Dean Roddey
20-02-2005, 07:34 PM
Just a little teaser of what's coming up in the next drop, which isn't very far off now...
We were going to go straight to a 1.4 for the next release, all oriented towards media management. However, the opportunity came up, finally, to get a Z-Wave driver done. So, we decided to do an interrim release that would include that driver, because it will be an important one for us. It will allow us to support a cost effective, wireless lighting control system. We already support the Lutron RadioRA, but it's considerably more expensive and high end.
Unfortunately, it's taken longer than hoped to get the required information to get the Z-Wave driver done, though it's about complete now finally. So, in the meantime, I couldn't do any fundamental surgery for this next release, so I've just done a lot of surface improvements. That might not sound too exciting, but many of those surface improvements are in the area of graphics capabilities in the user interface system, and in the creation of a LOT of really cool new images that can be shipped in the product.
Just to tease you a bit, here is a screen snap (reduced in size and quality for here) of a set of 'reference interfaces' I'm working on now that takes full advantages of all of the new graphics features and images:
http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoPreviewSmall.jpg
Pretty nice, huh? You can create VERY slick looking interfaces now. This particular interface is done completly with images that will be available in the next release. And, as with the examples in the other announcment threads here, it uses an 'overlay' scheme, where the buttons in the button bar on the top allow you to load one of a set of smaller interfaces in the central area of the main interface, leaving the the main controls unchanged around the edges. In this case, an overlay for weather information has been loaded.
Here (http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoPreview.jpg) is a full sized image, though still a JPEG so it's reduced in quality. Here (http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoPreview.png) is a full sized PNG so it's lossless and you can see the full quality. This one is about 300 and something K, so don't go for this one if you have a modem connection probably.
And to show you some of the effects that are being used in this one that won't show up in a static screen cap...
http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoDetails.jpg
You can see various focus and pressed effects. In the original screen cap, you see focus emphasis on the Weather Info button at the top. When it's pressed, you get a different color emphasis. And the same with the two/sided volume button at the buttom. You can see the blue focus glow and the red pressed glow.
And with the buttons on the lower right, a 'halo' style focus and emphasis scheme is being used. When you move focus to it, it has a blue halo behind it, and when pressed, the halo turns red.
So, though no major new feature have been aded, a lot of smaller ones add up to the ability to create a very sexy and realistic looking interface. There will be more and more of these images coming along. I've really gotten into the whole process, which allows my inner artist to come out a bit. And a lot of the other changes were in in the area of improving the tools by providing more hot keys and graphical menus, so you can really blast out interfaces pretty quickly now, and make changes easily.
Anyway, just wanted to give you a peak at what is coming. There's been a perception that CQC, though probably having the most powerful back end, is a little lighter on the graphics side when it comes to creating really sexy looking interfaces. But hopefully this release will put the final nail in the coffin on that perception. With this new graphical abilty, plus the tightly integrated front and back end, so that you don't have to combine systems to get both the sexy front end and things like Z-Wave support, the next release is going to be very interesting.
We were going to go straight to a 1.4 for the next release, all oriented towards media management. However, the opportunity came up, finally, to get a Z-Wave driver done. So, we decided to do an interrim release that would include that driver, because it will be an important one for us. It will allow us to support a cost effective, wireless lighting control system. We already support the Lutron RadioRA, but it's considerably more expensive and high end.
Unfortunately, it's taken longer than hoped to get the required information to get the Z-Wave driver done, though it's about complete now finally. So, in the meantime, I couldn't do any fundamental surgery for this next release, so I've just done a lot of surface improvements. That might not sound too exciting, but many of those surface improvements are in the area of graphics capabilities in the user interface system, and in the creation of a LOT of really cool new images that can be shipped in the product.
Just to tease you a bit, here is a screen snap (reduced in size and quality for here) of a set of 'reference interfaces' I'm working on now that takes full advantages of all of the new graphics features and images:
http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoPreviewSmall.jpg
Pretty nice, huh? You can create VERY slick looking interfaces now. This particular interface is done completly with images that will be available in the next release. And, as with the examples in the other announcment threads here, it uses an 'overlay' scheme, where the buttons in the button bar on the top allow you to load one of a set of smaller interfaces in the central area of the main interface, leaving the the main controls unchanged around the edges. In this case, an overlay for weather information has been loaded.
Here (http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoPreview.jpg) is a full sized image, though still a JPEG so it's reduced in quality. Here (http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoPreview.png) is a full sized PNG so it's lossless and you can see the full quality. This one is about 300 and something K, so don't go for this one if you have a modem connection probably.
And to show you some of the effects that are being used in this one that won't show up in a static screen cap...
http://www.charmedquark.com/www2/Downloads/NewDemoDetails.jpg
You can see various focus and pressed effects. In the original screen cap, you see focus emphasis on the Weather Info button at the top. When it's pressed, you get a different color emphasis. And the same with the two/sided volume button at the buttom. You can see the blue focus glow and the red pressed glow.
And with the buttons on the lower right, a 'halo' style focus and emphasis scheme is being used. When you move focus to it, it has a blue halo behind it, and when pressed, the halo turns red.
So, though no major new feature have been aded, a lot of smaller ones add up to the ability to create a very sexy and realistic looking interface. There will be more and more of these images coming along. I've really gotten into the whole process, which allows my inner artist to come out a bit. And a lot of the other changes were in in the area of improving the tools by providing more hot keys and graphical menus, so you can really blast out interfaces pretty quickly now, and make changes easily.
Anyway, just wanted to give you a peak at what is coming. There's been a perception that CQC, though probably having the most powerful back end, is a little lighter on the graphics side when it comes to creating really sexy looking interfaces. But hopefully this release will put the final nail in the coffin on that perception. With this new graphical abilty, plus the tightly integrated front and back end, so that you don't have to combine systems to get both the sexy front end and things like Z-Wave support, the next release is going to be very interesting.