A billiards project - On The Snap

[TheGrandWazoo]

Hello pool players! I posted this first in a safe place on AZB but realized I need to take my licks LOL

I've been working on some things for almost a year now, and I wanted to finally share it with you. I built some stuff and I hope some of you watch the demos. Yeah it's long but there is a lot to show. I have thick skin so let it fly.

I'm also going to provide a synopsis: "Too long, didn't watch." after the videos

On The Snap is a website that is also SaaS for all things billiards. I am looking for feedback and interested beta testers.

On The Snap demo 23 mins:

This demo was a one and done stream of consciousness demo. I did not edit it so warts and all lol.

And before I knew of our friend and member here, FusionCue/dreamache, and what he has been doing, I started work on a project similar to it, based on some of the things I had seen in this forum that were posted by Bob Jewett. I love the idea of an augmented experience and started working on that. I took a different approach as FusionCue in that I built a turnkey solution that includes camera, projector, compute, mount, connectivity, update app, the entire full stack. I have yet to convince myself that there is value in this deployment. However, I will show you an early video of some of the output from these initial experiments that I videoed shortly after my hand surgery several months ago. There is much more since then. I believe FusionCue, like myself, still has a long way to go when it comes to the physics and the development of these platforms, based on what I have determined as far as the setup and control.

It's hard to see with this light, but what's being projected on the table is:

• the ghost ball
• the target line
• the English path relative to the tangent, whether you're using stun follow or draw and the angle degree

I switch to bank mode, where it shows the banks, and then to a kick mode. It is hard to see these things, but I think you'll get the idea.

Well, rather than the perfect be the enemy of the good, I am opening the kimono and sharing it with my community. Let me know what you think, and thank you for taking the time to take a look at what I've been woking on. Your feedback will inform the future.

-Erick



OnTheSnap: A Comprehensive Billiards Platform with league management and point of sale solutions

OnTheSnap is a web-based, consolidated billiards experience platform designed to unify disparate systems in the pool industry. Developed over a year, it offers features for discovering and connecting with pool resources, including cue databases, instructors, rooms, and game-finding capabilities, along with comprehensive management tools for room owners and league operators.

 

[maha]

i didn't get a thing from the video talk, or even understand what you or he was even trying to sell or get across.. but i skipped along it as it was not registering to me what you were trying to do.

however the projection thing on a pool table is fascinating. i can imagine learning to play and getting to visualize exactly where the cue ball is traveling and where to aim and where it will hit.
it was faded out some but i get the idea. lining up a shot with a line on the table, and a pic of the ghost ball is tremendous.
kind of like the first down line on the screen in a football game.

if you could make it and say sell it for 200 bucks or so, it should be a hit with people using it on their own table. depending on just what it actually will do and how to command it to show what you want.

or a commercial one you rent at the pool room or from someplace. you would have to hit a price point to market it.

hats off to you for the project.

 

[jlrowe]

Yep, there is definitely value in this. Love the concept and think that there will be a demand.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I know the first demo video is long so here is a breakdown of the project and features.

On The Snap, an all-in-one platform for the pool community — a consolidated marketplace, league manager, and venue POS system, all in one place. It's built for players, pool hall owners, league operators, and instructors alike, Here's what's in it so far:

• Cue Value/marketplace — browse/list cues for sale, a maker directory, cue appraisals, and a dealer program
• Venue operations & POS — a live floor view of tables, guided customer check-in, a full POS terminal (comp/void/transfer, multiple payment types), reservations + waitlist, menu & inventory tracking, memberships, staff time clock, and revenue reporting for pool hall owners
• Leagues & tournaments — league/season/division setup, team rosters, auto-generated schedules, live match scoring (including a straight-pool scorekeeper), tournament brackets, leaderboards, and a handicap calculator
• Challenges & pickup games — challenge another player with handicap negotiation, post/join pickup games, or list your own home table for others to play on
• Instructor directory — find and book instructors by rate and availability
• Live streaming — broadcast matches right from your browser with overlays, live scoreboard, and shot clock
• Messaging & notifications, a billing/subscription system, and multi-role accounts (be a player, room owner, league operator, and instructor all on one login)
• Available in 8 languages

The second video of the projector app has been integrated in to OnTheSnap but is hidden right now as I contemplate the cost and effort of deployment of the turnkey solution.

Love any and all feedback and if you make it through the first video, you're the best.

 

[maha]

you write so, its hard to interpret what you are getting at. i know you understand it as its your writing but i cant make really heads or tails of what you are doing exactly or partially. and even using a few initialisms to boot. like everyone is supposed to stop reading and figure out what they are. or supposed to know all of them because you do.

sorry but its as i see it. good luck with it though as it seems you are dedicated to improving things in some way for pool players.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I built a website. It's for pool players.

It has complete league management and pool room management software, including point of sale and inventory control for managing that pool room. It also offers pool players the ability to find a game or match up, similar to the Salotto app. It also has live streaming capabilities, so a subscriber could log into the website and start a live stream from their pool table or pool room and be able to record that or share the live stream. There is more such as, hopefully, replicating what the Blue Book of Pool Cues was attempting to do when they had their website. etc.

In regards to the projector app, it is similar to what FusionCue has done, but in a different manner, in that it's not just software. It's the hardware. It's a turnkey solution.

I hope this clears up a little bit about what I've done.

 

[maha]

make things simple. you dont get that.


someone uses your website to manage their pool room?

its in 8 languages and i can find someone to match up with. from where?

what the hell is a salotto ap.

what projector ap.

its not just the software its the hardware. are you selling hardware, as well as a subscription to this.

good luck but my guess is you wont get off the ground as so few can even relate to what you are promoting if you are promoting something.

i could be way off base as often i am. so good luck.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I appreciate your feedback. I will try to be more clear moving forward. Thank you for taking the time.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Does you match-up app connect to FargoRate like Salotto?

Why should someone use your system rather than DigitalPool for tournament management?

How does an instructor go about being listed?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The goal is for the match-up to absolutely report to Fargo. Since I am still working on proving the concept I have not reached out to Mr. Page regarding his API since it is not public, but I have already incorporated some Fargo search functions.

Digital pool is outstanding but my goal was to consolidate a solution that incorporated more autonomy to the league operator and reduce costs. Cross promotion with pool rooms on the platform and hopefully a higher degree of user/player engagement. Once I get a operator as a beta tester it will help me understand the gaps. The graphics may not be as slick but the core functionality is there.

An instructor can build their own profile and publish it to the site, there is a book a lesson option, the ability to have a gallery and videos. I have tried to make navigation and search easy so that the instructors can be surfaced easily. I have attached a screen shot of an example profile.