@jim.chester thanks for sharing this!
Currently, what I’m doing is just looking at the fretboard, without putting my fingers and/or playing it, and just visualizing the 7 positions.
When I’m starting learning 3NPS, my challenge was how to know which shape/position to play in a given fret as I don’t know what reference should I use. As I go by this visualization method, I’m now using the notes of the key as a reference to tell me what to play. For example, we’re in the key of C and I want to play the 3rd shape then I’ll think of E Phrygian as a reference knowing that when I play it, it’s still in C major since it’s in C major harmony or key. This also helps me to know the notes of the keys and the possible progression that goes by it.
How about you? What reference you use to know what shape to play or do you just purely see the whole fretboard shapes? When you go to a certain fret, for example 9th fret G string in the key of C, do you know right away what shape to play?