...total app building newb reporting for duty... i am "app"solutely overwhelmed ...deer in headlight mode... but shall soldier on... with my cglorious plan to showcase the wedding cake toppers i make in an app for soon to be brides to pursue... www.blog.magicmud.com my project will be almost all pictures so am wondering if anyone knows the optimum small size to compress pics to for use in app?....so it can still look ok on a tablet view as well... glad to be aboard the good ship ss buzztouch... setting sail into totally unknown (to me) waters with hopefully getting help from more seasoned vets thanks Hunter

Hi Hunter, Welcome to buzztouch! Mmmm...cake! The best part about my wedding (aside from actually getting married) was doing all the cake tastings. I love cake! Tons of people here ready to give you help and support...don't hesitate to shout when you need something. Are you primarily Android, iOS or both? By the way...the link you provided didn't work for me. :-( Looking forward to seeing your app! Mark

Welcome @magicmud! Don't worry, that "overwhelmed" feeling will pass quickly. As for image size, I typically size to 1024x768 for presenting in iPhone and iPad. I've found this a pretty standard size and it's what the original iPad screen is. I haven't built for Android, so I can't comment there. Best, William

@magicmud - Welcome! Had a look at your site - very cool, had something similar on my wedding cake! Re your app, loads of ways to achieve it, best just to play around and see, there's loads of support here so any time your stuck just fire up your question. Best of luck!

thanks for all the encouragement gonorthwest was right...i a newb posted wrong url its http://blog.magicmud.com/ kozmoweb thanks for that pic size info any thoughts on web hosted pics as opposed to built into the app?...as i have 100's of pics im guessing that would make app too big (over 50mb apple limit) if i try and cram them all into the app as opposed to web linked...

Keep one thing in mind if you are doing an app for Apple : they like interactivity using native iOS features. So, if you're providing information that can just as easily be shared on a website, then there's a good chance they may reject the app, because they don't like apps that are essentially mobile web sites. Consider adding things like Push Notifications, maybe a quiz or something, a map to your store, order form, etc, so that its an actual application and not just a marketing program (which is another thing they don't like). Not trying to discourage you, but I don't want you to put in a ton of work to run into these types of rejections. Let us know what you're thinking, and we can give you more advice. Android, on the other hand, has no issues like this. You can do whatever you want, and it'll get approved! Mark

I can't add much more to what Mark says, he's usually spot on. In fact, everyone is pretty helpful around here. Welcome! Have a good time, and don't be shy with the questions! Cheers! -- Smug

Hi Mark, .....thanks for that insight...perhaps i am too much of a salesman... was going to include order form, email contact, about us, link to videos...but wasnt thinking too much of the interactivity .... i downloaded an app called "best wedding cakes" which is kind of what i was thinking of...but in reality it is no more than a picture gallery....perhaps was approved by apple in aug 2011 as guidelines werent as stringent or else perhaps its just the roll of the dice with apple... regardless i appreciate your warning and am now wondering what other interactive aspects i can apply... thanks Hunter

They do seem to have tightened their requirements a bit. But a lot of times it seems to be reviewer dependent, so it's really hard to say. The yardstick they seem to use is whether the app is interactive or not...will it keep people coming back to it, or is it a one shot use kind of app. The more interactive, and the more use of native iOS features, the more they seem to like it. An image gallery certainly would be good. I have a Notepad plugin that allows people to take notes, which might be helpful. Visually stunning interfaces like some of the cool menu lists are nice as well (though they don't all translate to Android). Maps and quizzes seem to be successful also. The only way to really find out is just to try and see what happens. Just be aware of too many calls to the web for content...a browser can do that just as easily! ;-) The more images you can include with the app, the better the experience will be, I think. It reduces display time, and allows people to use the app offline. There are tons of programs out there there will reduce file sizes that can help you out. Mark

Mark what a sweet dude to spoon feed me info :-) great idea notepad plugin for notes... !! and also i do want to squeeze as many pictures into the native app itself if i can ... i guess ill just start compressing them more and try them out and get my feet wet... ....perhaps something like the paint plugin from mr david would also be deemed a plus if it gives a more interactive experience to my app... apparently is good for handwriting as well...they could sketch out their concept on a lil stickman sketch or whatever... etc...any thoughts on that? again thanks for the warm welcome from all buzztouchians !

