I imagine that there are must be a number of people on this forum who have learned how to use Codea but want ideas for apps that they can develop. Obviously that isn’t everyone - many would have their own ideas - but there must be some who would like a project to work on.
I have had a bit of a look through the forums but can’t find anywhere where people post project ideas. (I’m happy to be pointed in the right direction if that is not the case.)
So I, for example, am a science teacher and would like a simple app that displays a customisable combination of protective equipment symbols and warning signs (e.g., safety glasses, corrosive chemicals) to stay on a projector screen while students do experiments. Pretty simple, but satisfying for someone who wants something that they can put on the App Store and know that it will be used.
@Cozman - to be quite frank, it sounds as though you are looking for someone to develop an app for you, for nothing.
It’s unlikely that this app would sell many copies, and it doesn’t sound very challenging or interesting.
It’s also not really what Codea is designed for - showing a static image. Powerpoint (or the iPad equivalent) would do an admirable job of this, if you just set up a few alternative slides.
@Ignatz - a little unfair. Seemed like a fairly legitimate request and actually quite a good idea at that. There are probably loads of programmers who can code but don’t have many interesting ideas to practise with, and possibly lots of creative people with the ideas but neither the time nor the skill to program them (and I know from experience that spare time is something teachers don’t have a lot of!) I’m somewhere in the middle - I’m starting to code a little but often have more ideas than time. A page to share ideas would be a great addition and could be quite satisfying to see other people bring them to fruition.
@Cozman - I would be up for having a crack at your app idea as long as you were to supply any relevant graphics and I might even upload it to the App Store for you once I’ve acquired a developer license. As Ignatz says, sounds pretty simple (and might even be better suited to html/js) but I’m not 100% sure what you’re asking for so would need more details. There are also a few members far more experienced than myself (such as @Dave1707, for example) who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at whipping up some quick code!
Well, a large app (not like the one I’ve described above) would not necessarily be for nothing.
What I’m getting at is that it would be useful to have a spot on the boards where a negotiation between customers and developers can take place. If not, not to worry.
@Cozman The project you described is a good idea to learn Codea with, but I agree with @Ignatz, unless the images are going to be animated or have fancy effects, Its not worth the trouble setting it up just to put on the AppStore or personal use.
Actually the app can be loaded with a whole bunch of images. When the program runs, you get a list of the images that you can select. The images you selected are displayed on the screen that can be shown on a projector or the screen can be printed to clear film and also shown on a projector. Could be useful to someone.
Ignatz, I don’t want to cause offense, since this is my first post, but Keynote (i.e., PPT for iPad) would not be the best solution IMO since there are a large number of possible combinations among the 15 or so different symbols for appropriate personal protective equipment, hazard symbols and disposal methods.
Such an app could easily be supplemented with sub-parts such as a countdown timer and other simple things that would be useful for a teacher.
Thank you for your offer Scott - I have the images ready to go, as these are international standard. I’d be happy to give you some specs, and you could have a crack at it if you felt it was worthwhile.
And again, I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. It’s not about this individual idea, but about having somewhere where people could acquire a project of their own to work on if they wish.
@Dave1707@Ignatz - I know what you’re saying, as Codea is almost overkill for what’s effectively a slideshow app but It’s the ability to select varying combinations that is at issue here I believe. Sounds like a worthwhile project.
@Cozman - no problem. I’m still pretty new to this myself but my route into coding was through web development and design so at least I might be able to make it look pretty Inbox me a link to the images (Dropbox or something similar) along with the exact spec/functionality you’re after (such as Timer etc - very simple to do, recently put one in my first game…) and I’ll use it as a learning project. I could even use this thread to run it past the more experienced guys before giving it back to you.
@ScottDafydd@Cozman - I don’t know if you’re aware. but creating and submitting an app requires a Mac and an Apple developer’s licence ($99), plus several steps required to export the code from Codea.
It’s not something I’ve done, and others can give you advice on how to do it.
Yes, that is an obstacle. I could distribute it in-house, but I suppose that might not be as satisfying for the programmer as they could not track it or get feedback. Hmm.
Thanks @Ignatz - Was already aware of both these things but will never say no to free help and advice. Getting an apple developer license was already on my list of things to do this year. That said @Cozman, I believe the $99 license is only for commercial projects and that you can distribute free apps without one (I’m willing to be corrected on this if anyone knows better). Distributing the Codea code in-house would require everyone who used it to have purchased the Codea app so might not work out much cheaper in the long run.
@ScottDafydd If you want to release anything in the App Store or install a non released project on ios you need the $99 Apple Dev Lic. You can download xCode and play with the emulator but you can not transfer the app to the ipad.
Thanks @Briarfox. I thought I had read somewhere that if you weren’t charging for the apps or monetizing it through iAds then you didn’t need the $99 license but I stand corrected. Still, I’m hoping to purchase the paid license in the next few weeks anyway for some non-Codea projects I’m working on. Interested to see how easy it is to export to xcode from Codea but might wait until v2.0 so I can play around with music too!
Inbox me a link to the images (Dropbox or something similar) along with the exact spec/functionality you’re after (such as Timer etc - very simple to do, recently put one in my first game…) and I’ll use it as a learning project. I could even use this thread to run it past the more experienced guys before giving it back to you.