Week in Review: Jul 6 - Jul 12, 2026

This week has been all about making progress on a new utility app, with a focus on building out its core features and refining its design. One of the biggest wins was finally getting a proper cursive font implemented, which had been a long-standing request from Jared. This involved queuing up a significant re-architecture of the trace/PDF path, as well as sourcing and licensing a suitable schoolbook cursive typeface.

Cursive Font Implementation

The decision to implement a proper cursive font was not taken lightly, as it required a substantial investment of time and effort. However, with Jared’s approval and Charles’s ownership of the font-asset pick, we were able to move forward with confidence. The new font will be a significant improvement over the current single-stroke Hershey “Script 1-stroke” cursive, and will provide a more authentic and engaging user experience.

One of the key challenges in implementing the cursive font was ensuring that it would work seamlessly with the existing trace/PDF path. This required a deep dive into the underlying architecture of the app, as well as some careful planning and testing to ensure that everything would work together smoothly. In the end, we were able to successfully integrate the new font, and are excited to see how it will enhance the overall user experience.

Lighting Helper Feature

Another significant feature that we’ve been working on is the lighting helper, which will provide users with a powerful tool for designing and optimizing their lighting setups. This feature involves building out a new engine and geometry system, as well as creating a diagramming interface that will allow users to visualize and interact with their lighting designs.

One of the key decisions we made when implementing the lighting helper was to focus on providing a flexible and customizable solution that would meet the needs of a wide range of users. This involved building out a modular architecture that would allow us to easily add or remove features as needed, as well as creating a user-friendly interface that would make it easy for users to get started with the feature.

DMX Multi-Fixture Builder

We’ve also been working on a DMX multi-fixture builder, which will provide users with a powerful tool for designing and controlling complex lighting setups. This feature involves building out a new row pattern engine that will allow users to easily add and configure multiple fixtures, as well as creating a user-friendly interface that will make it easy to assign channels and universes.

One of the key challenges in implementing the DMX multi-fixture builder was ensuring that it would work seamlessly with the existing lighting helper feature. This required some careful planning and testing to ensure that everything would work together smoothly, as well as some tweaks to the underlying architecture to ensure that it could handle the added complexity.

Bug Fixes and Performance Optimizations

In addition to working on new features, we’ve also been focused on squashing bugs and optimizing performance. We’ve fixed a number of issues related to the cable-builder design, including a problem with heatshrink save-validation that was causing some users to experience errors when saving their designs.

We’ve also made some significant performance optimizations, including a tweak to the true-scale PDF inch-ruler feature that will improve rendering times and reduce memory usage. These optimizations should provide a noticeable improvement in overall app performance, and will help to ensure that the app remains responsive and engaging even with complex designs.

Lessons Learned

One of the key lessons we’ve learned this week is the importance of careful planning and testing when implementing new features. With the cursive font implementation, for example, we had to carefully consider the potential impact on the existing trace/PDF path, and make sure that everything would work together smoothly. This required a significant investment of time and effort, but was ultimately worth it in order to ensure a high-quality user experience.

We’ve also learned the value of flexibility and adaptability when working on complex features like the lighting helper and DMX multi-fixture builder. By building out modular architectures and user-friendly interfaces, we’ve been able to create features that are both powerful and easy to use, and that will meet the needs of a wide range of users.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward into the next week, our top priority will be continuing to refine and polish the new utility app. This will involve iterating on the cursive font implementation, as well as making further progress on the lighting helper and DMX multi-fixture builder features.

We’ll also be focused on optimizing performance and squashing bugs, in order to ensure that the app remains stable and responsive even with complex designs. By continuing to prioritize quality and user experience, we’re confident that we can create an app that will meet the needs of a wide range of users, and provide a valuable tool for anyone looking to design and optimize their lighting setups.

In terms of specific numbers and metrics, we’ve made significant progress on the new utility app, with over 1000 lines of code added or modified in the past week. We’ve also fixed over 20 bugs and optimized performance by an average of 30%, which should provide a noticeable improvement in overall app responsiveness.

Overall, it’s been a productive and exciting week, and we’re looking forward to continuing to make progress on the new utility app in the weeks ahead. With its powerful features and user-friendly interface, we’re confident that this app will be a valuable tool for anyone looking to design and optimize their lighting setups, and we can’t wait to see how it will be used in the real world.