Edited May 11, 2003: changed S16, added S19 and S20.
Edited May 8, 2003: changed S2, added S14 through S18.
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cfitz:
I have compiled a list of suggestions for improvements. The list given below is quite rough, and only intended to start the ball rolling.
I believe it would be best if you maintained a single "official" list. If you agree, you could start by rewriting this list so as to make it more precise and easy to understand for Karr.
You could decide later whether to keep your list in this thread or in a new thread devoted to further suggestions.
Here is the list itself. Note that it is restricted to the "Write Strategy" tab and CD-R/CD-RW discs (not DVD discs).
S1. Ticks on the time axis:
When a whole CD-R/CD-RW disc is tested (with the "Dics Size" option), the numerical values below the time axis should be given as multiples of 10 minutes (e.g., 0, 10, 20, ..., 80 for an 80min disc), with tics at 1min intervals. This would yield less cluttered outputs (similar to those of CD Speed and Q-Check) in graphic files that are posted most frequently (since usually they concern whole discs). Alternatively, add an option in the configuration dialog to mark whole minutes on the time axis.
S2. Subticks on the vertical logarithmic scale:
The current subtics (corresponding roughly to 3.2, 5.3 and 7.6) are somewhat strange. The tics should be at intervals of 1 for the first decade (10 for the second one, etc.), and they should be made more visible - either longer or fatter.
S3. Starting error value for logarithmic scales:
The starting value of 0.1 over-emphasizes low error rates when displayed logarithmically, and wastes some space on graphs. Replacing 0.1 by 0.8 (or possibly 0.9) might produce nicer pictures. Alternatively, add an option in the configuration dialog to input minimum y-values for log scales (e.g., "Auto Y-Axis Min.", similarly to "Auto Y-Axis Max.").
S4. More standard default colors:
Change the default colors to: green (C1), yellow (C2), red (other errors), to make them more consistent with CD Speed and Q-Check.
S5. Auto-scale the unreadable error value:
In the Setup window, replace "Error Value" by "Auto Error Value" preceded by a check box like for "Auto Y-Axis Max.". When this check box is ticked, set the error value to 25% of the (possibly auto-scaled) max y-value; otherwise, use the error value specified.
S6. Always display reading/seeking errors:
Ensure that samples with reading/seeking errors are visible in the graphs, since allowing such errors to sneak through unnoticed is very bad thing. For details, see
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic. ... 2094#62094
S7. Report the number of sectors with reading/seeking errors if nonzero:
Add a summary count of the total number of sectors skipped due to reading/seeking errors. It would alert us to situations where a chart fails to show such errors.
S8. Introduce one or more indicators for sampling coverage:
Report the total sampling fraction (i.e., 75 times the number of samples without reading/slipping errors, divided by the final block number), and perhaps other indicators for the initial and final portions of the disc; for details, see
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic. ... 3385#63385
S9. Increase the size of Setup window:
On high-resolution displays, the Setup window is too small to show all items, and it is hard to resize. Apparently increasing its default size by about 25% would eliminate this inconvenience.
S10. Increase spacing between C1/C2 Total and Avg:
On CD-s with many errors, it is difficult to tell where one number ends and the other begins.
S11. Incorporate Lite-On's program SmartBurn:
Add the features of SmartBurn into KProbe, so that both programs report the same information.
S12. Handle CD-MRW discs in a special way:
When run on CD-MRW (Mt. Rainier) discs, KProbe displays quasi-periodic patterns of C2 errors which seem to originate from special data structures rather than from "physical" errors; for details, see
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic. ... 2860#62860
S13. Improve support for AMQR discs:
On some systems, KProbe 1.1.9 may hang on discs produced with Yamaha's Audio Master Quality Recording (both CD-DA and data discs), whereas CD Doctor doesn't have such issues; for details, see
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic. ... 4298#64298
S14. Use a separate text file for ATIP/manufacturers relations:
If the ATIP -> manufacturer relations were specified in an external file, users could download only changed versions of this file instead of recompiled versions of KProbe.exe. The contents of this file are of independent interest to some users.
S15. Ouput the summary test information into a text file:
All textual information from the header and captions of the graphic file should be optionally output to a summary file. Selected items from the "Disc Info" tab (e.g., ATIP Lead In/Out and disc size) should be output as well, even if absent in the graphic files. This summary file should summarize the test results so that they can be processed by other software.
S16. Include more disc info in the output:
Display ATIP lead in/out and nominal capacity in saved images and the info panel.
S17. Save more selected features in the registry:
Save the selected drive and scan speed in the registry (in addition to the Setup options, such as scaling, colors, etc.) to avoid having to reselect them every time KProbe is started.
S18. Improve file extension handling in the save dialog:
In the save dialog, remove the extension from the full file name to make it easier to use the same main file name when switching formats (e.g., for saving xyz.png and then xyz.csv).
S19. Add jitter testing:
Add a jitter measurement function.
S20. Incorporate Lite-On's program CD Media Info:
Add the features of CD Media Info into KProbe, so that both programs report the same information. (This is an alternative to S11.)