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Author Topic: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.  (Read 3997 times)

AI Bisons

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #15 on: August 07, 2019, 01:05:31 PM »

The dark popup window is what I am talking about currently. Especially with the dice icons being so small...
For reference, here is a ammo exploded mech...

Oh woooow, your screen is monster! Thanks for posting!

Good news! I just checked and you can scale up the text size in that console (and in obligation strip) by just using your browser's built in size-adjust. On Chrome it should be 'view > zoom in'. There should also be a shortcut including '+' and alt/cntrl/windows key or similar.

I tried out the site on my tablet and have some similar scaling issues, though the lower resolution on my tablet helps. My tablet is running Chrome on Android 6.0.1 for what that's worth. One thing that would help both cases is to allow screen zoom to zoom in past full on the record sheet itself (and scroll across the sheet beyond X% zoom, or a check box to unlock the zoom). The current behavior of locking to the most restrictive dimension is understandable, but it can make it hard to show people without passing the tablet. Unless I'm missing something.

Gotcha. Sorry to pester, but more questions:
- What's the screen size and resolution on the tablet?
- Were you using FS in a browser window or after having added it to the home-screen and launched from there?
- What information were you trying to share specifically? [Assuming attack results but don't want to make sure.]

Looking into re-enabling browsers' default pinch-to zoom behavior is on my mind for sure — there's just some other technical issues blocking this at the moment that I need to resolve.

Out of curiosity what are you using for a backend on this and what language/IDE are you programming in/with? I have a few web/app/program ideas and I'm working out which ideas will go which route.

The backend is extremely minimal (relative to the client).

There's a server for inter-client messaging is Node.js (running on Heroku). It uses Express and Socket.io. All it does though is dumbly route JSON messages to the right user and so is not complex, in contrast to an actual game where the game-state (or even game-logic) would be centralized on the server. I wrote it in straight JS using VSCode. The client can run without it.

The client also access a unit data catalog hosted completely separately in an AWS S3 bucket. The catalog is really just a limited fork of MegaMek files plus JSON translations  (https://github.com/IanBellomy/helm-core-fragment). Because I'm only doing name searches (using a pre-generated XML doc no less) there's no database to build and query. (The sheets' SVG representations are generated client side.) The client can also run without this catalog.

I do rely on PHP for performing a poor-man's 'import component html-template + style' but I do this as a build step, so the client is static and can run offline straight from a device.

Aside: Printing sheets / creating PDFs is handled straight from the browser with some careful CSS and a trick or two 🤘, so there's no need to hit a server on that front either. Though Safari's @page support is bad©, so printing works way better in Chrome and FireFox.
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Timberwolfd

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #16 on: August 07, 2019, 02:14:28 PM »

The dark popup window is what I am talking about currently. Especially with the dice icons being so small...
For reference, here is a ammo exploded mech...

Oh woooow, your screen is monster! Thanks for posting!

Good news! I just checked and you can scale up the text size in that console (and in obligation strip) by just using your browser's built in size-adjust. On Chrome it should be 'view > zoom in'. There should also be a shortcut including '+' and alt/cntrl/windows key or similar.
The downside to this approach is it makes other UI elements larger as well, so some of the dropdowns for things like damage become unwieldly.


I tried out the site on my tablet and have some similar scaling issues, though the lower resolution on my tablet helps. My tablet is running Chrome on Android 6.0.1 for what that's worth. One thing that would help both cases is to allow screen zoom to zoom in past full on the record sheet itself (and scroll across the sheet beyond X% zoom, or a check box to unlock the zoom). The current behavior of locking to the most restrictive dimension is understandable, but it can make it hard to show people without passing the tablet. Unless I'm missing something.

Gotcha. Sorry to pester, but more questions:
- What's the screen size and resolution on the tablet?
- Were you using FS in a browser window or after having added it to the home-screen and launched from there?
- What information were you trying to share specifically? [Assuming attack results but don't want to make sure.]

Looking into re-enabling browsers' default pinch-to zoom behavior is on my mind for sure — there's just some other technical issues blocking this at the moment that I need to resolve.
It's a Galaxy Tab S 10.1 inch with 2560x1440 resolution via chrome. I was trying to share general status, but the forced orientation in the browser wasn't working well. Adding to the home screen works better and assists with correct orientation, so ignore the tablet issue.

Depending on the difficulty involved, adding a button to flip orientation in the browser 90 degrees would be nice, though obviously lower priority.

Out of curiosity what are you using for a backend on this and what language/IDE are you programming in/with? I have a few web/app/program ideas and I'm working out which ideas will go which route.

The backend is extremely minimal (relative to the client).

