Snapshot release with file handling capability
Jörg Richter
Hi,
a new DeepaMehta snapshot release is available for developers and test users:
http://github.com/downloads/jri/deepamehta3/deepamehta3-v0.4.1-20100810.zip
It is easy to install and to deinstall. See instructions:
http://github.com/jri/deepamehta3
Main feature: file handling capability for your local files.
Drop a bunch of files from your filebrowser to the DM canvas. They are now represented as topics (of type "File"). When a file topic is clicked DM tries to display the contents right in the detail panel.
Currently supported:
- Plain text (doesn't yet work in Safari)
- Images
- Audio
- Video
- PDF
It should work with Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.
Audio/Video/PDF capabilities rely on your browser plugins. Certainly there is e.g. a Firefox PDF plugin for your OS available on the net.
The attached screenshot shows a PDF file topic in Safari (on a Mac)
IMPORTANT for Firefox: for the DM file handling capability to work you must set one particular preference. Type about:config in the Firefox address bar, then double-click the signed.applets.codebase_principal_support preference to set it to true (no Firefox restart required). Later on, when you drop a file to the canvas Firefox will ask you for permission to read the file. Click "Allow".
(If you not set the particular preference, or if you click "Deny", Firefox has no access to your local files for security reasons.)
Certainly there are still a lot of oddities and problems to solve with the various file types / browsers / OS. Let me know what configurations do not work for you.
Furthermore in this release:
- Simplified GUI of the Bulk Creation Tool (thanks to Malte Reißig!)
- Bug fixes regarding the fulltext search.
DeepaMehta 3 google group (if you're not a member yet):
http://groups.google.com/group/deepamehta3
Cheers,
Jörg
x28
(No time to write more, I'm so enthusiastic to try it out. Finally I
can easily tidy up my bookmarks (favorites) by moving them around
before setting up new folders...)
Matthias
Matthias Melcher
new feature (see attached screenshots)
- Most bothersome was the random placement of the imported
topics' icons, and that the relative width of the detail pane is
fixed and cannot be decreased as in DM2;
- Arising question: How do I delete an erroneous association?
- Probable error: sometimes, with drag & drop I cannot drop,
i. e. icon keeps moving despite releasing mouse button.
Only after many attempts (where vaious parts of the display
get marked in blue) I succeed do doubleclickand release the
icon.
I am looking forward to the next time when I will be processing
my misc notes using the new functionality!
--
Mit freundlichen Gr��en/ Kind regards
Matthias Melcher
Abteilung Anwendungen
Tel. (06221) 54 45 23, Fax (06221) 54 55 81
matthias...@urz.uni-heidelberg.de
Ruprecht-Karls-Universit�t Heidelberg
Universit�tsrechenzentrum (URZ)
Im Neuenheimer Feld 293, 69120 Heidelberg
http://www.urz.uni-heidelberg.de/
朱良兵
At 2010-08-11 22:47:30，"Matthias Melcher" <x...@ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de> wrote:
>So here my first experiences from tidying up my favorites with the
>new feature (see attached screenshots)
>- Most bothersome was the random placement of the imported
> topics' icons, and that the relative width of the detail pane is
> fixed and cannot be decreased as in DM2;
>- Arising question: How do I delete an erroneous association?
>- Probable error: sometimes, with drag & drop I cannot drop,
> i. e. icon keeps moving despite releasing mouse button.
> Only after many attempts (where vaious parts of the display
> get marked in blue) I succeed do doubleclickand release the
> icon.
>
>I am looking forward to the next time when I will be processing
>my misc notes using the new functionality!
>
>--
>Matthias Melcher
>Abteilung Anwendungen
>
>Tel. (06221) 54 45 23, Fax (06221) 54 55 81
>matthias...@urz.uni-heidelberg.de
>
>Universitätsrechenzentrum (URZ)
Jörg Richter
Thank you, Matthias, for feedback and usage screenshots!
Let me give a quick response to your issues.
On Aug 11, 2010, at 16:47, Matthias Melcher wrote:
> So here my first experiences from tidying up my favorites with the
> new feature (see attached screenshots)
> - Most bothersome was the random placement of the imported
> topics' icons,
I filed an issue:
http://github.com/jri/deepamehta3/issues#issue/7
> and that the relative width of the detail pane is
> fixed and cannot be decreased as in DM2;
Another one:
http://github.com/jri/deepamehta3/issues#issue/8
> - Arising question: How do I delete an erroneous association?
Right-click the association, then choose "Delete".
However: associations are difficult to select the steeper they are.
I filed an issue:
http://github.com/jri/deepamehta3/issues#issue/9
> - Probable error: sometimes, with drag & drop I cannot drop,
> i. e. icon keeps moving despite releasing mouse button.
> Only after many attempts (where vaious parts of the display
> get marked in blue) I succeed do doubleclickand release the
> icon.
At my side I do not experience that.
