Software that makes placemats

Organise events to meet up and drink Port.
PhilW
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by PhilW »

When creating the placemats for the Martinez, one problem was encountered. The placemat parameters were essentially vanilla, set up for 18 ports and 14 people, and parsing by ps2pdf.com created the placemats as we used on the night without a problem. During preparation however, I did try several options to enhance the placemats, including enabling of /Rays and (separately) enabling of /ShapesInTitles, however in both cases ps2pdf failed to parse the output, with an "internal error" response from the ps2pdf server (perhaps some form of memory error during processing rather than a postscript parsing or syntactic issue).
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

Ouch!

Making the following changes to the parameters

Code: Select all

/Circlearrays [ 1 1 18 {[ exch 2 string cvs ]} for ] def
/Titles Circlearrays def
/Belowtitles [ Circlearrays length {()} repeat ] def
/Names [
	(JDAW)
] def

/ShapesInTitles true def
/ShapesToUse [/Flower] def  % At least one of: /Flower /Star

/Rays true def
works in Adobe Distiller XI on my Mac
Image Image Image
but not with ps2pdf.com.

Further investigation reveals that ps2pdf.com is having problems, even with the default PostScript file, though it worked with a tiny PostScript program. A question has been asked of the webmaster.
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by PhilW »

jdaw1 wrote:Further investigation reveals that ps2pdf.com is having problems, even with the default PostScript file, though it worked with a tiny PostScript program. A question has been asked of the webmaster.
In case of relevance, my placemats were based on an older version containing "% This version as of 23:00 Saturday 10th May 2014".
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

PhilW wrote:In case of relevance, my placemats were based on an older version containing "% This version as of 23:00 Saturday 10th May 2014".
Shouldn’t be relevant, but please always use the latest: new versions fix bugs, add features, and improve default settings.

I do want to find the problem with ps2pdf.com, but somebody with geeky computer skills could install his own GhostScript.
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

The default venue in the placemat code has become the Boot & Flogger. From the definition of ExternalLinks:

Code: Select all

	(http://www.davy.co.uk/bootandflogger/)  (Boot & Flogger)
	(http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=532409&y=180083&z=106&pc=SE1+1TA)  (SE1 1TA, streetmap.co.uk)
	(https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?z=20&t=k&layer=c&cbll=51.50428,-0.0935&cbp=11,260,,0,0)  (SE1 1TA, maps.google.co.uk)
	(http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?where1=SE1+1TA&cp=51.50428~-0.0935)  (SE1 1TA, bing.com)
Those links in BBcode: • Boot & Flogger; • SE1 1TA, streetmap.co.uk; • SE1 1TA, maps.google.co.uk; • SE1 1TA, bing.com.
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

The current draft of the placemats for the 1970s on Monday 22nd December 2014 has BackgroundTextsGlasses as true, with BackgroundTextsGlassesTexts containing “B+F”. And TastingNotesCirclesBehind is also true.

So the TN sheets have, in effect, two watermarks.

Image

Should the default value of TastingNotesCirclesBehind be changed such that it is false if BackgroundTextsGlasses is true? Comments?
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djewesbury
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by djewesbury »

I like this. It recalls the the intricate designs on a banknote.
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PhilW
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by PhilW »

jdaw1 wrote:Comments?
I think the background text works well on the glasses page, and the circles work well as background on tasting notes pages, but the background text on tasting notes is less visually appealing so I would turn that off; my preference for defaults when background text is present would therefore be:
BackgroundTextsGlasses as true
TastingNotesCirclesBehind as true
but (the perhaps non-existant, currently):
TastingNotesBackgroundTextBehind or BackgroundTextsTastingNotes as false
n.b. note the inconsistency in whether the subset is pre-/post-fixed in the variable naming.
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

Current defaults
/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes BackgroundTextsGlasses def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge and} def
(The IsDistiller bit is because of a set of interlinked bugs in GhostScript and Mac Preview. Don’t ask.)

Phil: which of the following better captures your preference?


/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes false def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge and} def


/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes BackgroundTextsGlasses def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge BackgroundTextsTastingNotes not and and} def

(The original question suggested something like ➋, which is still, just, my preference. But I’m open to persuasion.)


Edit: or

/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge and} def
/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes {BackgroundTextsGlasses TastingNotesCirclesBehind not and} def
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

Question for non-programmers.

If there is a background text on the glasses pages, what should be the default on the TN pages?

0. Both faint circles and background text (as currently happens). If for technical reasons the faint circles can’t appear, then just the background text.

1. The faint circles, but not the background text. If for technical reasons the faint circles can’t appear, nothing.

2. The background text, but not the faint circles.

3. The faint circles, but not the background text. If for technical reasons the faint circles can’t appear, then substitute the background text.
PhilW
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by PhilW »

jdaw1 wrote:Current defaults
/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes BackgroundTextsGlasses def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge and} def
(The IsDistiller bit is because of a set of interlinked bugs in GhostScript and Mac Preview. Don’t ask.)

Phil: which of the following better captures your preference?


/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes false def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge and} def


/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes BackgroundTextsGlasses def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge BackgroundTextsTastingNotes not and and} def

(The original question suggested something like ➋, which is still, just, my preference. But I’m open to persuasion.)


