Topic: Disabling opaque menus? (Read 3785 times)

mark_h · « **on:** June 14, 2007, 09:40:33 am »

Hi guys,

Finally upgraded to MC12 after finding some compelling options to use it above what MC11 does. But the first thing I notice immediately is that the drop down menus are sort of opaque and *really* ugly - it looks like smudges on my screen. I cannot see any obvious way to disable this? Anybody?

Thanks,

Mark

JimH · « **Reply #1 on:** June 14, 2007, 09:52:37 am »

Did you try another skin?

mark_h · « **Reply #2 on:** June 14, 2007, 10:26:14 am »

Why should I try another skin? I want to use the one I use (Z) :p

But I have now tried all the skins an the menus are still opaque.

So how do I disable opaque menus?

Cheers,

Mark

PeterS · « **Reply #3 on:** June 14, 2007, 04:42:38 pm »

Mark,
Try the SolidNoire skin (available on the plug-ins page). According to the description, it disables the transparent menus.

PeterS

JimH · « **Reply #4 on:** June 14, 2007, 05:11:54 pm »

Quote from: mark_h on June 14, 2007, 10:26:14 am

So how do I disable opaque menus?

FYI, I think you mean transparent or translucent. Opaque means not transparent.

mark_h · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2007, 01:44:28 am »

*sigh* So how do I disable the transparent menus?

Mark

PS - Opacity: the relative capacity of matter to obstruct the transmission of radiant energy.

Thus the menus are relatively opaque, and relatively transparent

mark_h · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2007, 01:49:18 am »

Quote from: PeterS on June 14, 2007, 04:42:38 pm

Mark,
Try the SolidNoire skin (available on the plug-ins page). According to the description, it disables the transparent menus.

PeterS

Thanks for the suggestion, but I *really* don't want to switch from Z - perhaps somebody could create a Z skin with non-transparent windows...

So what happened here? Somebody on the Dev team decided to add transparent menus as a pet project and now is resistant to giving users the ability to disable them?

Mark

LonWar · « **Reply #7 on:** June 15, 2007, 07:51:34 am »

Quote from: mark_h on June 15, 2007, 01:49:18 am

Thanks for the suggestion, but I *really* don't want to switch from Z - perhaps somebody could create a Z skin with non-transparent windows...

So what happened here? Somebody on the Dev team decided to add transparent menus as a pet project and now is resistant to giving users the ability to disable them?

Mark

When this was done, the Beta team had their input. I don't think there was anybody that didn't like it at the time.

Mr ChriZ · « **Reply #8 on:** June 15, 2007, 08:57:39 am »

If they look that bad are you sure your screens setup properly with font smoothing
and such like?

If you've got a CRT screen still you probably want font smoothing turned off.
Where as if you've got a TFT you probably want it turned on to some degree.

It looks really good here.

mark_h · « **Reply #9 on:** June 15, 2007, 10:24:29 am »

ChriZ,

24" Apple HD Cinema LCD panel...

Clearly there is no disable option or somebody would have told me how by now.

So can I make this a request please. As they stand, the see through menus suck and are completely inconsistent with every other bit of software on my PC. They detract from MC12 making it look gimicky. As such, they should be a user selectable option.

Cheers,

Mark

JimH · « **Reply #10 on:** June 15, 2007, 10:29:31 am »

Opinions noted, but no plans to do anything in this area. We like sucky gimmicks.

mark_h · « **Reply #11 on:** June 15, 2007, 10:33:52 am »

Yeah, it's why I stuck with MC11 so long - it did everything I wanted, the way I wanted. Now I'm going through the painful birth process all over again while I come to terms with all the bad decisions made in MC12

But like birth, the pain will wear off over time I guess, and like a mother I will come to love the kid no matter how ugly it is

Mark

JimH · « **Reply #12 on:** June 15, 2007, 11:34:17 am »

Thanks. Could you post a screenshot of what you see? Maybe you're seeing something we're not.

