Changelog

Version 22.07

• Periodic update.

Version 22.06

• Periodic update.

Version 22.05

• Periodic update.

Version 22.04

• Periodic update.

Version 22.03

• Periodic update.

Version 22.02

• Periodic update.

Version 22.01

• Periodic update.

Version 21.12

• Periodic update.

Version 21.11

• Periodic update.

Version 21.10

Features:

• Enhance “Copy Curve Data” options.

Development:

• None.

Version 21.09

Features:

• Bug fixed at the import function of the dimensional synthesis.

Development:

• Support MSVC 1929.

Version 21.08

• Periodic update.

Version 21.07

• Periodic update.

Version 21.06

Features:

• Add four-bar linkage generating function.

Development:

• Pyslvs-UI become a setup.cfg only package. (https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/setuptools.html#setup-cfg-only-projects)
• Warning for different kernel version instead of raising error.

Version 21.05

• Periodic update.

Version 21.04

Features:

• Add PSO method for optimization.

Development:

• None.

Version 21.03

Features:

• Documentation improvement.

Development:

• None.

Version 21.02

Features:

• UI improvement. (Menu and functions)
• Display the callback time of the objective function.
• Add a function for plotting normalized path.

Development:

• Dropped Qt RCC support.
• Dropped the support of Python 3.7.
  • Start using TypedDict typing.
  • Use importlib.metadata.
  • Use assignment expression.
• Create a hook for PyInstaller.
• Rename scripts.

Version 21.01

Features:

• Remove HDF5 format support.

Development:

• Remove H5Py requirement.
• Support PEP 517. (#42)
• Remove entry point.
• Remove submodule.
• Remove Makefile.

Version 20.12

Features:

• Fix joint merging function. (#43)
• Fix infinity loop of solver. (#44)
• Add pickle format. (#45)
• Enhance “Remove empty links” function. (“Remove redundant links”)

Development:

• None.

Version 20.11

Features:

• Fix the error caused by hanging slider joint. (#41)
• Fix slider input function. (#40)

Development:

• Support Python 3.9.
• Remove psutil requirement.
• Remove Windows testing on Travis CI.

Version 20.10

Features:

• Improve performance of meta-heuristic algorithms.
• New solver backend.

Development:

• Unify “true” and “false” to lowercase in docstring.
• Use “isinstance” instead of “type” for checking types.
• Test suite enhancement.
• Parallelism synthesis.

Known issue:

• Slider input is not finished yet.

Version 20.09

Development:

• This version has been skipped.

Version 20.08

Features:

• Fix the error of Yaml dumper.
• Change the definition of Path Signature: The mapping of stroke and curvature.

Development:

• Raise NotImplementedError instead of ellipse on abstract methods.

Version 20.07

Features:

• Fix canvas selection and display error.
• Generate calculation script after parser script. (#35)
• Support parallel linkage. (#36)
• Skip auto preview paths when saving file.
• Implement plotting function for slider paths.
• Implement final vector animation.
• Remove wavelet function.
• Add extra curve fitting function powered by SciPy.
• Some corrections of the main canvas.

Development:

• Extra SciPy requirement.
• Remove unessential __all__ list.

Version 20.06

Features:

• Polar plotting function and joint viewer.
• Animation function for the paths of inputs page.
• “Append path” function for the path of dimensional synthesis page.
• Remove deprecated “show solutions” buttons.
• Fix GUI crash on AppImage. (#34)

Development:

• Support MSVC versions 1910~1916 and 1920~1926.
• Improvement of UI and QRC file generating.
• Annotated object attributes are placed in class definition uniformly instead of method blocks.
• Use immutable “Mapping” replace “Dict” when no need to change the content.

Version 20.05

Features:

• Remove context menu of record list. The functions replaced with buttons.
• Support incomplete path works with derivative function.

Development:

• Make “python-solvespace” as an extra requirement.
• Remove “return none” annotation from all typing.

Version 20.04

Features:

• Fix relocate function and increase accuracy of its spinbox.
• The zoom bar has been isolated.
• Add grid mode toggle button at the main window.
• Remove not useful functions.
• Add “report issue” action on the main menubar.
• UI improvement for “inputs” page.

Development:

• Use Matplotlib instead of PyQtChart.
• Fix the error of auto preview path.
• Fix the bug of topological algorithm. (#33)

Version 20.03

Features:

• Dimensional synthesis result preview:
  • Add path comparison page.
  • Support monochrome mode.
• Change color of target path.
• More clearer command line interface.
• Fix incorrect “new link” conditions.
• Add ordered simples option of planar linkage synthesis.

Development:

• New graph searching method for polygon link from kernel.
• Remove docstring gap between class definition.
• Remove one instance limit.

Version 20.02

Features:

• Fix file loader error during loading algorithm results.
• Fix the touching area of target point moving.
• Improve load target path function.
• “Shape only” synthesis mode.
• DWT synthesis mode. (alpha)

Development:

• Renamed enum constant as uppercase.
• Change Makefile command name:
  • For package: suffix pack.
    • build change to pack
    • clean change to clean-pack
    • test change to test-pack
  • For kernel: no suffix.
    • build-kernel change to build
    • clean-kernel change to clean
    • test-kernel change to test
  • The default command all change to build only. Use make test-pack instead of make.
• Rewrite and fix file loader.
• Use “apimd” module to generate the API doc.
  • New Makefile command “doc”.

Version 20.01

Features:

• “Relocate” dialog options for editing point position.
• Fix commas error of expression table on GUI.
• Fix “Add Point” action on menu bar.
• UI contraction of synthesis panels.

Development:

• Create QRotatableView API.
• Fix dependencies compatibility.
• Add utility modules for entities dialogs.

Version 19.12

Features:

• Fix the bug of synthesizing assortment.

Development:

• None.

Version 19.11

Features:

• UI adjustments.
• Zooming:
  • Redesign zoom button.
  • Correction of zoom value.
  • Add “default zoom value” option.
• Add “reduce” function for synthesis target path.
• Ensure close the QThread before accept the dialog.
• Remove the QMutex lock, which caused crash on Windows platform.
• Improve the pattern of path file format.
• Add “save path” function.
• Allow multiple cased file suffix.
• Add TLBO Algorithm.

Development:

• Remove “*.run” file from macOS releases.
• Projects are not backward compatible:
  • All setting keys turn into lowercase.
• Correction of the random seed in Cython module.
• Several kernel API changes.

Version 19.10

Features:

• Show the degree code on graphs.
• Pyslvs can only start one instance.
• Add “points alignment” function. (#21)
• Add “navigation toolbar position” option.
• Add “auto remove empty links after deleted points” option. (#23)
• Move background option into project file. (#26)
• The background image can be set by dragging in.
• Consider the background when zoom to fit.
• Show the current mechanism in the overview dialog. (#25)
• Support Solvespace 3.x format. (#28)
• Replace term “workbook” into “project”.
• Improvement of reading path from Excel projects.

Development:

• Change the term “nodes” to “vertices”.
• Create main window using new static method.
• Remove core namespace.
• Move icons folder into pyslvs_ui/icons.
• Replace *-pyslvs command with *-kernel in Makefile.
• Dependents:
  • Treat python-solvespace as normal module.
  • Moved depend/pyslvs into pyslvs.
• Refactor main_canvas to canvas.
• Add PyInstaller recipe instead of Makefile.
• Add MyPy checking to GitHub workflow.
• Support PEP 561.

Version 19.09

Features:

• Provided PyPI install approach.
  • Install Pyslvs-UI with “pip install pyslvs-ui” command.
  • Use “pyslvs” command line script or “python -m pyslvs_ui” to startup.
• “Project” page:
  • Replaced database functions with YAML.
  • Integrated “Project overview” and “Mechanism expression” button.
  • Move “export” and “import” functions to project page.
  • “History” page has been merged in this page.
• Provided new file format “HDF5” as binary format.
• Discard “MySQL” file format.
• YAML format has been changed.
• User options:
  • Separate out “preferences” page as dialog.
  • Add “open actions” setting for the opening macros.
  • Add “file type” setting for YAML and HDF5 saving.
  • Add “Tick mark” setting for main canvas.
  • Add “Transparent background when capturing” setting for main canvas.
• Use star sign as unsaved mark.
• Show multiple joint with multiple circles.
• Logical correction of checking update.
• Selection mode can be scrolled infinitely.
• Fix a solver bug of the stop button on inputs page.
• Fix the error of path context menu.

Development:

• Remove pre-build requirement of Linux platform.
• Use QtPy as Qt switcher, use qt_patch instead of QtModules.
• Add return None annotations.
• Peewee module requirement is removed.
• Separate out the abstract methods of main window base into main_abc.
• Show the startup time in none-debug mode.
• Replace “time.time” with “time.perf_counter”.
• platform directory:
  • appimage_recipe.sh has been moved to here.
  • Add Windows patch script set_pycompiler.
• Create GitHub action.

