DR1000 New Java DR1000 scribble Merger

[andynaz]

Hi to all, I'm working on a small project: a java merger for the scribbles taken with the iRex DR1000 (firmware 2).

Attached you can find the last version available (binaries and sources); for more info and all the previous versions, this is the official page.

If someone would like to use/try it, any feedback will be appreciate, also to improve it.

Please note: I tryed this program only with my scribbles, taken with my DR1000, and with one note taken with the DR800 (this one), and it seems to be OK.

To launch the program just run

java -jar iRexDR1000Merger-version.jar input_file

in a terminal. This will create a new PDF file in the current directory.
If you want more options, read the documentation in the official page (or ask). :-)

Hi to all (I don't write much here, but I read a lot!!) :-)

Any observations is appreciated... :-)

ChangeLog

Update v0.3: new version 0.3 let you merge PDF files, as before, and also the notes (taken with the built-in notepad). The defult PDF output file is now produced in the current directory.

Also the program, when cannot find the file in the database, ask the user to choose one (it lists all the files with scribbles in the database files). This is because if the file name is an all-uppercases-letters name (as "UML.pdf") the DR1000 store the file as an all-lowercase-letters (as "uml.pdf"), so the Java cannot match the data; I don't know if there are other cases, but if this is the only one, I'm thinking of modifing the program to just ignore the case at all (also because the FAT filesystem does not allow to have 2 files in the same folder with names that differ only for the cases of the letters). I have just to see if the DR1000 can use SD with filesystem different from FAT.

Update v0.4: new version 0.4 brings the possibility to specify a color with the -C option.
Also, the program is now more efficient (on my laptop, I passed from 33 s to 4 s on the same file).

Update v0.4.1: small changes and a little bugfix.
Color can be specified also with the -Dandynaz.defalutColor=color_code System Property, so that it can be used as an "installed program with defalut options" (I created an alias in my Linux box with defalut color RED).
Also, the program stops if input and output file in PDF merging are the same (I also re-introduced the suffix "__NOTED" for merged file name).

Update v0.5.1: I made some changes, like the option for the input file (now is -i) and I made the jar more as a real library (can be used for experiments for the extraction of the scribbles data).
I also add a way to specify default options (to create a personalized command to launch the program) and an action to create PNG files from notes.
And I changed the project name (iRex DR1000 Manager), as the merging is no more the only job!! :-)

Update v0.5.2: I added an option requested by Mackx: now in the parameter (in the config file or in the ) you can specify the defalut target directory where to save the files.
In the next version I'll clean up the code, as it is becoming a little confusing; for that reason, if you test the application and find some error don't worry (and let me know ).
As soon as possible I'll update the official page with the detailed changelog.

Update v0.5.3: I changed a little the logic (for future improvements); the main change is that now the -o option can specify a folder

Update v0.7: I added support for different color (one per stroke width), background color (for PNGs) and trasparent color. I also added some other options

[Mackx]

Nice tool! I tried several (test-)files and they all seem to be converted correctly. I think that more people are waiting for this.


PS: I saw that the link to the src on your webpage is incorrect.

[andynaz]

Hi, thanks for your feedback!! :-)

I updated the web page (I missed a '-' in the link) and loaded the sources in the first post, so it'll be available in case my site will be down.

By now I'll wait for more test, and when I'll have a bit of time I'll try to improve it a little; I think it can be improved in some points:

- when creating the file, it should remove the '.pdf': by now from the file 'test.pdf' it creates the file 'test.pdf_NOTED.pdf'

- I need to test the case in which the file name is all written in capital letter (like 'UML.PDF' or 'UML.pdf'), because I think Linux does not recognize this case very well (it sees the file name with the wrong case, so it won't match the data in the metadata.db file)

- actually il loads all the scribbles from the db creating a list of Integer (Java objects); maybe loading a page at time and re-using the objects it can be more fast :-)

ps: have you tried also some DR800 file?

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by andynaz

I updated the web page (I missed a '-' in the link) and loaded the sources in the first post, so it'll be available in case my site will be down.

Thanks

Originally Posted by andynaz

- when creating the file, it should remove the '.pdf': by now from the file 'test.pdf' it creates the file 'test.pdf_NOTED.pdf'

Then you also need to remove the annotations from the metadata.db file. Could you make it an option? I do not like programs that delete files :]
(and if we are already talking about changes/additions) I would also like an option to specify an output directory, that allows me to keep the originals on the SD card and have the merged files on PC.

Originally Posted by andynaz

ps: have you tried also some DR800 file?

The files I have (and have received form others) are all DR1000 (as far as I know) so i did not test it.

[andynaz]

Originally Posted by Mackx

Then you also need to remove the annotations from the metadata.db file. Could you make it an option? I do not like programs that delete files :]

? what do you mean exactly? I was only talking about the file name (I actually only read the db file) :-)

Originally Posted by Mackx

(and if we are already talking about changes/additions) I would also like an option to specify an output directory, that allows me to keep the originals on the SD card and have the merged files on PC.

I have some ideas on mind about additional features, the output directory will surely be one of them :-)

[Mackx]

Originally Posted by andynaz

? what do you mean exactly? I was only talking about the file name (I actually only read the db file) :-)

Oops, I re-read your message and see my mistake...

Originally Posted by andynaz

I have some ideas on mind about additional features, the output directory will surely be one of them :-)

[andynaz]

Hi, Mackx (and all the others), I just updated the project (in the first post there are the binary and the source). It should use a little less memory and I added the option -o to specify the output file.

[Mackx]

Thanks,

I will try it this weekend.

[andynaz]

Hi, I just uploaded the new version: now the program can merge also the notes.

[jsway]

Even though I had hard time understanding to get through with these, I just got over this.

It works! Really thanks a lot! thumbsup:

[andynaz]

Hi jsway,
thanks for your feedback.

I just released the new version: the performance have been improved, and now you can specify a color for the strokes.

[andynaz]

Hi to all.

I just released a new version (0.4.1): just a bugfix and a little additional option. :-)

[andynaz]

I just released a new version (0.5.1): now you have additional option. :-)

[andynaz]

I just released a new version (0.5.3): just little improvements... :-)

[andynaz]

Hi to everyone.

I just released a new version (0.7): more option for colors. :-)