Messages

1

N.A.N.Y. 2014 / Re: N.A.N.Y. 2014 - New Apps for the New Year - Welcome Thread

« on: December 10, 2013, 07:00 AM »

Oh, last year I wasn't able to do NANY -- broke my mug streak ): -- but this year I might do something.  Stay tuned!

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Mugs, etc. -- All participants please read in

« on: January 07, 2012, 02:09 AM »

Exciting!  I cherish my NANY mugs each year.

ps. if someone wants to create an alternate mug design, that would be great too -- I can provide cody source images..

-mouser (January 05, 2012, 08:27 AM)

I'm no artist but I sure hope someone does this again for NANY 2012.  Over the past few years I've gotten the unique mugs (rather than the standard ones showing Cody asleep on the 1st) and I really liked the different designs.  Who did them?  Any possibility we could "commission" another from the same person?

As for the wording of the certificate...personally, I like survivor best

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: FINAL: The Official WriteUp for the NANY 2012 Event!

« on: January 07, 2012, 01:54 AM »

Great job!  I'm impressed with the number and quality of the submissions, and with the dedication of mouser and kyrathaba to making screencasts for them all.  Super!

In the PinPics video: I like the part about me being the "owner and sole author" of Shaken Software, Inc.  That's right, at least, for now

It's too bad you didn't have any geotagged photos to play around with.  Perhaps I should upload a few of mine to serve as examples (the ones in the demo screenshot are simple pictures I took around here in Boston with my phone)...

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release: PinPics

« on: January 06, 2012, 05:56 PM »

Patterns:

• *.jpg, *.png
• gps*.jpg

-Perry Mowbray (January 06, 2012, 04:18 PM)

So, simple wildcard support would be acceptable?

Also: currently the GUI folder selection button only loads *.jpg and *.jpeg.  From what I can see, PNG files don't have provisions for Exif data, and I haven't tested with TIFF files.

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release: PinPics

« on: January 06, 2012, 04:12 PM »

single files as well as multiple folders, as well as patterns

-Perry Mowbray (January 06, 2012, 04:06 PM)

Single files and multiple folders I can do.  Patterns...well, depends what type of pattern you're looking for.

I might add in a search subdirectories option too.

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release: PinPics

« on: January 06, 2012, 09:46 AM »

Any chance of getting commandline parameters? I'd like to run it and load a folder...

-Perry Mowbray (January 06, 2012, 09:06 AM)

Sure!  I'll put that on the planned features list & will probably add it in by tomorrow.

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release Day Getting Close!

« on: January 01, 2012, 02:11 AM »

Yay, there are a lot of releases!

I've a copy of Camtasia and a headset, but unfortunately I won't be able to access them until the 9th, and I know you want the screencasts out before then.

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release: PinPics

« on: January 01, 2012, 12:32 AM »

I've fixed the initial-startup bug, so anyone who was turned away by that should take another look!

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release: PinPics

« on: January 01, 2012, 12:17 AM »

I released this shortly before midnight, Chicago time.  I'm just taking the time now to write up a nice description with screenshots and such.  It'll be up shortly!

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: NANY 2012 Release Day Getting Close!

« on: December 30, 2011, 10:54 PM »

When's the exact cutoff date/time for release?  I plan on adding features right smack up to the deadline, but as I'm in EST, I don't want to be late to the party!

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: Pledge: PinPics

« on: December 30, 2011, 09:06 PM »

I've been really busy with work, but I'll update the details when I post the released version tomorrow.

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / Re: Pledge: PinPics

« on: December 07, 2011, 02:37 AM »

Still, a bit vague...

-Ath (December 07, 2011, 01:44 AM)

Don't worry, I'll flesh it out a bit as soon as I decide. 

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N.A.N.Y. 2012 / NANY 2012 Release: PinPics

« on: December 07, 2011, 01:12 AM »

