Even if summer in the north is a bit quieter on the development side, we didn't stop to bring improvements to the site.
What's New and Improved?
Grid view: While having your cards as a list can be practical for your collection, displaying them as a grid of pictures can be better when looking at a deck! Therefore, this month we deployed a new display option. Just open one of your lists, and just above the first card, click the grid icon and enjoy the new view. The list will adapt to your display and work well on cell phones, tablets and computers. Click on the card price to open the edit/selection popup. Feedback and requests are welcome!
Scanner Auto Trigger: We have been talking about it for months, and it's now there! When using an external webcam, you can now activate the auto-trigger option! We promised you we would make scanning your card easy, and we are keeping our promises! (Keep an eye on the focus meter!)
Scanner Models: The scanner models have all been retrained to learn about Final Fantasy and Edge Of Eternities cards, improving the recognition of those sets.
Bug fixes: There were a few issues on the page with adding cards by number. For example, adding the same card in different languages showed just one; when a card was added in non-foil but existed only in foil, it was rejected instead of converted, etc. We fixed all of those. The user experience has been dramatically improved.
Scanner improvements: On the scanner page, you can now select and existing list, or create a new one! No more imposed name or list. Full freedom!
Finish toggling: You can now toggle the finish of a card! How many of you have added a foil card but, by mistake, entered it as non-foil? You can now click the foil icon in the edit popup, which will toggle the finish!
Collection analytic page: We have made some improvements to the analytics page. You can now sort by clicking on the column titles, and you can see the full set name. On narrow devices, you will only see the set code. Since there are still a few improvements required, the page is still not listed on the website, but you can access it at the URL below. https://gestic.org/analytics.html
Performances: We have updated the home page to make fewer server calls and, which improved performance and reduced the loading time.
Review Scan Modal: While the Review Scan Modal is very practical, it was a pain to navigate among all the cards! If you scan 100 cards and just one fails, how do you find it? To make your life easier, we have added navigation buttons to go back to the beginning of the list or to the end, as well as to jump to the next not-recognized card. It will make the review process even easier now.
And More: It is impossible to list all that has been updated! Moving your mouse above the failed scan cards, being able to reset the filters, and fixing a little presentation issue here and there are just a few examples.
Coming Next:
List operations: Some of you asked for the ability to compare lists to generate another one. This will be added and documented soon.
Network upgrade: While we have been able to improve some of the network, we still need to complete the full update. Hopefully, before the end of August.
Collection analytic page: We want to add more features to the analytics page, such as a deep dive into a set or showing pie charts instead of bar charts. Hopefully, we will be able to do some of that this month!
LGS Inventories Improvement: Mapping LGS inventories to the Scryfall database is a complicated challenge! We recently tried using AI to do that, and we got very good results! We want to start implementing a complete AI solution for one LGS and see if it improves Gestic's offerings. If this is successful, we will begin moving all the LGS under this option.
As always, We Need Your Input!
Highlighted Feature of the Month: Auto Trigger
We talked about it so much over the last months that we can definitely make this the Feature Of The Month!
The Auto-Trigger allows you to let Gestic decide when it's time to capture the picture of the next card.
Focus: To ensure it works well, you need to adjust your camera and the light to have good focus. It is recommended that auto-focus be turned off and configured manually. Indeed, when you put a new card in the box, it will first show very close to the camera, which will try to focus on it. Then, when the card is dropped at the bottom of the box, the focus will be all wrong. If the picture is taken at that time, it might result in a failed recognition. Configuring the focus manually will avoid that.
Light: Make sure your light is well adjusted. Avoid reflection on the card and try to reduce shadows as much as possible. You might really want to invest in a ring light or any other good product. This will save you a lot of time and some frustration!
Box: Use a box! A little plastic box, a nice one you 3D print yourself, one designed for that, a few pieces of cardboard with tape—whatever works best for you—but use a box! It will allow you to drop the card easily in the same place. The example below shows a good focus, but this is installed above the box I'm using for the real scans!
When you are satisfied with your setup and your focus meter is in the green (or very close to it), check the "Auto capture pictures" checkbox. Since the action is triggered only for a new card, you might want to capture the current one manually by clicking on the picture, clicking on the "Capture Photo" button, or simply pressing the space bar.
After that, start sliding your cards into the box, and let the magic happen. Don't forget to use the "Review the Scans" option when you are done, as some might have been misrecognized
Thanks for being an incredible part of Gestic's journey. Your support means the world to us,
