Lingoworkshop :: Wishlist and survey

3D related

Wrapper API for direct access to DirectX and OpenGL.: Ability to code our own engins with Lingo via an API wrapper.
afdssdf: asdfasdf [posted by dfar]

Authoring

Cast libraries to have folders

Folders would be helpful for grouping related members - which would be particularly useful for managing commonly used assets (groups of members and scripts) [posted by Luke]

Better tools for editing vector cast members in Director (something like Flash's level vector editor)

Borrow some of the tools from Flash [posted by Luke]

Multiple undo - at least for the script editor

Anyone who works regularly in another IDE will get used to multiple undos. Its seems archane that Director cannot handle more than one. [posted by Luke]

Update the paint-window and add a cropping tool

Although the paint-window could probably qualify for national heritage listing - a cropping tool (that keeps the regpoint intact) would be very helpful . [posted by Luke]

customize keyboard shortcuts

Different developers have different requirements

Solid support for external scripts.

Auto update scripts and compile as needed.

Compiled Components

Ability to export / compile componets built in Director to be used within other Director projects. This will allow developers to package components, sell them, and then the end-user developer can import them into their projects. This would also require implementing a Lingo interface for said components. Boiled down this means public and private functionality.

Faster Debugger and OI

Ever put a large string list in the OI or have it pop up in the debugger?? ack!

Conditional Debugger

Ability to set conditions for break points.

Conditional Debugger

Ability to set conditions for break points.

Revamp Script Window

Faster redraw, code hilighting, code complete, "bracket" hilighting, increased line/character limit.

Auto-appearing a list of the properties of an object in the Script Window.

Like the .NET style. A drop-down list to select a property or a method of an object when the dot key is pressed in the Script Window.
(Dreamweaver has something like this...) [posted by barbutman]

Script Code Collapse

I think the title says it all. Ability to create regiens and collapse them.

Support PSD file just the same as support PNG file.

If we modify the PSD castment ,it will expand all layer.

Documentation of the JavaScript syntax

Developers of ActionScript, C#.NET, Java, etc. would have an easier time using Director.

The help in Director is focused on Lingo, and while it seems all of the same operations are available in the "JavaScript" syntax, finding out exactly what the Director implementation is can be frustrating.

adasd

aadasd

much more channel,1000 was not enough

just like flash ,65535 channel or more

Folders in score editor.

This is just a way to group related sprites.
I have been working on an application with lots of forms (textfields, homemade sliders etc) and the score looks pretty messy. [posted by Max DK]

More than one form in one projector file.

Currently there is only one form in Director, which is the stage.
If you want more forms you can use MIAW (external director movies in windows).
I personally prefer not to use MIAW, because I like the idea of having anything in one director movie while authoring, and I think that the variable sharing between windows and the main movie is unnessesary work.
I often use sprite.visible=true/false for a many sprites, but that too is annoying.
Anyway I have workarounds, so there are other features that I miss more in Director. [posted by Max DK]

Built in parent/child relationships for sprites

Similar to "Folders in score editor" (above), have one sprite be able to have a parent/child relationship with other sprites, so that a parent sprite recieves messages from it's children before the frame does, and that moving a parent sprite moves it's children too.

Have your last panel set automatically applied after opening a new movie.

I am SO SICK of having to apply my 3-monitor panel set, EVERY time I open a movie. REALLY painful when working with a multi-MIAW project!

Alphabethical sorting in the "behaviour popup" window.

I spend a lot of time reading through my huge list of behaviors each time I have created a new behaviour that I want to use for more than one sprite. [posted by Max DK]

Core Player

A new text cast member with improved formatting controls, and which that allows you to embed images and other member types (video, widgets etc into a scrolling box with text).

It is a common requirement to have text with images and other elements embedded.

As one user on Direct-L suggested - given that Macromedia have already incorporated the Spidermonkey scripting engine from Mozilla, why not include a Gecko-based HTML rendering engine - preferably a modified version so that Xtras can be treated like plugins (which would mean that any member could be embedded directly using embed tags, although for images you should just be able to use the img tag with a special protocol, e.g. < img src="cast:internal:myimage.jpg">. [posted by Luke]

Linux Playback

Linux is gaining a significant market share [posted by Luke]

Full set of sytem widgets

OS-Controls provides some widgets. Hire them to build the complete set and bundle it with Director. [posted by Luke]

Improved vector cast member type allowing direct import of EPS (and possibly PDF)

In many cases, vector images are more appropriate than bitmaps (smaller file size, scalable). Current vector member type is too slow and fragile. [posted by Luke]

Get LDMs to work properly.

