From: owens@cyclops.cambridge.ibm.com
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Re: Drill Writing Programs???
Date: 11 Nov 92 20:48:16 GMT
Organization: IBM T. J. Watson Research

In article <1992Nov10.195233.1@vax1.umkc.edu>, cputnam@vax1.umkc.edu writes:
|> 
|> I was wondering if anyone out there has any, or knows of any, IBM drill writing
|> disk producers?  I have an apple program, but I don't know of any IBM
|> compatible stuff.  I have plenty of hard drive space and VGA monitors and
|> stuff.  So, any info (price, especially) on who to call or what you have would
|> be greatly appreciated.
|> 
|> Please respond through email or post a reply here.  Product reviews of what
|> program you have or have heard of of or whatever would be great, too.
|> 
|> Thanks!!
|> 
|> Chris
|> '93 Star?????
|> Baritone
|> Because all other horns are lesser  :)
|> 


I've played a little with Pyware's program for the PC.  (I think they 
just ported thier original program for apples to the Mac to PCs)  A 
friend has used it extensively and loves it.  It seems very 
couter-intuitive about some things to me though.

I've heard the Cavies use it...  Anyone know for sure?  (Any ex-Cavies
get computer generated drill charts last year?)



Nice things:  

 *  allows you to preview an animation of sets or a whole show
 *  will print out per-performer lists of field coordinates
 *  will draw perfect circles, curves, etc quicker than with pencil & paper
 *  will fit performers perfectly to a circle or curve very quickly
 *  can easily produce sub-sets between two written sets
 *  members can be represented by letters indicating instrument, etc
 *  pretty helpful customer support (according to my friend)
 *  you can get 2 other programs to maintain your music and membership lists
      that are integrated (according to the advertisements... I haven't
      seen them)


Not-so-nice things:

 *  it crashes pretty frequently :)
 *  as you use it little bits of stray crap and phantom members
      accumulate on the screen (doesn't give you a warm-and-fuzzy
      about the quality of the programming :) )
 *  doesn't think of the show in terms of "sets"... only counts 
      Once you draw a set it's up to you to remember that it's on count
      196 of the show if you want to go back to it or print it etc.  My
      friend who uses it has lots of little pieces of paper sitting near
      his computer that have lists like... "16,32,64,72,88,120...".
      "Ok kids, take it from set 357!" sounds pretty funny too.
 *  the animation is cruder than it needs to be
 *  there are some very awkward and couter-intuitive steps you must go
      through when drawing sets/adding members/finishing sets (I can't
      describe it... you'd have to see it)
 *  it doesn't remember you're prefered settings of options... making you
      have to reset maybe dozens of setting every time you create, edit,
      or print a set or show
 *  it uses it's own screen management style which takes some getting used
      to (if it aint better than the standard... please don't change it :) )
 *  the print-outs can be hard to read (numbers obscuring each other)
 *  the print-outs are not entirely accurate... if you tell it to print a 
      dot for every 8-to-5 pace... they are not equally spaced. 


All-in-all you'd have to try it yourself.  My own drill writing program
will be much better when completed :)  Of course I've been working on 
it forever and never find time to finish it... someday I will... :)
      

-- 
==============================================================================
   David Owens                    VMID:        ODAVID at YKTVMH
   SVS Multiplatform Development  Internet:    odavid@watson.ibm.com
   IBM Research
   One Copley Place               Disclaimer:  I am not a spokesman for IBM.
   Boston, MA 02116

   You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely.
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