Comments on: Creating Nomograms with the PyNomo Software http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/ Lost Art in the Mathematical Sciences Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:12:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Hugh McManus http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-9349 Hugh McManus Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:19:55 +0000 http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-9349 <p>Hi,</p> <p>This looks fantastic and I'd really love to try it out, but...</p> <p>I've never used Python before. I downloaded and installed Python, MiKTeX, and all the prerequisite packages/modules, along with PyNomo itself. I can't get any of the examples to work. I keep getting an error that "close_fds is not supported on windows". It seems from the Traceback that the problem might be with PyX. Have you any idea how I might resolve this, or where I might find someone who can?</p> <p>I can send a screengrab of the command window to anyone who's interested enough to help.</p> <p>Thanks.</p> <em><p>Hugh and I corresponded on this problem right after this comment, and we independently solved the problem. When installing the necessary support packages for PyNomo, the older version 2.6 of Python needs to be installed and also the older version 0.10 of the PyX package. I've now updated the essay above to include a link to a PDF file of very detailed instructions on installing PyNomo and the other required packages on a Windows XP or Windows 7 PC, with a helpful addition from Hugh in one section. Thanks, Hugh! --- Ron</p></em> Hi,

This looks fantastic and I’d really love to try it out, but…

I’ve never used Python before. I downloaded and installed Python, MiKTeX, and all the prerequisite packages/modules, along with PyNomo itself. I can’t get any of the examples to work. I keep getting an error that “close_fds is not supported on windows”. It seems from the Traceback that the problem might be with PyX. Have you any idea how I might resolve this, or where I might find someone who can?

I can send a screengrab of the command window to anyone who’s interested enough to help.

Thanks.

Hugh and I corresponded on this problem right after this comment, and we independently solved the problem. When installing the necessary support packages for PyNomo, the older version 2.6 of Python needs to be installed and also the older version 0.10 of the PyX package. I’ve now updated the essay above to include a link to a PDF file of very detailed instructions on installing PyNomo and the other required packages on a Windows XP or Windows 7 PC, with a helpful addition from Hugh in one section. Thanks, Hugh! — Ron

]]> By: Epifanio M. Abarro Jr http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1947 Epifanio M. Abarro Jr Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:44:25 +0000 http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1947 <p>hi,<br /> I downloaded all the requisites and when I installed PyNomo there is no program installed in my computer. Please help.</p> <em><p>Hi Epifanio. PyNomo is simply a Python program, so there is no PyNomo program installed on the computer. Rather, the general Python language compiler is installed and then PyNomo is installed as a package in Python. Then you run a PyNomo script by opening a command prompt (or DOS) window for Windows or a Terminal window for Mac OSX and typing the command "python" followed by your PyNomo script filename. Since there are several supporting software packages to install, the best thing to do is to go to the installation page at the PyNomo website <a href="http://www.pynomo.com/wiki/index.php?title=Installation" rel="nofollow">here</a> and click on the link for a Windows or a Mac OSX installation, whichever you have. There are detailed steps there that should help with the installation. --- Ron</p></em> hi,
I downloaded all the requisites and when I installed PyNomo there is no program installed in my computer. Please help.

Hi Epifanio. PyNomo is simply a Python program, so there is no PyNomo program installed on the computer. Rather, the general Python language compiler is installed and then PyNomo is installed as a package in Python. Then you run a PyNomo script by opening a command prompt (or DOS) window for Windows or a Terminal window for Mac OSX and typing the command “python” followed by your PyNomo script filename. Since there are several supporting software packages to install, the best thing to do is to go to the installation page at the PyNomo website here and click on the link for a Windows or a Mac OSX installation, whichever you have. There are detailed steps there that should help with the installation. — Ron

]]> By: Petar Knezevich http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1380 Petar Knezevich Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:35:14 +0000 http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1380 Thanks for the background on nomograms and great tutorial on PyNomo. Thanks for the background on nomograms and great tutorial on PyNomo.

]]> By: Joe Marasco http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1105 Joe Marasco Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:15:08 +0000 http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1105 <p>Ron, this is an incredible, wonderful piece of work, and it reflects your passion for nomography. I am in awe of the work that you and Leif are doing to keep this craft -- a beautiful combination of art and science -- alive. For awhile I was in despair that nomography was dying, but now I am much more optimistic. And I'm making some progress with the medical users, so we may breathe new life into this part of mathematics. If people only appreciated what a great communication tool nomographs are, bridging the gap in so many domains between the expert specialist and the everyday practitioner.</p> <p>I look forward to the day when I can build all my nomographs from scratch to finished product using PyNomo.</p> <p>Congratulations!</p> <p>Joe Marasco</p> <em><p>Hi Joe! This means a lot to me coming from you. When I first started looking on the web for information on nomograms a couple of years ago, your <a href="http://www.barbecuejoe.com/scan.htm" rel="nofollow">site</a> was one of the very few good ones I found. So you've been working to keep these creations alive for longer than I have. I've seen some of your nomographic work for the medical community, really high quality work, and I have no doubt that you'll continue to make successful inroads there. --- Ron</p></em> Ron, this is an incredible, wonderful piece of work, and it reflects your passion for nomography. I am in awe of the work that you and Leif are doing to keep this craft — a beautiful combination of art and science — alive. For awhile I was in despair that nomography was dying, but now I am much more optimistic. And I’m making some progress with the medical users, so we may breathe new life into this part of mathematics. If people only appreciated what a great communication tool nomographs are, bridging the gap in so many domains between the expert specialist and the everyday practitioner.

