Improved UI

[brainier]

I would like to make a suggestion for improving the user interface for PowerPoint integration. Currently on our church computer (1024x768 resolution monitor) we see the current presented slide in the Thumbnail area, half of the next slide and in the display area we see the current slide again. We also have a second monitor on the computer desk which shows up the output on the projector.

Therefore I would like considered the automation of the preview area in that is automatically shows the next slide to be shown. We can see the current slide on the display area and by looking up at the projector screen, so do not need to see the current slide also in the thumbnail area. It is more important to see the next slide I think - as we need to change to the next slide when it becomes the topic of the preacher. Our preachers do not say "next slide please", and leave it to the "guess" of the operator when to move to the next slide - and this is quite easy to do so that is no problem.

But to know when to move to the next slide we need to see if, so my current process upon changing slide is to always scroll down to the next slide and moving the current thumbnail off the top. Then I know what is coming next, and so can move to it at the right time.

Alternatively the UI could be adjusted to (optionally) hide pieces that are not needed. For example our pastors never use slide notes and so to hide that area would give more thumbnail space - maybe "appearing" if a note is present. And also the space taken up by the manual/automatic/continually options could be hidden into a resizable area of the screen, as ZW always takes the settings as found in the PPT file and I have never found the need to change them in this screen.

Have you seen Visual Studio and the dockable panes? Maybe something like that - can show them if you want, or if not other areas of the screen can be made larger or moved as per the needs of the church (for example if you can see the projection screen easily from where your computer is in the church, you could hide the Display status pane).

[vetto]

I whole heartedly agree. Having the currently displayed on the UI is redundant. I would love it if I could preview any slide in the playlist BEFORE putting it up on the wall.

For example, the worship leader calls an audible and adds a song that we did not plan for. I would love it if I could preview the upcoming song, format the text (to prevent wierd wrapping) and THEN go live with it.