Zaralith
Cyprezz
I have several ideas for project updates that were posted on other ideas posts and seem to have been lost so I am aggregating them here. Some of these ideas are other peoples, or modifications of other people's ideas, though I am fuzzy on the specific users. Anyway, here are the ideas.
-=Construction Log=-
It would be nice if we could just add entries to a construction log while we are building instead of needing to modify the main description of a project. We would add entries to the construction log similar to how we create new image entries in the gallery. These entries would be locked from editing after a short period of time since the idea is to have them be incremental steps in the process of constructing a project, though the period that it is unlocked is to allow editing for spelling and stuff. Helpers would be attached to the individual logs instead of the project and the help for the overall project would be generated automatically from the list of helpers in each log combined. Helpers would be delimited via commas, similar to the tags for searching. The locking of logs might not be necessary. Another idea is to have a new log ready whenever someone goes to update their project and have the entry made if something is entered into the field, otherwise consider the update to be minor or something and don't add a blank entry.
-=Main Project Image Enhancements=-
This would just move the location of the main image for a project to the video/images tab of editing a project so that the primary image can be changed more easily. I have noticed at least one project where the current gallery scheme was confusing and their main image was the same as the first image that they uploaded so that the final screenshot gallery had the same image twice. I think that this can be avoided by simply having the main image be automatically selected as the first image in the gallery. This first image would have a different-colored header row above it that stated that it was the primary image for the project. Another thing that some people might want is to have the thumbnail from their Youtube video be the main image for a project. I am not sure if that would be possible, but if it was, that would easily be selectable with a checkbox next to the Youtube embed code that just says "Use the thumbnail from this video as project image" and it would ignore the first image in the gallery for it if it was checked.
-=Clarifications=-
The Special Blocks section at the bottom of the project tab when editing a project or creating one is very vague. The entries should be changed to reflect what they mean. One thing that seems slightly redundant is to have the redstone and interactive flags. I think that they should be combined so that you have redstone and if that is on, offer the option of interactive, in case the redstone is used in an automated way. This way, you have a redstone torch that is off as the project flag underneath the completion bar on the project card (this is the stats and stuff that are shown on the homepage and project pages) for anything that uses redstone in an automated capacity and a redstone torch that is on for those who use it in a way that requires interaction (combo locks, etc). Interactive would not include things such as switches to open iron doors, but it would include switches for things like changing a minecart direction. The minecart and boat flags need to be better clarified as well, since they are not very clear. Projects that have a part that is specifically designed to be used with minecarts (ie, railways, rollercoasters, etc.) should have the flag, while projects that just happen to have a minecart track to get there should not. Similarly, projects that have a primary portion dedicated to boats, such as a water slide would get the boat flag, while ones that are built for, but do not need, the boats (such as a dock) would not have the flag. This section should also be renamed from special blocks to something else because none of the flags actually talk about blocks, they talk about items or uses, so maybe Special Items Used instead of special blocks.
-=Sharing=-
The new share tab would probably be better served if it were just moved to the bottom of the project tab, underneath the special flags section that was discussed above.
Anyway, those are the ideas that I have so far. If I think of anything else, I will be sure to post it and thanks for the awesome site to host my construction details.
- Construction Log
- Main project image enhancements
- Clarifications
- Sharing
-=Construction Log=-
It would be nice if we could just add entries to a construction log while we are building instead of needing to modify the main description of a project. We would add entries to the construction log similar to how we create new image entries in the gallery. These entries would be locked from editing after a short period of time since the idea is to have them be incremental steps in the process of constructing a project, though the period that it is unlocked is to allow editing for spelling and stuff. Helpers would be attached to the individual logs instead of the project and the help for the overall project would be generated automatically from the list of helpers in each log combined. Helpers would be delimited via commas, similar to the tags for searching. The locking of logs might not be necessary. Another idea is to have a new log ready whenever someone goes to update their project and have the entry made if something is entered into the field, otherwise consider the update to be minor or something and don't add a blank entry.
