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Introducing Ideas Genie Pro 6
Released May 2015
This
web page was last edited on 18th August 16
Unless specifically stated, this information
also
applies to and Bonsai Genie 6
Read Ideas Genie as:- Ideas Genie Pro 6 or Bonsai Genie 6
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Upgrade history log
Version 1 - Ideas Genie first released in 2001
Version 2 -
Ideas Genie (Version 2) released 3rd quarter 2003
Version 3 - Ideas Genie Pro - released May 06 - Read more
Version 4 - Ideas Genie Pro -
released Jan 07 - Read more
Version 5 - Ideas Genie Pro 5 - released November 07 - Notes follow below
Version 5 - Ideas Genie 5 - released Jan 08
Version 6 - Ideas Genie Pro - Released 1st May 2015
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Whats new in Ideas Genie Pro 6 and Bonsai Genie 6
- Works on Windows 10 and previous versions of Windows
- Core data has been relocated
- New Interface
- New User Preferences
Choose a Font and Font size, Choose a Colour
- Key programs have been amalgamated
- Garden Area Photos program extensively reworked
More graphical presentation due to introduction of Thumbnails
- NEW Web Projects program.
This is an additional Web Page Generation program
- NEW Check for Updates program
- Tasks program extensively reworked
- Articles program extensively reworked
- NEW Open another Database program. Replaces the Switch Databases program in Version 5
- Language Translation programs enhanced
Data has been relocated
The Core
data folder (the default data folder) is now installed into the Program Data folder structure on your computer.
To see where data is located in your installation, click the Help tab and use the program About Ideas Genie - GA600
New interface
Three interface options: Classic and Photo interfaces unchanged. Treenode style added.
All screens are now resizable and can be repositioned.
Heres an example:- Screenshot Cascaded
New in User Preferences
- Option to choose your preferred Font and Font Size and Bold/Normal
- Additional Interface option - Treenode
- Option to choose a Colour set
Language features
- Option: Choose another language
See screenshot Choose-another-language
- Option: I wish to do language translations
When this is checked (and changes saved) and you view Help text anywhere within the system then a
double panel Help screen appears - English on the left and a panel on the right for you to fill with your translated text.
See screenshot GA000S01-1
Enhancements to the SWITCH data source feature
Version 4 (IG Pro, Bonsai Genie) users will have noticed a new program Switch Databases - GA026.
This program allows the user to work on
multiple databases.
This feature is extremely useful in my other software, particularly Bank Genie. The user can backup their database onto a Flash disc, and use it directly with any computer with Bank
Genie.
Having developed and refined that useful functionality for Bank Genie, Ive applied it to Flower Genie, and now to IdeasGenie5.
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- Works on Windows 10 and previous versions of Windows
- IdeasGenie6 programs are installed in the Program Files (x86) folder structure. (no change)
- IdeasGenie6 data files are relocated under the Program Data folder structure
- dditional Help topics added. Help Topics -GA002
NEW Programs
- GA048 Labels Program - Ideas Genie Pro only
Print labels on a variety of standard label pages (e.g. 7x2, 7x3, 5x2 - US page sizes,
European page sizes etc)
On your label, print Text on one side, both sides, text on one side, photo on another - any combination you can think of!
Print a whole page of labels for the same plant, OR one of
this, two of that - completely flexible
Edit text for your labels (with prompts from text already in your system) .
Select Photos (optional).
- GA049 - Print Photos - Ideas Genie Pro only
Choose One photo per page, two per page, three per page etc.
You can write text to be printed
with the photo. A very flexible program. You can also use it for non-garden photos - family pics etc.
- GA047 - Tasks program
(Replaces GA012 - Tasks program in Ideas Genie)
Due to the database structure changes, GA012 was replaced by GA047 in IG Pro and Bonsai Genie.
Now that Ideas Genie has been upgraded to Version 5, GA047 is also used in that system, and GA012 becomes redundant.
Major updates
- GA032 - Reviews program - Ideas Genie Pro only
Now has a Web Page Generator (WPG) extension. You can now use the standard software to
create web pages, and go on-line with your garden! See for yourself: Have a look at these examples
You dont need to know ANYTHING about HTML, the language used to
build web pages. Its all done for you by IG Pro. If you can drag files from one folder to another, then that’s as difficult as it gets when publishing your web site. Its a bit of work to get to that stage,
but its simply a matter of using the software you are used to.
