Calibre Companion 3 beta for Android released

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by chaley

The new dark is darker than I like, but that is why the other two exist.

My 0.02p's worth - I like the new darker dark. If you keep going you'll eventually reach that plain black I mentioned...

[chaley]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

My 0.02p's worth - I like the new darker dark. If you keep going you'll eventually reach that plain black I mentioned...

Don't want no stinkin plain black. I demand texture! Grain! Depth effects! Eye candy forever!

Actually, I have considered adding plain flat colored backgrounds. Of course, that would immediately lead to requiring a color chooser, and that is Steven's baliwick. He is deep underwater at the moment, so I don't know how he would feel about it.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by chaley

That line has seen a lot of controversy in house over the last weeks.

The main problem we face with the drawer is discovery. How does someone know that there is something there that can be opened?

I checked out some Google apps. When using the Gmail app they have no noticeable line but do have the three horizontal bars in the top left similar to what you have. The You Tube app I thought had a line previously but it is no longer there instead there is a left carat < in the top left to indicate more if you press here. I then brought up Feedly which I use for my RSS feeds and there is no noticeable line, just a three bar icon at the top left. I don't think this is the issue you think it is. Having no line to disturb the design seems to be the new norm.

You could always compromise and have a check box to remove the line.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I checked out some Google apps. When using the Gmail app they have no noticeable line but do have the three horizontal bars in the top left similar to what you have. The You Tube app I thought had a line previously but it is no longer there instead there is a left carat < in the top left to indicate more if you press here. I then brought up Feedly which I use for my RSS feeds and there is no noticeable line, just a three bar icon at the top left. I don't think this is the issue you think it is. Having no line to disturb the design seems to be the new norm.

You could always compromise and have a check box to remove the line.

You are probably correct. I will talk to Annie about it.

<start chatty mode>
Funny you should mention gmail. It took me quite some time to figure out that the drawer could be pulled open. In fact I found it only by accident when once my finger accidentally moved across the edge of my Galaxy Nexus and the drawer partially appeared.

One thing we have learned is that many CC users treat their devices as readers, not general purpose tablets/phones. They have very few apps and don't "grok" the paradigms. One person I know complains about all the icons across the top. She doesn't know why they arrive, what they mean, or how to make them go away. She doesn't like to swipe or drag but instead wants to tap, but won't tap on something until she knows what the tap will do. She is interested in learning new things but only in areas that she enjoys, which doesn't include things like tablets. I can sympathize with her -- I also suffer from cognitive overload caused by things changing all the time for no apparent reason (facebook is a good example).

We must deal with the tension between "pretty" and "usable" across a very wide spectrum of users, backgrounds, and opinions. I am glad that Steven and Annie are in charge of that. I would make a total hash of it.

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by chaley

Actually, I have considered adding plain flat colored backgrounds.

I hope you keep the bookshelves! I know I said in an earlier post that either would work, but I'm growing increasingly fond of the bookshelf design -- the grain, shadowing in the shelves, visual separation between rows, etc -- the longer I use the beta version. Your designer did a great job with that. So I hope it stays, at least as an option.

Here are some thoughts; just thinking out loud (not requests):

I think it's great you are willing to give users options for shelf colors. How about a white wash wood version ... and a cherry wood version as ducks suggested? Together with the darker gray and your original wood version, that should cover just about everyone's tastes.

If you ever do go to a plain background, would you ever consider giving users the choice to use their own custom wallpaper as the background?

These options might serve as additional selling points for CC. Showing a variety of color/design options on the product's page on Google Play might draw in more buyers.

You probably don't want to go too crazy and, of course, if all these options just add to the instability of the app, it wouldn't be worth it. But I have always been a big fan of GUI options in apps and will purchase the one that gives more choices (all other factors being roughly equal, of course).

--Pat

[chaley]

Originally Posted by PatNY

I hope you keep the bookshelves! I know I said in an earlier post that either would work, but I'm growing increasingly fond of the bookshelf design -- the grain, shadowing in the shelves, visual separation between rows, etc -- the longer I use the beta version. Your designer did a great job with that. So I hope it stays, at least as an option.

