Navigating around Dram. Pro 4

technology
#1

Hi folks, first time here…I’m using Pro 4 on a Windows 10 setup and although it was a bear getting it to work it’s finally running, though there are delays every time I click a button…but nothiong like the 60 seconds I waited every time I wanted to go to a different section or dialog…was virtually unusable that way.

I’m still struggling with some conventions when inputting text, in particular the habit, from 30 years of word processing, of using control-left arrow to skip back a word or several…and having it kick me completely out of the dialog and up to the previous section.

The only key strokes I’ve found that work are the good old reliable (and madding ponderous) left-or-right-arrow, one-character-at-a-time drill.

Anybody know of a way to get around that or know where I can find a keystroke shortcut list? It’s daunting to overcome 3 decades of typing sense memory reflexes.

Thanks

#2

My best suggestion would be to not do any writing in Dramatica. I do all my writing in an external word processor and only use the Dramatica app for reference. You can print out reports and import those into anything and do your writing there and not have to worry about keystrokes.

Hope that helps!

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#3

Hi j…sounds like that’s the best bet. I can easily enough copy/paste from Scrivener. Thanks!

#4

Hello! I also prefer to use Word for writing. How do you use Dramatica for reference?

#5

Hate to say it, but this looks like another example of the developer just being inexcusably lazy.

When I was making my decision to buy Dramatica again, for the first time since 2005, I was struck that the interface HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED AT ALL. It’s beastly looking to begin with (Windows 95, anyone? Sorry, former UX designer here). Then I was struck that they’ve bifurcated the product so that windows users get the old crappy version and mac users get a nice - still not great looking - version with some new gee wiz features.

I can’t stress how much it sucks to FORCE users who want the new features too choose between platforms, arguably driving up the price of the software from $100-160… to $600-2,000 for a new computer. Fortunately I happened to have a 3 yr old Mac mini lying around.

Lastly, we live in a post PC mobile-first world. Hello! LOL. Time to bring this software into the 21st century!!! Imagine having a brainstorm at Starbucks and being able to whip out a sleek new version of Dramatica on your phone!

Though I can’t comment on the business case for continuing development, I can say from a user perspective it’s very important for products to evolve or risk becoming irrelevant.

I hope somebody’s listening!

:grin:

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#6

As much as I like the Dramatica program, I was a little taken aback as well by the UI design for it. Textured backgrounds? In TYOOL 2017? :dizzy_face: So, yeah. I’d love to see a sleek new version of it, but maybe Dramatica is still too niche at this point to warrant paying a graphic designer to update it.

Oh! I bet it would work great as an app. Or separate apps for the character window, the Story Engine… maybe the Spinner, too. Ooh, now you’ve got me thinking.