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DrillBook app for iPhone and iPod touch


Scott Rundell

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OK.

It's a great start and definitely usable as-is. I especially appreciate that:

  • Adding a new dot copies the values of the previous dot. This is the biggest timesaver ever! Since most dots represent only a few counts and so the next dot is generally physically not that far from the previous, it's a LOT less work to start with the previous dot and adjust it rather than re-enter every dot from scratch. Thank you!
  • You suggest but don't force a numeric convention for naming sets. I always used to end up having sets "69A, 69B, and 69C" for instance.
  • Also great idea to allow notes for each set.

As far as existing functionality goes, these would be my top suggestions:

  • I think the biggest issue I'd have with it in its current form is the fact that the step system is hard-coded to use a "0.25 step per button press". This works ok with left/right measurements since you're never more than 4 steps -- 4 / 0.25 = 16 taps -- away from a yardline. But for front/back measurements, if your dot is halfway between the sideline and the hash (16 steps from each), then you're gonna have to tap that plus button 16 / 0.25 = 64 times to get to the right measurement. I'd suggest adding another set of plus and minus buttons. The outer set of +/- could move by a full step, and the inner set could move by a fraction of a step.
  • It might even be a good idea to have the size of the "fine tuning" to be user-configurable. I think most people use 1/4 step as the smallest possible increment, but it couldn't hurt to allow tenths of a step or restrict it to 0.5 steps or even 0 steps.
  • I'd also recommend taking the string configuration options (what strings to use for "inside" "outside" "on" "S1" and "S2" "<front|back> <hash|sideline>") off the screen where dots are input and instead putting it up at the "top" level of the app (along with the fine tuning increment). As is -- showing at the bottom of the screen where you input each drill set -- implied to me that it would be possible to change these values on a per-set basis, which isn't true.
  • It was a good idea to have the yardline button start at 50 and decrease by 5 yards every time you press it. But if you accidentally press it one too many times, you have to cycle all the way back around (11 extra button presses). Furthermore, if you are near the 35 on one set and near the 40 the next set, because of the set-copying, you'll have to cycle back around (push the yardline button 10 times) as well. Therefore, I recommend increment/decrement buttons on the yardline selectoras well.

Here are some possible suggestions for not-as-difficult future improvements:

  • As implemented, the program is limited to a single drill spot for a single show. This is, of course, the way that 95% of the population will use it. But it would be super-useful to allow coordinates for multiple drill spots for a particular show. It would also be sweet to be able to see the locations of more than one drill spot for a particular set. Then a tech or a section leader or (in some bands) squad leader would be able to validate positions for multiple marchers. Or if someone drops out and a new person shows up to march the spot, he/she could borrow the tech's iPhone and not have to spend several hours re-creating a dotbook from scratch.
  • Also, it would be great to allow the user to store multiple shows. So, for instance, a high school kid who was doing drum corps on the weekends could just switch back and forth, or a visual tech who works with multiple bands could do the same.
  • In addition to the note field for each set, it would be nice to be able to add custom fields. In particular, I've often wished that I could have (for every set) fields for body orientation (usually front-field or back-field, but can vary) and horn position (standard, popped, up-and-in, snap up/down on count x, etc). These should have default values of course.
  • One big advantage of a computerized dotbook over an analog one is that computers are really good at doing math. Maybe it's too geeky of me, but I've always thought it would be nice to use some trigonometry to figure out the actual physical distance between each pair of sets, as well as the angle of travel. Combine that with the number of counts and you can figure out the required step size. For example: from set 1 to 2, a performer moves from "on the 50 on the front hash" to "on the S1 45 8 steps in front of the front hash" in 6 counts. So the "angle of travel" would be "45 degrees to the right of front", and the distance traveled would be 8 x sqrt(2) = 11.3 "8-to-5 steps". Since this distance must be traveled in 6 counts, the performer's step size should be 11.3/6 = 1.9 "regular size (8-to-5)" steps for each count. OK, so maybe a lot of kids hate math and would hate this feature, but it'd still be a nice thing to have for us geeks.
  • Actually this point is related to the previous: animation would be sweet (see next section) but tough, but it wouldn't be as hard to do a little graphic for each dot showing the previous location and the next location. It'd be especially nice if there were "path" lines connecting all three points, with tiny hashes indicating each step size. But that may be pushing it.
  • For the hard-corps dot memorizer, flash-card testing: "What is your dot for set 62A?"

