Feedback - Why I can't go ahead with purchase

  • Hi all,

    I'm a developer/designer and was planning on using VideoScribe to convey product concepts in the form of a video(s) to my fellow team members. Conveying those types of concepts, of course, require more "slides" and transitions than what I would expect from your normal user videos.

    Here is a list of features I would love to see in a future version.

    1) Selection of multiple slides to set shared properties in one go.
    2) Grouping of slides, that can be moved and managed as a single entity.
    3) Merging of slides, e.g. merging boxed text becoming a single slide.
    4) Naming of slides, hard to morph when you can't find the source slide to morph from.
    5) Slides previews showing exactly as on the canvas.
    6) Direct drawing. I have a wacom and would love to draw on the canvas without having to go the whole Inkscape route. Even drawing arrows would be faster and easier than using the image library.(Some might even prefer a more unique look)
    7) Oh, the rotation tool mechanism, really hard to use... Don't think it can be any more user unfriendly.

    But, you guys have a really great product, it's just not there for me yet.

    Thanks for reading.

    1 person likes this idea
  • Hi, I'm a user too.

    2) good news/bad news: you can multi-select elements in the timeline or on the canvas and move them around the canvas as a unit using the mouse or arrow keys. I think multi select is ctrl+click on PC and maybe cmd+click on mac. Normally you can also move multiple thumbnails in the timeline to a different place in the timeline. However I think this functionality is broken in the current version. At least it was when I last tried it. Scaling multiple selected items is no good as they each scale from their center point and at different rates.
    7) good news: for easy rotation, click the rotation symbol and hold down the mouse button. then drag  your mouse cursor about 3 or 4 or 5 inches to the right. Now move your mouse up and down a bit and see how easy the rotation is to control. The further you move your mouse from the rotation symbol, (in any direction really) the easier the rotation is to control. Also you can set specific rotation degrees numerically in the properties menu.


    (For the sake of using a consistent term that has been designated by the software provider, Individual images and text blocks are considered "elements". The images in the timeline at the bottom of the screen are considered "thumbnail images". When the term "slide" is used, some people assume it means one element, some people assume it means multiple elements that are grouped together, and some people think it means a specific camera position. Also we end up with a lot of threads asking how can I create a new slide like in powerpoint (you can't):
    how to create a new (fresh) slide.
    Adding slides
    How do I make a new "transition" or "slide"? )

    -Mike (videoscribe user)



    -Mike (videoscribe user)

     

  • Thanks for the reply Mike.

    "Elements", great, thanks, I'll be sure to use the term in future :)

    I found rotation very hard to tweak as it sort of resets based on your mouse position when you want to 'tweak' an existing rotated item. I guess I should have made it clearer that re-rotating is the big problem.

    And another one I forgot.
    8) Ability to keep existing line style(thickness) when scaling elements. (i.e. more text require bigger box but same line width as current context)

    Thanks

     

  • I agree, the rotation tool is very unfriendly to use. If the user could move away from the center, before starting the rotation, or CHOOSE the center of rotation, it might be more intuitive and accurate.


    I pay for VS on an "as-needed" basis because in spite of its glaring short-comings, it does certain things well and is, overall, much easier to use than After Effects.


    I keep hoping to see a greatly improved version each time I come back. 

  • I may not have explained my rotation tip clearly enough... because its really really easy to rotate effectively. You just click and hold down the mouse button on the rotate icon... then drag your mouse pointer as far as you want from the rotate icon with the mouse button still depressed. Then you move the mouse pointer around in a much wider arc around the element to rotate it easily and with pretty good precision.

    You can also set exact rotation percentages in the properties menu if you need more precision.

     

    -Mike(videoscribe user)

  • I realize it is unfair to judge against Adobe Illustrator, where I can set the center of rotation anywhere then rotate at minute angles. Yes, it’s easy to rotate in VS. It is just not precise. Keying in the rotation is a good option.
  • Yes, you can key in degrees of rotation in the element properties. You can add minus values to rotate anti-clockwise.


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