DOF calc for iTouch app?

[Michael Collier]

I just saw apple has released an SKD for its Iphone and Itouch and has invited people to make apps for it. If anyone who has any experience programming let me make this request: BUILD A DOF CALC! I have my iTouch ready for it, it would be so much more handy than the paper ones, or the little electronic ones, since I always have the touch on me. plus I am sure the interface would be cool too.

 

I think we as cinematographers deserve something like that, since I see an app on apple.com that does calculations for pilots in regard to aviation stuff (not a pilot myself, so I am not sure what it does) but if pilots can have their own app, why not us?

 

Anyone from panavision, arri, able-cine, etc trolling this site get on it! it would be easy and cheap to make, and if you put ads up on the calculator, it would be a wise investment to offer the download for free. (1sts and DPs staring at an Able-cine banner all day, hot linked to the website if an emergency rental order needs to be placed? anyone?) I guess I just want a free DOF calc on my iTouch, but its a resonable request right?

[Chris Keth]

I just saw apple has released an SKD for its Iphone and Itouch and has invited people to make apps for it. If anyone who has any experience programming let me make this request: BUILD A DOF CALC! I have my iTouch ready for it, it would be so much more handy than the paper ones, or the little electronic ones, since I always have the touch on me. plus I am sure the interface would be cool too.

 

I think we as cinematographers deserve something like that, since I see an app on apple.com that does calculations for pilots in regard to aviation stuff (not a pilot myself, so I am not sure what it does) but if pilots can have their own app, why not us?

 

Anyone from panavision, arri, able-cine, etc trolling this site get on it! it would be easy and cheap to make, and if you put ads up on the calculator, it would be a wise investment to offer the download for free. (1sts and DPs staring at an Able-cine banner all day, hot linked to the website if an emergency rental order needs to be placed? anyone?) I guess I just want a free DOF calc on my iTouch, but its a resonable request right?

 

That would be nice. Also useful would be film inventory software for the same devices. If those existed, I just light have to get an iPhone for my next phone.

[Francesco Bonomo]

I just saw apple has released an SKD for its Iphone and Itouch and has invited people to make apps for it. If anyone who has any experience programming let me make this request: BUILD A DOF CALC!

 

There's already a Dof calc widget available for OS X, so I guess it's just a matter of time before dashboard widgets like that one can be uploaded on the iPod Touch or iPhone. In theory, widgets already work on the iPod touch, but can't be uploaded yet.

[Michael Collier]

I think thats what the january update is, allowing iPhone and iTouch users to upload apps to their devices and customize the home screen. It allows for new things to be added, where before you were stuck with the base programs.

 

I don't think, however, that you can upload a widget for OSX directly to the device. For one, I think both devices are built on FreeBSD, not OSX (though I am relatively new to apple) but moreover, I think that anything designed for an OSX computer wouldn't be very functional in a device that has only a touch screen to interface with. It seems the core software could stay the same, but a new GUI would need to be written to make it touch friendly (double entandre much?)

 

Good call chris with the inventory. I am sure a whole host of apps could be developed for the iPhone for set use.

[Chris Keth]

Good call chris with the inventory. I am sure a whole host of apps could be developed for the iPhone for set use.

 

I just thought of another detail. If someone better at programming than me wrote it, the film inventory software could quite easily output (automatically) a PDF for the day and e-mail it to you, so you could keep those or print hardcopies.

 

I'm starting to like the idea of this.

[Francesco Bonomo]

I think thats what the january update is, allowing iPhone and iTouch users to upload apps to their devices and customize the home screen. It allows for new things to be added, where before you were stuck with the base programs.

 

I connected by iPod to iTunes and there are two updates: one is the standard firmware upgrade (1.1.3), the other one costs 18? and adds new software (mail, maps, weather, webclips, etc), but from what I see you can't upload new custom software, i.e. widgets.

 

I don't think, however, that you can upload a widget for OSX directly to the device.

 

You can, but it requires hacking the firmware, so i wouldn't do it.

I think it's just a matter of time before Apple makes that feature available.

[Rory Hanrahan]

I'll also add that I'd like to see apps like pCine and Eubank's Log ported over to iPhone, as well. These were the sole reasons I bought a Treo last year (big mistake), and now that I've smartened up and went with Apple (Hey -- no jokes!) I'm left without such luxuries?

 

digitalrebellion.com has some good webapps though, such as calculators for HD space and film footage-rate that can be useful?

 

 

If Excel (or Numbers, for cultists like me) were adapted for the iPhone, I'd have the ass-kickingest camera reports ever, but when Jobs? When?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

In theory, couldn't one just program a spreadsheet to do the math to figure out depth of field? I have a spread sheet on my Mogul phone to figure out approximately how much film to oder and processing costs for when I meet with clients. Could not the same thing be done and then just uploaded to google docs or used with excel mobile in terms of DoF?

[Francesco Bonomo]

update about widgets:

 

"Apple has filed a patent for Dashboard widget authoring that seems to suggest some widgets will work on iPods. The patent titled "Widget authoring and editing environment," filed on January 5th, relates to Apple's Mac OS X Dashboard feature"