NANY 2012 Entry Information

Application Name	PinPics
Version	1.1.0
Short Description	View geotagged photos on a map!
Supported OSes	Windows with .NET with WPF (Mono support not tested)
Setup File	http://downloads.aldwin.us/pinpics/1.1.0/PinPics.zip
System Requirements	.NET 4.0
Author Info	http://nick.aldwin.us/
Description	PinPics maps out geotagged photos from a folder.  It's a great way to see where you've been and to bring back old memories.  Try it with the pictures on your smartphone!
Features	Shows a map of the locations where you've taken pictures Four different map types
Screenshots	Click to see more: Spoiler
Installation	Unzip & run PinPics.exe You'll be notified of updated versions when you run the program.
Using the application	The first time you run the program, you'll have to affirm that you have read the license notices. Once the main window is loaded: Click Load Pictures to pick a folder containing your geotagged images. The photos will be displayed in the list to the left.  Check Only Show Geotagged Photos to hide photos with no GPS data. Click a geotagged photo to zoom in on its pin in the map. Double-click a photo to open it in your default photo viewer. Pan around the map by clicking and holding the left mouse button. Zoom into/out of the map using the mouse scroll wheel or the Zoom slider in the upper left. Change the map type (road map, hybrid map, satellite map, or terrain map) using the dropdown in the upper right corner. Click on a pin to zoom into it and highlight the corresponding picture in the photo list. Right click to reset the zoom to view all pins.
Uninstalling	Delete the unzipped files. PinPics also keeps track of whether you agreed to the license dialog, so if you're really intent on removing all traces, you'll find the file in the AppData folder wherever .NET put it.
Known Issues	Skips geographic data in photos with malformed or nonstandard EXIF (this is a library limitation) EXIF doesn't contain GPS accuracy data, so in some cases the pinpoint may be the center of the unseen "accuracy circle" and thus may be a little distance away from the actual photo location (this is the camera's fault, unfortunately). After a long period of use, the process may continue to run for some time after the window is closed.  This may be a cache issue.
Planned Features	Help! Reset Zoom button (right now, use the right mouse button) Show Date Taken under photo Exif Library tweaks to pull out geo data whenever possible (Tentative) Geotag photos from within the application

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DonationCoder.com Newsletters / Re: --> Newsletter for August 21st, 2011 - "What's New With You?!"

« on: August 22, 2011, 12:55 AM »

Thanks for doing this!

I'm not sure if this is something mouser is supposed to do or not, but in the header (the rotating messages) it still says that the latest newsletter is June's "Summer Server".

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Developer's Corner / Re: Free CryEngine 3 SDK Released!

« on: August 22, 2011, 12:53 AM »

you simply CANNOT share your work with ANYBODY

-Stephen66515 (August 18, 2011, 10:23 PM)

I'm curious: why is this?  I tried looking on that forum, but I didn't see anything jumping out to me describing why I cannot share anything.

I had seen this and had thought about playing with it, so I would really appreciate you describing the issues you've had.

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General Software Discussion / Re: Implement features that are known to be loved in other programs, on your own

« on: August 22, 2011, 12:39 AM »

I'd like to chime into this discussion with a few notes.

First, I find that sometimes when asking questions like these, it helps to compare programming with something else.  Take architecture, for example.  Writing a program is similar to creating a building -- there are many things to take into account and the final product is used by many people.

It may seem simple to dismiss programming as super easy due to the availability of free IDEs and tools and the proliferation of software development communities.  However, it is important to recognize that there is a lot more below the surface than just tapping a few keys mindlessly.  This is why a comparison with architecture is valid.

Picture this: you stroll up to an architect and ask him, "Why don't you put all these great building features on every building you create?  I love porticos and pillars and balconies and bay windows; they work so well on all the famous buildings!  Why not implement them all?".

His response might be something like: "Well, there are several different considerations.  First, everything I design has to work with everything else towards load balancing and cooperation with various building codes, among other things.  I also have to consider aesthetics -- each of these things may work nicely on buildings you have seen, but if they do not fit into the building design, I shouldn't use them.  I wouldn't put colonial-style pillars on an art-deco apartment building!"

The same applies to software development.  Sure, the things you have mentioned are great features that work really well on the programs that you have mentioned.  But why should I put breadcrumbs into my mail merge application?  Do I need to put natural language processing in my text editor?  We also have certain requirements we must satisfy.  These vary: sometimes, money is an issue; other times, time is an issue; more often, framework limitations are the issue.  You ask why there aren't .NET libraries offering these features.  That's because some of these must be done in a certain way.  If I want to add search-highlighting, first I must change all of my textboxes to richtextboxes to support colored highlighting.  Then I must decide on the implementation of how to do the highlighting (which, within the limitations of the richtextbox which I am far too familiar with, means going through and highlighting everything one at a time, hoping you will be able to reverse the highlighting and salvage the original document).  Components can be great, but only if they can work within the limitations of their environment.

As for your saying that you understand some things are hard, but of course breadcrumbs are easy...again, imagine talking to the architect.

"I understand making pillars is hard.  But I know that it's super easy to create a fourth-floor balcony."

That would be considered an absurd statement to make -- who are we to tell an architect we know how to do his job better than he does?  We have no clue about the building's weight distribution or the building codes that he would have to consider.

Think about the comparison the next time you try to tell a programmer how extremely easy things are.

To address the idea of programmers always only being concerned about efficiency: sure, we like efficiency.  But *not all* of us hate GUIs.  When I'm working on my linux server, sure, I'm proud when I can accomplish five things with a few keystrokes.  On my Windows system, I'm happy to use friendly GUIs.   But it is completely absurd to have a programmer respond to "can you add a button to do this" with "just use the damn command line!".

We understand that users of our products like things to be simple.  Hence the term "user-friendly".  We try very hard to make things as easy and powerful as possible.  Sure, there might be the occasional cave-dwelling coder who hates people and tries to make things faster at the expense of a GUI.  That person typically gets moved away from the front-end of the program and towards internal code.

One of the most important things in software development is making software that regular people can use.  A lot of this comes from taking common elements ("affordances") from popular products.  We do try to add them to make it easier for the user.  We (or at least I) take pride in having created an application that is a joy to use, an application that people don't grumble about every time they open it.

However, as I said above, these elements do not always fit.  We also have to balance money, time, and other features.  If our constraints limit us to either adding customizable shortcuts or making our core functionality work, guess which we chose?  We try to get the core functionality out and usable; later, we can go back and spend some more time making it nicer and easier to use.

Basically, what I'm saying is: as a programmer, I'd love to be able to implement popular features all the time.  And I do so when I get the chance.  But there are several reasons why this cannot be done all the time, and it is a little unreasonable to say "I know this is easy -- why isn't it done?".  It's an attitude like that which generates the cave-dwelling coders who hate users.  And nobody wants that to happen!  Be nice to us, suggest features, and we will attempt to implement them in a somewhat timely manner.  We do, in fact, like users and usability!

Also, in case you think this is some bitter, angry rant: I meant for this to be a level-headed discussion.  I am not placing any blame, nor am I typing this out of any sense of anger or righteousness.  I know that it can be hard sometimes to divine emotional context from plain text.

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY MUGs

« on: January 28, 2011, 11:41 PM »

I was really torn, but ended up getting the mission impossible one

-tomos (January 28, 2011, 04:29 PM)

Yeah, I got that one too.  One of these NANY's I'm going to have to get the yearly one, though.  I love the illustration of Cody sleeping

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY MUGs

« on: January 28, 2011, 03:38 PM »

How do you actually select the logo for the Mug? I searched for Nany, Nany2011, DonationCoder and nothing is showing.

Neil

-nharding (January 28, 2011, 12:05 PM)

From the email:

Visit these pages to choose *one* of these items to buy:

The specific item pages are:

-NinJA999 (January 28, 2011, 03:23 PM)

I didnt know wether to post those cause they only supposed to be for NANY entrants...

-tomos (January 28, 2011, 03:34 PM)

Well, they are visible from the DC store ( http://www.cafepress.com/donationcoder ), (marked "NANY 2011: For nany 2011 participants only") so I figured it wasn't a huge secret.  But I'll edit my post anyway.

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY MUGs

« on: January 28, 2011, 03:23 PM »

How do you actually select the logo for the Mug? I searched for Nany, Nany2011, DonationCoder and nothing is showing.

Neil

-nharding (January 28, 2011, 12:05 PM)

EDIT
The links were in the email.  If you need them, PM me (or I'm sure mouser would respond, too) and I'll PM them to you.

You should be able to find the mugs from the DC store http://www.cafepress.com/donationcoder unless they are hidden.

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: Recording Screencasts of the NANY 2011 Projects

« on: January 05, 2011, 12:28 PM »

It appears Softoxi has made a short screencast describing how to use Speed Monitor:
http://www.softoxi.c...ler-screenshots.html

I'm not sure if it's what you would want to put on the screencast page (no audio, 3rd party with logos, etc), but I figured I'd at least mention it.

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: Speed Monitor

« on: January 03, 2011, 03:44 PM »

Sweet, thanks for pointing it out!

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: Speed Monitor

« on: January 02, 2011, 06:45 PM »

Alrighty, I added most of your feature requests for v1.0!  The only one I didn't implement was the timeline on the charts, as that requires both a small data restructuring and a larger URL for Google Charts -- which I have to make sure can handle it.

Thanks for the suggestions; keep 'em coming! 

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Release: Speed Monitor

« on: January 01, 2011, 12:59 PM »

Those are some good suggestions.  I'll work on adding them over the next week.  Thanks! 

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Teaser: Speed Monitor

« on: December 31, 2010, 06:08 PM »

Alrighty, since nobody has offered any more suggestions, I guess I'm going to release it at 0.9   Happy New Year!

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N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: NANY 2011 Teaser: Speed Monitor

« on: December 24, 2010, 01:21 PM »

That might be because it's making a bunch of web requests.  It's not doing anything nasty.  Just like Windows Firewall says programs like Skype are suspicious when they try to use extra ports.