Rainfrog Inc.

Tag: iPhone

  • Version 2.0

    Version 2.0

    Hi all!

    Most of you have already updated to version 2.0. Hopefully you’ve had to a chance to explore some of the new features, and find them easy to use. I was very happy with the way curves fleshed out in the long run, even if it took a bit of back-tracking in my design approach. I wanted them to be intuitive and flexible, and above all – easy to use. Sorry for the wait!

    Here’s a punch list of the new features/changes in Roastmaster 2.0…

    • Roasting Curves
    • Expanded Profiles and Programs
    • Profile and Program Snapshots
    • Benchmark Past Roast Matching Mode
    • iTunes File Sharing
    • Editable Cupping Dates
    • Post-Roast Weight Field
    • Alarm Dispatch to OS in iOS4 (so you will be notified if the phone is put to sleep)
    • Improved Roasting Graph
    • Setpoint Alerts for Active Curves
    • Bug Fixes

    A few words about iTunes files sharing… I realized after release, that this is completely undocumented, so here’s how it works. If you’re running iOS 4 and the latest iTunes, while your iPhone or iPod touch is connected, navigate to the “Apps” tab of the device in iTunes. At the bottom, in the File Sharing section, you should see Roastmaster. Select it, and you will be able to copy either the Databases or Backup Databases folder to your desktop. Inside this copied folder, you will find your Roastmaster SQLite database(s).

    If you ever have the need to copy a database back to Roastmaster, simply drag one or more database files (not the folder itself) into the root level of “Roastmaster Documents” in the iTunes window. They should end up listed with the other folders. Roastmaster will find it the next time you launch the app (it must be a fresh launch – not an awakening from background), and will import it as a live database.

    This probably goes without saying, but for those of you familiar with SQL databases, or anyone for that matter, do not modify the database outside of Roastmaster and attempt to use that copy with Roastmaster again. This feature is only intended for backing up databases for safe keeping, sharing databases, and for those that wish to broadcast or export their data to other sources.

    I plan on posting again in a few days about the immediate future plans for Roastmaster, so drop back by soon. And please let me know how the new features are working for you. I’m anxious to hear!

    Cheers

    Danny

  • Roasting curves progress

    Roasting curves progress

    Figured I’d take a break from coding tonight to post an update on roasting curves. They are basically completed, and in the beta-testing stage. Though it’s not ready to release yet, it getting close. I took a slightly different path than the one I originally started out on, but the result is something that I feel is even better than I had anticipated.

    Based on the feedback I’ve received, people like the roasting interface.  I struggled to add what, in actuality, is a very complex concept, in a way that is unobtrusive to those that don’t need it. The premise of any good iPhone app is simplicity. Roastmaster is certainly not a simple app, but I’ve tried very hard to keep it looking and feeling as simple as possible. I’ve tried to carry that over into the implementation of roasting curves. Take a look at the progress so far.

    Default roasting console showing 1 selected curve
    Default roasting consol showing 1 selected curve
    Roasting screen with the gauge in curve entry mode, and graph in benchmark mode
    Roasting screen with the gauge in curve entry mode, and graph in benchmark mode
    Roasting screen with the gauge in curve entry mode and 1 node selected
    Roasting screen with the gauge in curve entry mode and 1 node selected
    Curve details view

    The concepts behind curves are simple…

    • Any roast, profile or program can contain as many curves as you like
    • Each curves can contain as many nodes as you like
    • Nodes can be entered in one of three ways… by dragging the silver ring around the gauge (when in curve mode), tapping and entering text into the digital temp readout (will be timestamped at the moment of editing), or by accessing a dedicated table view like other Roastmaster variables.
    • Tapping the new gauge mode button will toggle between the standard gauge mode, and curve mode (the gauge shrinks to half-size, encompassed by a draggable temperature ring, and three curve editing buttons). Tapping the mode button again will return it to the standard mode.
    • Each curve has a customizable maximum value variable (500 is default). This will allow you to track either degrees or arbitrary values (such as tick marks on a gas grill, or stove, etc.)
    • Whole curves and individual nodes can be selected and modified from either the roasting console, or via a dedicated Curve view like other variables.
    • Curves can be copied and pasted between roasts, profiles and programs

    Hand in hand with the new curves, I’ve beefed up the graph view to support the addition of curves. It’s finally become more what I envisioned when originally designing it. I shared many of your thoughts on the shortcomings of the graph view and set out to fix them on this release.

    • The graph view now displays all of your curve data. The selected curve is filled with a transparent version of its unique color, and stroked thicker than any other unselected curves, with visible nodes. Unselected curves are visible, but with a thinner stroke, and no fill color or nodes.
    • Tapping the graph view toggles the selected curve – stepping through all of the curves with successive taps.
    • The graph view now displays duration data of the roasts it is previewing, in addition to 1st and 2nd crack data
    • It now also displays past curve data as well, at a user-definable transparency setting
    • The graph can now function in “Benchmark” mode. Tapping the blue magnifying glass icon in the selector strip above the graph will put the graph into benchmark mode. You can manually select as few or as many roasts as you like to be displayed in the graph. This gives you ultimate control over exactly what data and what roast you are trying to match. This is a very powerful and much-needed feature.

    I’m still a few weeks away from finishing up testing, and final tweaking on roasting curves and benchmark matching. This is my number 1 priority until it’s finished. I need to tie all of this into Roastmaster’s automatic past roast matching algorithms, but I don’t anticipate that being terrible difficult. To those of you waiting… thanks for your patience – I believe it will be soon!!

    Also – I want to thank everyone who’s contacted me with kind words, requests and suggestions. I take all of your suggestions to heart. Roasting curves is by far the biggest feature request, so naturally, the one I tackled first. Having access to the database is a close second. I am trying to get that taken care of in the next release as well.

    If you use Roastmaster, and like it – please spread the word!