Chronos > Software Dev
Improving the Jog Wheel, ideas.
NoDak:
Like an excited child reading over the specs of the latest gaming console, I poured over the manual for the Chronos well before I got mine. I went over the section on how the job wheel worked and it sounded perfectly reasonable to me.
"Moves playback 1 frame per detent (rotational click). Press and hold dial clicked in to move fast (40 frames per detent) "
I actually get it and do a recording session in my driveway with me chucking glass jars against pavement. (I looked like a crazy person to anyone watching me.) The jog wheel is quickly abandoned in favor of the on-screen slider.
As someone who has worked with designing products at my work I COMPLETELY understand what happened. An idea that sounded perfectly reasonable in the design phase turns out to not work well in practice. Nothing wrong with that, we're all human.
The problem is NOT the jog wheel itself. I like it's placement and feel. The problem is how it is setup in software.
1. One frame per click is too-fine. Most people only care about getting close enough to the section of the frame buffer they need to save. You want to have handles on your video anyway, so you will save a little bit before the area of interest and a little bit afterwards, 5-10 seconds is what most people I have seen recommend. If people need to go over video frame by frame they will typically do this later when on a PC with a large monitor.
2. Holding the jog wheel down while turning is impractical. If this was a jog wheel on a desk or control panel there would be no problem, but this is a camera on a tripod or handheld.
Since the problem is in software, we just have to come up with a new convention with choices for the user.
HOWEVER, we need to be VERY careful about giving the user choice. Choice CAN be good, but only up to a point.
Let me use an example that the designers of the Chronos did VERY well. On the "Record Settings" page, we can set the exact resolution down to the pixel, adjust the offset, set the specific frame rate, and exposure. OR, we can just select the drop down and pick from a list of presets that cover 95% of use cases. VERY good design. You make it easy for the 95% who actively do not want to have to bother with fine tuning their camera while allowing the people who want to tweak every last setting to get things exactly how they want it.
So, we need to do the same here. Have a relatively few pre-made options for the jog wheel that 95% of users will be fine with while allowing the people who just HAVE to customize everything to do their thing.
First, the menu to adjust the jog wheel would be in the "Util" page . There is plenty of space there to put a button titled "Jog Wheel".
I personally think push and hold needs to be abandoned, instead pushing and releasing the jog wheel cycles through the jog rates.
Presets would be in a drop down menu like the frame rates on the "Record Settings" page. I spent quite a bit of time on a long drive home from a job site mentally thinking through these. Most people just want to get the mark in and mark out close enough to the interesting bits, save, and move on to the next shot. They want a hatchet, not a scalpel. They will edit the video down to the specific frame when they have the video on their computer.
I see the attraction of jog rates based on frames, but if you are swapping between frame rates on a shoot, like I will, jog rates based on frames for one frame rate will be too big or too small on another frame rate. Meaning you will want to switch jog rates when you switch frame rates. Too much work, not user friendly. Instead, jog rates perhaps should by default be defined by fractions of the frame buffer per rotational click. Pressing the jog wheel would advance the jog rate to the next fastest rate. If already at the fastest rate it would cycle back to the slowest rate. Going with fractions of the frame buffer means jogging will be consistent between frame rates.
I have some ideas for presets
1/8 Frame Buffer, 1/32 Frame Buffer
1/16 Frame Buffer, 1/64 Frame Buffer
1/16 Frame Buffer, 1/128 Frame Buffer
1/32 Frame Buffer, 1/256 Frame Buffer
1/8 Frame Buffer, 1/32 Frame Buffer, 1/128 Frame Buffer
1/8 Frame Buffer, 1/64 Frame Buffer, 1/512 Frame Buffer
1/16 Frame Buffer, 1/128 Frame Buffer, 1/512 Frame Buffer
1/32 Frame Buffer, 1/256 Frame Buffer, 1/2048 Frame Buffer
These presets will allow the user to quickly locate the "Mark In" that they want and add a handle by simply going back a click or two. Then they cycle back to the "coarse" setting, locate the "Mark Out" location, and add a handle. Then they save and move on to the next shot.
