NEW! DRC version 4.09 update

NEW! DRC version 4.09 update is now available. Free update for DRC 4.00 users (In app download).

The release has several small UI enhancements to make entering data easier. Several bug fixes are also included in the release.  Also the is a new  specimen list feature where you can add specimens to a list to group together.  See Revision history for more details. 

https://digitalrockhound.blogspot.com/p/revision-history_02.html

Why did I do this?  I actually use my software to manage my personal collections and I am constantly finding new features I want to add.

BTW, I will trade accept specimen trade for a copy of DRC.  

$50 trade value will get you a full copy of DRC 4.0.

Brief History of DRC

Hi Everyone:

It has been awhile since I've blogged or released new software but that is about to change.  October 2019, I will be releasing DRC 4.0 which is a complete rewrite of my Digital Rockhound's companion software as a new C# WPF application.  I've replaced the database engine with sqlite.

I hope in 2020-21, I will have a release based on DRC 4.0.

This got me thinking this morning about the timelines of my previous releases.

Release history of Digital Rockhound's companion:

• DRC 1.0  1996-2008: MS Access 97 + application 
• DRC 2.0  2008-2012: VB6 rewrite, MS Access database, crystal reports
• DRC 3.0 2012-2019 : C# rewrite, winforms, MS Access database, eliminated crystal reports, SharpMap GIS
• DRC 4.0 2019: C# WPF rewrite.  Sqlite database, client-side sql reports Mapsui GIS

Gary Kindel

DRC 3.0 Update - Build 3.19 is Available

 I just released the latest update to Digital Rockhound's Companion Version 3.19

 Enhancement:
   -  DRC installer no longer requires a DVD
   -  Changed Updater to automatically download to DRC folder again.
   
 The Full installer and Updater has several improvements
  - No DVD required.
  - Street level GIS files have been removed.  There files were first added back in 1997 when DRC was an MS Access app.  Some might remember this version.  It had its merits, plus reporting was easy with MS Access reports.  I still miss that feature(sigh...) The streets GIS files were rendered moot a decade ago by Google Maps.
 - DRC Updater.exe is smaller.  Finally solved a 'free' hosting solution for files.  Its amazing in 20+ years of the Internet, it has become increasing difficult to host a file over 200MB. Every one wants to extract a fee for hosting.  Since DRC is a barely for profit operation, I choose not to spend any profits on site fees.

I'm not going to post a link for DRC installer or DRC Updater.  If someone cannot download DRC updater please email me at Gary.Kindel@gmail.com. Please include DRC in the message status/header.

DRC 3.0 Update - Build 3.18 is Available

 I just released the latest update to Digital Rockhound's Companion Version 3.18

 Bug Fix:
   -  Specimen / Fossil not added to labelqueue if ID_text is not a number
   - Specimen - Cannot remove MineID
 
 Enhancement:
   - Mineral specimen: Allow Specimen_ID to be changed.  This is initially an auto-number.

  This update also rolls out DRC 3.0 to anyone using DRC version 2.0 as a free update.

  

  You can download the using DRC 3.0 if you have version 3.0.16 or higher, otherwise, you must download it manually.   Download 

Digital Rockhound's Companion 3.0 Update

I finally have some DRC 3.0 news to share. I have finally solved the problems I found running DRC 3.0 on 64 bit version of Windows 7.

From a Software Developer's perspective whats new:

• The entire application rewritten in C# .net 3.5 framework.  - No more VB6
• Replaced GIS control with open source SharpMap control.
• Using all standard Windows controls from Microsoft Visual Studio - No third party controls.
• Using Iconic.ZIP library for file compression tasks. dotnetzip.codeplex.com
• Switched reports to crystal reports.  (Boo! I know I know but I could not find a better alternative and it came with  Microsoft Visual Studio.

For a User perspective:

• Same data
• Similar User Interface (UI).
• Better stability.
• Better Windows OS support for Vista and Windows 7.
• You can actually add new mines!  
• Added Google Books to Book Search
• Enhanced Show mine on map feature with thematic mapping for minerals and commodities.

DRC 3.0 Specs:

• Pentium 4 or faster CPU
• Supports single and multiple core CPUs
• 1 GB of RAM
• 2 GB of free hard drive space 
• DVD drive
• Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
•  Supports: 32/64bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Supports storing photos to Google+ (former PicasaWeb)

Supports posting blog entries to Google's Blogger  

Why upgrade from DRC 2.0 to DRC 3.0?  Its free!

• It will be a free upgrade from DRC 2.0
• It can be applied automatcially using DRC 2.0 check for Updates feature.
• DRC 2.0 will be retired after DRC 3.0 has been released.
• All new enhancements and bug fixes will go to DRC 3.0.
• Its just better!

