Free useful thing for those hosting a tasting

[Eric Menchen]

Out of interest, do you each time download the latest version of the software, or do you use an old version that is on your computer?

I know I have gone back to your website and downloaded new versions several times. Although at one point I got hit by the bug/feature that required a huge amount of processing and prevented me from using some of the online PDF converters. And when I was using ghostscript, it was taking a long time with that version.

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

at one point I got hit by the bug/feature that required a huge amount of processing and prevented me from using some of the online PDF converters. And when I was using ghostscript, it was taking a long time with that version.

That has been fixed. Sorry about that.

But I can see in your sweet-wine tasting that a more recent version would have had slightly more elegant output. Please update.

[Eric Menchen]

This was a very introductory tasting:

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I'll update before my next placemat.

[Glenn E.]

This was a very introductory tasting:

sweet_placemat.jpg

I'll update before my next placemat.

If that's "introductory" then I want to be at your next "advanced" tasting!!!

[Eric Menchen]

If that's "introductory" then I want to be at your next "advanced" tasting!!!

Actually, my next idea for a Boulder Wine Meetup is a 1994 horizontal, 8 bottles (two thematic ringers), blind. Someone else recently hosted a tasting with ~14 bottles, and while they were very good, that's a lot for most of this group. I was thinking of inviting FTLOPers, but I think a bigger lineup is called for to justify travel. Just MHO.

And then there is my idea for a dinner to celebrate my birthday, wines from my birth year, which would mostly not be Port. I have five different things, so I'd probably add in a few bottles from other peoples' birth years.

[Glenn E.]

I was thinking of inviting FTLOPers, but I think a bigger lineup is called for to justify travel. Just MHO.

Depending on when you hold it, Denver is a pretty cheap flight from Seattle.

Also, my brother and his wife are often in Denver for various activities (they live in Alamosa), so a coordinated visit might be possible.

[Roy Hersh]

Thanks Julian, for bumping this forward.

Whenever you release a new version of the software or a year or two passes by, please feel free to do the same and no permission is needed for this.

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

A generic example of 20-up … a non-generic example of 18-up

18 on USL2: radius = 106.892pt   ⇒   diameter ≈ 2.97″ ≈ 75.4mm



20 on USL2: radius = 104.202pt   ⇒   diameter ≈ 2.89″ ≈ 73.5mm

[Eric Menchen]

My opinions:
1) In the US, using 17″×11″ (= /USL2) (a.k.a. tabloid) is a great option if you have it. That's pretty easy to find and support with a decent office printer, about the size of a dining placemat, and nicer than having to use multiple pieces of paper. I've made multiple different placemats this size using Julian's software and been very happy with the results.
2) 16 Port tasting glasses fit fine on a tabloid page. I've been at a lot of the tastings Glenn has been at and can confirm we had no real problem with this many, or a couple more. The critical thing here is the size of the glass. My work apparently thinks that the Marjorie Lumm site is evil, but checking Riedel, their Vinum Port glass has a maximum diameter of 2-7/8". They are narrower at the top. I think the Marjorie Lumm and the IVDP glasses are similar. The ones I typically rent are Libby Embassy 6½ oz (3766), and they are 2-5/8". If your glasses are 4", that's a very different situation.

(Yes, I rent glasses for tastings, $0.50 each. The break even point is about 6 tastings vs. buying. I have the hassle of pick-up and drop-off, but the place is less than 10 minutes from my home, and I trade that against the hassle of washing them all. The rentals just go back in the trays dirty.)

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

Enough theory. Test.

At 100% size (not a default of 96%) print the 17"×11" pages of www.jdawiseman.com/2016/20160113_USL2_test.pdf. Take home. Set out the glasses you would use at your tasting. How many glasses are on the last page that is still comfortable to use? That is the answer.

[Eric Menchen]

Enough theory. Test.
At 100% size (not a default of 96%) print the 17"×11" pages of www.jdawiseman.com/2016/20160113_USL2_test.pdf. Take home. Set out the glasses you would use at your tasting. How many glasses are on the last page that is still comfortable to use? That is the answer.

I printed them out and will test. And I'll start a new thread with the results and discussion.

I did have slightly difficulty in printing when I only wanted to print out the placemats and not the last two pages of the PDF. I think sometimes Adobe is too smart for their own good. You have the power to name pages, but then I couldn't specify just the pages I want, or at least I couldn't figure out the magic string. See this:

printPages.jpg (40.69 KiB) Viewed 23135 times

I tried changing "Julian W.: Glasses: 0: 0 - 9" to "Julian W.: Glasses: 0: 0 - 7", but that just ending up giving me page 7. So then I just let it print all the pages, with the box checked to choose paper source by PDF page size. But then the printer complained to load A4 paper, since it had none. I have some A4 somewhere ...

