PanelDue gets a facelift

Someone recently commented that the PanelDue screen had a 1980's look, and I could see his point. So I have given PanelDue a facelift in version 1.10 in an attempt to bring its appearance closer to the 21st century. I have about as much artistic ability as an amoeba with a hangover, so you may not like the result. Here are some sample screens on the 4.3 inch display:



If you can bear to look at it, you can find the binaries at [github.com] (follow the link to the version you want, then click Raw to download it). Suggestions for improving the colour scheme are welcome. I might even make the colours configurable.

Other changes in this release:

* Fixed a bug with deleting SD card files
* Added a permanent bed compensation/auto calibration button on the Control page to save you having to use up a macro for it.
* Now uses M408 status command instead of M105 (so needs 1.09 or later firmware; zpl's fork should work as well as mine)

Still to be done:

* Add subdirectory support for macros and gcode files
* Add support for a 3rd extruder (probably only on the 5 inch display)
* Add support for chamber heater control (probably only on the 5 inch display)

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2015 03:52PM by dc42.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Thank You much for Your time and effort - BTW, would it be possible to make the file sort order user changeable? - I prefer the WC Fields archive system :-)

Erik

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2015 01:03PM by ormerod168.

Quote
ormerod168
Thank You much for Your time and effort - BTW, would it be possible to make the file sort order user changeable? - I prefer the WC Fields archive system :-)

Erik

Sorry, I don't know what the "WC Fields archive system" is, despite have just researched his quotations. Would you care to explain? If you are thinking of sorting in date order, there are no file time stamps because the Duet does not have a real-time clock, and reading the sliced date from the file would take too long. But it occurs to me that the when uploading a file to SD card from the web interface, the browser could send the file time stamp across, and then the Duet firmware could time-stamp the file.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Quote
dc42
Sorry, I don't know what the "WC Fields archive system" is, despite have just researched his quotations. Would you care to explain? If you are thinking of sorting in date order, there are no file time stamps because the Duet does not have a real-time clock, and reading the sliced date from the file would take too long..

Sorry for the confusion - yes I meant date sorting, newest on top, in a movie (don't remember the name) WC Fields used this system on his desk and never failed to pinpoint the papers he was looking for

This sort order makes most sense to me and time itself seems to agree :-)

To better the printing quality I often adjust and slice same model over and over again - to learn from those changes and to be able to fold back I describe the changes in file names that get stupendously long and look the same from the left hand side

Quote

..But it occurs to me that the when uploading a file to SD card from the web interface, the browser could send the file time stamp across, and then the Duet firmware could time-stamp the file.

I like the printer as stand-alone and portable and copy to SD-Card so would not help me but never mind, its no problem at all, I'll keep numbering the file and note the changes in a journal as I do now

Erik

Quote
dc42
Someone recently commented that the PanelDue screen had a 1980's look, and I could see his point. So I have given PanelDue a facelift in version 1.10 in an attempt to bring its appearance closer to the 21st century. I have about as much artistic ability as an amoeba with a hangover, so you may not like the result. Here are some sample screens on the 4.3 inch display:

2015-08-30%2020.19.34-3.jpg

2015-08-30%2020.37.32.jpg

If you can bear to look at it, you can find the binaries at [github.com] (follow the link to the version you want, then click Raw to download it). Suggestions for improving the colour scheme are welcome. I might even make the colours configurable.

Other changes in this release:

* Fixed a bug with deleting SD card files
* Added a permanent bed compensation/auto calibration button on the Control page to save you having to use up a macro for it.
* Now uses M408 status command instead of M105 (so needs 1.09 or later firmware; zpl's fork should work as well as mine)

Still to be done:

* Add subdirectory support for macros and gcode files
* Add support for a 3rd extruder (probably only on the 5 inch display)
* Add support for chamber heater control (probably only on the 5 inch display)

Now it looks like Windows 95!

Quote
Ababuy
[Now it looks like Windows 95!

Well at least it can't be said to look like a 1980's UI any more! 10 years down, only another 20 to go...

btw if you think you can do better, please contribute - the source code is at [github.com].

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2015 05:38PM by dc42.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

IMO it shouldn't be viewed as competing with a PC GUI, it is a machine control panel and should be compared with the controls of a washing machine, communications radio or aircraft/ship instruments etc. Anyway, even Microsoft has realised that the arty-farty screen gimmicks use resources that can lower the performance of what the system is actually used for (especially on battery-operated portable devices), and their latest OS has done away with most of the aesthetically nice but functionally useless fluff and we are back to the no-nonsense square panels. Just as clothes designs and hair length goes in and out of fashion in cycles, being 15 years out of date probably means that you are also 5 years ahead of the times!

Dave

To be honest, I was happy also with the old one. Thanks for your work David!

---

----- Making the world smarter @ www.xetal.eu
----- Helping entrepreneurs @ www.fralke.com

Quote
dmould
IMO it shouldn't be viewed as competing with a PC GUI, it is a machine control panel and should be compared with the controls of a washing machine, communications radio or aircraft/ship instruments etc. Anyway, even Microsoft has realised that the arty-farty screen gimmicks use resources that can lower the performance of what the system is actually used for (especially on battery-operated portable devices), and their latest OS has done away with most of the aesthetically nice but functionally useless fluff and we are back to the no-nonsense square panels. Just as clothes designs and hair length goes in and out of fashion in cycles, being 15 years out of date probably means that you are also 5 years ahead of the times!

Dave

I've never attempted to be a fashion icon, and it's comforting to know that the looks of PanelDue may be fashionable again in 10 or 20 years time!

Seriously, I think the black background did look very dated. Also the new interface makes it clear which areas you can press to make something happen, and shows you which button it thinks you have pressed - which is useful when the touch calibration is out.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

I've had a few issues with PanelDue thinking I was touching a button other than the one I pressed. This annoyed me sufficiently today that I decided to do something about it. So I've now released firmware version 1.11 with improved touch pad coordinate sense code.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2015 03:05PM by dc42.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

I was with someone configuring a Duet / PanelDue for the first time and we were looking over things. It wasn't connected to a printer yet but the question was that he did not see any type of Stop or Emergency Stop button, just the pause. Is there a button that would do something like Abort or Stop?

Quote
jamesarm97b
I was with someone configuring a Duet / PanelDue for the first time and we were looking over things. It wasn't connected to a printer yet but the question was that he did not see any type of Stop or Emergency Stop button, just the pause. Is there a button that would do something like Abort or Stop?

Actually I think that would be a good Idea. It could be done with a Macro as well but I think a dedicated Emergency stop would be good.

Doug

Quote
jamesarm97b
...he did not see any type of Stop or Emergency Stop button, just the pause. Is there a button that would do something like Abort or Stop?

IMO a emergency stop button should be highly visual (red), easy to hit with your hand (mushroom shaped) and break the power directly - because its an emergency

Erik

I generally hit the power switch on the printer when I want to do an emergency stop. However, I could easily add one in the top right hand corner of the display, so I will look at doing this in the next release.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].