Suggestions by: Tzar Nikk
1. When starting a new file from the last count of a previous file, it would be nice if the figurine information was kept the same, that way I don't have to re-do the entire thing all over.
2. It would be nice to be able to "Apply Default to All Figures" so that you didn't have to go through the tedious task of selecting each one and then clicking it. That way, i would only have to change the guard ones, instead of every one.
3. While I can equalize the interval in a form by selecting the morph tool, it would be also nice if I could set a given interval as well.
4. When using the double-time feature, the "double time" still seems to occur one half beat before the downbeat for which it is designated.
5. In the pace tool, it would be AWESOME to have a “triple time” option for those pieces where I sometimes have people traveling in a slow one while others travel at a fast three.
6. A few preset shapes in the prop tool would be very helpful. Some very basic suggestions: A square, a rectangle (long ways and short ways), triangles, and circles. It would be best if these props were three-dimenstional and resizeable, but at this point, any preset props would be helpful. It is difficult to create shapes in other programs that will be 100% compatible with Pyware.
7. Would it be possible to incorporate the Figurine editor into the label editor? When I go to set up my labels and symbols, I use the Label Tool...here is where I number my players. If I could also assign them a figurine at that time, that would save a lot of time. You could still have the cast editor feature (since I assume some people actually enter their player's names for the purposes of dot books), but it would also be nice to have this option at the Label tool.
8. The facing tool is pretty damned awesome...now, the ability to incorporate 180- and 360-degree turns would be pretty sweet as well.
9. I still would like some control over which fonts I use in the text boxes. For example…Lucida Grande is used for the label numbers….I think it would look fantastic in a text box, and would much rather have that for text boxes.
10. In the curve tool (or any tool that allows you to select the "Delete Overlaps" option). It would be nice if the software "automatically compensated" for the deletions. For example, if I have a curve of 15 players that I want to "attach" to two existing endpoints, I have to select the "delete overlaps" option, but if I don't put "17" in the performer numbers box, it will leave out two players.
11. Ctrl-Clicking on the count track could bring up the Count Editor…or perhaps double clicking on it (when the page tab feature is not activated).
12. The option to get rid of the set and count numbers on the upper right hand side would be nice. Most of the time, this information is redundant to what I have already inserted on the left hand side (via the Page Tab Editor). I am sure it is useful to a lot of people, but the option to blank this area out would be much appreciated to avoid confusion.
13. The ability to have an “autosave” feature would save me a lot of headaches.
14. In the Individual coordinate sheets, a lot of space is wasted by adding “high school” at the end of every instance of the word “hash.” This should be removed in the coordinate sheets.
15. It would be fantastic if right-clicking on an empty part of the field brought up the box or lasso selection tool. Sometimes I need to adjust a few individuals and it is a hassle to go back up to the toolbar over and over again. Even better would be a right-click context menu that allowed you to select either the box tool, the lasso tool, or the adjuster editing tool. With Macs now configured to allow two-button mice, this would be very convenient for everyone.
Suggestions by George
One thing I would like to be able to do is multiple Undo's. Or even, maybe just a form of Undo/Redo all together. It seems that you can only undo certain things/adjustments, but more randomly is when I have done one thing or another (can't remember specifics at the moment) I would draw something, confirm it, not like it and hit Undo and it would reset almost a whole page... or several adjustments that were made.
I should have done a better job documenting this but I think you might know what I'm saying.
An example of something more recent that I wish I could use the Undo function was when I drew a set that had a box of 32 people and it folded into some curves. I drew it one way and cleared the paths and went through to individually select each dot to fold/unfold the way I wanted. But then I watched it and thought "maybe it would work better another way." So I went and reordered it and made it fold/unfold completely different.
After test playing it I could see it and watch it, but the only way I can go back and forth to choose what works better is if I first confirm it after test playing it, redraw it again (or copy/paste) and re-order it all again. I would just like to be able to draw it once one way... draw it again another way... and maybe be able to watch it once the second way, see if I like it... hit Undo and watch it the original way, see if I like that one... and if the second one was in fact better I can just hit Redo and I'm ready to move forward.
This is also something that may have been already mentioned but I wondered about a multi-sizable perspective window. I know we have the small and expanded sizes (as well as the full-screen option now) but I wonder if there's a way to re-size the window to somewhere in the middle.
