Topic: GUI improvements for MC 9.1 (Read 14989 times)

nila · « **Reply #50 on:** June 11, 2003, 04:50:37 pm »

LOL - Woah machine - Ur in terminator mode

I personally agree with you about the properties panel and HATE having it there, its way too small to be of any use with the number of fields available to edit - just makes it way way too awkward and the only way to fix it is at the expense of the navigation tree. - BIG no no.

IF the old properties pane is added as well though then the small one is perfect for the other panels like stastics which only is meant to show a small amount of data leaving the panel on the right for the real mens work - editing properties

MachineHead · « **Reply #51 on:** June 11, 2003, 04:55:42 pm »

Yeah Nila, sort of. MC just went from a fairly easy to navigate app to a circus act. There isn't much rhyme or reason to it. Although some of the suggestions would be MAJOR a improvement to what it is now.

Doof · « **Reply #52 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:00:07 pm »

Why does everybody want the Properties window back on the right?

Because from where I'm sitting, I see only 2 sections within File Properties that even have editable fields, and I can open them both up and still have plenty of room for the tree above it.

Now granted, I haven't added a ton of extra fields, and I don't have a ton of view schemes defined. I used to, but then figured out that the only 3 fields I was ever really interested in were Artist, Album and Genre.

So what are you all using File Properties for? Are you really spending this much time organizing your music? Don't you ever just listen to it?

Besides, with the prototype that I'm using, the tree hardly scrolls, so I can open up File Properties even more, thus giving me access to the library and Properties quite nicely. I don't think having the file properties on the right would work with this kind of interface.

nila · « **Reply #53 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:00:55 pm »

yeah, MC is definitely not easy to navigate with a keyboard and in fact is near impossible to do so, at least easily without a lot of getting used to.
I normally use the keyboard for most of my apps except like graphics one obviously and can navigate around them VERY fast using it, far far faster than is possible with a mouse. MC is pretty much the only program I cant do this in (along with some mickey mouse program I used ages back and dropped instantly as it just used NONE of the basic windows key combos, shortcuts etc and basically tried to have it's own set of rules - I had no time to learn a whole new set just for one program so I ditched it instantly - no program is worth that much endevour)
- I sure hope MC doesn't go too far in trying to write it's own set of rules just for itself - no one wants to have to learn special commands, shortcuts etc to the windows normal ones just to use a program.

nila · « **Reply #54 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:05:59 pm »

Doof - I've extended MC away from just my music like I used to have it, and also now have it for:
TV Series, my films collection and going to use it for my pictures whenever they finally get the GUI sorted for list types and make it a bit more impressive and easy - now it's just tooo textual based - not into that.

Fair enough u say u only use 2 groups - but in this case it sounds like the other 3 or so are just a waste of space. If they're not then they need to be easily visible and useable.

I have a pretty well set up library, I try to be smart with how I manage it so that I have to do less on a day to day basis and it's more about cleverly thinking it out at the beginning then letting it all just fall into its own place in the setup once it's done. The properties window is just toooo small and cramped for my liking though. I like to be able to see all my options, not have to scroll to see whats available.

Also, if its added to the right as well as keeping it on the left then u could always just hide the right one if u didn't want it with a single click - it'd make 100% of the people happy instead of 50% with the other 50% wanting it the other way.

MachineHead · « **Reply #55 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:07:06 pm »

Quote

Why does everybody want the Properties window back on the right?

It was easier to use.

Quote

So what are you all using File Properties for? Are you really spending this much time organizing your music? Don't you ever just listen to it?

Try editing this in the the thumbnail sized version in 9.1.xxx:

Listening to: 'Here We Go Again' from 'Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How To Smile' by 'Everclear' on Media Center 9.0

And I'm also listening, thank you.

Doof · « **Reply #56 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:13:50 pm »

Hmm... I guess I didn't realize that my library wasn't cleverly thought out or set up well. All I did was fill out all the tags and then organize it the way I browse for music... Well, and video and images, since I have at least also extended MC beyond just music as well.

I really don't care where File Properties is. If I had my druthers (there's a word that doesn't get used nearly as much as it should), everything would be capable of being put anywhere within the window.

