GPSFunRunner3D - more robust.....
Community Forums/Showcase/GPSFunRunner3D - more robust.....
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| This demonstration has the belts and braces in place to accomodate administrator accounts being in place on a PC. I'd appreciate any feedback with respect to the following please: [Edit - new link to new Demonstration, 06 Dec 14 - updated installation script] download link 25 MB link to download webpage -use the Import Data button to import a tcx file  (Please note, after pressing Import Data, there is currently debug in place which requires any key to be pressed to progress.... I'm hoping to do away with debug shortly ;)) -then start the Blitz3D generated 3D data viewer using 'Open3D Data Viewer' -then press 'start' -then the green and purple runners should run ? -switch the 'pace mode' ON button to see the life force decrement There's a website I'm slowly putting together which details the project: http://www.gpsrunner.co.uk  |
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| As I am on Linux (means I cannot test just have a look at the screenshots): - Downloadspeed was about 500 KByte/second ... my connection allows for about 11 MByte/second so ... speed could be optimized (but I rather would take the "least cost" approach than the "fasted download for all users" aproach :D). - GUI / visual appearance: I do not know if you just show off a "demo" of the functionality itself ... but the visual appearance still needs a lot of work: the "lines/spikes" of the tour are not anti-aliased which leads to a very pixelated look (bottom center of your screen). The lighting of the scene is not improving the figures distinguishability ... I would prefer a more "lighted" scene ... more vibrant colors for the figures, maybe even give them more "sporty" outfits - this ones look like from "Outcast". The layout of the GUI lacks some hmm (now the word is missing :D) ... look similar compared to each other ... consistence? For now they look a bit like they belong to different widgets coming from different sources. - distance graph: the "100m" is cut off - is this because of the screenshot or something to fix? - maybe the whole graphic is displaced on x-axis by +15/+20 pixels ? - use BPM / use Speed: is this intended to be a toggle? - if so, follow the standards of toggles (on-off-switches / left-right-one-is-down-approach) - start / stop / quit: if "start" changes to "pause" after pressing it: ignore the rest, if not: start and stop are a "toggle" - if the thing is not running, do not show "stop" (as it then does nothing). Just switch texts and "functionality". This saves screen space. - time display: "Time: 36 : 10 ... 36 : 9" Maybe put a "0" in front of the seconds/minutes/hours if you display something "in front" (another unit. So "6 seconds" is ok ... but "1:6" for "1 min, 6 seconds" looks odd. Just add a "if seconds < 0 then timeString :+ "0"; timeString+seconds" etc. (think you know what I mean). - avg speed: Why display both at the time (mph kmh)? Just make it an option and hide the unwanted unit. Above "Up down up down" you display "Min speed: ..." - why only "mph" there? With "Now Speed" being "kmh" it lacks again some consistency. -Max gap: if you display it like you currently do (left col / right col) it might look a bit like if it is a "per person" value ... which is not the case, maybe just use a phrase: "Max Gap was 146m from 3969-4105m." - or think about tooltips. Or "Gap: 92m [Max: 146m @ 3969m]" Also you use "Gap: 92 metres" while in other lines you use "m" - consistency. Sorry for only criticizing things (@GaryV -- your chance to blame me for writing something to every topic :p) but better someone writes somethings about improving a product than nothing. Also ignore the above if you knew everything I noted and it is all already subject of changes. bye Ron |
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| @Derron, always happy to receive constructive criticism ;), The 100m cut off is a poor screen grab. [Edit]Also, I love your suggestions with respect to the on/off and as you rightly suspect the bmp/speed toggle buttons. Prefixing the seconds would be another sweet GUI standardization. Your Gap formatting suggestion is also great, I'll implement this with A 3d entity place marker instead of the green and purple spheres. Yep, ideally want to tidy up the GUI, however focusing on chasing away installation script headaches at the moment. Thanks again to RemiD for assisting with testing to get me this far.... It's been a long and winding road ;) |
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| @screen grabs Dunno if Blitz3D has a GrabPixmap? -- if so, just add a Screenshot-function per F10 or F12 (think that F12 is very common - placed next to the "screen"-key on the keyboard). @installation scripts normally your program should handle "dynamic" paths ... so it should not care what you use at the end (as long as you have the rights to read/write there). So this configuration could be set before deploying the betas. The Installer then creates user data directories etc - should not be needed to be done by the app itself. But maybe we just tackle things differently - so the "install scripts" part is more a "imho" than a critic or so. bye Ron |
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| Yeah, the screen grab was just captured with Gimp, so more care required with the crop tool. Tbh, my coding mojo is on the slide and I'm mustering what's left so that MadJack doesn't shoot me himself.... if that's still in his Sig ;) I struggled with grabbing some VStudio generated buttons without them losing their sharpness, therefore opted for my somewhat crayon esque buttons for now. Ideally, I'd like to have sharp menus like modex, on my to do list. modex UI example I use Innoscript at the moment, maybe I've only scratched the surface of its capabilities, which could be the root of some of my evil.... |
