Foolography Community

Hi All,

Small suggestion here: is it possible to separate each Unleashed so that the current mode in which the Unleashed/camera is operating is actually being met in the UI/UX?
Thus you can select in the main/start screen: show me all Unleasheds set in mode VIDEO (or TIMELAPSE, PHOTO, AUTORAMPING, ALL), and then the main/start screen only shows you ONLY those Unleasheds/camera's.

Let me explain: while one Unleashed (A) is doing a timelapse, another Unleashed (B) is doing a video recording and another Unleashed (C) is doing nothing (idle).
When you switch between modes: Photo, Video, Timelapse, Autoramping, you should get a list of all Unleasheds available for THAT specific mode, because the other Unleasheds are not available for THAT mode, due to already running in a different mode, which is not completed.

In more techinal terms speaking: IF unleashedScreen.isInMode("photo") AND unleashed("A").isRunningInMode("video") THEN unleashedScreen("photo").doNotDisplayUnleashed("A");

I think it is more useful to display the mode in which the Unleashed is currently operating in the overview of ALL the Unleasheds (begin/start screen) but that it is of no use to display THAT specific Unleashed in the other screens as well when it is still running in that other mode (e.g. video mode). Why list a running Unleashed in video mode in the timemapse mode also, it's of no use because you can't do a timelapse and shooting a video at once?

See attached screenshots.

I think you should have one overview screen for all (OVERVIEW) Unleasheds (so you can see what each Unleashed is doing at the moment), and specifc screens per Unleashed MODE (the side menu you pull from left to right). That would make more sense to me.
Then you see, when you start the App: which Unleashed is doing what at the moment?
Unleashed A: running timelapse
Unleashed B: running video
Unleashed C: idle

So the menu you pull from left to right only comes into the picture when you are in a specific Unleashed, and then you can pick in which mode you want that Unleashed to be operating.
Now it is designed this way: pull the menu from left to right in the start screen, select timelapse from the menu item, and ALL Unleasheds are displayed (even the ones occupied by running video recordings) but are disabled from operating them.

I think that Unleasheds already running in a different mode should be excluded from a list that displays a different mode. Only the beginscreen should display all Unleasheds, so that they can be set to a specific mode or be released from a specific mode. Then the UI/UX is more "to the point": when you want to control camera's for photo shooting, you only have those camera's in which you set the Unleasheds in photo mode. And the Unleashed set in other modes are NOT listed in that screen! It's like shifting M&M's: the red by the red, the blue by the blue, the green by the green. Setting an Unleashed in a specific mode also means protection by accidently messing with a current timelapse. If you have set the start/begin screen to only show Unleasheds that are set in video mode, you would see timelapse Unleasheds in that screen.

But as always: just my observations and suggestions.

Greetings,
Unfoolishly

Well, the Unleasheds are never in any "mode" - only the app is, so this won't really work.
However, the the Unleashed/camera might be "currently taking a photo" or "currently recording a video" or "currently shooting a timelapse/autoramp".
In these cases, we already have something along these lines you're suggesting - definitely in our iOS app, I'll check again how much of that we've implemented in our Android app: We block the trigger buttons in the other app screens, so that you don't screw up your video/timelapse/long exposure by trying to trigger the Unleashed with one of the other possibilities. OK - maybe we could show this reason instead of the settings for each individual Unleashed, but that would mean you wouldn't see the settings anymore, which I'm sure will interest others more than the reason why the shutter might be blocked, since that reason is always just one tap away.

I do see one discrepancy in your screenshots that will be adressed in one of our next Android releases: the trigger button in the multiple Unleasheds view of the timelapse screen does not look like the timelapse trigger in the individual Unleasheds view.

As I've said before - there are so few customers using multiple Unleasheds, that these kind of wishes are very unlikely to make it onto our to-do list. Of course we will fix bugs, and make improvements, but feature wishes - especially ones that would collide with our well-thought-out current UI decisions are unlikely.

Your ideas with shifting the available unleasheds to the top/excluding the busy ones directly conflicts for your worry that you can't differentiate between your cameras, since you have all D7100's. In our implementation, they always stay in the same order that you paired them in, so you can differentiate them easily like that (and put big 1, 2, 3 stickers on your cameras if you like).

Hi Oliver,

This is interesting. I will address some of my suggestions deeper...

Oliver wrote: ↑

August 15th, 2020, 11:43 am

Well, the Unleasheds are never in any "mode" - only the app is, so this won't really work.
However, the the Unleashed/camera might be "currently taking a photo" or "currently recording a video" or "currently shooting a timelapse/autoramp".

That is true, but what I mean is: the camera is in a "busy mode". Same as: you are playing the guitar, so you can't ride a bike. I certainly wouldn't recommend you to even try that at the same time. So the "mode" in which the camera is operating could be shown in the main/start screen. I don't think it useful to show all Unleasheds in the "photo" screen, while one of the Unleasheds is currently NOT in "photo"-mode but in "video"-mode.

Oliver wrote: In these cases, we already have something along these lines you're suggesting - definitely in our iOS app, I'll check again how much of that we've implemented in our Android app: We block the trigger buttons in the other app screens, so that you don't screw up your video/timelapse/long exposure by trying to trigger the Unleashed with one of the other possibilities.

I noticed this when running a video, the button is blocked. That is okay. But it just hit me spontaneously: why even show this Unleashed in the "photo" menu/mode, it's of no use to show blocked Unleasheds. Therefore I was thinking in terms of an "All"-main/start screen and several distinctive screens: photo, video, timelapse, autoramping.

