---
title: VCineX Guidelines
tags: clients, guides
description: UX guidelines and clarifications
---

# UX Guidelines

There are 4 key tabs that define the UX:
- Locations - used for location scouting and photo management
- Equipment - used to create lists of equipment for shootings
- Projects - project management functionality for the film/video production, cross-integrates locations and equipment via project-oriented structure
- Profile - personal events management linked to projects and account settings

## Locations

This tab is used to store, collect and systematize photos.


Photos can be imported or shot directly from the app. Every photo has a set of fields that can be defined manually and automatically. Automatic data is connected with geo-data.

- Taking shot directly from the app promts to the in-app camera functionality. It includes a possibility of taking a single shot, a series of shots (long tap) or grouped photos. Grouped photos allow to add several shots to the location at once without exiting the camera after every shot is taken, so then all the shots will be stored under same name and details.
- Importing photos promts to the default album app, where user selects one or several photos.

Once photos are taken or selected, user proceeds to "Edit" photo section, where he/she adds name, description, location (if not provided automatically).

Every location can have one or several sublocations. For example, if you went to a house, you can create location "house", and then in sublocations categorise photos by rooms, such as "bathroom".

User has a possibility to make visual notes on every photo, including overlay drawings and placing icons. Yet there is a possibility for the user to hide visual comments to see the original shot.

Every location consits of filled in information, one or several photos (possibly categorised by sublocations), tags (defined manually), label whether the location is inside/outside, set of projects where location was used (defined automatically), map with geomark (marking location on the map), list of locations nearby that user has in his/her location tab.

Location tab can be viewed as a list or have a map view. Specifica locations can be shared in-app or as an external link. In the location tab, there is a serach bar to directly find locations by name or address. additionally the locations can be sorted and filtered by:
- city
- location type (inside/outside)
- date added
- edit date
- favourite (boolean)
- custom tags

## Equipment

The tab is used for equipment lists management and creation.


On a high level equipment is split into "Created lists", where users have access to lists they saved from their projects, and "Own Equipment", where user defines a list of equipment he/she owns. In further UI development, equipment from "Own Equipment" can be highlighted/marked across other screens.

Equipment follows logic smilar to locations: user creates a new list, adds items (not necesserily limited to a single category), adds information for the list (including name, description, projects where it is used), manual tags.

Every list has a generated summary below, providing information on the number of items within the list and its weight.

By tapping on a piece of a single item in a list, user sees the detailed information regarding the item (frame in Figma file: "Equipment / My Equipment / Camera"). If there are more than one piece of the same item, then the summary below will show the number of items and their total weight.

Every list can be marked as favourite. Lists are divided into sub-categories of the items (for example, cameras, lightning). User can add an item to the list manually or by scanning a QR code.

In the "Add Equipment", items can be marked as "favourite", filtered (see frame "Equipment / filter search") and sorted (by weight, "favourite first").

Equipment can be also saved/partailly saved from the projects tab.

## Projects

Projects tab is used for the project management. This tab is seen as the highest priority tab and has the highest emphasis as it itegrates the information from the other tabs within its items.


Similarly to locations or equipment, the tab consists of list of projects. Ongoing project is highlighted by a larger item size. On preview, project's name, creation date, status and tags are shown.

Projects can be directly search (name match), filtered (frame "Projects / filter search") or sorted (by creation date, edit date, "favourite first").

Every project includes:
- picture/poster (autogenerated picture with the overlaying filled in information)
- name + description
- project category
- dynamic information (for every project type, there are different fields)
- manual tags
- calendar (with categorised time intervals and events, that automatically highlights project status)
- locations
- equipment
- attached documents
- sketches
- shotlist/storyboard
- added links
- crew

Apart from the dafualt mode, where user can add and change project details, there is a read-only mode, where user cannot change any information and just lists the information. In read-only more, user will be able to share the project view or download project as pdf.

Every project can be edited or go through a complete setup in a master edit function (frame "Projects / Edit"): from this screen user will be able to edit/add/remove everything for the project. Alternatively, project can be editted by going directly to a section within the project.

For locations and equipment, adding new lists/locations prompts to list view of the tab accordingly. Then by tapping on the item, user proceeds to "edit screen" and confirms action. If the user creates new location or equipment list, it is not automatically created in his/her profile, but can be added by "Save to my ..." function.

Documents section on tap opens the list with documents with a possibility to import new items from local storage.

Sketches automatically add images with the visual notes from locations. New sketch can be added by tapping "+", then all photos from the locations (which are defined within the project) will be ashown. The user can select a photo and add visual comments.

Crew section automatically lists people added as project members with their defined roles.

By clicking on tag, moodboard is automatically generated from the photos in locations, which contain selected tag.

Shotlist (or storyboard) is aimed to partially automatise shotlist creation by assembling the list of shots based on the selected locations, equipment and project calendar. To do so, user selects shots from the selected locations for the project. Then every shot can be dragg & dropped, to put them in the custom order. Shots are grouped by location and sorted by date. Every shot can be edited in terms of name, description, date range (which is integrated with the project calendar) and equipment (limited to the project equipement).

## Profile

Profile tab is used for the personal management and notifications. This tab plays role of integrating the project updates to one's personal calendar. Therefore, one of the key sections in this tab is "Dashboard" with the calendar features and list of ongoing projects.


The tab consists of three key parts:

- Profile: basic section about the user, the contact details and photo for the start
- Dashboard: consists of personal calendar and ongoing projects
- Settings: include favourites (for the 3 key sections of locations, projects and equipment), language settings, password-related settings and account log out. Future subscription management is intended for this section.

