Templot Club Archive 2007-2020                             

topic: 141Add a .box file reference when printing
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posted: 25 Aug 2007 10:52

from:

Peter Salathiel
 
Bangkok - Thailand

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Hi Martin,

I admit I am not a methodical worker but I just can't figure out the best way to keep my Templot .box files. My problem is that I "name" a printout, so that I know where it came from, but then forget to change it on the next printing. :(

The only way that I can keep track of things is to move my "project name" AFTER the Templot time stamp. In other words all my Templot .box files are now identifed, and arranged in order chronoogically.

A couple of questions:

1) What is the recommended method of keeping track of printouts and their associated .box files. I think I know the answer but it is all to easy to click "print" and finish up with the wrong name.

2) Any chance of making the default printout name the time stamp of the file?

I admit that this problem occurs because I am using Templot (probably incorrectly) for a 12 module layout. I have thought about using one file per module but the linking of the trackwork defeats me. So I have the whole layout on my .box file, and constantly revise this (as I find out new things eg. minimum radius) 

Best Regards

Peter

posted: 26 Aug 2007 03:17

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Peter Salathiel wrote:
The only way that I can keep track of things is to move my "project name" AFTER the Templot time stamp. In other words all my Templot .box files are now identified, and arranged in order chronologically.
Hi Peter,

Sorry, I'm not too clear what you are trying to do. :?

Bear in mind that the suggested file name from Templot is just that -- a suggestion. You don't have to accept it, you can edit it or change it to whatever you want.

Regardless of what you call it, Windows will put all your files in chronological order for you. Here's a short animation showing that, to reload the most recent file:

file_reload_ani.giffile_reload_ani.gif

I will waffle on a greater length in a separate reply shortly.

regards,

Martin.

posted: 26 Aug 2007 07:56

from:

Peter Salathiel
 
Bangkok - Thailand

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Hi Martin,

Sorry, I didn't explain that very well.

I have one project, a layout with 12 modules, all together in one .box file.    I work on one or two modules at a time, then make a print out of the relevant pages.  I would like the name on the printout to co-incide with the saved filename.

Unfortunately I keep pressing the Print button before remembering to rename the project and/or resave the file so I finish up with printouts that don't have a file with the same name that I can refer back to.  Do you have any tips to help me remember?

posted: 27 Aug 2007 05:08

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Peter Salathiel wrote:
I have one project, a layout with 12 modules, all together in one .box file. I work on one or two modules at a time, then make a print out of the relevant pages. I would like the name on the printout to co-incide with the saved filename.

Unfortunately I keep pressing the Print button before remembering to rename the project and/or resave the file so I finish up with printouts that don't have a file with the same name that I can refer back to.  Do you have any tips to help me remember?
Hi Peter,

Hmm.

Templot doesn't use the Windows document model. That means that Templot doesn't know anything about a filename when you are printing.

You can load templates from as many different .box files as you wish into the storage box (and hence onto the pad). And you can choose which of them and how many to save to a .box file at any time. That means that there is never a filename representing the current storage box contents or pad drawing. A printed page could contain all or part of several different templates which have been loaded from or saved to several different files.

All this means that if you look at a template page which was printed some time ago, it can be quite difficult to know immediately which .box file contains the data. It's likely that several of them do. However, all printed pages display the date and time they were printed. The Windows search function can quickly list all .box files modified on the same day. Looking for the ones in the list saved just before or just after the time on the printed page is a starting point. Although of course you may have been printing from an earlier file reloaded for that purpose only.

Furthermore, the .box file is not a graphics format -- it doesn't actually contain any templates at all. Only the design specifications for them. What actually appears on the pad as a result (and gets printed) is determined by the generator settings currently in force (for the control template), or which were in force when a background template was last copied to the pad or rebuilt.

I can add an option on the print pages dialog to enter a title or reference string to be used on the print instead of, or as as suffix to, the current box title. This should make it easier to identify the pages later, and if you remember to use that string in the filename when saving, to find that file again.

But the simplest solution is to do as I do -- as a page comes off the printer, if it is deemed to be ok for use, I write some notes on it about where it fits in the scheme of things and any special settings used. Such notes could of course be entered into Templot beforehand, but then you would have two big problems -- a) remembering to do it, but more importantly b) for Templot to work out where on the page to print it so that it doesn't interfere with the drawing detail. That's one of those things which takes hardly a moment's thought for a human brain, but is a major task for a computer given all the possible variables.

regards,

Martin.

posted: 27 Aug 2007 06:40

from:

Peter Salathiel
 
Bangkok - Thailand

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Martin Wynne wrote:
I can add an option on the print pages dialog to enter a title or reference string to be used on the print instead of, or as as suffix to, the current box title. This should make it easier to identify the pages later, and if you remember to use that string in the filename when saving, to find that file again.
But the simplest solution is to do as I do -- as a page comes off the printer, if it is deemed to be ok for use, I write some notes on it about where it fits in the scheme of things and any special settings used.
Hi Martin,

Many thanks for the explanation. If it's simple to do, adding an option on the print pages dialog box would be very handy. At least it would remind me to enter a name for the printout!

In your current practice, where do you write the note? On the printout itself? If so, don't you lose them when you trim the template? 

Best Regards

Peter

posted: 27 Aug 2007 19:13

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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Hi Peter,

As a result of this discussion I'm minded to add an option when printing background templates. To save a .box data file (and possibly also a .bgs file) automatically before printing begins. The path and file name could then be shown on the printed page, with a guarantee that the referenced file contains the templates being printed. Probably such automatically saved files should go in their own folder, called AS-PRINTED or some such, but otherwise they would be normal .box files which could be reloaded like any other if needed.

(This option can't apply when printing only the control template, because it's not included in .box files.)

Thoughts, anyone? The question I'm undecided about is whether such an option should be on or off by default.

Also, "print entire pad" is a confusing menu entry, since you are immediately asked which pages to print. :?  This part of the menu needs a re-think.
In your current practice, where do you write the note? On the printout itself? If so, don't you lose them when you trim the template?
I confess that I don't regard Templot printouts as works of art, and tend to scribble notes on them anywhere. They are working tools in creating your railway, after all. In cases where the printout is for display purposes I sometimes write notes on the back instead.

regards,

Martin.

posted: 28 Aug 2007 23:56

from:

Peter Salathiel
 
Bangkok - Thailand

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Martin Wynne wrote:
As a result of this discussion I'm minded to add an option when printing background templates. To save a .box data file (and possibly also a .bgs file) automatically before printing begins.

Also, "print entire pad" is a confusing menu entry, since you are immediately asked which pages to print.

Hi Martin,

Automatic saving of .box file print outs in a seperate folder would be great. Either on or off by default would be fine, although due to ageing memory I would prefer on by default.

I have never found the "print entire pad" menu entry confusing. It is often easier to use than creating a group to print and it does lead to an invaluable option to print out a page map. However maybe simply "print pad"  would eliminate any confusion?

Best Regards

Peter

 

 



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