Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:29 pm Posts: 20 Location: Europe
Oh, yes certainly - this was meant to e a reply and not a new thread ...
Sometimes I do that when I work really late at night like now (I am in Europe).
The program I am inquiring about is GT Pro and I edited my post and its title.
Thank you for pointing that out
And thank you for your welcome. I have been almost absent from gems for about a decade now. This seems like a nice and friendly forum. I am being a bit more active again now, since I was invited to give two weeks of lectures on gemology in Holland.
I was planning to scan all of my old GIA slides for this course, but now I see that GT pro has a lot of pictures included and maybe that means I won't have to do it (sigh of relief).
hi fig, we are very glad to have you with us!! i don't have the GTPro software, but GTBill is a forum member, and you could pm him and ask if there have been any updates since Dec. 1, 2008. i looked on his website and noticed the same date for the last updates. many of the forum members use the software, too.
glad to know that you are "reuniting" with gems, and best wishes with your gemmo lectures in holland in 2 weeks!!
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:34 pm Posts: 381 Location: Sweden
Hi Fig and welcome to this forum!
I use GT tools pro alot, I really like it! For me, as a newbie, it is very helpful.
As Ginger said - Bill is a member here under the name GTP Bill, just PM him and wait (he is quite busy and not SO often in here) for the answer.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Morning and welcome to the forum.
GT Pro is an excellent tool as it currently stands.
I use it daily as do all the staff gemologists at Lang Antiques.
It includes endless pictures of gem varieties, inclusions, spectra, separations and all the data necessary for identification with standard gemological tools.
It also includes software for mounted weight estimations.
GT Pro is a very inexpensive product considering the amount of information it contains.
Thank you, Barbra, for you comments on GT Pro (also known as Gemology Tools Professional).
We are actively working on GT Pro but it is more of an "under the hood" type of thing. Time is a serious issue for me. There seems to be less and less of it everyday.
I hope people don't think if you don't have updates all the time that the program isn't worth buying. I worked hard on it for 15 years. Then some health issues hit both my wife and me and she told me it was time to give it a rest. I did and she was right.
I have a few ideas for the program. What I would really like to hear are your ideas. What would you most like to see in the program?
We just announced lifetime downloads for your version (starting with version 8.4). In other words if you own version 8.4 and your computer crashes you can email me and I will send you instructions on how to get a free download replacement.
_________________ Information is King. Bill Wise Gemology Tools Professional http://www.gemologytools.com (if you use a Windows machine) http://www.gemologytoolsonline.com (if you use a Mac or iPad)
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:29 pm Posts: 20 Location: Europe
Hi Bill,
thank you for your contribution in this thread and by means of your wonderful software program and thank you Barbra for your insightful comments.
I watched the videos on your site and it seems very impressive.
Why I am asking these questions is because I have learned to spend my money on software only when I believe that the future for a program is bright and I am absolutely certain I will be able to use it (software junkie syndrome overcome - at least for paid versions ).
Too often I have bought excellent software but then was disappointed when a few years down the road it ceased to function when the OS got updated.
Actually I started learning about computers when I decided in the mid 80s that all the software for bookkeeping and inventory management for a gem dealer did not have the features I wanted. So I started to write my own system, which can handle different currencies, memos, inventory, gem paper labels, statements, interest and A/R, as well as generate all kinds of accounting and sales reports.
When I went to a customer with my laptop and started printing invoices from my portable printer there was a drove of people who wanted to watch this innovation because it was pretty much the first time they have seen such a portable system in action.
This software still serves my needs today after some subtle upgrades and crossovers to windows for printing the reports.
So you can see that I have a very sustainable philosophy when it comes to software and prefer to ask questions first before I leap.
Re. new features I am very much interested if I understood correctly winstone's suggestions mentioned above to incorporate spectroscopic readings derived from modified digital camera pictures to facilitate gemstone identification and if you will plan or have already (the post was from 2007) included this in your fine software.
I very much hope you will soon get back to a state of perfect health. This is certainly much more important than tinkering with your software.
I send you my best wishes and thoughts for a speedy healing for you and your wife.
_________________ Kind Regards,
Fig
Last edited by Fig on Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Good that you are so careful with your money. I've wasted more than a few dollars on software that didn't work right for any number of reasons.
GT Pro still works even with Windows 7.
I never got the time or the right camera to look into Winstone's spectral project. His latest project is using a scanner. Sounds interesting but, as before, time is an issue currently. Hopefully a lot of people will look into it.
Thanks for your concerns about our health. We are doing pretty well these days. 2009 wasn't so great but we've both turned a positive corner in 2010.
_________________ Information is King. Bill Wise Gemology Tools Professional http://www.gemologytools.com (if you use a Windows machine) http://www.gemologytoolsonline.com (if you use a Mac or iPad)
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:34 pm Posts: 381 Location: Sweden
Fig!
You don´t have to FIG anything out of this software!
It´s worth every penny! It´s cheap and it does VERY much of what could think of, in the gemology way!
As I said - I´m a newbie and I love this programme! Helps me every day!
I bought this soft few year ago and have to say that I am enjoying it everyday. There is some improvment to do like the inclusions database and stones description.
I would love to be able to edit the database myself for instance.
Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 11:24 am Posts: 7523 Location: Rome, Italy
hey Olivier,
Olivier wrote:
Hello, I would love to be able to edit the database myself for instance.
this could be a GREAT idea!
i'm not a software geek so i really dunno if it could be easily viable but it will be very cool if every GTpro user could update the picture database by adding pictures!!!
Dr. Bill?
for information. It can be a little confusing at first but really it's very simple (once you get the hang of it). The most important thing to remember is to check that a photo doesn't have the same name you want to give it. That would overwrite the original.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
_________________ Information is King. Bill Wise Gemology Tools Professional http://www.gemologytools.com (if you use a Windows machine) http://www.gemologytoolsonline.com (if you use a Mac or iPad)
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