ExpoEM North - Templot help

[Martin Wynne]

I'm hoping to be at Expo EM North tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 13th). I can have a tablet computer running Templot with me if anyone would like 10 minutes help with the program.

(And assuming we can find a table and chairs somewhere -- I have not visited this venue before.)

http://www.emgs.org/2-expoem-events/14- ... -2014.html

Please bear in mind that I would also like to see the show. So please no requests to fit Crewe into 4ft x 2ft while-u-wait, or convert a back of an envelope sketch into a finished layout plan on the hoof.

This would be just a few minutes help with using the Templot program.

regards,

Martin.

[Martin Wynne]

A very enjoyable visit to ExpoEM North yesterday. There were many fine layouts on show -- including several which had been planned with Templot.

Many thanks to exhibition manager Derek who produced a table and chairs for me at short notice. I had a pleasant chat with several Templot users, including a long chat with Michael Woolford about his impressive project:

http://85a.co.uk/forum/view_topic.php?i ... forum_id=1

Michael was saying how pleased and impressed he was that Tony Wilkins had so much helped him with this, and that it illustrated the benefit of being a member of the Templot Club forum. That's what we are there for.

My new tablet computer is proving to be much more usable for Templot than I feared, and survived the journey in my rucksack unscathed. A full laptop would have been far too cumbersome. So perhaps I should repeat this "Templot on tour" idea? Scaleforum is only two weeks away.

The train journey home was uneventful and I managed to avoid the disruption in the Birmingham area last night. So all in all a very pleasant day out and many thanks to all involved in staging such a fine show at Urmston.

And with special thanks for the ride on a vintage bus! That's three times this year at different exhibitions, and seems to be becoming a standard feature at the better shows.

Martin.

[Terry Bendall]

So perhaps I should repeat this "Templot on tour" idea? Scaleforum is only two weeks away.

We may be able to arrange for this to happen, if there is sufficient demand. For reasons which will be clarified a little later, we have a need to tweak a few things and when this is done, we may be able to find a space for Matin to use.

If there are some who would like to see this facility, please say so. We do try to meet the requirements of visitors to Scaleforum whenever we can.

Terry Bendall

[Martin Wynne]

Thanks Terry, but please don't go to a lot of trouble. This is just an ad hoc arrangement for anyone who would like a few minutes chat about using Templot. If there is no space in the hall I'm sure we could find somewhere to sit near the refreshment area after the lunchtime rush is over.

I'm hoping to be there on the Saturday, arriving late morning by train/shuttle bus and then staying until the end. But I also want a chance to see the show, so this would be just about using the Templot program itself. Howard Bolton is doing the long discussions about the intricacies of prototype pointwork.

regards,

Martin.

[Guy Rixon]

I for one would be interesting in seeing a few points demonstrated and clarified.

[David Knight]

Templot on a tablet sounds like an interesting concept. What tablet operating systems will support Templot Martin?

Cheers,

David

[Martin Wynne]

Templot on a tablet sounds like an interesting concept. What tablet operating systems will support Templot Martin?

Hi David,

I can't answer that with any certainty because this is my first mobile device.

I don't have any other tablet, smartphone or iThingy to try, and I don't know much about them. I've always been a desktop user -- the only laptop I tried was unbearably slow and I found the keyboard unusable because it was so close to the screen.

The tablet I have now is a Microsoft Surface Pro 3, with a small clip-on keyboard. The great thing is that when I want to use it seriously at home I can remove the keyboard and plug in a proper USB keyboard, with the tablet as the screen set a proper distance above it.

To run Templot you need an x86 processor, which I assume means that tablets based on ARM (RISC) processors and Windows RT can't run Templot, unless they have some x86 emulation mode. Anyone?

The Surface Pro 3 is running normal Windows 8.1 so Templot installs and runs on there just fine without any problems. I assume it would be the same on any other tablet running a full version of Windows.

But you don't have to use Windows for Templot. Given an x86 processor it runs quite well under Linux+Wine, or on Apple/Mac devices under Codeweavers Crossover (which is a Linux/Wine installer for Macs). I don't know if Linux tablets exist, but if so they should run Templot using Wine. Likewise I don't know anything about Apple tablets, but I assume that at least some of them have x86 processors, in which case it should be possible to use Crossover and Templot on them.

