To anybody with programming abilities... Wiring software?

[Don]

Hey people!
As the title suggests i was wondering if it was possible to create a little wiring program exclusively for guitars/amps. I was thinking something like an interactive Seymour Duncan type of diagrams creator, very simple, very clear and tidy  :icon_smile:
You know, just the templates of a single coil, humbucker, P90s, jack sockets, pots ecc you can place anywhere and the possibility to wire them togheter with different types of wires (perhaps making the wire brush work like a Photoshop texture brush?)
Maybe adding other stuff to it for amps ecc, but keeping the concept very simple: grab the image of the thing you want to put inside the circuit, place it anywhere you want to inside the diagram, and then wire it with a brush that has different kinds of wire textures.
I want to stress this point: they have to be actual images of the piece of hardware you're working with, not stupid lines and simbols  :tard:
Anybody willing to do this for free?
I think it would be a tremendously useful tool for the community!
Let me know what you think about it  :icon_thumright:

 

[bagman67]

Don -


I think you're probably thinking of Microsoft Visio, which you can use to make circuits diagrams and electrical schematics.  You can add images of parts and processes that are specific to the guitar'n'amp domain.


There's probably some high-priced, domain-custom applicaton out there too, but I'd have no idea what it is.


Bagman

 

[Don]

Don -


I think you're probably thinking of Microsoft Visio, which you can use to make circuits diagrams and electrical schematics.  You can add images of parts and processes that are specific to the guitar'n'amp domain.


There's probably some high-priced, domain-custom applicaton out there too, but I'd have no idea what it is.


Bagman

i know that there are many professional softwares that can be used to draw diagrams, but i was suggesting something else. A little, specific tool to design guitar and amps diagrams only, way simpler and more user friendly than any 2+gb pro software yet at the same time something more specific than Paint.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I use Visio, it works really well.

There's a piece of software called DIY Layout Creator that may be more along the lines you're thinking. It's a lot smaller.

 

[-CB-]

I personally do it in (aaak!!!) Photoshop

The hard way maybe, but I've got a grid (that I can turn off) and have made up symbols that I import, keep on the side for copy/paste where I need 'em.

Perhaps not the best way... but... you can squish down layers and then turn on or off layers, put alternate layers in... that also can be switched in and out, so you get a lot of flexibility.  And, adding text is easy. 

 

[swarfrat]

As a professional programmer who has more projects going than he can ever complete in his lifetime, who has built multiple amps, and circuit boards, and habitual underestimator, I'd like to take a moment to chime in on this idea:

WTH are you smoking!?!?!?! Seriously. The stupid lines and symbols are a much much vastly more constrained problem, and there are decade and half long projects with dozens of people working on them that are more or less usable but often lag way behind commerical software.

 

[line6man]

I don't see the point in something like this. People that understand how to wiring things don't care about diagrams, and people that don't understand, really only care about figuring out which wire goes where, to solder something up one time in real life.

When people ask me for wiring diagrams, I use MS Paint. When people ask me for schematics, I take a picture of my paper and pen drawings. That works for most people.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I sometimes do diagrams for mass consumption. Those have to look good.

 

[Don]

As a professional programmer who has more projects going than he can ever complete in his lifetime, who has built multiple amps, and circuit boards, and habitual underestimator, I'd like to take a moment to chime in on this idea:

WTH are you smoking!?!?!?! Seriously. The stupid lines and symbols are a much much vastly more constrained problem, and there are decade and half long projects with dozens of people working on them that are more or less usable but often lag way behind commerical software.

I'm not sure i understand  :icon_scratch: are you saying that it's not important? Sure, i know it's not important. But why are you even taking the time to answer if it's just to say "it's not important, no one cares, there are more important things"? Then again, i'm not sure i've understood what you said, I'd be glad to ear an explanation 

I don't see the point in something like this. People that understand how to wiring things don't care about diagrams, and people that don't understand, really only care about figuring out which wire goes where, to solder something up one time in real life.

When people ask me for wiring diagrams, I use MS Paint. When people ask me for schematics, I take a picture of my paper and pen drawings. That works for most people.

The point is having a tool for that people that only know guitar related electronics (thusly ignoring the normal electic symbols A.K.A stupid lines and symbols) that they can use and share to draw guitar related diagrams more quickly, clearly and easily than drawing, shooting and uploading pen&paper drawings.


GEEZ, programmers waste their time building apps to reproduce fart sounds, why do you have to criticize this idea so harshly.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN DON'T. There's no need to come and bash it.
Rock on  :icon_thumright:

 

[Alfang]

Don, I agree with you, would be a nice simple drag and drop program.

But I see why others have answered the way they have, because they don't need it.
That doesn't mean it wouldn't be usefull to many out there. Many of us go to seymour duncans vast inventory of schematics,

I also don't NEED this program, but if it was user friendly and free, I'd use it. As good as I am with my wiring, I do like to follow a schematic,







don't be discouraged, I like the idea, But, I am not a programmer and can't help, but someone out there (or in here) can

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Seriously - Visio plus this:

https://sites.google.com/site/guitarstencilsproject/

Everything you need.

 

[swarfrat]

I answered that way because you're asking for a stupendously large project, for free, without being involved in its construction. There are plenty of large scale free proejcts aroudn, but they are driven by people involved in their design and construction.

It is possible to have custom software built  from a wishlist. There is a name for these folks, its called "customer".

