Any chance at all of an iPad app?

[happyslayer]

Hey there,

 

So I got my iPad on 4-3-10 and I have been actively trying to find an app that would let me edit my novels/stories that I have been writing in Storyist on my laptop.

 

I have messed around with Pages and MyWritingNook and while both apps are pretty good, they do not really play well with Storyist. I can save as RTF and export to iWork or cut and paste into the App, but this loses all my Chapter/scene breaks and makes it a real pain to put my edits back into Storyist.

 

Would it even be possible to make a VERY limited version of Storyist for iPad that let's me keep my chapter/scene breaks. I don't really care about the storyboards and the separate character/plot sheets.

 

Also, I wouldn't worry about the iPhone... It's screen is way too small to write on. (JMO)

 

So, that's my request.

 

Thanks.

 

Oh and as always... I love Storyist on my laptop... Best writing software available!

[Joolissa]

I agree! I'm probably getting an iPad and would love to see even a limited version of Storyist on it. I think there are a lot of people who'd like it.

 

I disagree about the iPhone though. I'd want an iPhone app too, if even just for reading an annotating a file. I am often unable to read through my story without editing it unless it is on something I physically can't edit. Hense, putting it on the iPhone. I can do this already with by making it a PDF, but having a limited app that could read the .storyist file and add comments to the actual file that I could sync back to my laptop would be great.

[marguerite]

Yes, several iPad-owning beta testers, myself included, were wailing at Steve's feet even before the iPad itself hit the stores on April 3. You can get around the RTF limitations of Pages by exporting your Storyist file as .doc. When you read the file back in, Storyist should recognize (or accept instructions to recognize) your scene headings, as it recognizes chapters in novels (and sections, but it doesn't know what to call them, which is understandable if a big pain). You should also be able to set the Import Assistant to recognize the styles for character, dialogue, etc. I haven't tried importing a screenplay from .doc myself, though.

 

A simple Storyist app that could display the project pane and a manuscript, maybe in a couple of different views, so that you could keep working on the file from the iPad and avoid import/export would be great. It would also need to transfer files as Pages does, through iTunes (she wrote after wasting about two hours trying to figure out some goofy non-Storyist iPad app that tried to use Web browsers for transfer, so far to no avail).

 

Best,

Marguerite

[Joolissa]

Yes, several iPad-owning beta testers, myself included, were wailing at Steve's feet even before the iPad itself hit the stores on April 3. You can get around the RTF limitations of Pages by exporting your Storyist file as .doc. When you read the file back in, Storyist should recognize (or accept instructions to recognize) your scene headings, as it recognizes chapters in novels (and sections, but it doesn't know what to call them, which is understandable if a big pain). You should also be able to set the Import Assistant to recognize the styles for character, dialogue, etc. I haven't tried importing a screenplay from .doc myself, though.

 

A simple Storyist app that could display the project pane and a manuscript, maybe in a couple of different views, so that you could keep working on the file from the iPad and avoid import/export would be great. It would also need to transfer files as Pages does, through iTunes (she wrote after wasting about two hours trying to figure out some goofy non-Storyist iPad app that tried to use Web browsers for transfer, so far to no avail).

 

Best,

Marguerite

 

Oh yes, we are wailing and have been wailing.. even those of us who don't have an iPad yet. Haha.

 

 

M, couldn't transferring files work like the Stanza app does? I don't think you've used it unless they've got one for iPad, but on the iPhone, you just go into the "download books" section and if you have Stanza Desktop open (with sharing enabled), it finds it wirelessly and you can pull a file from your computer that way. I can imagine a Storyist App doing the same thing.

 

I would also think emailing the file could work as well, the same way http://www.jokeandbiagio.com/how-to-write-...lay-on-the-ipad their template works. Though, maybe that's reserved for Apple Apps only?

 

Lots of other apps can email backups and restore your backed up data via the web without going through iTunes. I think that could work for a Storyist app, unless going through iTunes would be easier (though I can't imagine it would be.)

 

- Jules

[marguerite]

Oh yes, we are wailing and have been wailing.. even those of us who don't have an iPad yet. Haha.

 

 

M, couldn't transferring files work like the Stanza app does? I don't think you've used it unless they've got one for iPad, but on the iPhone, you just go into the "download books" section and if you have Stanza Desktop open (with sharing enabled), it finds it wirelessly and you can pull a file from your computer that way. I can imagine a Storyist App doing the same thing.

