Recent Posts

626

Coding Snacks / Re: IDEA: tablet toolbar creator (willing to pay)

« Last post by superboyac on November 04, 2014, 10:18 AM »

Have you considered my tool WinButtons? (and probably ask for some specific enhancements?)
It doesn't have the press-hold, press-drag, press-release stuff (yet) but that can probably be added.

And, IMHO, DesktopCoral and LaunchBar Commander would be nice 'toolbars'

-Ath (November 04, 2014, 01:43 AM)

WHoa!  No I didn't know about that.  I'm going to fully test it out.  You will be hearing from me. 

627

Coding Snacks / IDEA: tablet toolbar creator (willing to pay)

« Last post by superboyac on November 03, 2014, 05:53 PM »

So I've had a windows tablet for a couple of months now, and I'm itching for a decent toolbar creator.  I posted most of my thoughts here, below is a copy:

Well...I've been holding off on this trying to figure out which of mouser's programs would I want touchified first.  THe answer is pretty obvious...LBC.

The artist community has been having fits trying to deal with the lack of keyboards.  Some of the third party tools being used:
toolbar creator 2.2
touchkey
artdock
Radial Menu

none of them is really perfect, they all have major klunky issues.  But they get the job done if they work.  They don't all work on all windows devices (which is weird to me, why shouldn't they?)  The best one is actually touchkey, but it's pretty much all in japanese and you configure it with text files....so I need to set aside a couple of hours to learn that syntax. undecided

LBC would be perfect for this sort of thing.  But it needs to be touchified.  That means:
--being able to scale well on high-res devices.  Windows tablets are high res, and there are some interesting settings for scale and such.  Basically, it makes some programs look really odd and buttons and menus are too small or text is too small, etc...you have to be very precise with touching things that tiny.  So scaling needs to be addressed.

--Beyond scaling, individual buttons would need the ability to be resized.  That's what most of the programs listed above are specialized at (the other stuff is just what the button does if pressed, all already in LBC).  So you can make buttons bigger or smaller, etc.  Some even offer more interesting layouts than just rows and columns...radial menus, or masonry-style layouts...all handy to have.

--Ability to detect difference between a finger and a pen.  Sometimes you only want one of them, sometimes both.

I'd be willing to pay for this, maybe $100.  It sounds like the challenges are with the scalability of the buttons (high-dpi screens), interesting combinations of triggers (not just normal buttons, but press-hold, press-drag, press+release, etc.).  Most of the options listed above have these built in, but like I said, they just don't really work.  The other challenge seems to be compatibility with both the Wacom pens and the N-trig pens.

If it could be done in the usual high quality style of DC, that would be awesome.  I've already spent hours on this, that's why I feel I'm willing to pay for it.

628

Living Room / Re: I'd like to get a Windows Tablet: help me decide.

« Last post by superboyac on October 30, 2014, 11:35 AM »

What windows tablet do you have?

-superboyac (October 29, 2014, 01:42 PM)

I had a dell venue 8 pro.  I really wanted to like it, but ended up selling it a few months after I got it.  The primary feel I got was one of promise, but still not ready for prime-time.  Like a pretty covering placed over imperfections.

The major reasons that made me sell it while I could:
1. The interaction of not-metro with the desktop
2. the feel of the tablet with the desktop
3. low-level interactions and the fact that you could be handicapped by the fact that it was a tablet
4. power management and its relation to other functionality

It just got to be too annoying and inconvenient to ignore.

-wraith808 (October 29, 2014, 03:30 PM)

Very interesting.  I also felt the venue would have been a promising tablet. 

629

Living Room / Re: I'd like to get a Windows Tablet: help me decide.

« Last post by superboyac on October 29, 2014, 01:42 PM »

I really want to get a convertible.  They look so cool!  But my experience with my windows tablet sours me on that.  And I just can't get into android, even though I have one now (my nook).  Things just seem so much harder to get done.  I was thinking that my Nook might be the gateway into Android for me.  But It's turned out to be the exact opposite- I just use it for reading.

-wraith808 (October 27, 2014, 10:16 AM)

You are exactly right...trying to get stuff done on the android can get pretty annoying.  Especially if you are used to a Windows mindset and trying to make android compatible with that workflow.

