Software that makes placemats
Re: Software that makes placemats
As the 1975 horizontal was ending, Tom was calculating the damage. Some people had brought Port, most hadn’t, and there was the cost of the food. Tom looked up from his scribbling and asked that, to help do this, there be an accounting page.
Sure. But what should it be?
Sure. But what should it be?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Something like this perhaps.jdaw1 wrote:As the 1975 horizontal was ending, Tom was calculating the damage. Some people had brought Port, most hadn’t, and there was the cost of the food. Tom looked up from his scribbling and asked that, to help do this, there be an accounting page.
Sure. But what should it be?
The bottles contribution line is completed at the start of the evening, a per person average computed (in this case 41.50), and this is also completed in the bottle cost line. Once the bill arrives, the meal cost per person is completed. Finally the calculation is made column by column for who owes/is owed.
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Re: Software that makes placemats
Something like that would be very helpful - thankyou..
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
Re: Software that makes placemats

But the Accounting page has only a few fields per name, so it seems more natural to have one name per row rather than one name per column, which is the transpose of Mike’s spreadsheet. Objections?
Draft parameters:
Code: Select all
/AccountingNumCopies 1 def
/AccountingTopText (Accounting) def
/AccountingColumnTitles [ % Array of even length, alternately header for group of columns, and array of those columns' headers
[
(Bestowals) [ (Wine) ]
(Costs) [ (Food &c) (Wines) ]
(Settlement) [ (Owes) (Is owed) [(P) /quoteright {-0.08 Kern} (d?)] ]
] def
/AccountingColumnRelativeWidths [ 4 4 4 4 4 1 ] def
/AccountingExtraRows [ () (Total) () ] def
AccountingNumCopies: Inserted following Flash’s suggestion three posts below.
AccountingTopText: must be a parameter to allow non-English possibilities.
AccountingColumnTitles: In the instance in which a group of columns has only one column, the group’s column title should be short: hence “Bestowals” rather than “Contributions”. Do suggest better. Also, should there be a few columns with blank titles? If so, within the groups already present, or in a new blank group?
AccountingColumnRelativeWidths: allows “P’d?” column to ne narrow, holding no more than a tick.
AccountingExtraRows: extra rows under those of the names, to cope with extra people, sub-calculations, changes of mind, &c.
Is this wanted? Is this what is wanted?
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Re: Software that makes placemats
I would suggest it should not be. Several reasons:jdaw1 wrote:As the 1975 horizontal was ending, Tom was calculating the damage. Some people had brought Port, most hadn’t, and there was the cost of the food. Tom looked up from his scribbling and asked that, to help do this, there be an accounting page.
Sure. But what should it be?
- During a tasting is not the best time to do the calculation (note the accuracy of voting summations).
- This is only really relevant for larger tastings where either a large amount of wine comes from a subset of the individuals, or there is significant disparity due to some bringing much older wines. In previous tastings (at least some of those I have organised) some people have been very generous in providing their (significant) contribution either as "if this covers me, I don't want anything more for it" or at very low cost. Such gentlemanly behaviour is appreciated and should not be discouraged (and yes I think group analysis might do so).
- Given such variations, a spreadsheet is more reliable.
- During a tasting is not the best time to do the calculation (I know, I said it already, but it's the most important reason).
Re: Software that makes placemats
Translated into post-tasting speak:PhilW wrote:- During a tasting is not the best time to do the calculation (I know, I said it already, but it's the most important reason).
- doing the calcing-thing not now right. Hey is that bottle empty?
I have no objections, but likely wouldn't use the function. If there are remunerations to be made, I calculate and distribute them prior to the event (and bring a copy with me).
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
I'm not sure it's such a bad thing. I agree this is only really relevant for the bigger tastings with an imbalance in bottle provision - the sheet can be an optional, like many others in the software. It is true that attempting the calculations during, or at the end of the tasting could lead to error, however that is not caused by having a sheet available. It happens because 13 or 14 people are standing around with cash/cards in their hand trying to be helpful and make a fair contribution. Sheet or no sheet, Tom found himself needing to undertake difficult maths at a less that ideal time - the sheet could only have helped I believe! And there is nothing to stop gentlemanly contribution continuing, which is always appreciatedPhilW wrote:I would suggest it should not be. Several reasons:jdaw1 wrote:As the 1975 horizontal was ending, Tom was calculating the damage. Some people had brought Port, most hadn’t, and there was the cost of the food. Tom looked up from his scribbling and asked that, to help do this, there be an accounting page.
Sure. But what should it be?
- During a tasting is not the best time to do the calculation (note the accuracy of voting summations).
- This is only really relevant for larger tastings where either a large amount of wine comes from a subset of the individuals, or there is significant disparity due to some bringing much older wines. In previous tastings (at least some of those I have organised) some people have been very generous in providing their (significant) contribution either as "if this covers me, I don't want anything more for it" or at very low cost. Such gentlemanly behaviour is appreciated and should not be discouraged (and yes I think group analysis might do so).
- Given such variations, a spreadsheet is more reliable.
- During a tasting is not the best time to do the calculation (I know, I said it already, but it's the most important reason).

