WarmGlass.com

I've been keeping firing logs and before/after digital photos. Does anyone have an easy method for organizing or referencing these handwritten notes with the digital photos?

It's funny you should mention this as I have been working on a dynamic PDF form that one can fill out on their computer with the notes one keeps for vairous projects (description of the project, materials list, the firing profie information for the various stages of the project, etc.). Also one can embed copies of the electronic pictures of the project.

When one finishes filling out the form, they can save it to later go back and make adjustments to it and/or print out a hard copy to store in binder.

I have a couple of things to finish up, but it is very near completion. If you interested in previewing it, shoot me an email and I will send you a link to my Dropbox site so you can down load it.

- Al

Hi al, I will pm you also, I would be very interested.
Bob

This might seem primitive, but I hand write my notes in a thick exercise book and store my digital photos on my computer in a folder called "glass photos".

Thanks for the file Al. What a great tool.
Bob

Al Bray wrote:It's funny you should mention this as I have been working on a dynamic PDF form that one can fill out on their computer with the notes one keeps for vairous projects (description of the project, materials list, the firing profie information for the various stages of the project, etc.). Also one can embed copies of the electronic pictures of the project.

When one finishes filling out the form, they can save it to later go back and make adjustments to it and/or print out a hard copy to store in binder.


- Al

Hi Al,
Do you have room for one more? Sounds like a great idea.

Joe

bob proulx wrote:Thanks for the file Al. What a great tool.
Bob

Hi Bob.

Your more than welcome. I know myself I was tired of trying to piece together my my handwritten notebooks, my electronic word documents, my spread sheets of firing schedules, and then the individual photos. This way I can consolidate all the information related to a particular project in one place.

I did noticed a couple of issues with the form after I sent you the previous link to the file. I fixed those as well as added some Tool Tips (when one hovers their mouse over the field before clicking or tabing into it, a description of how the field is to be used is displayed), and added Print and Save buttons to the end of the form.

Here is the link to the new file for you (and anyone else that might want to take a look at it).

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/98561690/KilnF ... nabled.pdf

Thanks,

- Al

Wow Al! I just found the link to your PDF - it is amazingly thorough and well thought out!
Thanks for sharing,
Patty

I use a MS Word form for logging project info. It has allowed me to incorporate dropdowns, pushbuttons, checkboxes, etc. into the form which makes the entry of data quite easy. The form also allows me to save images along with the textual data. When I am pretty much through entering the info, I print the form to MS OneNote, which is allows for complete flexibility in entering any further data/images/annotations/callouts/arrows etc.

You can download the form here: http://www.screencast.com/t/3OXGH25Ofug

Note: The Word form was created in Office 2010, and contains macros, so you will have to enable macros in order to use it. Also, I am not an ActiveX control expert, by any stretch, so you may find the form buggy here and there (but it works for me ). The form is specific to my setup and therefore lists choices for my kilns, my shelf types, etc. You may therefore need to edit the form for your particular circumstances.

This is a great system

Wow is an understatement! Your PDF form is fantastic.

I have been keeping track of kiln firings since I began doing fused glass a couple of years ago. Keeping those records is invaluable when something you have already done successfully or even unsuccessfully relates to a new project. The problem with my system is that it is firing based rather than project based. I have firing records organized by type of firing and by date. Having the data organized by project would be so much better. Over the past few weeks I have started new projects that were closely related to past ones, but tracking down sequence of firings has been literally impossible.

I'm going to give your system a run and see what happens.

Thanks for your work . . . and I know there was a lot of it required to come up with this concept and form.

Ted

I have made a couple of more tweaks to the form. The URL mentioned earlier in the thread will still get you to the latest version.

Mostly I wanted to clean up some of the wasted white space between the rows in the different table sections as the free-form text areas of the rows will allow the row to grow dynamically in height anyway.

I also wanted it to keep the default form to two pages when first opened up so I made some adjustments to the default number of rows in the different sections that grow to help with that. Of course one can always add/take away rows via the + and - buttons.

Finally I added some info to the bottom of the last page of the form (it won't print out on hard copies) so I can keep track of changes via a version number, as well as put the url to where I will keep updated copies of the form as I make changes to it.

I like the idea of an actual expense table with calculated totals...totally possible and maybe that will be in the 2.0 version...lol For now time to actually go work on a glass project.


Enjoy,

- Al

Hi Al!
I'm using your form for the first time now. Very slick. I, too, like the idea of having a place to record cost info. Of course, I've no idea how to do that. Also, when you can spare yet another minute would you be so kind as to indulge a question? At the risk of an eye-roll, I'd like the "Rate/Hour" column to accept alpha characters. (My Jen-Ken terminology is "Full" for as fast as possible unlike my Olympic which is "9999"). I'll happily alter the form for my own purposes if you can easily you pass on how to do that. If not I'll continue to feel blessed by your generosity.
Many thanks to all who responded!

Thanks Al,

I've been using an even more primitive method, handwritten notes, by date. It takes me forever to find what I need. Thank you so much for your time and generosity.

Patty

Al Bray wrote:

bob proulx wrote:Thanks for the file Al. What a great tool.
Bob

Here is the link to the new file for you (and anyone else that might want to take a look at it).

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/98561690/KilnF ... nabled.pdf

The document won't load for me, even after grabbing the latest Acrobat reader.

Dana W.

Hmmm...same for me. I updated my adobe as well, but still can't get it to load. I use a mac, though wouldn't think that would be an issue. Really would like to see your file, as I try to keep good records, but I do mine on paper. Would love to transfer them to the computer! Thanks!

JestersBaubles wrote:

Al Bray wrote:

bob proulx wrote:Thanks for the file Al. What a great tool.
Bob

Here is the link to the new file for you (and anyone else that might want to take a look at it).

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/98561690/KilnF ... nabled.pdf

The document won't load for me, even after grabbing the latest Acrobat reader.

Dana W.

Hi Dana,

Are you by chance using a Mac?

I had another person reach out to me that they were having issues trying to open the form with their Mac.

It turns out the Safari browser on the Mac by default uses an application called Preview when one clicks on/trys to open up PDF files via a web link/URL.

The Preview application isn't compatible with some of the "dynamic" features I have used in this Acrobat form. The work around is to download the file directly to the computer, then use the full blown Acrobat Reader application to open and work with the file.

Not sure if this is what is causing the issue in your case, but thought I would mention it for any Mac users that may run across this thread and have the same issue.

- Al

I have a Mac and was able to save the PDF, using the disc icon, not by save as. I have acrobat pro, which supports this sort of pdf.

These choices do not reflect the sorts of work I do, so if I am to get this to work for me, I will have to focus on how to change the drop down options and add more steps to the program.

Al Bray wrote: Are you by chance using a Mac?

I had another person reach out to me that they were having issues trying to open the form with their
- Al

I was on a PC. my power supply died so I am on my iPad until Amazon delivers a new one to my door. I'll try in a couple of days.

Thanks,
Dana

Peter Angel wrote:This might seem primitive, but I hand write my notes in a thick exercise book and store my digital photos on my computer in a folder called "glass photos".

I store my digital photos on my iPad and take a picture of my hand written notes as well. It works and I can carry my iPad with me to classes.

Nothing wrong with primitive. I will always hand write notes, something about pencil to paper makes my brain click.

That said I'd still like to see that PDF
When tech support gets home from school I will ask him about the disk image thing mentioned above.