DRC 2.0 Walk Through: Image Capture Screen

Here is the updated Image Capture Screen.
Linked to Mineral List, Mineral Seatch, and Periodic Table screens.
(This was included in DRC 2.0.026 Update).

Blog your mineral Collection

Coming to DRC 2.0 this October: Blog your mineral collection!

I finally have my DRC to Blogger / PicasaWeb interface finished and working.
With this software, I can directly from DRC 2.0 blog a mineral specimen entry with photos directly to a Blogger blog. There is abit a testing I need to finish with one or two small details to polish making it a bit easier to use but ITS WORKING!!!!. This will be a free upgrade to all current DRC 2.0 users.

I hope to have the update available by October 15th.

Requirements:
Picasa (free)
Google Account with PicasaWeb enabled (free)
Blogger (free)
DRC 2.0 (almost free $34.00)

Here is a specimen from my mineral collection: Beraunite specimen from eastern PA.

Data exported from DRC 2.0 (c) 2009 Gary Kindel
ID:	2288	Mineral:	BERAUNITE
		Variety:
Mine ID:	167624	Mine:	BACHMAN MINE
		City:	Hellerton	County:	Northampton
		State:	PENNSYLVANIA	Country:	USA
		Color:	Reddish brown	Size:	1.25 (3) Perky
		Description:	prismatic xl sprays
	Year Aquired:		2004	Radioactive:	False
		Price:	$0.60	Fluorescent:	False
		Value:	$5.00	Vendor:
		Notes:	Old Micromount Collection From NJ Purchased from EBAY.	Stored at:	Map 1 - Thumb Nails
		Additional Mineral Species:		Description:
		MATULAITE		White
Specimen Images

DRC Statistics: Mines in the United States

State	Number of Mineral Sites/Mines
ALABAMA	4546
ALASKA	8407
ARIZONA	11231
ARKANSAS	4214
CALIFORNIA	30695
COLORADO	17248
CONNECTICUT	774
DELAWARE	35
DIST OF COLUMBIA	25
FLORIDA	985
GEORGIA	2311
HAWAII	60
IDAHO	9464
ILLINOIS	2042
INDIANA	1008
IOWA	4931
KANSAS	180
KENTUCKY	2778
LOUISIANA	594
MAINE	1408
MARYLAND	794
MASSACHUSETTS	663
MICHIGAN	2619
MINNESOTA	1753
MISSISSIPPI	1052
MISSOURI	14750
MONTANA	8531
NEBRASKA	85
NEVADA	10703
NEW HAMPSHIRE	616
NEW JERSEY	829
NEW MEXICO	8617
NEW YORK	2215
NORTH CAROLINA	3852
NORTH DAKOTA	1398
OHIO	1306
OKLAHOMA	4955
OREGON	8800
PENNSYLVANIA	4107
RHODE ISLAND	74
SOUTH CAROLINA	1075
SOUTH DAKOTA	2128
TENNESSEE	3304
TEXAS	2813
UTAH	9403
VERMONT	668
VIRGINIA	4106
WASHINGTON	9842
WEST VIRGINIA	1614
WISCONSIN	5749
WYOMING	5789

DRC Statistics: Top 20 Countries with mines

Country	Number of Mineral Sites/Mines
USA	227353
AUSTRALIA	75775
CHILE	3990
MEXICO	3061
PERU	2785
ARGENTINA	2361
BRAZIL	1897
RUSSIA	1367
BOLIVIA	1359
CANADA	1281
CHINA PR	1144
INDIA	792
COLOMBIA	709
ECUADOR	634
VENEZUELA	616
SOUTH AFRICA	600
GUYANA	581
PUERTO RICO	543
COSTA RICA	450
CUBA	434