Re: Software that makes placemats
flash_uk wrote:the sheet can be an optional, like many others in the software.
There would also have to be administrative parameters such as PageOrderingAccounting, and perhaps others.jdaw1, in editing his post four above, wrote:……Code: Select all
/AccountingNumCopies 1 def
AccountingNumCopies: Inserted following Flash’s suggestion three posts below.
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Re: Software that makes placemats
If one has all the numbers to hand in advance, then a computation at a sober moment is preferable, but that's only possible at a minority of events - the food bill is usually variable, and late additions and deletions to the wine list are not uncommon.
A simple computation sheet would therefore assist..
A simple computation sheet would therefore assist..
I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly - W.S. Churchill
Re: Software that makes placemats
Experience tells me that shared costs should be calculated, notified and settled in advance of large structured tastings. If people then decide to bring extras or not show up that is their choice. Ideally the bottles should also be collected in advance to eliminate the problem of late withdrawals or no shows on the day.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: Software that makes placemats
PhilW wrote:… not the best time to do the calculation …
… a spreadsheet is more reliable…
I agree with both of you.DRT wrote:… should …
flash_uk wrote:… optional…
… Sheet or no sheet, Tom found himself needing to undertake difficult maths at a less that ideal time - the sheet could only have helped …
I agree that this is alien to Planet Should, and really belongs on Asteroid Helpful. Which is a yes, partly grudging. Would it be sensible for the default to be that it appears if the length of Names is ≥7?uncle tom wrote:If one has all the numbers to hand in advance, then a computation at a sober moment is preferable, but that's only possible at a minority of events - the food bill is usually variable, and late additions and deletions to the wine list are not uncommon.
A simple computation sheet would therefore assist..
Re: Software that makes placemats
I don't think what appears to have happened to Tom this time should be encouraged.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: Software that makes placemats
Do you believe that the existence of an Accounting sheet on the placemats would materially discourage or disincentivise early administration?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Yes. "I'll sort it out on the night" could become the normal behaviour.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: Software that makes placemats
Why the conditional mood? With very few exceptions†, we do attempt to “sort it out on the night”. It has been suggested that if the Accounting page exists, we would attempt it neither more nor less often — i.e., it would remain “the normal behaviour” — but might be done more accurately.DRT wrote:"I'll sort it out on the night" could become the normal behaviour.
Do you agree with these assertions?
† So far this year, I recall only the 1985 horizontal in which finances were computed in advance. And even those were altered on the night.
Re: Software that makes placemats
Admittedly, I have not been to many tastings recently. Normal behaviour for this part of the organisation appears to have changed. As I am unlikely to organise a major tasting in the foreseeable future my view on the matter is of little or no significance.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: Software that makes placemats
For the verticals, in which a minority of bottles were the majority of the cost, accounting needs more attention. We seem to have been doing horizontals recently.DRT wrote:Admittedly, I have not been to many tastings recently. Normal behaviour for this part of the organisation appears to have changed.
The matter is settled democratically, by a weighted vote, in which my vote is the only one with non-zero weight. Good reasoning is what matters; not whether you will organise a tasting.DRT wrote:As I am unlikely to organise a major tasting in the foreseeable future my view on the matter is of little or no significance.
Re: Software that makes placemats
Please comment:

(Edited to update image.)

(Edited to update image.)
Re: Software that makes placemats
The accounts page looks good to me. Presumably with 4 people at the test tasting, it was not put to use?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Correct. My home printer isn’t happy, and I wanted to see a page — which has resulted in some minor improvements to the aesthetic.flash_uk wrote:Presumably with 4 people at the test tasting, it was not put to use?
Re: Software that makes placemats
How many glasses can sensibly go on one sheet of /USL2 = US Ledger = 17″×11″? This has been discussed on
. As a test Eric Menchen printed this test PDF (which has pages of 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, and 21 glasses), and has posted photographs of glasses on these 17″×11″ pages. Answer: sixteen.

