Conversational Bug

AgentWD40 wrote:

Just playing around with the conversational tab I ran across error. When I start typing a lead in value for a rectangle I get the following error and linuxcnc crashes.

I see that too, but only if I start with a decimal point. If I type 0.5 instead of .5, it works. I am not sure I understand why, as Python should change a float of .5 to 0.5. But in the meantime, a work-around is to type the leading 0.

Also, I noticed that if "Add" a shape and don't send it, but click away to a different tab then come back to the conversational tab the send button stays disabled. This forces me to add another shape or start over before I can send it.

I think that is expected behavior. It is effectively the same as cancelling or clicking "new". Just curious, what is the use case for switching tabs in the middle of doing a conversational job?

Finally, I can't figure out how to get the kerf offset button enabled for the square and triangle shapes.

Per the code in the picture, the button will be a valid option if there is an entry in the Lead In box, and it doesn't = 0. I suspect you didn't see it because you didn't add a trailing zero.

AgentWD40 wrote:

An explicit type conversion may be necessary then I suppose.

I submitted two different fixes to Phill for review, so a fix is in the works Several ways to get there I reckon. exception handling, and checking for a '.' were two I thought of.

Why would that be expected? When you return any previous shapes still remain in the rendering so it's not effectively new.
Why would you? idk. But why cancel it?

Because you left the tab. Going between shapes is valid so you can build a complex shape if you'd like. Leaving the tab I guess gives you another way to start over other than pressing NEW.

Ah, I see. Still, even without a lead in why wouldn't you get the option to compensate for kerf?

There's a reason, but it's eluding me at the moment as to what it is. I'm sure Phill will remember. I think it's something to do with cutter comp invalidating something while it's active.

AgentWD40 wrote:

Because you left the tab. Going between shapes is valid so you can build a complex shape if you'd like. Leaving the tab I guess gives you another way to start over other than pressing NEW.

I still don't understand why leaving the tab should mean new. Also, it's not clear to the user that's what has happened. For example any previous shapes that had been added haven't been cleared from the preview window.

I would leave it as is.

Most machines i make/retrofit are used by other people, i can not have software remembering random stuff that users might input and later complain about it.
I used the wizard a lot lately and have forgot to send several times, but after the initial sigh it is very quick to redo whatever i was doing.

I still don't understand why leaving the tab should mean new. Also, it's not clear to the user that's what has happened. For example any previous shapes that had been added haven't been cleared from the preview window.

I don't see that behavior here? No matter how many shapes I add, if I leave the conversational tab without saving or sending and then come back, the preview window in the Conversational Tab is wiped clean. To Tommy's point, it has always been this way, even back when it was a pop-up window in PlasmaC (not that the past always dictates the future, just saying a lot of people are used to it being as is).

Changing shapes inside the conversational is not the same as leaving the tab. Leaving the tab, is in essence closing a conversational program.

I do agree that the docs don't explicitly warn the user. I did propose verbiage to add the warning in at the beginning of the shapes library.

AgentWD40 wrote:

Okay, but why is it the way it is? I'm just trying to understand.

By the same token, I did ask what your use case would be for wanting to leave and come back... I was trying to understand why you would want to leave the conversational and come back and expect it to remember what you were doing. Also, if you do need to leave for whatever reason, you can save what you are doing, and then open it in the Main tab, and come back to the conversational and continue editing it.