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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Mar 31, 2008 05:36 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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New version 1.4.0 released, with the following features added:
(1) Function to browse sequentially all the pictures included in the database like in a photos album, printable with the basic data of the specimen in the foot.
(2) Information about the record species can be directly looked up in seven database search engines (Mindat, Mineralogy Database, Athena, MinMax, MineralienAtlas, Google, and Wikipedia) with just a click on a button.
(3) An elementary help system based in Q&A (questions and answers), available online, can be accessed from inside the program.
(4) The full screen of every record, inside a horizontal band in the header, can optionally display the name of the collector or any text you like, with font, background and gradient color user configurable.
(5) A column with the field 'List price' has been added to the main data grid (it had been forgotten in previous versions).
Over 1,400 complete downloads registered in the last three months.
Please, report in this forum any bug you might find.
This new release can be downloaded here
Installing an update over your older version does not overwrite your data, which is kept unchanged.
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Xavier Martinez
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 12
Location: Molins de Rei- Barcelona-
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Posted: Mar 31, 2008 23:33 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Hi Carles,
You are really overcoming yourself, the hyperlinks that you have created to other bases (mindat, athena, mineralogy dates base.), it is very well. In forms the folders is very useful
He looks that I have created myself with the Access my own base and I am questioning it to me to leave to yours.
With the only spirit of giving you my opinion:
In the "-v(dot)cat" where it should allow me to put my name or collection, except for error, it doesn't allow it to me
In my opinion to be perfect should can to add lashes and to modify some fields for the own user, not being left so closed.
In my collection, I like to put the name in Spanish, Catalan and English, as well as the etymology of the same, debatable or not and acceptable or unacceptable for other collectors, but each one has our likes.
In short, to be appreciated your wonderful effort and more keeping in mind that it is a " freeware ".
I aim that, there would surely be enough people willing to finance a soft, that yes that allowed to adapt it some small variations of fields to our personal likes.
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Apr 01, 2008 08:27 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Please, go to Q&A from inside the program for an answer to your question.
Thanks for your interest,
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Sep 02, 2008 09:38 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Last August 27 the number of full downloads of the program reached the figure of 2000, and counting, from all the 7 continents (except Antarctica).
Just to send many thanks to all the collectors who spent some of their time to install the program and test it. I have evidence that many of them are already using it in an everyday basis for cataloging their collection.
The program most recent version is 1.5.4 and can be downloaded, as usual, here.
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Xavier Martinez
Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 12
Location: Molins de Rei- Barcelona-
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Posted: Sep 02, 2008 13:52 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Hello Carlos and congratulation, the work very fact has the whole future. You should feel proud of your software that arrives to so many places.
Happiness,
greetings
Xavier Martinez Esquius
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Druid
Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Cape Town
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Posted: Oct 28, 2008 06:09 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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this is briliant. i have been looking for something like this for ages. it is going to make my life so much easier. thank you very much for this.
if you dont mind i will tell the folks at the club about this im sure there will be plenty of folks interested.
thanks :)
_________________ Member of the South African Gem and Mineralogical Society |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Oct 28, 2008 06:43 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Hi Druid!
>if you dont mind i will tell the folks at the club about this im sure there will be plenty of folks
>interested.
>_________________
>Member of the South African Gem and Mineralogical Society
No problem, go ahead.
Thank you!
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Druid
Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Cape Town
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Posted: Oct 28, 2008 07:03 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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cool thank you very much
_________________ Member of the South African Gem and Mineralogical Society |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Oct 28, 2008 13:13 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Hi again!
should u ever find a bug please let me know, thanks
_____
Carles
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Druid
Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Cape Town
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Posted: Oct 29, 2008 00:41 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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will do. I have let the club secretery know and she will be publishing the link in our Dec newsleter.
_________________ Member of the South African Gem and Mineralogical Society |
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mattmillus
Joined: 31 Oct 2008
Posts: 1
Location: New Jersey
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Posted: Oct 31, 2008 02:55 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Hello Carles and thanks for releasing an excellent tool!
I just ported my catalog from a custom designed access database I had been using to your software and I am loving it.
I do have a feature request though - would it be possible to add the ability to print labels directly from the software? I realize it already has support for printing reports (which works great) but I would love to be able to print sheets of lables onto sticker paper for my acrylic bases. Nothing fancy would be needed, maybe the ability to chose a font and size, and font alignment (left or center) for each of the three fields that most people would want on thier labels (species/description/locality). Even better, you could make it work with your active selection, so you can select a couple of specimens and print labels for only those.
