Proposals for enhancing usability

Hi Mabula,

I‘ve been playing around with APP for almost two weeks now. The proposals in this posting relate to the usability. Since I work a lot with different kind of software professionally I hope to contribute some good ideas. I think the aspect of usability is very important. APP may finally convince undecided users only when the usability is proper.

The work directory:

Actually I like the concept, but it is very annoying, because I regularly forget to set it and then the popup unexpectedly appears … grrr. The behaviour of the work directory should be stored in the global configuration settings of the program – those that pop up when clicking the CFG button.

For the work directory there should be at least two available options:

• prompt for work directory on program start (so the window appears on every program start)
• remember last work directory

A third option could also be nice: Saving processed files automatically in the directory of the source files (masterdark in der directory of the darks, masterflat in the directory of the flats a.s.o …), but I see that this becomes difficult, when having multiple source file directories, e.g. lights with different integration times in multiple directories.

The file/folder dialog:

Again, it should be possible, that the last directory is automatically remembered from program session to program session. Also, the last directory should be remembered for all kind of image types seperately. Why? Bias and darks are often saved in a library that lies outside the file structure of the lights and flats. So I have to move back and forth in the folder dialog, when choosing my bias/darks and my lights/flats.

So, you could make two options available in the CFG:

• remember last used directory for frames seperately
• set frame directories same as work directory

I think it has been mentioned before: Position and size of the folder dialog should be remembered. I always have to make it a bit bigger to work comfortabely with it.

There could be an open button for BPM – currently only buttons for darks, lights, bias and flats are available. BPM can be loaded through any button (because the information from the header ist read out), but it may be more stringent if there‘s also a load BPM button?

The file list:

For me this is the weak point at the moment – working with the file list is uncomfortably and time consuming. I know a lot of my astro friends (that commonly use PI or DSS) would refuse using APP exactly because of this. Most of my proposals aren‘t new (have read them in other posts):

• When I select a file and press delete on the keyboard, it should be removed from the list
• When I right click on a file, there should pop up a context menu with the following options:
  - remove file from list
  - delete file from file system (only with confirmation dialog, use recycle bin)
  - select/deselect file, toggle selection

It should be possible to select multiple files with Shift/Ctrl-Click (Now you got me – Yes, I‘m a windows user ;-))

Especially the lack of decent file removing is very time consuming. I usually use my Master bias and Master dark for many light and flat sets. But I always have to delete the whole file list.

It would be nice for clarity reasons when files of the same type are collected together in groups, that can be folded/unfolded (groups: darks, flats, BPM, bias, lights, processed files).

It would be nice, when I could choose the displayed columns of the file list grid (perhaps also the order). I do not need all of them (e.g. file size), so I could make the grid a little bit clearer. This setting should be saved in the global program settings.

The main image window:

I intuitively tried to pan the image with Click-hold + move cursor (it often then becomes a hand or so), but it did not work. Using the scroll bars is cumbersome. I noticed that I can pan with the mouse wheel vertically and mouse wheel + Shift horizontally, but you do not always have a mouse. I suggest implementing image pan with Alt + Click-hold + move cursor, so that there is no conflict with drawing boxes.

Input boxes and sliders:

Maybe it is because I‘m a windows user, but I have some difficulties with the sliders. I don‘t know if other users experiences are similar.

I visually always link the slider with the caption above and have to think twice (see screenshot red area). Maybe the border box around slider and caption could be made a litte bit brighter? Probably the space between each slider box could be increased?

Slider rulers: I my opinion they are not necessary (see screenshot blue area). When I want to set an exact value I will try to move the slider gently until the desired value is displayed. Thus having the possibilty to enter the exact value in an input box would be much more wiser. This principle does not only apply to the histogram/DDP section on the right, but also to every slider in the program (e.g. the RGB combine tool where you often have to set equal values for multiple channels).

Project files (batch processing/scripting)

I should be able to save the file list and all settings in Tabs 2–6 in a project file. So that I can easily continue my work (without having to reload all frames again and reset my settings). If the project file is plain text, I could comfortably generate new project files with my editor (e.g. only change the light frames to another object). Those project files could also be used for batch processing (you certainly know the concept from DSS).

Of course, a scripting engine would be brilliant, but I think that‘s all still up the air. For now, batch processing would ease working with APP considerably.

I hope that I did not overrun you with all these detailed request. 😉

Cheers, Stephan