Hello, I’m here for almost one year now, and as my application is now working, I would like to introduce it to you. It’s my first GTK Application. Last time I coded in C language was 25 years ago, so I’m lacking lots of new techniques and knowledge. I tried to read everything I could but on many GTK topics, it was hard to find simple enough information that I could understand without needing to dig the information hole.
My application purpose is to create a 2d pattern from a 3d model, so that it can be printed/cut/fold by hand or with a machine to be built from paper/cardboard/tissue. I already made such unfolder years ago, first time using OpenJSCAD, then using vanilla JS, and I thought it would be possible to do it on a GUI/C application to make it easier to use.
Here’s a video made to introduce my application to Gnome Community : demo DEPLIEUR pour GNOME - YouTube
I didn’t manage to made the UI as nice as I wanted, for example I didn’t find how to select lines and numbers (rotated) so I put small squares that I could detect, and also I didn’t find how to execute action on hover, I only use click. I didn’t find how to implement a nice drag for the pieces, so to move them you click on one then click outside to move the selected piece from the delta of those clicks. With keyboard shortcuts it’s better as I manages to have each keyboard action of 3 magnitude (normal, big with CTRL, small with ALT).
I’m a little sad that I didn’t find how to make a proper windows installation setup (for my pc it works, but when installed even with the 45 dll and the compiled gsettings file it doesn’t work). I tried to compile from Visual Studio but with no success, even using CMake that I used successfully with the first console version that I made that did only use Cairo. I’m also sad about the fact that even with glArea widget I wasn’t able to have a 3d view, the gears example has the render that I would like to have but it’s code is way to complex for me to understand and reuse it. Apparently I’m missing lightning, but for the moment my application won’t have dynamic 3d view reflecting pieces changes as I planned.
I have a github for that project but it’s not uptodate, as I’m not using Github as it needs, mainly only as a repository, latest version is Release Deplieur Linux v0.8 · gilboonet/Deplieur-C · GitHub
Anyway, this experience is a very positive one for me, and it’s mainly because of the excellent quality of the GTK library and GNOME infrasctructure. SO I thank you all for that.