Skala progress, December 2014
It has been a while since we’ve spoken about Skala, so we’re probably due to provide some more information.
All major features for version 1 have been locked down for some time. We’re working hard, lots of progress has been made, but we’re not done yet.
This is partially because we are being extremely cautious. There’s a good chance Skala and Skala’s document format will still be in use in a couple of decades, so every decision we make is underscored by the realisation it will eventually become a legacy dependency. We’re not rushing into anything, because we’ll only get one shot at a version 1.
User interface #
Skala’s interface is predominately neutral — almost everything is pure grey to ensure colours in your designs can be viewed objectively (highlights for selections are one of the only exceptions). Skala’s interface is also quite dark. We want the focus to be on your artwork, not Skala’s UI.
So far, almost all off-canvas UI has been designed and implemented. Most of the on-canvas UI has been designed.
Artboards #
It may be a controversial opinion, but I don’t like artboards. I believe the problem they solve can be achieved in a far easier to use and performant way. Artboards also create a long list of compromises that we’re simply not willing to live with.
We have a great solution to replace artboards, but it probably will not ship as part of Skala 1.
Equation solver #
Almost all Skala’s text fields can accept full equations.
There are many small features like this in Skala, which is another reason it is taking so long to build. We have a huge laundry list of mandatory features we want to ship with the initial version.
Quality and performance #
All tests so far have exceeded our expectations.
Beta release date #
We’re still not sure when we’ll release Skala as a public beta, but we’re getting closer every day. Our Skala page now simply says ”2015”, but we will release the second we can.
If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them via Twitter or our contact page (please note that I can’t talk about unannounced features).
Thanks.
Published 29 December 2014.