TP Design 5 Disappointment
feddx
Posts: 183
I've been using TPDesign 5 for a couple of years now and frankly I'm just not a fan. To the point where I hate switching from a project using G4 panels to one using G5 panels because of the software. Compared to TPDesign 4, TPD 5 lacks intrinsic features for many button and text properties, feels sort of 'kludgey' when setting page properties and button images, is un-intuitive when handling the images by adding unnecessary steps, and is generally a displeasure to use. And I know I'm not the only one who has had issue with the lack of icons and the "feature" of having 5 images per button.
I realize there are differences due to migrating the G5 panels to the newer Android OS, but that being the case, why strive so hard to make TP5 behave so similar to TP4? I understand the need for familiarity, but this tool is not backward compatible across other product lines so why not make a software design tool that accentuates new design features instead of showing us what we can no longer do on the new and improved product? I can't be the only person using TPD4 to make G5 panels then converting them using the G4 Panel tool, can I?
Frankly when I am asked by designers, sales staff, clients, and end users which panels they should get, I point them to the G4 panels. Why make my life any harder than it needs to be?
I wonder if I'm alone in this.
I realize there are differences due to migrating the G5 panels to the newer Android OS, but that being the case, why strive so hard to make TP5 behave so similar to TP4? I understand the need for familiarity, but this tool is not backward compatible across other product lines so why not make a software design tool that accentuates new design features instead of showing us what we can no longer do on the new and improved product? I can't be the only person using TPD4 to make G5 panels then converting them using the G4 Panel tool, can I?
Frankly when I am asked by designers, sales staff, clients, and end users which panels they should get, I point them to the G4 panels. Why make my life any harder than it needs to be?
I wonder if I'm alone in this.
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Comments
I find it interesting that a large majority of the integration firms that hire me are avoiding the G5s. In fact, last year I can only think of one G5 panel in a project. Although they are kind of getting up to parity with the G5s having the same command set as the G4s, it's still not quite there yet, which still makes me run my GUI for both panel types and that's a royal pain.
And yes, the software is not fun at all. I still occasionally crashes on me. it's certainly better than the first version.
Being an independent programmer, I don't usually spec systems for the client. I get them when they're already spec-ed out. I have yet to see any design that has elements that cannot be handled by a G4. While the gesturing on the G5 has gotten way better, i feel it's just different enough form iGadgts/Samsung Galaxy/etc... to the client to make it not worth the time. To date any implementation of gesturing ends up being turned off at the client's request. I'm not doing the UI design work myself. So, I'm not always privy to why this is. I have the UI at my desk during programming and can see it working. I don't think I'm a good judge since I know how it behaves and adjust and have no trouble with it. Clients, however, do.
When the G5s first came out, I saw them a lot. But, as time has gone on, I don't see them at all except in Military spaces. And in those cases, it's nothing that a G4 couldn't do with ease. All this matters not. The G4s are being phased out. All we'll have are G5s. Touch panels are one of the strangest parts of this whole business if you ask me. It's one of the hardest things to explain the expense to the client who's typically standing there with a $500 mobile device that looks as good if not better and does so much more.