README
Last updated: $Date: 2006-06-03 04:52:24 -0400 (Sat, 03 Jun 2006) $
This is a quick guide to getting the most out of Varkon and the examples on this site. And I do mean quick.
I just realised how opaque some of the examples are, not to mention that many of them were just banged together to do a quick job, so they're user-unfriendly.
I have to put README files in them so you can figure out how to use them, and so I can remember how to use them.
In my zeal to put up the site, I hadn't gone over the examples with an eye to new users.
This README should help with some of that until I can get to individual apps. I will expand this file into a Varkon User's Guide as soon as I can, but first things first.
ALL EXAMPLES:
I thought I was clever leaving out the *.MBO files in the lib dir for the apps, but I neglected to tell new users how to regenerate them. Brother... You'll get all sorts of errors about 'no such module' or somesuch thing...OK, To recompile all the modules:
o Start the app, and get error messages. Close them.
o In the main Varkon menu, click "mbs", "part", "compile all". In the menu in the drawing window, click "Run".
o Now your app should be OK. If you get a message about a missing RES file, click OK to regenerate it.
o On a Unix box, you can run the "recomp" script I put in the mbs dir of each app. It's generic; you can use it on any app. It will recompile all modules in the mbs dir.
o Some of the stuff in AC_Snoot about navigating in Varkon, and how to get the input dialog box to pop up applies to all the apps. Try to use that until I can post more specific things for each app. Sorry for the inconvenience.
AC_Snoot:
o Once you've installed the tarball package, restart Varkon, and Click AC_Snoot. A window will pop up with projects in it.o Click the project called "Living_Room_Front_Back".
o Click the "Edit-P" on the menu in the drawing window.
o Put the cursor anywhere in the hatched area of the drawing and left-click. A dialog box should pop up saying "Parameters for : Input" near the top. If you get "Parameters for : Plot2Image", click "Cancel", and click "Edit-P" again, etc.
o When the "Paremeters for : Input" box pops up, you can enter values for the various snoot parameters. When you're done, click "OK". The snoot will be redrawn to reflect the new values.
o Click "Auto" in the drawing window menu to recenter the drawing.
o As far as designing a snoot, I've found by experimentation that the outlet opening height should be about 0.75 the inlet height. You can check this by making a snoot with outlet height equal to inlet height. Put your hand over the outlet and see where the airstream really seems to "begin". Use a file folder instead to try occluding the outlet until you get something that seems reasonable. Don't overdo it though; you'll just restrict the airflow. I take no responsibility if you destroy your air conditioner doing this.
o Every time you change a paremeter, or click "Run", a new printout file is generated.
To get a printout, go to the AC_Snoot/doc/plot directory. There should be a PostScript file there called "Snoot_sides.ps". Save a copy somewhere else, because it will be overwritten shortly. This is not a polished app. I hope to fix it up later. You know how that is. :-)
o Once you have everything the way you want it for the snoot profile, go into the mbs directory, and edit the file "Living_Rm_Input.MBS": Change the line "SIDES:=1" to "SIDES:=0". Save and close the file.
o In the main Varkon menu, click "mbs", "part", "compile all". In the menu in the drawing window, click "Run". You should now see the drawings for the front and back panels. Reverse this process to get the sides drawing, but not yet.
o Click "Auto" in the drawing window menu to recenter the drawing.
o To get a printout of the front and back panels, go to the AC_Snoot/doc/plot directory. That PostScript file called "Snoot_sides.ps" is still there,but now it contains an image of the front and back panels. Save it somewhere else and name it appropriately.