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ispyisail edited this page 2026-09-12 06:56:32 +12:00
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Author SHA1 Message Date
ispyisail c1b47381b2 Document DXF: two unrelated features reduced to one bullet each
sources/createdxf.*, sources/dxfpaintdevice.*, sources/dxf/dxftoelmt.*
total ~1,780 lines. The only wiki coverage was a single repeated bullet
-- 'DXF -- CAD format for collaboration' -- across features, faq and
user_manual, in all three languages, describing neither direction
accurately: it reads as one feature, and it's actually two that share
nothing but a file extension.

Export (File -> Export, alongside PDF/PNG/SVG, in-process) reuses every
item's existing paint() code through a custom QPaintEngine
(DxfPaintEngine) rather than a separate DXF renderer -- documented from
that class's own thorough header comment, including the real fidelity
table it specifies: rectangles and filled paths lose their fill (no
HATCH primitive in this DXF dialect), arcs become straight-line chords,
and images become position-preserving placeholder rectangles since DXF
has no raster entity here. No CLI verb exists for it, unlike PDF/PNG/SVG.

Import (element editor only, not the diagram editor -- File -> Import a
DXF file) is a symbol-authoring tool: it shells out to dxf2elmt, a
separate third-party program QET does not bundle, the same external-tool
pattern as qet_tb_generator already documented in api_reference. Traces
the actual call: , stdout read as .elmt XML, pushed
onto the element editor's undo stack as one operation.

Makes explicit what neither direction is: not a way to place a DXF
drawing on a folio, not round-trip safe (export's own limitations rule
that out before even considering the code is entirely separate), and not
a full CAD interchange path -- no layers, blocks or metadata, just
primitives.

Links the existing one-line mentions in features/faq/user_manual (all
three languages) to the new page instead of rewriting them, since they
are fine as list bullets. EN/FR/DE.
2026-09-12 06:56:32 +12:00
ispyisail 4854c314f0 Correct the automation docs: QET has no Python scripting and no plugins
api_reference stated "QElectroTech supports Python scripting" and
"QElectroTech supports plugins for deep integration", and told readers to
install plugins into ~/.local/share/QElectroTech/plugins/ and platform
equivalents. None of it exists: there is no QPluginLoader anywhere in
sources/, no plugin ABI, and every Python reference in the tree is the
launcher for qet_tb_generator -- a separate PyPI program QET starts as an
ordinary child process. QET never reads those plugin paths.

cli_reference had the mirror-image error, calling the shipped headless
export "Future CLI Features (QET 2.0)" and sending readers to the
scripting that does not exist. The FR/DE CLI pages additionally invented
a --dpi option and QET_PLUGIN_PATH / QET_ELEMENT_PATH, and documented an
argument order the parser cannot accept.

Rewrites api_reference (EN/FR/DE) around what is actually there: the 13
CLI verbs with their real positional syntax and exit codes, the real .qet
and .elmt XML (the old skeletons were invented -- no <diagrams> wrapper,
element has no id, uuid is an attribute), qet_tb_generator, and the C++
source. Adds a section naming what does not exist, so the claim does not
come back.

Also corrects the same claims where they had spread: features, history,
faq, user_manual (EN/FR/DE) and the sidebar.
2026-09-11 21:42:51 +12:00
ispyisail 3c794eb8c8 Complete Tier 1: Quick Start Guide, User Manual, and FAQ
Quick Start Guide (10-minute onboarding):
- Platform-specific installation (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Step-by-step project creation and first diagram
- Interface overview and toolbar guide
- Adding elements and drawing wires
- Labeling and saving
- Common first-time tasks and shortcuts

User Manual (comprehensive reference):
- Basics and interface overview with diagram
- Projects and folios (pages/diagrams)
- Working with elements (find, place, select, move, rotate)
- Drawing and editing wires/conductors
- Text, labels, and dynamic fields
- Editing, alignment, zoom, snap-to-grid
- Reports, export, and printing
- Preferences and settings
- Keyboard shortcuts table
- Troubleshooting section
- Links to advanced topics

FAQ (60+ questions with practical answers):
- Installation and setup for all platforms
- Getting started with projects and diagrams
- Common beginner questions about elements, wires, labels
- Creating and saving projects
- Organization and sharing
- Performance and troubleshooting
- File compatibility and advanced topics
- Platform-specific guidance
- Active community support pointers

Research gathered from:
- qelectrotech.org official manual structure
- GitHub releases and documentation
- Forum activity analysis
- Official example projects
- Official element collections

Co-Authored-By: Claude Haiku 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GtMZqGEiUMvDBqcFvVG2vb
2026-09-09 15:12:50 +12:00
ispyisail 6242ac4458 Redesign wiki home page for end-users; add structure and stub pages
- Reorganize Home.md with end-user-first structure
- Add Getting Started, User Documentation, Development sections
- Create stub pages for Quick Start Guide, User Manual, FAQ, Tips & Tricks
- Add developer stubs: Building, Contributing, Development Roadmap
- Add About section: History, Features, License, Community

The stubs provide structure and placeholders ready for content to be filled in.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Haiku 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GtMZqGEiUMvDBqcFvVG2vb
2026-09-09 14:56:29 +12:00