INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: lise on April 30, 2003, 11:10:42 am

Title: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: lise on April 30, 2003, 11:10:42 am
Please post anything you see:  errors, omissions, things you would like to see added to it, etc.  It's still a work in progress, so any comments and suggestions are welcome.

thanks,
lise
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: NoCodeUK on April 30, 2003, 12:44:42 pm
I tried to post this message earlier but there was a problem with INteract :(

When sorting by column in the help you have mentioned that to sort by Album then Name you could reverse this and click Name column then Album.  However for those of us who can't sort this out in our heads and turn it backwards if you hol down shift you can click the columns in the order you want to sort by.  So Shift click ALbum then Name to sort by Album then Name

Adam
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: phelt on April 30, 2003, 12:49:36 pm
None of the internal links work for me. Example: if I am viewing the "About Media Center" page, clicking a link on that page does nothing but change the history status of that link (changes the color to 'visited').

BTW, maybe this should be one of the sticky topics...
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omission
Post by: naven_r_johnson on May 01, 2003, 12:43:21 am
I realize this is not your department, Lise. But it's too obscure to post to the main bug thread at this late date.  Perhaps you will pass it along.

BUG (build 165):   When MC Help opens, it does not recognize the placement of Windows Task Bar, or any "Always on Top" Tool Bar.  As a result, part of the Help window can be hidden (top &/or left edge). The most likely example is:  When the Windows Task Bar is at the top of screen, Help's title bar is hidden, making it difficult to move or close with the cursor.

(http://www.chasesgrill.com/uda/udaImg/screenshotHelp.jpg)
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: clout on May 01, 2003, 03:44:16 am
Links on left pane don't work.
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: lise on May 01, 2003, 04:23:53 am
n_r_j

I had a similar thing happen to me when I placed a toolbar at the top of the screen (2k and XP).  It would happen with pretty much all my programs though, when I was in minimized.  Perhaps you can try maximizing the help file by right-clicking on the taskbar?
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: michel on May 01, 2003, 04:40:58 am
It seems that command line description is missing.
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: naven_r_johnson on May 01, 2003, 11:43:51 am
Quote
Lise: It would happen with pretty much all my programs though, when I was in minimized.  Perhaps you can try maximizing the help file by right-clicking on the taskbar?


Thanks Lise. But i wasn't really looking for a work around, i have my own.  I right click the program in the task bar and choose Move. (I never display maximized windows --- multi-tasking!)  My intention was to point out a bug.  Granted, it's a fairly common bug, but "pretty much all programs" is a gross exaggeration.  It's a relatively insignificant bug, but it's easy to fix and it adds to the "polish". If you don't think it's worth bringing to the attention of the programmers, i will drop the subject until 9.1.

Thanks ..n
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: whoeveryouare on May 01, 2003, 12:42:17 pm
Quote
Please post anything you see:  errors, omissions, things you would like to see added to it, etc.  It's still a work in progress, so any comments and suggestions are welcome.

If I go to any of the major Options categories and click Help (e.g. Options > CD Writer Settings > Help), I get "The page cannot be displayed" in the main help window.  If I then simply click on the selected item on the Contents tab of the MCHelp window, the help content is correctly displayed.

However, much of it is still broken.  For example, if I go to Options > Device Settings > Help, I first get the "The page cannot be displayed" error, and the "About Media Center" item is selected on the left.  I can click that, but obviously it is of no help--it's the wrong help section.
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: JimH on May 01, 2003, 12:48:16 pm
Those should be hooked up in the next build.  Use the Contents in Help to see if things are missing.
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: matshif on May 01, 2003, 12:48:54 pm
Quote

If I go to any of the major Options categories and click Help (e.g. Options > CD Writer Settings > Help), I get "The page cannot be displayed" in the main help window.  If I then simply click on the selected item on the Contents tab of the MCHelp window, the help content is correctly displayed.

However, much of it is still broken.  For example, if I go to Options > Device Settings > Help, I first get the "The page cannot be displayed" error, and the "About Media Center" item is selected on the left.  I can click that, but obviously it is of no help--it's the wrong help section.


Maybe it's related to the problem you find in "Interact Forum Change" at the top on the board?
/Mats
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: whoeveryouare on May 01, 2003, 09:17:26 pm
Quote
Please post anything you see:  errors, omissions

With regard to Options > Startup Settings > Help

For "Action", there is info on "Check for updates every X day(s)" and "Start playing current Playlist", but not for "Run Remote Server on port".

Under "Startup Volume", there is info for "Enable", but no info for "Optimize volume for best sound quality on startup".
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omis
Post by: jj.oneil on May 02, 2003, 01:23:21 pm
On the 'Media Editor Screen' help page i noteiced:-
Quote
The top channel represents the left speaker and the lower channel represents the right.

<img src=&#8220;graphics\media_editor_channels.png" alt="Media Editor Channels" border="0">
 
but no screenshot, and a second missing link below.

jj. (9.0.167)
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors &amp;amp;amp; omis
Post by: matshif on May 02, 2003, 02:31:29 pm
Quote
On the 'Media Editor Screen' help page i noteiced:-
but no screenshot, and a second missing link below.

jj. (9.0.167)


Both shots still misssing in .0168

/Mats
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: xen-uno on May 02, 2003, 02:40:35 pm
Jim,

Since the help file (great work Lise) is such an integral part of MC, I took it upon myself to apply some glue here. If I've overstepped my bounds then direct all criticisms and formal demotions to...

give-it-your-best-shot@make-my-day.net

10-27
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: TimB on May 02, 2003, 03:03:34 pm
Great help file!