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

Just “1-7” would work. And I have re-generated the test PDF with the distillation log on /USL = 8½″×11″.

I printed them out and will test. And I'll start a new thread with the results and discussion.

Please post in the software thread.

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

Previous five posts moved here from 1985 30-year retrospective - February 26 - Chicago, IL.

[Eric Menchen]

So I printed out Julian's test pages for U.S. tabloid size paper (11" x 17") and put a bunch of glasses on them for testing. For my testing I used a Schott Zwiesel SIZA Port Wine Glass. I think this the same as an IVDP glass. It has a squared stem with a notch in it. The base diamter is 2¾", whereas the bowl appears to have a maximum diameter of 2½".

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Here's 13 glasses. No problem at all here. They are swimming with plenty of space.

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And 14 is still easy with no issues.

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[Eric Menchen]

15 glass seems like an inefficient layout, but it really isn't an issue. Still no problems.

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I thought the arrangement for 16 would work better than 15 because the glasses are round and a hex pattern gives more space between each, but really it didn't make a lot of difference. I think the additional glass vs. arrangement kind of cancelled out. I suppose I could measure the distances, or Julian could calculate them. As it is, the practical testing shows 16 is still very manageable without issue.

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The next step is 18. When I reached for an interior glass, my fingers bumped at least one other glass. As I pulled up a different glass, there was a "ching" as the base bumped another glass. There weren't significant problems, but things are getting tight.

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[Eric Menchen]

Here's a close-up of the bases for 18 glasses. You can see that they are getting pretty close to each other, thus the occasional bump.

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And here are 20 glasses, with a close-up too. There is definitely going to be a lot of clinging and bumping here. I would not want this arrangement after drinking a bunch of Ports. The bases are just about touching.

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[Eric Menchen]

And 21 is right out. They don't fit.

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[Andy Velebil]

So 16 is probably the max one would want to go?

[Glenn E.]

So 16 is probably the max one would want to go?

Only with those SZ Port Wine glasses. We used 18-up and 20-up at the FTLOP 10th Anniversary tasting, which you attended, and they worked fine with the INAO tasting glasses from Marjorie Lumm. Both placemats are pretty densely packed, but no one broke any glasses or spilled any Port so it didn't seem to be a problem.

[Julian D. A. Wiseman]

Eric: thank you for testing, and reporting so thoroughly.

I suppose I could measure the distances, or Julian could calculate them.

Radii and diameters are on the log page, but, more conveniently:

Code: Select all

13 glasses   ⇒   radius ≈ 124.259pt  ⇒  diameter ≈ 3.45″ ≈ 87.7mm
14 glasses   ⇒   radius = 123pt      ⇒  diameter ≈ 3.42″ ≈ 86.8mm
15 glasses   ⇒   radius = 117.6pt    ⇒  diameter ≈ 3.27″ ≈ 83.0mm
16 glasses   ⇒   radius ≈ 110.055pt  ⇒  diameter ≈ 3.06″ ≈ 77.7mm
18 glasses   ⇒   radius ≈ 106.278pt  ⇒  diameter ≈ 2.95″ ≈ 75.0mm
20 glasses   ⇒   radius ≈ 103.565pt  ⇒  diameter ≈ 2.88″ ≈ 73.1mm
21 glasses   ⇒   radius ≈  98.013pt  ⇒  diameter ≈ 2.72″ ≈ 69.2mm

And 21 is right out. They don't fit.

The base diamter is 2¾", whereas the bowl appears to have a maximum diameter of 2½".

Agreed: 2¾″ > 2.72″.

15 glass seems like an inefficient layout, but it really isn't an issue.

There are packings of 15 that are mathematically superior, but uglier.

Code: Select all

15 glasses   ⇒   radius ≈ 118.28pt   ⇒  diameter ≈ 3.29″ ≈ 83.5mm

If you prefer the extra 0.02″ of diameter to the ugliness, command same.

I thought the arrangement for 16 would work better than 15 because the glasses are round and a hex pattern gives more space between each

Yes, well, it depends. The code tries all the patterns in PermittedPackingStyles, subject to its constraints and flags, and takes the one with the largest radius. On an infinite page hexagonal is indeed best, but, well, on an infinite page there would be an infinite amount of Port to drink, which would be ample for a weekend. One of the items in the default value of PermittedPackingStyles is [ /RectangularAlternateNudge /ImprovementPointsMin 2 ]. The “/ImprovementPointsMin 2” means that this is selected only if it improves the radius by at least 2pt ⇒ diameter improved by 0.055″ ≈ 1.4mm. The actual improvement for 15 on /USL2 is a mere 0.68pt of radius, so 0.02″ ≈ 0.48mm of diameter.