So, scratch 3.0 looks great! However, I would like to see some new blocks, so I made a list of some of my ideas for blocks. I feel like some of these blocks could help a lot of people, and at the same time it would be simple for new scratchers to understand.

Looks:

These blocks could allow users to stretch their sprites both horizontally and vertically

Sound:

This block, can be used to start a sound from a specific time. With this block, it would also be possible to make a script to
pause sounds.

Pen:

This block would be very useful for a lot of users. An image can be stored as a list of pixel colors, and then you can choose the list which you want to stamp. Then the block would draw the image on the screen using the pixel data from the list.

This block would fill the last shape drawn with pen.

This block would draw the text at the current position of the sprite.

These blocks could allow users to specify their font and the text size. The last block would report the length of pixels that the text would take up at the current size and font.

Sensing:

This block would report the color of the pixel at the coordinate of the mouse pointer or sprites.

The only difference in this block, is that the block would show the same value for all users and will not be dependent on computer time settings, unlike the current days since 2000 block.

Variables:

These blocks could be used to check the last time when the cloud var was updated to the server, and by which user.

Control:

This block can be used to break out of a loop. Unlike the stop this script block, it won't stop the entire script, only the loop in which it is contained.

This block can be used to skip an iteration of a loop.

More Blocks:

These blocks would be very helpful to all users. It would be amazing to see these blocks on scratch. They are basically custom blocks which return values.

These are the blocks that can be used inside the definition of the custom block to stop and return a value.

Lists:

It would be interesting to see a concept of 2d lists but I guess it would be kind of hard to add it in a way, that it will still be simple for new scratchers to understand. So, I am not sure about how this would work, but it would be interesting to see it.


Anyway these are my block ideas for scratch 3.0, and I am interested to know what you think about these. If you have any other ideas or suggestions please tell me in the comments below. Also, thanks to griffpatch and TheLogFather for two of the block ideas.

Support for all pen and sound blocks, pause scripts will be a lifesaver for everyone making a music player, and pen fill will be a pretty nice feature.

2d lists - Arrays! I support all above blocks.

Please suggest each set of blocks in their own topics. Also, make sure your suggestions haven't been suggested and/or rejected already.

Duplicates
set width/height to _ % - duplicate
play sound _ from time _ duplicate
pen up and fill - duplicate
write _ - duplicate
color at _ - duplicate
break, continue - duplicate
custom reporters/booleans - duplicate
2d lists - duplicate, first class lists

Support for all of them as they would make scripting easier, however many of them are duplicates. Also, when doing scratchblocks you can give them colour by doing this:

hellounicorns2 wrote:

Support for all of them as they would make scripting easier, however many of them are duplicates. Also, when doing scratchblocks you can give them colour by doing this:

[scratchblocks]Block name :: Block group/hex code of colour of script[/scratchblocks]

Thanks for telling me, I changed the colors.

Sheep_maker wrote:

Please suggest each set of blocks in their own topics. Also, make sure your suggestions haven't been suggested and/or rejected already.

Duplicates
set width/height to _ % - duplicate
play sound _ from time _ duplicate
pen up and fill - duplicate
write _ - duplicate
color at _ - duplicate
break, continue - duplicate
custom reporters/booleans - duplicate
2d lists - duplicate, first class lists

Sorry, I have not seen any of those topics, because I have never checked the suggestions topic before. But thanks for telling me.

Added some notes to your post:

Spidertest wrote:

So, scratch 3.0 looks great! However, I would like to see some new blocks, so I made a list of some of my ideas for blocks. I feel like some of these blocks could help a lot of people, and at the same time it would be simple for new scratchers to understand.

Looks:

These blocks could allow users to stretch their sprites both horizontally and vertically

Sound:

This block, can be used to start a sound from a specific time. With this block, it would also be possible to make a script to pause sounds.

Pen:

This block would be very useful for a lot of users. An image can be stored as a list of pixel colors, and then the list can be stamped.

This block would fill the last shape drawn with pen.

This block would draw the text at the current position of the sprite.

These blocks could allow users to specify their font and the text size. The last block would report the length of pixels that the text would take up at the current size and font.

Sensing:

This block would report the color of the pixel at the coordinate of the mouse pointer or sprites.

This is just an idea, but it would be nice to have a block that shows the same time everywhere, unlike the days since 2000 block or the current time block, since those can be changed based on computer settings.

Variables:

These blocks could be used to check the last time when the cloud var was updated to the server, and by which user.

Control:

This block can be used to break out of a loop. Unlike the stop this script block, it won't stop the entire script, only the loop in which it is contained.

This block can be used to skip an iteration of a loop.

More Blocks:

These blocks would be very helpful to all users. It would be amazing to see these blocks on scratch. They are basically custom blocks which return values.

These are the blocks that can be used inside the definition of the custom block to stop and return a value.

Lists:

It would be interesting to see a concept of 2d lists but I guess it would be kind of hard to add it in a way, that it will still be simple for new scratchers to understand. So, I am not sure about how this would work, but it would be interesting to see it.


Anyway these are my block ideas for scratch 3.0, and I am interested to know what you think about these. If you have any other ideas or suggestions please tell me in the comments below. Also, thanks to griffpatch and TheLogFather for two of the block ideas.

furrypig wrote:

Added some notes to your post:

Spidertest wrote:

So, scratch 3.0 looks great! However, I would like to see some new blocks, so I made a list of some of my ideas for blocks. I feel like some of these blocks could help a lot of people, and at the same time it would be simple for new scratchers to understand.

