<<< your input on next version of swish please >>>

[roger_onslow]

I'd like to hear, what are

a) your top 10 (or is that bottom ten) things you find annoying about SWiSH and think should be fixed / improved

b) your top 10 new features that you'd like to see.

Please, no 'clever' responses like "I'd like it to interface directly to my brain so I can just think of what I want and it does it" .. lets just pretend all the clever responses have already been made .. just sensible serious responses please

I'll use this to see how our current developments are going (use it as a score-card) and to help prioritise things and ensure our wishlist has the right things on it. Hopefully most of what you put here is already in the next version, or marked for inclusion in subsequent versions. And maybe you might come up with a great new idea that will benefit everyone that no-one had thought of before.

So .. if everyone can please give me two (prioritised) top-ten lists (or more or less if you want) that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[KLTdesigns5869]

New features wish list:
1. Streamed audio with adjustable stream rates (kb/sec).
2. Scripting (get variables, text input, forms, etc).
3. Shape tweening.
4. Faster program response.
5. Enhanced drawing tools. ie: paint modifications to images, eraser tool, etc.
6. Direct import of movie files (avi/mpeg/mov).
7. Export to .gif.
8. Export to .exe.
9. Drag/drop (I know this one's coming)
10. Preselected simple/common javascripts to choose from, ie: fullscreen, popup window, close window, status bar messages, date/time...etc.


Program annoyances:
1. Set movie default to not loop. An on/off checkbox similar to sprite loop control would be ideal.
2. Lose the default 300% scale on start of transform effect.
3. More accurate preview "stage". Timing is way different than in browser, and also fine tuning shapes and exact postitions are sometimes different than how they appear in browser.
4. With a long list of objects in the outline panel, highlighting an object makes the list jump up or down. Annoying to constantly have to scroll it to get back to where you were.
5. Show .swf file size all the time without having to test in browser or file report. If it negates the program response speed listed above, then nevermind.
6. When working with images on the stage, unless that image is highlighted, the shape is shown as a solid color. I'm not sure when this changed, as I don't recall it always being like that, but it's annoying if trying to trace or match other objects with that image.
7. The need to place a remove effect after a fadeout. Since it is a known player bug, the need to remove after fadeout should/could be integrated into the fadeout effect itself?
8. Make the default outline of a created shape to none.
9. That's all I can think of...you'll have to live with a top 10 and a top 8 from me.

[jofta]

Worst.

1) Does not maintain settings on UPGRADE
2) Does insert stupid Meta tags
3) Does not have a suite of built in Java scripts * see second list
4) Does not pop up your list of Tell Target targets to select from, you have to hunt n peck. "see second list
5) Does not Prompt the save options "would you now like Swish to generate the required html etc" * see second lst
6) Does have a LARGE default font (does not remember your last font setting / size.
7) Does not clear shape size details when replacing with a new shape. You have to DELETE the previous and its related effects
8) Does not provide a straight forward method of alignment
of content within a sprite (ie pixel based fonts)


Would like
1) See points 3, 4 and 5 of top list
2) A Fill option on the graphics
3) A gradient fill that has Alpha Fade as an option
4) Built in FXs like LINE DRAW, FRAME DRAW from a single point. up down right left, diagonal
5) Streaming Audio
6) Keyboard input
7) More options in the TELL TARGET transforms related to colur control
8) The long awaited collision detection, drag n drop
9) More Audio control ie fade in/fade out loop number ##
10) More intuitive HELP section. " Problem? stop looping!
Answer "to stop looping do this and that..


Your a brave man putting this thread up Roger
I hope your ready for it.

jofta

[Hannibal Smith]

Annoying:

[1] Panels? I'd rather have toolbars.
[2] Have to set the JPEG compression for every single individual object.
[3] Have to edit every single text object instead of highlighting multiples.
[4] No distrubuting or aligning of multiple objects.
[5] Actions panel is too limited, editing actions is a hassle, would like to script it myself.
[6] Everytime I insert a Place effect, that stupid window appears / pops up.
[7] If I want all my animations to be sharp, I have to change every single effect in the whole movie to sharp.
[8] Highlight multiple objects, then change the properties in the Transform panel and only one of the objects moves.
[9] Buttons, I never use them, only if they were like Flash.
[10] When you insert an effect, it is always 10 frames and pushes all other effects 10 frames.