Oliver wrote: OK - maybe we could show this reason instead of the settings for each individual Unleashed, but that would mean you wouldn't see the settings anymore, which I'm sure will interest others more than the reason why the shutter might be blocked, since that reason is always just one tap away.

I am not quite following you on this one? You can still have an "All"-screen which is the starting point/screen of the Unleashed App, so you get the overview. But when you are interested in the "PHOTO" menu, you should only see the Unleasheds that are set to PHOTO mode and do nothing at the moment (IDLE, not running any of these other modes: VIDEO, TIMELAPSE, AUTORAMPING). I am refering to the App, not the Unleashed hardware!

The advantage is that you can program menu specific settings for each menu: PHOTO, VIDEO, TIMELAPSE, AUTORAMPING (and IDLE = Unleasheds not set into any mode, thus are 'free to use' for a particular purpose = can be set in any of those modes). Example: when you set 5 Unleasheds in PHOTO mode, and 1 Unleashed in VIDEO mode, you can do an "Apply to all Unleasheds which are in PHOTO mode" and the 1 Unleashed set in VIDEO mode won't be affected by this applying of a setting. Sort of filtering out settings bases on the "mode" a camera/Unleashed is currently in.

Oliver wrote: I do see one discrepancy in your screenshots that will be adressed in one of our next Android releases: the trigger button in the multiple Unleasheds view of the timelapse screen does not look like the timelapse trigger in the individual Unleasheds view.

That is true. But it would be much easier for users to see in which "mode" an Unleashed is set or is running by showing an specific ICON on the LEFT side of each Unleashed-entry in the main/start-screen. Then you can use a UI/UX dropbox list in the TOP area of the screen to select the VIEW of each mode you can pick from and thus make the Unleashed appear/disappear in the list of running or idle Unleasheds. Nowadays all Unleashed are shown in EACH menu item: when I switch to PHOTO menu, I see all Unleasheds. When I switch to VIDEO menu, I see all Unleasheds, etc. I think it would be better to create a "filter" by selection on different types of modes. It is strange to see an Unleashed show up in a PHOTO menu with a blocked shutter button that shows it is in VIDEO mode operating/running. This is also strange when you want to do a "press all shutterbuttons at once" and one of the disabled buttons isn't cooperating because it is in VIDEO mode instead. I only want to see the PHOTO buttons which are available to me (thus: those in PHOTO mode AND idle AND turned on).

Oliver wrote: As I've said before - there are so few customers using multiple Unleasheds, that these kind of wishes are very unlikely to make it onto our to-do list. Of course we will fix bugs, and make improvements, but feature wishes - especially ones that would collide with our well-thought-out current UI decisions are unlikely.

I am just writing down my thoughts. Maybe they won't make it to the TODO list quickly (or even perhaps never?), but I also think it is worth mentioning these ideas/thoughts, because maybe some day these thougths and ideas come in handy when more pennies drop all at once and you have a wonderful "new" idea that just fits in with these thoughts I am having right now. Or maybe it won't, but we don't know that right now :-)

Oliver wrote: Your ideas with shifting the available unleasheds to the top/excluding the busy ones directly conflicts for your worry that you can't differentiate between your cameras, since you have all D7100's. In our implementation, they always stay in the same order that you paired them in, so you can differentiate them easily like that (and put big 1, 2, 3 stickers on your cameras if you like).

This 'problem' can be solved REAL EASY!
You say: "In our implementation, they always stay in the same order that you paired them in".
I say: "In my implementation (in my head), the Unleasheds are ALWAYS ordered by serial number, which is unique to all Unleasheds so that you can sort on that number and put the lowest number of the serialnumber on TOP and the highest number of the serialnumber at the BOTTOM. Problem solved for good :-)
You will have the Unleasheds displayed in the Unleashed App ALWAYS in the SAME order, no matter how many smartphones you use. And when you have implemented the small requested feature of giving the Unleashed an unique name (and store that name into the hardware of the Unleashed) all problems concerning this issue are solved forever! Then you have solved the ORDER and the IDENTIFICATION (in the userinterface) to the user once and for all! Isn't that amazing? ;-)

I think we are now on the same page of the design. At least I hope I made my concerns clear to you and your team.

It is not always that difficult, it is just thinking different. Same as having multiple Unleasheds: many of your customers do not yet see the potentials of having multiple Unleasheds, although they do have multiple camera's at their disposal. You can also use a camera/Unleashed borrowed from a friend and pair/bond that one with your own smartphone, having two Unleasheds/camera's at the tip of your fingers to do some great shootings. Just an idea: maybe create an instruction video that shows your customers what you can do with two or three Unleasheds/camera's. For example: shoot photo's of your partner smiling from front and left/right side and combine those photo's into one photo. But the merged-in photo's must be taken from the same exact photo moment. Another example is shooting an action photo of your cat or dog in action, but from different angles but in the same moment and make a photo-collage from it, and with the caption under it: "here is Mickey again, chasing the fake-mouse". There are tons of ideas for using multiple camera setups, and thus multiple Unleasheds. Because I can't trigger them all with my hands, but I can trigger them all using the smartphone and the Unleashed App.

Maybe your customers do get an idea based on these kind of instruction video's to buy another Unleashed, just for this purpose of being able to trigger several camera's all at once. And maybe some customers join their single Unleashed into ONE smartphone remote and have the opportunity to create photo's with multiple Unleasheds that are not possible with a single Unleashed? There are more ways to be creative :-)

As always: just some thoughts worth sharing. Sharing is caring ;-)

Greetings,
Unfoolishly