Re: QT-based tools: Expressions of interest requested

[Jane Richards <richards@triumf.ca>]

TRIUMF is very interested in finding a next-generation display manager 
as we prepare our new ARIEL project.  We have looked at BOY but do not 
see it as matching our needs. If we had a QT-based replacement of EDM 
that provided the same type of widget configuration, colour rule usage, 
and performance, we would buy it at the EPICS price!
We have a large investment in EDM in our ISAC facility and have 
developed software that generates a large number of our displays.   In 
terms of collaborative effort, we can envision developing some 
EDM-to-EDMQt conversion application, and EDMQt display auto-generation 
tools .
We look forward in joining the upcoming SLAC discussions.

Jane
> Control System Studio (CSS) is now 5+ years old and has an excellent and rich
> selection of tools for creating GUIs and other programs for interacting with
> an EPICS control system. However (there's always a "but" after that kind of
> introduction isn't there!) there are sites, systems, programs, places and
> people for which Java, Eclipse and/or SWT are not seen as a suitable
> environment. This message are not in any way trying to replace or denigrate
> CSS, it's about providing an alternative where CSS is not appropriate.
>
> This is a call for expressions of interest in a collaboration to develop tools
> and technologies based on the QT toolkit. A number of EPICS users have spoken
> about QT (pronounced "cute")as the most obvious replacement for the X11 and
> Motif tool-kits used by the old extensions MEDM, EDM, EDD/DM, dm2k, ALH,
> StripTool, Probe, Burt, etc. A number of QT-based projects have already been
> developed at various sites. If your lab/site/application has GUI needs which
> can't be fulfilled using CSS and you are interested in working together using
> QT, please respond to this email with what your needs and interests are, and
> what resources you might be able to contribute.
>
> I hope to moderate a discussion on this "QT Initiative" at the EPICS meeting
> at SLAC in April; all interested parties welcome.
>
>
> The APS has a long-term need to replace the Motif-based programs MEDM, ALH and
> StripTool, which are heavily used by the operators in our control room and by
> other staff around the site. John Hammonds and various others have developed
> the ADL-to-BOY converter for CSS which is currently in use at one of the APS
> beamlines, but we don't believe that all of our current users will be willing
> or able to run CSS. We have a developer in our group who has fairly extensive
> QT experience, and are particularly interested in the EPICS QT work that has
> been developed at the Australian Synchrotron.
>
> - Andrew

--
Jane Richards
ISAC Controls Group Leader, TRIUMF
4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A3
Phone: (604) 222-1047 (ext 7693)
Fax: (604) 222-1074