Xmas Pack released!

First of all, for whoever did not receive our newsletter for any reason, here's a link to a static version of the newsletter itself: RTD December 2011 Newsletter.

I felt to link it because there are really so many things in there, but I don't really want to copy them all here in the forums!
So, this will be the thread to discuss its contents: I don't really have much to add against what's already written in there.

The only expception, mentioned in the newsletter itself, is a quick explanation of the new Text Personalization modes.
I need some space to talk about them, and the space in the newsletter was already filled.
So, here it is. Enjoy!

New Text Personalization Modes

This feature was initially designed to provide sportswear imprinters a "Names & Numbers" like tool.
As usual, considering the RTD is meant to be a global tool, not specific to any one market, I have created something more modular which can be used by almost any market. It is sort of a mini-Variable Data Printing (VDP) system within an online design environment.

I would like to underline the founding principle of the RTD: every feature is provided to you as a "brick", to allow you to build your own and unique "wall". If you think some of your needs cannot be fulfilled by the RTD, please speak us! There are many "bricks" within the RTD, you may not recognize which ones to use.

So, back to the Text personalization tool (TP from now over).
The TP tool can be used in 2 different ways - Normal or Prefilled.

Normal mode

The "Normal" mode allows you to use it also as a subsize selector: this means allowing the customer to order the very same design in different quantities for each size you may have in your product. The typical example are T-shirts, when you want customer to be able to order 5 Large and 12 XXLarge, but all with the very same design on them.
But the same is true in case you want your customer to be able to order 2 small banners and 1 huge one, or 1 magnetic sign and 2 smaller fridge-size ones.
In general, it basically means allowing customers to order the same product in different sizes in very few clicks.

As its natural placement, this option will affect the "add to cart" process. Customers will select their quantity-per-size directly there.
They will also have the option of clicking an "Advanced Mode" button, which will lead them to the very same TP used for the other method (the "Name&Numbers style" ), but without the "prefilled" mode.
So, about the Prefilled mode, let's see how the other method works.

Normal + prefill (Name&Numbers style) mode

Main differences against the normal mode:

1) if the designer is empty (IE, not invoked to load a template), an initial screen will appear on load to let you define a name&number pair that will be used as template.
After that, the TP screen will be shown again to allow you entering other values.
However, if loaded from a template or any other way that could add texts, no changes: next step will work the same by using all of the defined text items in the active design.

2) the TP screen will allow you to define multiple entries for each text, including the size and the qty for each.
This means just what a normal "Name&Numbers" like feature does.
The general flow is so this:
- what is created in the designer will be used as a template.
- customers will be able to tell you the texts they want in each variation

Note that this very same flow can be useful for other products as well, not only t-shirts.
For example, business cards: suppose a customer wants to create 1000 cards for each of its 10 employees.
Most likely, the card will have the same layout - only the persons direct contact info will change.
First they would create one card design, then by using the TP they can tell you what the other names/emails/contacts are.
That's it - same design, but variations on for certain text fields.

Oh, and I forgot to add:
even if not completed yet, also a better support for touch devices (I'm testing against android tablets) has been uploaded.
We're currently trying to figure out the best way to handle touch events instead of mouseclicks: so far, RTD will show a new set of blue icons in case of touch device to control the commands. But it's a start.

Have a wonderful Last Year's eve!

We have found that the blue buttons only show up in Google Chrome but we are unable to move around any of the elements of our signs in the creation process. Firefox and Internet Explorer work as they used to. The blue buttons do not show up in these 2 browsers. I haven't tested the new buttons on my iPad but will experiment with it later. I am also unaware if any of our customers are using touch devices to design signs.

For some reasons, Chrome replies TRUE when asked for support to touch events... even if I am on a desktop!
So, for the time being, I've completely removed those blue buttons. Will post again when I'll have some news about how to identify touch devices to be.... real touch devices!

UPDATE:

I confirm it's a Chrome "bug".
For developers, it positively reply to touch events check, even if they're just dummy events on desktop.
As it looks like there's still no standard version to detect if the used device is a smarphone or a tablet (which is what we need), I found another event that Chrome does not (currently) reply TRUE to, while other touch devices does.

So, blue buttons are now back, but no more shown in Chrome. On My android device, they appear as expected.
Naturally, let me know immediately in case you'll see them where they should not be.

Out of that, the test for touch devices now begins, and I will appreciate the help and input of everyone owning one.
Not only to check if stuffs works also on other hardwares (as Ipads or other tablets), but also to determine the best solution to make them work.

With the current implementation, the idea is th click one of the blue buttons to select an action (scale, resize, stretch). Once clicked, the smaller blue icon in the middle of the item should change, and tapping-dragging the item itfelf everywhere should apply the selected transformation.

As the normal small squares used on desktops are really too small to be touched, the idea was to add this selector to provide more space for the action.
However, this is just an idea nad a test, so every input will be welcomed.

I have described the full flow of what you should see so that you can veryfy if it works as expected on devices different from mine. I cannot test against any existing hardware, so your help here will be really needed.

Thanks!

We have a touch device....a500 iconia tablet running adroid 3.1....tell me what to do to test it and I will do so.

OK I just tested this on my tablet running android 3.1using the standard browser. The blue icons show up and selecting each allowed me to make that icons adjustment.

But the blue icons only show up for text and not clipart. Tested this multiple times but nothing happens for clipart only text.


And fyi_ I hate typing on this thing!

Yeah, you're right: for current testing it's only on texts.
To save some time we will be working on them only to determine the better way to manage such devices, then the same method will be applied to shapes and clipas too.

The issue we're looking at is basically how to allow touch devices to move/resize designer entries. Our default method used on normal computers (with the 9 small squares) was not good, as the squares was too small to be properly "tapped".
So, the current test idea was to have the "blue buttons" to select which action will happen while gragging over the item: which at the end means allowing only one type of action for all of the squares.

Naturally it's only an idea, not to be considered final: but still something real to start chewing all together!
On your end, can you confirm the "blue buttons" works as currently expected on the Iconia?