Re: Software that makes placemats
Surely this depends on which style of glasses are used?jdaw1 wrote:How many glasses can sensibly go on one sheet of /USL2 = US Ledger = 17″×11″? This has been discussed on. As a test Eric Menchen printed this test PDF (which has pages of 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, and 21 glasses), and has posted photographs of glasses on these 17″×11″ pages. Answer: sixteen.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: Software that makes placemats
Yes.DRT wrote:Surely this depends on which style of glasses are used?
[url=http://fortheloveofport.com/ftlopforum/viewtopic.php?p=127383#p127383]On :ftlop2014:[/url] Eric Menchen wrote:I used a Schott Zwiesel SIZA Port Wine Glass. I think this the same as an IVDP glass. It has a squared stem with a notch in it. The base diamter is 2¾", whereas the bowl appears to have a maximum diameter of 2½".
Re: Software that makes placemats
The SZ has a larger base than the INAO tasting glass. I have held tastings with both 18 and 20 INAO glasses on /USL2 and it works fine. Examples, in fact, can be seen in Roy's most recent newsletter.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
For the sake of completeness, there is now a /A3 test PDF, with circle sizes as follows.
Code: Select all
On /A3 = 420mm×297mm:
13 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 128.918 pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 3.58″ ≈ 91.0mm
14 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 122.466 pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 3.40″ ≈ 86.4mm
15 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 118.978 pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 3.30″ ≈ 83.9mm
16 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 113.932 pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 3.16″ ≈ 80.4mm
18 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 110.614 pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 3.07″ ≈ 78.0mm
19 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 107.034 pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 2.97″ ≈ 75.5mm
20 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 103.868 pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 2.89″ ≈ 73.3mm
21 glasses ⇒ radius ≈ 98.4921pt ⇒ diameter ≈ 2.74″ ≈ 69.5mm
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Re: Software that makes placemats
Just out of interest, why did you skip 17 and 19?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Because I missed them on /USL2 = 17″×11″. Why did miss them on /USL2? Because they are the same as the +1 pattern, except with a hole for the missing circle.PhilW wrote:Just out of interest, why did you skip 17 and 19?
But now I have checked, that isn’t true of 19 on /A3. The obvious repair has been made to PDF and table in post two above.
/A3 | /USL2 |
![]() | ![]() |
Re: Software that makes placemats
[url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=98381#p98381]Here[/url] jdaw1 wrote:I have explored, and am unable to get any Malayalam script to render using my software. This is being filed under ‘known bugs about which nothing will ever be done’.[url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=98347#p98347]Here[/url] Chris Doty wrote:I had been thinking, given my recent adventures on the subcontinent, that we would be using some form of local script (e.g., http://www.omniglot.com/writing/malayalam.htm)
feel free to explore and revert
[url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=98390#p98390]Here[/url] jdaw1 wrote:Probably. Not tested.[url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=98383#p98383]Here[/url] Chris Doty wrote:is this problem the same across all 345+ languages found on the subcontinent? Can't do Hindi, Kanada, tamil, etc. etc. ?Maybe. But fixing it would be a huge effort, for little gain. India is not a country of Port drinkers, nor a good place to store Port. The greater loss is the inability to handle Japanese. Indeed, for about eight years the manual has said:Chris Doty wrote:That would seem like a pretty huge limitation in your otherwise very malleable and impressive software...JDAW, in [url=http://www.jdawiseman.com/papers/placemat/placemat.html#fonts]the manual[/url], wrote:The program was designed for left-to-right script, and the alphabets successfully used have been Roman (mostly), Greek (occasionally), and Cyrillic (rarely). Users with knowledge of PostScript who are able to assist with testing in other scripts—including right-to-left—are invited to contact the the author, perhaps after reading this request for assistance rendering “泉十段”.
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Re: Software that makes placemats
Could this thread be pinned/stickied or whatever the appropriate term is, so that it sits at the top of the list of threads in this sub-forum, and is easy to locate?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Provided late, but confirmed and verified. http://www.ps2pdf.com will once again convert with /inlinetitles true. Apologies for taking so long to re-test, but alas I have not needed to produce any placemats for a year.jdaw1 wrote:InlineTitles now back to previous true. Instead three different parameters have new starting values:[/small]All now working well and quickly.Code: Select all
/InlineTitlesAttemptMinimiseNumContours {InlineTitlesMaxNumberContours 2 gt IsDistiller and} def /InlineAboveBelowOverAttemptMinimiseNumContours {InlineAbovetitlesMaxNumberContours 2 gt InlineBelowtitlesMaxNumberContours 2 gt InlineOvertitlesMaxNumberContours 2 gt or or IsDistiller and} def /InlinePlaceNamesAttemptMinimiseNumContours {InlineTitlesMaxNumberContours 2 gt IsDistiller and} def
Please verify same.