-=Main Project Image Enhancements=-
This would just move the location of the main image for a project to the video/images tab of editing a project so that the primary image can be changed more easily. I have noticed at least one project where the current gallery scheme was confusing and their main image was the same as the first image that they uploaded so that the final screenshot gallery had the same image twice. I think that this can be avoided by simply having the main image be automatically selected as the first image in the gallery. This first image would have a different-colored header row above it that stated that it was the primary image for the project. Another thing that some people might want is to have the thumbnail from their Youtube video be the main image for a project. I am not sure if that would be possible, but if it was, that would easily be selectable with a checkbox next to the Youtube embed code that just says "Use the thumbnail from this video as project image" and it would ignore the first image in the gallery for it if it was checked.
-=Clarifications=-
The Special Blocks section at the bottom of the project tab when editing a project or creating one is very vague. The entries should be changed to reflect what they mean. One thing that seems slightly redundant is to have the redstone and interactive flags. I think that they should be combined so that you have redstone and if that is on, offer the option of interactive, in case the redstone is used in an automated way. This way, you have a redstone torch that is off as the project flag underneath the completion bar on the project card (this is the stats and stuff that are shown on the homepage and project pages) for anything that uses redstone in an automated capacity and a redstone torch that is on for those who use it in a way that requires interaction (combo locks, etc). Interactive would not include things such as switches to open iron doors, but it would include switches for things like changing a minecart direction. The minecart and boat flags need to be better clarified as well, since they are not very clear. Projects that have a part that is specifically designed to be used with minecarts (ie, railways, rollercoasters, etc.) should have the flag, while projects that just happen to have a minecart track to get there should not. Similarly, projects that have a primary portion dedicated to boats, such as a water slide would get the boat flag, while ones that are built for, but do not need, the boats (such as a dock) would not have the flag. This section should also be renamed from special blocks to something else because none of the flags actually talk about blocks, they talk about items or uses, so maybe Special Items Used instead of special blocks.
-=Sharing=-
The new share tab would probably be better served if it were just moved to the bottom of the project tab, underneath the special flags section that was discussed above.
Anyway, those are the ideas that I have so far. If I think of anything else, I will be sure to post it and thanks for the awesome site to host my construction details.
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@Zaralith, Your logic makes sense but I think we'll just have 1 field for hours per log for simplicity sake.
@CaptainX24, I like that idea but think for those that do have an estimate they can easily list it in the special notes box. I usually only see estimates for pyramids.
@CaptainX24, I like that idea but think for those that do have an estimate they can easily list it in the special notes box. I usually only see estimates for pyramids.
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If you're going to add an hours box, why not also an estimated blocks used box?
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That is an awesome thing that i had not thought about in terms of hours worked per log. I think that there should be a separate field for project owner hours and helper hours because I know that I work before and after my helpers leave, meaning that if it multiplies the hours by number of people working to get total man-hours then it would be wrong, but if it is just going to count regular hours spent building the project then this would not be needed. My guess is that it would just count total hours worked, not man-hours.
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I see, very cool. Will do along with the intelligent collaborator lists, autocomplete and hotlink if they are PMC members. Thanks for clearing that up. I think I'll also add an optional field for estimated # hours / minutes associated to each update log. Like pooling all collaborators on a project, site would automatically tally total hours.
