Beyond - Tim's questions/comments on documentation

[Tim Walsh]

I'm digging deeply into Beyond with Bill - I want to make a show with this software. So I've decided to post the questions/comments on the Pangolin Forum so that we can all benefit. I'm trying to break the questions into separate threads.

Documentation - seems a bit behind the program. It is not helpful in many cases, sometimes even wrong - for example, in Settings/Projection Zones, to see one of two test patterns you click on a little square next to the zone you want to see;help file says look for something in the "bottom section" - it's confusing and wastes time.

-No explanation of what a synthesized image is.... I think I have figured it out. A synthesized image in Beyond is a cue that is made of several different images combined and saved to a new cue using a variety of tools available

-Live control help does not match what is on the program.

- Main Cue Grid - Type of cue icons in documentation do not match the ones in the program

-Need more about using the Frame editor and Draw/animation window. Why have two frame editors?

 

[Pangolin]

Documentation - seems a bit behind the program.

There is no question that documentation is definitely behind. We had a similar situation with the release of QuickShow. When version 1.0 was released, there was only the help file. When version 2.0 was released, the help file was greatly improved, and we also produced 12 chapters of video tutorials.

I just got done the video tutorial on the 3D portion of BEYOND and will post it to YouTube soon.

It is not helpful in many cases, sometimes even wrong - for example, in Settings/Projection Zones, to see one of two test patterns you click on a little square next to the zone you want to see;help file says look for something in the "bottom section" - it's confusing and wastes time.

Hehe. Well clearly it is confusing, but in this case part of the problem is the English Language. Indeed "bottom" seems like a relative word in this sense. By "bottom" I meant "below the top"

We will clarify that based on your feedback.

-No explanation of what a synthesized image is.... I think I have figured it out. A synthesized image in Beyond is a cue that is made of several different images combined and saved to a new cue using a variety of tools available

Correct. Most of the documentation in the help file came from the similar parts in QuickShow. QuickShow indeed has a synthezied image generator, but it is hidden for the most part (since it's a really really advanced tool, and QuickShow is made for beginners, not advanced users).

Also, the synthezied image generator is really a pretty complex topic. Just perusing some of the images in the Beams section will show you what is possible. So how to describe such a complex tool -- it's like life.

Nevertheless, certainly in 2.0 we'll flesh this out a bit more.

-Live control help does not match what is on the program.

This is where pictures come in handy. As I am looking at "the program" and the help file, they look the same to me...

- Main Cue Grid - Type of cue icons in documentation do not match the ones in the program

Another screen shot please. As far as I know, they do match, but of course the version of the software that I sent you actually has more types than what is present.

-Need more about using the Frame editor and Draw/animation window. Why have two frame editors?

Hehe, Tim there are actually three -- four if you include the 3D portion of BEYOND. But we'll drill down on this and -- by the time 2.0 is relased, there will likely only be one.

Let me stop right here and say and awful lot of people (including you) received the first release of BEYOND absolutely free. Our hope is that people give us good feedback to improve the program and the documentation (as you are doing here) and also have a level of understanding that the first release of the program is, well, the first release... Anybody remember the first release of the iPhone?

Best regards,

William Benner

 

[vvvetalll]

Many of these problems, I have already sent to developers as well as those that are not listed here and I am sure soon they will all be corrected with the release of version 2.0, everything will work out! There's also a lot of questions how to do so or so ... need to be patient and wait for the release! And then work together to make the knowledge base for this wonderful product!

 

[Tim Walsh]

Some Screen Shots

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Walsh View Post
-Live control help does not match what is on the program.
This is where pictures come in handy. As I am looking at "the program" and the help file, they look the same to me...

OK, Bill screen shots - Here is the Help File for Live Control:

....and here is the actual program Live Control:

There is an extra icon, but at the time, my first pass through the program, it was????

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Walsh View Post
- Main Cue Grid - Type of cue icons in documentation do not match the ones in the program
Another screen shot please. As far as I know, they do match, but of course the version of the software that I sent you actually has more types than what is present.

Here is the Main Cue Grid icons in help file:

And the actual program grid:

I saw the little linked gold rings, and did not find in the help files. I believe that you refer to them elsewhere in my series of questions so I will have this figured out, but the docs do not match the program.

 

[vvvetalll]

I think its because help file was created for the first version of beyond, but newest version have a many different innovation and some new feautures....so i hope in a future we will see a new help file
buy the way.... a new tutorials for beyond a ready now...its more interesting that help file

 

[norty303]

I suspect that what is goping to happen is that they'll get all of the functionality in that justifies a 2.0 release, then review the documentation to cover it. Stuff is changing almost constantly, and in different areas, with different people testing the parts.
I think it's probably preferable to get the various bits working as quickly as possible, then document it, rather than waste time documenting bits that won't exist in the app come 2.0

 

[Pangolin]

Yes, Norty is most correct about this. The "gold rings" appeared around build 424. I'm still not happy with that as an icon. You can see in the help file, the previous icon, which I also was not happy with.

It can be a real problem for us -- not only to come up with the program and all of the features, but also to come up with all of the icons, etc. There are some mental blocks here and there.

If there are folks out there that have skills and creativity to help create the icons, we'll be happy to hire you, either for money or for trade!!

Same with the extra icon that you see there. And Tim, actually there are three extra icons that may show up in that area under certain circumstances and modes.

What you received was an interim version of the software -- build 424. Some people have even newer builds, and I may have even sent you a newer build too. But Norty was right insomuch that the documentation covered version ONE POINT ZERO. No newer builds are covered by the help file. Sort of like the undo function, the documentation is normally the very last thing to be completed before a program ships.

So again, Norty was correct with his assertion.

Best regards,

William Benner