the file format, with everything that goes with it.

:)

--
Dan Boger
dan@peeron.com



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Backwards Compatibility (Was Calling all Meta-commands)
 
(...) That's the ideal, but we don't have that right now at this moment :-) A good goal to aspire to, and one I'll certainly be promoting among those who are interested in hearing what I have to say. (...) Sure, understood. I still like the idea of (...) (22 years ago, 16-Mar-03, to lugnet.cad.dev)
  Re: Backwards Compatibility (Was Calling all Meta-commands)
 
(...) True, but that's no reason to have (unnecessary) complications. The computer will understand whatever we set it up to understand. LIGHTVALS, {LIGHTVALS}, 32.6, it's all the same to the silicon. Syntax is for users, beginning or advanced. If we (...) (22 years ago, 22-Mar-03, to lugnet.cad.dev)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Backwards Compatibility (Was Calling all Meta-commands)
 
(...) Yep. (...) Exactly. I'll make a side note on the { } issue. One of my goals (as Kevin knows) is to see this software more useable and accessible to general computer users and even kids in the intermediate level on up. I'd like people to have (...) (22 years ago, 16-Mar-03, to lugnet.cad.dev)

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