I just wonder how well putting Properties on the right would work out if (and this is beginning to seem likely) the prototype Media Library is made standard. Things could get crowded really fast.

Doof · « **Reply #57 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:19:03 pm »

Well, it seems to handle Listening to: 'Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict' from 'Ummagumma' by 'Pink Floyd' on Media Center 9.1 just fine...

It can still be enlarged horizontally. So again, I don't see your point...

MachineHead · « **Reply #58 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:26:55 pm »

So, your telling me that in one easy click you can make it as large as 9.0.xxx? Let's say I'm from Missouri, and Show Me.

Doof · « **Reply #59 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:30:20 pm »

I never said any such thing. I only said it could be made as big as it could be before.

But since you ask... you just got done complaining that Playing Now was too big. So why not just resize File Properties to the width you want and then leave it like that? Then you can just click the little arrows to open it or close it and there you go. One click opens it up as big as you want it.

MachineHead · « **Reply #60 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:37:46 pm »

Doesn't this wipe out the list view then?

Soundman · « **Reply #61 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:40:42 pm »

Hi, All.

I want to vote for Nila's ideas, with excellent screenshots, posted to this thread on June 10 at 2:49pm. This is perfect!

In particular, I like the ability to select what shows up in each of the panes.

I also like the two search bars, showing the current scheme criteria, and allowing you to narrow it further as well.

Great ideas, Nila!

Doof · « **Reply #62 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:47:03 pm »

Quote

Doesn't this wipe out the list view then?

How would it wipe out the list view anymore than if you were dragging it over from the right?

I'm not trying to pick a fight here or anything. And I'm not trying to be obtuse. I just can't see any real difference, horizontally, if it's on the right or the left. Now vertically, yeah, there's a difference. But I'm not convinced that it's all that severe of an impact. Especially when coupled with the tree-less Media Library, which should eliminate the need for a really tall tree.

Doof · « **Reply #63 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:50:41 pm »

But the tree is going away for the most part.

MachineHead · « **Reply #64 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:52:00 pm »

you win

Doof · « **Reply #65 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:53:24 pm »

I'm not trying to win. I'm trying to understand where you're coming from and help you understand where I'm coming from.

JimH · « **Reply #66 on:** June 11, 2003, 06:04:04 pm »

Machinehead:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Nothing is set in stone. We're all adults, just talking here.

Listening to: 'Respect' from 'Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 Volume 6 1966-196' by 'Aretha Franklin' on Media Center 9.1

sraymond · « **Reply #67 on:** June 11, 2003, 09:28:51 pm »

Quote

Why does everybody want the Properties window back on the right?

Doof,

I'm not precisely sure why I prefer the properties window back on the right... but I do. Maybe it's because properties are metadata, "meta-" means "situated behind or beyond, and the "data" is the stuff in the list window. And being as I've been brought up in a culture that reads left-to-right, "beyond" = "right". Ergo properties belong on the right.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into that!

In any event, the most important thing to me is real-estate use. For me, properties is almost always wider than the play window contents. That's wasted space.

Scott-

knickelfarz · « **Reply #68 on:** June 11, 2003, 11:40:15 pm »

Hello again!

As I threatened to you all with doing some skinning in my first post, here comes the first result. It's strongly influenced by a wish of KingSparta, therefore it's called "KingCow". Maybe even Doof will like it ("Bring me your cows.")...

Of course it's just a first test, my next one will be something more serious for every day use

http://www.knickelfarz.privat.t-online.de/mc_gui/KingCowSkin.zip

______________________

By the way - maybe somebody would like to open a "The best place for File Properties" thread

Matt · « **Reply #69 on:** June 12, 2003, 07:09:10 am »

I love the skin!!!

Still laughing

jam · « **Reply #70 on:** June 12, 2003, 07:41:58 am »

Quote

Why does everybody want the Properties window back on the right?

For me, right side property is the way natural. From left to right, there are 3 view windows, tree-view showing all library, song view showing songs in a group, property view showing information of a particular song. Isn't it easy to understand how organize?

The latest MC9.1 tiling is OK to me. Once I realize the left-bottom window is the property window, there is no big deal. However, I spent several seconds to understand what that window is, and I still like the old way, right property window, because it's simple.

