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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 25 for Windows => Topic started by: Vocalpoint on February 07, 2019, 01:48:29 pm

Title: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: Vocalpoint on February 07, 2019, 01:48:29 pm
Would love to see the ability to save a set of conversation parameters into a template that can be set and reused time and time again.

I quite frequently convert SACD to Flac, downsample a hi-res flac to a lower-res FLAC, convert to MP3 etc etc and each time I have to change/alter/update a series of parameters just to perform a conversion.

Much like the excellent template job introduced in the Rename, Move and Copy files dialog (F6) - it would be nice to be able set the templates once and be able to apply them to any situation.

A tiny side request to this would be to make them exportable/importable to another instance of MC.

Thanks for the consideration.

Cheers!

VP
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: AndrewFG on February 07, 2019, 02:12:29 pm
Cool idea!
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: Matt on February 07, 2019, 03:00:08 pm
I wonder where we could put loading and saving a template?

I don't see a really simple logical fit in the current approach.

Clicking Options could show a menu Load / Save / Options... but I'm not sure if that's great.

Advice?  Thanks.
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: Vocalpoint on February 07, 2019, 03:28:13 pm
I wonder where we could put loading and saving a template?

I don't see a really simple logical fit in the current approach. Clicking Options could show a menu Load / Save / Options... but I'm not sure if that's great.

Advice?  Thanks.

When I am back in front of my MC tonight - I can look at some options.

Thanks Matt!

VP
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: RoderickGI on February 07, 2019, 04:29:42 pm
Just move Options to the left and add Templates (or "Preset...") to the right. Then have a menu like the RM&CF function.

Drag & Drop works anywhere in the Convert Format Action Window, so you don't really need the large area for Drag & Drop on the right. You could even enlarge that symbol and put it in the background for the whole Action Window, to indicate the whole window is active for Drag & Drop. You could make the "Convert" button smaller to make the symbol more visible. It doesn't need to be as big as it is.

Or if you don't like that, there is already an icon in the top left of the Convert Format Action Window, which shows a tooltip of "Tools" but doesn't actually do anything when clicked on. You could put template management behind that, much like the "Customise" function for the Tag Action Window. But that is a bit hidden away, and not obvious to users.


My preference though would be to add a Templates section to the top of the Options dialogue window, so that a template could be selected like a Zone is under "Options > Audio", and then add the ability to Save, Edit, Delete templates as required. Again, my preference would be to add a "Manage" button to the right of the template name, and have all the required functions under that, just like the Tag Action Window template management process. Please include the functions to Add, Edit, Save, and Delete a template, plus Save to file, Load from file, and perhaps even the "Copy Template To Clipboard" and "Add Template From Clipboard", or a "Create New Template from Current Template" function. But the Save to/Load from file functions could be used for that if you don't want to add the clipboard functions.

Note: If a template is loaded, and then some setting is changed once off, the OK button shouldn't save that change to the template. It should just use the changed setting for that one conversion. Hence the need for a Save function under the Manage menu mentioned above, which the Tag Action Window templates functionality doesn't require as all changes are saved. Maybe clicking the OK button without first saving any options changes should result in a popup asking if the user wants to save the changes to the template, to be consistent with other applications.

In fact, I always thought it was a bit strange that the "Details" and "Options" functions were accessed through links, while the "Convert" was a button. I guess there could be some logic around that, but why not just make them all buttons and move "Convert" to the bottom row where the "Details" and "Options" links are, and have three buttons in a row, with the template management under Options as above?


Thinking about the above, I have just mentioned three ways in which templates are managed in MC. No wonder users get confused and don't/can't find stuff. Please don't invent a fourth way.  :)
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: Vocalpoint on February 07, 2019, 04:34:39 pm
My preference though would be to add a Templates section to the top of the Options dialogue window, so that a template could be selected like a Zone is under "Options > Audio", and then add the ability to Save, Edit, Delete templates as required.

Again, my preference would be to add a "Manage" button to the right of the template name, and have all the required functions under that, just like the Tag Action Window template management process. Please include the functions to Add, Edit, Save, and Delete a template, plus Save to file, Load from file, and perhaps even the "Copy Template To Clipboard" and "Add Template From Clipboard", or a "Create New Template from Current Template" function. But the Save to/Load from file functions could be used for that if you don't want to add the clipboard functions.

This. Seems very logical to me as this dialog has plenty of room for a section at the top. Everything would be central, tidy and very clear for the user to interact with.

You could also do exactly what you did with RM&C and place a Presets... button at the the bottom left of the Options dialog to maintain a sense of uniform design. The RM&C dialog is the same drill for the user...set a bunch of parameters and then click this button to Save as Template. This would be my second choice as I think Roderick's solution is head and shoulder's better from a design angle.

Should be plenty to go on here, Matt. Thank you again for your consideration of this enhancement.

Cheers,

VP
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: Matt on February 08, 2019, 11:10:47 am
This is coming in the next build.

It took me a while to figure out loading and saving the DSP settings, but I got it working just great.

It loads the encoder, the encoder settings, whether DSP is on or off, and the DSP settings.  We can add more later.

Thanks for the idea!
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: Vocalpoint on February 08, 2019, 11:12:53 am
This is coming in the next build.

It took me a while to figure out loading and saving the DSP settings, but I got it working just great.

It loads the encoder, the encoder settings, whether DSP is on or off, and the DSP settings.  We can add more later.

Thanks for the idea!

Wow! Much thanks for the quick turnaround - that's service baby!

VP

Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: Matt on February 08, 2019, 11:26:44 am
I just finished adding loading and saving all the other conversion settings as well.

Thanks again for the idea.
Title: Re: Feature Request: Convert Format Templates
Post by: RoderickGI on February 08, 2019, 05:44:26 pm
I'm looking forward to seeing how this all hangs together.  8)

I have some conversions to do in my future, so this will be very handy.