[jamescover]

Annoyances:

1). Having to hold down the "control" key while dragging a panel to keep it from resizing and docking itself is what I find most annoying about Swish. A standard, floating, "lock" mode is number one on my list of things to improve.

2). Performance improvements: Swish still freezes up, or everything slows to a crawl when sprites containing many vector objects, or larger (100k+) raster images, or large sound files are imported.

Wish List:

1). Guides, in addition to the grid and "snap to grid" features.

2). Image thumbnail preview before importing.

3). Font preview for the entire character set.

4). More gradients bars.

Possible bugs:

I can set transparency for JPEGs, but sometimes, not for GIF's. I was unaware that the JPEG format even supported transparency.


I am still using build 10.16, so if any of these changes have already been implemented, please disregard.



James


God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that whosoever believed in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.

[hockyfan]

i think almost everything has been mentioned above but had to reitterate:

• "Scripting (get variables, text input, forms, etc)." as mentioned in first response.
• if the addition of being able to add external HTML and such could be made possible...it would be cool

[Cadence]

Here it goes ..

TOP 10 - WISH LIST in order from most important to least important

• Streaming Audio (with Envelope Editor, ie., Fade in on Frame #, Fade Out on Frame #, etc.)
• The ability to either set a default font - or to change the font of multiple text objects in one step
• Input boxes/Forms (scripting, get variables, etc.)
• OnKeyPress actions
• Drag and Drop ... I know, I know
• Alignment options (ie., center vertically on stage, center horizontally, center both)
• Pre-Scripted JavaScripts
• Import Video
• can't think of 10 at the moment

Top Couple Annoyances

• No Modification of Defaults (ie., Fonts, background color, sprite background color, etc.)
• No streaming audio
• more if I can think of em

I hope it helped, Roger

Peaces,
Cadence

[roger_onslow]

Originally posted by KLTdesigns5869
New features wish list:
1. Streamed audio with adjustable stream rates (kb/sec).
2. Scripting (get variables, text input, forms, etc).
3. Shape tweening.
4. Faster program response.
5. Enhanced drawing tools. ie: paint modifications to images, eraser tool, etc.
6. Direct import of movie files (avi/mpeg/mov).
7. Export to .gif.
8. Export to .exe.
9. Drag/drop (I know this one's coming)
10. Preselected simple/common javascripts to choose from, ie: fullscreen, popup window, close window, status bar messages, date/time...etc.

Next update scores 3 (or maybe 4) on that list

Program annoyances:
1. Set movie default to not loop. An on/off checkbox similar to sprite loop control would be ideal.
2. Lose the default 300% scale on start of transform effect.
3. More accurate preview "stage". Timing is way different than in browser, and also fine tuning shapes and exact postitions are sometimes different than how they appear in browser.
4. With a long list of objects in the outline panel, highlighting an object makes the list jump up or down. Annoying to constantly have to scroll it to get back to where you were.
5. Show .swf file size all the time without having to test in browser or file report. If it negates the program response speed listed above, then nevermind.

Yes.. it would slow things down because it would have to do full export and optimisation while editing to show you the size

6. When working with images on the stage, unless that image is highlighted, the shape is shown as a solid color. I'm not sure when this changed, as I don't recall it always being like that, but it's annoying if trying to trace or match other objects with that image.

See the View menu .. you've probably got "[x] Show all image" option unchecked

7. The need to place a remove effect after a fadeout. Since it is a known player bug, the need to remove after fadeout should/could be integrated into the fadeout effect itself?
8. Make the default outline of a created shape to none.
9. That's all I can think of...you'll have to live with a top 10 and a top 8 from me.

Next update scores 4 (or maybe 5) on that list
[B][QUOTE]

[roger_onslow]

Originally posted by jofta
Worst.