I'm sorry this reply is a catalogue of things I don't know.

regards,

Martin.

[John McAleely]

Templot on a tablet sounds like an interesting concept. What tablet operating systems will support Templot Martin?

The tablet I have now is a Microsoft Surface Pro 3, with a small clip-on keyboard. The great thing is that when I want to use it seriously at home I can remove the keyboard and plug in a proper USB keyboard, with the tablet as the screen set a proper distance above it.

I also run templot (occasionally - I don't use it much these days) on a Surface Pro 2.

To run Templot you need an x86 processor, which I assume means that tablets based on ARM (RISC) processors and Windows RT can't run Templot, unless they have some x86 emulation mode. Anyone?

None of the 'Windows RT' tablets (Surface ('not Pro'), one or two others) have an x86 emulation mode, so none will run Templot.

The Surface Pro 3 is running normal Windows 8.1 so Templot installs and runs on there just fine without any problems. I assume it would be the same on any other tablet running a full version of Windows.

But you don't have to use Windows for Templot. Given an x86 processor it runs quite well under Linux+Wine, or on Apple/Mac devices under Codeweavers Crossover (which is a Linux/Wine installer for Macs). I don't know if Linux tablets exist, but if so they should run Templot using Wine. Likewise I don't know anything about Apple tablets, but I assume that at least some of them have x86 processors, in which case it should be possible to use Crossover and Templot on them.

None of the apple tablets (iPads) have x86 processors, and running emulators is something apple frowns on, so there are none available in the Apple Store.

Most 'linux' tablets run on ARMs, and would only have access to seriously slow x86 emulators, so I wouldn't personally try to set one up for Templot. Those that use x86 and a distro which is supported by Wine should work. (I would note that Android tablets can be treated as a subset of linux for this discussion, and one without a well supported version of Wine, although work is progressing...).

[Martin Wynne]

Thanks John.

So it would seem that few tablets have x86 processors (Intel or equivalent) apart from the Surface Pro models, although many small laptops do. I'm not too sure where laptops stop and tablets start.

I note also that some Chromebooks have x86 processors (e.g. Acer C720) and can therefore install a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu -- see:

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-run-b ... hromebook/

Installing Wine in Ubuntu is just a couple of clicks, so you could be up and running Templot on such a low-cost x86 Chromebook at no additional cost (Windows is not needed). Note that I haven't actually tried this -- anyone?

Templot includes a native PDF export, so you could transfer a PDF file somewhere else to print your construction templates.

Martin.

[dave_long]

Dragging this back to the fore, but I've got a Chinese tablet on order. There are a number of cheap(er) high spec tablets making their way out of China which use the current latest Intel Bay trail processor which is a full x86 processor and Win 8.1. Mine's on order and its the Teclast x98 Air 3g http://www.teclast.com/en/zt/X98Air3G/, in reality its a Ipad rip off using android base system loaded with windows but using the Intel chip you get a full win 8.1 and not RT (and if you want to stay trendy you get Android 4.4.x as well on the same tablet). They're not for the feint hearted though as they'll ship in Chinese and QC can be a little hit and miss, but for well under £200 its not a deal breaker.

I'll report back when it arrives seeing how Templot runs.

[Martin Wynne]

I'll report back when it arrives seeing how Templot runs.

Thanks Dave, looking forward to your report.

This site seems to have some very low cost Windows 8.1 tablets, for example: http://digitalplayworld.co.uk/index.php ... era-s.html

I'm not sure how well Windows8.1 will run on that in only 1GB of RAM. The official minimum for 64-bit is 2GB. Anyone tried Templot on one of these?

Martin.

[dave_long]

No problem Martin.
However given the shipping times from China it might be a week or two yet.
Yes I've been reading up on the Win 8.1 tablets from China, there's a lot of talk over windows and 1 or 2 GB ram. Most of them seem to run well with 2gb unless you have really hungry applications.
Watch out though as there can often be some misleading information out there. Talk of 64bit is a little premature. While the Intel Bay trail chip (or some of the series) does have 64bit architecture, so far I have noted that the base system and software is still only 32bit.