Currently, the only option I have is exporting the dataset to excel, and then from excel importing it into an access database at which point I can print labels using the 'reports' feature of access. Quite an inconvenience though! Since the program already supports printing, I dont think this feature would be a huge project, but then again I am a c++ coder and not at all familiar with the languages you used so I might be wrong =)
Let me know your thoughts on this!
Matt
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Tracy
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Toronto
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Posted: Oct 31, 2008 07:12 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Glad you asked that question Matt, I was wondering the same thing...
Tracy
_________________ "Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Oct 31, 2008 13:26 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Printing labels: it's not as easy as it seems. Implementing a robust and flexible function to have labels printed is not a matter of a couple of hours because not only the fonts should be controlled.
In addition to fonts there are a lot of other parameters to take into account. Paper size, columns number, columns width, label height, position of the fields, what fields to include, inserting a graphic logo, drawing frames, and so on. And all of them must be hard coded.
A simplified function to perform that task might be written and perhaps would not be highly time consuming but I'm sure it would'n satisfy most people.
I'm sorry, but currently I have no time enough to develop that function.
Thanks for your comments,
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Tracy
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Toronto
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Posted: Oct 31, 2008 13:43 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Thanks anyway Carles. I am very happy with your program as it is, regardless of whetherit prints labels (I did not realize how much effort was involved in programming that feature, either).
Regards,
Tracy
_________________ "Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates |
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guppyman
Joined: 30 Nov 2008
Posts: 3
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Posted: Dec 01, 2008 06:11 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Just downloaded the software. Will try it now.
Thanks so much.
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Dec 07, 2008 14:59 Post subject: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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New version 1.6.0 just released, with the following features added:
(1) Two user definable fields that can be free labelled and filled with any content up to 50 characters each.
(2) A fourth photograph can be included in every specimen record.
(3) The field description has been enlarged from 60 to 100 characters.
Should you find any bug please report it in this forum.
This new release can be downloaded as usual at this site.
Installing an update over your older version does not overwrite your data, which is kept unchanged.
More than 2,900 downloads have been registered so far from all over the world.
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Dec 13, 2008 06:47 Post subject: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Some people asked repeatedly for a function that allow to keep the records of the removed or deaccessioned specimens, i.e., those that are no longer in your collection for having been traded, sold, given away, or simply thrown to trash (I myself send to trash some piece from time to time).
The new version 1.6.2 of the program does keep those records and permits to see and manage them the same way as the regular ones, until the user decides to discard them if he/she ever wants to.
For more details about how to proceed read the last Questions & Answers from inside the program.
This new release can be downloaded as usual at this site.
Should you find any bug please report it by replying this message.
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Dec 17, 2008 14:47 Post subject: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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Hi!
The new version 1.6.4 includes an improved backup function that keeps your data files separated for each day of the month. This means in case of catastrophe you might restore the copy of today, or the one from yesterday, or the one from the day before yesterday, and so on, up to 31.
A new field "Purchase price" has been added so you can enter the price really paid in any currency after discount (if any). The preexisting field "Original cost" is intended to store the price really paid in your native currency.
Download it at this site.
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Aug 30, 2009 13:33 Post subject: New version 2.0 available - More than 5,000 downloads so far and counting... |
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New version 2.0 available - More than 5,000 downloads so far and counting...
The installation pack reached last week 5,000 downloads from all over the world.
The version 2.0 has lots of new functions to make the mineral collectors' life easier when cataloging their database.
And it's free of charge.
To download the latest version just click here.
Should you have on your computer a previous version with real data, don't worry. All of them will be kept after installing the update.
The program is for Windows, but if you are on a Mac or a GNU/Linux machine there is a trick to run it. Just read the FAQs for more details.
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Main screen showing the filter conditions form and the user's configuration options. |
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Edit form with all the available fields and the built-in calculator visible |
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Main screen with the report print options form and the built-in calendar |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Dec 25, 2009 13:00 Post subject: Re: Freeware: Mineral Database |
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mattmillus wrote: | I do have a feature request though - would it be possible to add the ability to print labels directly from the software? Let me know your thoughts on this! |
Tracy wrote: | Glad you asked that question Matt, I was wondering the same thing...! |
Hi, Matt and Tracy!
If you can survive without sophisticated labels, a way to get a printout of simple ones from inside the program is explained with the last release. Just install an update, open the Questions & Answers page here and read the question #52.
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