Apart from their general use, it might help attract Flash users with LDMs similarity to embedded movie clips. [posted by Luke]

Build-In imaging filters for bitmap and text members.

Imaging filters like drop shadow, emboss, glow etc. which can be modified by lingo.
[posted by Barbutman]

Support unicode & handle chinese character(MUST)

It's because Flash has all the above function!!

Improve font embedding

especially Asian fonts

Updated text xtra OR unicode support for text entry and display (through some other mechanism than the Text Xtra)

Because it's *high* time ;-)

Seriously, this is the single most frustrating issue I have with the product. It needs to be able to manage text better than it does - it's one of the cornerstones of Multimedia (much less application development...)
It should be trivial for Adobe to manage - hopefully they have sufficient vision and resources to do so.

Seriously in need of support for mod, xm, sid and other music formats. That way we could have more music at smaller filesizes.

Yes, there are plugins out there but who wants to install an xtra? that's not user friendly. [posted by Konnie]

General

well said, in order Director to prevail it should turn to a direct competition with rapid development tools, such as: Visual basic or Delphi. In order to achieve that goal it should support: 1) OS GUI Elements including all forms elements. 2) Superior text support. 3) Native (simple) database support. 4) Pre-bundled components. 5) Printing capabilities. 6) Better IO support (Binaries). 7) Export capabilities 8) A compiler for simple tasks (like the C Exporter of Warner Sharp) This is absurd that (local) simple games like: Reversi, that other program languages requires not more than a few dozens of KB's takes Mega-bites of projector size.

Clear enough [posted by Yochai Gani]

Built-in support for printing

Even with Printomatic I still can't print a formatted text member. [posted by John Baro]

Support for the clipboard

I would like to be able to move text between text and/or field members and the clipboard. I need this on virtually every project I do. [posted by John Baro]

OS-specific controls

I'd like to be able to create a button that automatically has the correct look depending on the platform. [posted by John Baro]

Various demands...

Hi,

Here is my whishlist :

It would be nice to create/edit custom 8 bits palettes directly from lingo.
Also remove the limitation of first color=white and last color=black.
A lingo function to convert images to 8 bit, getting automatically the best color palette (allowing multiple dithering algorithms, including dithering for alpha channel)

inks : add a "multiply" blending mode

Allow to mix use of inks and basic transparency, ex:
additive blending + 50% transparency

Faster imaging functions (faster get/set pixel)

A native vList like function, allowing to have progressive downloads of those files with direct access to downloaded parts

More functions to control sounds : direct access to the waveform, realtime rate modification...

3D engine update, with morphings + bones deformations allowed together.
Better mutitexturing, and Additive blending addition
And of course, all the last technologies since 3 or 4 years (HRD, NormalMaps, etc...) [posted by Alexx]

Colour coded Cast members

We can colour sprites on the time line, how about colour coding cast members also. Good visual reference tool for grouping/catagorizing multiple members. [posted by OtterMan]

'Photoshop like' handing of bitmap sprites (antialiasing when rotated, skewed, etc).

Bitmap sprites are looking very 'long in the tooth'. Better imaging could be Director can be used as an animation tool again

Accurate vectormath on both Mac and PC

As it is now dot() and cross() and some other functions returns different answers on mac and PC. Thats bad when youre making a multiplayer physics engine and one player uses mac and one Pc. [posted by Nisse Bergman]

let the developer decide which program he will use to edit the file!

lets suppose that u generate an SWF using SWISHMAX, why director force the developer to edit the Original FLA of SWF File!, if i have SWF file generated by SWISHMAX then the Original File will SWI not FLA, and this will save alot of developing time! [posted by Mohammed Ibrahim]

Bug when several text fields overlap: The dragbar apears on top of the textfield that should be on top (on top of textfields with higher spritenumbers)

In my current project I have made my own dropdown text fields with scroller etc.
When I have a text field with a scroller beneith the opened dropdown text field then the dragbar/scroller apears on top of the dropdown dragbar/scroller, so what I am saying is that the text field that should be on top (according the the spritenumber) IS on top, but the square that your drag with your mouse in order to scroll is NOT completely on top, because the similar square/dragbar/scroller of the text field below (with a lower spritenumber) are falsely shown on top.
I hope you understand what I am trying to say. An image would say it all.
My choice is now either to use an xtra with dropdown boxes in stead of using my home made dropdown boxes, or I should redesign the graphics, so no text boxes with scrollbars ever apear on top of eachother. [posted by Max DK]

Mousewheel support

Why this doesn't work is a mystery? Hey Adobe it's 2008! At least make it possible to use it through flash sprites. [posted by Konnie]

Please fix the memory bug with the Shockwave player when using Firefox on a dual core cpu system. It will make larger movies freeze randomly.

