Jave 1.1a , remarks and suggestions

It's good .. it's VERY good .. best Ascii - editor there is.
But it's not perfect.

* [Watermark]
- Needs an option to revert to original shape ( like shape factor in the image
converter )

- On watermark option there should be a checkbot or button to show/hide the
watermark - I know it's in the menu too , it just seems intuitive if it where in
the options too

- Watermarks (with on/off) in the imageconverter.

- Option in imageconverter to apply a watermark to the drawing area with the
same position shape and size as the converted output - Thats what I usually use
a watermark for .. for detailwork on converted images.

* [Text tool]
- MOST WANTED FEATURE (my most wanted , I can't speak for everybody else) , The
ability to select text just like in a texteditor if you keep the mousebutton
pressed and drag it over a certain distance. Well actually not like most
texteditors as they select based on lines .. I need selection like the selection
tool does it (and like TextPad 4, with block select mode does it)
The two tools ( text and selction ) could even be combined into one tool.
But seriously , I want to type, cut, copy, paste and move without ever having to
change tool all the time.
Until I can , then Textpad is still my prefered editor for ascii-art

- Jave/Normal is what most people know as Insert/Overwrite (where Jave is
Overwrite).
I suggest renaming the two modes to Overwrite/Insert and assign the Insert key
as a toggle button between the two. Also show the status in the bottom status
bar status.
Insert could also toggle mix in all the other modes .. the problem would then be
, that it would be odd that it toggled something else in the text tool

* [image convertor]
The experimental B/W convertos can ddo fine jobs on very simple images ..
typically black and white ones with little detail.
Specificly I like the output of the Thick and Thin & Thick modes.
An idea .. could the convertor detect lines or areas with high contrast and have
the b/w mode of choice draw just the edges (because thick / thin makes very good
edges) and use another algorithm for the rest of the image .. My preferred shade
algorithm is the one i suggested myself , the 1 pixel 8Oo:. (other combinations
like this are good too f.x 8o:. or #8O:. )

- The standard window is to narrow to completely display everything
The shape factor [ 1.0 ] box is partially hidden and so is some of the
conversion dropdown menu

- Colored output ? .. for export to html
This probably requires a colorpaint mode in jave too - but one could also have a
color watermark determine the color of the pixels below it when exporrting

* [ Jave movie editor ]
- (all the advanced commands i mentioned earlier for the player)

- How about an option to loop the file ?

- Jave Movie should be an option in the Export dialog

- Option to export to complete webpage or just HTML (from the movie editor)
  So it makes all the <APPLET> tags and etc ..
  Possibly also save a copy of the applet along side with the html

- The top images flickers

- Ability to watermark certain frames , so smooth natural animations are easier
to create.
  I see 3 good different modes : Previous Frame , Following frame , Specific
frame (a fixed specific frame used as watermark )
  Possibly have buttons to quickly switch watermark between the modes ( with a
text field to type the number of the specific , and maybe also click on the
specific frame to use )

- color (specific for each char .. but this is mayor and requires that jave get
a color edit functionality .. it seems like some work and not a feature people
needs the most (not a big priority for me anyways) )
  Besides .. it requires extentions to the jmov format

- Move movie display to main javewindow and keep frame index and buttons in a
tool window, so you can view and edit in the same window .. it seems more
intuitive to do it this way.
And it makes it a lot quicker to edit a movie

* [3D renderer]

- More shading options f.x ( #8o:.  )

- There is a serious need for a modeler or import from a know modeler .. editing
3D coordinated by hand isn't really userfriendly

- more ways to set the camera, not just rotate it round the y axis but also the
x and z axis
The easyiest/best way would be to control the camera like most 3D shooters.

My suggestion of controls :

Mouse controls view (mouselook) .. with possibilty to invert y axis
w/UP = Forward
s/DOWN = backwards
a/LEFT = strafe left
d/RIGHT = strafe right

Right mouse button = move/strafe up
SHIFT = move/strafe down (you might have expected the left mouse button , but I
use this method in all my 3D shooters and sims)

Left mouse button = take snapshot ( copy this image as a jave movie frame )
Space = Toggle Auto snapshot ( takes snapshots as you move so you can record
movement as an animation )

Jave might need faster 3D rendering for this, possibly it could draw in simple
wireframe or just draw the image in ordinary pixels and only asciify when a
shapshot is taken

- More primaries as demos .. I like your balls (pun intended)

- an area to click in , hold mouse button and drag mouse left/right - up down to
spin the object (actually move the camera) - Like thoose 360 degree Quicktime
videos.
The same concept could be applied to the movie editor as a quick way of moving
between frames .. using your mouse to both create an animation and also to find
the frame you need.
It could also be applied as a special option to movies in the player - cycling
frames by moving the mouse .. this combined with a looping 360 3D ascii movie
could make thoose 360 views.


It seems I can go on with idea as I only had the some of the watermark and
texttool idea when I began writing this ..
I have more but I must stop now to free myself for other work.

I think I can be credited as the biggest contributor of suggestions so far to
Jave *g* .. if you exclude Markus who dont ever seem to post his ideas for
discussion .. he just bullies them on the rest of us with a surprise update *gg*
:)

I dont want to get in the Open source discussion , i'm quite satisfied with the
progress that markus makes own his own , and I doubt there are many other java
programmers out there interested in ascii-art and this program with the will and
time to make frequent updates like Markus does.
Markus Gebhard is a godsend in that respect and I doubt there is another
Skywalker.

Sincerly
CeeJay