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Digitalfire Newsletter - Aug 2008
It is time to download the latest INSIGHT because there are big improvements. It
is also time to upgrade to level 2, read on to see why. If you login at
digitalfire you can see the status of your key on the upper right of our home
page. There are links to click to renew and upgrade. In addition, you might see
a surprise if you visit our website.
Digitalfire Database INSIGHT is here
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SQLite is the fastest, smallest, most reliable cross platform database. It is
amazing. Now it is integrated into INSIGHT! Basic recipe database functionality
works for both level 1 and level 2 INSIGHT keys. This is the same database that
is in your cell phone, PDA or MP3 player, it is super fast and rock solid. Read
about it at http://sqllite.org. INSIGHT builds its new recipe database
automatically and imports your existing recipes. The new Recipe Database dialog
replaces the old Recipe Open dialog, the cache is gone, it is faster and the
search tools are much better. The INSIGHT recipe database is in just one file,
it is maintained in the same folder as MDT and recipe files, so it is easy to
find and backup. INSIGHT now uses the traditional XML format recipe files as an
automatic backup so you can actually erase the database file and it will
automatically be rebuilt and the recipes reimported! The previous recipe filing
system has not been discarded, but improved: it reads and writes all legacy
format recipe files using a standard file open/save dialog. INSIGHT has always
been targeted at ceramic calculations but now it also has the best database.
This database opens the door to a whole range of new features that you will see
in the coming year (many will be level 2 specific).
The New Advertising-Free Digitalfire Reference Database in Here!
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The knowledge base that has been hosted at http://ceramicmaterials.info has been
moved onto the digitalfire.com server and it has been vastly improved (the old
site will remain in place during the transition period). INSIGHT has
traditionally been a ceramic chemistry tool, but this database will help you
move into the mineralogy and physical testing sciences that are needed to
formulate clay bodies. All of the INSIGHT level 2 functions that used to be
hosted at ceramicmaterials.info (e.g. MDT download, material information quick
linking) are being moved to the new site and enhanced. This project is much more
comprehensive and wider in scope and we have better infrastructure to keep the
flow of new material coming into it. It is a materials-centric knowledgebase of
4,000 pages and 11,000 interlinks, a comprehensive project to document the
traditional ceramic process using a materials-centric approach and in an
interlinked way that mirrors the real-world hierarchy of oxides, minerals,
generic materials, name-brand materials, recipes and physical testing. Some key
features of the database do not appear for people who are not logged in at
digitalfire.com and do not have an INSIGHT level 2 key (Level 2 is required to
see interlinking, material chemistry numbers, XML representation for
interpreting in INSIGHT, searching, etc.). However anyone can browse it to get a
feel for the scope. To see it now go to
http://digitalfire.com/4sight/material/index.html.
New MDT Download Page is Better, has Crystal Glazes and Glass specific MDTs
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The MDT Download page (for Level 2 INSIGHT users) has been improved (the video
describing its use has also been updated). You can now rename materials (where
you are using the chemistry of one material and the name of another, e.g. frit
substitution). You can also translate material names into another language (to
create an MDT for a foreign language version of INSIGHT) and build a completely
custom materials file by starting from a generic table that contains only 10
materials. We have also fixed a problem that was causing failure to generate
some of the oxide columns for user-added materials. You can now download MDT
files specific to the glass industry and crystal glazes (the content was chosen
with the assistance of experts in each field). The MDT download page will be
moved to digitalfire.com in the next month and further new features will be
added (in addition to the much better materials database it is drawing from).
You can see a chart showing all of the MDTs and which materials they contain at
http://digitalfire.com/4sight/mdt/index.html
To update your personal and affiliation info on our website and click the Edit
Registration link at the top right.
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Yours sincerely,
Tony Hansen, tony@digitalfire.com
DIGITALFIRE CORPORATION, http://digitalfire.com
Calculation/Database Software for Ceramic Industry
Mar 2005 Newsletter