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Re: [femm] Suggestions
Dear All,
Can I add my bit - comments here for Dave Graham and Robin.
Keith.
At 21:31 18/06/01 -0700, you wrote:
Hi
Dave,
I have some suggestions that you may
(or may not!) be interested in. These are ideas I have accumulated over
time, using your software. I mention them on this list because I think
they are relatively simple modifications that every user would enjoy.
Some of these ideas have already been mentioned, I realize.
***
When beginning a session in FEMMe, it
is usually desirable to locate the origin of the drawing, at (0,0). Some
automatic indication of the origin would be helpful. Perhaps this could
be a grid point of a different color, or one intersected by a small
cross.
I agree
Can there be a command that sets the origin to something besides (0,0)? This would be useful when rotating or mirroring parts that do not center on the origin; the reference variables wouldn't have to be typed in each time. Perhaps, if a special symbol were chosen to indicate the "origin" (about which things can mirror and rotate), this point could be relocated using the mouse and a command or mode enabling the action?
Not sure I see the point of this.
I've noticed that at different levels of Zoom, in FEMMe, the grid changes its alignment against the sketch of what's to be analyzed. In one level of Zoom, the grid 'lines' may intersect the origin (for example), but then upon zooming in, the origin is somewhere else wrt the grid, perhaps not even coincident with a grid line, perhaps in the middle or the corner of a square. This is sort of disorienting.
Can't say it's ever bothered me.
FEMMe could use scales on the side of the drawing grid, indicating the X or Y coordinates of nodes - that is, numbering the grid like a ruler on two sides. Presently, in FEMMe there is no visual indication of the viewing size or scale. It would be nice to have this option, to engage and hide with the click of a button.
I don't use rulers even in cad programs I much prefer the absolute location figures.
The present indicator of the cursor's X/Y position (at the bottom left hand portion of the FEMMe's window) is printed in small (Arial?) numerals. The resolution I use with this monitor is 1024x768 pixels. This makes the value of the X/Y output in the corner very small, and the (-) that precedes any negative value is almost invisible. I often squint at the monitor at about a 4" distance to make sure I'm not missing something! :)
I use BIG FONTS to fix this although it does mess up the Legend in flux density plots.
Since the "select all" button (to the right of the node, line, arc and materials buttons) only seems to function with the "select" button (bearing the dashed-line rectangle icon, in the Edit Tools category), it would be more expedient if the "select all" mode automatically chose the "select" button. Currently, use of this feature requires a redundant button click. (In this case, the "zoom in" function, with the magnifying glass icon would probably have to override the "select all" button, since it also highlights a user defined rectangle).
I didn't think it was a "select all" button I thought it was a select group.
Would it be easy, or warranted, to give two "select" buttons - one being a "one-use" select (the same as the current one) and the other being a "sticky" select that remains until it is pressed again? Sometimes, selecting many nodes (for example) requires that I press the "select" button quite a number of times.
No it doesn't, just pick the "operate on nodes" button and go round them all with the right mouse button or use the group select and drag a box around the stuff you want to select. This only does Nodes or Lines or Arcs, but you can then hit the space bar and add them to a numbered group.
It would be great to have a "sticky" button.
They are sticky.
Sometimes, as when changing a material specification, it is necessary to press "space" to enter the materials dialog and do the rest of the work with a mouse. Is it possible to create a "space bar" button that doesn't require this extra, and sometimes repetitive action? Maybe it could be tied in with a currently unused click area, perhaps like a right click on any location outside the drawing grid area.
I find the space bar very natural, right hand on the mouse left hand on the space bar it's very quick and simple.
Sometimes, my own omission or some minor detail of a drawing in FEMM results in a very tiny closed area which I didn't intend to exist. Since I haven't defined a material for this errant region, Fkern won't execute, leaving me to hunt for the area that is undefined. A few weeks ago, during a relatively large and complex project I was trying to evaluate, I spent about a half hour searching for the undefined region, which FEMMe had added because of how it adds nodes where lines intersect. The region was practically microscopic, and was difficult to see and zoom in on. I realize it is often a stupid error which leaves an region undefined. Still, it would be helpful if FEMMe could highlight any area it is dissatisfied with, though I'm not sure if this is easily implemented.
I agree with this although it may not be that simple to do.
When "rotation" is selected in Copy or Move functions, it is often desirable to rotate selections 90 or 180 degrees, when drawing most things. It would be very helpful to have radio buttons (like those presently given) near the "degrees" input field for the rotation angle in addition to the keyboard input, which one can click using the mouse to specify "90" or "180" degree rotations. The arc-drawing command could also use these buttons, to specify (still using the mouse) the common arcs of 90, 180, and perhaps 45 degrees. If these values seem arbitrary, then perhaps the input values that the buttons trigger can be user definable (to handle common arcs over an isometric grid, for example, or when designing a rotary device with an odd number of pole projections). That way, the user is spared having to type the same numbers many times.