I was just working now and wanting to watch the perspective and the full overhead at the same time while it animated. The small is a little too small for me so I expanded it and tried to move it off to the side so I could see everything. But it's now covering just a bit of the drill and it made me think "I only wish I could size-down the expanded window just a TAD so it wasn't covering those dots..."
Really this is so minor that I doubt it would even make the list for version 7. But it was something I thought of as I was working just now.
Also regarding the perspective window... Another thought that might not even be possible but I figured is worth asking about.
The newer full-screen option regarding the perspective window is pretty cool, but it's not something I use a lot due to the fact that it limits the ability to see anything but the perspective animation. (which I'm sure is why it was set up in the first place.)
I happen to use a dual monitor set-up when I work. Since I have a laptop, I use a larger external for writing since it's better on the eyes and the posture. But with this dual set-up I have a whole monitor free on the side and I wonder if it would be possible to somehow be able to drag the perspective window over to the other monitor so it could always be open and expanded full-screen and not be obstructive to any of the drill on the page as I work. Does that make sense?
Again, probably not possible as everything seems to have to stay within the boundaries of the window, but I figured I'd throw that out there.
* coming back after experimenting (and for anyone interested) I was able to actually take the Pyware window and switch to non-maximized and I dragged/re-sized the software window across both monitors. Then I zoomed out quite a bit and slid over the field grid to my main monitor and moved the expanded (non full screen) perspective window over to the laptop monitor.
This actually works quite well, however no way of doing full-screen perspective on the other monitor. It's still kinda cool though and I think it works for now. I like having the perspective window out of the way sometimes, but still having it there to look at without the extra step of opening/closing/expanding it.
I would like to suggest something that I already talked about in another thread last year? I think.
With the older 3D you were able to connect arcs by simply selecting whoever you wanted, select the arc tool, draw an arc/curve, hit Shift+click the end and continue drawing.
This "bezier" tool really is a pain for me. I promise I have practiced with it and played with it yet it's still not as quick and easy as the older way to make the snake-like forms.
I understand the bezier tool adds more customization to the curves/arcs or whatnot, but with my style of drill, I don't need all that... just a simple arc connected to an arc is what I need.
It's not so much that you can't do it on Java, because I know I could select some people... draw the arc... select more and connect it that way. but no, that's still not the same or as QUICK and easy as it used to be. I understand with the different softwares that it's inevitable that some things are a permanent change, but I would really like to see if it's possible. If not, no big deal.
Next on the list is blocks. The block tool is just not good... and it doesn't work. But I wonder about the chance to just be able to add some boxes in the navigation bar/tool palette and one would include the new "square box" tool. What you could do is select the performers you want to put into a box, click the tool and then click anywhere on the screen. It would automatically draw the box as a 4stepx4step and then it would have selectable corners to stretch and re-size it to whatever you wanted.
With it being a "square" tool... or diamond also... you it would work only for 'square' numbers... like 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, etc.
Obviously it's a little confusing but there has to be something better we can get for the "boxes". Maybe it's just me, but I can't seem to work the block tool and I'm just trying to find an easier way to work a block form. (also, this is trying to avoid drawing individual lines, etc.)
Sorry if it's all confusing... it's difficult to explain unless I was at the computer with you to show you what I mean.
Here's why I suggest it and what I'm trying to be able to do better and faster. I was in sort of a scatter set that I wanted to pull together to a box of 64 winds. I selected the 64 people I wanted to pull to the box and then got bogged down as I was trying to regroup everyone and make sure their paths worked, etc. It's a lot of work, obviously but I figred, if we can select people, select the line tool and draw it and the software automatically spaces them out in that line, then why not do something where you select the performers, select this square tool that will automatically draw you a default 4x4 step box with re-sizing and rotating options, and will allow me to set the positions order then and there without any extra steps. ??
This would really just be something different (or an upgrade) to the block tool already there.
Finally... when meshing lines of people, we used to be able to say something like "A+B" to mesh the two lines together... now we have to click away on every single person and it's literally cramping my hand up like none other. But even though there have been improvements to the "predict next" it won't work whenever I do it because sometimes I reorder the lines (re-glue) and then mesh them, click the first 3 or 4 or 5 or 6... and whenever I select "predict next" it reverts or reverses the order and even scrambles some of the dots.
