I have decided to release my cue weight and balance (called CueBalance) modeling program for sale. I have worked on my program off and on for close to a year. The program is a fully realized windows program written in .NET that uses xml to store the program and cue data. It is easy to use and lightweight, it should run on your shop computers just fine.
The program includes many features of cue construction. It handles coring, both full length and individual component cores. A component can be fully cored or partially cored from either/both ends. Cores can include a step in diameter. The A-joint can run either into the forearm or into the handle. Ringwork data can be entered into the program as detailed as one wishes. It includes the option of installing wraps. Weight "bolts" can be entered anywhere within the cue. The program has options for a 3 piece butt configuration, a one piece butt, or a one piece butt with a sleeve. There is a full spliced option for the one piece butt choices. The W&B can be predicted for the butt alone, or the butt and the shaft together. The program includes an option for a rear cavity in the cue.
There are custom hardware lists for joint pins, joint collars, butt caps, bumpers, etc. Each one of these lists can be edited by the user to include his standard choices and their parameters to be used whenever needed. The program includes tolerance settings for things such as coring (to acccommodate thin epoxy versus poly glues), and the difference in final sanding and finish diameters (the finish thickness). Weights can be entered into the program using either grams or ounces.
There is a set of density calculators to aid the user in calculating the densities of cue components. To use it, just weigh and measure (lengths and diameters) your blanks that are resting at standard sizes and enter the numbers in the calculator to get the density of the piece to evaluate its possible use for a specific cue.
There is a detailed help file that covers every aspect of the program. Each groupbox in the program where data is entered has a help button to take the user directly to that section of the help file. The help file includes a few "How To" pages to help the user learn how to use the program for certain tasks. There is a page with a table of densities for commonly used cue woods. I will be maintaining the help file with routine updates as needed based on user feedback. I have decided to post the help file on my website for free download. Anyone who might be interested can check out the help file before purchasing. The help file can be downloaded immediately from my web site. Click on the link on the page to download the file.
http://www.mvpcues.com/cuebalance.php
After downloading the help file and saving it to your hard drive (save it, don't try and open it directly from the web), you will need to navigate to where you saved it, right click on the file and hit properties, select the general tab, and then click to unblock the file so you can view the content. This is because of a windows security setting for executing files that were directly downloaded from the web.
I will be shooting some "How To" videos on the basics of using the program. These videos will be posted to my youtube channel. Anyone who purchases the program prior to the videos being posted will get an email letting them know whey they are available for viewing.
The introductory price of the program is $100. A purchase includes lifetime email support. Once purchased, an email will be sent with a download link and instructions for installing the program. The program will be custom compiled for each and every user; the owner's name will appear on the program main screen. To purchase, use the paypal button found on the website I linked above.
I hope that the program could be a small but significant contribution to the world of cuemaking. I will be maintaining the program, including possible version updates in the future, and help will always be an email away.
How accurate are predictions? I answered this in the help file, so I quote:
"It took some effort to work up the courage to release the program for sale. On one hand, I know how much work I have put into each feature of the program so it is as accurate as possible. On the other hand, I could never test it enough to make me feel comfortable about predicting other people's success with the program. How do I guarantee certain results when so much is dependent on the data that goes into the program? That is the scary part. Different users are likely to have different success rates.
For my tests, the average difference in weight between the CueBalance predicted weight and the actual weight after final turning is .07 ounces. The average balance point difference is .05 inches. Some predictions were dead nuts, while the poorest prediction was .18 ounces off and .1 inches off. I have done many isolated tests of individual calculations/features of the program. The numbers above were averages for fairly simple 3 piece butts. More complicated cues modeled in the program should yield less accurate results, on average. Pointed forearms, butterflies, large floating points, etc will all affect the accuracy of predictions since they are not modeled in the program. How much depends on each specific build."
After this long-winded post, if anyone has any questions about the program or help file, please feel free to email or message me.
The program includes many features of cue construction. It handles coring, both full length and individual component cores. A component can be fully cored or partially cored from either/both ends. Cores can include a step in diameter. The A-joint can run either into the forearm or into the handle. Ringwork data can be entered into the program as detailed as one wishes. It includes the option of installing wraps. Weight "bolts" can be entered anywhere within the cue. The program has options for a 3 piece butt configuration, a one piece butt, or a one piece butt with a sleeve. There is a full spliced option for the one piece butt choices. The W&B can be predicted for the butt alone, or the butt and the shaft together. The program includes an option for a rear cavity in the cue.
There are custom hardware lists for joint pins, joint collars, butt caps, bumpers, etc. Each one of these lists can be edited by the user to include his standard choices and their parameters to be used whenever needed. The program includes tolerance settings for things such as coring (to acccommodate thin epoxy versus poly glues), and the difference in final sanding and finish diameters (the finish thickness). Weights can be entered into the program using either grams or ounces.
There is a set of density calculators to aid the user in calculating the densities of cue components. To use it, just weigh and measure (lengths and diameters) your blanks that are resting at standard sizes and enter the numbers in the calculator to get the density of the piece to evaluate its possible use for a specific cue.
There is a detailed help file that covers every aspect of the program. Each groupbox in the program where data is entered has a help button to take the user directly to that section of the help file. The help file includes a few "How To" pages to help the user learn how to use the program for certain tasks. There is a page with a table of densities for commonly used cue woods. I will be maintaining the help file with routine updates as needed based on user feedback. I have decided to post the help file on my website for free download. Anyone who might be interested can check out the help file before purchasing. The help file can be downloaded immediately from my web site. Click on the link on the page to download the file.
http://www.mvpcues.com/cuebalance.php
After downloading the help file and saving it to your hard drive (save it, don't try and open it directly from the web), you will need to navigate to where you saved it, right click on the file and hit properties, select the general tab, and then click to unblock the file so you can view the content. This is because of a windows security setting for executing files that were directly downloaded from the web.
I will be shooting some "How To" videos on the basics of using the program. These videos will be posted to my youtube channel. Anyone who purchases the program prior to the videos being posted will get an email letting them know whey they are available for viewing.
The introductory price of the program is $100. A purchase includes lifetime email support. Once purchased, an email will be sent with a download link and instructions for installing the program. The program will be custom compiled for each and every user; the owner's name will appear on the program main screen. To purchase, use the paypal button found on the website I linked above.
I hope that the program could be a small but significant contribution to the world of cuemaking. I will be maintaining the program, including possible version updates in the future, and help will always be an email away.
How accurate are predictions? I answered this in the help file, so I quote:
"It took some effort to work up the courage to release the program for sale. On one hand, I know how much work I have put into each feature of the program so it is as accurate as possible. On the other hand, I could never test it enough to make me feel comfortable about predicting other people's success with the program. How do I guarantee certain results when so much is dependent on the data that goes into the program? That is the scary part. Different users are likely to have different success rates.
For my tests, the average difference in weight between the CueBalance predicted weight and the actual weight after final turning is .07 ounces. The average balance point difference is .05 inches. Some predictions were dead nuts, while the poorest prediction was .18 ounces off and .1 inches off. I have done many isolated tests of individual calculations/features of the program. The numbers above were averages for fairly simple 3 piece butts. More complicated cues modeled in the program should yield less accurate results, on average. Pointed forearms, butterflies, large floating points, etc will all affect the accuracy of predictions since they are not modeled in the program. How much depends on each specific build."
After this long-winded post, if anyone has any questions about the program or help file, please feel free to email or message me.
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