CCycloid
Last Updated: April 19, 2002
CCycloid is a program to generate graphs of
Curtate Cycloids, which are the curves produced by a
point within a wheel, when that wheel is rotated.
The intended users of ccyclid are makers of stringed
instruments, but the program is available for anyone to use.
CCycloid creates the graphs in PDF or PostScript format.
For more information on cycloids, see one
of the following web sites, which are just a few among
many to describe cycloids:
Downloads
Click here to download the Windows executable
(240k)
Note: This program has been tested on and runs on Windows ME and
Windows 2000. It does NOT run on Windows 95 (although it might
run on Windows 95 if the WinSock 2 updated patch is installed;
this has not been tested, though).
This program has also been run on a MacIntosh G4 using
Connectix emulation
software for Windows 98.
To read PDF files, you will need a copy of Adobe acroread.
User Interface Overview
Here is an image of the user interface to ccycloid on the
left, with a sample of the output on the right:
Typical use of the program would be to set the width and height,
and click "Create Curve" to create a PDF file for the graph of
the cycloid. In the case of cross archings of the violin
family, it should be remembered that these curves
- need not originate at the edge of the plate. Many makers
place the lowest point well inside the purfling.
- indicate the outside shape, and so the thicknes of
the wood at the lowest point should be subtracted from the
total height of the arch when calculating the dimensions of
the graph.
What follows is a description of the entire user interface:
- Click on Create Curve to create a PDF or PostScript file.
- Click on exit to quit the program.
- Width, Height: set the width and height (in millimeters)
of the cycloid. The width is the distance from
the left vertical line to the right vertical line
in the figure; the height is the distance from
the bottom of the curve to the top of the curve.
You can either click the number with the mouse and edit
it, or you can click and drag over the number, and the
number will increase as you drag to the right and decrease
as you drag to the left.
- File name: the file to be created.
- Auto File Name: check this option if you want the program
to create the file name for you. The name will by
'cycloid' followed by the width and height of the
cycloid.
- Percent: 100% is one full period of the cycloid. Typically,
a bit more than that is useful.
You can either click the number with the mouse and edit
it, or you can click and drag over the number, and the
number will increase as you drag to the right and decrease
as you drag to the left.
- Caption: check this if you want a title on the plot
- PS, PDF: check which type of file you want to create.
- Status: messages about the creation of the file
will appear here.
Hints on Printing
Depending on your printer, etc., you may need to select the print
options "Landscape" and "Print as Image". Do not select "fit to page".
Credits
ccycloid was written by Stephen Mann for Quentin Playfair, with some
help porting to Windows by Rick Leung.
The user interface was written with
fltk.
This program is completed unsuported. A linux version is also
available on request.