Oh yes, that will stay an option.

Here are some thoughts; just thinking out loud (not requests):

I think it's great you are willing to give users options for shelf colors. How about a white wash wood version ... and a cherry wood version as ducks suggested? Together with the darker gray and your original wood version, that should cover just about everyone's tastes.

When I thought of making variations, my list was pine, oak, cherry, and dark walnut.

I will pass this to Annie. She gets to decide what and when.

If you ever do go to a plain background, would you ever consider giving users the choice to use their own custom wallpaper as the background?

Up to Steven & Annie.

There might be interesting side effects. There are 4 images that make up the bookshelves, a left shelf section (with left edge), the center sections (no edges), a right section (with right edge), and the wood "background" for when there aren't enough shelves to fill the screen. These are tiled together to make the shelf unit you see.

Using flat images for all three won't cause any tiling effects because there isn't any texture at the image edges. However, tiling together user images would probably create tiling edge artifacts, especially if the images are discrete "things" and not textures/papers. Don't know if that would be a deal killer, but I suspect it would.

[Steve_Haley]

Well this has been a fascinating discussion so far! I think the three of us building CC are going to have quite a few changes to make before we send out the next beta version.

Our constant battle is adding enough features to improve the experience for 'advanced' users, but without so many options that it confuses new users. I don't know if we always get the balance right, but that's what we're striving towards.

[jersysman]

Get those "new" users to come here, so that we could "educate" them!

[DoctorOhh]

I may be wrong but I don't believe all devices have a back button. With this in mind when I am in the book details page it would be nice if hitting the Book Details icon in the top left performed this function as an alternative way to move from the book details page back to the book list or grid. [The same suggestion for the Calibre Companion top left icon when in the settings screen]

I noticed when in either the list or grid view that if I click the button to switch between views that I end up at the beginning of the book list. If these two views could be somehow synced so when you switch between the views you don't change your place that would provide for a smoother experience.

Also the little gold line across the bottom of the menu bar, why? Currently it really isn't noticeable but when you implement a grey color scheme it will stand out.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I may be wrong but I don't believe all devices have a back button. With this in mind when I am in the book details page it would be nice if hitting the Book Details icon in the top left performed this function as an alternative way to move from the book details page back to the book list or grid. [The same suggestion for the Calibre Companion top left icon when in the settings screen]

95% of our customers are running ICS or better, and I think that all android versions at that level or higher have a soft or hard back button. But even so, it isn't right to show the drawer icon when no drawer can be opened, so changing it to the CC icon is the right thing to do. And since it does something in the main display, it might as well do something everywhere else.

I noticed when in either the list or grid view that if I click the button to switch between views that I end up at the beginning of the book list. If these two views could be somehow synced so when you switch between the views you don't change your place that would provide for a smoother experience.

For various reasons this is hard to do. I will keep looking for solutions to the problems, but don't hold your breath.

Also the little gold line across the bottom of the menu bar, why? Currently it really isn't noticeable but when you implement a grey color scheme it will stand out.

Steven and Annie both want what they call the "decorative line" to be there, and actually went to a lot of trouble to make it work as buttons come and go and as drawers open and shut. It is possible that its color will change with the shelves, but that is up to them.

BTW: the line on the side is gone.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by chaley

95% of our customers are running ICS or better, and I think that all android versions at that level or higher have a soft or hard back button.

I was thinking about the poor Nook HD users who recently got Google Play, the software back button doesn't seem universal in the Nook tablet world.

Originally Posted by chaley

But even so, it isn't right to show the drawer icon when no drawer can be opened, so changing it to the CC icon is the right thing to do. And since it does something in the main display, it might as well do something everywhere else.

Sounds great.

Originally Posted by chaley

For various reasons this is hard to do. I will keep looking for solutions to the problems, but don't hold your breath.

