Tinderbox has been the most frustrating and difficult software program that I have ever attempted to learn. I say attempted to learn because I am still very much a novice. However, I am still hanging in there because it is the most unique and exciting applications I have ever used. It is packed with so much potential because it allows the user to be involved in deciding how it will be used, adapted, and implemented. This is also the reason why the application is so complex.
At the risk of some overlap with the posters above, here are some of my thoughts:
- don't be in a hurry to use the application for things that are mission critical or time sensitive. This will add an enormous amount of stress to the learning process. Allow yourself to experiment and play with the app before using it to organize Project X that you need to release to the world in two weeks.
- Mark Bernstein's Tinderbox Way is a must. It keeps me excited about the program, about organizing ideas, and it gives many hints about implementing the application.
- Mark Anderson: I wouldn't still be here without him. His answers are incredibly generous and useful. He maintains
http://www.acrobatfaq.com/atbref5/ and has documented many solutions.
- This is one of the most helpful tutorials I have seen:
http://decafbad.com/2010/06/tinderbox-article-tutorial/article.html#section-30.
I definitely think Tinderbox would benefit from more tutorials that have been written for novices. I bought the tutorials from Tinderbox and there were things that were helpful, but there were also things that were outdated and confusing.
Good luck.