Fuselage (source: eurocopter.com)

Well, one of our tasks is to design and test some optimization methods. Because the complexity of the real elements to analize these are a collection of numerical methods working together. In fact the process implies using some computer programs: design, meshing, structural calculus, postprocessing tools, and, at the center of the system, the optimization tool.

The optimization tool generates via different engines  series of designs that must be tested by the other tools. Each engine implements a method or family methods. And this is my project: I must develop an engine to be integrated in a Dakota-style framework. I would use the old Fortran to do it. But I needed to program a text file parser, so I decided to make some experiments with the Python programming language.

I hadn’t programmed in Python before. I avoided it in part because I thought Python would have a lot of hype as some years ago it happened with Perl. Some proofs of concept after, I was really happy with the results. It’s true the basic Python was a bit limited to develop the numerical part of the engine. But then I discovered NumPy (now part of ScyPy libraries).

NumPy allowed me quickly replace some code developed in Matlab language by my fellows and write my own, more clear and simpler code. And, after the experience of implementing some numerical methods, I seriously think it can be a good idea for me to leave Fortran (with the exception of educational purposes) and code Python+NumPy.

• easy integration with PULO (it is written in Fortran)
• respect toward standards
• economy
• cross-platform
• easy learning
• mature develop platform
• community of users
• maintainable

So I wrote about Java, .net, Qt, GTK+, wxWidgets, GNUstep,Fox Toolkit, and FLTK. And, you guess, Qt was the winner for me.
My next step was learning C++. I previously has written code in C, but never C++. In two weeks I learned C++ and Qt enough to make a simple proof-of-concept. I programmed a very (dirty) simple editor.

I learned a lot with two books: The C++ programming language by Bjarne Stroustrup and C++ GUI Programming with Qt4 by Jasmin Blanchette and  Mark Summerfield.

Then I began the real work. Of course, the final code can be cleaned and optimized, but after six months the main target was reached: to have an interface that easily can be used to introduce an initial design of properties and constructive process of the bridge, and read results from the engine and analyze them.

Splash

I used QtCreator to develop the GUI and Emacs to modify the engine. Both with best control version system ever, git, made my work really, shaming easy.

Initial design input

To develop the postprocess I thought on gnuplot, but finally I used the Qwt library because its good integration with Qt.

Postprocess

And what about C++? Well, Linus has strong reasons to run C++ down, but Linus develop operating systems. I think doing all this work in pure C would be a pain. It’s true if you want to program more confortable, you’ll produce a less optimum code. But it’s true too programming with C++ is far to attract monkey coders that only had in mind the fastest solution.

Always let the hardware be free…

I’m a bit sad because tomorrow morning my first boss J.R. Acinas will present the paper “POPE. Assisting to the port operations system. Experiences in Ferrol Outward Port”. It shows the first professional work in wich I’ve got involved. We developed in the Ports and Coast Lab of my Civil Engineering School a system that helped to take decissions about operations in the port based in 48/72 hours weather forecast. The program takes wave and wind forecast in great scales and it calculates wave, tide and currents in a thinner grid. And, of course, it was developed with very interesting pieces of free software like Delft University of Technology’ SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore), on top of a (Debian) GNU/Linux system.

We finished the works some years ago, but I’m still very fond of it And I’ll be always grateful with Dr. Engineer Javier Eiras because the great work he did and the assistance he made me when he left the team.

2009 was not a good year for GPUL. We tried to go on with our usual program of workshops and hackmeetings, making honor to our 10th anniversary, but we were forced to stop. Part of the problem were some personal (family) problems I bore this year.

So we (the new board of directors) face now the challenge of guideing GPUL to a new golden age in free software developing and promoting. In the next months we must work updating the infraestructure, then we’ll really try to keep up with the times.

I seldom use the web interface to post. To do it, I use the identi.ca emacs mode, and Gwibber (that allows me automating links compression via TinyURL). And I use the identi.ca app for Facebook to inject these microposts as current status.

I don’t know how much time I’ll keep playing with it

These moments to stop & think happen each 3-4 years, because it usually is the life cycle of one generation of activists in the group. I think we have the challenge to overcome the lack of young members. We must keep up with the times too and look for new ways adapted to the current situation: I propose to work in boosting our best programmers in the great free software projects and collaborate with another kind of volunteer associations (NGO’s, tipically).

And it is my personal challenge to overcome my personal circumstances to push GPUL in the way the members decide.

• I’m a member of GPUL, so I’m a free software activist -> I collaborated with ESF-Galicia (Engineers Without Borders) in their migration to free software and open standards.

• I’m a social volunteer of OCV in Portiño->OCV funds some cooperation projects of ESF in Honduras.

• GPUL promotes free software -> GPUL has a project of a computer classroom in Portiño

• Lucía, is another volunteer of OCV in  Portiño-> She got a scholarship to travel and work in a cooperation project of ESF in Honduras.

• I’m a worker of CartoLab-> CartoLab, ESF and OCV signed an agreement to develop a custom gvSIG to ESF projects in Honduras->I’ll a developer in that project-> Lucía will process the data she’ll take with the free software tool in which I work.

