INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: JaWe on June 19, 2003, 12:53:24 pm

Title: Album view is not album view..
Post by: JaWe on June 19, 2003, 12:53:24 pm
I have a view sceme: Artist (grouped 3) - Artist - Album.
List style is Album thumbnails. I want only show albums, not songs in album but if artist has only one album, MC shows songs with thumbnails instead of this one album.
I think it shouldn't do this. I asked it to show albums and it shows songs..? For me this is a bug, but perhaps J River has some idea about this to make browsing quicker but in my opinion is that it doesn't do what it is asked to do.


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I hope you understood what I mean and my language....
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Doof on June 19, 2003, 01:39:11 pm
You're forgetting that every view scheme, no matter how it's defined, ends with showing individual files.

Your view scheme does the same thing. It ends with individual files. It's giving you a list of Albums, but that list is one level higher than the "last" list, which always ends in individual files.

If you realize that, then you'll realize that MC is doing exactly what it should.

It all comes down the the fact that, Album, as you think of it, doesn't exist to MC. Only individual files exist as data. The rest is metadata (data about data). What you're trying to do is terminate a View Scheme with metadata, and MC can only terminate that View Scheme with actual data.

Hope that makes sense.
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Matt on June 19, 2003, 01:54:35 pm
Quote
List style is Album thumbnails. I want only show albums, not songs in album but if artist has only one album, MC shows songs with thumbnails instead of this one album.
I think it shouldn't do this. I asked it to show albums and it shows songs..? For me this is a bug, but perhaps J River has some idea about this to make browsing quicker but in my opinion is that it doesn't do what it is asked to do.


With "Album Thumbnails", it shows individual files if there is only one album.  The logic is that it isn't ever too helpful to see just one album.

Like everything, it's open for discussion though.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Nate on June 19, 2003, 02:04:29 pm
It makes no sense to me why MC decided to show all tracks if there is only one album by the artist, but if the artist has two or more albums, it shows the albums. Why can't it just show the one album by an artist? What is so wrong with that? I'd much rather have it like that... it makes more sense to me. I think it *is* helpful to see just one album: the interface would be more consistent.

I have always found this odd about MC.

Nate
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: JaWe on June 19, 2003, 02:22:29 pm
I understand what you both mean, but I want a view sceme for only full albums and when I doubleclick on that albums thumbnail, it should play that album. Very confusing if sometimes it doesnt display albums anymore but songs.

If I have artist who has two albums MC shows those two albums and two thumbnails (like I asked it to do) and I can choose the album I want, but if that artist has only one album, it shows maybe even 15 thumbnails (I asked albums, not songs). Looks like artist has 15 albums with same CD-cover, if you don't know that artist well..
It suddenly is not anymore ALBUM view (songs grouped with album) and Album thumbnail List style. I think it should show individual songs only after you ask it to do that.
So it is not possible to view only albums if artist has only one album?
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Doof on June 19, 2003, 02:23:25 pm
heh... guess I didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

I didn't even know Album Thumbnails was an option until Matt's post. :P
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: NoCodeUK on June 19, 2003, 02:26:43 pm
I have mentioned this a couple of times too.  I really think at Artist level Album thumbnails should be shown regardless of the number of Albums.  If I select an individual album then single thumbnails can be shown.  This has always appeared very inconsistent to me.  It is the same in HairStyle.  Artists with more than one album always show album thumbnails, artists with one album always show track thumbnails.  Ideal sitauation for me would be album at an artist level, track at the album level...not sure if this is possible though...

Adam
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Doof on June 19, 2003, 02:29:13 pm
How about if Album Thumbnails was shown a little differently... with the album thumbnail on the left, and the list of columns dealing with the individual songs on the right. Then you could always have this view for Album Thumbnails no matter how many albums an artist had.

I'm pretty sure somebody whipped up a screenshot of that kind of view not too long ago. I just can't remember who...
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: NoCodeUK on June 19, 2003, 02:31:00 pm
Knickelfarz did.  It is in the New GUI thoughts thread and it looked fantastic!!  Please.  This would really make sense to be able to see the thumbnail and the details...

Adam
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: knickelfarz on June 19, 2003, 02:34:45 pm
Quote
... I think it *is* helpful to see just one album: the interface would be more consistent.

I have always found this odd about MC.


That's my opinion, too!
But maybe again it's something that should be selectable to make all users happy...

By the way, what still drives me nuts is the sorting of thumbnails ... They are sorted by the first track's artist name and then album name. That's OK for displaying albums of only one artist (typical A-B-C/Artist/Album view scheme). But I've got many compilations with different artists and I filtered them out. So I use a simple A-B-C/Album view scheme for them. But the thumbnails are now not sorted by album names but completely messed up ... Will there be a way to avoid this someday ?

Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: nila on June 20, 2003, 12:39:19 am
My vote is for keeping it as albums no matter how many albums - even if one.
Seeing tons of images makes u think the artist has tons of albums.

My mind is in: What album do I want mode, not track mode and so seeing tons of pictures makes me think: lots of albums - not: ooh look, its been broken down for me.


Please let albums stay as albums :)
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Matt on June 20, 2003, 05:49:47 am
I agree with everyone.  Next build won't break out to individual tracks even if there is only one album.

I'm blaming you guys if people complain :P
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: zevele10 on June 20, 2003, 05:59:36 am
I put my name on the list of those who would be blame.........

Anyway ,it makes more sens in my opinion , not to break one album in songs...
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: NoCodeUK on June 20, 2003, 06:41:20 am
Yeah!!  Blame me... I have been wanting this for ages but never seemed to be able to explain right what I meant!  Presumably this will be the same for Hairstyle too as I guess they use the same logic...Loving it!

Adam
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: salsbst1 on June 20, 2003, 10:15:33 am
Glad that it will show only a single thumbnail if there is only one album, Matt. Thanks!

Here's my vote for the "knickelfarz split screen", as well.

Regards,
Stuart
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: jwaters on June 20, 2003, 10:40:02 am
Add another vote for single album thumbnails...
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: LisaRCT on June 22, 2003, 10:10:51 am
Me three
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: xen-uno on June 22, 2003, 10:40:53 am
mí cuatro

Quizá comenzaré coverart que conecta a mis archivos. He sido un poco resistente de cambiar. Pero con este grupo de apoyo de multa, yo sé donde girar si tengo los problemas. ¿Ahora dónde puse yo mi Corona?

Rx
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Bartabedian on June 23, 2003, 11:06:13 am
Better yet, the option to have the view default to a list when only one album is present might be nice...or a list with small album art icons next to it, a la AV2 plugs' details view.

WP
Title: Re: Album view is not album view..
Post by: Polonio on June 23, 2003, 01:38:24 pm

I am also glad for this decision. Thanks, Matt!

In fact, I dont see the necesity of a song thumbnails view, so i just wuold supress it. It seems confusing to me, but well...

By the way, may somebody explain me what is the "Automatic" list style view intended for? what it is supposed to do?  

Thanks.