I look forward to the day when I can build all my nomographs from scratch to finished product using PyNomo.

Congratulations!

Joe Marasco

Hi Joe! This means a lot to me coming from you. When I first started looking on the web for information on nomograms a couple of years ago, your site was one of the very few good ones I found. So you’ve been working to keep these creations alive for longer than I have. I’ve seen some of your nomographic work for the medical community, really high quality work, and I have no doubt that you’ll continue to make successful inroads there. — Ron

]]> By: Leif Roschier http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1100 Leif Roschier Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:27:38 +0000 http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1100 <p>Thanks Ron!</p> <p>I'm sure this article helps new users of PyNomo to turn into nomographers and works as a reference for experienced ones. The information on pynomo.org site is still quite limited and this article is a major contribution to the PyNomo documentation. Personally, I think this article is the best acknowledgement for the project since I started writing PyNomo. </p> <p>Leif Roschier</p> <em><p>When I wrote my first nomography essay a year and a half ago I had just come across your PyNomo site, so I referenced it and wrote that I had not reviewed the software yet. At the time I considered it an unlikely task to write a program to allow someone to create nomograms of much variety and sophistication. Was I wrong about that! Your collection of scripting parameters provides a really versatile set of tools to customize a nomogram in very creative ways. I would try things and think, "It won't really draw a circular scale, or a scale that bends back around on itself..." and to my surprise it would do exactly that. It's so versatile I'm planning on using it to create diagrams of scales and lines for computing mechanisms in a future essay (as in the logarithm computer <a href="http://www.google.com/patents?id=B1liAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=a.%20svoboda%20logarithm&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q=&f=false" rel="nofollow">here</a>). --- Ron</p></em> Thanks Ron!

I’m sure this article helps new users of PyNomo to turn into nomographers and works as a reference for experienced ones. The information on pynomo.org site is still quite limited and this article is a major contribution to the PyNomo documentation. Personally, I think this article is the best acknowledgement for the project since I started writing PyNomo.

Leif Roschier

When I wrote my first nomography essay a year and a half ago I had just come across your PyNomo site, so I referenced it and wrote that I had not reviewed the software yet. At the time I considered it an unlikely task to write a program to allow someone to create nomograms of much variety and sophistication. Was I wrong about that! Your collection of scripting parameters provides a really versatile set of tools to customize a nomogram in very creative ways. I would try things and think, “It won’t really draw a circular scale, or a scale that bends back around on itself…” and to my surprise it would do exactly that. It’s so versatile I’m planning on using it to create diagrams of scales and lines for computing mechanisms in a future essay (as in the logarithm computer here). — Ron

]]> By: Anonymous http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1099 Anonymous Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:03:49 +0000 http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1099 <p>stunning.</p> <em><p> Thanks! --- Ron</p></em> stunning.

Thanks! — Ron

]]> By: glen http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1091 glen Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:38:09 +0000 http://myreckonings.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/creating-nomograms-with-the-pynomo-software/#comment-1091 <p>Wow, Ron, that is great - simple and comprehensive.</p> <p>My nomography time (what little I have had) has been spent on a project that has taken me a lot longer than I had hoped.</p> <p>My plan is to use the free package R to fit nomographs to data, and then - either using the graphical facilities in R or by linking R with to Pynomo in some fashion (R talks to Python and vice-versa) produce a nomogram. </p> <p>However, R - while powerful - takes a fair bit of time to learn. I am happy writing functions in it, but getting it to the stage of producing an R-package will be a while yet, and then I have to get Python running on my machine and see what will be easiest. At least this document looks like the Pynomo side of things will be easier for me to learn!</p> <em><p>Thanks, Glen. I'd really be interested in seeing your project when it gets to the point where you're willing to provide a beta version for testing---it sounds very interesting and useful. --- Ron</p></em> Wow, Ron, that is great - simple and comprehensive.

My nomography time (what little I have had) has been spent on a project that has taken me a lot longer than I had hoped.

My plan is to use the free package R to fit nomographs to data, and then - either using the graphical facilities in R or by linking R with to Pynomo in some fashion (R talks to Python and vice-versa) produce a nomogram.

However, R - while powerful - takes a fair bit of time to learn. I am happy writing functions in it, but getting it to the stage of producing an R-package will be a while yet, and then I have to get Python running on my machine and see what will be easiest. At least this document looks like the Pynomo side of things will be easier for me to learn!

Thanks, Glen. I’d really be interested in seeing your project when it gets to the point where you’re willing to provide a beta version for testing—it sounds very interesting and useful. — Ron

]]>