I agree the way the latest MC9.1 tiling is the best way to put information as much as possible. I just don't care it since I'm using 1600x1200 screen. I would like to say easy to understand is more important for the GUI representation. Just my 2 cents.

Kambriel · « **Reply #71 on:** June 16, 2003, 01:01:58 am »

1) taskbar toolbar on minimize (with an option on/off, always on, or only when minimize) would be extremely kewl, and if you put a simple thin bar spectrum visualization (with a delay dot on top like Winamp?) in the middle (optional) it would be EVEN BETTER than the one in WMP!

2) Any chance of having the windows undock? That way we could make MC small, then stretch and size the windows on our desktop as we like them. If so, could you set it so the window docked/undocked and size is remembered when you close MC?

Doof · « **Reply #72 on:** June 16, 2003, 05:36:16 am »

Hey, there's an idea for everybody who wants the File Properties back on the right hand side... just undock it, make MC a little smaller horizontally, then move the File Properties window into place, and make it as big as you want.

Not quite as elegant as just having it docked on the right, but it sort of works. If it could only be bound to the main MC windows somehow so that when MC gets the focus so does File Properties it would actually work quite well. One click of MC's maximize button would even "close" the File Properties box, and another single click of the Restore button would bring it back...

NoCodeUK · « **Reply #73 on:** June 16, 2003, 06:46:29 am »

Or it could dock VS.Net style with a push pin

Adam

Doof · « **Reply #74 on:** June 16, 2003, 09:43:13 am »

Yeah, that would be ideal... but if it doesn't happen...

fex · « **Reply #75 on:** June 16, 2003, 09:51:53 am »

Another hint concerning the properties pane:

After undock you could right-click on the window-border (besides the title "Track Info") and choose "Always on Top". So no "focus problem".

I don't miss the old properties pane on the right side at all. For a tagging-session it's ideal for me, better than before (you don't have to resize it all the time, just push it around). So I don't understand Nila's problem...

KingSparta · « **Reply #76 on:** June 16, 2003, 10:02:49 am »

what about CTRL and "R"

it removes the file below the marked file in playing now

i don't think it should work that way.

nila · « **Reply #77 on:** June 26, 2003, 04:27:50 am »

This combined with a skin that was just for playing now info replicates WMP9 - it works sooo sweet

Streaker · « **Reply #78 on:** November 25, 2003, 05:40:14 pm »

Quote from: knickelfarz on June 09, 2003, 05:47:15 pm

But I can't stop dreaming about being able to select from more list styles like "Cover + Album Details" (great for browse through collections and select tracks right from there...)

Bigger picture here:
http://www.knickelfarz.privat.t-online.de/mc_gui/list_style_1.htm

Since we all seem to be in the mood of talking about MC 10 suggestions, let me attempt to rekindle interest the "Cover + Album Details" feature request proposed by knickelfarz in this thread. This thread also discusses split-pane functionality, which is a fine suggestion, but I think the "Cover + Album Details" feature on its own merits separate attention.

Such a List Style would be my most used view, as it provide the best of both worlds from the "Automatic" and "Album Thumbnails" List Styles. MC's current "Album Thumbnails" List Style is nice to have but provides limited functionality, since you can only queue full albums and you can't see who the artist is for an album without waiting for the tooltip.

A response to this request might be "Use The Album View Plugin". I tried the Album View Third Party Plug-in a while back which I believe includes this kind of functionality. The plugin was great and provided a lot of cool features, but I recall that Album View, since it is a plugin, can't really be a natural extension of the existing product, but instead requires learning a separate UI, and doesn't integrate with the rest in the UI (top panes, etc)... So, for a feature like Knickelfarz suggests, a plug-in such as Album View isn't the best solution in my opinion, and such a feature would be a great addition to the core product.

nila · « **Reply #79 on:** November 26, 2003, 03:54:25 am »

Amen to that suggestion!!

(I'd like it taken a step further so it was more useful for other media types too so we could get cover art for them along with info about the file/groups fo files - Mentioned this in other threads)

INTERACT FORUM

Author Topic: GUI improvements for MC 9.1 (Read 14989 times)

nila

MachineHead

nila

nila

MachineHead

MachineHead

MachineHead

MachineHead

sraymond

fex

nila

nila