Maybe that would fit more in the "Problems and Troubleshooting" section, but as an update suggestion, I would like to maybe see something new done with the options to mesh lines. (or maybe advice from someone on how to do it better if I'm missing something).
A couple things...
I wonder if it's possible to copy and paste between different windows of the software. I wanted to copy/paste a form I already had in a different file and it looks like you're not able to do that between files.
I don't suppose this is possible with the language the software is written in, but it's worth mentioning.
For me, sometimes it's easier to design a picture in a separate file and not worry about the clutter of all the positions and paths. This way I can draw something from scratch for the same number of positions I have in my working file and when it comes time to put it in, I can just copy/paste it to the other file to save time of redrawing it all over again.
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Next on the list has to do with the "push" tool. I really like the options we have to select two lines and click on one of the optional buttons to drag them both in the same horizontal plane, but opposite vertical, or mirror, or whatever they all are. But what about doing this with 3 or more lines?
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This is completely random, but I was watching a video online of some people using those drawing pads for software like Photoshop and some other stuff. Any chance to be able to use a digital pad for use in the software? Does it already work? If so, anyone use one and does it work?
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Finally, regarding count sheets, etc... I use a specific style of count sheets and would like to be able to do something just a tad simpler than what's in there now but also more sophisticated perhaps. I would like some sort of menu that would open up and have several columns left to right of pages, counts, instructions (measure numbers, et al) and next would be optional extra notes.
What this would or could be is something kinda neat and different than what's there now. Rather than opening a new window with something like the tab editor or cast sheet, etc. maybe have it as a sidebar and it opens on the sife of the chart, and sliding things over, resizing it so you don't lose any visual and doing it this way. So, rather than having to click "text" then enter the info, re-size the box, place it etc., you can use the page information editor in the sidebar.
For example, in a new file that has nothing on there yet, you can open the sidebar and see nothing but blank rows and columns. I would guess it would look a bit like an excel file. Maybe even having numbers already there but you can change them there to sub-pages or standard.
So in this new file and with the sidebar open, you can select page 1 and what will happen is a page tab automatically starts at count 0. (there would be a command to override this in case you don't want the page to start on count 0.) The page tab appears and then you click the next row down - page 2 - and select counts... example, 16. Then a page tab automatically appears on the count track and the page switches to that. Next row down is a subset, so you click maybe a check-box for sub-page and it changes it to 2A and you set it to 12 counts, and then 2A shows up on the drill page and it switched to that page. so on and so forth.
So, with the other boxes there, I would say it would do a number of things. For me, I usually put the measure numbers under the counts... sometimes a couple little instructions like "horns up on 3". So, with typing it in on the next column on the sidebar menu, it will save that info and eventually put it right there on the page.
Where does it go? I don't know for sure... maybe like several people here have asked or suggested, maybe using the bottom of the page when the drill prints out, since there's so much space not being used. But on my screen I don't have any extra to see down there so how do we see what it is? Well, maybe a transparent overlay of that info is always showing, but not really on that spot it shows on the page.
Also, like I do a lot, it'll just end up in the upper right hand corner of the page. Obviously you'd be able to adjust and move those text boxes anywhere.
My whole take on it is to find a way that is simpler for the entry of the information like counts, measure numbers and any other special instructions that would make that part less tedious and easier to see as you go. Having the sidebar there and being able to look at the list of all your other pages and information can help keep track of the measure number, check your grammar and whatever other info you wanted to type.
Along with this, those instruction boxes and info would automatically be sized to the box and not squished or crammed the way it can sometimes be now. I do appreciate the updates to the text boxes where it does squish the text down, but sometimes it crams it so tight it is almost unreadable. So then I would have to resize the window and in some cases I couldn't get it all to fit in the space withing the drill I wrote. So I guess wishing you could size down the text even more would help as well.
adding on to my previous post... just a sample I threw together (partially filled out) of what I think would make a good sidebar.
Selected page is highlighted, and would show it (move track sliders) on the drill on the side.
I didn't take time to go full out on this, but it gets the idea across at least.