Is this reproducable?
> I am looking forward to the next time when I will be processing
> my misc notes using the new functionality!
BTW: if you register at github you can file issues here:
http://github.com/jri/deepamehta3
(click "Issues" in the top bar)
Thanks and Cheers,
Jörg
Jörg Richter
On Aug 12, 2010, at 20:11, Jörg Richter wrote:
> On Aug 11, 2010, at 16:47, Matthias Melcher wrote:
>
>> - Probable error: sometimes, with drag & drop I cannot drop,
>> i. e. icon keeps moving despite releasing mouse button.
>> Only after many attempts (where vaious parts of the display
>> get marked in blue) I succeed do doubleclickand release the
>> icon.
>
> At my side I do not experience that.
> Is this reproducable?
Meanwhile I got a clue what your situation possibly is:
(Its not when you drop a file from the filebrowser on the canvas but)
when you move any kind of topic *within* the canvas and
when you cross the canvas border while the mouse button is still pressed.
Is that the situation that causes the problem?
I don't experience the problem with Firefox/Mac (the topic movement stops as soon as the canvas is left) but if the described situation applies I have an idea about the problem's origin and can possibly fix it.
You're using Firefox on Windows, right?
Cheers
Jörg
x28
completely within the canvas. But meanwhile I think I can reproduce
it: Whenever I release the mouse button over another topic icon or
text (which is very common in the initial stage of crowded maps and
which was possible in DM2) then the release of the mouse button is
ignored.
Regarding the deletion of associations (previous post): The problem
was not that I could not hit the connector line to select it, but I
did not even try the right-click because I did not expect that
selecting works with the right mouse button.
Frankly, I find the new right-clicks menus not optimal. For one of the
core actions, drawing a connection, I don't expect a sequence of right-
click > Relate > draw line > end line, but some much simpler control.
OK, I was annoyed at the beginning of DM2 when I did not know about
drawing lines with the middle mouse button, that I had to use some key
(because working with mouse or with keys depends much on my mood and
on the time of day and whether I sit straight in my chair or lean back
in the evening when I'm tired). I think a choice of CTRL + left drag
OR right drag would be ideal for connections.
While I am at it, dragging other parts of the canvas: I had been used
to the DM2 functionality of moving entire subnetworks by dragging a
connector line, which is now no longer possible, but it was not ideal,
anyway, because often I had to disconnect two subnetworks and then
reconnect them just to move one of them. Normally, users are
accustomed to, and expect, rubberband selecting of multiple objects.
They expect to do it with the left button, as every selecting. In
Deepamehta, left dragging on empty spots of the canvas has always
worked like the panning hand tool in Acrobat reader (although the
mouse pointer never adopted the expected shape of a grabbing hand
without pointing finger). I think this operation is less common, and I
would plead for moving this function to the right mouse, in favor for
a very normal, rectangular rubber band selection of multiple objects
to move. (The lasso solution occasionally seen is less common and
works not intuitivelely, and the added possibilities do not justify
this if it is not an arts application.)
> You're using Firefox on Windows, right?
have the privileges for opening port 8080 (which was not a problem
with the java solution of DM2).
x28
functionality is working. Take it as a compliment that the program is
now worth being intensively deployed!
Matthias
Jörg Richter
On Aug 13, 2010, at 11:29, x28 wrote:
>> when you cross the canvas border while the mouse button is still pressed.
>
> No, it has nothing to do with crossing any borders, it happens
> completely within the canvas. But meanwhile I think I can reproduce
> it: Whenever I release the mouse button over another topic icon or
> text (which is very common in the initial stage of crowded maps and
> which was possible in DM2) then the release of the mouse button is
> ignored.
Yes, I can reproduce this.
I filed a bug:
http://github.com/jri/deepamehta3/issues#issue/10
> Regarding the deletion of associations (previous post): The problem
> was not that I could not hit the connector line to select it, but I
> did not even try the right-click because I did not expect that
> selecting works with the right mouse button.
Well, deleting associations is the same as is DM2: Invoke the context menu (with omnipresent right-click) and choose "Delete".
What gesture would you suggest for deleting an association?
> Frankly, I find the new right-clicks menus not optimal. For one of the
> core actions, drawing a connection, I don't expect a sequence of right-
> click > Relate > draw line > end line, but some much simpler control.
> OK, I was annoyed at the beginning of DM2 when I did not know about
> drawing lines with the middle mouse button, that I had to use some key
> (because working with mouse or with keys depends much on my mood and
> on the time of day and whether I sit straight in my chair or lean back
> in the evening when I'm tired). I think a choice of CTRL + left drag
> OR right drag would be ideal for connections.
The reasons for making "Start an association" a menu command in DM3 instead of involving special keys (like DM2) are:
1) Various situations with normal people (no computer aficionados) showed they have problems to remember an arbitrary special key. It not felt plausible to them.