 

I would also think emailing the file could work as well, the same way http://www.jokeandbiagio.com/how-to-write-...lay-on-the-ipad their template works. Though, maybe that's reserved for Apple Apps only?

 

Lots of other apps can email backups and restore your backed up data via the web without going through iTunes. I think that could work for a Storyist app, unless going through iTunes would be easier (though I can't imagine it would be.)

 

- Jules

Hi, Jules:

I'm sure there's a simple answer. I just haven't found it yet. I paid $6.99 for something called Mobile Document Viewer, which displays Word, Excel, PDF, and other files on the iPhone and iPad. Not a big deal, since Quick Look will display PDFs and Pages will open .doc files, if somewhat quirkily. But I thought it would be an inexpensive way to access a bunch of different types of files in one place. It also lets you organize stuff in folders, which is useful. Far as I can tell, it has no desktop equivalent.

 

I assumed it would work the same way as Pages and some other apps do. In the new iTunes, you click on Apps and find a list of apps that can transfer files. If you've connected an iPad, you can send files back and forth with ease by clicking "Add" [to iPad] or "Save as" [something on my computer]. But this Mobile Document Viewer, while it shows up as an app, doesn't appear in the list of apps that can transfer files. So I went to the user guide, which hasn't been updated for the iPad and turns out to be missing a few steps. First a window pops up asking me for a user name and password (not mentioned in the documentation, so I have no idea which user name and password it wants). Then Safari announces it cannot find the iPad address. User guide tells me to ping the address through Terminal (no result) and "Adjust your firewall settings," but doesn't say how. And that's where I've been stuck ever since. My firewall is set to let in traffic from my router subnet, so I don't know why it would block this. I can't imagine how the developer expects an average user to decode such gobbledegook—or even to use Terminal.

 

And yes, I tried e-mailing, which works great for PDFs (they open in Quick Look) and .doc files (ditto in Pages), but Mail doesn't recognize this Mobile Document Viewer at all.

Thanks for trying to help, though!

M

[Joolissa]

Hi, Jules:

I'm sure there's a simple answer. I just haven't found it yet. I paid $6.99 for something called Mobile Document Viewer, which displays Word, Excel, PDF, and other files on the iPhone and iPad. Not a big deal, since Quick Look will display PDFs and Pages will open .doc files, if somewhat quirkily. But I thought it would be an inexpensive way to access a bunch of different types of files in one place. It also lets you organize stuff in folders, which is useful. Far as I can tell, it has no desktop equivalent.

 

I assumed it would work the same way as Pages and some other apps do. In the new iTunes, you click on Apps and find a list of apps that can transfer files. If you've connected an iPad, you can send files back and forth with ease by clicking "Add" [to iPad] or "Save as" [something on my computer]. But this Mobile Document Viewer, while it shows up as an app, doesn't appear in the list of apps that can transfer files. So I went to the user guide, which hasn't been updated for the iPad and turns out to be missing a few steps. First a window pops up asking me for a user name and password (not mentioned in the documentation, so I have no idea which user name and password it wants). Then Safari announces it cannot find the iPad address. User guide tells me to ping the address through Terminal (no result) and "Adjust your firewall settings," but doesn't say how. And that's where I've been stuck ever since. My firewall is set to let in traffic from my router subnet, so I don't know why it would block this. I can't imagine how the developer expects an average user to decode such gobbledegook—or even to use Terminal.

 

And yes, I tried e-mailing, which works great for PDFs (they open in Quick Look) and .doc files (ditto in Pages), but Mail doesn't recognize this Mobile Document Viewer at all.

Thanks for trying to help, though!

M

 

Heh, I was actually suggesting ways that a Storyist app might work, but I am glad to have inadvertently tried to help. I wish I could actually help. I looked on Google and I couldn't find anything. Their support link is broken on iTunes and their website is horrible. If you aren't the person who left the second review in iTunes, someone else is having the same problems.

 

I think your emailing experience does answer the question about if you can email things for non-apple apps though, which is a bit disappointing. Maybe it is just Mobile Document Viewer though.

 

- Jools

[thealtruismsociety]

I am willing to pour a lot of time an effort helping to make this happen. It would be great of there was some way to keep the desktop and iPad version synced.

[marguerite]

I am that person. I made up the first name that occurred to me.

 

Alas, the other one-star review was not on the site when I forked over $6.99 for this sucker, but c'est la vie. Worst case: I'm out $6.99. I think I'll survive.