This could be useful.
The Mirror function was hard for me to understand, as a new user. The "axis of symmetry" input was difficult to visualize, because the labeling was not descriptive. I learned to use this function by trial and error.
I think we've all found out about this by trial and error, but the way Dave does it is very flexible.
In some early FEMM analyses, I labeled drawing components (like nodes and arcs) by group, hoping that I could select and modify them by group. Am I missing something? I have yet found no way to select items by group, and I haven't been able to use the "group" input to any advantage.
Going by what you said about the "select all" button I don't think you've got the group thing right
Finally, with regard to FEMMe, is it possible to provide more than one level of Undo? For instance, I use music software with 999 levels of "undo", which is helpful when you're trying new things. I personally use FEMM in the same way, as a creative tool, where I test ideas. That's why "more undo" would be helpful to me, as well as the other suggestions I am mentioning here.
This might be useful but 999 is a bit much!
When "reloading" or even when opening a file in FEMMview, it is often necessary to specify viewing parameters in lieu of the default values. Over the course of a session in FEMM, or while manipulating numerous views, re-entry of the viewing parameters is necessary dozens of times.
This is an ini thing which we've mentioned to Dave before I think
There are two features which may help simplify this part of the viewing process. First, a dialog which allows the user to pre-set the initial values would be of great use. These variables can include Zoom, bounds for contours and flux density, the number of flux lines, and perhaps even the color scale of the flux density plot. (It would also help, both in FEMMe and in FEMMview, if the four arrows which move the view were user definable, in terms of whether the user wishes them to scroll 1/4, 1/2, or a full screen up, down or sideways. The fixed step size makes these buttons unusable for some work).
In addition to the ability to define the preset values for these functions, it would also be helpful to have a "hold" checkbox in the Zoom, and Bounds input fields which holds their value through successive "reload" or "open" functions - again, so they do not have to be manually reset if the user desires to maintain consistency between views.
Why is it recommended, when using FEMM, to enable 24-bit graphics on your computer? Femm doesn't use 24-bit graphics; in fact, it uses fewer than 16 separate colors in the flux density plot.
You can define the colours at 24-bit level though.
Perhaps some would call this useless appeasement of aesthetic senses, but it would nonetheless be a great thing to me if I could get FEMMview to actually USE the 24-bit graphics, mapping fields with gentle, rainbow-like gradients rather than the present arbitrary graduations in the color scale. This, to me, is a loss of resolution compared to the vision I'd get if I could "see" magnetic fields - which is what I'm using FEMM to do.
If FEMMview were to use the 24-bit graphics it requires, it would be another great thing to be able to define the color spectrum that FEMMview uses in the plot. Presently, FEMMView only uses red, blue and mixes of these two colors. The use of green in the spectrum would increase the visual resolution in the plot, much in the same way that using extra bits increases the resolution of a stored binary number.
You can do this already but I would agree it would be nice to have more steps. I don't think a continuous variation is on though.
Once I close the Femmview Output window, I can't get it back without relaunching FEMMview. Is there a function that restores it?
When you close the window you stop the program, consequently you have to re-start FemmView. Don't close it just minimize it then re-load the answer after each solution.
In FEMMe, you can draw a line and an arc between two nodes. In FEMMview, you are allowed to draw a line between two nodes, to specify the contour for evaluation. Can there be the option for arc contours as well? This would help evaluate just about any device with a round part!
You can do this if you put a fake boundary in the problem then draw the contour along it. You can now make the fake invisible in FemmView.
Lastly, FEMMview could use more options for image output! Using the "copy" feature and pasting into Windows Paint, for example in an attempt to export the image, stretches the image to the size of the drawing page in Paint. Using Alt+PrintScrn to capture the screen includes the buttons, header and padding which don't pertain to the image being analyzed. IF there were options for image output as bitmap and .gif, as two suggestions, I think all FEMM users would appreciate it.
I agree with this .GIF output would be nice. I use Corel to capture and then edit the FemmView window. It's reactively simple, but with Robins new scripting stuff (looks very good to me Robin although I haven't had time yet to try it in anger) the ability to save the window or a region of the window as .gif would be useful.
***
I use FEMM enough that I'd like to send you a donation. I'm a very low-income person, I barely make the bills and the amount can't be very much, but I'd like to send it anyway as a token of my sincere appreciation. Can you give me a mailing address? My personal email is infinitenergy@xxxxxxxxxxx
Dave, it's started again! I wish people would keep offering me money!
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Dr Keith Gregory
Senior Lecturer and Teaching Coordinator
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Loughborough University
Loughborough
Leicestershire UK
LE11 3TU
Phone: +44 (0) 1509 227025 Fax: +44 (0) 1509 227014
Email: k.gregory@xxxxxxxxxxx
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