I think the paint plugin would be a super bonus idea! That shows great interactivity between you and your users. Sounds like a perfect use in this app. Make sure to give this document a read before you get started...don't want there to be any other surprises (like the $99/yr Apple membership): https://www.buzztouch.com/files/howtos/Things_You_Need_Before_You_Start_Developing_Apps_v1.1.pdf Keep the questions coming! We're all here to help! Mark

Welcome! You could consider making some of your pictures downloadable like a wallpaper. That's another way of using the native funktions withe the device that can help your in the process of getting the app out. BR/Stefan

Great idea, Stefan!

stefan ...great idea thanks for that mark ... appreciate the encouragement

Hi Mark, .....thanks for that insight...perhaps i am too much of a salesman... was going to include order form, email contact, about us, link to videos...but wasnt thinking too much of the interactivity .... i downloaded an app called "best wedding cakes" which is kind of what i was thinking of...but in reality it is no more than a picture gallery....perhaps was approved by apple in aug 2011 as guidelines werent as stringent or else perhaps its just the roll of the dice with apple... regardless i appreciate your warning and am now wondering what other interactive aspects i can apply... thanks Hunter

You might think about a 'wedding cake cutting gallery' using GoNorthWest's 'email image' plugin... invite your customers to email you photos of the wedding cake ceremony for posting/sharing. It's free, and a real nice addition on either platform; Android as well as iOS. Cheers! -- Smug

yo smug... great tip....appreciated...

Welcome! If you want to make it look stunning good, get the Buzz Carousel Menu from Kittsy. It is beautifully animated, use pictures of your products and you will beat all competitors! Do not forget about Facebook and Twitter plugins, those are for free, that can get you a big fanclub, people love to post such things to social networks. Cheers! Frogman

frogman was wondering about that plug in....will take you much appreciated and valued advice.!!... love yer handle and frogs...my wife sewed me a pair of pants decorated in nothing but poison frog pattern... 100s of frogs on them...normal citizens feared those pants :-) ..i had a great beginners webinar last nite as i was the only greenhorn on it...so yes it was a private lesson!!....too cool...thanks to Chris and Ian... am now ready to charge ahead... where else but on the buzzernet can you get this kind of coaching,encouragement et all....!!? am just updating to lion as i was still on snow leopard and couldnt get the ios xcode with that old os...

Hey, it seems that you tapped the very Source! Very good! I am glad I found someone who loves freedom and frogs just like me. I like your web. The nice thing about Buzztouch is that you feel like sitting in your favourite pub having a beer and talking about things that matter, rather than digging information. Do pay attention to marketing. The app itself may be great, but if nobody use it is worth nothing. Do not worry, if you get very few downloads in the beginning, everybody does. Figure out ways how to spread the news. Figure out how to make your app cool. There must be a reason for people to download it, and they must like it to use it further. Static app saying: hey, I am here is a source of heavy frustration. Be funny, have beautiful images (you can create it yourself <a href="http://www.gimp.org" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gimp.org</a>, <a href="http://www.inkscape.org" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.inkscape.org</a> both are for free and worth about the same like heavy artillery for thousands and hundreds of bucks). Be interactive, be different. There is always space in the market if you do things better and do it consistently. You can even add your website to your signature, just like lot of guys do in BT! Mine is under construction, so I cannot provide one yet. Have fun! Frogman

froggi yes i was very lucky to stumble into webinar at the right time... ...thanks again for those nuggets of information... and words of reason... along with the inkscape and gimp links...

froggi yes i was very lucky to stumble into webinar at the right time... ...thanks again for those nuggets of information... and words of reason... along with the inkscape and gimp links...