2nd July 2010, 07:25 PM
Well this is quite timely, thank you hosty, as I am doing some research into Luentinum (Dolaucothi) the site of the gold mine in Wales so I have looked at this with interest.
Huge plus is that the main site is in English...I had been hearing disturbing rumours of requiring Google Translate to read it.
The GUI is basic but usable (the green may make me feel billious over time, but lets not get too picky...someone has put a lot of effort into this!).
Another huge plus is having all of the reports that exist in one place in a schedule of its own.
Not sure I like the filtering...if I type in Luentinum I get one report for the site thought to be the fort, if I put in Dolaucothi I got 79 reports of all periods (no filter put on for trial purposes!) but if I put in Dolaucothi and select the Roman period there are 12 reports, but not all of them mention Luentinum which was, after all, the Roman name of the site not the later Anglicised/Welsh name for it.
A yellow spot appears on the mapping representing each report, and as one clicks on the report, it moves to the next yellow spot identifying the area...sometimes. The map will either slide to the spot, giving you a good indication of the relationship between sites or, rather annoyingly, just hop across to it and you need to zoom out to appreciate the relationship.
Biggest gripe is the mapping...sorry. The report may give the NGR on it but there is no OS mapping to find a place by grid yourself and the resolution on the aerial mapping is not of a good standard either. WYSIWYG.
Overall it will be useful from the reports point of view but frankly I am still going to have to go to Wales with a map and my NEW PROFESSIONAL SIGHTING COMPASS (from Past Horizons) to find the bits I want...if they are not on private land...
Huge plus is that the main site is in English...I had been hearing disturbing rumours of requiring Google Translate to read it.
The GUI is basic but usable (the green may make me feel billious over time, but lets not get too picky...someone has put a lot of effort into this!).
Another huge plus is having all of the reports that exist in one place in a schedule of its own.
Not sure I like the filtering...if I type in Luentinum I get one report for the site thought to be the fort, if I put in Dolaucothi I got 79 reports of all periods (no filter put on for trial purposes!) but if I put in Dolaucothi and select the Roman period there are 12 reports, but not all of them mention Luentinum which was, after all, the Roman name of the site not the later Anglicised/Welsh name for it.
A yellow spot appears on the mapping representing each report, and as one clicks on the report, it moves to the next yellow spot identifying the area...sometimes. The map will either slide to the spot, giving you a good indication of the relationship between sites or, rather annoyingly, just hop across to it and you need to zoom out to appreciate the relationship.
Biggest gripe is the mapping...sorry. The report may give the NGR on it but there is no OS mapping to find a place by grid yourself and the resolution on the aerial mapping is not of a good standard either. WYSIWYG.
Overall it will be useful from the reports point of view but frankly I am still going to have to go to Wales with a map and my NEW PROFESSIONAL SIGHTING COMPASS (from Past Horizons) to find the bits I want...if they are not on private land...
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!