I'd like more Smartlist argument examples, including start and end range arguments, ie Artist from "Beatles" thru "George".  Smartlists are so darn cool but need a little knowledge to really flex. :)

-=Tim=-
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors &amp;amp; omission
Post by: naven_r_johnson on May 02, 2003, 09:20:02 pm
I do burning very infrequently. Please forgive me if i am missing something obvious...

It is not intuitive (to me) how to normalize when burning.  I seem to remember this being a one-click option in the past. Looking for the directions is a long trip -- start in Create a CD, go to Create CD Options. At the bottom there are three links:
At the bottom of that page is the link to Audio (Settings &) Analysis.  (If the novice user has made it this far...)  Click the Replay Gain link and follow the instructions with more detail than needed.  

My suggestion:  The Create CD Options page should link to a condensed version of the Replay Gain page. "Select the burn list | Tools | More Tools | Analyze -- then DSP | DSP Studio | RG - Automatic. (For more info link to RG page.)

(If the one-click normalize feature is gone, i miss it.  If the one-click normalize feature is still there, forget everything i said, and i'll call the optometrist.)
Thanks ..n
Sorry to be so long-winded.
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: ZRocker on May 02, 2003, 09:34:19 pm
On the Screen Parts screen shot, the hot-spot click area for the Org Tree portion does not extend to the top of the Org Tree (thus, there's a 'dead-spot').
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: xen-uno on May 03, 2003, 08:14:25 am
Lise,

You may want to put this in the Burner section. In some cases XP's built in burner can interfere with MC.

To turn off XP's built in burning software...

Right click on the My Computer icon and select properties.      
Find your RW drive and right click on icon. Select Drive properties.      
Go to the Recording tab and uncheck "Enable CD recording on this drive"      
Reboot

10-27
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors &amp;amp; omissions he
Post by: Cmagic on May 04, 2003, 09:33:57 pm
Bonjour Lise,

In the section 'Manage libraries', the 'Merge 2 libraries' function should not be in the help file since this feature does not exist in MC9. Well, at least like explained in the help file. See the recent post by clout : http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1052104613

While I am at it, here are some other pbms in the 'Manage library' section :
- In 'Load a Library' step 2 (select load) and 3 (choose a lib) should be swapped.

- In 'Restore a library' the MC9 way to restore is File | Library | Restore Library. Also the first sentence (To Load...) should be removed since it refers to the loading of a lib of the previous section.

- In 'Backup Library', the MC9 way is File | Library | Backup Library (no more through the lib mngr)

- In 'Update Library' and 'Clear Library', maybe you should add that those functions are reached through File | Library | Update Library or Clear Library


Bonne journée et bon courage,

Christian
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors &amp; omissions he
Post by: Omni on May 05, 2003, 07:50:27 pm
Here's an ommision (as in your title "Re: Help File - Post errors & ommisions here")

Oh, and I know you have already released the product, so this is just for future reference I suppose.

Under the Smarlist section, it would really nice (and very helpful) if all the valid keywords ("[Filename]=", "[Artist]=", "playlist=", "folder=", etc.) were listed along with a brief description and at least one example of usage.

Omni
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors &amp;amp;amp; omis
Post by: phelt on May 06, 2003, 04:46:53 am
The Encoding Settings page...

Quality > Custom refers users to http://r3mix.net/ - this is evil and mean  ;)
Seriously, I cannot get that URL to load. But I am thankful for this, as the r3mix switch is no longer recommended. There are also serious doubts as to the veracity and timeliness of information at that site, some expressed by folks who help develop the LAME MP3 encoder. You can find their forum here (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/). You can find their recommended LAME settings here (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/show.php/act/ST/f/15/t/203).

On that note, if Quality > Custom is selectable with other encoders, perhaps additional links would be in order.

I know this is a geek note, but if there's any correlation between the Media Center Quality presets and the LAME presets, that would be good to know... if you're a geek  ;D

BTW, I think you've done an admirable job with the documentation. Now I can recommend it to more people, knowing that I will not be getting phone calls about trivial operations. Much appreciated.
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: kcorbett on May 06, 2003, 04:58:17 am
Still no mention of the Synchronize Files command.

To find this command, select a hand-held device or removeable drive and right-click.

The documentation should explain exactly how the synchronize command works. (It's not intuitively obvious :)

/kmc
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: Faruz on May 07, 2003, 01:36:10 am
Very important for us dummies:
What does "Intensity" mean? How does it get calculated?
Same goes for all other "Analyzing" values.
(Replay Gain I happen to know, but the others are a mystery to me.....
Title: Re: Help File - Post errors & omissions here
Post by: matshif on May 07, 2003, 12:44:30 pm
Hi JRiver folks!

I try to convince some of my friends to go for MC9, but they want some more in the Help files.
I known that Lise has been working hard but some of the things mentioned in this thread should for sure "fix" my friends for MC9.

/Mats :D