1) Does not maintain settings on UPGRADE

Cannot keep setting if menus or toolbars change (or you won't see the new settings) .. I'll see if there is any way to reset the menu and toolbar setting but keep the panel layout setting as is

2) Does insert stupid Meta tags
3) Does not have a suite of built in Java scripts * see second list
4) Does not pop up your list of Tell Target targets to select from, you have to hunt n peck. "see second list

AFAIK SWiSH already does pop up a list of targets.

5) Does not Prompt the save options "would you now like Swish to generate the required html etc" * see second lst

can you give more detail of what you want here .. are you saying you wany it to prompt for generating SWF, HTML etc whenever you save? Won't that get annoying? Or are you wanting to also have a '[x] Don't ask me this anymore' option as well.

6) Does have a LARGE default font (does not remember your last font setting / size.
7) Does not clear shape size details when replacing with a new shape. You have to DELETE the previous and its related effects

Are you saying that when you change the fill for a shape, it should also resize the shape (perhaps as an option)?

8) Does not provide a straight forward method of alignment
of content within a sprite (ie pixel based fonts)

can't you just position at whole pixels (watch the transform tab)? or are you after a (global) whole pixel setting

New update scores (at the moment) 1 point .. I'd like to hear more about some of these items though.

Would like
1) See points 3, 4 and 5 of top list
2) A Fill option on the graphics

isn't there already a fill option .. can you explain further what you mean?

3) A gradient fill that has Alpha Fade as an option

isn't there already option for alpha on gradient fills .. can you explain further what you mean?

4) Built in FXs like LINE DRAW, FRAME DRAW from a single point. up down right left, diagonal
5) Streaming Audio
6) Keyboard input
7) More options in the TELL TARGET transforms related to colur control

there is no suport for this in SWF 4 files so we cannot do it

8) The long awaited collision detection, drag n drop
9) More Audio control ie fade in/fade out loop number ##
10) More intuitive HELP section. " Problem? stop looping!
Answer "to stop looping do this and that..

Next update scores about 2 on this

[Edited by roger_onslow on 03-10-2002 at 10:02 PM]

[roger_onslow]

Originally posted by Hannibal Smith
Annoying:

[1] Panels? I'd rather have toolbars.
[2] Have to set the JPEG compression for every single individual object.
[3] Have to edit every single text object instead of highlighting multiples.
[4] No distrubuting or aligning of multiple objects.
[5] Actions panel is too limited, editing actions is a hassle, would like to script it myself.
[6] Everytime I insert a Place effect, that stupid window appears / pops up.
[7] If I want all my animations to be sharp, I have to change every single effect in the whole movie to sharp.
[8] Highlight multiple objects, then change the properties in the Transform panel and only one of the objects moves.
[9] Buttons, I never use them, only if they were like Flash.
[10] When you insert an effect, it is always 10 frames and pushes all other effects 10 frames.

I'll add these to the list. Nonoe of these address (at this stage) in the next update. But that could always change

[roger_onslow]

Originally posted by jamescover
Annoyances:

1). Having to hold down the "control" key while dragging a panel to keep it from resizing and docking itself is what I find most annoying about Swish. A standard, floating, "lock" mode is number one on my list of things to improve.

2). Performance improvements: Swish still freezes up, or everything slows to a crawl when sprites containing many vector objects, or larger (100k+) raster images, or large sound files are imported.

Next updates scores 1 on this

Wish List:

1). Guides, in addition to the grid and "snap to grid" features.
2). Image thumbnail preview before importing.
3). Font preview for the entire character set.
4). More gradients bars.

8 is the maximum SWF format supports .. we cannot change that

Next update scores 1 on this

Possible bugs:

I can set transparency for JPEGs, but sometimes, not for GIF's. I was unaware that the JPEG format even supported transparency.

This is mostly there for formats (like bmp or jpg) that don't have built-in transparency. The idea is that you can select what colours in the image you want to have appear as transparent. For GIF you would usually use the GIF's already-specified transparency.

[roger_onslow]

Originally posted by Cadence
Here it goes ..

