Cumulative release-safety review
Native save protection and source manifest/acceptance checker. Hardened candidate reports 312 passing development tests; no Windows installation or cutover.
PUBLIC BUILD JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2026
Building Norman in the open.
An accurate look at the Windows desktop application and the separate web prototype. Every milestone is labelled by what has actually been built, tested and approved. This page is not a software download portal.
RELEASE GATENo approved public Windows installer is available.
The latest cumulative Stage 6 source-review candidate contains Stages 1–6 and reports 312 development tests passed (246 native + 66 UI/profile-library) in Linux/Python 3.13. It has not replaced the existing Windows installation. Windows Python 3.12 acceptance and workshop geometry verification remain outstanding.
Full release-readiness checklist ↗DESKTOP / UI DEVELOPMENT
Six integrated source stages — completed candidates
Saved Job Hub
Native local-job search, filters and favourites with explicit open confirmation. The screenshot/test data use synthetic records; existing job storage preserved.
Fabrication review sheets
Draft A4 printable review sheets generated from the existing model/flat data, with warnings and compact-screen review navigation.
Linked 2D / 3D / FLAT workspace
F6 comparison in the real native editor, with read-only companion 3D and computed flat previews; dimension updates regenerate the same model. Stage 3 originally passed 188 native + 66 UI/library tests. The 17 focused Stage 3 tests were rerun successfully on 13 October.
Illustrated product selection
Searchable product and category selection integrated with Norman. Stage 2 checkpoint: 171 native + 66 UI/library tests passed.
Modern interface and profile library
Updated navy-and-cyan desktop interface and 180 new editable starting profiles while retaining 130 originals. 310 templates total, excluding user-saved profiles.
NATIVE CANDIDATE SCREENSHOTS
Stage 3 workspace preview.
Actual Linux/Tk candidate screenshots with demonstration geometry and visible engineering warnings. Read-only companion previews are not independently certified flat patterns.
CAPABILITY & VALIDATION
What the Windows source includes
Gutters, corners, downpipes, outlets, transitions, custom drawing, saved jobs, DXF export and other sheet-metal functionality are reported present. Geometry/exporter source has been preserved through the UI work.
Implemented
Functionality reported in development source, not necessarily approved in an installed build.
Candidate tested
Latest hardened Stage 6 candidate: 312 passing Linux development tests (246 native + 66 UI/library); Stage 3 focused recheck: 17/17.
Not yet certified
Windows Python 3.12 acceptance, consolidated application release, representative flat-pattern and DXF validation.
SEPARATE / NORMAN ONLINE
Free online drawing studio
The public beta drawing studio is available to everyone without an account or password. Users can edit point coordinates or set precise leg lengths and angles, save sketches locally and export prototype DXF, SVG and JSON files. It is not the Norman desktop geometry engine, does not calculate validated bends and must not be used as the sole basis for manufacture.
Open Free Drawing Studio ↗ONLINE / 13 OCTOBER 2026
Improving the private preview
Reversible profile orientation tools
The private experimental studio now includes one-click horizontal and vertical mirrors, clockwise and anticlockwise 90-degree rotation, reverse point order and move-to-origin. These work with the existing Undo control and are tested on coordinate geometry, but have not yet passed live Cloudflare or iPhone acceptance. They do not produce manufacturing-ready bend sequences.
Exact segment lengths and angles
The experimental Profile Studio now lets testers tap a line or choose a leg, enter a length in millimetres and direction in degrees, and move downstream points together. Undo and basic sketch checks remain available. This is editable centreline geometry, not a developed flat pattern or validated bending calculation. Live Cloudflare and iPhone testing are still required.
Sketch review and local library backups
A new online build adds checks for duplicate sketch points, crossed/overlapping edges and short line segments, plus full backup and restoration of browser-saved profiles. DXF export is blocked if simple structural errors are detected, but these checks are not manufacturing validation. Availability depends on Cloudflare deployment and production credentials; hosted acceptance remains a separate check.
Tester guide and optional automated-login defence
The next, not-yet-deployed web package adds a public how-to guide and optional Cloudflare Turnstile verification on the private login. Turnstile enforcement only becomes active after the owner configures both its site and secret keys; live security and mobile acceptance remain outstanding.
Cross-tab unsaved draft warning
The experimental Profile Studio now detects changes to its unsaved recovery draft made by another browser tab. It pauses local autosave and asks the user to export JSON instead of knowingly overwriting the other draft. This is an optimistic safeguard, not atomic multi-tab editing or cloud synchronization. Browser acceptance remains outstanding.
Unsaved sketch recovery
The private sketcher now keeps a debounced local draft of edited geometry and metadata. On returning, users explicitly restore or discard the draft; malformed draft data is preserved rather than silently overwritten. This is device-only convenience, not cloud backup, and still needs real Safari acceptance.
Searchable, safer browser profile library
The private sketcher now supports up to 200 browser-saved profiles (storage permitting), with name/material search, visible capacity and non-destructive backup restoration. Full libraries reject new saves or imports instead of silently deleting older profiles; unreadable storage is preserved for investigation. These are local source changes, not live Cloudflare or iPhone acceptance.
RELEASE RULES
What happens before a public download?
A consolidated installer must preserve saved jobs, existing tools and launch location; pass Windows acceptance and regression testing; be reviewed for DXF/flat-pattern correctness; and be explicitly approved for distribution. Until then no Stage ZIP packages, test code or manufacturing-ready claims are being published.
Latest desktop source handover: Further claims require verified source and acceptance evidence.
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