What windows tablet do you have?  I almost went the convertible route, but after trying it a few times, it didn't last for me.  Too big, I ended up using it like a laptop, as many end up doing.  You just don't need all that keyboard all of the time, especially if the touch response is good and the tablet itself is light like the surface pro.  So now I just carry a spare bluetooth keyboard just in case, but am using some tricks to get around the keyboard thing.  Mainly these onscreen configurable toolbars that artists are now using.

The windows tablet is the most cutting edge device right now.  The only thing that will challenge it is either a Mac OSX touch tablet or a Linux tablet.  I'll qualify this by saying I'm approaching this from a productivity/business standpoint, which really just means I do more than just "email/browsing/watching/reading". (and even those are better on the windows tablet).

630

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Announced

« Last post by superboyac on October 28, 2014, 05:37 PM »

The complaint that stands out to me is the Windows Store one.  I don't want to log into MS every time I use my computer.  I want to log in...when I need to!  I'll log into windows store when I need to buy something.  I'll log into MS Live stuff through the applications.  I don't want to log in to these things perpetually.  On Windows 8, you have to go through a few maneuvers to do this, and it breaks the windows store.  Hopefully that option still exists.  And I don't want to be forced to download software from the windows store, I'd like to also be able to download directly from the developer's site.

631

Living Room / Re: Is technology killing old loved books?

« Last post by superboyac on October 28, 2014, 05:32 PM »

I don't think it’s so much the technology as changes in the publishing business and the gradual elimination of the "mid" or "middle list" by most publishers.

If it ain't selling in large quantities (~50K and up), a title is either tossed on the bargain rack or into a shredder fairly quickly these days. New tax rules for how back and mid stock inventory has to be valued also plays a part. Nobody can afford to carry"slow inventory" on their financial books any more.

The end result is that the only books by major publishers that can be sure of survival are the ones that cater to the lowest common denominator. Classic, cult, and niche interest titles disappear fairly quickly after their first press run. So in some respects, electronic editions make many more titles available for longer since there's no production costs or physical inventory to carry. Under this scenario, it actually behoves a publisher to keep their entire catalog available electronically. Something they can't do with paper.

Oh yeah...just for the record, I still prefer paper and enjoy buying and giving away used books. That's something you can't always (or simply or aren't allowed to) do with e-books.

 

-40hz (October 28, 2014, 02:37 PM)

What do you think is the best strategy for hobby writers who want to get their stuff out there, but still would like to make some income?  I'm very curious about this because I really can't tell where we're going with the technology.  I was just talking to a writer friend of mine, who has an agent, and she basically said you are committing career suicide by not going the agent-publisher route.  If you self publish, you will be ostracized from the industry.  I immediately thought "what if the music industry is like this too?"

632

LaunchBar Commander / Request to "touchify" LBC

« Last post by superboyac on October 28, 2014, 02:49 PM »

Well...I've been holding off on this trying to figure out which of mouser's programs would I want touchified first.  THe answer is pretty obvious...LBC.

The artist community has been having fits trying to deal with the lack of keyboards.  Some of the third party tools being used:
toolbar creator 2.2
touchkey
artdock
Radial Menu

none of them is really perfect, they all have major klunky issues.  But they get the job done if they work.  They don't all work on all windows devices (which is weird to me, why shouldn't they?)  The best one is actually touchkey, but it's pretty much all in japanese and you configure it with text files....so I need to set aside a couple of hours to learn that syntax.

LBC would be perfect for this sort of thing.  But it needs to be touchified.  That means:
--being able to scale well on high-res devices.  Windows tablets are high res, and there are some interesting settings for scale and such.  Basically, it makes some programs look really odd and buttons and menus are too small or text is too small, etc...you have to be very precise with touching things that tiny.  So scaling needs to be addressed.

--Beyond scaling, individual buttons would need the ability to be resized.  That's what most of the programs listed above are specialized at (the other stuff is just what the button does if pressed, all already in LBC).  So you can make buttons bigger or smaller, etc.  Some even offer more interesting layouts than just rows and columns...radial menus, or masonry-style layouts...all handy to have.