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What I meant by helpers was collaborators. Like, my brother and his roommate are helping me build my Mines of Moria project, so they are listed in the section of the project that says Additional Credit at the bottom of the editing are. I think that the collaborators should be tied to the logs/journals when they get released so that in a project like mine I would be able to indicate when people were helping me construct the project and when I was working solo. The "project collaborators" would be a list automatically generated by scanning the collaborators from each entry in the log/journal for that project and combining all of the names into one list, removing later duplicates to show the names in order from oldest entry to most recent. This would let me indicate things like the fact that my brother was able to log on today and assist me in clearing out some more area or to say that today I worked alone, etc. It would also let me add new people and be easier for people with large collaborations to better manage the number of people they have instead of needing to check a large list of names to make sure they have everyone. You could even link it to any Planet Minecraft users that have indicated that one of those names is their Minecraft name, thereby giving people that are not the primary project overlord credit and cool points for being associated with something like the Mines of Moria and let others know that they might be people to go to if you need help with your project. I think there might even be an auto-complete attached to the collaborator slot of a log that is set with people who have previously helped with either that project or some of your projects (i think the single project would be good for projects that do not list a public server and across a players profile if a public server is listed, meaning that my Mines collaborators would show up in my auto-complete for "day 47" in my most recent log entry for that, but not my other projects, whereas, if I had say, 4 other projects that were all on the same public server, those collaborators would show up on the autocomplete for all of those projects, not just ones that they had worked on in the past. This would help keep problems like listing a project's collaborators as "MagicBULLET, knightshade13, magicbullet, knightshade, magicbulet, etc. and would instead only show up as the first two (hopefully). I hope that cleared it up, though if it did not, let me know and I will try again to explain.
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I've integrated several of your ideas into the upcoming update including image gallery/featured image, sharing, clarifications and simplified categories.
I agree, the special blocks/items are confusing. I'm removing them since they will be covered by the simplified categories. All Redstone & most interactive projects will fall under "Redstone Devices". Projects centered around boats, under "Water Structures". Rollercoasters & minecart centered projects under "Minecart". There may be other distinct attributes of a project that we can use the flags / icon indicators for.
The set of new categories:
* Land Structure
* Sky Structure
* Underground Structure
* Water Structure
* Nether Structure
* Complex <- I'm not sure about this term but we need a category to cover projects that are not defined in a single structure. ie. Cities, Amusement Parks, Recreations of Gaming Overworlds, etc.
* Environment / Landscaping <- I'd like to make this one term. You suggested Nature in your original set.
* Minecart
* 3D Art
* Pixel Art
* Redstone Device ( may just name it "Redstone")
* Other
I wrote a script that will convert all of our current selected categories into the new set.
Image gallery / featured image has been recoded to work like you described. I'll look into the Youtube thumbnail.
Sharing options moved under main tab.
Update Logs / Miner Journals are coming but not next update. They will be separate from the main description. I 100% agree not all updates should trigger bumping it to the front page. A bump will require a project log entry. That way it's a conscious decision and others can read what was updated as well as scan through all past updates. Can you explain helpers again, I'm not sure what they are by your description.
I agree, the special blocks/items are confusing. I'm removing them since they will be covered by the simplified categories. All Redstone & most interactive projects will fall under "Redstone Devices". Projects centered around boats, under "Water Structures". Rollercoasters & minecart centered projects under "Minecart". There may be other distinct attributes of a project that we can use the flags / icon indicators for.
The set of new categories:
* Land Structure
* Sky Structure
* Underground Structure
* Water Structure
* Nether Structure
* Complex <- I'm not sure about this term but we need a category to cover projects that are not defined in a single structure. ie. Cities, Amusement Parks, Recreations of Gaming Overworlds, etc.
* Environment / Landscaping <- I'd like to make this one term. You suggested Nature in your original set.
* Minecart
* 3D Art
* Pixel Art
* Redstone Device ( may just name it "Redstone")
* Other
I wrote a script that will convert all of our current selected categories into the new set.
Image gallery / featured image has been recoded to work like you described. I'll look into the Youtube thumbnail.
Sharing options moved under main tab.
Update Logs / Miner Journals are coming but not next update. They will be separate from the main description. I 100% agree not all updates should trigger bumping it to the front page. A bump will require a project log entry. That way it's a conscious decision and others can read what was updated as well as scan through all past updates. Can you explain helpers again, I'm not sure what they are by your description.
