a future Dia package for geometrically precise mathematical figures?
From: josac mac com
To: dia-list gnome org
Subject: a future Dia package for geometrically precise mathematical figures?
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 06:41:56 -0500
Hi --
I have been using pstricks to do geometrical diagrams, and while I love
the precision you get, it
seems to me that there must be some way to make the figures more
easily. The ability to export
dia diagrams as pstricks figures is great, but there is room to grow: I
have in mind adding the
full functionality of pstricks into dia (i.e. a way to specify
everything in coordinates) and in addition
something that pstricks doesn't have, namely a way to fidget with
things using the mouse. A "protractor"
tool is something that is available in some similar programs. Being
able to specify things like the angle
at which two lines or arcs meet or the radius and center of a circle or
arc would be great. Making an extensible
user friendly language for doing geometrical constructions is an even
bigger but potentially more fruitful task:
you can in fact do geometry in pstricks, but it is a royal pain.
How much of this has been done? How much is possible with Dia? Are
there people out there interested
in working on a project like this? Advice or leads and any other
feedback is appreciated.
Joseph A. Corneli