inShort

General questions

Why can't I change the start date of my project?

In most cases, the start date of execution of a task depends on the completion dates of other tasks. In order to be able to freely change the start date, the task must be "independent", which requires fulfillment of several conditions.

The task must not depend on other tasks, that is, the diagram object must not have incoming links.
The task must not have nested tasks, as for such a task the schedule is calculated by the nested diagram.
The diagram containing the task must be put directly into a folder, since only the folder has a completely free schedule, which does not depend on other tasks and is set individually.

Solution
Consequently, in this case the following should be checked:

If the diagram is not included in a folder, then you need to go to the parent diagram and change the type of the parent object to "Folder".
If the initial task has incoming links or a nested diagram, create a new object of type 'resource' before this task, name it "Start" (or somehow closer to the context), then draw a link from it to the initial object. For the created object, the start date will be available for change. By the way, shifting the start date in such a way, you can adjust the project plan so that it is completed by any specific date.

It remains to consider one more case: our task depends on other ones, but because of the circumstances the actual work began later. In such a situation, use the switch "Fix start date", it allows moving the start date to a later date in relation to the available start of the work.

I have the iOS version and about to buy the Mac version. Before I do, I want to confirm that the charts I create in one are compatible with the other. Is that true?

Yes, the applications are almost completely compatible, you can load ISH files of diagrams generated with one version to another. However, there are a couple of points. In the application on Mac OS, you can embed an illustration in PDF format in an object, but the application on iOS will not display this image, although, except for that, will load the diagram without problems.

Also, typically, I first develop new features on Mac OS, as this is easier in coding and testing. Then, a little later, these features are extended to the iOS version. During the transitional period, files generated on Mac OS, will be loadable to iOS, but the data associated with the new features will be excluded when loading — the application will load only the data that is supported by the version installed.

I have been using inShort on iOS for a long time, recently noticed an offer of the promo code for the iOS version of the application for a review left on the Mac AppStore, and can I, conversely, get a promo code for the Mac OS version for a review on the iOS version?

The audience of Mac applications is at least two orders of magnitude below the iOS audience, and Mac users are less likely to leave the feedback, so the number of sales is significantly lower, which is reflected in a higher price. Furthermore, the very Mac application is more convenient and more difficult in the development. As a result, a Mac user who is not familiar with the iOS application risks 4 times more money than an iOS user, so I deem reasonable to reward such risk. In addition, according to the rules of the AppStore, loyal users who have received a promotional code cannot leave reviews, which are particularly valuable for the Mac version. Therefore, the offer of a promo code does not work in the opposite direction.

You are guaranteed to receive a promotional code for the iOS version for a review in the Mac AppStore, moreover, if I have an available stock and your review is loyal, I can provide an additional couple of codes for your friends.

Questions about the Mac OS version

I'm from Germany and bought your nice app through the app-store. But it's not in english or german, but russian. How can I change this. (I tried to reinstal)

This is a known feature of Yosemite, users face it in different applications, as discussed here.

In brief,
change the order of preference of languages in the system settings or delete unused foreign languages.

Questions about the iOS version

I edit a complex diagram in inShort, and occassionally the application interrupts the work and sometimes even loses data, how to fix it?

Your diagram has a rather large canvas, which leads to a shortage of the working memory of the device and to the untimely termination of the application. The volume of memory required by the program depends primarily on the size of the canvas of the current diagram and is almost independent of the number of objects on the diagram. This is particularly evident on the devices with the Retina display.

Solution
Skillful use of nested diagrams allows you to design processes of any complexity, using compact diagrams containing not more than 20 objects. It is recommended to optimize the layout a large diagram:

Restart the device to release as much memory as possible from other programs.
Open inShort. In the application settings, disable shadows (if they were enabled) and turn on the memory saving mode (this will partially disable animation and reduce the load on the device).
Open the diagram and try to shrink it in size as much as possible.
Exit the diagram.
If desired, return the settings to the preferred values.

Editing of the diagram objects takes place not smoothly, with delays, is this normal?

Most likely, you are using a device with the Retina display, and shadows for objects are switched on. Calculation of shadows requires significant processing power, and when they are switched on, about 80% of CPU power is spent on their drawing.

Solution
Turn off shadows in the settings. You can enable them again after you have finished editing or to create a PDF file.

Feedback

feedback@shortki.com

You can always contact the developer directly through the mail. Unfortunately, this address is periodically exposed to massive influx of spam, among which some letters of users may be lost, so if you have not received a response within 3 days, please email again.

Desire
If you seek help with the problem in the application, it is always useful to additionally provide the following information:

Version of the application;
Version of the operating system;
Type and model of the device on which the application is used;
Is the observed problem repeatable, provide an algorithm to reproduce it.