And guess what? You get free web space, provided by ideasforgardens.com, to host your projects.
For gardening images only, of
course!!
- GA034 - My Plants report.
A barrage of new options added, to allow you to pick and choose what you want to print and what you want to omit.
Redesign of
programs where your work with folders and data files.
Easy to write! A LOT of development!
- Switch databases -GA026
- System Backup Folders - GA197
- Backup Files -GA201
- PACK files - GA202
- Restore files -GA203
- Additional Information items added to the About Ideas Genie Pro - GA200 program
- Print buttons in Help screens and in About Ideas Genie - GA200
Other changes made to the system
(by no means ALL the changes - Ive listed the ones that took up quite a lot of my time - all very much worthwhile to make the software more practical, and hopefully faster and easier to use)
- Active hyperlinks in all edit windows. Click a link to visit your favourite web pages.
- Predictive text interface for Locate a Genus, or Species, or Cultivar on most
Action programs
e.g. a list appears when you type 2 characters in the Cultivar field. The list gets smaller as you type more characters. Its usually possible to locate your plant after typing 3 characters -
in a database of 9200 plants!
- Locating plants with Trade Names - in most action programs
Example: Acer Pacific Sunset (='Warrenred')
Pacific Sunset is the
trade name, Warrenred is the Cultivar name
The plant is sold as Acer Pacific Sunset (note NO single quotation marks)
However, the predictive text works for both elements of the plant name.
i.e. key in
Pac in Cultivar finder field, and predictive text finds Pacific Sunset in Acer
OR - key in War in Cultivar finder field,and predictive text finds ‘Warrenred’ in Acer
Try it using GA004 and your copy of the Master Database (supplied free with your upgrade)
- GA037 - Database Explorer
revised extensively. This is a VERY powerful program.
Including: Copy a plant from Master Database, Options to show/hide details when plants are listed (e.g. Type, Colour, Divisions, plants which have photos, plants which have web links etc)), easier to
- Revisions to GA100S36
- the Plant Profile screen (probably the most important screen in IG)
(As you know, this common screen is used in most programs)
RHS button
added - Search into the RHS Plant Finder website.
My prime reason for this was to validate Plant Names used in the
Master Database. If the search finds your plant name, its good. The web iste is THE authority on plant names!
If not, you can amend your search and try again. With a bit of trial and error, you will quickly
find the correct botanical name for your plant.
BBC button added - Search into the BBC Gardening web site.
Find information about your plant, from a delightfully absorbing site for keen gardeners. The BBC plant list is massive - much MUCH more complete that I imagined, and the information there is a real treasure.
+ buttons
placed beside Colour and Leaf Color fields. There is no limit to amount of text you can use to describe colour. The + buttons open a large edit window.
Reviews button
:- Reviews made easier to add and edit.
Cult/Properties button: Properties of similar classifications are summarised in one line
- SurfBord: Print button added
- Revisions to the Global editing screenset - GA100S30
Filter the list:
The Master Database has 100’s of plants in some genera. You can now filter the list
by a) species, by b) division/classification, and apply plant properties, Culture, Sizes to the specific list of plants.
A Hide/Show feature added
, to allow you to work with only a selected few of your categories.
e.g. You can show Sunlight Requirements, Soil Conditions, Hardiness and HIDE others. Makes global editing even quicker!
- The Full Screen Edit screen GA100S09. Have you ever tried to edit a document with hyperlinks (e.g. WORD) and accidentally clicked into a link, and off you go to the website?
I got fed up with that, and added
a new checkbox to GA100S09.
You can now toggle between Links enabled, and links disabled. When disabled, links are plain text (as it used to be before Version 4!!) and you can edit anything you please
without flyin’ off to a website.
- GA030 - Quick Link Photos - revised extensively - Read more
- GA004 and GA005 revised to the same standards as described for GA030
- Google button
can be configured to your own region/country
Previously set to search using google.co.uk. You can now choose from a pop-up and select google.com, google.de, google.nl, google.be, google.au etc etc.
And finally - an easier upgrade procedure
- Install from CD, using same CD as a new customer.
- Installs as a unique software item, it its own folders.
- The older version is unaffected
- One simple program required to import and upgrade the data from the older version.
This program is located under the System tab on the Menu
The program is coded to know where
your older data is located, so all you need to do is click a GO button.
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