OVER 2 YOU, 084 (09/06/02)

PARTYWARE

Does anyone know of a program that helps in the preparation of a table plan for formal dinners for large numbers without the need to cut up little pieces of paper to move people around until you get it right and then having to write it down?
Richard Hopkinson-Woolley, via email

I use Corel Draw to Design my formal dinner seating plans. With the paper set in Landscape mode, the rectangle or circle tools can draw representations of tables to any design you wish and the text tool can add the names where you wish.

An example is a horizontal Top Table with two three or four sprigs running vertically below. The names will be horizontal and either side of each for the vertical sprigs, but can be rotated about sixty degrees or more to the right and above for the horizontal top table, to make them easier to fit in and more legible. The resulting A4 print if done in good quality can be enlarged on a photocopier to A3 or bigger if required.

You can also make your place cards, I use a template to fit six tent fold cards onto an A4 160gsm card (Reyprint card in Staples suits my HP printer) and I use Brush Script to write the names for each diner.

Martin Richardson, via email

The simplest way of dealing with would seem to be using text boxes within Microsoft Word. Use the Drawing tool bar to draw a suitable shape for the table - square, circular, oblong, oval or whatever. Create a text box for each guest and typing their name into each text box. If you do this by copying and pasting, deselect the source box before pasting the copies, otherwise it will place the new boxes inside the original. Drag and drop the text boxes around the table until a satisfactory layout is achieved. You can then simply print off the table plan.

By changing the fonts and colours (right clicking on the box allows formatting of the text box) the table plan can be 'prettified' as befits the occasion. Precise positioning of the boxes can be achieved by selecting the box then holding down the 'ctrl' key and using the cursor keys to move
the box one pixel at a time. Enjoy the 'do'.
Malcolm Farrar,

I use MS Publisher for exactly this. Every month I have different names to add/ subtract and /or move around the table and it's very easy to do once you have set up the first one. The names are set in 'boxes', which can be moved easily. The table is another 'Box/boxes'. Publisher is part of the Windows Office 2000 set up. If the writer would like to know more contact me on raw801@ntlworld.com I could send him a draft copy.
R.A.Wiggins - Oxon

For table plans and many other types of line drawings I use Smart Draw currently in version 6. It has shapes and libraries of symbols so for table plans I use rectangles or a circles as appropriate for the table and a chair symbol to arrange the seating.  When satisfied the arrangements can be grouped.  Text can be added as name labels and for general information.  The range of the included templates and libraries is extensive including Charting, Engineering, Flags, Floor Plans, Fun, Maps, Medical, Networks, Science and Software.  Each of these categories has several sub-categories.  Graphics can be imported to enliven the presentation & a colour palette is provided for text and infill.  Arrangements are easily managed & there is a range of tools similar to those in Paint Shop Pro & PhotoShop.

As a registered user I get quite frequent access to free collections & templates for special occasions.  A range of add-ons is available some of which are free.  Completed plans and drawings can be saved in formats other than the default SDR extension for ease of distribution to others.

Malcolm Walker,

AIR TRAFFIC ON THE WEB

Does anybody know how the real time air traffic control map for the Heathrow area can be accessed for display in an iMac?

Barry Hill, via email

I wonder if Mr. Hill is referring to Flight Path UK, which NATS demonstrated at last year's Farnborough Airshow? This was to be a web based service showing a slightly time delayed picture of UK airspace and
air traffic using information from NATS radars. Apparently, this project has been put on indefinite hold due to security and legal concerns. If Mr Hill aspires to be a virtual Air Traffic Controller, then there are two organisations which provide simulations using real time weather data and virtual aircraft flown by flight simulation enthusiasts: International Virtual Aviation Organisation:
http://www.ivao.org/
and Virtual Air Traffic SIMulation:
http://www.vatsim-uk.net/vatsim-uk/
You can participate in these using MacRadarScope (Mac OS and OS X):
http://www.simclients.com/macradarscope/
Jeff Ross, Stockport

MAP MAKER

I have some fairly detailed maps (with contours), which I would like to convert into relief maps. I drew the originals with CorelDraw - i.e. they are vector diagrams - and I need a program to 'raise' the contours, smooth the surface and cast realistic shadows. Only the directly overhead 3D view is required. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
H Smith, via email

There is a British program called Fractal Terrains, originally developed for sci-fi gamers, that does exactly what you want. It creates and edits terrain maps, displaying them in a variety of top-down projections. You can vary colouring, shadows and shadow direction to your heart's content. For source
data, Fractal terrains can import bitmap files (which Corel can export), converting shading to height. The CD also contains detailed NASA height data for Earth and Mars, so you can generate real world maps too. You can even vary sea level by any amount - there's endless fun in submerging the
eco-unfriendly! It costs £27.95, available from www.profantasy.com.
Mark Fulford,

There is a program for the Acorn Archimedes and RiscPC called Topographer that lets the user draw a 2D map using all the OS symbols, including contour lines, as well as specifying the scale of the map. You can then send the data to the 3D section and specify a viewing position, angle and height. The program then renders the view and if you choose a local view you can even see buildings, camp sites, roads, bridges - everything.

Okay, I now have to own up to actually specifying the program but not to creating it that was a very clever guy called Ricky Delarre, now sadly deceased. However, I do remember that we tried very hard to get the OS to allow us to use their own maps for conversion. Unfortunately, when their data arrived it was so disjointed that it was impossible to write a converter as their data was not 'linked' but just in the order that it was 'read' from a map. This meant that you could have a spot height marker described at the start of a list but the actual height was perhaps half way down but with no indication of what it belonged to – it could have been a road number! Try as we might it was not possible to account for all the different possibilities so the program can only be used with its own map creator - which is pretty good.

As I stated Topographer is only available for Acorn Risc OS but you can now run RISC OS on a PC using an emulator. Contact Chris@claresmicro.com for Topo and I am sure he will point you at the emulator as well.
Dave Clare,
 

HERALD TRIUMPH

I have been trying without much success to construct heraldic shields on screen.  Some of the devices shown on them (lions rampant, etc) are extremely tedious to draw 'freehand' and the results are appallingly amateurish. Does anyone know of a software program that will enable me to reconstruct the image of an armorial shield in accordance with its correct heraldic blazon - i.e. the technical description?
Peter Davies, Reading

The program ‘Blazons’ (free version available) from www.blazons.com allows you to enter the correct Heraldic terms to reproduce a Coat of Arms. 

Jonathan Barr,

CAN YOU HELP?

A group of doctors meet every week to discuss a clinical case or a published article or other topic. We would like to keep a record of the meetings, allowing people to incorporate their PowerPoint presentations perhaps but mostly just a record of who attended and what topics were discussed. The tricky bit would be to use a program that enabled us to search by topic or keyword for a case we remembered. We would also like to produce a written summary of the meetings each year. I'm not sure whether to use Access, which is very cumbersome, or another program. Is there a suitable program for recording minutes etc perhaps?

Michael Johnson, Dept of Neurology, St. James's Hospital, Leeds

I have a membership list in Excel. It has Mr and Mrs Bloggs with their details in one row and Mrs Bloggs of the same details in the next row. This is when they are both members but have individual membership numbers. The problem is how to ensure we send mailings only to Mr and Mrs Bloggs. Presently, the address gets two mailings as a second goes to Mrs Bloggs.

Robin Tucker, via email

Since retiring from my engineering consultancy business I would like to dispose of two AutoCad 2000 packages and one QSE structural software suite. I am wondering if there is a legitimate second hand market for them and, if so, what would be their approximate worth?
Ian Turner, via email