#cutlistoptimizer

Having played around I decided to check my older posts to see how readable they were. Most weren't too bad but a couple were quite atrocious. This app is making me think about how I say things which is long overdue I guess. So I edited all my previous posts bar the video ones. Now I have some pretty readable posts. 😀

This app sort of moved me to think about the software I use and why so I thought you might like to know as well. I've seen many posts on Instagram and Facebook where people ask the pros what they use. This is what I as a learner use

Hemingway

I already mentioned this one above but it is now my go-to editor for my posts. It does have an option to post to Wordpress but because my blog is not hosted on Wordpress it doesn't work. I need to mention this to the developer because it will save a whole lot of copy and pasting.

I like this app because with it I can make it much easier for you readers to read my content. Often when I get excited I can ramble so this app helps reign me in.

Camera

The camera app on my iPhone is what I use to take every photo and video you see on this site. There are some stock photos that I use but other than those iPhone does everything. I like this app because Apple has gone through a good thought process when developing it. How does our brain perceive images?

This might seem like a given but it will surprise you how many developers don't think about it. Take Instagram for instance. I NEVER use the Instagram camera because when I take a photo it is the wrong way around. I can't think of how many times I have seen a photo with text in it only reversed. I hate it. I loathe it. Why can a simple built in app outperform apps that claim are better?

Instagram

On having said that I do use Instagram because at the moment there isn't a better social platform. It's a great platform to show the visual aspect of what I'm learning rather than reading only text. I'm looking into IGTV as a platform for video distribution as well. It appears that the videos I want to upload might be too much for the attention span of IGers though.

Tumblr

Tumblr is my platform of choice to publish this blog. It’s simple to post blogs and at this point in time, I need simple over features.

Cutlist Optimizer

This is an online application that is brilliant. It takes the sizing of your boards and the sizing of your parts. It then lays out those parts on the boards to give you the most efficient cuts while having the least wastage. This app is a must-have for any woodworker and is free so you'd be a fool to not use it.

Once the layout is complete you can then export as an image or a PDF and take that with you when you go to get your stock.

As a web app, it is also a dynamic display so you can use an iPhone as easy as using an iPad or a desktop.

The link is here:

https://cutlistoptimizer.com

iMovie

When it comes to video editing iMovie is my go-to. I'd love to use Final Cut Pro but the cost doesn't match the need. I take the video using the built-in camera app on my iPhone and then edit the video in iMovie. Currently, I'm using the iOS version due to an issue with running macOS Catalina Beta. That will change once Catalina is actually released though.

I like iMovie and truth is that I became a Mac user because of it back in the day. Back in 2001, it was $3000(NZ) cheaper to get a Mac for desktop video than a PC. I've never looked back. I love its ease of use and publishing capabilities.

Numbers

Most of the software I use has Apple as its developer. This isn't because it came with the machine it is because the software is much better for my needs. Numbers is a good example of this. I've used Excel and I do think it's powerful but in truth, it is more complex than it needs to be. The simple interface approach of Numbers makes it a far better product in my not so humble opinion.

I only see the cells I need to see not every row and column it can produce. If I need to print it is simple to get the layout in print form.

I use Numbers for a range of things but for woodworking, I have created an Imperial to Metric convertor. This allows me to convert inches to mm fast which helps me when I am reverse engineering a plan.

I am also building a template to set pricing for the products I make. There's still time to get that right though because I'm not quite ready to sell stuff yet.

Mindnode

Mindnode is mind mapping software and I use it to pad out my ideas. I don't use it as much as I should but I'm about to develop a workflow that will include it. This is especially important for writing blog entries for this site.

Fusion 360

My design go-to software. I've tried a range of applications but Fusion 360 came out on top. How my mind thinks is how this application works. It's very structured but flexible and that's an important tool for design.

Ninox

There are a variety of apps for billing, invoicing, stocks, and customer tracking. They are either complex, too expensive, not inclusive of all needs, or all the above. It's for this reason that I'm using Ninox to develop my own database application to handle what I need. This will be a time-consuming process but it will be worth the effort.

Ninox will then allow me to bill or quote or whatever from Mac, iPad, or iPhone so I can do what I need where I am. Once again I'm not ready to use it but I will be once I've built it. "If you build it they will come".

Conclusion