Then, of course, the "dream list" of features that I'm sure everyone would love to have:

  • While I realize that Pyware is probably not inclined to disclose the details of its file format, it does allow individual dot-sheets to be printed out; I would think that something could be written to parse those and convert them to an XML format. Because, of course, the ultimate sweetness would be to be able to use wireless internet to distribute dots to performers, eliminating TONS of wasted useless time recopying them and discovering and correcting transcription mistakes.
  • It's well within the abilities of the iPhone and iPod touch to animate this stuff, although I'm sure it would be a horrible pain in the butt. Maybe someday when they finally get the flash player installed in the OS, it wouldn't be too bad to distribute flash videos of the drill.
  • And, of course, if you could combine the network distribution of drill sets with animation and then throw in the capability to read the music and listen to it played (MIDIfied) as the animation progresses, well that would be the holy grail.

Of the dream features, just having the first -- the ability to send and receive drill spots over a network -- would revolutionize the activity. And you could do it even if you never even bothered to hack Pyware's file structure. Imagine this scenario:

  • You, the app designer, set up a companion website. Directors pay a fee (maybe monthly, maybe a seasonal flat fee, maybe a one time fee) to use it.
  • You allow the director to set up global configuration items -- drill spots, mappings to performers, songs, drill chart numbers, names for sides, hashes, sidelines, etc.
  • The director passes out the Pyware individual dot sheets to each performer and asks them, as a homework assignment, to input their dots, notes, etc, into the webapp (or the iPhone application if they prefer).
  • Modify the iPhone application to upload and download completed dotbooks from the web application.

Result: the performers do the work of inputting the dots; the director gets to see exactly what's in their dotbooks, can make adjustments, and can push those changes out to the marchers. The dotbook -- along with the critical extra annotations like "horns up on 3" and "face backfield" -- become the property of the unit as a whole rather than the individual. Also: performers not lucky enough to have iPhones could at least use a phone-based web interface to see their dotbooks if they forgot to bring a printout.

I know I'm mostly dreaming with this, but I've wanted something like this for about 10 years. :)

Edited by JimBurnell
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WOW how this activity is changing. Soon they won't even have to actually play the music themselves. LOL

Sounds like this could be a great reference tool. I guess next it will be updated with a DR-BEAT and a voice command to call out the next set. LOL

I remember tour ....

  • Before cell phones
  • Standing in line at the only payphone at the stadium to call home
  • 1 newspaper to share for the entire bus
  • Checking the other corp food trucks for leftovers because your corps ran out of food
  • Not even knowing what day it was or even what state you were in
  • Busses with no air-conditioning (when they even ran)
  • Weighting your flag poles with pennies
  • Sleeping bags not airbeds
  • WORKING TO PAY FOR YOUR OWN DUES not asking the world to support you on DCP & facebook
  • Coming home from tour like you were away at boot camp not summer camp

If you ask me these kids are just plain spoiled and have it so easy anymore. Yes they work hard to execute the program, but when you take away all the other hardships of being on tour it so is not the same thing it used to be.

Oh yeah forgot one more thing

writing post-cards and letters, not texting, facebook status updating and emails

split tour, right? :blink:

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Thanks for the great rundown Jim! Really great feedback. A couple of comments:

First, you can adjust the number of steps with the + and - button and also with the slider below the number. I actually had << and >> buttons that moved larger increments than 0.25, but I liked the slider better. The + and - actually fine tune the slider. I'll try to make this more clear in any future updates. As for your other top suggestions, I like 'em. They're on the list for any future updates.

Your suggestion for tracking multiple sets is a good one, and I'll see if there's a way to keep it simple (I've got some ideas). You can simulate this by creating a new song for each drill spot. For example, if you're doing mars, you can have a song for "Mars C16" and another for "Mars T2." I know it's not as slick as if it were fully integrated, but you can still have the functionality now.

All the display stuff I like, and I thought about too. I mean which of us wouldn't want that stuff? Well, I wanted to keep it simple and straight-forward. The vast majority of marchers in the US are not competitive. Simplicity trumped complexity. I am considering putting the drawing and calculations as extras to be flipped on or off in a settings page for those who want 'em.

If you, or anyone else, has any more observations, fire away!

Scott Rundell

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First, you can adjust the number of steps with the + and - button and also with the slider below the number. I actually had << and >> buttons that moved larger increments than 0.25, but I liked the slider better. The + and - actually fine tune the slider. I'll try to make this more clear in any future updates. As for your other top suggestions, I like 'em. They're on the list for any future updates.

Hrm. Dunno how I missed that slider. Sorry :P

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I was gonna throw out some ideas, but I think it might be better to try to draw em.

Gonna get some help from a photoshop guru :)

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...
I like the idea, but as a band director I do not allow phones in rehearsal so this would not work for my students. Now if there were a way to import the Pyware drill charts so they can study how the forms move on their own, that would be useful.

Actually there is a way. You set upf the account through pyware and your band members can watch and download their individual sets as a full size drill or a mini set with mini highlighted drill. Check pyware.com for more information

Ed Otto

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