DRC Statistics: Number of Mineral sites/Mines by Country

Country	Number of Mineral Sites/Mines
AFGHANISTAN	33
ALBANIA	37
ALGERIA	45
ANGOLA	13
ANTARCTICA	2
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA	6
ARGENTINA	2361
ARMENIA	19
AUSTRALIA	75775
AUSTRIA	34
AZERBAIJAN	11
BAHAMAS	6
BAHRAIN	1
BANGLADESH	3
BARBADOS	1
BELARUS	4
BELGIUM	22
BELIZE	9
BENIN	2
BOLIVIA	1359
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA	7
BOTSWANA	35
BRAZIL	1897
BRIT PAC. ISLANDS	5
BULGARIA	29
BURKINA FASO	6
BURMA	112
BURUNDI	6
CAMBODIA	44
CAMEROON	10
CANADA	1281
CAYMAN ISLANDS	1
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC	2
CHILE	3990
CHINA PR	1144
CHRISTMAS ISLAND	2
COLOMBIA	709
CONGO REPUBLIC	10
COSTA RICA	450
CROATIA	1
CUBA	434
CYPRUS	13
CZECH REPUBLIC	33
DENMARK	1
DOMINICA	3
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC	100
ECUADOR	634
EGYPT	115
EL SALVADOR	39
ESTONIA	4
ETHIOPIA	37
FIJI	4
FINLAND	70
FRANCE	176
FRENCH GUIANA	167
FRENCH PACIFIC IS.	20
FRENCH POLYNESIA	1
GABON	15
GAMBIA	1
GEORGIA-FSU	22
GERMANY	165
GHANA	68
GREECE	63
GREENLAND	13
GUADELOUPE	37
GUATEMALA	193
GUINEA	22
GUYANA	581
HAITI	66
HONDURAS	263
HONG KONG	3
HUNGARY	39
ICELAND	1
INDIA	792
INDONESIA	104
IRAN	302
IRAQ	48
IRELAND (EIRE)	18
ISRAEL	15
ITALY	140
IVORY COAST	26
JAMAICA	347
JAPAN	412
JORDAN	13
KAZAKHSTAN	262
KENYA	21
KOREA PDR (North)	15
KOREA R (South)	117
KRYGYZSTAN	33
KYRGYZSTAN	7
LAOS	236
LEBANON	1
LESOTHO	2
LIBERIA	19
LIBYA	2
LITHUANIA	1
LUXEMBOURG	3
MACEDONIA	2
MADAGASCAR	63
MALAWI	11
MALAYSIA	105
MALI	22
MARTINIQUE	8
MAURITANIA	10
MEXICO	3061
MONGOLIA	12
MONTENEGRO	3
MONTSERRAT	3
MOROCCO	112
MOZAMBIQUE	28
NAMIBIA	57
NAURU	2
NEPAL	3
NETH. ANTILLES	3
NETHERLANDS	14
NEW CALEDONIA	48
NEW ZEALAND	199
NICARAGUA	60
NIGER	12
NIGERIA	15
NORWAY	80
OMAN	4
OTHER PAC. IS, NEC.	6
PAKISTAN	48
PANAMA	275
PAPUA NEW GUINEA	74
PARAGUAY	48
PERU	2785
PHILIPPINES	320
POLAND	63
PORTUGAL	26
PUERTO RICO	543
QATAR	1
ROMANIA	57
RUSSIA	1367
RWANDA	2
SAUDI ARABIA	34
SENEGAL	8
SERBIA	17
SIERRA LEONE	22
SINGAPORE	1
SLOVAKIA	21
SLOVENIA	3
SOLOMON ISLANDS	3
SOMALIA	165
SOUTH AFRICA	600
SPAIN	141
SRI LANKA	9
ST. CHRISTOPHER AND NEVIS	8
ST. LUCIA	10
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES	1
SUDAN	12
SURINAM	115
SWAZILAND	11
SWEDEN	82
SWITZERLAND	3
SYRIA	5
TAIWAN (ROC)	37
TAJIKISTAN	31
TANZANIA	58
THAILAND	216
TOGO	6
TR. TERR. PAC. IS.	1
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO	1
TRUST TERRITORY OF PACIFIC ISLANDS	1
TUNISIA	47
TURKEY	189
TURKMENISTAN	6
UA EMIRATES	1
UGANDA	24
UKRAINE	121
UNITED KINGDOM	91
UPPER VOLTA	7
URUGUAY	270
USA	227353
UZBEKISTAN	58
VENEZUELA	616
VIETNAM	28
VIRGIN ISLANDS	16
WESTERN SAHARA	2
YUGOSLAVIA	79
ZAIRE	63
ZAMBIA	90
ZIMBABWE	203

How to create custom list of Minerals

Perform a mineral search and save results as a Custom List.
1) Select Color = Yellow
2) Select Diaphaneity = Transparent
3) Click Search
Matching Mineral records are shown in the lower panel
4) Create a new List: click Save Button.
Enter name for List and click Ok.
5) or Append to Existing list. Click Save to Button
List of Mineral Lists appear, select one and click ok.

DRC Map showing mines in Europe

Here is a sample map created with Digital rockhounnd's companion showing mines in europe.




Steps to ceate this map are easy:
1) Click menu, select Map Builder
2) Click on the Available Layers tab.
3) Add the following map layers in order:
A) Select World BackGround Image and click insert button at bottom of screen.
B) Select Countries of the world Shape layer and click the insert button.
C) Select Mines outside North America Shape layer and click the insert insert button.
D) Click on the Map Tab and use the navigation arrow buttons and zoom buttons to include the area of interest. (Europe in this case).