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Block Keeper: Cross platform desktop timer

Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
64
WCA
2012BRAS01
If you allow me to import my thousands of solves from prisma puzzle timer, I will switch to your timer. I really like the look and functionality of it.
 

Elf

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2014
Messages
25
Location
Germany
WCA
2013FISC01
I recently started doing Multiblind and thought of the following:
Would it be possible to implement a way of generating as many scrambles as I want to solve cubes? For example I tried 2 but Block Keeper always gave me 5 Scrambles.
I also think that there should be a different way of ranking the times and calculating the average because mbld is not about time but about Points. So if there would be the possibility that I could say first how many cubes I want to attempt to solve, then Block Keeper generates the number of scrambles I want and after my attempt I can enter in the number of solved and unsolved cubes. This would be really great because now I only see the time, but when I do multiple attempts I'm pretty sure that I will lose track of the Points I got for each attempt. I think it would be cool if the number of cubes would be adjustable for each session ( so that I will get a session for 5 cubes, where it gives me 5 scrambles, a session for 7 or 10 cubes, where it gives me 7 or 10 scrambles ... )
Also, If the times in a session are really high (like my 20 Minute 4 bld solves) the y axis in the session trend becomes unreadable.
With the new changes and maybe even this implemented Block Keeper will definitely become my main timer :) Great work DalDal :D
 

DalDal

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Messages
150
Location
Adelaide
WCA
2017MCNE01
I recently started doing Multiblind and thought of the following:
Would it be possible to implement a way of generating as many scrambles as I want to solve cubes? For example I tried 2 but Block Keeper always gave me 5 Scrambles.
I also think that there should be a different way of ranking the times and calculating the average because mbld is not about time but about Points. So if there would be the possibility that I could say first how many cubes I want to attempt to solve, then Block Keeper generates the number of scrambles I want and after my attempt I can enter in the number of solved and unsolved cubes. This would be really great because now I only see the time, but when I do multiple attempts I'm pretty sure that I will lose track of the Points I got for each attempt. I think it would be cool if the number of cubes would be adjustable for each session ( so that I will get a session for 5 cubes, where it gives me 5 scrambles, a session for 7 or 10 cubes, where it gives me 7 or 10 scrambles ... )
Also, If the times in a session are really high (like my 20 Minute 4 bld solves) the y axis in the session trend becomes unreadable.
With the new changes and maybe even this implemented Block Keeper will definitely become my main timer :) Great work DalDal :D

Thanks. Many of those changes above are necessary for creating a great multi blind experience. But a point based system, multiple times (including drawing them) and other specific multi blind features are better suited for a completely seperate tool that can deliver a better interface. For instance, you don't need the timer to be front and centre, you only need it in the corner, because it isn't the most important part, where you could have the list of scrambles and them being drawn as the main part which you could tick off when you finish the solve. I would like to make a multi blind tool at the start of next year, but for now, you could rescramble (control+S) to get all the scrambles you need. Sorry :)
 

Hazel

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
1,681
Location
in your walls :3
A few suggestions:
- Allow multiple "Other"s in cube type, and allow the user to change the name of them
- I have a weird bug where some of the times in the session just don't show up: https://imgur.com/HwJzCyG

It doesn't show any times before that, and it's a problem with every cube type, but it still shows me the scramble when i hover over the spaces.
I had just imported them from cstimer, I can give you the import file if you like
 

DalDal

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Messages
150
Location
Adelaide
WCA
2017MCNE01
A few suggestions:
- Allow multiple "Other"s in cube type, and allow the user to change the name of them
- I have a weird bug where some of the times in the session just don't show up: https://imgur.com/HwJzCyG

It doesn't show any times before that, and it's a problem with every cube type, but it still shows me the scramble when i hover over the spaces.
I had just imported them from cstimer, I can give you the import file if you like

- I'm planning to do a big event update in a future version (1.4) which will allow you to customise events (add, remove, rename, specify properties of them like blind or OH, default scrambler) but that will be a while
- I haven't seen that issue before, do times appear when you scroll up or does it look like something is blocking them? Thanks
 

Hazel

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
1,681
Location
in your walls :3
- I'm planning to do a big event update in a future version (1.4) which will allow you to customise events (add, remove, rename, specify properties of them like blind or OH, default scrambler) but that will be a while
- I haven't seen that issue before, do times appear when you scroll up or does it look like something is blocking them? Thanks
Actually they just started working, I think the import was just still loading or something :D
EDIT: Also, is there/could there be a way to import scrambles?
 
