Re: Dia and python - scripting question

["Michael Ross" <michael e ross gmail com>]

Unless you intend to make large wall chart, what will a diagram with a couple hundred objects tell anyone that looks at it?  Sounds like a lot of work to communicate little.  There must be a better way.

If this was an actual map for future reference like a plant layout I could see it.  But is sounds like you only need something to try and impress someone regarding this evolution.

But if you really want a couple hundred computer icons that is pretty easy to do manually.  You could make your first shape, group all the entities.  Copy it.  Copy the resulting two, copy the resulting 4, copy the resulting 8, copy the resulting 16, copy the resulting 32, copy the resulting 64, copy the resulting 128. you now have 256 computer icons to do with whatever you wish.  Just 8 steps and much faster than learning some scripting.  If you make the wire connections and group them you will save some time with that as well.  

This way you get the the point of realizing the futility of presenting such an image as quickly as possible.  Who will even want to look at it?  And does your supervisor really want you to spend much time on such a project?

You are welcome!

Mike

On 8/26/07, Dirk Westfal <dwestfal googlemail com> wrote:

Hi all,

i`m looking for a way to create a couple of diagramms that show the
evolvement of our network infrastructure over the last 10 years.

Since this would be a very timeconsuming task to do manually (couple
hundred objects), i`m looking for a way to script this in python.

I basically need the following functions:
- create objects/object groups (eg: router with text description)
- connect objects to other objects (eg: router to network cloud object)
- connect objects with lines
- change properties of an existing object/ objectgroup/ part of an
objectgroup (eg: shape, linestyle, text etc.)
- arrange objects relative to another (eg: connect a bunch of
computers to a network cloud)
- collision detection ( a wish...)

Could someone point me to examples / has anyone done something like this yet?

I`d be really thankfull!

Kind regards,
Dirk

BTW: I`m using dia since 2003 for all our network planning :) One of
the best tools i`ve seen. Keep it going!
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Michael Ross
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