Better than that! The idea is to let the users to design their own profiles with a Profile Designer web service, that then you can use with your smartphone/tablet and share with others.
It is also much more convenient to do it in a laptop, than doing it on your phone.
I had the opportunity to see the current stage of the Profile Designer development and it looks pretty nice! :)
We just need sometime more until it is fully developed.
We would need to wait in any case, regardless of the solution adopted. ;)
[blockquote]Norman Chalcraft said:
[blockquote]Matej Papluh said:
Having option to edit profiles in-app would be nice, but I disagree for it being easier to develop:
- having a PC (and easily MAC/Linux if using portable language) to generate profiles that can be loaded by app is faster. And if done in HTML5 for example its possible that one would be able to use even mobile browser.
- this would also eliminate the need to create the editing engine for each platform - as you can see, we (as android users) still don't have the functionality that iOS guys have even after 3-4 months. I do not want to way to Xmass 2015 to be able to customize profiles while iOS guys will be happy to do so half a year before us (I understand Apple-first approach when the app generates money, but as part of HW product that I paid for, I really, really hate it)
[/blockquote]
Totally agree!!
[/blockquote]
Hi,
I don't mind where the graphical part of the app is done. But I am persuaded that doing profiles and profiles and profiles is the better way to never meet users expectations as every moc is unique. Moreover, how to control several sbricks ? How to join several profiles on the same screen ? That means that you'll have to control 2-3 trains/MOCs one by one ? I've had the chance to use a mobile software with the kind of approach I mentionned (doing little parts that user puts where he wants on his screen). This is awesome because everybody can set up his own display by arranging controls/labels where he wants. And if you have a tablet, you can put more controls/labels. And it's not incompatible with profiles. It's just another choice of development that need to be done at the begining.
As said, the better part is that as it's fully compatible with the profile notion (a profile is never more than some controls/labels put in a certain way and then saved...), that's not preventing from doing a profile designer in html5 if you want. But developing the app this way makes user autonomous with his plateform, no need of a PC (on which either you will have to develop 1 profile designer application per OS, linux/windows/mac... much complicated than in-app by design).
I truely think that developers already have created functions (like for a slider, for example). Then it's included in a profile (I don't know how and where). So basic feature is already there : functions (sliders, buttons, etc). Only thing is to format. Detect screen size, divide it in small squares, and allow user to put a control in these squares. A button would be 1 square, a slider 2 squares (horizontal or vertical), a label 1 square, etc. Then add a "save" button and that's all. It should be very simple (and no need of a PC).
I don't think coding like this would add so much development time. And as the app is still at its early development stage, it should be easy to take this approach in account. Moreover, having an external tool to design profiles add significant development beside a fully autonomous app (no link to handle, no sync, no particular security, etc.).
With the current design way, we will soon have hundreds of profiles (and have fun to find one that "may" fit your particular need), and it will quickly be impossible to find what you want, so people will redo profiles, which will add more and more profiles and profiles and profiles... That's not very attractive, no?
Moreover, the current way is selecting profile, and then sbrick. As we should change more often of profile than of sbrick (which detection is quite long, regarding profile selection), I think the sbrick should be the first to be selected, then the profile. And so it should be in the profile that we affect a control to a sbrick port. I think it's more logic.
Nevertheless, I think we do not have enough exchanges with developpers. Where are they, what are they coding yet, can they reply us about some design question like this one, when should next step be completed, is there any development calendar, ... ?
[blockquote]Norman Chalcraft said:
2015-02-04
2015-02-06
Unscheduled
Shame that it doesn't include anything about being able to control a Sbrick.
[/blockquote]
100% ACK. I'm not really sure if they are writing an SBrick control APP or a second Facebook.
Make the brick work first and foremost. At the moment you are aiming to build a non-driving car with a mega-ultra-soundsystem...
Leg bedre,
Christian
Have just got my first SBRICK to do something. Its kind of lame so far unfortunately. Both with my Samsung Note 2 and with my Samsung Galaxy Tab S I can get an initial connection to the brick but after a while it pulls up an alert to say "Couldn't discover all bricks!" and I have to reset the phone or tablet before I can get it back. I tried disabling Bluetooth and re-enabling it but that did not work.
So its basically unusable at the moment.
I will hang fire for a little while to rate it on the Android site as its clearly in Beta at the moment but I hope its going to improve pretty fast!
[blockquote]Matej Papluh said:
Having option to edit profiles in-app would be nice, but I disagree for it being easier to develop:
- having a PC (and easily MAC/Linux if using portable language) to generate profiles that can be loaded by app is faster. And if done in HTML5 for example its possible that one would be able to use even mobile browser.