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Elf

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2014
Messages
25
Location
Germany
WCA
2013FISC01
Thanks. Many of those changes above are necessary for creating a great multi blind experience. But a point based system, multiple times (including drawing them) and other specific multi blind features are better suited for a completely seperate tool that can deliver a better interface. For instance, you don't need the timer to be front and centre, you only need it in the corner, because it isn't the most important part, where you could have the list of scrambles and them being drawn as the main part which you could tick off when you finish the solve. I would like to make a multi blind tool at the start of next year, but for now, you could rescramble (control+S) to get all the scrambles you need. Sorry :)
Yeah, I understand that, but it is great that you want to realize something like that. My multiblind practice also will not be over next year and until then I will just take a sheet of paper and note all the attempts :)
 

Hazel

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
1,681
Location
in your walls :3
Also, alternate scramble types for the "Other" sessions would be great, 3x3x5 would be the top priority for me but also things like csTimer's 3x3 subsets and relays would be cool too.
 

DalDal

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Messages
150
Location
Adelaide
WCA
2017MCNE01
I have added the option to set the scrambler at any time to a specific event or the recommended scrambler by default for the next version. With the planned event system, there will be a lot of freedom to create relay or subset events. I can't promise I will have every scrambler to begin with for these, but overtime I will try to add more.
 

Hazel

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
1,681
Location
in your walls :3
I have added the option to set the scrambler at any time to a specific event or the recommended scrambler by default for the next version. With the planned event system, there will be a lot of freedom to create relay or subset events. I can't promise I will have every scrambler to begin with for these, but overtime I will try to add more.
Awesome! That sounds great :D
 

Hazel

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
1,681
Location
in your walls :3
Another question, sorry, are you able to just type in times? I don't have the necessary cables to connect to my computer.
 

Hazel

Premium Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
1,681
Location
in your walls :3
Exactly! you can also click the plus in the top left corner of the times list
Speaking of that, would it be possible in the next update to make it so that the header row (the plus button and the "Time", "Ao5", and "Ao12" next to it) doesn't scroll with the time list?
 
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
64
WCA
2012BRAS01
I have a proposal relating to sessions. I thought I'd get this in while you're refactoring the code.

I want my sessions to reset every day, but I also want to have separate sessions for different methods. I'm sure there are people who'd like to have different sessions for different cubes, a separate session for color neutral solves, a separate session for slow turning, or anything like that.

Now the way sessions currently work, I would have to create a whole bunch of new sessions every day if I wanted to keep my days separated out. This loses the helpfulness of sessions since all the helpful information (ie progress on a new method) is lost.

I think a solution to this problem would be to separate sessions and what I would like to call styles. I'm not a huge fan of the name "styles" (it can be easily confused with themes) but it gets across the right idea and therefore is good for now. I could have 3 styles, CFOP, Roux, and ZZ, and each of those would have sessions.

The drop-down that currently scrolls between sessions would instead scroll between styles, and to get the history of that style (sessions before the current one), you would open up a separate window to scroll through your solves. Something like PPT would be awesome, with maybe separators between sessions.

With styles, it becomes worthless to look at stats for the overall event, so the Event Statistics tool could be replaced with a Style Statistics tool.

Of course, there are people who wouldn't want to separate sessions out. I think the most sensible way to deal with this option is to be able to configure how much time has to elapse between solves in order for the solve to count for a different session, ranging from a couple of minutes to never.

So to recap:
- Each event would have styles
- Each style would have a collection of sessions

I realize I may not have made any sense, so if anyone has questions, I can clarify.

Thanks for having made such a great timer, I hope you continue to listen to feedback and improve it! :D
 

DalDal

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Messages
150
Location
Adelaide
WCA
2017MCNE01
Thanks.
Quick update on the refactoring, about 75% through and hoping to finish in the next couple of days and get back to adding features.

I think having most of the functionality above is a great idea and I have been factoring this into my work in the last few days. I use sessions for every day and mixing and matching different types is terrible. This is why I made the event based system because other timers generally don't differentiate sessions for different events, which means they become disorganised and you can't make comparisons in your long-term performance in the same way.

I like the idea of styles, but I think they just act like event subsets. They sometimes have different scramblers and different sessions, just like events. I think expanding events to be customisable is a better option as it can provide most if not all the functionality you stated, while also keeping the existing system and not complicated things further. So for 3x3x3 you could create a Roux event and a CFOP event, and practise in each separately. To add daily sessions, just add a new session to each as you go (easy with Ctrl-N) and your on your way. Let me know if I missed the point or anything else. :)
 
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
64
WCA
2012BRAS01
I like the idea of styles, but I think they just act like event subsets. They sometimes have different scramblers and different sessions, just like events. I think expanding events to be customisable is a better option as it can provide most if not all the functionality you stated, while also keeping the existing system and not complicated things further. So for 3x3x3 you could create a Roux event and a CFOP event, and practise in each separately. To add daily sessions, just add a new session to each as you go (easy with Ctrl-N) and your on your way. Let me know if I missed the point or anything else. :)

I'm kind of surprised I haven't thought of this that way actually. Having custom events is basically exactly what I proposed except you lose the organization of having, for example, CFOP and Roux grouped together under 3x3, in exchange for simplicity. I'm totally fine with that tradeoff.
 
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