Ownership LOVE Core3 graphics. They love the industrial design of the panels. They like the price. They have yet to catch on to the issue of possible theft. From a marketing and sales perspective Crestron has been quite astute.
Once over the learning curve Core3 is not as bad as some make out. But the learning curve, particularly in the beginning, is steep. The videos are very well done and a very good start. There are worse things in the world than having to code a clock manually, but really, it does call into question the decision tree being used. Why have useless keypads, cursors and tab objects available but no clock object? Old history. But lets bring it up to date. RAVA. A useless example program, that cannot work in the system you will load it. Why might that be? So why put the program out if it has no pedagogic purpose? Why teach the proper way to implement is by data entry into the touch panel rather than serial strings from the program?
Why must I get an error message when placing a tab with the same smart ID on multiple pages/subpages? It does no harm so why not allow me to turn the damned thing off--or better yet why have a smart ID for what is nothing more than a button graphic? I get it that these objects will fit into Studio's grand design but that is something for the future. Why bring these syntactical issues into being now? Dumb comment, but, perhaps, you can sense the frustration that comes with implementing this "improvement." Managing CED files has finally become easier but why did it take so long to implement a feature that ought to have been part of the original release? Finally, the inability to properly save a 750 as a 1050 makes one wonder not merely about engineering decisions but marketing as well.
Someone in Rockleigh must think that Marie Antoinette was correct when she said, of disgruntled Sans-Culottes, let them eat cake. I don't think Crestron gave much thought to the impact on programmers and programming till the outcry reached a crescendo and the result has been a mad scramble to silence the uproar with PR campaign to keep the dogs from barking overmuch. Clearly, they're listening. We now have a clock object in our Core3 toolbox.
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--- In Crestron@..., Neil Dorin <neildorin@...> wrote:
School of hands on hard knocks. That's how I learned Smart Graphics and its paid off in spades. I now hate non Smart Graphics projects and avoid them wherever possible.
Sent from my iPhone
On 2013-08-15, at 8:44 PM, "goofy_1562" <jon@...> wrote:
As others have said John great to see that you are taking notice and taking the time to reply.
My main complaint with the Core 3 stuff is lack of training, We live on the other side of the planet so I don't know if you guys have specific training for Core 3 in the US. Our sales guys here love selling new stuff....TSW 1050 and 750's being their favourite... So it leaves us to carry on regardless of our opinions, On starting my first Core 3 a while ago I rang up our support here in Oz and was told to watch the videos on the website as that was all there was, it helped a little but no way explained the nuances of switching from the old VT Pro. So again its doing stuff self taught so you really don't know if you are really doing it the correct or quickest way
My 2c
Cheers Jon
--- In Crestron@..., John Pavlik <jpavlik@> wrote:
Sounds like I'd better show up at Master's class this year - because none of that feedback made it back to me.
Look, we can't do everything and we can't do it all immediately. And yes, inertia sometimes comes into play. The bottom line is that Fred and I do very much care what you have to say and please don't stop telling us what you want and need.
In a lot of cases of course, everyone wants something different and so "make a product that is this" sorts of comments are good but of course will take the longest to gel. In other cases, there may be infrastructure shifts that we've made (and in some cases those shifts are still looking years down the road) and so the request is backtracking from the bigger picture.
We have made a lot of changes in engineering over the last year to improve quality and change some of the direction - but it takes months and months for those efforts to show up at your doorstep.
To address a few things that I've seen recently...
- I lost track of who updated the splash screens in the software but I thought that was classic. I am sorry that it was done out of frustration but thanks for giving me a chuckle.
- No engineering resources were harmed in updating the icons. Frankly, I was surprised as you were to see them changed. That doesn't go through Architecture review!
- Rebooting the TSW nightly is a stopgap. Creating an embedded product these days is much more complicated than it was years ago and has all sorts of operating system and supplier nuances (and legalities on source code, etc). But we have been actively pursuing solutions for some time now. I am a frustrated as you are that we are still doing this.
- Crestron Studio - well, I think the answer is that it isn't ready for anybody on this forum. I'll be honest, my team doesn't use it either. But as someone pointed out, if we don't get the feedback from everyone here it will never be what you want. But, the database thing has been well discussed and there is agreement that what is there is not appropriate for what many of you are doing. So, there will be changes. But not soon enough - that nasty priority thing again. The immediate goal it to improve upon on the program generation aspects of the system to allow more automatic system generation. I wouldn't call it System Builder but maybe System Builder re-imagined, where logic is generated but not untouchable, and customizations and mix and match code really work. Probably not of any interest to this group, but we need it in the market as a whole.
- Meanwhile, we have been investing heavily in SIMPL Windows and VTPro. For example, SIMPL Windows is going to be getting the automatic CED File management that it so very sorely needs.
- And for those about to jump on why do we even have CED files, I do have a skunk works project to try and produce at least a flat view dpad and number pad. Haven't quite figured out the best way to release it yet.
So, while we don't necessarily share back what we've heard and what we are doing about it, we do listen and it does cause change. Probably not as fast as you want it and probably not everything you want but don't stop sharing.
I want Crestron to be the best that it can be. And to do that we need the continued support of all of you. You all are a big part of what Crestron has become and I need you to continue to do that. I know its frustrating at times. As I lie awake at 3am staring at the ceiling I think about these things too! But I think together we can continue to make strives and be a mutual success.
I will see many of you at CEDIA so that you can complain in person! And I think most of you know how to get it touch with me one way or another so feel free.
John Pavlik
Crestron Electronics, Inc.
Director, Architecture & Design
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