Feedback please - new features for next minor release version

• Mon, Mar 16 2009 9:52 AM

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  JMorgan Joined on Tue, Mar 10 2009 Posts 4

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact  We are looking to actively use this software across the school and our learning platform, the only issue, and sadly a big one is: we can't save results. It seems Fuse Creator are attempting to create an IT based solution for the age-old issue of getting students to do their homework and/or classwork, if it's IT based, why not keep it IT-based, why not address the saving results issue so students don't have the excuses of "my printer was out of ink"/"I don't have a PC/internet/printer" etc. I'm incharge of the IT solutions for our school which is the biggest in the city and arguably the region, and though we like what the software can do we can't roll it out throughout the school, and we can't promote it to the other schools we're closely connected with. Fixing this small issue would allow us to use it as a whole, fixing it as our main solution for lessons, homework, and so on. Will there be anything like this in the near future or will we have to look elsewhere?   Kind Regards,   James Morgan IT Project Manager The Alsop High School Technology and Applied Learning Specialist College

• Mon, Mar 16 2009 10:23 AM

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  Kingsmanor Joined on Wed, Feb 4 2009 Posts 8	Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact  James We have a similar issue, however don't think it will stop us using and rolling out fuse. What we have tested is using some software such as PDFredirect which sets up as a printer on the system and directs any output to a be saved as a pdf file, its free and works well. Hope this helps in the short term

• Mon, Mar 16 2009 11:50 AM

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  sgibbons Joined on Thu, Dec 4 2008 Posts 26

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact Hi James Thanks for letting us know about your issue... in response, please be aware that the next release of Fuse Creator (V1.2) is coming very soon. You'll be pleased to hear that one of the new features will allow you to record your pupils' scores back to your school VLE. V1.2 is currently in the final rounds of testing and will be made available free of charge to all existing users of Fuse Creator. It contains a raft of new features that are designed to make Fuse Creator even more flexible and user-friendly. Many of these are based on user feedback received via this site so thanks again to everyone for taking the time to get in touch. Please keep the feedback coming. Keep an eye on the 'News' pages over the next couple of weeks for further information about Fuse Creator V1.2. Steve

• Mon, Mar 16 2009 12:08 PM

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  JMorgan Joined on Tue, Mar 10 2009 Posts 4

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact Hi Steve, Thanks for the quick response! We're trialing it at the moment and if successful we hope to fully role it out. Do you have a date or a rough estimate of when the next release will be? Also are you aware if the reports can be recorded via the Assmilate Learning Platform by Ramesys? If so then we recommend it to the other schools in the city who are using the same collaborative platform as we love Fuse so far!   Kind Regards,   James Morgan IT Project Manager The Alsop High School Technology and Applied Learning Specialist College

• Mon, Mar 16 2009 3:03 PM

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  sgibbons Joined on Thu, Dec 4 2008 Posts 26

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact Hi James Delighted that you like Fuse Creator... with regard to the next release, 'very soon' is probably the best response... expect an update at some point in the next couple of weeks via the 'News' section of this site. I'm not especially technical so can't give you an immediate answer with regard to Assimilate... I've passed it on to a more technically-minded colleague who'll be better able to advise... will get back to you as soon as I can. Steve

• Mon, Mar 23 2009 8:33 PM

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  gideonwilliams Joined on Mon, Mar 23 2009 Posts 7

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact As a school who has just purchased the package we are very pleased with the functionality and simplicty of the software - particularly in that it does not ask too many teachers to step out of their IT use zone to create suitable resources. Some ideas to those reading - get a copy of ispring (its free!) which converts PowerPoint to Flash with no loss of functionality (or sound). Look at FlashPaper or similar products to create flash based resources from Word etc. Some thoughts/improvements for the Fuse Creator A number of Flash based games require both html file and swf file to be alongside each other - is there a get around when publishing? Although video can convert to swf, ability to embed .flv files would really improve this resources Extending the graphic file types to png and gif would also help matters Am sure there may be others as we get to grips but I am impressed   Gideon

• Mon, Mar 23 2009 8:35 PM

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  gideonwilliams Joined on Mon, Mar 23 2009 Posts 7	Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact  Oh yes - can we have the forum set in order of most recent replies to least recent? Or is it a setting that I have not sorted on my view?

