PSICAT Development

This is just a quick update on the status of version 0.4.  Things are wrapping up nicely with about 10 new issues resolved.  I have decided to punt three issues to the next release, mainly because I wanted to get 0.4 out the door for feedback this week.  The three issues are:

• Grain Size Support – I am not happy with how the previous version of PSICAT handled grain sizes and wanted to think it through a bit more this time.
• Image Import – There’s several different naming schemes that I’m aware of.  I want to think through this a bit more before implementing.
• LabelProvider Adapter – The infrastructure for this is in place, just need to update the existing tracks/columns to use it.

I am currently updating the docs to reflect the changes in 0.4.  Afterward, I’ll spin out the official 0.4 release and update the download links.

UPDATE: new docs and new download links are up.

Special thanks to Diane and Kerry for their feedback.

The initial version of the User Guide is complete.  A few of the advanced chapters still need to be fleshed out, but all features in PSICAT v0.3 are documented in the guide.  Updates to the guide will be released concurrently with new versions of PSICAT.

This is a roadmap post for the 0.4 release of PSICAT.  My agenda includes the following issues:
- Issue 1: Export Dialog
- Issue 10: Description Column
- Issue 11: Grain Size Support
- Issue 12: Image Import
Add a comment or report an issue if there’s something you’d like to see or if you’ve found a bug.

Update: This page will show you the status of all issues for 0.4

The first official development release of PSICAT, 0.3, is available for download.  This release is has been completely re-written from the original version of PSICAT.  It is very much a work in progress and lacks much of the functionality of the previous version, but addresses several major issues in previous versions:
- Customizable lithologies and symbols
- Well/hole mode (zero at top) and Outcrop/Section mode (zero at base)
- Proper unit support, e.g. log and display in cm, m, ft, in, or any combination thereof
- More output formats including PDF and SVG

This version is still pretty sparse on the data types captured—only simple intervals with a single lithology and symbols—but should close the functionality gap quickly in future versions.

Downloads

- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
- JAR
- Source Code

Changelog

- Issue 2: Export SVG
- Issue 3: Export SVG
- Issue 4: Default Data Format
- Issue 5: Import Legacy Format
- Issue 9: Rounding errors when using units other than meters

Over the last year or so, development on PSICAT has slowed to a crawl leaving many outstanding bugs and enhancement requests.  A recent flurry of feedback from users has made me realize that people are trying to use the software despite the bugs and poor documentation, and has inspired me to kick start a new round of development.  This time around I’m committed to doing things right from the very beginning, which means: regular releases, documentation that doesn’t suck, and greater transparency along the whole development process.  To that end, I’ve created this site to track development progress and provide a mechanism for interested users to guide and shape the process.  Here you’ll always be able to find the most recent releases and documentation.  So check back often and don’t be shy about providing feedback.