So, I everyday dive in a dense mesh of same names and organizations…

The second day began with RMS’s speech about patents. We arrived a bit late, but I can certify it was a very good speech again. After it, Richard sold by (benefic) auction his book “Free Software, Free Society” and a cuddly GNU. Gonzalo had a moment of foolness, and now that GNU is now called “the CartoÑu”. Tomorrow will be introduced in society

After a coffee, I began to jump from a session to another again, looking for the most interesting papers to my work. Barranco and Alvarez from CEDEX showed the power of GRASS in hydrology investigation. Gomariz, Moreno, Cánovas and Alonso from University of Mucia explained the architecture they built to create a GIS to investigate hydric resources. They where the free software radicals in the conference, I think the only (LaTeX) beamer I saw in the three days. I was happy to have concurred in technologic decisions for several solutions in CartoLab with them.

The last speeches for me in the morning where about the wonderful world of  OGC services: David Jonglez from Camptocamp France SAS talked about MapFish; Fonts and Vidal related the evolution of Vissir2, the web visor of the Institut Cartográfic de Catalunya.

After having lunch Gonzalo gave a great speech standing out the importance of developing general free GIS clients to specific pourposes in order to reduce the time of cartographic works. Victor Olaya made the CartoLab in protagonist again with the announce of Nacho going to be part of the
Sextante developing team.

The rest hours to the night were my approach to OSGeo foundation and its Spanish-American chapter. I’ll write about it later. I only can say by now it was really exciting

Great part of attendants went home that night. Gonzalo, Nacho and me ended the night soon at the Camelot Irish pub with Victor Olaya and more people of the conference.

We changed the stage on Friday. The workshops where developed in the Facultat de Lletres of Universitat de Girona. It’s a restored Gothic monastery. I think they could be done a better integrated work, but it’s still a pretty environment.

Carlos Dávila developed a good workshop on Quantum GIS, a GIS client based on GRASS. I never had worked with a GIS program in such depth. Gonzalo runned out to the train station because he must flight to Asturias the same day. In the other side, the rest of CartoLab team had lunch in the central court of the building, under cypresses shadow.

The culmination for me arrived afternoon with Lorenzo Becchi driving a workshop on OpenLayers. I was tired, of course. But I would resist four hours more learning about that wonderful libraries.

That night Nacho and me had dinner at König and we returned to La Lola pub to celebrate those days (I think Catalonians go to bed too soon, but that night we were too tired to worry about it )

Maybe the III Jornadas SIG Libre had the geek level I would like. But it was in fact the cause of it sucess: everybody felt confortable and everybody could find interesting things for their business. I remembered sometimes GPUL’s CTSL’05

Today I’m analysing some documentation I received into the official bag of the conference. I found a very interesting book: “Complete migration to open source software in the Valencian Regional Ministry of Infraestructure and Transport”. It’s a example to follow, as far I could read by now.

It seems next year there won’t be the 4th edition. Why? Because FOSS4G 2010 will celebrate in Barcelona. It is the greatest event about geospatial free software in the world, and Irene Compte,  Lluis Vicens and Lorenzo Becci will work in it. So, I’m sure it’ll be a new sucess, and I
wish to be there

Today started the Conference. It seems the usual professional Conference in a four-star hotel, but there is a bit of unformality air. It’s not a geek conference at all (otherwise somebody would burn with gas because the wireless net continuous problems), there are people from different disciplines and organistations (government, university, enterprise, non-profit foundations, even lone developers).

In the opening we could hear some philosophical conferences (web 3.0 gaaaaaa!!!!)  and the launching of some projects related to the GIS world (Simon Jirka on 52º North about  Sensor Web Enablement, and Chris Holmes on OpenGeo about geospatial web services).

After lunch the most technical speeches began. Nacho opened the fire in his session with the releasing of SDIAnalyzer. He beared the network problems too, so he sadly couldn’t improve his speech with a fair demo. Then a pair of speeches followed about Catalonian and Andalusian governments apps around web geospatial services to their citizens.

There was an interesting discussion after the coffe about free (as in freedom) (spatial) data. Once again, governments and non-profit initiatives like OSM exposed their different points of view.

After sunset we went out for a walk with a tourist guide. We could admire how a city was built since the Roman Empire (Via Augusta crosses the city drawing the cardus) to nowadays. It was a pity the cathedral was closed. It’s the Gothic cathedral with the longest span in width nave in the world. We could read in those old stones some history about intolerance of Catholics against Jewish (modern era) and Communist and Anarchists against Catholics (Spanish II Republic and Civil War).

Finally we went to have dinner to a nice restaurant where we eat some typical  dishes. After it, around 100 GISers crossed in the night the city to find an opened pub. We found a pretty pub where two guitarists played a gypsy concert. I got a bit sad during a moment because I lost my session at the Portiño, but we really got fun dancing

(Of course I’m uploading some photos in my gallery.)

And… in four hours… we’ll sing “Join us now and share the software…”