path: root/README

	*===========================================*
		The TkZinc widget version 3.3
	*===========================================*



WHAT IS THIS?

  TkZinc is a canvas like widget extension to Tcl/Tk. It adds
support for ATC displays, provides structured assembly of
items, transformations, clipping, and openGL based rendering
features such as gradients and alpha blending.

  It is currently available on Unices (tested on Linux),
Windows and Mac OSX (with X11 and fink).


WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

  The newest version is found at: http://www.openatc.org/zinc
  It should be at least available in source form in a file
  named Tkzinc<version>.tgz.
  Distribution specific packages may also be available for
  Debian/Mandrake/Red Hat distributions, most likely for stable
  versions.

  For Tcl/Tk users, TkZinc is also available as a multi-plateforme
  (linux/windows) starkit on http://www.openatc.org/zinc
  For Perl/Tk users, TkZinc is available on the CPAN, see for example
  on http://search.cpan.org/search?query=TkZinc&mode=all

  As a convenience the documentation (pdf+html) is made available
  on the web site as a separate package.


BUILDING AND INSTALLATION FOR TCL/TK


0. Get, build and _install_ the Tcl/Tk distribution. You need a 8.4
   distribution to use TkZinc. On Windows there is currently an
   incompatibility when using a TkZinc compiled under mingw32 with
   a core Tcl/Tk compiled with visual C++. You need to grab a Tcl/Tk
   compiled with the same environment as TkZinc.


1. Unpack the distribution

   On Unix/Linux:

	tar zxf Tkzinc<version>.tgz

   On Windows:

	Use WinZip or something like this to unpack

   This creates a directory Tkzinc<version> with all the
   needed files. This directory should be in the same
   directory as the Tcl/Tk sources.


2. Configure

   On Unix/Linux:

	cd Tkzinc<version>
	./configure  <option>*

   This will configure the package for your platform. It
   will install it in /usr/local. If you want it elsewhere
   you can use the --prefix and --exec-prefix options of
   configure to assign another location.

   On Windows:

   TkZinc has been built using the msys/mingw32 environment.
   It is known to work with Tcl/Tk 8.4.2 compiled using the
   same environment. CAUTION: It doesn't work with Tcl/Tk 8.4.1
   using mingw32.
   The steps for building under mingw32 are the same as on Unices.
   Currently there is no support for building with visual C++.

   On MacOSX

   requirements:
	- X11 et X11 sdk from apple http://www.apple.com/macosx/x11/
	- fink with tcl tk dev package http://fink.sf.net
	- tcl/tk sources. I couldn't install them using fink,
	  d/l them instead: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/fink/direct_download/source

	  say we have unpacked tlc/tk sources in $HOME/src. The configure
	  line is as follows: 
             env "CPPFLAGS=-I/sw/include -I$HOME/src/tcl8.4.1/generic -I$HOME/src/tk8.4.1/generic" ./configure --with-tcl=/sw/lib --with-tk=/sw/lib --enable-gl=damage


   On all platforms:

   It is possible to customize TkZinc through configure options:

	--enable-gl=[yes|no|damage]
	--disable-gl

	This is turned off by default. Building with --enable-gl=damage
	is the recommanded way for openGL support.

	--enable-om=[yes|no]
	--disable-om

	This is turned on by default. It controls the inclusion of
	code for avoid overlap between track labels in radar images.

	--enable-shape=[yes|no]
	--disable-shape

	This is turned on by default except on Windows where support
	code is not currently available (it may become available).
	It allows for non rectangular TkZinc windows optionally including 
	the top level window.

   And the Tcl standards:

	--enable-threads=[yes|no]
	--disable-threads

	Compile a thread aware/thread safe version (not tested in multi
	threaded environment). Needed if Tcl/Tk has been compiled with
	the same configure option.

	--enable-symbols=[yes|no|mem|all]
	--disable-symbols

	Turn on debugging symbols. If the form --enable-symbols=mem is 
	used, turn on memory debugging as well.


3. Make and Install

   For use with Tcl on Unix/Linux and Windows using mingw32:

	make
	make install-tcl

   It is recommended to do a make distclean before actual building if you
   have done a previous build.

   The warnings while compiling libtess are harmless (or so I believe ;-).
   libtess is a tesselation library extracted from GLU/Mesa. I trust it as
   robust unless proven wrong. I do not want to modify the code just to
   shut up some warnings.


   For use with Tcl on Windows using Visual C++:

	nmake /F win/makefile.vc

   There is no install target. You are left with the dlls and the start of
   pkgIndex.tcl (it lacks the entries for the Tcl modules in library).
   It is needed to compile with Visual C++ if TkZinc is to be used with a
   Tcl/Tk compiled with Visual C++.

   P.S: If a pkgIndex.tcl for Tkzinc exists in the autoload path before
   installing, it will interfere with the generation of the new pkgIndex.tcl.
   It should be removed or renamed. echo 'puts $auto_path' | tclsh will
   tell the current load path.
   

4. Run the demos

   In the Tkzinc<version> directory run:

	wish8.4 demos/zinc-widget

   Under windows do:

	wish84 demos/zinc-widget

   It should start a Tk like 'widget' demo showing TkZinc
   features. You can also run the demo with: demos/zinc-widget
   if you have in the PATH a wish that is greater or equal to
   8.4.2.


BUILDING AND INSTALLATION FOR PERL/TK

TkZinc for Perl/Tk currently is only available for Linux.
Also remember that the easiest way could be to use the CPAN.
However new releases are usually first available on
www.openatc.org/zinc

1. Unpack the distribution

        tar zxf Tkzinc<version>.tgz
        cd Tkzinc<version>/Perl
        ./export4cpan
        cd ../export4cpan/Tkzinc<version>

2. Make and install

    This done is the usual way

        perl Makefile.PL
        make
        make test
        make install

3. Run the demo

    You can choose in the 30 available demos with the
    folowing perl script:

        zinc-demos


MAKE AND READ THE DOCUMENTATION


   It is available in pdf and html forms.
   To make the pdf doc you need pdflatex installed. Then do:

	cd Tkzinc<version>
	make pdf

   This should create a refman.pdf in the doc directory.

   To make the html doc you need latex and latex2html. Then do:

	cd Tkzinc<version>
	make html

   This should create a refman directory in the doc directory
   with all the html pages and images. The entry point is
   index.html.

   You can also download the doc on TkZinc website:
   http://www.openatc.org/zinc/documentation.html


REPORT BUGS AND WISHES


   Please report bugs and suggestions to the TkZinc mailing list
   at zinc@tls.cena.fr.

   When reporting bugs try to be as specific as possible.
   Include, if possible, the output from the program. Compile
   TkZinc with debugging symbols and include a backtrace of the
   debugger. Send a small Tcl (or Perl) script reproducing the problem.
   The availability of a correction may dependent on these infos.