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ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 12:08 am
by tedB
I like the user-interface of Macdive very much but I am missing what I believe is essential data: there is no ceiling or other deco data displayed in the dive profile or the detail window.
Can I expect to see this in the near future?

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2017 8:35 pm
by Jean-Francois
It has already been asked for a while now.

Nick has a lot on his plate already to improve the software and there was the mobile app release (which is just great btw).

Sadly most of his user base are recreational divers who don't need deco information so I guess it's at the bottom of his to do list. :(
I would love to have the deco profile in the dive profile as I'm doing more and more long decompression dives and that information would be very valuable to me to make some analysis and to compare the planned profile (using planning software) and the actual dive. I've found out that there are some discrepancies and it would help nailing those down.

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2017 1:39 am
by tedB
I appreciate it that you've replied to my request - thanks for taking the trouble.
I'm dismayed that decompression data has such a low priority, particularly as MacDive is a paid app (there are posts from Nick from 2014 promising "it's coming")
Even recreational divers who dive within the nul time need to be aware of their nitrogen levels, particularly after repetitive dives.
Hope it comes soon!

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2017 2:51 pm
by nick
Hello,

Yes, it is low priority. As JF mentions, it's a feature that a certain group of people really want, but unfortunately not the majority. It is also non trivial, and not something I can hack in quickly. There are other things people hound me for relentlessly - for example, a full iPad version of the iOS app. Which, like every other update to macOS for the ~7 years since it was released, and also every update for iOS thus far, will be free. That is a very not-insignificant amount of work to do which is by far more requested.

You're probably not aware, but I also have a full-time job and a family. I spend most of my spare time working on free updates for people, and I do what I can. So yes, there are posts from me - I will get to it at some point. Tomorrow? No. But at some point, when the more pressing things are complete.

I'm sorry you're unhappy with your purchase - please email support and I will issue you a refund.

Sincerely,
MacDive Support

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2017 2:51 pm
by Jean-Francois
My pleasure.

I hope it'll come soon too.

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 1:47 am
by tedB
nick wrote:Hello,

Yes, it is low priority. As JF mentions, it's a feature that a certain group of people really want, but unfortunately not the majority. It is also non trivial, and not something I can hack in quickly. There are other things people hound me for relentlessly - for example, a full iPad version of the iOS app. Which, like every other update to macOS for the ~7 years since it was released, and also every update for iOS thus far, will be free. That is a very not-insignificant amount of work to do which is by far more requested.

You're probably not aware, but I also have a full-time job and a family. I spend most of my spare time working on free updates for people, and I do what I can. So yes, there are posts from me - I will get to it at some point. Tomorrow? No. But at some point, when the more pressing things are complete.

I'm sorry you're unhappy with your purchase - please email support and I will issue you a refund.

Sincerely,
MacDive Support
Hey hey! Didn't mean to piss you off. Once again: I like MacDive, so I won't be taking up your offer for a refund. I appreciate the hours you've spent to produce this excellent piece of software!

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:13 pm
by Jean-Francois
Nick, how dare you take care of your family ? This is unacceptable :mrgreen:

As a side note, I don't get why people want a full iPad version.... But I guess people don't get why I'd like the deco information either. So we're even :)

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:50 am
by nick
Jean-Francois wrote:Nick, how dare you take care of your family ? This is unacceptable :mrgreen:
Hah. You're joking.. but you'd probably be surprised. One time I got an email while I was away diving (of course, the app exists because I dive, right..). I can't remember the bug, from memory it was a super minor display issue or something. I fixed it after the days diving while my buddies hung out at the bar, had to go buy a wifi thing from the resort, which then barely worked from crappy reception, uploaded it, and finally dropped him a line back. My thanks for that was to get a really nasty email back with the guy swearing at me and all sorts and demanding a refund.

I have plenty of war stories, but that one stands out.. I think because I was on a dive trip, in a remote place, and I fixed the thing as fast as I possibly could, went out of my way to buy crappy resort wifi access to get it to him so he didn't have to wait, and then, yeah.
As a side note, I don't get why people want a full iPad version.... But I guess people don't get why I'd like the deco information either. So we're even :)
Have you seen the iPhone version running on an iPad? It looks absolutely terrible. It has the super-small original iPhone screen size, so everything is squashed and it's just bad.

Unfortunately it's just not as simple as checking the "also runs on iPad" box to build something that looks great and makes use of the bigger screen size. It's by far the most frequent request I get (of course, as it is by far the most work). There's at least one bad review on the app store because it doesn't have an iPad version, etc.

As a side note, I did actually spend some of the weekend doing some internal work that will eventually help tracking deco info in a roundabout way. You are primarily after ceiling info, no? As the NDL info is already downloaded from supported devices. I did some work with the Perdix and EON Steel which provide the ceiling, and would almost be at the point of simply downloading and displaying that. None of my dives provide any ceiling info to test against (shallow and long critter hunts I guess?), and it's not a very generic solution as a lot of devices (most?) don't provide this info to download. But it is perhaps a stopgap.

Of course, then I realised there's currently a bug with the NDL on the EON Steel, and I spent a crazy amount of time completely rewriting how MacDive talks to it in order to fix it properly. I'm still not quite finished with that.

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:17 pm
by tedB
As a side note, I did actually spend some of the weekend doing some internal work that will eventually help tracking deco info in a roundabout way. You are primarily after ceiling info, no? As the NDL info is already downloaded from supported devices. I did some work with the Perdix and EON Steel which provide the ceiling, and would almost be at the point of simply downloading and displaying that. None of my dives provide any ceiling info to test against (shallow and long critter hunts I guess?), and it's not a very generic solution as a lot of devices (most?) don't provide this info to download. But it is perhaps a stopgap.
Sounds perfect! My Suunto Cobra displays (and logs) ceiling data so simply downloading and displaying that would be a complete solution, not just a stopgap.

Re: ceiling and other deco data

Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 10:16 pm
by Hans
Hi all,

I'm brand new to this forum or any forum for that matter.
FYI, I'm form The Netherlands and excuse my English at times.

Now on topic, i'm using Mac Dive for over a year now and its great.
But like everyone here i would also really like the deco info implemented.
That means ceiling, deco time etc. The NDL witch we see now isn't the best i'm afraid.

Not to piss anyone off but i agree with TedB in a way that it is a paid app and if you support Shearwater en OSTC by definition TECH computers (in my opinion) Good deco info. should be available.
I'm not looking for a refund by the way :D nor to make enemies!

After reading the last replies i'm getting my hopes up that it is coming soon and also for the OSCT users among us ;)

Best regards,
Hans