Best GUI on the market, but needs some upgrades..

tell us about your experience with our product

Best GUI on the market, but needs some upgrades..

Postby SeekLighting » 26 February 2018, 01:26

Hi Support,

I've been using ShowXpress for about 2 years now. I'm very happy with the product. Coming from a background in Audio, the GUI that your software has is easily the best on the market. It's super easy and intuitive to understand and use compared to other professional software lighting control solutions (ie. Hog4PC, GrandMA ONPC, etc.) I use this software to run all my events, and I do a lot! This includes school functions like assemblies, liturgies, and drama performances, to international touring bands, amateur theatre productions, corporate work, etc. The software is great for all of this.

In addition, I teach a high school technical production class, and I use ShowXpress to teach my students lighting. I have about 25 high school students all using and loving your software, because the GUI and 3D view are so easy to use, they can pick it up quickly. This I think is the strongest feature of your software.

My only gripe is that compared to the solutions I have mentioned above (ie. Hog4PC, GrandMA ONPC, Martin MPC, Clarity), your software is not as powerful. There are elements of design, mostly to do with the power of the programmer in those pieces of software that I believe your software could greatly benefit from. From all the users of ShowXpress I've talked to, universally the biggest gripe is that we need Generator mode to be more powerful. More effect options that we can create quicker and easier would be great.

In addition to this, I believe there are a couple of other things that would really bring your software up to be able to compete with the big players I mentioned:
1) Increased number of supported universes
2) More powerful pixels mode (ie add videos, make circle shapes, etc.)
3) More granular control over TimeLine (ie. zoom in and out, smaller units of time, ability to change ruler values to bars/beats rather than minutes/seconds, etc.)
4) More features/greater control in Sequential List mode
5) Added page of cue stack faders (literally just copy the layout of a Hog) that you can add a Sequential list to
6) New Hardware options (ie. interface that supports 6 universes)

I think that what you guys should really focus on is competing with GrandMA or Hog. I know that this software is used a lot by DJs but really that's not where you should be aiming for, as the DJs already have plenty of functionality here, and your software can do SO much more than that. I hope that my feedback is useful, and doesn't come across as rude or negative. I'm just trying to be constructive.

I'm a big supporter of this software. Every venue I go to, people go "What software is THAT!?". A lot of people don't even know what it is, and those who do scoff at it and call it "unprofessional". However I know that due to its amazing GUI, the potential this software has to be more powerful, and your very supportive team that listens to feedback, I always advocate that this software is great and CAN compete with the big players. I'd like to see ShowXpress become the go-to software for professionals!

Regards,

Tim H
SeekLighting
 
Posts: 364
Joined: 03 April 2017, 02:28

Re: Best GUI on the market, but needs some upgrades..

Postby SeekLighting » 26 February 2018, 11:22

Hi support,

Thanks for the reply. I like the point you make about a "labarynthine system". I would definitely describe most of your competitors software like that! Kudos to you guys for keeping your software easy to use :)

Regards,

Tim H
SeekLighting
 
Posts: 364
Joined: 03 April 2017, 02:28

Re: Best GUI on the market, but needs some upgrades..

Postby support » 26 February 2018, 11:23

Thank you for this feedback.

The perpetual problem are how to add new features and how to stay current with new dmx fixtures, by keeping the software easiness and backward compatibility.

FYI, for each new feature, our time share is roughly:
- 10% to understand what to do
- 30% to find a way to add it smoothly in the software (without transforming our software in a labyrinthine system)
- 30% to ensure backward compatibility
- 15% to code it
- 15% to debug it
The Lighting Controller
support
Administrateur
 
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Joined: 07 December 2009, 16:32


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