David A. Smith wrote:
>I plan on a design tool for Croquet and have done a simple prototype.
>Check out my blog at:
>
><http://croqueteer.blogspot.com/> and start at; "Wicket and Things to
>Come" and read by scrolling up.
>
>Also check out the paper we wrote about filters and tasks which should
>be appearing on the CroquetProject here soon:
><http://www.croquetproject.org/About_Croquet/whitepapers.html>
>
>The next release of Croquet is going to be called "Hedgehog" by the
>way.

I have read all this fairly intently and very much look forward to
actually seeing it and being able to use it, along with some of the
other things that have been described by the Architects.  Maybe later
this year?

In case you couldn't pick out the salient points from my earlier
cavalier rant, one was that if there is an import function, there
should be a corresponding export function.  This only makes sense and
improves the overall utility of the tool at hand.  And yes, I realize
that I have about as much culpability on this point as anyone.

My other, somewhat less obvious point is that I view
the-tool-formerly-known-as-Wicket-and-now-just-a-funny-looking-symbol-with-no-obvious-pronunciation-maybe-someday-to-be-called-Wicket-again
as a powerful and potentially somewhat less than intuitive tool. 
Sometimes the more powerful tools for the experts have a bit steeper
learning curve.  That, and I keep running out of patience because I
keep running into roadblocks with my pet projects.

Although I'm sure that the much anticipated Wicket-soon-to-be-whatever
will be easy to use, it's hard to beat drawing directly on an object to
paint its surface, to use the Wonderland paint tool as an example.  I
dislike seeing simple, powerful tools that already exist set aside
because of advances in areas that don't really directly involve them. 
Maybe in a few years, when the Croquet balls are all in alignment, it
will make a return appearance.

"Hedgehog" does kind of suggest a flamingo as the tool of choice.


		
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