GEM4D Version 1.8.4.6 available for download

The previous version was a large update, as I rewrote some code blocks to simplify the code, which introduced errors - thanks for the feedback from users. Also, note that the Time will be lost when the Date and Time are given in a single DateTime-column. Please split the Date and Time into separate columns, as this is a limitation of the data grid control that I am using.

“If debugging is the process of removing bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in.” (Edsger Dijkstra)

I updated the data storage for the download-files to HTTPS, as Goole Chrome does not allow downloads from HTTP-sites any longer. If you had difficulty downloading the installation files with Chrome lately, the problem should now be resolved.

New functionality

1. Stability improvements when loading mesh-files with degenerate triangles - GEM4D now attempts to correct the errors on the fly during loading.

2. Improvements when loading textured OBJ-files with "Ribbon => Image => Load and import files => Wavefront OBJ", and then saving the files with "Ribbon => Image => Save and export files => Wavefront OBJ".

3. Add a “Ribbon => Image => General settings => mesh wires” checkbox, and an option to change the line width - see Discussion below.

Changes

1. Improvements to the Mesh-object interactions when mouse clicking options in the top and bottom "Left Panel => Mesh" list boxes.

2. When selecting "Ribbon => Settings => Lights and shading => Shading => None", the lighting is now set to best highlight Image-file textures - see Discussion below.

Bug fixes

1. GEM4D crashed when:

2. Attempting to add rows to drill hole objects such as Collars, Survey, Geotech - fixed.

3. When loading corrupted DXF-objects from a file, GEM4D crashed instead of correcting the files - fixed.

4. "Top toolbar => Split & Delete => Split selection out by rubberband" freeze with large files due to the automatic creation of JSON-objects - fixed.

5. "Top toolbar => Colour Palette 1 => Colour on poly dip angle" froze the scene until the task is repeated - fixed.

6. When creating DH mapping discs with “Ribbon => Drillhole => Other actions => Mapping discs => Mapping from Dip and Dip-Direction”, the Northing column repeats in the Elevation column - fixed.

7. “Top toolbar => Toolbox 2 => Create grid in mesh bounding box” incorrect calculation - fixed.

8. When selecting the data column with "Left panel => Marker/Mapping => Colour mode => DataColumn => Arrows", the value occasionally jumped by two numbers - fixed.

Discussion: OBJ-texture files

OBJ-files can be loaded as either Mesh or Image objects. Load as a Mesh object with "Ribbon => Mesh => Load and import file formats => Other formats", and as an Image-object with "Ribbon => Image => Load and import files => Wavefront OBJ".

When loading an OBJ-file as a Mesh-object, only the triangulation is loaded. When loading as an Image-object, the associated texture is also loaded.

Note that a textured OBJ-file requires two additional files in the same directory; an MTL-file and Image-file (PNG, JPG, BMP). The Image-file typically looks like a mosaic, and the separate blocks are transferred onto the triangulation during the loading process.

When loading a textured OBJ-file, it is best to change the lightning to "Ribbon => Settings => Lights and shading => Shading => None". The other Shading-options differentiate between surfaces of different orientations on normal triangulations - compare images A and B below.

The triangulation underneath the texture can be displayed by checking "Ribbon => Image => General settings => mesh wires" - see image C below.