I got tired of spreadsheets and messy galleries, so I built a modeller’s app — offline, no ads, with smart summaries for sharing builds

[blagaila]

Hey everyone,

Like many of you, I've been into scale modelling for years (mainly airplanes) — and I kept running into the same problems:

• Forgetting which paints I used on a build
• Buying duplicates because I lost track of supplies
• Digging through endless phone photos to find a WIP shot
• Getting asked "what kind of blue is that?" or "how was that kit?" — and not remembering

So I built an app for myself — and I just released it to share with the community.

It's a paid app ($9.99 one-time), designed specifically for scale modellers — not just another generic productivity tool.

• No ads
• No tracking or data collection
• No subscriptions
• Works fully offline

What it does:

• Track your builds from start to finish — including time spent and total cost
• Add photos per project, so your build history is always organized
• Rate each project and leave private comments/notes — perfect when someone asks months later, "Did you build that one?"
• Manage your full inventory: paints, weathering supplies, tools, and kits
• Search across 7,000+ paint codes from major brands using a smart paint hint system
• Automatically generate a project summary when a build is completed:
  • Time spent
  • Total cost
  • Paints used
  • Weathering products used
    This summary is easy to share in forums or Facebook groups — no more retyping everything

Right now it's on iOS only, with Android launching in about 2 weeks.
If this sounds useful, I'd love for you to check it out. And if you have feedback or ideas, I'm still actively improving it based on input from other builders.

Thanks for reading — happy modelling!

 

[Jakko]

no more retyping everything

There is a very simple solution to that: type your message into one forum, and before posting it, select all of the text, copy it, and then paste it into new posts on other forums as well

I do notice, though, that you forgot to mention the name of this app you made That will likely make it difficult to find for many people. Providing a direct link to it on the App Store (and, when the Android version is out, Google Play as well) will probably help people find it, too …

Searching for the username you use here on the App Store, I figure I did find it, though:



https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hobbytracker/id6748728885

 

[blagaila]

There is a very simple solution to that: type your message into one forum, and before posting it, select all of the text, copy it, and then paste it into new posts on other forums as well

I do notice, though, that you forgot to mention the name of this app you made Providing a direct link to it on the App Store (and, when the Android version is out, Google Play as well) will probably help people find it, too …

Hi Jakko,

First let me thank you for reading it. I know it might be a bit much. So the reason for the post is not only to get the app out there but to see how people actually feel about using the app. I created it for myself and a couple of Romanian modellers because we use. The app is called HobbyTracker and here is a link if you want to see it: https://apps.apple.com/ro/app/hobbytracker/id6748728885

What I wanted to engage with the people on here was about the features. I created a tailor made app for my needs and a few other people that helped me test it. I would be courious what features would people be interested in, what it's missing and general feedback about the app.

Here is a youtube link to see how it works and I'm here to answer any questions:

 

[Jakko]

I would be happy to help, but there's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem here: it's impossible to see if it has or does what I want without buying the app, but I'm not in the habit of buying apps unless I know they have or do what I want

However, I applaud you for keeping advertising out of it — I refuse to install any apps that say they have in-app advertising, and have in fact deleted ones from my iPad because they began showing ads when they didn't at first.

 

[blagaila]

Well I'll do you this. If you install it and you think it's poop I'll personally send you your money back (you just need to take my word which i gather is harder maybe that actually buying an app without knowing it). I only ask that you details what is poop about it. I wanted to keep advertising away from it because I hate it when I want to do something and an add comes. That's why I had to make it paid and not free. I understand the flaw in my plan that people cannot see it before buying it but I hope that if I get the word around and make some videos explaining and using the app maybe some people will like it.

 

[Jakko]

I take it that implementing in-app purchases is not that easy to do? Because then you could, say, make it free to use for a week, or only have a small number of items in it, before people need to buy it to keep using it.

 

[blagaila]

i thought about it but it would be a lot more rework on the app and then the whole testing phase again. My friends are already sick of me asking them to test it. This would have been so much easier with my Arduino timer from where this whole thing started

 

[blagaila]

I take it that implementing in-app purchases is not that easy to do? Because then you could, say, make it free to use for a week, or only have a small number of items in it, before people need to buy it to keep using it.

Here is the Lite free version for testing: https://apps.apple.com/ro/app/hobbytrackerlite/id6749819020

 

[Jakko]

Cool, thanks for going to the trouble to put that up. I'm not on my iPad at the moment, but I'll download it and give it a go later.

 

[blagaila]

Cool, thanks for going to the trouble to put that up. I'm not on my iPad at the moment, but I'll download it and give it a go later.

I appreciate it. Any feedback would be great!

 

[blagaila]

I appreciate it. Any feedback would be great!

Did you get a chance to try it out?

 

[Jakko]

I downloaded and installed the "lite" version, then played around with it a little but not extensively yet. My very first impression is, of course, that it's not an iPad app, so it shows as phone screen size But of course, that doesn't really matter. I will need to play with it some more, but the first real impression is that I'm not the kind of modeller who would have much use for this app. It looks geared to tracking everything you use and spend on a model, like which paints you put on and how long you were working on it. I don't particularly care about those kinds of things, though, so that functionality is mostly wasted on me.

The problem is that I'm not sure what I would find useful in an app like this. Maybe I'll think of things when I try it out some more.

