The wisdom of a current five year member of the ALTUI forum -- still ignored

Plugins & Plugin Development Alternate UI
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December 2015 Quotes from that member: “I saw a post from a new user that didn’t know how to open ALTUI from the MCV UI. That’s not intuitive…”. “There are items on the Options screen that I’ve never used, and don’t really understand…”. “Could you have a question mark next to the different options names, linked to a help or explanation text box?”. “I’m still not sure when or if I should save or clear File DB.”

Well, here it is 2017, and new users remain in the same almost impossible situation as in 2015. A sincere “thank you” to those that gave me a meaningful helping-hand – not difficult at all to access the ALTUI software – when one precisely “unveils” the few steps it takes to get there.

So now I’m ready to add my first device via ALTUI: I study its “add device” window, I search the forum, I search Google, no meaningful how-to directions can I find!

And you expect me to make a donation to this project – hoping that some empathetic folk will help me from time to time!

I continue as a programmer/analyst for 25+ years, and, with my own successful consulting firm. In addition, I’ve download and utilized at least 100 shareware programs over that span of time.

Therefore, I am absolutely certain that – even if I persisted – it would take me a totally unreasonable amount of time to successfully operate even a portion of this software. Just imagine: if I did struggle through and succeed, do you really believe I’d be in the mood to make a donation!

And – you’re thinking “revenue” – from new users!

Please don’t point me to that “read me” file. Those are mostly tech notes presented in a fashion that’s hardly suitable to someone who is completely new to the software, or, with little technical experience.

I’ve spent time to write this post to relieve my frustration – because I sincerely believe you to have a fantastic product – far, far superior to UI7.

Sadly, you are so focused on future development that you’ve lost sight of the many treasures you’ve already developed – and, could have effectively introduce to new users thru the typical “Users Guide”. They, then, would be happy to offer the very continued donations you seek.

You need not bother to reply. My analysis is correct. And, I won’t be returning anytime soon to reconsider ALTUI.

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Hi Dennis,

I use ALTUI mainly because I also run openLuup, and it truely saved my live for the year native UI7 could not save a bit of LUA properly.

How did I install it? From the Vera App market, just like any other app. ALTUI will then suggest install any new version the moment you open it and one is avaible, much better then any other app actually.

To start ALTUI you go on UI7 to the ALTUI Control page and click the Open button that amg0 added after the suggestion was made way back when. I added the link to my favourites to save me that step.

To add devices on a Vera, you better use the Vera’s UI7 Add Device from app market. There is now also an App Store for ALTUI that some of the ALTUI compatible/optimized plugins can be installed from. The manual add device in ALTUI actually does the same as it does in Vera’s UI7. You need to get into details to know what you are doing for manually adding devices yes.

Not trying to sell you to get ALTUI after all, it is completely your call of course. But just want to make sure that people know it is not difficult to launch or install devices.

I am not using all of ALTUI’s options like workflows as I’m getting by with scenes. Or data storage providers as I use datamine. All those options do take time to grasp yes. The cache control I never touched. I would need to read the manual to know when it would be needed.

But that same can be said for other plugins and the Vera it self. In my oppion there is no self install product that has the capabilities the Vera’s offer and where all options are simple to use. (or any other software product, ever tried to do more than the basics with any Office program? It will take hours of searching)

Luckally we have this forum to help each other out.

Cheers Rene

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Why did you make the posting then?