I have written a routine for optimizing a 'bunch' of hole locations (tested up to 200)... that is, finding the shortest path to connect them in a 'loop' (start point and end point are close together), or linearly (start point and end point are wherever makes the shortest path).
Currently on a 500MHz Pentium, it takes about 2 minutes for the routine to run 200 holes.
My routine is based on the 'cutting plane method' of solving the 'travelling salesman problem', detailed at http://www.tsp.gatech.edu/
I am wanting to incorporate this routine into a part-program editor I am working on, and am curious to know if anyone knows if the cutting-plane method is the fastest... accuracy is 49% of the desired solution for me, speed is 51%.
Actually, this is not something I had originally intended on writing as a functional routine... it was more of a "gee, I wonder if I can do this?" project. So I am asking more for a "want to know" than a "need to know" reason.
Thanks!