Hi Ron (or anybody else who might know):
I did some checking with a local print shop to see if they would be able to
print large blueline copys of sundials drawn on DeltaCad. They can, I was
told, if these files are in HPGL-2 or PLT form.
I went to "save as" and these files are not listed as options. Do you know
how to convert DeltaCad files into HPGH-2 or PLT files???
Thanks,
John Carmichael
p.s. Just read your interesting and logical proposal for classifying
sundials. Using your system, how would you name a Singleton-type dial?
>Sara,
>
>I have taken your classification and restructured it into a language called
>Backus-Naur that is used to describe languages, descriptions, sentences,
>etc. I have taken the liberty of adding a few descriptions, but this is
>basically yours. It looks cumbersome but it isn't too bad. It is a way to
>check to see if a sentence belongs to a language, or in our case, does a
>description of a dial have an un ambiguous meaning in our language?
>
>Form of the language:
>
> [] means an optional item
> {} means a required item
> ... means an item can be repeated
> | means is one of many choices
> <> means an item name
> + means this item is assume if nothing is specified
>
>A dial is describe by the following sentence:
>
> SUNDIALS IS [<mobility>] [<location>] [<sun-motion>] [<form>]
>[<historical type>] [<face orientation>]
> [<gnomon type>] [<hours>] [<furniture>] [<correction> ]
>
>where
>
><mobility> is portable | fixed+
><form> is [cannon | compass | floating | polyhedral |
>diptych | magnetic | ring]...
><location> is universal | independent*
><sun-motion> is [hour angle+ | azimuth | altitude]...
><historical type> is Butterfield | Oughtred | Regiomontanus | de Rojas |
>Augsburg
><face orientation> is horizontal+ | vertical | declining | inclining |
>equatorial | polar
><gnomon type> is string | pin | rod | garden+**
><hours> is SHOWING {Babylonian | Italian | local | mean}...
>HOURS
><furniture is WITH {LINES|MARKS} {OF|FOR} {seasons | Dates
>| declension | hours till dark }...
><correction> is CORRECTED FOR {eot | longitude | daylight Savings
>time}...
>
>Notes:
>
>* Independent means there are no adjustments for new locations, universal
>implies adjustments
>** traditional triangle shape of horizontal dials
>+ Default if not mentioned
>
>
>A simple example would be "Sundial" which would mean a fixed hour angle,
>horizontal, garden gnomon dial.
>
>A very complex example would be a "fixed universal azimuth polyhedral
>Butterfield type string dial, SHOWING Babylonian and Italian HOURS, WITH
>LINE OF declension and a MARK FOR my dad's birthday, CORRECTED FOR EOT and
>DST". But that type of dial needs a complex descriptions.
>
>The question then is: Can all descriptions of dials fit into the language
>above, and still produce intelligent sounding names?
>
>I welcome all to test out the descriptions of various dials and see if they
>fit. I'm sure there would have to be some additions and tweaking of
>attributes, but it's a start.
>
>++ron
>
>
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