Note to self: /inlinetitles true yields outline lettering, /inlinetitles false yields solid black lettering.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
And, belatedly, I have realised that less ink is more white is better visibility of colour of wine.Glenn E. wrote:Note to self: /inlinetitles true yields outline lettering, /inlinetitles false yields solid black lettering.
Please post similar acknowledgement in FTLOP thread. Thank you.
Re: Software that makes placemats
Done.jdaw1 wrote:And, belatedly, I have realised that less ink is more white is better visibility of colour of wine.Glenn E. wrote:Note to self: /inlinetitles true yields outline lettering, /inlinetitles false yields solid black lettering.
Please post similar acknowledgement in FTLOP thread. Thank you.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
While working on these placemats (final version here created by Julian) I was admiring the way that the flights are separated and thought of another feature that, while useful, might be difficult to code.
Could the flights be additionally distinguished by shading?
Could the flights be additionally distinguished by shading?
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
Yes, with suitable parameters in the current code. But it would cause wines of similar colour to appear different — methinks not desirable. Instead the regions could be clipped, and ‘shaded’ with patterns both thin and different, as was done for the 1997 horizontal on 16 June 2014. Non-trivial parameters though.Glenn E. wrote:Could the flights be additionally distinguished by shading?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Phil and I discussed the ‘interface’ between a Placemat Wizard and the PostScript (see thread entitled Placemats UI?). FTR, we agreed as follows.
• There will be some parameters that the Wizard changes.
• The Wizard inserts these at the start of the PostScript, above the line containing “move changed parameters”.
• The Wizard then removes those parameters from the setting. Assume the parameter is called Parameter.
◊ Find the line starting with the word (so followed by white space) “/Parameter”. That is the start.
◊ Find the next word “def” that is not preceded on the same line by a “%”. That is the end.
◊ Perhaps replace that with spaces, or with “% Parameter replaced by <Wizardname>”, truncating if necessary, padding with spaces if necessary.
◊ Optionally define two parameters in the following form:
/WizardVersionDateTimeAdobeFormat (D:201604262300) def
/WizardLongName (Wizard for placemat software by …) def
This data will appear in the PDFs log page.
• There will be some parameters that the Wizard changes.
• The Wizard inserts these at the start of the PostScript, above the line containing “move changed parameters”.
• The Wizard then removes those parameters from the setting. Assume the parameter is called Parameter.
◊ Find the line starting with the word (so followed by white space) “/Parameter”. That is the start.
◊ Find the next word “def” that is not preceded on the same line by a “%”. That is the end.
◊ Perhaps replace that with spaces, or with “% Parameter replaced by <Wizardname>”, truncating if necessary, padding with spaces if necessary.
◊ Optionally define two parameters in the following form:
/WizardVersionDateTimeAdobeFormat (D:201604262300) def
/WizardLongName (Wizard for placemat software by …) def
This data will appear in the PDFs log page.
Re: Software that makes placemats
My memory could be faulty, but I believe that there are parameters that depend on other parameters above the insert line.
My assumption, then, is that the wizard cannot modify either the dependers or the dependers, thus limiting the wizard somewhat.
My assumption, then, is that the wizard cannot modify either the dependers or the dependers, thus limiting the wizard somewhat.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
Autocorrect fail via Tapatalk. Second depender should be dependee.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
The parameter dependency tree isn’t a problem.
Assume that, ab initio, C depends on B depends on A. The Wizard then puts B at the start of the file, and assigns it some non-depending value. That wouldn’t disturb A. And C still depends on B, and so refers to the assigned value of B. What harm done?
Assume that, ab initio, C depends on B depends on A. The Wizard then puts B at the start of the file, and assigns it some non-depending value. That wouldn’t disturb A. And C still depends on B, and so refers to the assigned value of B. What harm done?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Recently Glenn told me that several American placemat makers prefers the rows on the glasses pages to go bottom-to-top, rather than the standard top-to-bottom.
This is not my taste, because the glasses pages then go in the opposite direction to the TN pages, but those who enter directly to digital would have no care of that.
Alas bottom-to-top was fiddly, as it had to be entered for each possible glasses layout. That has been simplified: direction can be changed by a single ‘global’ boolean parameter.
This is not my taste, because the glasses pages then go in the opposite direction to the TN pages, but those who enter directly to digital would have no care of that.
Alas bottom-to-top was fiddly, as it had to be entered for each possible glasses layout. That has been simplified: direction can be changed by a single ‘global’ boolean parameter.
(This post also on FTLOP—if discussing please check there for comment.)The manual wrote:PermittedPackingStyles renamed to PackingStyles. Relatedly, the parameters /PackingNestingColumnMajor, /PackingDirectionTopToBottom and /PackingDirectionLeftToRight did exist at the level of an individual item of the parameter now called PackingStyles; there are now ‘global’ parameters of the same name, applicable unless overridden by an individual packing style.
Re: Software that makes placemats

Re: Software that makes placemats
FWLIW, a link to the software thread on JancisRobinson.com.
Re: Software that makes placemats
On my HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus at home, RGB is considerably darker and sharper. Will bring the prints to the next tasting we attend together.
Re: Software that makes placemats
Maybe I'll just check that I got them the right way round.
Re: Software that makes placemats
For the purposes of testing this you could force the software to output CMYK or RGB somewhere on the sheet.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
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