- this would also eliminate the need to create the editing engine for each platform - as you can see, we (as android users) still don't have the functionality that iOS guys have even after 3-4 months. I do not want to way to Xmass 2015 to be able to customize profiles while iOS guys will be happy to do so half a year before us (I understand Apple-first approach when the app generates money, but as part of HW product that I paid for, I really, really hate it)
[/blockquote]
Totally agree!!
Having option to edit profiles in-app would be nice, but I disagree for it being easier to develop:
- having a PC (and easily MAC/Linux if using portable language) to generate profiles that can be loaded by app is faster. And if done in HTML5 for example its possible that one would be able to use even mobile browser.
- this would also eliminate the need to create the editing engine for each platform - as you can see, we (as android users) still don't have the functionality that iOS guys have, even after 3-4 months. I do not want to wait to Xmas 2015 to be able to customize profiles while iOS guys will be happy to do so half a year before us (I understand Apple-first approach when the app generates money, but as part of HW product that I paid for, I really, really hate it)
[blockquote]Jurgen Krooshoop said:
IMO, it would be better to get every current function working correctly first, instead of adding new functions.
[/blockquote]
++
And IMO (and as already said before), it would be better to give user controls like sliders, buttons, joystick, etc (+ editable labels) and let him place them anywhere on his screen, instead of giving him as-is profiles that he cannot modify. Things would certainly be easier to develop (just doing functions like slider operationnals one by one (control by control) instead of having to develop a whole complex profile).
This would easily allow multi-Sbrick support (making train users very happy) and would solve problems like screen size (people with tablets would have more space to put controls than people with smartphones, instead of giving tablet users the same interface just oversized (getting it probably ugly)).
Sly
[blockquote]Jurgen Krooshoop said:
Yes, the feature I miss the most is being able to use multi-SBrick profiles, like the profile for my Excavators.
And the Android-app is starting to give the "Couldn't discover all bricks"-messages as well, just like my iPod has been doing for some time now, ever since I updated the SBricks-firmware.
Which means I currently cannot controll any SBrick-Excavator, nor the U 8043 S, nor the Link Belt, rendering the SBricks useless 8-(
[/blockquote]
If you are upgrade an SBrick you need to disable and reenable the Bluetooth on iOS because it caches the old BT data.
[blockquote]Jurgen Krooshoop said:
IMO, it would be better to get every current function working correctly first, instead of adding new functions.
[/blockquote]
Absolutely agree with you, we are working on it..
It would be nice to make the android app an open source project, so that some of use can help fixing bugs.
Yes, the feature I miss the most is being able to use multi-SBrick profiles, like the profile for my Excavators.
And the Android-app is starting to give the "Couldn't discover all bricks"-messages as well, just like my iPod has been doing for some time now, ever since I updated the SBricks-firmware.
Which means I currently cannot controll any SBrick-Excavator, nor the U 8043 S, nor the Link Belt, rendering the SBricks useless 8-(
IMO, it would be better to get every current function working correctly first, instead of adding new functions.
It's good to see a defined development path for the Android software as in.....
2015-01-23
2015-01-30
2015-02-04
2015-02-06
2015-02-10
Unscheduled
Shame that it doesn't include anything about being able to control a Sbrick.
[blockquote]Maxim Baybakov said:
Samsung S3 9300
"discovering sbrick..." for 3-5 sec and the label "discovering sbrick..." disappears, no one sbrick is found.
When I choose any profile in moc for test, the app freezes for several sec and closes.
[/blockquote]
same for me with lg-v700
Hi Nikolaus
e-mail: damjansz@mailbox.hu
if you have any ideas...
cheers
dsz
[blockquote]Nikolaus Berger said:
Hello d sz, give me email, I try to help you with your problem
nikolausp55@web.de
best regards
Nikolaus
[/blockquote]
I have just updated Nexus 7 to 5.0.2 and used that to load up the 0.41 app. Seems that first time detection is better than .35, but I'll need to test it more.
Also the SBrick refuses to be paired in BT screen, something that was not there before.
Apps still crashes from time to time, last time on profile exit.
The lag is still there.
Hi
I have recently installed the android app, and I'm really disappointed because of the following problems:
Any recommendation, solution?
I'm using a motorola moto G - stock android 4.4.4.
cheers
dsz
The updated app version is much better.....still some issues, but I can do the following now :
- discover SBrick
- connect to SBrick
- Upload MOC picure
- download profiles (no 42030 profile unfotunately)
- Test ports, but some do not react
- Assing task for ports, but some are blank and sometimes show text like accelerationand steering. And seems like there is no lift or tilt options.
- Save my set
- View tutorial
The app still crashes randomly. And it is slow at some tasks, but seem to me to be very close to work. Thanks, hope you can use this feedback....
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