I'm a bit lost on this thread, but I wanted to respond to the binary/multiple file issue.
First, it's a fine idea to create a binary Pmesh file format. If we do that, though, let's not rush into it and just "create a binary equivalent of a Pmesh file." If this is really useful, then let's create a format that 1) allows for multiple pmesh objects 2) includes a header that clearly distiguishes the file format within the first 4 bytes -- the "magic number" idea. 3) allows for a simpler polygon definition -- for example, there should not be the need to redundantly specify the first vertex twice, as is part of the pmesh file format. I recently added ZIP (JAR) file reading capability to Jmol -- no need for gzip here -- we can now read a zip file directory directly if we wanted to -- but that seems to me to be an unnecessary complication in this case. All we really need is a new binary pmesh format. Note that Jmol must be able to distinguish the file type from the initial few bytes of data, not the file extension. That's the role of the header. I'd be very happy to write this reader; but before we do so, let's brainstorm a bit on what would be optimal. On Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:27:05 -0500 (EST), "Miguel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > zip (jar) would be better for sets of files ... although Jmol currently > doesn't have any mechanism to deal with a directory of files. That is, it > wouldn't know which of the files you wanted to *open* and what you would > want to do with the other files. > Jmol 11.3.65 can and does read ZIP files and their directories, and for model files, if the ZIP file contains a "manifest" then specific files can be read or skipped, then the directory contents may be investigated prior to model loading. This capability is iterative, so zip files contained in zip files contained in zip files.... can be read. Bob --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URLs: http://sage.scipy.org/sage/ and http://modular.math.washington.edu/sage/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
