TPF tasting note sheet on android

[g-man]

I'm just starting to play around a little bit with google's android sdk.

I was thinking as my first project I would convert Julian's tasting note sheet.

Features i'm looking to add:

Notes go into a database.
Notes can be posted via wifi or cellphone directly to the tpf forum (I have to figure out how to join it with the phpbb software, might not be possible as i can see it being a big security risk), if not user can push the post button on the forums and I'll have the app just formulate the standard tn post.
A color wheel with fixed labels to ensure that all TN color going forward will be more consistent.
A button at the bottom to keep track of water drunk throughout the night with an algorithm to remind you that you didn't drink enough water after a certain amount of tasting notes written.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Now there's a post from a man with some time on his hands!

It does sound like a very interesting project.

[JacobH]

Sounds great!

Incidentally, if you are using a database for the notes, could we see if we could agree on a standard XML scheme for one output? I’ve been using something alone these lines for a few years now:

Code: Select all

<cellar>
  <wine>
    <shipper>Graham</shipper> 
    <type>Tawny</type>
    <age>10</age>
<!-- other elements: <name> <quinta> <year> -->
    <bin>
      <drunk bottles="2"/> <!-- other attributes: glasses and halves -->
      <notes>A solid tawny, but perhaps not as interesting as some of the other options.</notes>
      <rating>P</rating>
    </bin>
    <bin>
      <drunk glasses="1"/>
      <event>ROH Bar.</event>
      <notes>A dark amber in colour. In the mouth, a little acidity, followed by some gentle fruit. The aftertaste started slightly bitter but then faded into a quite long-lasting rose. There was little in the way of tawny secondary flavours, although the primary fruits had faded. Nice, but not a match for some of the other 10-year-olds on the market.</notes>
      <rating>P</rating>
    </bin>
  </wine>
</cellar>

I have a few scripts which read that XML to produce the records on my website, the tasting note book I have and the thing in my signature. I’d be happy to modify the XML as you see fit, however.

A color wheel with fixed labels to ensure that all TN color going forward will be more consistent.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. The problem you would have is that you would need to colour-calibrate the monitor of your Android phone which is either very expensive or very fiddly. Otherwise we would have no consistency between people using different devices since things like changing the brightness and contrast of the screen have enormous effects on the colour. You might also have a problem because the display is back-lit, producing more consistent colours in different lighting than the Port, which is not.

I have been wondering whether we should get (or make) a set of Pantone cards with different Port-related colours on them which would ensure better consistency. Since they would be printed together they should be the same colours and because they are not back-lit they would react to ambient light in a more similar way to that of the Port. But then we would have problems relating to the cards being opaque and the Port not. I think Pantone makes translucent plastic colour guides but they are rather expensive. Requires some more thought, I think!

[g-man]

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. The problem you would have is that you would need to colour-calibrate the monitor of your Android phone which is either very expensive or very fiddly. Otherwise we would have no consistency between people using different devices since things like changing the brightness and contrast of the screen have enormous effects on the colour. You might also have a problem because the display is back-lit, producing more consistent colours in different lighting than the Port, which is not.

not true, the CCD on the camera eye will always be consistent with what it takes. The only problem is the ambient lighting and ensuring that we always take the picture on the same light as different cameras have different levels of flash. That unfortunately may be unavoidable.

My data schema is different, as i'm doing this programmatically.

class TastingNote {

string color;
string nose;
string taste;
string rating;
getters/setters
.
.
}

I'd create a Tasting Note object which contains most of the information you're talking about with the Tasting notes separated out:
Color - (which should auto grab from the camera)
Nose - user entered
Taste - user entered
Rating- user entered.

Separately i'm not sure if I want to create a wine class that attaches to a tasting note as there's no dedicated object store for such so i might just throw name and other wine identifiers into the tasting note class itself.

I also don't know the limitations of the android based phones yet =)

[JacobH]

not true, the CCD on the camera eye will always be consistent with what it takes. The only problem is the ambient lighting and ensuring that we always take the picture on the same light as different cameras have different levels of flash. That unfortunately may be unavoidable.

Ah, I see. I thought you were planing on having the screen display a colour chart that the user could compare to the wine, not have the camera take a picture of the colour and then work it out automatically. In that case, yes, ambient light is going to be an issue, along with concentration of Port. A decanter full of Port always looks darker than a tilted glass.

[g-man]

not true, the CCD on the camera eye will always be consistent with what it takes. The only problem is the ambient lighting and ensuring that we always take the picture on the same light as different cameras have different levels of flash. That unfortunately may be unavoidable.

Ah, I see. I thought you were planing on having the screen display a colour chart that the user could compare to the wine, not have the camera take a picture of the colour and then work it out automatically. In that case, yes, ambient light is going to be an issue, along with concentration of Port. A decanter full of Port always looks darker than a tilted glass.

i would hope with your glasses test that everyone should now be pouring to optimal fill amount with appropriate stemware

[JacobH]

not true, the CCD on the camera eye will always be consistent with what it takes. The only problem is the ambient lighting and ensuring that we always take the picture on the same light as different cameras have different levels of flash. That unfortunately may be unavoidable.

Ah, I see. I thought you were planing on having the screen display a colour chart that the user could compare to the wine, not have the camera take a picture of the colour and then work it out automatically. In that case, yes, ambient light is going to be an issue, along with concentration of Port. A decanter full of Port always looks darker than a tilted glass.

i would hope with your glasses test that everyone should now be pouring to optimal fill amount with appropriate stemware

What you actually need is the new Riedel Chevalier du Tastevin tasting glass which is hand blown to ensure that exactly the correct amount of light passes through to each part of the eye map to ensure full appreciation and understanding of the colour profile. Shown here with the 2009 Niepoort cask sample:

[jdaw1]

My colour notes generally record a measure of opacity, as well as a hue.