Hello, I am looking for a buzztouch simulator that would do the following: 1) displays the app screens in a structural or hierarchical way 2) preferably the icons,images and files can be opened and displayed With this tool, one can check the screen layout and help with menu/screen design without being compiled and loaded to mobile devices. It should greatly help and facilitate the design process. Does it exist in some way that I don't know of? Any opinions? Has anyone did something similar to this? Feng

I dont know any but it would be interesting!!!

Basically what you want to do is layout the app in a logical, hierarchal manner. There isn't a Buzztouch 'simulator' or any kind of organizer like that... However, some folks use wireframing software such as 'blueprint' which has a free 'lite' version. Some folks like Moqups. https://moqups.com Just do a google search for 'wire framing' and something should pop up. I use a free 'mind mapping' software package called 'mindix' that does what I want it to do, depending on how your mind processes all this stuff. It's not designed for apps, but I use it just fine. When I do things like that. http://97bytes.wordpress.com/mindix-mac-en/ Cheers! -- Smug

Looks like moqups.com is good in the design process. I should try it out sometime. However, I am still thinking something that can be supported on BT web portal that reads the JSON data of an APP and display it with the layout of the actual app supposed to be and with the same transitions from screen to screen when a button is clicked upon. I think BT database should have all info to make this happen and it's matter of PHP programming. It seems straight forward. So I am guessing if someone has it done already? Feng

Not as far as I know. Interesting idea though. Cheers! -- Smug

I would be interested in this too, as we have a 100 download limit per month on downloading our code. Any major change in screens and/or plugins requires rebuilding and downloading you code from buzztouch (minor changes are updated when live or published, so no need to redownload). Basically only if your using a new plugin or added new screens. This 100 download limit is fine if you already have your app built and only make small changes, but during the initial development stage, I like to make sure one screen functions correctly before moving on to the next, and if I've added new screen, it requires generating and downloading the code again. One of my apps will have over 400 screens (don't ask, lol), and if I downloaded the code after every screen add to test it, I'd be over my limit in the first week. Am I missing something? Is there a better way to see changes after adding a new screen and linking it through my app? Publishing the changes works, except when using a new plugin, or creating a new screen. I installed private hosting as well, but using the BT one now for my panel, figuring it would be more stable, and I already had some apps done before I installed on my host, and didn't want some apps on my server and some on BT... wanted them all in one place and didn't see an easy way of copying them over.

Angry Ninja, Yes, the scenario you mentioned is another very possible application of the simulator. It would be great if something like this does exist. I have checked out buzztouchmods.com and did not see anything like it. But someone does come up something to change the fronted of BT self hosted server login screen and menu. The frontend is a small application. If we have something likde BT simulator that would be big... Feng

Seems simple, yet complex to implement. All the BT core would have to be re-implemented in JavaScript and HTML and CSS. I too would like a web-based simulator for BT. Yet, it understand that the priority is low when other improvements have to be done. -- Niraj

Well,to implement a complete simulation may be hard but initially to get something that simulate the UIs and menus could be easier... Or if is a 3rd party UI tool that can be configured to load the JSON data for a BT app and then shows the screens and menu flow. Any thoughts? Feng

I use the simulator a lot, or a local device, while I am working on my apps control panel. Would the same thing not work for you? You can see the results of your changes each time you refresh the config data on the device. You might also look at 'Dapp' for iOS projects. That's a pretty neat 'drag and drop' designer. Cheers! -- Smug

Hi Smug, Which simulator r u talking about? Do you mean Xcode's IOS simulator? If so, the simulator I am talking about is really not that... Otherwise, I did not know BT has one already and pls let me know how to install & access it. Regards, feng

I am talking about the xcode simulator, and the Android simulators. Sorry for any confusion. Cheers! -- Smug