There's a server for inter-client messaging is Node.js (running on Heroku). It uses Express and Socket.io. All it does though is dumbly route JSON messages to the right user and so is not complex, in contrast to an actual game where the game-state (or even game-logic) would be centralized on the server. I wrote it in straight JS using VSCode. The client can run without it.

The client also access a unit data catalog hosted completely separately in an AWS S3 bucket. The catalog is really just a limited fork of MegaMek files plus JSON translations  (https://github.com/IanBellomy/helm-core-fragment). Because I'm only doing name searches (using a pre-generated XML doc no less) there's no database to build and query. (The sheets' SVG representations are generated client side.) The client can also run without this catalog.

I do rely on PHP for performing a poor-man's 'import component html-template + style' but I do this as a build step, so the client is static and can run offline straight from a device.

Aside: Printing sheets / creating PDFs is handled straight from the browser with some careful CSS and a trick or two 🤘, so there's no need to hit a server on that front either. Though Safari's @page support is bad©, so printing works way better in Chrome and FireFox.

[/quote]
It's amazing what some clever design and intelligent separation of tasks can do. It's always interesting how optimization for computer projects seems to be a matter of minimizing two out of three aspects (preplanning, resources, complexity).
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AI Bisons

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #17 on: August 07, 2019, 07:17:10 PM »

Overall solid system you have in place. Just a few minor kinks that need to be worked out, but felt like the premise is solid enough.

Thanks again for coming by to test!
It's real helpful seeing how people handle the interface. Also helpful uncovering bugs of course (many of which are now fixed fyi)!
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AI Bisons

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #18 on: August 07, 2019, 07:27:29 PM »

The downside to this approach is it makes other UI elements larger as well, so some of the dropdowns for things like damage become unwieldly.

*facepalm* Should've taken a longer look around before I said anything. If this changes I'll let you know.

It's a Galaxy Tab S 10.1 inch with 2560x1440 resolution via chrome. I was trying to share general status, but the forced orientation in the browser wasn't working well. Adding to the home screen works better and assists with correct orientation, so ignore the tablet issue.

Roger. Could you clarify "forced orientation"? Was it stuck in landscape?

Depending on the difficulty involved, adding a button to flip orientation in the browser 90 degrees would be nice, though obviously lower priority.

Do you mean in a desktop or tablet browser? If Desktop, is it the case your monitor can go vertical?

Thanks again for taking the time to answer all my questions!
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Timberwolfd

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #19 on: August 07, 2019, 10:25:33 PM »

It's a Galaxy Tab S 10.1 inch with 2560x1440 resolution via chrome. I was trying to share general status, but the forced orientation in the browser wasn't working well. Adding to the home screen works better and assists with correct orientation, so ignore the tablet issue.

Roger. Could you clarify "forced orientation"? Was it stuck in landscape?

Yes


Depending on the difficulty involved, adding a button to flip orientation in the browser 90 degrees would be nice, though obviously lower priority.

Do you mean in a desktop or tablet browser? If Desktop, is it the case your monitor can go vertical?

Thanks again for taking the time to answer all my questions!
In either tablet or DT browser.
Desktop monitors can absolutely be oriented vertically, though in this case, I am looking at laptop and tablet PCs. There are a couple of setting changes that have to be made to rotate a monitor 90 degrees in windows that people either may not know about or not want to hassle with. So if the rotation is handled in browser, it would be more convenient.
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AI Bisons

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #20 on: August 11, 2019, 02:30:02 PM »

Thanks @Timberwolfd!

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AI Bisons

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #21 on: August 25, 2019, 01:02:13 PM »

For anyone following, a test with at least two players where I can just observe would be real handy. The test would be two smallish games (2v2, 120 tons) or ~ two hours of play time, whichever is less.

I can provide two tablets and pizza. Flexible on time and location.
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deadlyfire2345

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #22 on: August 31, 2019, 08:39:11 PM »

I am still down to help. My schedule is still flexible. Not sure about anyone else though.
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AI Bisons

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #23 on: September 10, 2019, 10:25:56 AM »

I am still down to help. My schedule is still flexible. Not sure about anyone else though.

Great! Sorry for the delayed response.

I'll try to rustle up another player but if anyone else around here want's to come out it'd be super swell.

This upcoming weekend may be best for me this week (outside Saturday afternoon). Any good times for you on Saturday or Sunday?
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deadlyfire2345

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #24 on: September 10, 2019, 10:33:13 AM »

Saturday works for me. Most likely be home all day. It might be easier just to do it at my house, if you are okay with that.
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AI Bisons

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #25 on: September 12, 2019, 10:28:49 AM »

Saturday up north is good though I may be tied up until 3ish if that's ok.
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deadlyfire2345

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Re: Looking for play testers for digital record-sheet.
« Reply #26 on: September 12, 2019, 10:41:33 AM »

Thats fine. Assuming nothing changes of course. Doubt it though.
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