Re: [Callers] Callers Companion Database Beta Test

Dear dance friends, In my business, I do database development, especially for non-profits and particularly for community arts organizations ( http://studioschoolpro.com ) so it's probably natural that I started thinking about creating a database for collecting dances, when I first started calling many years ago. Starting with my original database and pulling in ideas from Russ Owen's old FileMaker template, other people¹s homegrown systems and feedback from some experience callers, I've built something completely new in FileMaker 9/10. It's one of those projects that is both fun to do and hopefully will be of practical use to others. The software ­ Callers Companion - is primarily geared towards contra but I¹m open to modifications that would enhance its use for squares and ECD. It is self-running - both Mac and Win - and will not require users to have FileMaker Pro or any other software other than a relatively recent operating system (Mac OS 10.4.8+ or 10.5.x, or Windows XP with SP2 or Vista). I¹m assuming to release it as some form of Œshareware¹ license, meaning download it and if you find it useful, pay something to support it¹s continued development. What I¹m looking for are a few intrepid folks (3-6) who are interested in beta testing. I¹ve been testing and using it myself for a while and it¹s pretty solid. If you would like to be a beta tester, please contact me off list. I¹m interested in feedback from both experienced and new callers. If you¹ve used Russ Owens old FileMaker template I may be able to import your old data. Other systems may or may not be doable. If you¹re starting from paper, know that the ³Insert Call² buttons make entry very fast and you can customize the phrasing to your liking ­ verbose or not as you choose. Here ( http://callerscompanion.com ) are some screen shots to give you an idea of it¹s current shape. The last one is specifically designed for 'on-screen' calling for folks like Linda Leslie who likes to call directly from her iBook. (And thanks to Linda for her feedback so far!) Features include: Dances * Rapid dance entry using customizable buttons - enter figures in your preferred format/phrasing with a single button click. * Print dances in multiple formats (index cards, one/page, two/page, etc) * Search Dances by specific figures, e.g. ³Petronella² in B2 * Track dance Œelements¹ in a particular dance ­ automatically and manually * Link to online video clips of dances such as YouTube or Google video * Link to authors website or other online posting/source for the dance * Printed date and ³Print all unprinted² function * Support for dance formats beyond 32-bar A1->B2 * ³Related Dances² - link dances to each other * Copy Dance notes to clipboard so you can paste them into an email * Duplicate Dance Sets * Create ³Sets² of dances for a particular event (date and location) * Save those sets for future reference and with Notes and Dancer Level * Duplicate a Set * View all Sets in which a dance has been used (from Dance view) * Filter dances by multiple criteria when creating a Set including name, author, level, formation, etc. * Large text screen for calling directly from the a laptop Authors * Author view showing all dances for that author Other ideas not yet implemented: * Automated import from Russ Owen¹s database (partially complete) * Email a dance or set to someone as a PDF or a format that can be imported directly into another copy of the database Will Loving