Cavechat.org

Martin Sluka wrote:

lleblanc wrote:The Therion folks are lucky to have you patrol forums to make sure Therion gets mentioned every time it should (and sometimes shouldn't ;) even if 7 months late…

And? Is it not true? After 7 month as before 7 months?

What is to be true? That I forgot mentioning Therion? It was an example, not meant to be an exhaustive enumeration of possibilities. That Therion is 10 times faster than Illustrator? I have no idea, only doubts...

Isn't implementing the Therion import worth deeming my redemption? ;)

lleblanc wrote:Isn't implementing the Therion import worth deeming my redemption? ;)

You mean the import of therion's surveying data, don't you. Not import of map draw data. Surveying data are very similar to survex. :)

Martin Sluka wrote:

lleblanc wrote:Isn't implementing the Therion import worth deeming my redemption? ;)

You mean the import of therion's surveying data, don't you. Not import of map draw data. Surveying data are very similar to survex. :)

Yes, import of the .th file (raw survey data). Similar to Survex, just more complicated: Survex has every command start with a *, so you can handle only those commands that are relevant to you and skip other lines that start with a *. Therion removed this * (why?), so you have to recognize every possible command, to skip irrelevant ones while not confusing commands with survey data lines starting with a station name. And if Therion adds a new command, I must update my code :(

kevinm wrote:Is anyone else having trouble keeping their Windows 8.1 device connected via Bluetooth to the DistoX2? I get it to pair, and it is connected for a short while, then it disconnects.

I haven't had this problem when the devices remain within range. Of course traveling around a corner or more than 30' away causes the bluetooth connection to drop. I generally manually connect and disconnect (not using the "auto" function). I have to remind the instrument people to just keep going and that I'll reconnect when I need to. The data continues to be stored in the Disto-X regardless. When the devices are paired, the Disto-X won't shut off automatically. It seems to use very little battery power when not taking measurements, so I generally instruct the instrument readers to just leave it on for the entire survey.

No problem so far keeping either an X or X2 connected to Windows 8.1 on a Dell Latitude 10. Maybe there is interference from another Bluetooth device nearby? That said, my Bluetooth keyboard does not cause a problem, nor the nearby laptop with Bluetooth.

kevinm wrote:Is anyone else having trouble keeping their Windows 8.1 device connected via Bluetooth to the DistoX2? I get it to pair, and it is connected for a short while, then it disconnects.

Radiolocation, would you mind checking to see what bluetooth radio you have installed (in the device manager)? I think that is the problem. I've been messing with mine, and now it doesn't even see the DistoX. It sees my phone and speakers, but not the disto!

I have been trying a Asus Vivotab Note 8;

The bluetooth is fine, not had a problem so far,

It claims to come with a professional wacon stylus, well it probably does, but the performance is not good. Even doing a multipoint (something like ever 1cm across the screen) calibrate the point just does not draw where the pen is, to the extent that it is difficult to close windows. When using it in the cave this is made worse by the fact that you draw with your hand in different positions which makes the problem worse. It is usable for drawing, but not as good as the old pda.

Other things: I find the 8" too big, not comfy to hold, and difficult in small passages, a 5 or 6 is probably ideal, but I cannot find one of these (well not at a price I am willing to pay to take caving).
Also Pockettopo probably needs tome changes for use on the larger screens/higher resolution, the icons and colour changers become very small, also trying to select a station for a cross section is difficult (although a better alignment with the stylus is probably the main problem here)

On the plus side, as it is full computer, I can process the data and add it in to Therion (sorry am I allowed to use that name ) so the whole team can see the 3d centreline model within 5mins of getting out of the cave.

Andrew

My Vivotab Note 8 has a different experience. In the middle 90% of my screen I get excellent precision. Along the borders I have some problems with accuracy (up to an eighth of an inch). My workaround is that I move the map to the center of the screen if I'm getting near an edge.

Conversely, I'm getting great results using topodroid on a Hydro Edge android phone, but the capacitive screen makes it an excersize in carefullness to be precise and I have to use the undo button fairly frequently.

1. eBay is full of cheap Panasonic CF-18 and CF-19.

2. Luc, T***'s .th file in base level should be one survey trip with log, comments, stations descriptions, data, etc. Real digital (and human readable) archive of that trip. There are several commands you need. Very easy to recognize.

BTW, Luc, way you don't like T**** so much? With last version you may use right button of mouse to define almost any object and its parameters when you draw a map. And, I'm sorry, it really solves mostly all problems you have and discuss about them here. Seriously.

You have only one time available within your life.

Martin Sluka wrote:2. Luc, T***'s .th file in base level should be one survey trip with log, comments, stations descriptions, data, etc. Real digital (and human readable) archive of that trip. There are several commands you need. Very easy to recognize.

Not sure what you mean by "real digital" but that import is behind me. Yes the TH file is easy to handle, just a a little more complicated than the Survex format it's based upon. I'm currently working on other stuff before releasing version 2.18.

Martin Sluka wrote:BTW, Luc, way you don't like T**** so much? With last version you may use right button of mouse to define almost any object and its parameters when you draw a map. And, I'm sorry, it really solves mostly all problems you have and discuss about them here. Seriously.

I never said I didn't like Therion, let alone "so much". I just regret its authors don't prioritize making the UI intuitive instead of forcing them to learn Unix-like arcane commands in order to "program" (!) their cave. The program is powerful, but not user-friendly, which slows down its success.

lleblanc wrote:The program is powerful, but not user-friendly, which slows down its success.

Thanks

Map editor in last version is much more user friendly because of contextual menu for each object. It is not wysiwyg, I know.

Do you guys (caver.adam, or AndrewA) use a waterproof case for your Vivotab Note 8? If so, I'm assuming it works with the stylus?

Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Cooper-Cases-Wate ... proof+case

Actually, I'm only willing to take my tablet into dry caves. I have an android for wet caves.

I've noticed that the Vivotab has bad accuracy when the pen is at an angle and near the edge of the screen. Apparently this makes it much harder to use without moving your whole arm to keep the pen at a right angle from the screen.

Have you tried a Wacom Pen? I heard they work better than the default pen that comes with the VivoTab.