Sometimes they called the Nomograms the earliest solid state calculators for complex algorithms. I always loved Nomograms because understanding them was understanding the problem/algorithm. I you succeeded in making one you had the same feeling as making a new type of sundial.
Thibaud Chabot At 18:03 4-6-99 +0000, you wrote: -----Original Message/Oorspronkelijk bericht-------------- >I went to a semi vocational high school in NY called Brooklyn Tech. We >were required back in those days (about 1964) to take much mechanical >drawing and shops. I took one course called Descriptive Geometry in >which we used the techniques you describe to build "Nomographs" or >"Nomograms" whichever is the proper usage. Wish I could remember what >text we used, I'd love to take another look at it. > >regards, > >Tony DeVito > >Jean-Paul Cornec wrote: > >> Jim and John, >> Indeed the "épure" is the result of projecting a >> 3-D figure onto one or many planes according to >> the rules of a branch of geometry we call in >> french "géométrie descriptive". It is still used >> in technical drawing and the method was very >> popular in gnomonics before the PCs and the >> hand-held computers. It is a bit obsolete now, >> except for drawing the hours lines of the most >> simple sundials for teaching purposes. >> Good luck >> >> Jean-Paul Cornec >> 22300 LANNION >> FRANCE >> >> ---------- >> > De : Jim Morrison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > A : sundial <sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de> >> > Objet : Fw: epure >> > Date : vendredi 4 juin 1999 17:13 >> > >> > John, >> > >> > My French is not what it once was, but I think >> an épure is just a working >> > drawing. >> > >> > Jim >> > >> > James E. Morrison >> > Astrolabe web pages at: >> http://myhouse.com/mc/planet/astrodir/astrolab.htm >> >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: John Carmichael <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > To: <sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de> >> > Sent: Friday, June 04, 1999 10:05 AM >> > Subject: epure >> > >> > >> > > Hi Dialists: >> > > >> > > I'm halfway through reading Rohr's sundial >> book for the first time. In >> > > laying out hour lines for many types of >> sundials, Rohr uses a devise >> > called >> > > an "epure" (w/ an accent mark over the last >> e.). He assumes that the >> > reader >> > > knows what this is. From the context I think >> it must be some sort of >> > > drawing tool or something like a trigon, but >> I'm not sure. Does anybody >> > > know? Is it still used by any of you? >> Supposedly it aids in laying out >> > > hour lines using graphic methods, but many of >> Rohr's drawings are so >> > > complicated, that they are very difficult to >> understand. >> > > >> > > I'm so glad that my first sundial book was >> the easy to read Mayalls' book. >> > > I think that if I had started with Rohr I >> would have given up! >> > > >> > > Thanks, >> > > >> > > John Carmichael >> > > http://www.azstarnet.com/~pappas >> > > >> > > >> > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- Thibaud Taudin-Chabot 52°18'19.85" North 04°51'09.45" East home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (attachments max. 500kB; for larger attachments contact me first)
