Thank you Mad Scientist for that suggestion. This is now done and we've also just added a few more things relating to quarts to the Unit Conversion Sheet.

Thanks also to those of you asking and answering questions here and giving your feedback. Your interest and enthusiasm makes more difference than you might think. A lot of the time during this project, those working on it wonder if they are making a difference as well. It is your participation that re-enthuses them.

It also triggers new ways of thinking and solving problems. PP mentioned a few posts above that I would write something on one of the hardest layout and design problems we've had. I was meant to write on why we weren't happy with some aspects of the Grain and Hop Bill layout. Yesterday, I was unable to write an answer. The process though of being forced to provide one has triggered a solution that solves this problem. Often, until you actually do find the solution, it is very hard to verbalise what you are trying to solve.

[center]What we think will be the final layout.[/center]
For those of you interested, I'm going to post a file here that shows what we think will be the final layout. It only has the first sheet of the BIABacus as it is only intended as a tool to help with this post. Please don't re-post it.There are also a few things that we are still not sure on which I will explain later.

[center]What this layout solves.[/center]
As far as possible, every part of the BIABacus must satisfy the goals of safety, education, user-friendliness, speed of use, power and flexibility. PR 1.0 didn't quite get there. We think these last changes to the layout solve the problems we were seeing.

Safety

One of the greatest features of the BIABacus is it is very safe. It is very difficult for a new user to make major errors. If they do, it is very easy for others to identify the error. This new layout maintains this safety.

Education

This is a subtle feature of the BIABAcus. It is impossible to explain the many considerations that have gone into this aspect. The goal though is that all users, experienced or inexperienced will be able to teach themselves a lot just by using the BIABacus. Change a number, for example, and you'll usually be able to visually see what that change affects.

PR 1.0 failed to do this. Critical input fields that only relate to the Hop Bill were too far away for the user to see the affects. In this new layout, these critical fields are part of the Hop Bill section. This will assist the user to see the effects of these fields. Further more, especially when we write the help, it will allow them to become educated in one of the most unsafe areas of recipe design and scaling.

User-Friendliness

This is another hard area to verbalise. A spreadsheet places some very limiting factors in this area but I think that those of you who have tried the BIABacus have found that it does quite well in this area. Lots of factors come into this so instead of explaining them, I'll attempt to explain one of the things we weren't liking in PR 1.0.

PR 1.0, to us, made the BIABacus look like just a scaler. The design abilities were a bit too hidden. We thought that in the Grain Bill and the Hop Bill, it looked too much like there was a 'left' and a 'right' hand side. In the new layout, we have replaced the two headings you see in PR 1.0 with a single heading. This and a few other subtle changes, we think, will lead the user seeing these sections in a different but very important way. Instead of seeing a left and right, hopefully they will now see a single line or to put it a different way, they will see each line of the grain bill as a single sentence instead of two phrases.

The above is a good example of how difficult it is to explain and define some problems. The above, of course, is not just a user-friendliness problem, it relates to all other aspects as well.

Speed of Use

Hopefully the new layout will be faster to use in the fact that some fields are now in a more logical place. Nothing major though has been gained in speed though with the new layout.

One interesting thing though that slightly relates to speed is that in this layout, we have now been able to put a letter beside every single section from A to Z. Now users can communicate much faster with each other. Instead of having to write, "Go to the 'Maxi-BIAB Adjustments' section which is over on the right," the author can say, "Go to Section W."

The above also solves a major logistical problem in the structuring of the help forum.

Power

A lot of the powerful features of the BIABacus are hidden and just occur automatically without the user having an awareness of them. This is the way it should be.

Down the track we'll probably write some posts on what we call, 'Recipe Investigation.' This new layout makes this easier.

Flexibility

The BIABacus covers full-volume brewers and maxi-BIAB variations. This is just one of many things that can't be found in other brewing software. The BIABacus can even be used for traditional brewing. This new layout doesn't really impact this flexibility so we haven't gained or lost anything here..

[center]What we still don't like or are unsure of.[/center]
Section C

- Not sure if allowing an OG over-ride on the first line is necessary. Certain logic advantage to it but it might cause more confusion than benefit.
- Top line currently adds to the old left versus right problem.
- Can't think of anything better that, "What you will use..." atm.
- Would like to see the left hand side of Section C have a light green heading*. We can possibly move what is there atm up to the right hand side of the top line. (See below though.)

Section D

- Can't think of anything better that, "What you will use..." atm.
- Probably should add some red warnings depending on what inputs are made.
- Would like to see the left hand side of Section D have a light green heading*. We can possibly move what is there atm to a third top line. Adding third line means adding three rows.

* If we do this, what should that heading say?

[center]Thank you for your interest.[/center]
A big consideration in the BIABacus design is that we are fully aware that the majority of users just want fast answers and there is nothing wrong with that. The BIABAcus gives fast answers that are also correct which is no easy feat.

For those of you who have read the above though, we hope you've enjoyed or at least found this glimpse of some of the behind the scenes work interesting. We certainly appreciate your interest. And, often it is people like yourselves who create or play an important role in finding the simple answers to these very complex problems.

All the best,
Pat