Version 19.08

Features:

• Update API documentation for kernel updated.
• Remake “set link length” operation.
• Generate a QR code for mechanism expression.
• Error and Bugs:
  • Fix the bug of variable list.
  • Fix the bug of switching selection mode.
  • Fix the error of deleting multiple points.
• Improvements of switching selection mode:
  • Changed function key from “Ctrl” to “Shift”.
  • Support horizontal wheel.
  • Changed tooltips from icons to text.
  • Only for “Points” and “Links” tabs.
• Pack actions into a single action when:
  • Deleting multiple points or links.
  • Grounded / ungrounded multiple points.
• Action “Add target point”:
  • It can now be used in link selection mode.
  • It will only appear when there has target path required.
• Add “Remove empty names” operation for link entities.
• Add “Horse leg” example.
• Enhancement of argument parsing.

Development:

• Many core performance improvements.
• Settings correction of AppVeyor.
• Reformat the actions for all of context menus.
• Use pyenv instead of MacPorts in Travis CI.
• Remove USER_MODE option in the Makefile.
• Remove the period after the comment if not too long.

Version 19.07

Features:

• Correction of link length range in dimensional synthesis page.
• Change the behavior of adding points on main canvas.
• Add duplicate function for graph collections page.
• Fix the error of switching structure collections.
• Showing attributes instead doing number synthesis after generalization.
• Documentation update:
  • APIs of kernels.
  • Two major IO formats.
  • Change the format of signatures.
  • Change the theme to “material”.
• Adjust “zoom to fit” action during dimensional synthesis page.

Development:

• Improve Makefile build and clean command of submodules.
• Add backend data instead of UI table items.
• Attributes refactor of file system.
• Submodule import from namespace directly, instead of core.libs module.

Version 19.06

Features:

• Change the list widget of graph atlas into tree widget.
• Add step progress bar at synthesis page.
• UI improvement of synthesis pages.
• Add slides links in documentation.

Development:

• Disable warning about YAML loader.
• Avoid PyQt crashes on exit.

Version 19.05

Features:

• Interface adjustment of menu bar.
• Correction of loop chains.
• Capture image of main canvas before choosing path instead of after chosen.
• Documentation updated:
  • Main functions.
  • API documentation of Python-Solvespace.
• Check cut-links for collections.
• Add “Six bar linkage mechanism” configuration.
• Add progress dialog on contracted link assortment enumeration.
• Nested do loop method for contracted graph enumeration.
  • Speed up performance of searching contracted graphs.
• Add clear assortment button.
• Optimized user experience of free move mode.
• Allow empty links in mechanism expression grammar.
• Fix the crash of restoring a mechanism expression.

Development:

• Save user settings to “~/.pyslvs.ini”, let it can be backup more easily.
• Speed up performance of number synthesis.
• Speed up performance of Cartesian product function.
• Switch synthesis functions into QThreads.
• Add libraries doc for development.
• Type of __version__ is changed to string.
• Core kernels pyslvs, python-solvespace have been changed to PyPA package.

Version 19.04

Features:

• Add basic Readthedocs and MkDocs project for user manual.

Development:

• Contracted graph enumeration algorithm:
  • Speed up performance for searching between link assortment.

Version 19.03

Features:

• Show a progress dialog when loading file or database.
• CAD kernels improvements.
• Performance improvement of algorithms.
• Monochrome mode for mechanism. (Excluding indicators)

Development:

• Remove related import at “core” (root module) to speed up the compile time.
• Remove customized splash class that is used once.
• Update new Cython wrapper of Python-Solvespace.
  • Removed SWIG requirement.
• Removed the support of Eric IDE.
• Basic logging method instead of “print” function.
  • Now Pyslvs will create a log file beside executable.
  • The log file will be delete after generally closed Pyslvs.
• Add startup time record.
• Test the kernels when packing executable.
• Performance improvement if dimensional synthesis algorithm.
• Add code of conduct.

Version 19.02

Features:

• Add single graph saving function for synthesis collection panel.
• UI description improvements.
• Removed “ground enumerate” button of synthesis collection panel.
• Fix the bug of deleting a point is inside the input pairs.
• Fix the bug of limitation option when algorithm option loaded.
• Widget focus behavior correction of tables.
• Fix the bug of saving a YAML project.
• Remove “solution” preview function from preview canvas class.
• Adjustment margin size of preview window.
• Support the “Categories” key of AppImage desktop file.
• Enhancement of “link adjust” function.
• Enhancement of mechanism grammar.
• Set the table headers to auto resize mode.
• Change the merge behavior of synthesis result as add to storage.
• New style selection tip widget instead of QToolTip.
• Solve the memory leak of Qt dialogs.
• Unified the IO encoding of text-based files.