Edit: or

/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge and} def
/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes {BackgroundTextsGlasses TastingNotesCirclesBehind not and} def
/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes false def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge BackgroundTextsTastingNotes not and and} def
PhilW
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by PhilW »

jdaw1 wrote:Question for non-programmers.

If there is a background text on the glasses pages, what should be the default on the TN pages?

0. Both faint circles and background text (as currently happens). If for technical reasons the faint circles can’t appear, then just the background text.

1. The faint circles, but not the background text. If for technical reasons the faint circles can’t appear, nothing.

2. The background text, but not the faint circles.

3. The faint circles, but not the background text. If for technical reasons the faint circles can’t appear, then substitute the background text.
3 (or maybe 1)
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

PhilW wrote:/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes false def
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge BackgroundTextsTastingNotes not and and} def
For non-programmers, equivalent to
jdaw1 wrote:1. The faint circles, but not the background text. If for technical reasons the faint circles can’t appear, nothing.

Hmm. Three people, three different preferences. Not winning.
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djewesbury
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by djewesbury »

That's democracy for you. As I say, I like 0.
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

djewesbury wrote:That's democracy for you.
This is not a democracy. My software; my decision. A vote is not being offered. What is being offered is an opportunity to persuade me, to show me the error(s) of my ways, to guide me to a better course.
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djewesbury
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by djewesbury »

I think what you've done is wonderful. Well done. If this is such an autocracy, why are you dithering so much? I bet Stalin didn't ask people's opinion.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

djewesbury wrote:I think what you've done is wonderful. Well done. If this is such an autocracy, why are you dithering so much? I bet Stalin didn't ask people's opinion.
I believe he did. He would ask people about to be exiled to Siberia whether they thought he was a nice person or not.





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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

A decision with reasoning.

• I believe the two watermarks are too cluttered. Daniel likes it because it “recalls the the intricate designs on a banknote”, but these aren’t banknotes, these are TN sheets on which people are meant to be able to write.

• Phil agrees with having just one, but prefers the circles. Typically BackgroundTextsTastingNotes is false. But if it’s true, it must be true for a reason. Maybe we wanted to add “RP” as light flattery of a visiting dignitary, maybe we had some other motivation. The circles are an elegant echo of the glasses sheet, but seem to be merely decorative (being ingratiating is more important).

So I haven’t been persuaded, and there isn’t a clear-cut consensus suggesting that I’ve made an error.

Decision: the default has now been changed to:
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge BackgroundTextsTastingNotes not and and} def
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by PhilW »

Having read your decision with reasoning, it seemed something was missing; in re-reading your original question, I now see what. A follow-on attempt at persuasion for a slightly different solution:

At the moment, the first variable is /BackgroundTextsTastingNotes which when defined puts text on the back of the glasses page. We then argue about whether this should then override the circles or not on the tasting notes pages.

It would seem to make more sense to me that there should be two variables (naming up to you, below just as example) one defining the text for background use on glasses pages, and one defining text for background use on tasting note pages. This allow them to be different, or the same (using a common variable if wanted), so is more flexible and also more explicit for the user. Thus:

# Code for variables section
/BackgroundTexts false def % replace false here for background text to use on all pages
/BackgroundTextsGlasses BackgroundTexts def % replace false here for background text to use on glasses pages
/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes BackgroundTexts def % replace false here for background text to use on tasting notes pages

# Code for processing section
/TastingNotesCirclesBehind {IsDistiller GlassesNumCopies 1 ge BackgroundTextsTastingNotes not and and} def


I think that would give you the default you desire (changing /BackgroundTextsTastingNotes to a default of false was my preference), while making it much simpler and clearer for the user to modify to obtain desired results, as well as more flexibility.
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

PhilW wrote:It would seem to make more sense to me that there should be two variables
But there are, and have been since long before this discussion. Defaults are (and have been since long before this discussion):
/BackgroundTextsGlasses false def
/BackgroundTextsTastingNotes BackgroundTextsGlasses def

(Bolding for emphasis only.)

So they can be different, though by default BackgroundTextsTastingNotes takes the value of BackgroundTextsGlasses. Your suggestion seems to be very similar, except that you want BackgroundTextsTastingNotes to default to false irrespective of the value of BackgroundTextsGlasses. (But if the glasses pages have an “RP” background then surely both should — at least, that’s what I would want to do.)
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by PhilW »

Thank you for the clarification; in which case we are in overall agreement on structure and approach, with only a minor difference in preference for default; no issue.
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

Daniel discovered that if the Distiller was set to make archive-standard PDFs (ISO 15930-3:2002), Distiller exits with an error and no PDF. Help was received, and the problem fixed.

The solution isn’t cleanly forward-compatible, so other archive standards might need acknowledgement in the code.

As always, please start placemat production by downloading the latest version of the code.
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jdaw1
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by jdaw1 »

jdaw1 wrote:Further investigation reveals that ps2pdf.com is having problems, even with the default PostScript file, though it worked with a tiny PostScript program. A question has been asked of the webmaster.
Still broken. However online2pdf.com/convert-ps-to-pdf seems to work. Failing contrary comment, I’ll soon change the manual page.
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by Glenn E. »

I discovered this brokenness while making placemats for the 1985 horizontal, but somehow came to the conclusion that it was file size related.

Online2pdf does seem to be a fine substitute. It is what I used when I found the problem as well.
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Re: Software that makes placemats

Post by djewesbury »

Does nobody use Distiller?
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