 

[Cagey]

I'm not sure i understand  :icon_scratch: are you saying that it's not important? Sure, i know it's not important. But why are you even taking the time to answer if it's just to say "it's not important, no one cares, there are more important things"? Then again, i'm not sure i've understood what you said, I'd be glad to ear an explanation 

He's not saying that it isn't important or desirable, just that it's not a trivial project by any stretch of the imagination. It would take a good-sized team of people a long time and a lot of money to do it.

Apparently, he's a programmer, so the defenses come up fast and strong. Don't hurt 'em, Hammer!

 

[swarfrat]

Sorry if I was excessively curt. But there were a number of things in the OP that bothered me.

He sounds like he wants more than just a visual image or diagram. He makes it sound like he wants actual circuit design. But without the stupid lines and symbols.  (Right there's clue one.) Only he wants to make specifications about design, without being bothered by details. Then he marches on with a list of demands,then asks, not if there is something out there that will do this, or get him halfway there, but if someone is willing to do this for him, and for free. This last bit is especially irksome. Not just that its for free, but that he's asking someone to take on a major project for him, for free.

I make my living working with free software. I'm very familiar with the concepts. But at the heart of free software is a community that's willing to give back where they've benefited from others.

More importantly, while there are plenty of free end user apps, the heart of free software is in tools, kind of like all the stuff Stew-Mac sells, except its freely exchanged. Not that Stew-Mac is evil for doing it, there's nothing wrong with selling stuff. Ultimately, Stew-Mac couldn't give tools away free if they wanted to, because it's a physical thing that must be manufactured and packaged, and being a physical entity, each ONE has to manufactured. They could show you how to make your own - and they do share plenty of information for free in their catalog and online, and it fosters good will in the community and helps build a customer base - but it cost them more than free nights and bandwidth fees to give it away.

Usually it's something like "I need this tool to do my job effectively. I've written this piece of code a bazillion times, at three different jobs, and each time it had a different set of bugs, or we only had time to do a halfway job on this feature of it."  Or even simply the knowledge that thousands of programmers are going to be writing a functionally equivalent subcomponent. That's where community really comes together.  I like to say about these types of components - the problem with reinventing the wheel, is that you often decide you only need, or can only afford to build a four sided wheel for this job. These types of projects quickly gain the interest of community.

The free software community has had a number of attempts, but we still have no really good CAD/CAM project. It's too big a project, and too small a community. It could happen - if an automotive or aerospace company or two decided to start an Eclipse like project.  But barring that, three or four or even a dozen guys deciding they want one is likely to end up in three or four split projects, because of disagreement. Someone thinks the planar milling feature is crtiically important, someone wants to do sheet metal, but he wants to work in scheme, while the rest of the project is another language.

If you want a free app to do something like this, first: 1) find stuff that will do pieces of what you want, 2) learn a language, 3) see what you can piece together.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

You know what, I must have read halfway down the post and then thought "Aha! Visio!" and gone straight to reply.

Why would anyone just build you something for free?

 

[Don]

I'm sorry if i came off as an boom-boom, i didn't mean to, just because i had no idea it takes so much to create a program like that. I thought it would be rather simple since it has very few features, so i'm not sure if you understood what i meant or not, perhaps you thought about a full 3d type of cad software or something - if so you misunderstood me.
However i have absolutely no experience in programming so i have no idea that it could mean such a huge effort even if the program its simple indeed.
Again, I'm sorry if i bothered anyone. I thought it was something that could be done in matter of hours.
My "demands" where just suggestions about the concept, absolutely open to debate, and i didn't ask anybody to do it for me but for the community (and me as a member of it) which i think would gladly receive such a needed gift, as Alfang said.
If had the money to pay a programmer or time to learn a whole new craft as complicated as programming, i would do it by myself. For a person as indipendent as me, it's a no brainer. I don't like to ask for favors, but when i need to, i learned i'd be better with them than without.
But i have neither, so i asked if there was anyone willing to do this for free.
Now i'm not English so i don't know how i sounded with my first post, but i was really just suggesting what i thought was a cool idea for a tool. I wasn't trying to exploit anyone. That willing meant to me "who actually wants to do it freely and perhaps even with a smile on his face" 

Seriously - Visio plus this:

https://sites.google.com/site/guitarstencilsproject/

Everything you need.

:doh: why the hell did you wait until now to show me this, you sadist? Jack White wouldn't be proud of you!  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Cagey]

However i have absolutely no experience in programming so i have no idea that it could mean such a huge effort even if the program its simple indeed.
Again, I'm sorry if i bothered anyone. I thought it was something that could be done in matter of hours.

No worries. It's a common perception that even managers of companies who regularly take on massive software projects seem to hold. For example, before AMD (the microprocessor company) bought them, ATI (the graphics processor company) used to turn out some of the highest-end video cards available. But, the software that made the things work was always little more than garbage. The management there clearly had a firm grip on the hardware, but always gave the software short shrift. Treated it like an after-thought. Lotta companies like that. Creative Industries (the audio processor company) was another example. Top-notch hardware, but good luck getting the software to work. They just didn't spend the time they needed to in order to ship viable product.

I can't tell you how many times I've been involved in projects where marketing weenies set price and delivery without ever consulting engineering beyond giving a heads-up to the department head that something "great" was coming. Great? That's a euphemism for a million dollar year-long project that's been sold for $100K and needs to be delivered in 8 weeks or we'll be sued into insolvency for non-performance.