Scratch

I also feel an advantage would be if you could make backgrounds and sprites that were actually bigger than the 480x360. That way maps and scrolling games and projects could be made a lot easier as you would simply be able to move the sprite or background to a new section of the screen allowing you to see the new area of the image.

What I would to see in scratch is the ability to hide variables boxes though the use of code block like you ca with sprites and also to put variable boxes in sprites so that the variable boxes become part of the sprite.

Last edited by archmage (2007-07-21 16:05:09)

Basically, that any command that works with a sprite should work with a variable box.  So you can show/hide them during the game, or even move them about.

Also, a way to find a color that a sprite is touching as a variable. With this, drawing programs would be a lot easier in that you can, for example, have the pen color set to The x and y position of a sprite relative to another sprite.

It's VERY helpful for us on the Scratch team to see and read through all these suggestions.

For the variable boxes the code block I would like to see would be show,hide,goto(x,y).
Also what would be really nice would be if you could change the way the variable boxes look like so you could chose different skins for the boxes or maybe draw your own.

As for where the new block should appear I think they should appear right under the variable they control. So the block "hide score" would appear under the variable "score".

Last edited by archmage (2007-07-21 16:21:38)

That's why I suggested being able to organize variables and sprites by putting them into folders in the same way you would on you computer. This means if you're using variables regarding a particular sprite for a while you can bring the folder to the top of the list allowing easy access.

I also have a couple more improvement suggestions:
In Scratch - Being able to store information for future use eg. high scores or a players location in a level.

For the website - having a 'remember me' function which can be found on almost any forum. It just means you don't have to login every time.

SB

Last edited by ScipioBellorum (2007-07-23 03:35:00)

* For "sizes bigger than the stage" how much bigger would you suggest, ideally?

* I think "save data for later" will be coming soon! (Tammy from the Scratch team worked on it for her recently completed master's thesis --and calls them "shariables").

* The simplicity of the three current variable blocks leads to "aha!" moments for some beginners. Wondering how to add the suggested dynamic variable box display options without making variables looking more complex. Maybe the extra commands could be separated a little and make clearer those are about displaying the variables (whereas the current commands are about the value of the variable)?

I can see the dynamic display options would be useful for the "reporters" too (direction, x position, and the other reporters that have been suggested, e.g., color, costume).

Well, these are my current thoughts/questions (not speaking for the whole Scratch team).

mrgrant: I support your idea to have an advanced Scratch, but not inside Scratch but inside Squeak. I also had many ideas how to improve Scratch, but - like you - I more and more came to the conclusion, that most of it causes confusion to beginners.

So it's better that Scratch stays as it is for beginners (with some minor improvements) and that there was a way for "non-beginners" to profit from their Scratch-Knowhow (and Projects) when changing to the "mother of Scratch".

Squeak - as it is - would be a shock for  even most  advanced Scratchers, because it is much to complex and powerfull for beginners. But a "Scratch-Squeak", where you can lift up the curtain fom Scratch to the entire Squeak step by step, could be a solution. Perhaps in Scratch-Squeak you could influence your Scratch-Sprites like the robots in http://smallwiki.unibe.ch/botsinc , so you enlarge your programming knowledge starting with the Scratch items you know.

If the students will be interested to learn Java or C++ after entering the Smalltalkworld of Squeak is an other question. The strange thing is, that almost everybody, who has been deep inside Smalltalk, falls in love with it. At the other hand many people don't get inside, cause the borders are too high.

see also:
http://scratch.mit.edu/forums/viewtopic.php?id=414

For getting from Scratch to Squeak see:
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/Jens/22355
You will have a very fascinating Scratch experience
(Thank you Jens for finding "the Matrix like Redpill" to get to the other side)

Last edited by MartinWollenweber (2007-07-25 12:15:47)

In the editor window, could you add a grid that snaps sprites to it? Also, being able to change the grid size would be nice. For example, 16x16, 32x32 etc.