Eric Bengfort
MAT300 Project Submission #4  [11-22-06]

Overview:  Program works and meets proof of concept.  All 6 Algorithms for Curves are operational.

To begin, double click MAT300_Proj_s4_ebengfor.exe

It may take a few seconds for the program to launch.  Once the tab for the program has appeared at the bottom of the screen, the program is ready to begin.

When the program begins, it is ready to "Make Points."  Simply Left Click with the mouse to create points.  To "Move Points" select "Move Points" from the menu at the top of the program.  Now you may left click and drag the mouse to rearrange existing points.  To go back to making points again, select "Make Points" from the "Object" Menu.

To clear all input points and start over, select Object->Clear Points.

To switch algorithms for generating the curve, select Object and then the new algorithm you wish to use.

To view shells (for NLI or B-Spline or Midpoint) select "Shells On" from Options.

To turn the slider on (for NLI or B-Spline) select "Slider On" from Options.  Then use the + and - keys on the keyboard to adjust the t value.  In B-Spline Mode, you must press + or - before the t-value (in the title bar) and the moveable point begin to appear.

[B-Spline Mode Features / Instructions]
*3 or more points must be present before the algorithm for B-Spline will do anything meaningful.  (2 Points is just a line afterall.)
*For default parameters, 4 points must be created before a visual curve occurs (since gamma t for 3 points with default values is merely a single point and not a curve).  
*4 or more points with default parameters make a curve.
*To turn on continuity, select Continuity On from the options menu.
*To change degree and/or knot sequence, select B-Spline Setup from the options menu (changing either of these disables continuity)
*When switching algorithms, options such as Continuity, knot sequences, etc... may become disabled, t-values may be reset, etc...  Therefore, it is best to first select B-Spline from the Object Menu and THEN using options from the Options menu.

Caveats:

* Minimizing/hiding the screen can result in losing the screen's visibility, press SPACEBAR to restore it.
Also, it is possible to lose partial screen visiblity due to a pop up window or an
overlapping menu.  In any case, pressing SPACEBAR will do a manual "screen refresh."

* Do not drag the cursor off the program window while dragging/moving a point.