Advanced settings menu would open an additional window for the people who want to adjust EVERYTHING. I think up to 5 jog rates would be enough. If they want to jog based on a specific number of frames they can do that or go by fraction of the frame buffer. There would be drop downs on each jog rate that would define the rate by frame or fraction of the frame buffer. Then enter a numerical value. Each jog rate would have a "NA" option, so if someone wants only 2-4 jog rates they can easily set that. Perhaps have an option to name the jog rates and save them.
This setup lets the users who just want to shoot high speed video have a selection of useful presets to use without being overwhelming. These presets will probably be good for 95% of users. For that 5%, they just go into the advanced menu and make their own jog rates.
Please let me know your feedback on this. Hopefully we can go back and forth and discuss various ideas. Perhaps someone has an even better idea.
BiduleOhm:
--- Quote from: NoDak on October 11, 2017, 09:33:20 PM ---1. One frame per click is too-fine. Most people only care about getting close enough to the section of the frame buffer they need to save. You want to have handles on your video anyway, so you will save a little bit before the area of interest and a little bit afterwards, 5-10 seconds is what most people I have seen recommend. If people need to go over video frame by frame they will typically do this later when on a PC with a large monitor.
2. Holding the jog wheel down while turning is impractical. If this was a jog wheel on a desk or control panel there would be no problem, but this is a camera on a tripod or handheld.
[...]
I personally think push and hold needs to be abandoned, instead pushing and releasing the jog wheel cycles through the jog rates.
--- End quote ---
1. I do not agree, I like to be able to see the video frame by frame for the critical moments before saving it in case something is wrong and I need to re-shoot the video.
2. I totally agree, push and releasing is the way to go IMHO. If possible with more than 2 frame-rates (3 or 4 would be a good balance I think). I really like the idea of fractions of the buffer in addition to one frame per detent.
Instead of presets for the whole thing I guess it would be better to be able to chose a preset for each click on the jog wheel; less presets needed, more customizable and maybe no need for an advanced mode because we can already do advanced things with this simple UI.
NoDak:
--- Quote from: BiduleOhm on October 12, 2017, 04:31:40 AM ---1. I do not agree, I like to be able to see the video frame by frame for the critical moments before saving it in case something is wrong and I need to re-shoot the video.
2. I totally agree, push and releasing is the way to go IMHO. If possible with more than 2 frame-rates (3 or 4 would be a good balance I think). I really like the idea of fractions of the buffer in addition to one frame per detent.
Instead of presets for the whole thing I guess it would be better to be able to chose a preset for each click on the jog wheel; less presets needed, more customizable and maybe no need for an advanced mode because we can already do advanced things with this simple UI.
--- End quote ---
1. Fantastic. Someone who likes frame by frame on the jog wheel. Input from people like you will be valuable for us to go back and forth and come to a good solution. Perhaps there can be some presets with a mix of fractions and frames. Such would be for sure doable in the advanced settings.
2. I think pretty much everyone will agree with this one.
I think presets with only 2 values would be liked, though we would need to actually test this in the field to see if I am right or wrong.
I really believe there needs to be a solid set of presets like there are in the "Record Settings" page for people who just want to turn the camera on and start shooting video. Though you have made me rethink the need for an "Advanced settings" menu. Like the "Record Settings" page, we should be able to fit both on the same page.
Thank you so much for your feedback.
BiduleOhm:
1. Yep, exactly what I was thinking ;)
2. Yes, the best thing would be to be able to chose between 2 and 5 values for example.
I guess you can always have a 'default' preset with sensible values for those who just want to use the camera as is.
3. Also it would be great to be able to use the jog wheel when focused on an input field to increment/decrement the value of the field (especially as a lot of inputs are numbers) and validate the value with a click. It would be a lot easier than with the current keyboard where you can mis-type values (even if I don't have fat fingers... :P) and you need a lot of clicks.
jasonfish:
One frame per click is crucial to reviewing the footage before saving. Don't take it away.
Press-release to toggle between fine and course is a great idea (press+hold+turn is too hard).
A menu to choose your definition of "course" is ehhhh, find I guess, but better to just choose a happy common value and bake it in.
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