TOPIC: The request that won't go away.

Hi Bob.

I just commented on another thread that to help speed up the camera process i have added a section called location.
The location section is room by room

I set up the similar work around for allocating pictures when using HIP mobile and gave up using it as it did not save time and ended up duplicating work.

My main concern is that Dominic has indicated previously that there are only a handful of users requesting this type of feature. If that is the case this feature may never see the light of day. However my view is that if inspectors understood the advantages of this feature while using HIP mobile there would be a clamor for it.

Batch adding and slotting of photos was a major advantage for HIP desktop over other inspection software programs and was marketed as a great time saver, in which it was. If this principle was a huge benefit for HIP desktop why can't the same photo slotting principle be a benefit for HIP mobile. My hunch is that to implement this type of feature would be a major programming challenge which may require route and branch coding within the HIP software program. If this is the case, fine, Rome wasn't built in a day and I would certainly understand why Dominic would not have this type of request on his agenda.

Peter you are reading my mind.
Hip mobile has taken a left turn from what made desktop popular in some ways.
Dom is programming it for minimalist text clickers so all we can do is hope he somehow gets the message.
Misc folders section was added but with no way to reslot or see a larger thumb and another part of the difficulty is you must pick a slot before snapping the shot which as you said involves backtracking all the time.
Take a picture and have a double slot would do it.
Meanwhile go to Camera folder widget in the play store as I am experimenting with it right now.
You can add thumbnails to find folders and subfolders plus take rapid shot pictures with no reselection then group add to Hip mobile or upload to desktop.

Quote from Dominic

Why are you not commenting at the same time you're taking the picture. You're stating that you have to go back again to add your comments? This should be done at the same time, cutting your clicks in half.

Quote From Peter

The above quote shows a disconnect between software programming and the reality of recording information on site and producing a good report.

Quote from Bob

Hip mobile has taken a left turn from what made desktop popular in some ways.
Dom is programming it for minimalist text clickers so all we can do is hope he somehow gets the message.

Bob, you probably have hit the nail on the head again. Programming for minimalist text clickers may win over some short term gains but this thinking will not survive in the long term. We all want to achieve minimum clicks in entering data but minimalist clicks should not revolve around entering "Comments" in the report before an inspector fully understands the basic's of a property. This would be a recipe for disaster for any home inspection business and would have no long term gain for any software programming company.

Dominic, if Batch slotting photo's is good for HIP Desktop, surely you are onto a winner if you can achieve the same for HIP mobile.

I am being a little hard on Dom Peter as we have no idea what it takes however it would be great if a little more love could be thrown towards photo slot speed.

Many updates are simply not doing that fundamental need and are focused towards guys putting 20 pictures in a report at most.

I know it can be done because I am able to slot very fast with a few other Android apps such as here is a great one "camera Folders" which allows folders and subfolders plus sub-sub-sub folders which totally makes caption not even needed.

The reason the apps are faster is it eliminates the extra steps to get past text comment widgets as you are working directly with camera folders.

I suppose you could slot all your categories and batch add into HIP later.


Right now the only way I can do mobile again is if doing it with few categories and room by room as there is no way to keep up with inspection on site speed ,at least not for me.

Saturday my client said he was so happy when I went back to regular camera because of the need to keep re-slotting everything and type comments in the captions.

Not just about practice because I practice all the time.

Bob, I have steadfastly used HIP mobile continuously now for about c,80 inspections hoping that being extra familiar with it, would make if more user friendly then HIP Desktop.

I have made numerous changes to my template to make it more mobile friendly, which hopefully will also benefit HIP desktop. Probably have also spent the bones of 100 hours in the last number of months fine tuning my template to be HIP mobile ready.

Have also invested in the Samsung Galaxy Smart Camera, various android tablets and the Samsung Note 3 Phablet to give me every opportunity to make my change over the HIP mobile a success so it gives me no pleasure to have to admit defeat in this venture.

From next week (hopefully when I get my HIP template desktop ready) I will regretfully have to revert back to HIP Desktop which has the best photo slotting setup in inspection software.

Peter after all this time I may be on to something.
Feel free to call or email me so we can discuss this problem.

Doing a couple reports today which as you know takes time.
Tomorrow spending my day creating a new type of template.

I honestly have a feeling this new idea will be the best solution for taking lots of pictures and being able to do them rapidly.
My only concern is if the mobile software and hardware device can handle it.

Two days ago I had about 60 shots going in misc during field test and my HIP decided to reboot on me while losing every picture during the process.

Dom was surprised by it so I am guessing having my camera set on wifi at the time may have been involved but can't be sure.

I was out front at a point where the signal gets weak or lost.

My camera is not on a data plan.