--Ability to detect difference between a finger and a pen.  Sometimes you only want one of them, sometimes both.

Just trying to create some work for you, that's all. 

633

Living Room / Re: Is technology killing old loved books?

« Last post by superboyac on October 28, 2014, 10:57 AM »

I don't know what to say about these kinds of things, or even where I stand.
I like the nostalgic experiences of these kinds of things.  I miss the days when we anticpiated albums coming out and meeting with friends to listen to them for the first time (I remember Guns n Roses was particularly exciting), and from what I've heard about the 60s and 70s, I missed that also.

On the other hand, despite its unintended antisocial consequences, I love having all this content so accessible these days.  Old books on the web, tablets, ebooks, ipods...I'm devouring these things at a pace I could never do before.

I don't know...I just see more opportunities here and more options, not less.  I've tried to recreate those evenings where we sit around and introduce new music to friends and stuff, that's not that hard.  Invite a bunch of people over and listen to music and drink/eat.  The problem is the people.  My friends mostly don't really give a shit, if I'm being frank.  I feel we are getting bored too easily.  And even that is ok!  Because we're in a great time for that!  If you're bored, go on youtube, or check out a new song or album, or movie, or all sorts of free stuff right in your computer browser there.  But then people start complaining about how it's not good to be in front of a screen for so long.  Look...screen, nose in book, head inside a car engine, who cares?

Anyway, yeah I miss the physical books a little.  But I certainly don't wish to be back in those days.

Regarding how longs things are iconic...this is a more interesting question to me.  Because I often wonder how all this stuff is going to affect the economy once it really becomes mature.  How are most people going to make money in such an environment, especially in capitalist countries?  I have this huge fear that artists and writers and such are not going to be able to make any money without resorting to either other jobs or BS kinds of content creation, even though that fear seems to always have been around with artists/writers, so maybe its an irrational fear.

634

Living Room / Re: Recommend a tablet

« Last post by superboyac on October 28, 2014, 09:22 AM »

(I have read another posting on the SP).

-dluby (October 28, 2014, 08:17 AM)

That would be me!   
Hmmm...the ipad is too expensive, and she's not technical.  That almost rules out a windows tablet, at least the Pro models.  However...I heard the Surface 2 (not surface PRO 2) is cheap now, maybe around $200 ?  It doesn't run desktop windows, but Windows RT...which is pretty easy to use and does all the basic things.  That might be a good bet.

The Android tablets...I don't know if I'd recommend them.  I only say that because you say she's not technical at all.  Otherwise, the android tablets are the best bang for the buck.  But Android problems are probably the most complicated to solve.

ipad would be the best, but expensive.  Then, Cheap windows tablet.  Third, android.

635

Living Room / Re: Let's have some weekend Science and Tech! (A bit of a roundup!)

« Last post by superboyac on October 27, 2014, 01:35 AM »

The ESA's Rosetta Lander is scheduled to be deployed Nov 12th.

ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft arrived at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 6 August after a ten-year journey through the Solar System. The landing site, currently known as Site J and located on the smaller of the comet’s two ‘lobes’, was selected just six weeks after Rosetta arrived at the comet.

The mission’s lander, Philae, will be deployed on 12 November at 08:35 GMT/09:35 CET from a distance of 22.5 km from the centre of the comet. It will land about seven hours later, with confirmation expected to arrive at Earth at around 16:00 GMT/17:00 CET.

This is awesome! Why is there virtually nothing on US media about this?

-40hz (October 26, 2014, 06:56 PM)

iphone 6 plus

636

Living Room / Re: I'd like to get a Windows Tablet: help me decide.

« Last post by superboyac on October 26, 2014, 08:13 PM »

Here's something to consider for the future ...

https://gigaom.com/2...lace-the-smartphone/

http://www.howtogeek...are-killing-tablets/

Can see the logic if phones get bigger - 6.5" screen almost the same as a 7" tablet.

-fredemeister (October 26, 2014, 02:22 PM)

We'll see.  Tablets, phones, phablets....most of these words are only defining the sizes of the computing devices, and the articles and the way most people discuss these things are not terribly productive.

