Release Notes for Blockpad 1.6

October 2024

See rollout information for version 1.6.1 above.
Summary

Changes with this release include:

  • New page layout options
  • Inline math programs and other formula features
  • Improvements to copy and paste
  • Improvements to Mathcad import
  • Python integration
  • New fonts and symbols
  • Math layout improvements
  • Date and time format consistency
  • Image function
  • Macro automations
  • Smooth line rendering
  • Bug fixes
New page layout options

Several new properties are available:

  • Different First Page
  • Different Odd & Even Pages
  • Header Template
  • Footer Template
  • Border Margins
  • Page Margins (previously Margin)

These properties are in the Pages section of the Properties window. All groups and properties in the Properties window are also now listed alphabetically.

Inline math programs and other formula features

The program { ... } syntax allows for inline math programs, similar to Mathcad "programs".

With the program syntax, you can implicitly define variables and return a result without any special other syntax. For example...

In addition to defining variables inside and returning its last value as the result, these programs can use if-else statements and for loops.

The new for (var ... in ...) syntax allows for an easier way of making for loops.

An example of program and for in together:

program { a=Zeros(10, 1); for (var i in LinearSeries(1, 10)) a[i-1, 0]=i*2+1; a; }

Improvements to copy and paste

Copying and pasting Blockpad equations to other programs now does a better job of copying Blockpad equations as images.

Copying and pasting ranges of documents with combined text and images between Blockpad and other programs is now supported.

Several bugs with copying and pasting are now fixed.

Improvements to Mathcad import

Many improvements have been made to importing Mathcad files.

Python integration

Blockpad is now able to use Python modules and run Python scripts within Blockpad files. In this version, Blockpad is only able to use the locally installed Python interpreter, and the integration is available for the Windows and Mac apps (but not the web app). Before Python scripts can run in a file, Blockpad will prompt whether to allow scripts to run in that file.

The Python integration features are available inside the library at Library.Scripts.Python.

The Module function allows for using Python modules in Blockpad. The Module function takes the name of a Python module, and it returns the module as an object, which can be used to call that module's functions and access other resources.

The Eval and Exec functions allow for running Python scripts in Blockpad. They each take a Python script as a string and allow variables to be passed in and out.

Basic values from Python are read into Blockpad as regular numbers, booleans, or strings. Dictionaries and other objects from Python are brought into Blockpad as a reference, and you can access the members through Blockpad formulas.

You can make shortcuts such as import = Library.Scripts.Python.Module to allow for more succinct formulas such as np = import("numpy").

This is the first iteration of Python integration in Blockpad. Future versions will see more capabilities, as outlined in the Python Integration Notes.

Do you have thoughts on how we should build up the Python integration in the future. Please contact us!

See also:

New fonts and symbols

In addition to Muli, new fonts Charter and Latin Modern Math are now bundled within Blockpad. For characters not included in the selected font, Latin Modern Math is now the fallback symbol font.

Many new math, arrow, and other symbols are now included in the symbol tool.

Math layout improvements

Several new Latex codes are now supported:

Example Display
\overline{x} \(\overline{x}\)
\overleftarrow{x} \(\overleftarrow{x}\)
\overrightarrow{x} \(\overrightarrow{x}\)
\overleftrightarrow{x} \(\overleftrightarrow{x}\)
\hat{x} ̂x
\check{x} ̌x
\tilde{x} ̃x
\acute{x} ́x
\grave{x} ̀x
\dot{x} ̇x
\ddot{x} ̈x
\breve{x} ̆x
\bar{x} ̄x
\vec{x} ⃗x

The Latin Modern Math symbols for summations and integrals are now used in math layout.

When defining numbers in an equation, any trailing 0s are now included in the displayed equation, as well as other input formats like percents.

Text wrapping within equation results is improved.

Date and time format consistency

By default, dates are now shown in yyyy-MM-dd format. Dates with a time are shown by default in yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm format (or times in HH:mm:ss format).

There is no change to dates and times where the value format is specified. For example, the following common formats may be given with the Date and Time option in the Value Format tool:

Format Result
yyyy-MM-dd 2024-10-14
MM/dd/yy 10/14/24
dd-MM-yyyy 14-10-2024
Image function

The Image function is now available to define an image from an array.

The Image function can be used for a formula for an image object, and it can also be used for the result of an equation and field.

See also:

Macro automations

For macros that make changes to a file and require recalculating the formulas in the file, the 

Document.Recalculate();
function is now available. For example, this may be used by macros that perform iteration and need to change equation values and recalculate multiple times.

The Save to PDF tool can now be fully automated in macros.

Smooth line rendering

The rendering settings for lines and other shapes has been tweaked. Whereas previously the lines were shown crisply with some pixelation, now lines are rendered with antialiasing for a smoother look.

Bug fixes

Bug fixes include:

  • In step-by-step sections, fixes to several issues with assigning array indexers, accessing table cells in A1 format, and other issues
  • Fix to an issue where, when modifying an arc, a file could become destabilized if input is disrupted
  • Improvements to error messages
See also

Page modified 2024-10-31