SaVi 1.4.6 is now released. Minor changes and bugfixes. This was necessary to support Cygwin transitioning away from Insight Tcl 8.4 to unix Tcl 8.5. Documenting how to build this on Mac OS X is a moving target, now that the Xcode app requires checking a box before command and compile tools become available. Hopefully the instructions are clear enough.

SaVi 1.4.5 is now released. Minor changes for the most part, accumulated over a few months. Supporting Mac OS X and its buggy Tcl continues to surprise, but now SaVi can build with ActiveTcl installs, it's a less buggy experience than it was.

Why I'm learning to hate Matlab

Reason 1 The license manager. Having Matlab licensed for use at your university is fine until you move your laptop with its licensed copy somewhere else outside the firewall, and it stops working.

Reason 2 The license manager. Using a function in a particular toolbox is fine until all the licenses for that toolbox are checked out, at which point your code will fail when the function is called. That's an interpreted language that calls the license server before every command.

Reason 3 It's written in Java, and that's not very well hidden. Observe:

[ConditionalEventPump] Exception occurred during event 
dispatching:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
	at java.awt.image.DataBufferInt.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.image.Raster.createPackedRaster
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.image.DirectColorModel.createCompatibleWritableRas
ter(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.getBackupImage
(Unknown Source)
	at 
sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.getBackupSurface
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.initialize
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.RepaintManager.getVolatileOffscreenBuffer
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager$PaintManager.paint
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paint(Unknown 
Source)
	at javax.swing.JComponent.paint(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.GraphicsCallback$PaintCallback.run
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runOneComponent
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runComponents
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Container.paint(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.seqPaintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.SystemEventQueueUtilities$ComponentWorkRequest.
run(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown 
Source)
[ConditionalEventPump] Exception occurred during event 
dispatching:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
	at java.awt.image.DataBufferInt.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.image.Raster.createPackedRaster
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.image.DirectColorModel.createCompatibleWritableRas
ter(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.getBackupImage
(Unknown Source)
	at 
sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.getBackupSurface
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.initialize
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.RepaintManager.getVolatileOffscreenBuffer
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager$PaintManager.paint
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paint(Unknown 
Source)
	at javax.swing.JComponent.paint(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.GraphicsCallback$PaintCallback.run
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runOneComponent
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runComponents
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Container.paint(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.seqPaintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.SystemEventQueueUtilities$ComponentWorkRequest.
run(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown 
Source)
[ConditionalEventPump] Exception occurred during event 
dispatching:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
	at java.awt.image.DataBufferInt.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.image.Raster.createPackedRaster
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.image.DirectColorModel.createCompatibleWritableRas
ter(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.getBackupImage
(Unknown Source)
	at 
sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.getBackupSurface
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.initialize
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.RepaintManager.getVolatileOffscreenBuffer
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager$PaintManager.paint
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paint(Unknown 
Source)
	at javax.swing.JComponent.paint(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.GraphicsCallback$PaintCallback.run
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runOneComponent
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runComponents
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Container.paint(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.seqPaintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.SystemEventQueueUtilities$ComponentWorkRequest.
run(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown 
Source)
[ConditionalEventPump] Exception occurred during event 
dispatching:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
	at java.awt.image.DataBufferInt.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.image.Raster.createPackedRaster
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.image.DirectColorModel.createCompatibleWritableRas
ter(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.getBackupImage
(Unknown Source)
	at 
sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.getBackupSurface
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.VolatileSurfaceManager.initialize
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at sun.awt.image.SunVolatileImage.<init>(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.GraphicsConfiguration.createCompatibleVolatileImag
e(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.RepaintManager.getVolatileOffscreenBuffer
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager$PaintManager.paint
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paint(Unknown 
Source)
	at javax.swing.JComponent.paint(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.GraphicsCallback$PaintCallback.run
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runOneComponent
(Unknown Source)
	at sun.awt.SunGraphicsCallback.runComponents
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Container.paint(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.paintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.RepaintManager.seqPaintDirtyRegions
(Unknown Source)
	at 
javax.swing.SystemEventQueueUtilities$ComponentWorkRequest.
run(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown 
Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter
(Unknown Source)
	at 
java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy
(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents
(Unknown 
Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown 
Source)
[ConditionalEventPump] Exception occurred during event 
dispatching:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space
[ConditionalEventPump] Exception occurred during event 
dispatching:
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space

So, Matlab is an interpreted language, now written in Java, that calls its license manager before every command and won't run on a work laptop that is being used as a laptop. What's not to like?

Memento mori

Just noticed that mirwin has a note on his wikipedia user page indicating that he has passed away. In 2008, as far as I can tell, but the Wikipedia page was only updated at the end of 2009; this may be news to other Advogato users.

I knew him only as the only certified master to rate me as master...

Timor mortis conturbat me.

SaVi 1.4.4 now has a Debian/Ubuntu package that is a one-click install. As is the Geomview package that SaVi uses for 3D animation, which is listed in the Synaptic package manager and under apt-get.

A couple of clicks, a geomview -run /usr/share/savi/savi, and the satellite constellation systems are yours to control, for far less than it would cost to build Galileo.

I still haven't produced that TIE fighter and Death Star texturemap, though.