How bad is the Flowstone 2.01 Toolbox???

aliasant · 8 Feb 2012

Had to download and install it and yes. That is pretty bad! Didnt think you could make it worse then in SM but apparently I was wrong, again 🙂

Mo · 8 Feb 2012

Yea, at least i would like self-defined categories and a normal scrollbar left for the toolbox.

FreeRideSkier · 9 Feb 2012

Well I think it's is a huge improvement once start to use it in anger. It's really cool that you can scale the modules so you can actually see the ins and outs and the new filters work much better than in SM, using ctrl to add more if you like.

The search works so much better than in SM (it actually finds things now) and for you luddites out there you can always switch back on the old groups as an option!

sunsynth · 10 Feb 2012

Can Only find something with the search field... 😕

...and the [Ctrl]-Mousewheel - Zooom 😝 => i will never get it 😈

aliasant · 10 Feb 2012

sunsynth wrote: Can Only find something with the search field... 😕

Yes. And since this is a program aimed for those who prefer to think more graphical....... I never remember what a function is called/named but I do remember what it looks like..

I do like the zoom however. Thats something I have wanted for a long time. The Toolbox zoom that is. Not the other one 🙂

I would have liked a toolbox that works with submenus.

Say I know I want a math primitive. I click on math That pops up the subcategories sorted on input. I, F, FA, IA, S and so on. I see the graphical icons and the name of the input so I select the one Im after and that then lists all the math primitives with my selected input.

Easy, inutitive and fast.

CoreStyler · 12 Feb 2012

i dislike too

attic · 12 Feb 2012

I need frickin Ruby. 🙁

infuzion · 14 Feb 2012

aliasant wrote: Had to download and install it and yes. That is pretty bad! Didnt think you could make it worse then in SM but apparently I was wrong, again 🙂

This is the first time reposting private email with malc, but since it seems that I'm having problems getting through with him, perhaps I have a wrong approach?

malc wrote: infuzion wrote: I was checking out the new FlowStone, & it seems the link filters for the toolbox is totally broken? I ften use this to find things I can't remember the name of. The "Edit Filter Types" check box does not want to stay checked (on restarting FS etc). I'd prefer the Connector Filter types to be kept on the right side; there is lots of empty space there & need as much vertical space for the actual primitives due to there only being 1 column.

The "Edit Filter Types" check box is only for changing which filter types show in the panel. Once they are there you just click on them to apply the filter. It all works fine here and with our testers.

The issue of positioning is a tricky one. The filter types in the location they used to be in caused more wasted space than where they are now. We felt it was better to give people more schematic space to play with. It's always a difficult decision because some people will always prefer the option you go with and some the one you leave behind.

{To "prove" the filtering was very awkward & counter unintuitive IMHO}

malc wrote: infuzion wrote: Maybe I'm using the Toolbox filters wrong?

It looks like you might be. Looking at the images, the top row of buttons are greyed out which would imply you have the 'Edit Filter Types' option checked. In this mode you define which types appear in the list by selecting them. For example, as you have it now if you were to exit 'Edit Filter Types' mode then you'd only have the Float type in the list of filters you'll be able to use. As such I'd select the ones you want to appear before exiting 'Edit Filter Types' mode (all of them if you wish). Once you're out of 'Edit Filter Types' mode then when you click on a filter it should work as expected.

This last reply made me even more confused & frustrated, so I simply un-installed FS, & kept on learning Ruby, except to make websites.

aliasant · 14 Feb 2012

The Toolbox/Edit Filter Type menu is a bit confusing but it seems you use it like this. Check it Activate or deactivate the filter icons you want to be in the filterbox then uncheck it to get back out of editing.

This will simply include or exclude selected or unselected filter types.

To me that works ok. My biggest problem is that I only see very very few primitives at any given time and I need to see many more at the same time to be able to find what Im looking for.

Say I filter so that I only search for S and trigger inputs. That gives a result of 75 "modules" but I can only see 7.5 of them in the window so I would have to start scrolling. ( I have a 24" monitor with a 1920x1200 res) Scrolling is either very very slow or jumps very fast so finding anything by scrolling just doesnt work. It seems they used 10pixels / scroll jump maybe to save cycles but thats what makes it useless. Skip that and use 1pixel / jump for smooth action instead. That would give us a better scroll with more user control.

If the scrolling works as it should this would be so much better.

Then we really need to have an option to see more columns then just the 1. Make it wider and when it goes over some threshold you get 2 columns and so on just like the old one.

EDIT: I just realised another scroll function we need.

We have those white halfmoons with a blue arrow in at top ( if scrolled down a bit) and the bottom but having to click those with mouse is akward.

What would work is a key combo with scrolling. Say you hold Ctrl while scrolling and that gives one full jump / scroll. That would work perfectly for faster browsing.

Edit 2: When using those arrows to jump to the next section the top module doesnt align correctly so you might only see the lower part of the first one. Useless. We need them to align proper so that we can see what the first one is named.

infuzion · 14 Feb 2012

aliasant wrote: Say I filter so that I only search for S and trigger inputs. That gives a result of 75 "modules" but I can only see 7.5 of them in the window so I would have to start scrolling. ( I have a 24" monitor with a 1920x1200 res) Scrolling is either very very slow or jumps very fast so finding anything by scrolling just doesn't work.

You can zoom in & out of the primitives/modules you see in the toolbox. In my pic above, you can see I zoomed all the way out, so only the titles of toolbox items. IIRC, there is a slider on the bottom.

aliasant · 14 Feb 2012

infuzion wrote: aliasant wrote: Say I filter so that I only search for S and trigger inputs. That gives a result of 75 "modules" but I can only see 7.5 of them in the window so I would have to start scrolling. ( I have a 24" monitor with a 1920x1200 res) Scrolling is either very very slow or jumps very fast so finding anything by scrolling just doesn't work.

You can zoom in & out of the primitives/modules you see in the toolbox. In my pic above, you can see I zoomed all the way out, so only the titles of toolbox items. IIRC, there is a slider on the bottom.

YES YES. i know that but it doesnt help. If I zoom out to see more I cant see the text or connector icons so zooming out is pretty much useless after a certain amount.

infuzion · 14 Feb 2012

aliasant wrote: infuzion wrote: aliasant wrote: Say I filter so that I only search for S and trigger inputs. That gives a result of 75 "modules" but I can only see 7.5 of them in the window so I would have to start scrolling. ( I have a 24" monitor with a 1920x1200 res) Scrolling is either very very slow or jumps very fast so finding anything by scrolling just doesn't work.

You can zoom in & out of the primitives/modules you see in the toolbox. In my pic above, you can see I zoomed all the way out, so only the titles of toolbox items. IIRC, there is a slider on the bottom.

YES YES. i know that but it doesnt help. If I zoom out to see more I cant see the text or connector icons so zooming out is pretty much useless after a certain amount.

I do wish there were multiple columns for the toolbox display, like in SM 2.0.x. I'm OK with the single-column zoomable toolbox, but that is only because I've used SM for 5+ years. If I was a newbie, the single-column would increase the time needed to learn SM, since you have to scroll/zoom so much.