The Windows tablets stand alone in terms of raw power/productivity.  There is nothing else right now that is that small with the kind of power that it offers.  Android and iOS, regardless of the size of the screen, can't really do much beyond media consumption (gross exaggeration, but valid when compared to a Windows PC).

To me, all these devices are insignificant at this point.  The way people are using phones and tablets, none of these developments are a big deal (other than the Surface Pro offerings, which most people don't care about currently).  Bigger screens, faster cpu's, more memory...none of this matters to me as far as earth shattering improvements.

When Mac OSX becomes available on a touch device, now that will be big news.  When Linux goes on touch devices, that will be big news.  Windows is already on touch devices, but nobody cares mainly due to price and perhaps some ridiculously ignorant reasons otherwise.

I don't know what is holding back the full OS powered touch devices, even MS has been very cautious with rolling it out.  I personally think full OS powered tablets are a significant threat to way most businesses work, especially large ones with folks sitting at desktop computers or laptops.  What happens when a loaded Windows tablet is the same price as a desktop+monitor?  Why will people need to be in a building, or cubicle?  I mean, this has been coming for a while because of the internet.  But with the desktop computer, you are still tethered to a cubicle, with the only reason for not being at another location being "secuirty".  But with the tablets, sheesh, that will be a more difficult argument.  Make calls on your phone, do your work on your tablet...don't need buildings or any location specific needs.

Let's root for the tablet.  The politics of this will be very messy.

I can already tell that as connected as I am, this surface pro tablet has really made an impact on me, this is the future.  Once Android and Apple start running out of unimportant ideas like smartwatches and tablets/phones of varying sizes, they'll be forced to implement these more powerful ideas.  They're just sitting on it right now.

637

Living Room / Re: (Hypothetical): If DC Grouped Together...What could be achieved?

« Last post by superboyac on October 26, 2014, 04:04 PM »

Overall, this is probably one of the most depressing threads I've read in a long time. 

I'm not a coder. But I am a musician. And if musicians (as a collective) can routinely gather "fiercely independent personalities" (including the occasional hyper-talented albeit bona fide sociopath) to collaborate on artistically valid, and financially remunerative projects...I'm wondering why coders can't do the same?

Is this 'problem' real? Or is it just something coders have programmed themselves to believe?

-40hz (October 26, 2014, 08:29 AM)

ok yes, you're right.  Let's do this!  Whatever the project is, DC 2.0 sounds great, I'd love to be a part of it.

638

Living Room / Re: (Hypothetical): If DC Grouped Together...What could be achieved?

« Last post by superboyac on October 25, 2014, 08:18 PM »

I occasionally have the unrealistic fantasy that groups like this one can put together a project that would provide incomes for the members who participate.  Sort of like using our talents/passions/skills to free us from perhaps our normal methods of making a living, which may be less than satisfying.  But these kinds of ideas never seem to really take off, and instead turn into soon to be abandoned open source projects.

I would be very interested if any such project was able to generate additional income for participants in a good way.

639

Living Room / Re: Watch A Hornet Be Cooked Alive By Bees

« Last post by superboyac on October 25, 2014, 03:27 PM »

yikes!

Thirty to forty people die in Japan every year after having been stung, which makes the Japanese giant hornet the second most lethal animal in Japan after humans (bears kill zero to five people and venomous snakes kill five to ten people each year).

640

Living Room / Re: Watch A Hornet Be Cooked Alive By Bees

« Last post by superboyac on October 25, 2014, 03:23 PM »

those japanese hornets are impressive creatures.  theyre like the t-rex's of the flying/stinging insects.  a handful of them will decimate entire bee hives.  like sending a few tanks into Tienanmen square.

641

General Software Discussion / Microsoft: slowly (very slowly) yet surely improving the tablet experience

« Last post by superboyac on October 24, 2014, 05:06 PM »

http://surfaceproart...ailable-for-download

Title is a joke of course.  The Surface Pro 3 comes with a pen.  The pen has 3 buttons.  They are not configurable.  The top button opens onenote, that's it.  The other two buttons offer right-click, and something else that is largely useless.  Users complained about the inability to customize.  A couple of months later, Microsoft now has the improvements shown in the article.  I'll explain the improvements in easy to understand terms:

--The top button (which artists like to use as an eraser) is NOW...wait for it...no change!  It still can only open onenote, that's it.  The new "app" just offers a new place to set the option of whether you want it to open onenote the app, or onenote the desktop version.  Who really cares?  Not me.  That option was already there in the control panel...but now the app has the option.  WHoop dee do.

--The other two buttons?  Still not configurable.

--Pen pressure sensitivity.  A new feature?  Yes!  We can now adjust the pen pressure settings to your liking.  Useful for photoshop users.  Manga Studio/Clip Studio already has this built in.  This is basically the only new feature.

Perhaps in a year, MS can muster up enough resources to customize the buttons.

642

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by superboyac on October 15, 2014, 02:50 PM »

This just may be the definitive version of Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes from the Back to Front Tour  which ends in December of this year. Awesome!

 

-40hz (October 10, 2014, 08:00 PM)

I agree.  Great version...plus modern and clean!

643

Living Room / Re: DC MicroGathering USA<->Germany :)

« Last post by superboyac on October 15, 2014, 10:25 AM »

Great story!  Thanks!

644

Post New Requests Here / Re: All possible combinations of letters and numbers with options like 2 character

« Last post by superboyac on October 10, 2014, 08:55 AM »

With only one occurrence of each character it may be feasible.  But allowing repetitions I'd have to ask someone into advanced mathematics the possible permutations.  I don't think it's a job for scripting.  Perhaps a computer language for mathematical combination generation(I have no clue what language that is though.   

-MilesAhead (October 10, 2014, 06:46 AM)

maybe matlab or mathematica.  maybe just type it into wolfram alpha and it might give you what you want.

645

General Software Discussion / Re: Drawing software thoughts for 2014: Clip Studio (Manga Studio), Photoshop

« Last post by superboyac on October 07, 2014, 06:08 PM »

Thanks superboyac - very interesting stuff
the hand-held controller is a great idea.

Dont have much to contribute, FWIW, I saw a couple of videos lately about the Wacom companion (I'm sure there's lots of them out there)

• https://www.youtube..../watch?v=BGde8B5dRf4
• https://www.youtube....FMPb_E-0g9UYacBi0d1g

and a query about the Clip Studio offer (I work with vectors but in a very traditional manner; the idea of a 'drawing' being a vector is appealing though).
Query is: what's the difference between the 'Standard' and 'Pro' - going by the price difference I'd say that Standard is, eh, not up to much (?)

-tomos (October 07, 2014, 01:54 PM)

I've highlighted the differences between pro and ex.  I personally would not get the Debut version, it would frustrate me.  If you can get the sale, the Pro version is like $15, and I think I just got the Ex version for $87.  Both great deals, $15 is like a no brainer for me.

I love that hand controller.  It looks super geeky when I do this, but I can't help it   .... so I use the hand controller when reading pdfs or ebooks to scroll.  Even though it's a touch screen that i can scroll with my finger, I still like to just kick back and scroll with the controller.

646

N.A.N.Y. 2015 / Re: Ideas Wanted!

« Last post by superboyac on October 07, 2014, 01:29 PM »

Hmm...

How about a good but basic standalone bookmark manager. Ideally one that stored its data in a text or xml file. Most of the old ones have either disappeared or are no longer actively developed. Or they have everything plus the kitchen sink included. I'd just be looking for folders in a tree, the site name, site URL, description/note field, and maybe be allowed some category tags. Hot key popup and the ability to capture the URL of whatever page is currently displayed in the browser would be a definite plus.

-40hz (October 07, 2014, 01:12 PM)

i just had a 30 minute discussion on this yesterday!
I totally support this idea.  I'll add:
simple syncing with all devices and browsers, ideally no plugins needed.

And this feature, which is very unrealistic, but would be awesome:
ability to search ONLY in your bookmarks for keywords.  Or just the sites that are bookmarked.  Man, I would love that.

647

General Software Discussion / Re: Mind Mapping Software - What are the current top players now?

« Last post by superboyac on October 07, 2014, 01:14 PM »

There's a bunch of Thinkertoys out there. Beyond a pen and a blank sheet of paper, I haven't found anything that fits all use cases for ideation, project  planning, or info organizing. Not to say I haven't looked. But life is short and I have things to accomplish - so I abandoned the quest to find the perfect all-inclusive mind tool about 5 years ago. Now, I just use whatever I think fits best for what I'm up to.

-40hz (October 07, 2014, 12:50 PM)

yea...basically.  interestingly enough, i was enjoying drawing on the tablet so much that my new idea/note capturing tool may just end up being photoshop/clip studio...blank canvas, draw on it with a pen.  save.  it's kind of funny, but it may just end up being the winner.

648

General Software Discussion / Re: Mind Mapping Software - What are the current top players now?

« Last post by superboyac on October 07, 2014, 11:35 AM »

Man, a lot of these are good.  I looked at the Mind Maple demo and it looks very nice, but there are several of these that are extremely similar and all very nice.  Like MindManager...I like using this occasionally for more formal looking mindmaps...Mind Maple looks to be about 90% the same thing.

The Brain is also something I've tried, very fun program.  But it didn't end up grabbing me and I lost interest.  I'd use the Brain if I were to give a presentation about some convoluted ideas or something because it would be a really great visual.  But for productive day to day work, I find it not as practical.

My problem with this category of software called "Mind Maps" or whatever...my main problem is that it needs one single center node/idea.  Everything branches off a center point.  It just seems too rigid for me, but I may be confusing brainstorming with mind maps.  That center thing is the difference.

So why am I so high on Scapple?  In Scapple, there is no center.  You just put bubbles and text anywhere and connect them with lines.  No organization, no outline or hierarchy.  And it's simple...click and type.  The disadvantage compared to other mind map software is that it doesn't have any fancy features like linking to documents, or embedding stuff, sophisticated visual options. 

Again, I seem to have a personal confusion regarding the definition of mind map.  What is that?  A brainstorm?  It seems to imply a center, that's all i know.  the Brain is probably the most "mind map" thing I've found in the way it presents information (similar to how we think through connections).  But scapple is the same with a more simple format.  I like it better in that I can place things on the screen as i please, I don't have to fiddle around with the Brain's weird 3D space-universe.

mind map, brainstorm, flowchart, outline. 

649

Living Room / Re: Your favorite cartoons of yesterday and today?

« Last post by superboyac on October 07, 2014, 08:50 AM »

man, i didn't realize i overlooked so many good ones!  south park is great.  beavis and butthead!!  totally forgot about that, lol, need to go check those out again.  man, we would die laughing at those.  ren and stimpy!! oh man...that guy is awesome too, John K.

650

Living Room / Re: Your favorite cartoons of yesterday and today?

« Last post by superboyac on October 06, 2014, 06:13 PM »

I'll have to check out Rick and Morty.  I love cartoons.  I've loved them my whole life, probably a little too much.

Here's my list:
Tom and Jerry.  Brilliant all the way through, hilarious, violent.  The music, oh man.  Animation excellent.  Classic, vivid scenes that are etched in my brain forever.

Looney Tunes.  Also brilliant, same goes for the music.

Batman the Animated Series.  Also brilliant.  The mood is correct, the characters are probably the best of any media.  The stories were adult enough to enjoy in adulthood.  Good music also.  Widely considered to be the best Joker ever...freaking luke skywalker of all people.  No offense to Heath Ledger, but he didn't quite "get it".

Animaniacs.  I loved it at the time, hasn't quite stood the test of time for me now.  The animation is amazing though.  

Home Movies:  this is one of my favorite shows of all time.  bad animation, hilarious stories, and some of the funniest characters.  Coach Mcguirk is sooooo funny.  H Jon Benjamin...he has one of those once-in-a-generation voices.

Archer: my favorite current cartoon.  It's just bad.  The animation techniques are amazing from an efficiency/budget point of view.  Blew my mind actually.

Ricky Gervais Show: this is basically the old popular podcasts from Gervais animated.  I've had some of my hardest laughs the past few years because of this show.  Pilkington animated can't go wrong, it's just too bizarre.  They animate Ricky laughing, which is also very very funny.