Slashers' Player

In the last post, we set up the backbone of the presentation app -- load and play. In these two months, we added a variety of functionalities based on brainstorming of realistic use cases together, and things are getting more fun!

1. Multiple previews: in order to display content of multiple files at the same time

2. Layering, resizing, moving things around: there's freedom to drag the displayed content anywhere within the window, and the layer number is to facilitate the drag action

3. Free-hand drawing: open the canvas built in for each file separately, jot something down or doodle on it

4. Audio/Video support: this traces back to the concept of a general purpose player that is able to open and operate a variety of file formats

5. Session recording: Devin's performance essay resembles the format of a "lecture", this function records the audio for it

6. Memorizing the state: on quitting and restarting the application, previously loaded files and states are saved for the ease of recurring performances

7. The looks

Setting up an application structure from scratch was tough for the last phase, adding a lot more building blocks and adjusting the scaffolder on the fly is by no means easier. The team had some difficulties in getting on the same page of the software development process: it is non-linear, and we failed to appreciate the utter importance of a full-fledged design documentation. As the system grows bigger and new components break the current architecture, we sometimes had to find ways to "squeeze them in", refit, refine, and repeat. The good thing is we are understanding the whole system more lucidly, and it becomes easier to review it in multiple perspectives, both the nitty-gritties and the big picture.

All the nail-biting moments, you are worth it -- I could put React on my resume without a guilty conscience!!!!

Beyond the player app, the slashers are thinking about new ideas in the background. Our beloved artistic member of the team, Devin, is a multimedia artist and he has been creating and publishing his own music for a while! That's a little clue for the new app... stay tuned!!

Kelly