I had to rewrite this message 3 times since even this small "add your suggestion"-movie crashed beacuase of the bug. Adobe and firefox, hit the sack together and fix this now! [posted by Konnie]

OS Control Xtra for Director 11

OS Controls Xtra has not been updated for Director 11 Unicode use. This has stalled many of my ongoing projects in Director MX 2004. I'm sure it has affected others as well.

Lingo

Simple increment and decrement operators (++ and --): I hate having to write x = x + 1 all the time. [posted by Luke]
Native implementation of common functions: Explode, Implode, Trim: Although easily implemented - native functions would be faster [posted by Luke]
Loop Control: Makes Director more accessible to Flash users
Public Private Scope: To allow developers to create compiled componets, a Lingo interface would be required. To do this, public and private variable scoping would be needed.
ECMA 4 standard for JavaScript Syntax: Who wants to use prototypes when you can have classes. Classes are inline with ActionScript standards. Thus cross platform developer floating.
Easing Tween Lingo! Flash MX 2004 already has built-in easing tween class.: I have to write my own easing behavious based on easing tween class for actionscript. However, I can create some complex and great effect simply dragging different easing tween behavious onto a sprite. Even my fellows don't know much about lingo, they can apply my behavious and try out different handsome effect. Flash CAN'T do it!
ActiveX: How to check if ActiveX component is installed or not into the machine. [posted by Daniele]
ActiveX: How to check if ActiveX component is installed or not into the machine. [posted by Daniele]
Property accessor functions for OOP programming - setters and getters.: So when a property of an object is set or got from Lingo, it calls the corresponding setter or getter function. Helps keep objects "safe" and allows for making some properties non-inheritable, to name only a few good reasons...
Named sprites, not just named channels!: I still haven't used named channels. However, I have my own global nameASprite(spNum,spName) function that keeps track of sprites, so I can refer to sprites in LIngo by name using another function spriteNamed(spName). REALLY, REALLY useful.
Lingo vs Javascript? Why two?: I know it's great to have choice, and I still prefer Lingo out of habit, but if it mean't Adobe could spend more time on developing the features of Director and less on implementing it in 2 languages, I'd happily switch to JS-only...
Different variable types: I would like to speed up my programs by being able to define my variable types too. Lingo is a basic type programming language and variables are not defined in those kinds of programming languages, and that is great for many purposes, but I would also like to be able to define some of my variables as i.e. small integer, byte, char etc. Of course projectors should handle those defined variables faster than the general variable type. Benefit: faster calculations, faster byte checks etc. why not? What I am saying is that we can have both the general variable type that is used in lingo today and defined variable types too. This is one of the things I miss from c++ and c# which I also program, but I prefer Director because of the fast development time, and computers today are fast enough for running Director projectors for most purposes, but not intensive calculations. [posted by Max DK]

Projector specific

Improved speed!: Option to compile for projectors [posted by Luke]
Native reading/writing binary data and images (jpg, png files) - possibly by incorporating the file-handling functions from the server-lingo engine in SMUS: Its a fairly common requirement to write data - and should not require a 3rd party Xtra. [posted by Luke]
Full Keyboard access and lockdown: The ability to solidly acces ALL keys on a standard 101 keyboard. Cross platform of course. :)
Publish the projector in Java again. And hope that it can export it for mobile.: Write mini game in Director is much quick and easier than Flash!

Shockwave specific

No more Yahoo (or any other bundled software) with the Shockwave installer

It does serious harm to the perception of Shockwave as anything other that a games-related platform. [posted by Luke]

Remove the shockwave.com re-direct

Site owners are working hard-enough to get visitors - do not then send the visitors away to another site such as shockwave.com (which is possibly a competitor!) [posted by Luke]

Make Shockwave easier to install (and the full installer freely distributable). Encourage magazines (etc) to include the Shockwave install on their CDs

Shockwave plugin installation is one of the major impediments - especially to non-games orientated projects [posted by Luke]

Silent Installer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO Yahoo, no Shockwave redirect, no information form.

Just 2 clicks and done! Auto update!