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| That modex-ui uses some "xp"-ish gradient-gui-widgets. It is not that hard to create the skin - if you have a widget-toolset available (dunno for blitz3D). Compared to current OSes the ui already looks dated imho (i am no gui designer ... you saw my gui in our game tvtower, which is not the best at all). Consistency is the thing you need. Do not "screengrab" gui from other tools. You do not need that much widgets - so it should be doable very easily: Buttons/spinner/checkbox/radiobutton(aka "switches"). Maybe that brings back some "mojo" for you. bye Ron |
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| It is not that hard to create the skin - if you have a widget-toolset available (dunno for blitz3D). I'm using Fastlibs to help present my 'buttons' in Blitz3D. I possibly need to do more research into widget toolsets in order to achieve the necessary polish that I'm aware the front end needs - I agree with you on the consistency front. I just know I tried to solve the washed out look the buttons had in the past, but could not find a solution. I suppose I get the most gratification from the programmatic/solving element of indie development. I need to apply the same approach to the front end presentation. I think the mojo might be associated with age - not much I can do about that one, I got in another 2 hours or so this morning resolving a particular issue - so the mojo does re-appear in fits and starts ;) |
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| After a quick test : The previous version created the .tcx files in the correct directory and path (C:\Users\USER\Documents\GPSRunner) but this version has created them in another directory and path (C:\Users\USER\DocumentsMy Documents\GPSRunner) after i clicked the button "import data" i had an error message "problem locating importer application" good luck for the debugging |
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| RemiD, thankyou for the feedback, you have discovered a problem I thought I'd eliminated in the small hours of this morning. I can see that I might have to invoke an administrator account on one of my separate testing laptops. I also need to ensure I version number the various elements of the project for the next release to eliminate version control woes, although I do recall Tortoise throwing a wobble during a commit, that'd possibly explain it, bugger. The problem locating importer application is interesting, I might opt for the VM route for future testing. As for more Robust, maybe next time. I hope to incorporate some of Derron' s suggestions at the same time as the hiccups RemiD reported, I think I've a notion of the issue already... ;) |
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| You know I havent tried this demo but I've watched its progress and onr thing that ive noticed is file paths being a problem for you.....why not just give the user a file selector dialog box and voila problem solved! |
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| Hi Matty, thanks for the suggestion - I'll give it some consideration ;) (Edit) The only thing is, The Windows OS restricts where executables can read/write directories and files to.... I wanted to simply use a user's My Docs directory as a staging area for the imported files as it is easy for a user to locate. I suppose I just need to provide a directory/file picker as an optional `get my tcx files from here....` button. Added to my to do list ;) @RemiD, My latest issue: but this version has created them in another directory and path (C:\Users\USER\DocumentsMy Documents\GPSRunner) was caused by a typo in my Installation script - fixed now:- download link 25 MB link to download webpage I haven't incorporated the UI changes just yet - if the runners start making their merry way around the data on someone elses PC that'll be my trigger for that functionality. Any feedback greatfully recieved. One thing, the File 2 debug in the Importer is erroneous until the whole Import function has completed once, the second time the Importer is executed provides accurate debug with respect to File 2. |
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| Hi Blitzplotter, i selected the file1 in the listbox1 i selected the file2 in the listbox2 i clicked the button "import data" in the debug window : the filename of the file1 does not correspond to the filename of the file1 in the listbox1 the filename of the file2 does not correspond to the filename of the file2 in the listbox2 It would be easier to test and report if you would write the debug infos to a .txt file instead of having to read what's on the different messageboxes/windows... |
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| Hi RemiD, Thanks for the feedback - I agree with your point about putting out debug to a text file - My coding is limited mainly to weekends due to a new job. Despite the filenames not correlating - if the debug suggested that the import was not going to take place, can I ask you to try pressing the Import button for a second time on the initial interface ? If you have latitudes and longitudes and time information scrolling through the Import debug screen this'll suggest that the importer is at least locating the tcx files (whatever they are) within your repsective Import and Import2 directories. The logic of the import is to analyse what is in the Import and Import Directories and attempt to import whatever is there. Please note, the data import can take 1-2 minutes dependent upon your system spec. Thanks for trying it out, its appreciated. A re-work to the extent that Matty suggested may have to wait until the christams break to implement. |
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