Is there an updated set of instructions available?

[taylor234]

I am trying to learn how to use RC, but the mismatch between the instructions in the Wiki and the actual product (3.5) are making it very difficult. Some procedures seem to work and others don't. Some screen shots match what I see and others don't. Some keyboard shortcuts work and others don't. Each time I encounter a mismatch like this, I have to stop and try to figure out if I am doing something wrong or the instructions are dated. (Or whether the problem lies in a difference between the LE and full version; for this I don't have a clue).

Do you have an updated set of instructions in the works? Is there a draft I could take a look at? Or anything else I could use to help me get up to speed? E.g., a summary of UI changes in the third generation?

This product is pure genius. A composition tool that takes advantage of all the nested structure in music? It's something I have dreamed of having for years. I want to dive right in and play, but I just keep getting hung up on things that don't seem to work. HELP!

[musicdevelopments]

Hello, and welcome to this forum!
Thank you for your kind words!

I am doing my best to keep the wiki up-to-date. The UI changes constantly and I find it impossible to update all the screenshots. Please let me know which instructions should I check and update, and I'll do that.

I think the keyboard shortcuts are up-to-date. You can check the current shortcuts under the Settings / Keyboard Shortcuts tab. When using shortcuts please make sure the relevant area (tracks, master track, timeline, workspace, etc) is in keyboard focus before using that shortcut.

Thanks,
Attila

[taylor234]

Thanks, Attila. I will start over in the wiki and note down all the screens that don't match what I see in the product so you can know which ones to update. I'll also record things I can't figure out how to do and flag those so you can see if there is a problem in the text. I'll send these annotations to you as I go along so you won't have to wait until I make it all the way through the manual (assuming I do). What's the best email address to send them to?

Thanks also for the tip on the keyboard shortcuts. I'll go back through and make sure the focus is correct when I'm trying to use a local shortcut. I've already tried a couple and I now see that I wasn't always following that rule.

BTW, I've worked in the SW industry for many years and designed (and sometimes coded) multiple software systems, usually with a focus on the user experience. I have also managed the documentation of those systems, including end user guides. If you like, I can also keep a log of refinements that might make RC easier to use, and I have a few ideas about how to improve the instructions in the wiki/manual to ease the learning process. I'm a cognitive psychologist, so thinking in terms of the user experience and smoothing out learning curves is second-nature to me.

However, I don't want to offer you feedback that you might not want, so just let me know your preference. I think what you have built is fantastic and would be happy to assist you in making it evem better.

Regards,

David Taylor

[Fas-Art]

A cognitive psychologist turning into a (rapid) composer! That's an offer you can't refuse, Atilla.

[musicdevelopments]

Hi David,

thank you for offering your help in improving the user experience. I am grateful for any suggestions about the wiki or software.

In the past I implemented lots of requests from users, almost all of them. I find it important that the software should not do what I think it should do, but what is actually required by real users.

Please send your findings and suggestions to the info at m...developments.com address.

Many thanks!
Attila

[musicdevelopments]

A cognitive psychologist turning into a (rapid) composer! That's an offer you can't refuse, Atilla.

No, I really can't

[taylor234]

Will do!

[bagelfish]

The software is complex, as it needs to be to generate usable ideas. A reliable set of instructions written from the user experience would be fantastic.