Here's how to do it with MC.

mark_h · « **Reply #13 on:** June 15, 2007, 02:36:42 pm »

Jim,

Here you go (I hope!) http://tinyurl.com/35oaqe
Basically you see a few things here:

a) A Media Center screen with a big transparent menu overlaying

b) a capture of another Media Center img with a transparent pull down menu visible

c) my custom My Rating field

d) my great taste in music :p

Ignoring c) and d) I think a) and b) sum up what I am seeing - transparent menus which have distracting information under them (quite dark smudges in places). I'm sure some people like them but personally I don't, I find them distracting and I sincerely believe that UI peculiarities such as this should be user defeatable.

Cheers,

Mark

mark_h · « **Reply #14 on:** June 16, 2007, 04:35:30 am »

Quote from: Media Centered on June 15, 2007, 04:18:37 pm

A thing can't be "relatively opaque"...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q="relatively+opaque"&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

I appreciate this doesn't make me right, but it suggests that 40,000+ people at least think you're wrong...

Mark

mark_h · « **Reply #15 on:** June 17, 2007, 03:34:00 am »

And now we resume our scheduled programming.

Mr ChriZ · « **Reply #16 on:** June 17, 2007, 04:09:36 am »

Could you reproduce your screenshot as a PNG File?
JPG compression makes it blurry anyway.
Cheers
Chris.

mark_h · « **Reply #17 on:** June 17, 2007, 04:15:02 am »

Chris,

Click on the image so that you see the full size version - it's an accurate representation of what I'm seeing here.

Just to be clear - I am objecting to not having an option to disable the relatively opaque menus. The image does not show anything spectacularly corrupt. A crucial aspect of user interface design is consistency, both within a program but also within an operating system. These menus break the latter consideration as they are different from every other piece of software on my system. Such gross changes like that should have a user defeat option.

Cheers,

Mark

JimH · « **Reply #18 on:** June 17, 2007, 07:59:44 am »

Quote from: mark_h on June 17, 2007, 04:15:02 am

A crucial aspect of user interface design is consistency, both within a program but also within an operating system.

I think you're referring to the standards imposed by Windows 3.0, etc. Those are long gone. If we adhered strictly to Windows GUI rules, we'd look completely flat footed.

The nice thing about standards for [insert your subject here] is that there are so many to choose from.

mark_h · « **Reply #19 on:** June 17, 2007, 10:04:32 am »

Sorry Jim, it's nothing to do with "long gone" standards, I'm referring to good UI design in general, whether the platform be Windows, Mac, Un*x, whatever. The reason that you are able to use your computer and readily access new software is that they all share a consistent user interface - from the style of the windows - to the pull down menus - the alt speed keys - etc etc etc. This is the consistency that holds together a system. Imagine what it would be like if *every* piece of software had a completely unique UI - it would be pretty unpleasant.

Anyway, the relatively opaque (hehe) menus in MC are clearly not the end of the world, and I have made my case, so I'll leave it to you now to either do the right thing or continue to offer a freak child to the Windows community

Warm regards,

Mark

dcwebman · « **Reply #20 on:** June 18, 2007, 07:21:33 am »

Quote from: PeterS on June 14, 2007, 04:42:38 pm

Try the SolidNoire skin (available on the plug-ins page). According to the description, it disables the transparent menus.

FYI, the SolidNoire skin doesn't get rid of the transparent menus anymore, probably after J River made the menus use alpha.

mark_h · « **Reply #21 on:** July 19, 2007, 11:58:38 am »

Think I've spotted another issue related to this. I use the LowerRight mini-skin. I just noticed that when I move focus away from MC, the entire mini skin goes semi-transparent... not very nice...

Mark

marko · « **Reply #22 on:** July 19, 2007, 12:15:33 pm »

Tools > options > general > interface > "Make inactive mini view transparent" ?

-marko.

mark_h · « **Reply #23 on:** July 19, 2007, 12:57:05 pm »

Marko, as always you're a star!

eCo · « **Reply #24 on:** July 20, 2007, 07:03:25 pm »

For the record, I would prefer opaque menus as well. Black text on transparent gray over black background does not make for easy reading.

eCo

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Author Topic: Disabling opaque menus? (Read 3785 times)

PeterS