Q1) What is the process for adding 'blocks' to the current set? Does there need to be enough clamor to require an addition, or is there a method by which we users can add / publish a block? ( e.g. Forth )
Q2) Looking at Capital_v0.0 and wanted to know if there was some way to view the entire script section all at once rather than needing to 'pan' back and forth and scroll up and down?
Thanks
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Hi, Aszy.
The current block set is the result of evolution. Over the past three years, we've observed hundreds of people learning Scratch and have probably removed about a third of the blocks and features that were tried. (For example, Scratch once had procedures with parameters, wait-for-broadcast, camera input, movies, a way to clone sprites, a sound editor...) Part of why Scratch works as well is it does with beginners is due to this careful pruning.
Scratch is missing many features that would be useful for more advanced programmers, and we get many requests to add new blocks. We weight these suggestions carefully, balancing potential utility against the needs of the beginner. (We don't like the idea of adding an "expert" mode that exposes additional blocks partly because we want beginners to be able to read to code--or at least recognize the bocks--of projects created by more advanced users.)
There is currently no mechanism by which you can add your own blocks. We are considering re-introducing procedures as "user defined blocks" but that would only allow you to create new blocks using existing blocks. You would not be able to add a really new feature, such a stack mechanism (which you asked about elsewhere).
Seymour Papert talks about Logo having a "low floor" (easy to get started) and "high ceiling" (you can do powerful things in the language). Scratch seems to have a lower floor than Logo, but it also has a lower ceiling. Unfortunately, you and others are bumping into that ceiling. We're thinking of ways to raise Scratch's ceiling but we want to be careful not to raise its floor as well.
Q2: No, although that would cleary be useful as the number of scripts grows.
-- John
Last edited by johnm (2007-06-27 08:48:37)
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aszy wrote:
Q2) Looking at Capital_v0.0 and wanted to know if there was some way to view the entire script section all at once rather than needing to 'pan' back and forth and scroll up and down?
Capital was the program that got me looking for the text printout capability (see http://scratch.mit.edu/forums/viewtopic.php?id=454 ). If you hold down shift while you click on Extras, this option comes up. There are apparently some bugs in this, especially on Mac's - but it is a lot easier to have a searchable text version open while figuring out a long script than it is to hop from block to block.
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On the large script viewability question, Houdini, Nuke and Shake use process flow graph editors for their GUIs and all have evolved, over the course of many versions, the ability to zoom on (rescale) their script graphs. Also they can 'h'ome on the whole network, fitting the viewport to the network, and 'f'ind the currently selected node. Based on the success of these interfaces my company is committing resources to writing a process flow graph system with like interfaces for the whole of project task flow and not just the components to animation files and composites. I love this as do most of my artists. I can't recommend it enough.
Here are the controls I like to use:
ALT-RIGHT-CLICK AND DRAG HORIZONTALLY = Zoom in and out over current center
MOUSE SCROLL WHEEL = Ditto
ALT-LEFT-CLICK AND DRAG HORIZONTALLY = Pan (translate) view
h = home, Zoom in or out to encompass (frame) entire script and center on center of script
f = frame, Zoom to center of selected nodes and frame them
...for starters.
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Mapping alt-left-click and alt-right-click onto one-button mice and laptop touch pads is often difficult. I often get irritated at interfaces that require both hands and multi-button mice to do routine tasks.
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