• Tue, Mar 24 2009 3:49 PM

  In reply to

  sgibbons Joined on Thu, Dec 4 2008 Posts 26

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact Hi Gideon Good to hear from you... glad that you're impressed by Fuse Creator. Firstly, please can you pass on some more information regarding your first bullet? Are you trying to use Fuse Creator content within those games (or vice versa)? Secondly, expanding the range of supported video formats is coming through loud and strong as a feature that many existing users would like to see. It's part of our roadmap for Fuse Creator and we're looking into it for a future release. Finally, you'll be pleased to know that the next release of Fuse Creator (v1.2 - coming very soon and available free of charge to existing users) will support a much wider range of image file types - including png and gif. Hope that this helps. Steve

• Wed, Mar 25 2009 1:09 PM

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  gideonwilliams Joined on Mon, Mar 23 2009 Posts 7

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact  Hi Steve For example, there is a great game called Light-Bot which is used to develop students understanding in programming (KS3 ish) http://armorgames.com/play/2205/light-bot To play the game you need both the html file and swf file in the same location - not sure how you can do this on Fuse Creator. Also, some of Andrew Fields COntrent Generator (http://www.contentgenerator.net/) games require both html and swf file in the same folder with a link to one to play Good to hear about the improvements/additions on their way GId

  Filed under: games quizzes content generator

• Mon, Mar 30 2009 4:41 PM

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  pwright Joined on Fri, Sep 26 2008 Posts 6

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact HI. Not sure if this is a minor release request, but here goes! Just wondered if it'd be possible to wrap the finished activity as one file (Flash?) rather than its current default of wanting to create a folder of resources, then an index file. Uploading to a LP/Website in its current form is fine for the more confident user but I think there's araft of teachers out there who would be far more tempted to use Fuse if they only had to upload one file- even if it is a big 'un. At the moment, feedback has been that Fuse is great, but the uploading of it is frustrating. I think this would be a boon to a lot of users.     Paul Hull City Learning Centre

• Tue, Mar 31 2009 5:18 PM

  In reply to

  sgibbons Joined on Thu, Dec 4 2008 Posts 26

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact Hi Paul Great to hear from you again... glad that things are going well and that the feedback on Fuse is so positive. A quick update... We want to make the uploading and running of Fuse Creator activities through a LP/VLE as quick and easy as possible, particularly for those less confident users you refer to. In response, we've been working on something that will form part of the upcoming v1.2 release. Can't say too much at the moment but it should be just what you're looking for. Steve

• Wed, Apr 22 2009 11:44 PM

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  CJM Joined on Fri, Mar 13 2009 Posts 6

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact  Hello there, Our school is in the process of testing Fuse and we have found a few limitations which make Fuse rather 'fiddly'. Although I like Fuse, I found it very time consuming to produce just a few activities as I am an English teacher (my IT knowledge is all self-taught!) rather than an IT specialist. Here are some of the features that are definitely on my wish-list: *  Like several other Forum posters, we would also like to see more control over object layering *  The facility to group objects to enable them to be easily moved would make life easier *  A wider range of font options (size, underlining, bold, italics, etc.) definitely make Fuse more appealing - it is very limited at the moment, particularly for English. *  Changing the colour of the font during an activity and a highlighting facility would be very useful and more user-friendly (good for text marking or emphasising aspects of text, etc.) *  Allowing the copy and pasting of cliparts from others sources (eg. Word) without having to go through another software to convert to jpeg would definitely make life easier! *  only allowing one gap-making activity per page has proved limiting - could we have more per page please? *  if the content of gaps contains an apostrophe, it appears in code (script??) on the label. * is there any way we can add sound effects or similar which is activiated automatically and does not require user prompting by selecting the speaker icon? * I also adding games as a reward would be very appealing and one which would help make Fuse more appealing to my colleagues. Thanks, Carol M  (Alsop High)

• Wed, Apr 29 2009 4:07 PM

  In reply to

  sgibbons Joined on Thu, Dec 4 2008 Posts 26

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact sgibbons: Hi James Delighted that you like Fuse Creator... with regard to the next release, 'very soon' is probably the best response... expect an update at some point in the next couple of weeks via the 'News' section of this site. I'm not especially technical so can't give you an immediate answer with regard to Assimilate... I've passed it on to a more technically-minded colleague who'll be better able to advise... will get back to you as soon as I can. Steve     Hi James A quick update... It's taken a little time but the latest indications are that Fuse Creator activities work fine within Assimilate. We've supplied some test contact to the tech guys at Ramesys and they've informed us that they see no problems. We're going to carry out a test of our own just in case but at this stage it looks as though you'll have no difficulties. Steve

• Wed, Apr 29 2009 4:41 PM

  In reply to

  sgibbons Joined on Thu, Dec 4 2008 Posts 26

  Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact Hi Carol Thanks for passing on your comments... some really insightful suggestions that I'm happy to communicate to the rest of the team. I particularly like your suggestion regarding the use of embedded sound effects. You'll be pleased to know that a significant proportion of your points will be addressed by the upcoming V1.2 release. As previously highlighted, this will be made available free of charge to existing users. Those points that remain, e.g. the use of games as a reward, will be added to my list of design features for further releases. Thanks again for your help. Steve

• Wed, Apr 29 2009 6:47 PM

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  gideonwilliams Joined on Mon, Mar 23 2009 Posts 7	Re: Feedback please - new features for next minor release version Reply | Contact Do we have a date for the next minor update - looking through the forums it mentions a few weeks after December - but is that not the one being talked about? Gideon Williams

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