> You have to think of LinuxCNC and Machine kit as raw materials that > you use to create a machine controller. There is no way these are > end user facing tools. > > The best example of a product made with these tools is "Path Pilot > > What is needed is an user-facing application along the lines of > path pilot. > > > If MK and LinuxCNC are ever going to "take off" it will need to become > a true "turn key" system.
We may well be headed in that direction eventually. For people who have worked in the Windows world they've probably heard of Delphi (Originally Turbo Pascal for Windows). After a bit of a slump it's seen a resurgence with a model that let's one create one code base with different screen sizes and models to compile for PCs, MACs and Android. A Mac is still required to put it onto an iPhone, iPad or iMAC but the basic code is the same. I've written some small LED light control programs that I have running on both Android phones, tablets and PC. With sliders to change colour and intensity. A different selection in a drop down box and the code compiles for one of those targets. I'm over simplifying this but it really is that easy. Two of the products written in Delphi are Protel 99SE and Altium for PC board design. Oh and that little program called SKYPE. I image now that Microsoft has bought SKYPE that they are working hard to convert it into something slower like Visual C++. Embarcadero has announced that they are going to be adding Linux as a target. Even if they didn't I have simple applications (like graphing a temperature sensor) that runs virtually unchanged on a PC and Pi or Beagle when compiled with Lazarus (like Delphi 5,67) Turning out graphical applications with something like Delphi that makes fast compiled code is very easy. Now that Lazarus is available for the Pi and the Beagle (although it is much slower on the Beagle) the possibility of a common code environment for creating a "turnkey" system is very possible. There will always be room for the specialized LinuxCNC. But I think there needs to be an in-between. John ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