TOP 10 - WISH LIST in order from most important to least important

• Streaming Audio (with Envelope Editor, ie., Fade in on Frame #, Fade Out on Frame #, etc.)
• The ability to either set a default font - or to change the font of multiple text objects in one step
• Input boxes/Forms (scripting, get variables, etc.)
• OnKeyPress actions
• Drag and Drop ... I know, I know
• Alignment options (ie., center vertically on stage, center horizontally, center both)
  

• Snapping to object will do that .. but that requires you drag to roughtly the centre so not as quick as a specila option
  

• Pre-Scripted JavaScripts
• Import Video
• can't think of 10 at the moment

[roger_onslow]

NOTE when I refer to next update I mean the next major update .. not the (basically) bug-fix updates we are testing at the moment. You'll know when we get closer.

[artgeek99]

Most of the annoyances and improvements I would ask for have already been mentioned but there is one thing I would love to see. I know nothing about how Swish really works on the program level, so perhaps this request is totally absurd: Lights and bevels.

I would love to have a bevel option with the drawing tools and movable lights (like the ones in RealDraw Pro) that I can position to give my projects a more 3D look.

Right now I create my images in RealDraw and then import them with the lighting already applied. When motion is applied to those objects the lights remain constant. This detracts from the overall effect of the motion.

I realize that Swish is a Flash authoring tool, not an image manipulation program, but this would seriously enhance the overall look of a Swish movie.

Since you have already included a few very functional drawing tools, why not also add bevels/extrudes and 3D lights?

This addition would also enable effects like drop shadows, lens flares and make the movie much more dynamic and "film-like".

artgeek99

[velez]

There's only one thing I would like to see added to Swish ... a floating library. It would be nice to have a place where we can save sprites, vectors, etc, etc ... with drag and drop capabilities. This would allow newbies to just drag and drop a preloader into a movie.

[LisaA]

1) All of the above mentioned items plus

2) Even though you can calculate approximate timing with fps, I would like to see a visual timer added. Something like Cool Edit 2000 uses. This would make like a heck of alot easier when trying to synch.

3) Browse directories to locate files for images, sprites, load movies, etc.

[Supernaut]

OK

nearly everything I wanted to say is already mentioned

but I've got a couple suggestions:
1.More audio capabilities!!! (example: you can see the wave or mp3 file as in cool edit so it will be easier to sync your movie with audio.

2.An option to disable antialised for text ONLY!!!

3.More drawing options (yes fill is needed)
maybe airbrush too, just maybe...

4.export to gif (I don't want to export to flash every time to convert to gif)

5.preselected javascript(this would be very nice)

6.a less confusing tutorial...

i think 1,2 and 4 are badly needed

hope this helps

[roger_onslow]

Originally posted by Supernaut
1.More audio capabilities!!! (example: you can see the wave or mp3 file as in cool edit so it will be easier to sync your movie with audio.

That has to wait until we have streaming synchronised sundtracks to be useful

2.An option to disable antialised for text ONLY!!!

That would be great if the SWF format supported it

[czardogs]

I will start with the bad because there is not many.
1) this is the big one for me and if you can only make one change make it this one please, program response can be really tedious at times.
2) inability to set defaults such as font and sprite background
3)that annoying place panel, maybe include a checkbox for "dont show me this dialogue box again"
4)having to place remove after fade - make it automatic unless changed by user

Like to see
1)faster program response
2)streamed audio/control
3) video import
4) more selectable javascript
5) velez's idea of a library - time saver
6) keyboard input
7) draw tool upgrade - textures, fills and bevels
8) more scripting
9)shape tweening
10) keep it simple

[SouthJersey53]

Some of these were mentioned before, but I wanted to add my "vote" to them, plus a couple of "new" wants:
1) Place action should just happen - no need for pop-up.
2) On fade-out autmoatically remove
3) ability to slide grid (adjust left or right to align with on object) and/or be able to scale grid lines to "percent" % instead of just pixels.
4) e-mail notification when a new build is realesed explaining what changed
5) When viewing scene, be able to chose where on time line to start instead of always having to start at frame 0 (testing purposes)

Complaints:
1) NONE - This is the best $50 I have spent in my computer life. Contrary to a previous post, I find the HELP files very usable (compared to help files on most other programs now-a-days) and the TUTORIALS are by far the best and easiest to follow I have ever seen. I learned how to effectively use this program in one afternoon, only because of the tutorials.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment.