Some praise and a couple of questions

[Moonsparkle]

Hi, I recently stumbled across Orphalese and after a brief trial period I registered. The program is great! The features I like the most are my ability to take decks for a trial run before buying the actual deck and for comparative analysis which I find very interesting.

Years ago I bought a deck that appealed to me from a glance at the art work and then it has spent the last several years in its box, only occasionally pulled out to admire the artwork. When my interest was renewed in Tarot, the next time I bought one of those bookstore beginner sets. This time I found the cards just plain ugly and the book with it very arbitrary. Fast forward a few more years and I happened to walk by a display with the Gilded Tarot and I bought it on impulse. Finally, a non-mistake but I don't want to have to buy a few more "not for me" decks before finding another one that appeals. That's where Orphalese saves the day.

My other favorite feature, the card comparisons, has already taught me a lot about Tarot cards. I have a much better idea of where decks fit in in the scheme of things. It's very interesting to see how different authors choose to convey meaning.

Now for my couple of questions that searching and the help files didn't answer:
On the card view of the card comparison there are the arrows for stepping through the cards. To the left of those is the picture of a little dice (die?). Now intuitively, I expected that to randomly change the card being viewed. However, what happens is that a random deck pops to the top. Is that what should happen and what is it for? I'd much perfer that it was to display a random card comparison!

On to my other question. What are collections and how do I set it up? I could find nothing in the help file or anywhere. I tried to open it up and figure out how to use it but all I succeeded in doing was pressing add which opened up a file create. So now I have a file I randomly named that seems to be good for nothing. I don't know what to do from there. I'd love if it was to allow for different groupings to be made without having to store multiple cards. If there are instructions somewhere, a link would be greatly appreciated as I couldn't find it.

Oh...the only bad part so far has been to find a neat deck only to find out its out of print and exceedingly costly to purchase. But I can live with that. At least I can view and use those sorts of decks online through this program.

-Moonsparkle

[Moonsparkle]

I answered one of my own questions! In the spirit of a monkey at a typewriter, I began randomly clicking, selecting, and moving the cursor around and discovered how to make a collection. Initially with no directions, I'd been trying to move decks to the box on the left side instead of on the right side. Not sure why I didn't guess to move them to the right box sooner, but I'll chalk it up to being left-handed and doing things the opposite of other people.

-Moonsparkle

[Programmer]

Hi Moonsparkle,

I am pleased to hear you are finding the program useful. The "monkey at a typewriter" technique is one that I use myself whenever I get my hands on a new program. It probably makes me a hypocrite, but I tend to only look at the manual when I have tried everything else .

The reason you couldn't find any instructions about the Collection Wizard is because it is a new feature, so the help file is out of date as far as that goes anyway. Actually it is pretty out of date generally, I think I last updated it about a year ago. For the last few years I have gone through a kind of rolling cycle of working on the program, then updating the translations, then the help file and associated translations of that, and then the website and its translations and so on. I don't actually do the translation work myself, but there is quite a bit of organisation in sending files back and forth so it takes a while. I want to free up some time by getting the help file into a Wiki, or series of Wikis. I am hoping to do this by the end of next year, after which it may be easier to find up-to-date help with new features.

Well, you worked out for yourself how the dice button worked too. It gives you a random deck because that was requested by a couple of users. I think you are the first person to suggest showing a random card, and I can see how that would be a nice feature too.

As for the Collection Wizard, I am not too sure about your explanation - I am a leftie too

Cheers,
Richard

[Moonsparkle]

Thanks for your reply and confirming how the dice works. The reason I thought it was for comparing a random card was twofold. First it's in the random card window, but secondly and more to the point, I'm using the compare card feature to understand tarot cards in general and to understand the differences between types of decks. As a learning tool it's better not to always study the cards in the same order. Or at least for me. If I always link the meaning of one card as it follows another card, I'm not so sure I'll recall what I know about the card as well without the trigger of the previous card. ... if that makes any sense.

Oh, about the left handed mystery. You do know that some left-handers have brains organized the same as right-handers, and some have the halves of their brain switched. Maybe we are the two different versions.

Oh I forgot to mention the other thing I really liked about the program. I was actually thinking of computerizing some databases I've created to use for writing exercises. Now writing a program would have been good practice for me (I've done some programming), but your program will work so nicely, I can practice on something else. I have collections of images, themes, scenarios and I'd often do things like roll dice to pick one for an arbitrary writing exercise. The fact that I can create "decks" for these is cool. I'm too much a newbie for creating a tarot deck, but Orphalese is perfect for this other application!

-Moonsparkle