Looks:

These blocks could allow users to stretch their sprites both horizontally and vertically

Sound:

This block, can be used to start a sound from a specific time. With this block, it would also be possible to make a script to pause sounds.

Pen:

This block would be very useful for a lot of users. An image can be stored as a list of pixel colors, and then the list can be stamped.

This block would fill the last shape drawn with pen.

This block would draw the text at the current position of the sprite.

These blocks could allow users to specify their font and the text size. The last block would report the length of pixels that the text would take up at the current size and font.

Sensing:

This block would report the color of the pixel at the coordinate of the mouse pointer or sprites.

This is just an idea, but it would be nice to have a block that shows the same time everywhere, unlike the days since 2000 block or the current time block, since those can be changed based on computer settings.

Variables:

These blocks could be used to check the last time when the cloud var was updated to the server, and by which user.

Control:

This block can be used to break out of a loop. Unlike the stop this script block, it won't stop the entire script, only the loop in which it is contained.

This block can be used to skip an iteration of a loop.

More Blocks:

These blocks would be very helpful to all users. It would be amazing to see these blocks on scratch. They are basically custom blocks which return values.

These are the blocks that can be used inside the definition of the custom block to stop and return a value.

Lists:

It would be interesting to see a concept of 2d lists but I guess it would be kind of hard to add it in a way, that it will still be simple for new scratchers to understand. So, I am not sure about how this would work, but it would be interesting to see it.


Anyway these are my block ideas for scratch 3.0, and I am interested to know what you think about these. If you have any other ideas or suggestions please tell me in the comments below. Also, thanks to griffpatch and TheLogFather for two of the block ideas.

1.) Stamping a list is basically storing and drawing images using pen. For example take a look at this project: link It renders an image by storing a list of colors, and using pen to draw the color at each pixel. If scratch had a stamp list block, then those type of projects could render the image from the list immediately.

2.) Having a built in block for pen text engines, would be a lot faster than making pen text engines. Especially when you want high quality vector fonts or a lot of text, pen text engines
can lag a lot if your program already uses a lot of pen. Also, it would be easier to use these blocks, rather than making or importing pen text engines every time.

3.) Color at a coordinate would be better, but it is the same as setting a sprite's position to the coordinate, and checking for color at sprite. I thought this might be easier for new scratchers to understand, but either block would be alright.

4.) Yeah I don't really mind updating days since 2000. I just changed it to milliseconds, because most programming languages use milliseconds, but days is also okay.

If you need to use the milliseconds since 2000 block right now, you can just do:

I don't think it's universal for everyone; the time is still based off your computer with your computer's time zone is subtracted, so it can still be manipulated.

Spidertest wrote:

Looks:

These existed,but now they don't.

Sound:

Dupe.
Pen:

What does this would do?

(I think you saw this from Griffpatch) Support,this would help when making paint projects.

No support,just use costumes. And if you have to write a lot of text,use a pen text engine.

Same.

Sensing:

I think “color at x () y ()” would be better.

I think that the “days since 2000” is fine by its own.
Variables:

Support,this would be useful when making scoreboards and multiplayer things.

Control:

Support. This is in Blockly too and would be helpful instead of stopping all the scripts.

Same for before.

More Blocks:

Dupe.

Same.

Lists:

What do you mean by 2D lists?

Wow these are lots of blocks. Please,next time use one block per topic. (I added support and no-support in the topic)

Sheep_maker wrote:

If you need to use the milliseconds since 2000 block right now, you can just do:

I don't think it's universal for everyone; the time is still based off your computer with your computer's time zone is subtracted, so it can still be manipulated.

Yes I know you can find the milliseconds that way, and I know it's not universal, that is why I suggested the block, to make it universal for everyone. Maybe I should make that more clear.

Edit: I changed the block, and its definition. It should be easier to understand now.

Botcho_Otkho wrote:

Spidertest wrote:

Looks:

These existed,but now they don't.

Sound:

Dupe.
Pen:

What does this would do?

(I think you saw this from Griffpatch) Support,this would help when making paint projects.

No support,just use costumes. And if you have to write a lot of text,use a pen text engine.

Same.

Sensing:

I think “color at x () y ()” would be better.

I think that the “days since 2000” is fine by its own.
Variables:

Support,this would be useful when making scoreboards and multiplayer things.

Control:

Support. This is in Blockly too and would be helpful instead of stopping all the scripts.

Same for before.

More Blocks:

Dupe.

Same.

Lists:

What do you mean by 2D lists?

Wow these are lots of blocks. Please,next time use one block per topic. (I added support and no-support in the topic)

For the stamp list block and the color at x y block, read my reply above. About the days since 2000, it is not universal time. It means that it is not the same for everyone. Also, these are all my suggestions for scratch *3.0* so I think it is better that it all lies in one topic. And for the pen text engine read my reply above again. In a lot of user's projects including mine, the speed of scripts are very important especially for 3d projects which use a lot of pen. So, pen text engines may slow it down.

Edit: I improved some of the definitions, it should be more clear now. Also 2d lists are basically lists within lists, just like multi-dimensional arrays in other programming languages. They have both rows and columns.