Surface Evolver Newsletter no. 16

                    Surface Evolver Newsletter Number 16
                               August 18, 1999

                       by Ken Brakke, brakke@susqu.edu

Contents
  Version 2.14
  New examples
  New features and changes

Version 2.14

  Version 2.14 is now available at
  http://www.susqu.edu/facstaff/b/brakke/evolver/evolver.htm.
  It is also available from the Geometry Center, geom.umn.edu,
  but I don't know how long that site will be available.
  This is the first publicly announced version since 2.10c a year
  ago, although version 2.13 was unofficially posted in May.

  There is finally a current Mac version for the PowerPC.

Examples
  
  A gallery of triply periodic minimal surfaces (many new) is at
  http://www.susqu.edu/facstaff/b/brakke/examples/periodic/periodic.html.
  This page is the result of joint work with Alan Schoen.

  There are three examples of liquid solder models, each with a
  series of datafiles and commentary:

      Ball Grid Array joint (simple column between circular pads)
      http://www.susqu.edu/facstaff/b/brakke/evolver/bga/bga.htm

      Gull Wing Lead (curved lead above rectangular pad)
      http://www.susqu.edu/facstaff/b/brakke/evolver/gullwing/gullwing.html

      Tombstone (chip pulled upright by solder tension)
      http://www.susqu.edu/facstaff/b/brakke/tombstone/tomb.htm

New features and changes

    Almost all of the changes are bug fixes, internal improvements,
    and specialized new features. A couple are of general interest:

    hessian_normal is now defaults to ON.

    Put in automatic convert_to_quantities; still a place or two
    where can't convert on the fly.  Command line option -a-
    disables.

    Added "verbose" toggle command for action messages from
    pop edge, pop vertex, delete, notch, refine, dissolve, and edgeswap.

    The "dissolve" command will now dissolve facets on bodies in the
    soapfilm model, and edges on facets in the string model.

    Edges have frontbody and backbody attributes in the string model.

    There is a chdir command to change the working directory. 

    Element extra attributes can be declared with code to evaluate their
    values.