Development:

• Stop support Python 3.6 or below.
• Since become 3.7:
  • Follow the literal type annotation style instead of strings.
  • Recursive import when doing type checking.
  • Generic typing with Qt object is allowed.
• Change the name of all most camelcase methods to lowercase.
• Re-design the inherit method of main window classes.
• Simplified Qt module introduction when imported.
• Rename “signal” and “slot” introduction of PyQt.
• Enhancement of enum types.
• Adjust limitation option of algorithm to “max_gen”, “min_fit” and “max_time”.
• BFGS solver:
  • Fix memory leaked.
  • Reformat the wrapper for more readability.
• Rename the dialog resources as “dialogs”.
• Refactor of all widgets names into underscore lowercase.
• Add generate source function with “generate_source.py”.
• Environment of Visual Studio 2017 version 15.9 supported.

Version 19.01

Development:

• This version has been skipped.

Version 18.12

Features:

• “External loop” layout for atlas of structural synthesis.
• Other layout functions are removed from option.
• Add progress dialog for number synthesis.
• Fix the error of dimensional synthesis.
• Fix the bug of number synthesis when import from mechanism.
• Image background color fixed for structural synthesis atlas.

Development:

• Methods and function naming corrections of Cython libraries.
• Removed NetworkX requirement.
• Two functions are moved to core kernel. (“edges_view” and “graph2vpoints”)
• Add “–platform” argument for Qt plugins.
• Optimization of joint type of “VPoint” class from core kernel.
• Update SHELL variable of Makefile on Windows platform.
• Environment of Visual Studio 2017 version 15.8 supported. (_MSC_VER == 1915)

Version 18.11

Features:

• UI improvement of structural synthesis and collection panel.
  • Record inspected information.
  • Show more attributes of the graph.
  • Add “Find by links” and “Find by contracted links” buttons.
  • Add “Link as node” option in structural collection panel, but the layout is readonly. Auto match graph assortment that came from “mechanism” page.
• Add independent option of contracted link assortment.
• Fix EOF error when loading edge set data from text file.
• Removed unnecessary layout engine option.

Development:

• Replaced all most NetworkX graph type to Pyslvs graph type.
• Removed PyDot requirement.
• Add planar graph checking of atlas algorithm.
• Performance improvements of atlas algorithm (Object creation and function calling).

Version 18.10

Features:

• UI adjustments of “Synthesis” tab pages.
• Adjust options of structural synthesis.
• Remove “time and fitness” data in file format.
• Chart dialog only shows after the algorithm completed.
• Fixed bug in batch function of algorithm tasks.

Development:

• Improvements of “Adesign” kernel.
• Fixed an error caused by DE strategy option.
• High performance improvements of atlas algorithm.

Version 18.09.1

Features:

• Fix “Save as” error on Qt slot.
• New YAML-based file format:
  • Suffix: .pyslvs.yml
  • New text-based format to support version control.

Development:

• Module of important widgets are be moved to __init__.py.
• Fix compiler option error caused by Python (cygwinccompiler.py).
• Adjust all functions and “private” methods name with PEP 8.
• New deploy options of Github releases.

Version 18.09

Features:

• Appearance adjustments of main canvas.
• Add scale mechanism option.
• Change atlas algorithm “cancel” behavior to “skip”:
  • Realized partial searching in atlas algorithm.
  • User can skip and keep partial result at each searching step.
• Add fully support for macOS platform:
  • Standalone executable file compilation.
  • Automatic switch to fusion mode to avoid border too wide.
  • CI testing.
• Add new examples:
  • “Crank slider (Three bar)”
  • “Slider lifter”
• Input variable:
  • Support slider joint.
  • Add filter for variable list.

Development:

• Using abstract class to implement partial methods.
• Redefine solver function of Python-Solvespace.
• Modules are renamed to lower case.
• Add AppVeyor CI support.

Version 18.08

Features:

• Important: File format was changed.
• Add new examples:
  • “Stephenson I”
  • “Watt I”
  • “Watt II”
  • “Lift Tailgate”
  • “Crank lifter”
  • “Inverted slider”
  • “Ten Fold’s levers”
• Selection label function improvement.
• UI and selection mode improvements.
• Add FPS counter.
• Add background settings.
• Add limitation of input mechanism in UI.
• Add command line option to choose specified solver when startup.
• Adjust interface of about dialog.

Development:

• Database module “peewee” rename to “database”.
• Database function improvements.
• All PyQt slots renaming to short names.
• Python version should upgrade to 3.6 or above to support formatted string.

Version 18.07

Features:

• Dimensional synthesis data settings and UI has been changed.
• Input variable settings and UI has been changed.
• New solving kernel “Sketch Solve” in “pyslvs” core library.
• Add new examples:
  • “Stephenson II”
  • “Stephenson III”
• Adjust ask saving message box in “FileWidget” class.

