ProtocaseDesigner.com

For those of you trying the beta, please leave comments about how you like/ dislike the program in this thread, as well as things you feel are missing or un-necessary.

Brief instructions on getting started:

1. Open the program
2. select new
3. select template
4. set template parameters
5. select a face to edit
   • on the left is the toolbar for drawing shapes
   • on the right is the context sensitive toolbar that shows up when you highlight an object
   • on the top is the normal toolbar with view, grid, undo, and accept/ reject changes
   • Text can only be silkscreen, so silkscreen will automatically be selected when you click it
   • sometimes, it seems that a bug prevents the switching from cutout to silkscreen of an object. If that occurs, select move mode, highlight the object, and set the type to exclusion, then to the type you want
   • Cutout library can be accessed from a place menu and also by clicking the library tool on the left

There is now a tool that allows you to select whether the default is to draw cutouts, silkscreens, exclusion zones, or construction lines. It is on the toolbar on the left.

Suggestions

• Placement of buttons not standard (generally "New", "Open", etc)
• Blank white space on splash screen?
• General menu suggestion-add "..." to any menu option that opens dialog box
  File Menu
• "New" generally first
• Change "Load" to "Open"?
  Edit Menu
• Change "Select a face" to "Select Face"
  View Menu
• Change "View Parts" to "Show/Hide Parts"
  Estimate Menu
• Change to "Purchase" Menu
• Change "Have my purchasing department place order" to "Generate Purchase Order"
  Help Menu
• Change "Ask For Help" to "Online Help Forum"
• Change "View Help" to "Online Help"\\
  (above suggestions to clarify that user will be taken to a webpage outside program)
• Flat view-inside of white parts is grey and blends into background
• Label Cutout, Silkscreen, Exclusion, construction selection tools (no idea just from colours)
  Face Editor
• Add visual cue to show which tool is selected
• Change cursor to indicate drawing tool versus selection tool chosen
• Tool names should be positioned better to clearly indicate which tool they refer to (text is exactly inbetween two buttons now)
• Font Style-Change "Plain" to "Regular" which is common terminology
• Move "Regular" to top of dropdown list
• text editing field too small
• Unable to place hardware at different angle (such as handle horizontally)?
• Need origin to indicate where to draw linear array object

Hi There,

This beta is a real good improvement over the previus versions of protocase designer.
I just wanted to point a bug I found yesterday.

After Placing a text box, if you go back select it and try to edit the contents the program
acts like it is responding to short cut while type new content into the test box.
Example: If you select the text box and start typing and you type the letter "P", the
program will switch to what appears to be Pan mode.
This is also ture for other letters that may have shortcut meaning.

BETA is looking great!

Here are a couple other suggestions.

• Show "Grid" and "Snap" buttons depressed when clicked or add checkbox in face editor
• change text to show units to right of input boxes in "New Assembly from Template" dialog box

Keep up the great work!

Ok, I see that problem pboydaati, thanks!

Another usability suggestion I have had is to have a slider for the lighting level - this may make it easier to deal with all black cases.