 

[blagaila]

well everything is optional. You can leave fields empty in it. The purpose of it is when someone asks you what color did you use on that to have it stored nicely. The same with photos. Search for the project and show the photos from that project instead of scrolling through your entire camera roll. Another one would be the pain search. When you add a paint to the supplies you can start a description like FS36270 and you see from most of the main suppliers who has that color and what the code is. The purpose is further down the line to have everything on hand. To know what pain you have and what you don't so you don't buy duplicates. Same with weathering. When you have a big stash and are preparing for a new project you can have everything you have bought for it there instead of going every time to look in the box. Those are the things I felt were necessary and why I did the app. The timer is a bonus so I would have an answer to that question from non modeler friends: How much time did you spend on that

 

[Jakko]

I hadn't got that far yet, I admit My problem in terms of paints is more the opposite of what you describe, though: I know pretty well what I have, but I always forget which ones have run out, or nearly so

 

[blagaila]

I hadn't got that far yet, I admit My problem in terms of paints is more the opposite of what you describe, though: I know pretty well what I have, but I always forget which ones have run out, or nearly so

There is a feature in the app for paints and weathering. You can mark them as owned or to buy. After you add them if you tap on the green icon if they are owned or the red shopping cart if they are to buy they switch state. So you can update when they run out. By default the to but(the ones with the red shopping cart) are shown on top of rhe list so you know what you need to buy.

 

[proximitaslocal]

This app sounds really interesting, and I'd bet at least a few people in my modeling club would want to give it a try (a lot of the club members are older and don't trust or use much more than making an occasional phone call on their smartphones, LOL). My issue is that so far, its Apple only and I am on Android. I would also like to have something like this on my windows computer. Although I know that is a whole other rewrite of code.

I did pick up earlier this year a set of books designed in the UK from the guy that does the Model Minutes podcast/YouTube channel. They are basically an analog version of your app, with book one, The Modellers Logbook having places to write down your Model Kit Log (stash), a Paint Log, a Wish List, a Shopping List and a space for notes. the second book, The Modellers Journal filled with pages to write down notes you take during your build. The third book, The Modellers Notebook is just basically a blank notebook or diary with wide open lined pages for writing down whatever.

I still have to get around to writing everything down before my stash of kits, tools, paints and supplies grows any larger than it already is.

 

[blagaila]

This app sounds really interesting, and I'd bet at least a few people in my modeling club would want to give it a try (a lot of the club members are older and don't trust or use much more than making an occasional phone call on their smartphones, LOL). My issue is that so far, its Apple only and I am on Android. I would also like to have something like this on my windows computer. Although I know that is a whole other rewrite of code.

I did pick up earlier this year a set of books designed in the UK from the guy that does the Model Minutes podcast/YouTube channel. They are basically an analog version of your app, with book one, The Modellers Logbook having places to write down your Model Kit Log (stash), a Paint Log, a Wish List, a Shopping List and a space for notes. the second book, The Modellers Journal filled with pages to write down notes you take during your build. The third book, The Modellers Notebook is just basically a blank notebook or diary with wide open lined pages for writing down whatever.

I still have to get around to writing everything down before my stash of kits, tools, paints and supplies grows any larger than it already is.

Hi,

Thanks for the kind words. The android version is available starting next thursday. (Google process to release an app takes longer). However, on Android I only have the paid version because of the painfull release process. What I would recommend is ask a friend from your modelling club that has an iPhone to install the free version so you can check it out before purchasing it and if you like it then when it will be online you will know it's a fit for you.

For the Modelling Logbook, I have never heard of it before but to be honest it feels like a great idea for the older demografic that is less tech inclined. My app is made in such a way that there are zero adds, zero connections to servers, zero data collections especially for those people that value privacy.

I would appreciate it if you spread the word in your modelling group. Maybe it will help more people.

Also if you have any questions, or after installing it and using it for a while you feel the need for a new feature, reply on this thread and we can make it happen.

For the windows version, that's going to be tough. I designed for phones for several reasons:

1) you go to you local modelling store and you open the app and all the paints and weathering supplies that you must buy are marked with a red shopping cart and are on the top of their respective list

2) when you meet a fellow modeller and you start talking about a project or show him old projects, no more scrolling endlessly through your phone for the photos, no more trying to remember what paints were used, how was the kit etc. everything is in you phone under that project. You have your photos of the model or during the build phase, paints used, weathering used and the notes if you encountered issues, paint mixing ratios etc.

3) i always struggled with buying paints as having over 200 paint bottles is hard to manage and hard to search even if grouped by color or era. This way when you get a new kit, you search in your paints for the colors needed. If any is missing you add it and do not mark is as owned so it shows up as to buy. Same with accessories (aftermarket stuff). I have kits that I bought a year ago and instead of going each time, pulling the box from the stash and looking inside before I order, i can just look at my phone from the couch, workbench, late at night in bed.

For the podcast, can you send me a link? Maybe they would be interested to try the app as well.

Andrei

 

[Jakko]

I thought I'd spread the word a little.

 

[blagaila]

I thought I'd spread the word a little.

Thank you! I appreciate it. This is the hardest step. Spreading the word and every share helps!!! I really appreciate it!

 

[aido76]

Hi, looking forward to the android version, can you tell me please, what will the predicted cost may be.