Development:

• Add “Python-Solvespace” kernel as submodule.
• Merge “-w” flag to “-d” flag.
• New format with dimensional synthesis function.
• Example list has been move to “pyslvs” core kernel.
• Change behavior of auto path preview function.

Version 18.06

Features:

• Free move mode:
  • Linkage editing is supported in expression table.
  • Fix the error of angle updating.
• Show the values on expression table.
• Add solution selection mode with expression table.
• Dimensional synthesis function:
  • Re-designed user interface.

Development:

• Update module “dxfwrite” to “ezdxf”.
• Change “Pyslvs” kernel into submodule, including changelog.

Version 18.05

Features:

• Linkage selection mode:
  • New link selection function for both of table widget and main canvas.
  • Using ctrl + mouse wheel can adjust the tab of entities table widget.
• Main canvas:
  • Add cursor tooltips when dragging on main canvas.
  • Center zooming function and option with ‘by cursor’ and ‘by canvas center’.
• Colors:
  • Pyslvs can support custom color by using ‘(R, G, B)’ string.
  • Add color picker in setting interface.
• Solvespace format:
  • Comments will be generate into a new layout in Solvespace format.
  • Simple reading function for *.slvs format (only support R joint).
  • New option to generate part files.
• Path record:
  • Add “copy path” function in path context menu.
  • Path preview function are support P joint.
• New solving kernel option “Pyslvs” as default.
• Add mouse snapping option (default 1 unit).
• Triple ball lifter example.
• Shortcut keys adjustment.
• “Add” command of storage function will not clean the canvas (should do it by self).
• Add “merge linkages” function in link context menu.
• Add virtual model option to change linkages appearance.

Development:

• Expression grammar:
  • New highlight module Pygments, use to support Python and PMKS expression.
  • Now PMKS grammar can support color string, one-line annotations, multiple line and indentations.
• Cython libraries:
  • Pyslvs kernel has been independently.
  • Compile method adjustment.
  • Merge into ‘pyslvs’ folder.
  • Using Python typing for Python functions in Cython libraries.
  • Add Cython header to sharing declarations between libraries.
  • Add new “PXY” function to make solution of P joint.
• Compile:
  • Compile process improvement.
  • Reduce the size while packing AppImage file.
  • Reduce the size of images.
• Solvespace format:
  • Python API for simple 2D sketch IO.
• Modules and objects naming adjustment.
• PyQt version should upgrade to 5.10 or above to support Qt graph methods.

Version 18.04

Features:

• Auto preview path will be shown when input joint has been set.
• Triangular solutions can be show in main canvas when switch to “Expression” table.
• New driver setting mode of triangular iteration.
• Add a spin box for input QDial.
• ‘New link’ functional behavior improvement.
• Pyslvs will save the settings in local, if user let it to do this.

Development:

• Several functional corrections and optimizations.
• PLPP function has been optimized.
• “P0”, “P1”, “P2” letters will be use as expression, instead of “A”, “B”, “C”.
• Main window method was split into sub function at “widget” folder.
• Build process improvements.

Version 18.03:

Features:

• Fix an error caused by wrong grounded linkage.
• Auto configuration function in triangular iteration.
• Backtrack function for the ‘Keep DOF’ option.
• Database will saving the inputs variables settings.
• Inputs variables settings can be support undo function.

Development:

• Script annotations for functions and classes.
• Separate ‘Inputs’ tab widget.
• Cython type checker for Python containers.
• Windows executable file was compiled by Mysys 2.

Version 18.02

Features:

• Dimensional synthesis function has been associated with triangular iteration function.
• Related function about dimensional synthesis has been improved.
  • Loading profile function.
  • Appearance and editing function of target paths.
  • Result operating function.
  • Task target has been added “fitness” and “time” limitation options.
• Preview canvas in triangular iteration has been applied to related interface.
• “New link” function improvement.
• “Zoom to fit” function improvement.
• “Mechanism storage” function improvement.
• Check for updates function.

Development:

• Some improvements about functions and objects.
• Dimensional synthesis dialog move to a new name space.
• Remove unnecessary icons and library source code to make execution size reduction.
• More errors fixed.

Version 18.01

Features:

• Triangular iteration function.
• Collections IO improvements.
• Dimensional synthesis function improvements.
• Some options and interface adjustments.

Development:

• Use __init__.py modules to manage classes and functions.
• Cython kernel of Number synthesis.
• Adjust some modules and classified.

Older Version

Version 0.1.0 to 0.9.0.

Prototype stage was not recorded.

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Last update: July 30, 2022