Very important to note that claendar shows relevant to the user event (ones where they are marked as participants) and differentiates by projects. Ongoing projects list allows to track the statuses of the projects and overall list of users active projects. Calendar is intended to use the pinch in/out feature to swithc between the overviewed time frames. Here is a reference: https://dribbble.com/shots/10224104-Calendar-app

Lastly, users are able to turn on app-wide read-oly mode that turns of the editing options for the user. This feature is intended to be used on set during the shooting, so the user does not need to export and print everything, can avoid accidental edits and can quicker navigates within the projects.

## Answers to questions

### Projects

1. *Calendar option to add documents, pictures and other files or link to something inside the project (upload to project cloud)*

This was not originally intended and tried to keep the events as minimal as possible (originally, calendar was intended to just indicate the production phases). Now we would suggest adding a "clip" icon to the top right of the description box in the ["Add event screen"](https://i.imgur.com/X7EIaIs.png)

2. *Project-calendar user needs to get notified, confirm / cancel date screen - notification back (admin and others need to see who will join the date)*

Application logic (due to the app lauch) suggests that the invites will be sent via email using API. Therefore, the notification and accept/decline features are done through emails, similarly to Google (this is also intended to keep personal log of invites in the emails).

3. *General most of the screens needs a comment section, comment for moods, etc.*

Originally we thought that the [comments](https://i.imgur.com/opRb3x8.png) should be defined for the equipment only as the equipment list suggestions can be coming from the different crew members. However, due to the list logic it can be simply re-used for the other sections by putting a comment icon on the list elements or in the tab. Here is an [example](https://i.imgur.com/l4ydOLM.png) for the moodboards. At the same time, we would strongly suggest to avoid it for such sections as locations and hihg-level comments for the projects, the only places where it would make sense to add comments are:
- Equipment (as currently in figma)
- Moodboards (as in the example)
- Shotboard (to add discussions to the shots)

Any other additions will make this function completely useless with the matter of adding it just for the sake of it.

4. *Main comment / communication section is needed - also for admin to pin announcements*

Has not been raised or discussed during the UX, otherwise it would also make sense to integrate the chat mechanics inside the application separated by projects (maintaining Discord/Slack-like mechanics in terms of comments and communications). Comment section can be added to the projects but as mentioned in point 4, we would strongly recommend to avoid it, especially in terms of MVP.

5. *General what if user is offline / online in the project section? Which message will appear?*

This really depends on the way development will be carried and how much information will be stored locally on the devices. Our favourite solution is to mark all of the action elements as gray (or in an inactive state, which is used in the UI system), we believe that it is more on the side of the UI development.

### Locations

1. *General quick link to open location in maps*

Top right corner. For the location specific, there is a map section with possibility of opening it in full.


2. *Sub-location needs to have lable "int / ext"*

In our logic, we defined whether the location is overall int/ext. Can be changed like on the screenshot below.


While it is easy to add, we would strongly recommend to avoid it due to the common app issue of "over-systematisation", which makes majority of functions useless.

4. *Pictures option to name and tag every single picture (if I have over 30 locations and took the pictures years ago, it will help me to sort what is what: "Window with sunlight, next to the bath tube")*

The current app logic is built completely around 3 key sections: projects, equipment and projects. Therefore, we take location as a primary mean of photo assets management. This is the reason why we do not have any photo-level content and only have the characteristics for the location. In your example, where the user tries to find the photo he/she will first find the location based on its characteristics.

5. *General integration with sun survey, meaning place where I can add a picture or pictures of sun movement screenshots*

Never heard this and do not know what it is.

### General

1. *Mood board function to add directly from camera / camera roll*

The whole idea of the moodbaords in the application is to have it automatically generated for the user based on the tags of the locations.

2. *On all screens: how to edit tags? Should there be another screen for that?*

In every section there is an edit screen that allows to add and modify the tags. Here is an example for equipment:


3. *Version system. request change of documents - sample: producer request the DP to change the Equipment list. DP gets notified. DP requests Gaffer to check equipment list. DP gets notified about changes - new version is created.*

Currently it will be just fully modified without version control. Notifications are done externally or as push notifications.

4. *How will we integrate the version manager for several files. What will be the visual reference? Maybe we need a separate screen for it?*

Currently there is nothing in terms of version control.

5. *Simple document reminder tool? - add to calendar function*

Not sure what do you mean, but feels like this is answered in the first question of the project section.

6. *Projects: Implement a simple TODO-List function, which can be assigned and be managed by admins, but also edited by users themself (YOUR TODOS - going to calendar)*

Not initially planned in the UX and seems like something that is better to implement as a calendar function.

7. *POSTER: add logo of the client*

As we understood before, the poster is automatically generated based on the type of film, its name and team.

8. *Screen to report a bug / request a function*

Not planned, usually added in the settings part (Profile - Settings)

9. *In projects there is missing a section for the purpose we discussed.*

If you mean that there are different types of projects, such as feature films and etc. Then it is here:


10. *To each “Shooting block” (day or period) in the calendar we want to assign Equipment list and Locations.*

This is defined in the shotboard and automatically cross-integrated with the project calendar and personal calendar.

11. *The edit project section does not work for me. there are too many files and it is too confusing.*

Therefore there is a master edit screen and edit per section functionality.

12. *If the equipment list is assigned by days / and someone edits the whole projects - it will be a mess*

Therefore, equipment is added in the shotboard. So the possible logic conflict can be only if the equipment list is completelly removed. This should raise a warning about using the equipment across the shots.

13. *I think the project section needs to be edited in modules.*

There is already a functionality for that in the UX.


14. *The position of the crew member should always be visible*


Here it can be shown next to the name. Seems more of the UI consideration.

15. *We need a protocol screen section, where all changes with time stamp and name will be listed*

This seems like a version control funtion. We suggest adding mark "Saved" in the top section of the project and then adding a history changes screen. Figma as reference: