More > JRiver Media Center 31 for Windows
Feature Request: Add (or modify) skinnable lock state icon for use within tabs
markf2748:
Request: a new Standard View icon SplitViewTab_Lock.png
Description: A skinnable Lock icon with parameters available in the skin main.xml to position it horizontally within the tab, relative to the tab's first text character.
States: icon visible = tab locked | icon hidden = tab unlocked.
Display: Appears underneath the tab text layer. Height of the icon within the tab must accommodate an underbar image below the tab's text alphas.
Note: This height range is currently available for the Close "x" icon, ...Skins\Standard View\Black on Black\SplitViewTab_Close.png.
AFIK, the independent positioning (i.e. no entanglement with Close "x" icon) and height range are not available for the existing small Lock icon found in .../Data/Custom Art/SmallIcons.png
Caveat: Application of this new icon to reduce overall tab width requires that SmallIcons.png Lock can be set to not consume any space inside a tab. This would be possible with independent positioning control of SmallIcons.png Lock and the Close "x" icon. Otherwise remove Smallicons.png Lock display altogether from the tab environment, replacing it with this new icon and give SplitViewTab_Close its own positioning parameter relative to end of text.
Reference: Feature Request 2 in https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,135855.msg941119.html#msg941119
Win 10/11 Pro (64-bit) MC 30.0.25
markf2748:
Another thought: Add two new states to SplitViewTab_Buttons.png (in addition to the current Normal, Selected, Over, Disabled):
Normal (Locked)
Selected (Locked)
Advantage: The goal is to extend tab skinning without altering any of the existing functionality and not breaking any existing skins. I assume it could be made backwards compatible by image layering and per value of "Number of Images<=4" or "Number of Images=6".
Applications:
-- Color or shade locked and unlocked tabs differently, with the option of not using a lock icon at all.
-- Easily place any kind of lock icon anywhere in the tab, relative to its borders.
-- Selected (Locked) example: See attachment for a Locked (under dot) and Selected (under bar) tab. The associated logic cannot be fully implemented in MC 30.0.29 but should be possible with the requested two new tab states.
Note: As usual, the new states must accept MC's Matrix Drawing entries Rows and Columns, including Flex variants, to control the drawing of line art as the tab width varies.
7/5/2023 Added sample attachment.
HPBEME:
Here is another approach a rival Media player uses regarding locked tabs: it has no lock icon of any kind... ever... so no wasted space. It works is like this:
- To close unlocked tabs: MMB just like MC, or RMB the tab and choose "close tab" from the menu (fyi... this player does not use tab close buttons at all- MMB to close is essentially standard)
- To close locked tabs: MMB is ignored - no warning, no info dialog pop-up... nothing. You must RMB and select close tab from the menu to close locked tabs, which protects against accidental tab closure. You can also unlock the tab first and then close via MMB.
After one closes or attempts to close locked and unlocked tabs a few times, the process becomes straightforward - and no need to allocate space to the side or below the tab text, or need to create new lock icons. Your suggestion to underline Tab text to indicate "locked" does not use any extra horizontal space, but underlined text means "link" to most users (e.g., all the underlined text links on the right side of the tabbar, which are links).
We both agree that minimizing the amount of space tabs take up is important, but maybe not on the best approach for how to do it. Since Matt recently created a new option to hide or show the tab close buttons, perhaps he could do the same with the tab lock icons? That is, if a user chooses to hide the tab lock icon, MMB on a locked tab produces the same warning we get right now "The tab is locked. Are you sure you want to close this tab?". If the tab is unlocked, then MMB simply closes the tab.
markf2748:
Yes, another approach which some may like. Interesting idea to turn lock icons off and on, but it must be done in a way that saves space of course. My current preference is described in Reply #1 which gives a lot of flexibility. I prefer the immediate feedback of seeing visually which tabs are locked.
I now use a thin, dim, nearly tab-wide underline to indicate the selected tab, somewhat like what is done in MO 4Media, but less glaring and I don't change tab background color. It is a stretch to confuse that moveable graphic line inside a tab with a "link". Adding a small lock dot at one end of the line is the appearance I currently want to try, but it is impossible today. Also in practice I don't sense any confusion with the notion of "keyboard shortcut", which seems to be less used in today's GUIs than in the past anyway.
HPBEME:
--- Quote from: markf2748 on July 11, 2023, 11:01:52 am ---Interesting idea to turn lock icons off and on, but it must be done in a way that saves space of course.
--- End quote ---
Since Matt reduced space when hiding the tab close buttons, I'm sure he could achieve the same for hiding the tab lock icons.
--- Quote from: markf2748 on July 11, 2023, 11:01:52 am ---I prefer the immediate feedback of seeing visually which tabs are locked.
--- End quote ---
To be clear, I also prefer to show something over nothing - I described how another media player handled locked/unlocked tabs to hopefully inspire more ideas.
--- Quote from: markf2748 on July 11, 2023, 11:01:52 am ---It is a stretch to confuse that moveable graphic line inside a tab with a "link".
--- End quote ---
Okay… You're not wrong… I was stretching things a bit because I really dislike an underline as a potential lock indicator :(.
The space allocated on either side of the tab text for the lock indicator and tab close button is different, as you can see in the attached pic. The lock icon space is ~50% wider than the space around the tab close button. If our benevolent MC overlord could somehow make a lock indicator dot closer the tab text and reduce the excess space, that would be the ideal solution for me personally.
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