Feature request: INFINITE CANVAS
Hi, i want suggest a infinite canvas, a virtual infinite page where we can write without space limit.
With a virtual canvas will bring the note taking experience on another level.
Onyx has already implemented the ability to zoom up to 16 times, which is definitely a big step on. However, this function has limits respect to the possibility of writing on an infinite canvas. in this case it would be possible to compare arguments with each other much more easily, to make thought flow more continuously. Above all, it would be much easier to make mind maps, which in my opinion are fundamental for the memorization process.
The reason why I suggest this feature only now is that previously I thought it was not possible to realize it in an eink-device, but now I have discovered that not only is it possible, but it already exists.
The "Papyr device" from "QuirckLogic" have already implemented it. in that device you can start writing on a page and then scroll it in any direction. The page as a whole is therefore enlarged according to our needs (it is virtually infinite). You can then move on to the next page and repeat the process if you wish. Still in "papyr" it is also possible to use the template you want (for example squad or lines).
I honestly believe that in the field of productivity it is a fundamental feature, superior to all the others.
Therefore not only did I want to suggest this feature, but I would like to ask you please if onyx actually plans to implement it. It would be important to me if you could answer me with a yes or no because this is somethin that in my opinion cant be ignored on a device for professional work. Thank you for your work.
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Official comment
Hello,
Thanks for your suggestions.
We will transfer your request to our technical team to see if we could add it to the "to-do list" to make it in the near future. Thank you for your attention and support.
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This is a game changer, indeed. Can we have an update whether or not the tech team believes this is do-able?
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Yeah, it would be nice to have some updates, it's been 4 months since the suggestion was made. I don't want to be inappropriate but many devices will come out this year and that feature is very important. Are the developers working on it? Can you at least confirm us if it is on the road map or not? Thanks for your patience.
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This would be amazing.
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Hi All,
Can this get an update on whether this will be implemented or not?
This would be a gamechanger for sure! Hope it get's through.
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One problem might be that a canvas beyond a document's pages would be outside of the document file so everything around/besides the pages would need to be saved as a separate layer or as additional pages, if you want it to carry over to other PDF software (not sure about size limitations for PDFs).
Still, any implementation for something like this would be awesome!LiquidText does this (only the annotations on page become part of the PDF and show up in other software) and also a lot more but it's iOS first (now ported to Windows but no plans for Android AFAIK).
Obviously, OneNote is built around this concept but it's intended for note taking, not document annotation. It rasterizes PDFs as digital printouts, with a fixed and therefore limited resolution and comparatively huge file size, as is normal for images vs. PDFs containing actual text.Even a necessarily proprietary implementation for NeoReader would be awesome since there's precious little space in most documents' margins.
A single empty (or ruled etc.) page for every document page would be a start so just inserting one whenever there's not enough space in the margins of a particular page, could work somewhat - though it would probably mess up the original page numbers (or is there a way to insert pages which are not numbered and don't change the original numbering?)1 -
Hello Sabine J. thank you for your opinion, some interesting stuff on you comment.
To be honest I'm not a software devloper and I have no idea of what are the difficult to front for make this feature work well, but theorically is absolutely possible.
About the pdf, it's possible export the note make so that on the infinite canvas only the part off the page that have been written will be selected, generally these app work on this way so that you will have a giant page.
On Zoomnotes you can make a document and choose from standard page, custom size or infinite, so you can have for example a pdf exported document with some normal page and a giant page.
-Generally the pdf view change from app to app, for example on some case the page will retain their normal dimension and the zoom capability of the app will be an absolute number, in this case you will have absolutely no problem for visualise the page.
- Other app have a zoom that is relative to the page, so if the page is giant, the max amount of zoom will be reduced compared to other page, on this app you can have some problem.About neoereader, I did some test in the past and if I remember correctly it import the pdf with their real size, so there shouldn't be problem of zoom or visualisation, it would work perfect with an infinite canvas. Talking of oyher app for make another example, if you import a pdf document with a page 100 x100 cm on GoodNotes than page document will retain that dimension, and the zoom will be relative to the standard page and not to the giant page, so you will be able to zoom at the same level of details on both page, giant and A4.
In conclusion I think it's absolutely possible make a infinite canvas feature on note app and the pdf part could work very well on neoereader but it's necessary that;
- the exported pdf will take into account the edited area of the infinite canvas exporting it as one page of the real dimension it is (without scaling it), and the other pages of the document for their normal size.
- The neoereader should read all pdf page for the dimensiom they are, without scaling it and have a zoom function that work on an absolutely way (I think it already work on this way).0 -
If you try Zoomnotes or see some video on YouTube you can understand what I mean, I think also squid work absolutely on the same way.
A workaround in the mean time that we cant access this feature would be that Dev give us ability to import a page on their real size. If you import a page with dimension up to a4 it work well, but if you import a bigger page than it will be scaled. There are different app that give us the ability to create page of custom dimension, so be able to import these without a re-scaling would work in the mean time. This for example is what happen on GoodNotes, there you can't create an infinite canvas but you can still import a custom page of real size and the zoom is settled to work on the right way.0 -
Lastly consider that Quirck Logic Papyr have this function working already, and something of similar is present on the Elipsa also if on that case it have great limitations for the pdf exporting.
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I do tend to feel that Boox should focus on hardware and providing a platform for third party apps to create a suitable note taking app experience?
Like the current step to having a much quicker response rate for One Note on the new Boox Note air devices (and hopefully soon also on the old ones) is already a big step into the right direction. They do have that infinite canvas capability.
For planning I also use one of those very handy PDF templates rather than the note taker itself. So I feel like me personally as a user will be looking for third party apps to integrate more into my daily work routine to fill in my needs and am happy that Boox focusses more on improving how the writing experience incorporates with more applications that are also accessible on for example a smart phone or a laptop. E.g. a big plus would also be: having my daily schedule accessible on my smartphone or something to add things when I don't have access to my device straight away.
These devices could easily become a new platform next to the tablet, smartphone or PC.
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