Best,

M

[Joolissa]

Ditto TAS.

 

That's too bad M. I hope you can get it figured out somehow!

 

- Julz

[marguerite]

Heh, I was actually suggesting ways that a Storyist app might work, but I am glad to have inadvertently tried to help. I wish I could actually help. I looked on Google and I couldn't find anything. Their support link is broken on iTunes and their website is horrible. If you aren't the person who left the second review in iTunes, someone else is having the same problems.

 

I think your emailing experience does answer the question about if you can email things for non-apple apps though, which is a bit disappointing. Maybe it is just Mobile Document Viewer though.

 

- Jools

Word is not an Apple app. I trust Steve, once he caves under all the wailing, to find a solution.

M

[Joolissa]

Word? Are you referring to the .doc file you opened? I thought you said that opened in Pages, which is an Apple App. I meant that emailing a file, may only work within an Apple App, and it would not recognize non-apple apps. For example, if I had a hypothetical app like Tracking App 1000, and it can read .TA1 files... I wouldn't be able to email a .TA1 file to my iPad and have the App get it, because it isn't an Apple App, versus if I was to email a .doc file, Pages would open it just fine. Does that make sense?

 

I'm sure you're right. Steve will find an elegant solution, once he caves.

 

- Jules

[thealtruismsociety]

Start caving, I don't even have my iPad yet. And would SOMEONE test the html5 media player I linked, please lol.

[Joolissa]

I would, but I don't have one. You'll have to bug M or Thoth about it.

[Joolissa]

I could try it on my iPhone if you'd like.....

[thealtruismsociety]

I could try it on my iPhone if you'd like.....

 

Nah cause the iphone it opens the underlying media file, doesn't play it in the browser like on the iPad.

[marguerite]

Hi, TAS:

Yes, the link looks great on the iPad.

 

Sorry, Jules, I missed your point. Yes, you are right. The .doc file opens in Pages, which is Apple's own app. But I did have another app, which I am pretty sure was not Apple's, that did use iTunes to transfer files. So I think the problem with Mobile Document Viewer is more that it's an iPhone app that so far has had a very basic overhaul for the iPad, plus the developer seems a bit clueless in terms of what users actually need in terms of instructions. Most likely, the company did not have an actual iPad to use in testing and just rushed the app out before adapting it fully.

 

To be continued,

M

[Steve]

So I got my iPad on 4-3-10 and I have been actively trying to find an app that would let me edit my novels/stories that I have been writing in Storyist on my laptop.

 

I have messed around with Pages and MyWritingNook and while both apps are pretty good, they do not really play well with Storyist. I can save as RTF and export to iWork or cut and paste into the App, but this loses all my Chapter/scene breaks and makes it a real pain to put my edits back into Storyist.

 

Would it even be possible to make a VERY limited version of Storyist for iPad that let's me keep my chapter/scene breaks. I don't really care about the storyboards and the separate character/plot sheets.

 

Also, I wouldn't worry about the iPhone... It's screen is way too small to write on. (JMO)

 

So, that's my request.

 

Thanks.

 

Oh and as always... I love Storyist on my laptop... Best writing software available!

 

Hi Happyslayer,

 

Thanks for the kind words and for the request.

 

As I mentioned elsewhere, I'm looking into an iPad version. How do you envision yourself using Storyist on iPad vs. Storyist desktop?

 

-Steve

[marguerite]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I'm looking into an iPad version. How do you envision yourself using Storyist on iPad vs. Storyist desktop?

-Steve

Yea! Hip, hip, hooray!

 

I would like to be able to transfer the .story file to the iPad in some simple way without having to export it, move around the file, type in it and save my changes, add and delete scenes/chapters/sections, navigate using the Project View, and access and edit sheets. Then I would like to be able to read the file back into the desktop version of Storyist, again in an intuitive way and as a native (not imported) file and have it operate like any other .story file that has never left the Desktop. I would like to be able to see my images and perhaps drag them into new places. I would like to view my files as text, outline, and Storyboard/Collage.

 

That would be enough for me for openers. Split views and such have their merits, but given the size of the iPad screen I can see they might be a bit much.

 

For me, it would expand my writing time into the evenings, which I would like. That's my main reason for begging for an iPad app that is integrated with Storyist Desktop.