I thought this would be difficult to approximate since the two screens have varying quantities of books showing. Functionally it makes no difference to me, just something that aids in presenting an overall finished feel to this great app.

Originally Posted by chaley

Steven and Annie both want what they call the "decorative line" to be there, and actually went to a lot of trouble to make it work as buttons come and go and as drawers open and shut. It is possible that its color will change with the shelves, but that is up to them.

It's a beautiful decorative line. Kudos for getting around all of the difficulties to ensure it stays. Maybe with grey backgrounds the color might change to dark red. I'm sure Steve and Annie will perfect it.

Originally Posted by chaley

BTW: the line on the side is gone.

Never a deal breaker, but I'm glad it's gone.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I noticed when in either the list or grid view that if I click the button to switch between views that I end up at the beginning of the book list. If these two views could be somehow synced so when you switch between the views you don't change your place that would provide for a smoother experience.

Thanks for prodding me on this. I have found a way that I think works well enough.

What I tried before was to position the list so that a book you saw before was visible now, that a book you had "tapped" was privileged, and that a round trip between views didn't change the positions. I failed miserably, primarily for the reasons you mentioned -- the number of books visible is different and the positioning of books changed. The lists kept moving around as you switched back and forth, for no apparent reason.

What I do now is ensure that the book shown in the upper left corner will be on the screen when you switch views, and if possible it will be in the upper left corner. It is guaranteed that the book will be somewhere on the screen. If you switch back, then the same rule applies, the book in the upper-left corner will be displayed there if possible. The rule results in a stable display after at most three switches because it will settle on a "reference" book that displays in that corner in both views.

Thanks again for the prod.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by chaley

Thanks for prodding me on this.

You're welcome count on me for the lite work.

Originally Posted by chaley

What I do now is ensure that the book shown in the upper left corner will be on the screen when you switch views, and if possible it will be in the upper left corner. It is guaranteed that the book will be somewhere on the screen. If you switch back, then the same rule applies, the book in the upper-left corner will be displayed there if possible. The rule results in a stable display after at most three switches because it will settle on a "reference" book that displays in that corner in both views.

Great! Since it varies a little, as expected with windows of varying quantities, a small FAQ item might have to be written to explain that this varying between views is a feature not a bug.

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I was thinking about the poor Nook HD users who recently got Google Play, the software back button doesn't seem universal in the Nook tablet world.

The Nook HD and HD+ come with a software back button. Right out of the box. No hacking/mods needed. But thanks for thinking of us!

I like the idea of keeping the place when switching between the bookshelf and list view. Good idea.

As for the color of the decorative line? Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different answers. My preference for the gray bookshelves is something neutral. Like another shade of gray. Or an off white. But the current yellow would be OK too. As would a purple.

--Pat

[chaley]

Thanks to all of you who have commented!

There have been so many changes that a new beta release seems wise. We should have the release today or tomorrow. I will send this to all of you who have commented on the first beta. No problem if you ignore it.

Changes in the second beta:

1) Shelves. Annie ended up making 4 or them: wood (today's shelf), very light grey, medium grey, and very dark grey (almost black).

2) The four "cover shapes" discussed above (portrait, square, with and without respecting aspect ratio). In the end I used .65 for the aspect ratio. There is a little slop in the calculation, in that if pretending that the screen width is 1/2 book wider lets another cover fit, the cover sizes are squished down a bit to make that happen.

3) The "handle line" down the left edge is gone.

4) All views except the main one have the original CC icon on the action bar, and this icon acts as a "back" button.

5) Cover thumbnails are downloaded at max size, avoiding the pixelation and confusion when changing thumbnail sizes. This is automatic for new and small libraries (< 50 books on the device). If there are more than 50 books on the device we leave the setting alone to avoid possible "connect" surprises. In all cases the setting will be changed when you ask to view "medium" or "large" thumbnails anywhere.

6) We attempt to do something reasonable with view position when switching between grid and list views.

7) A host of small changes related to thumbnail positioning and size.

===

I am still considering adding control of the "show first letters" preference to the grouping drawer.