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FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic format
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:31 pm
by nikgaukroger
Posting this at the request of Iain - a topic to collect suggestions from users and potential users of what features they would like to see in the electronic versions of FoG:AM v2.
If you have ideas and suggestions please post, and discuss them here so that Slitherine can see and evaluate them. This includes "I agree with X" posts as this helps Slitherine quantify demand.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:34 pm
by nikgaukroger
I have the iPad version and the one feature I have glaringly found to be missing is a Bookmark facility to allow users to quickly jump to the bits of the rules they most frequently use. The contents pages just don't quite cut it for this in what is, after all, an electronic reference book.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:46 pm
by kevinj
I'd like the chapters to be numbered in the contents to make finding rerefences much easier.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:22 pm
by shadowdragon
An ability to add "notes"; it would be nice to add clarifications, etc. that come from the forum / FAQ, etc.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 11:36 am
by ValentinianVictor
Is it possible to include a link on a page which you can click and it bring up a pop-up of a example diagram or even an animation illustrating a point?
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:34 pm
by batesmotel
Other nice to haves would be:
1) Search function.
2) Fuller index like the one for V1 and posted on the FieldOfGlory.com site.
3) Change bars or some other indication from the previous edition(s) of the rules.
I'll definitely second the requests for adding bookmarks and notes.
Chris
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 3:12 pm
by nikgaukroger
ValentinianVictor wrote:Is it possible to include a link on a page which you can click and it bring up a pop-up of a example diagram or even an animation illustrating a point?
Adrian, I take it you have no experience of the existing product? Diagrams are embedded into the rules as they were with v1 and (on the iPad version at least) have the ability to be enlarged for better viewing.
Some, where more than 1 diagram is used to illustrate a point, could be animations, however, I am not sure it would really add much although it could be a cool feature.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:33 pm
by ValentinianVictor
nikgaukroger wrote:ValentinianVictor wrote:Is it possible to include a link on a page which you can click and it bring up a pop-up of a example diagram or even an animation illustrating a point?
Adrian, I take it you have no experience of the existing product? Diagrams are embedded into the rules as they were with v1 and (on the iPad version at least) have the ability to be enlarged for better viewing.
Some, where more than 1 diagram is used to illustrate a point, could be animations, however, I am not sure it would really add much although it could be a cool feature.
I admit I've not downloaded a copy of the rules for my Laptop as of yet (mainly because I want all the bugs sorted out first and also I prefer paper to digital), however, I thought it may be better if you have a rule and then say a high-lighted word such as 'example' where you just click and it brings up the diagram or animation. I've got a wonderful Encyclopaedia that when you click on high-lighted words in the text it brings up pop-up maps, diagrams and even short-film clips. Probably a bit much to ask for a wargames ruleset though!!!
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2012 1:15 am
by NickW
Simple - I'd like it to work!!

Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2012 10:04 am
by magister
Thank you for upgrade...now on ipad2 run well!!
Rgds
Francesco
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:20 am
by NickW
Now mine seems to be working (fingers crossed it continues to do so), I'd like to see:
- search function
- bookmarks
- note taking (can often be incorporated into bookmarks - see Bluefire Reader or iAnnotate apps for example)
- a back/return button
- hyperlinks from reference section into relevant part of rules
- hyperlinks within the main body of the rules, where you would logically be looking for information across different sections (which the rules often require).
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:33 am
by nikgaukroger
NickW wrote:
- a back/return button
- hyperlinks from reference section into relevant part of rules
- hyperlinks within the main body of the rules, where you would logically be looking for information across different sections (which the rules often require).
I like this as a package of ideas - logically you'd do this lot as a whole
In fact I think I'd actually rate this above bookmarks on a wish list.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 3:02 pm
by sgt.steinerbtinternet.com
"In fact I think I'd actually rate this above bookmarks on a wish list."
Yes those are great ideas.
The iPad rules have improved with last update as they were very clunky/slow/buggy before.
A printable QRS for purchasers my only suggestion at this stage
Cheers
Gary
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 5:23 pm
by nikgaukroger
SgtRolfSteiner wrote:
A printable QRS for purchasers my only suggestion at this stage
Not really something for the electronic product though
FWIW I've been asking about this and will feed back when I hear something

Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 4:29 pm
by IanB3406
A search function is pretty basic. Compare this to any PDF rules I have purchased and I believe it is less functional.
A built in ARMY builder that can send files to a PDF. Blitzkrieg commander has this and it's great. Possibly tied to the army books.
So far the app is functioning better.
The qrs pages can be made easily with iPad print screen, so I don't see this as a big problem.
Ian
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:47 pm
by madaxeman
In a thread that the moderator had just deleted elsewhere it has been suggested that a search function will be impossible to implement in the current incarnation of the Abannan reader, as it handles the pages as "images" rather than "text + formatting".
Can someone confirm if this is true, as if so it will rather seriously affect what sort of improvements can realistically be implemented
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:27 am
by pyruse
There's no reason search can't work even if the pages are held as images.
An index entry holds the pages and an X,Y offset to where the word is.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:16 pm
by IainMcNeil
You'd have to have every word indexed to do that, which would be a massive amount of data and that unfortunately wouldn't run at all.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:53 pm
by AlanCutner
So thats a 'no' to a search function? Looks like I'll stick to paper version.
Re: FoG:AM v2 - improvement suggestions for electronic forma
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:13 pm
by spike
AlanCutner wrote:So thats a 'no' to a search function? Looks like I'll stick to paper version.
Alan,
After what I'm reading on the v.2 threads, I can't agree more with you. This whole exercise seems like a dead end, so roll on the paper version that works, is easy to use and requires no power to make it operate!
Spike