Best,

M

[thealtruismsociety]

The MAIN thing would be the ability to move a file to the iPad write move back to the desktop and I'm where I was on the iPad. The only way currently is emailing your self a file correct?

 

To be honest the most important thing would be the manuscript interface and the styles to carry over. Because of the two viewing styles I suggest portait is the same as full screen, pure writing. Where as lanscape you could have a 3 pane with links on the left Main writing taking up MOST of the top half of the rest of the screen and the third panel taking up maybe 1/3 of the bottom of the screen to show notepads entries, photos etc.

 

If you look at Omm writer, I think some of what it does for JUST the fullscreen portion would be cool. Soothing backgrounds, soothing sounds and keyboard key sounds (Sounds like it would be distracting but try that program, it's great.)

 

Autosave of course.

 

Now here is where we should REALLY think about what can be done with the touch interface.

 

Steve I'm assuming you have or have looked at the SDK. Can you tell me the touch options? IE: Double tap, swipe, etc.

[Steve E]

...How do you envision yourself using Storyist on iPad vs. Storyist desktop?

I don't see doing anything on the iPad that I wouldn't also do on my desktop. But I can see two things that I'd want to do on the iPad: Outlining; Editing.

 

Thoth.

[thealtruismsociety]

While your at it an iPhone that only does editing would be welcome as well.

[thealtruismsociety]

Also I'd take the iPad app as a fresh start to dress up the UI some. A favorite site of mine for UI talk is.

 

http://www.beautifulpixels.com/

[Joolissa]

Hi Happyslayer,

 

Thanks for the kind words and for the request.

 

As I mentioned elsewhere, I'm looking into an iPad version. How do you envision yourself using Storyist on iPad vs. Storyist desktop?

 

-Steve

 

I would do everything the same on both if it were possible. When I get an iPad, I want to use it for as much as possible since my laptop is now my sole computer and I need to save wear and tear on it. Being able to do my writing on the iPad is one more thing I could check off the list of things I'd need my laptop for. I can imagine some pretty interesting solutions for the different views in Storyist... for example, index cards, with more cards under them (like chapter cards) could be handled like the photo albums (where they're all stacked on each other and you can pinch them open for a quick view)... as could groups of characters, plot groups, scene groups, etc. To give the views more screen space, the project pane could be a pop out drawer type menu, as could the tool bar. I think there's lots of potential and I would use whatever was made available.

 

At the bare minimum, I'd like to be able to read and annotate my manuscript. If we can edit it, I'd like to see all the organizational tools preserved, such as automatic section sheet creation etc. etc. Or at least have Storyist Desktop be able to add all those things upon syncing up.

 

 

Also I'd take the iPad app as a fresh start to dress up the UI some. A favorite site of mine for UI talk is.

 

http://www.beautifulpixels.com/

 

I think that if the UI look was changed very much for the iPad, it would also have to be changed for the Desktop/Website/etc. because you have to keep things consistent and looking unified. It's part of the brand. I'm not against a UI change, though I think it's fine as is, but I would rather have an iPad version and other features added sooner than have Steve worry about redesigning the UI. Some people may feel the opposite though. Either way it is ultimately up to Steve.

 

Beautiful Pixels is a cool looking site. I'll have to check it out more in depth soon.

 

- Jules

[thealtruismsociety]

I always thought a COOL feature for the screenwriting aspect for the iPad version would be this.

 

Imagine if you could PLAY the entire movie out.

 

Scenes would slide from right to left.

 

Action would be typed out

 

Character dialogue would pop out a character card with the dialogue, when another character talks another card flips in saying those lines.

 

Basically an interactive playthrough of your script.

 

I think in this way it would be easier to see how the script works. Maybe have the ability to do then entire script or highlight a group of scene tos do and see how things work.

[thealtruismsociety]

I think that if the UI look was changed very much for the iPad, it would also have to be changed for the Desktop/Website/etc. because you have to keep things consistent and looking unified. It's part of the brand. I'm not against a UI change, though I think it's fine as is, but I would rather have an iPad version and other features added sooner than have Steve worry about redesigning the UI. Some people may feel the opposite though. Either way it is ultimately up to Steve.

 

Beautiful Pixels is a cool looking site. I'll have to check it out more in depth soon.

 

- Jules

 

Remember too that iPhone and iPad users are used to more UI design than desktop applications. Lets be honest most dektop applications are pretty plain jane. Not so for iPhone and now iPad apps. Look at iCal on the Mac vs the iPad.