I like where this is going but simplicity? Many people use panes and view schemes to achieve what they want of course we still need a file view for albums. Library Browser
is convoluted right now but it should still be implemented into the pane view; it needs an overall however.
If your panes are Genre, Artist, Album, Name then in your Main Audio scheme your not going to see Files in Library Browser Albums...too many fields. CLUTTERED. Some of us have to use increased DPI on our systems; as large monitors become cheaper I see this becoming more prevalent. Even on 8 size font MB looks cluttered w/ cut off values. Do I care that I have 49 hours of a particular genre and 768 files in there? I thought Matt said it was customizable and that would be nice but it just seems the there is too much going on in MB. Take the album thumbnail which soo many people love.
I configure it to maximize the albums I can see at 260x260 and I have the album name underneath....simple and clean....if that album name was a link that allowed a pane to pop up below with all the files right there...wouldn't that be a whole lot more concise. But still the concept of clicking on Files to go into a new window defeats the purpose of MC and it's panes view i.e. seeming multiple things at once. Maybe keep this function but what is essential and in dire need is the Album Thumbnail File List Pane. Below I have outlined a streamlined solution that I know a LOT of people are waiting for, and MB isn't going to cut it.
ALEX B was speaking for a lot of people when he mentioned a file list of album thumbnails. I think this is a great idea about actually implementing it & I'd like some feedback.
What about adding a minimizable window at the bottom: basically a new pane below so when you minimize "classic" panes above> you have all your album thumbanils> maximize (just as you minmize the tree and "classic" panes) the bottom pane which displays whatever files you have selected according to the respective album thumbnails selected.
It would look just as ALEX B pictured at the beginning of this thread, but you could hide it to browse all your thumbs.
That way you could really leave the "classic" pane behavior alone and simply add a new, independent function that would be there if people want it. God this would be perfect, then we can even have at most "classic" panes on top, album thumbnails in the middle, and a album file view at the bottom or you can use whichever combination suits your need.
Also, I see how Library Browser could really integrate exceptionally well with this idea. You navigate to an Artist or Genre and when you choose Albums>>>
(what about using a Theatre View type command such as "Open or Play Now" (again I think allowing customization is the key)
>>>>into the Album Thumbnail View that I described; "classic" panes on top (and minimizable ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE SCREEN (with remotes and mouses becoming so interactive sometimes I simply want more screen space for a while or at least the option and don't need the functions at the top for a while), album thumbs in the middle, and below the minimizable Album Thumbnail File List Pane.
So in this sense Library Browser behaves the same but once you select files there is the new option of a pane below which is basically a split view. Once you have found your Genre or Artist I think you then want to see what your looking for so having it open into this thumb or automatic view would be perfec , but it needs to be easier like a double click Opens that Genre or Artist directly to the Files view whereas a Play button could remain below. This would be fast...find genre, find artist, double-click (or select play), and view thumbnails or automatic view. Is this concept summed up by saying "bottom panes" = Album Thumbnail File List Pane?? Is the horse dead yet?
Visually integrating Library Browser means allowing it to be customized (font size/fields) but what about small abbreviated buttons instead that could have a scroll over text window pop up to avoid confusing for some esoteric fields.
What y'all think?
thanks
JC