2) A memu command is *visible*, thus abolishing the need for remembering it.
I feel it is generally a hard task to pack a plenty of commands in a keyboard-mouse-combination input device. There are some established "standards" (e.g. invoking a context menu by right-click) but even these are not plausible for normal people. I often hear "Do I have to click left or click right?" ... and I fear a little bit about "Do I have to press Shift, Alt, Ctrl, Strg, Command, Meta, Windows, Propeller, Bath Tub".
What keyboard/mouse gestures do other (drawing) software use?
What would a touch interface or a game-like interface would look like?
> While I am at it, dragging other parts of the canvas: I had been used
> to the DM2 functionality of moving entire subnetworks by dragging a
> connector line, which is now no longer possible, but it was not ideal,
> anyway, because often I had to disconnect two subnetworks and then
> reconnect them just to move one of them. Normally, users are
> accustomed to, and expect, rubberband selecting of multiple objects.
> They expect to do it with the left button, as every selecting. In
> Deepamehta, left dragging on empty spots of the canvas has always
> worked like the panning hand tool in Acrobat reader (although the
> mouse pointer never adopted the expected shape of a grabbing hand
> without pointing finger). I think this operation is less common, and I
> would plead for moving this function to the right mouse, in favor for
> a very normal, rectangular rubber band selection of multiple objects
> to move. (The lasso solution occasionally seen is less common and
> works not intuitivelely, and the added possibilities do not justify
> this if it is not an arts application.)
I filed a feature request:
http://github.com/jri/deepamehta3/issues#issue/11
Actual gesture remain to be discussed.
Discussion should take place directly in the github issue tracker.
>> You're using Firefox on Windows, right?
> Yes, unfortunately I cannot test other systems because there I don't
> have the privileges for opening port 8080 (which was not a problem
> with the java solution of DM2).
You can test DM with any browser that is installable on your machine.
This is not related to the port in use.
In fact, the port is openend by the DM server (when you start it via Felix), not by the browser.
Thanks for your feedback!
Cheers
Jörg
Jörg Richter
No problem! Your feedback is welcome.
Let me use the situation to talk about DM3 roadmap and priorities.
Until September 12 the priority is the prototypical realization of the folder canvas use case. The goal is to provide you with what you need for a splendid presentation at MUC/PKM. Until that date we're free to decide about priorities. Lets resume the discussion about MUC/PKM presentation soon.
At September 12 we will have a DM3 0.4.1 release with files/folders-handling capabilities.
After that, development of DM3 0.5 starts. The main focus of that release will be access control, as basis for public server installations. The target use case is the development of the Freifunk community portal. DM3 0.5 is planned to be released towards the end 2010.
Before 0.5 minor versions (0.4.2, ...) with generic GUI improvements might be released.
Cheers,
Jörg
x28
> Invoke the context menu (with omnipresent right-click)
> and choose "Delete".
possibility to first right-click SELECT the association that confused
me.
Speaking of omnipresence: topics are not deleted by a right-click
sequence but by selecting and then pressing a button, which is
ok IMHO.
> What gesture would you suggest for deleting an association?
> making "Start an association" a menu command
mind: Mindmaps like mind manager or freemind, Concept maps like IHMC
Cmap, Powerpoint, and OneNote. Mindmapping always has a bias for the
hierarchical/ radial variety of connectors, therefore the true network
cross-connectors are to be initiated by less comfortable/ memorable
controls, like Shift + CTRL + Drag in Freemind (boo!). In Powerpoint
and OneNote, you have to select a line from an objects palette/
gallery.
In IHMC Cmap tools, you select a concept icon, and then a "handle"
appears on top of it that you can left-drag to connect. (However,
since Cmap has a bias for annotated connectors, the normal uncaptioned
connector is the undocumented Shift + Drag).
Of course there is a tradeoff between guessable/ memorable, and
quickly/ frequently usable. The ADDITIONAL option via right-click is
IMHO ok, but for quick usage, right or middle button drag is
necessary. (And for frequent use, where right-clicks cause more wrist
strain, something like CTRL + left drag would be acceptable, because
for heavy use I would be willing to sit upright and use both of my
hands.)
> What would a touch interface or a game-like interface would look like?
answer. Perhaps I would not at all want to tell the system where the
path between the two object runs by drawing any line, but just touch
both ends simultaneously? (Particularly for long-jump associations!).
Press one end with one hand and drag to the other with the other hand?
But above, I grumbled about two-handed requirements. So, perhaps two-
finger drag? But if the map is crowded, will two of my thick fingers
fit on a tiny icon?
> Discussion should take place directly in the github issue tracker.
> You can test DM with any browser that is installable on your machine.
> This is not related to the port in use.
> In fact, the port is openend by the DM server (when you start it via Felix), not by the browser.
server, from elsewhere, in an exceptional case. But normally I think
single place, single map, single data file!