INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: Marko on December 31, 2003, 04:40:33 am

Title: Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Marko on December 31, 2003, 04:40:33 am
This menu was so quick, so functional and oh so useful. Right click a pane header and...
move the pane left or right
or
change it to a different field altogether
or
Remove it
or
Add another pane.....

This was a right click menu in a class of it's own. If it *had* to go because of design demands, then I'll pipe down, bite the bullet and mourn its passing, but, if it can be put back in as easily as it was whipped out, I'll campaign away for its return.
Please cast your vote above and post any comments below.
Thank you for reading :)

-marko.
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: LonWar on December 31, 2003, 06:55:04 am
It looks like I am all by my lonesome...  :-\  But I like the new Pane editing thing...? (don't know what else to call it..)  ::)

Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: martinhw on December 31, 2003, 07:24:33 am
And this is why I love MC so much - If enough people in the polls on the forum would like a feature, they'll answer the cry for it. I challenge Microsoft to try beat that with their WMP.
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: nila on December 31, 2003, 08:17:54 am
Yeah - LOVE it for quick editing and COMBINED with the new VS interface it'd be greater :)
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Matt on December 31, 2003, 08:56:03 am
Two interfaces for the same thing is bad.  It makes the program more confusing and more difficult to keep bug free.

If there are ways to improve the dialog system, we're all ears.
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Marko on December 31, 2003, 10:17:32 am
I could live with both. When I started this thread that's exactly what I meant. The view scheme creator dialogue is great too.
If I had both, I'd use the view scheme creation dialogue to set up new view schemes. The number of times I've wanted a quick VS tweak though, maybe add a temporary pane, or change a pane type, whatever....
Any of that was just so natural, comfortable, easy, quick, intuitive, with that right click menu but is more hassle than it's worth to pop that dialogue, tweak it, ok it, then, to reverse the temp changes, have to pop the dialogue again.

Could we not have something like...
Task - Create new View Scheme ---> View Scheme dialogue is the only path to do this
Task - Modify View Scheme ---> right click pane headers, have previous options + 1 to open the dialogue if preferred. Right click view scheme in the tree, "Edit" always pops the dialogue box.

-marko.
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Tangoman on December 31, 2003, 11:04:19 am
Hi all,
I just bought into Version 10, Ithought the orignal method was very efficient and easy to use. I liked it as you could change very quickly and on the fly.
How would having "Remove/Add Move left and right on the top level and then advanced options for more detailed work sound.
Cheers Tangodude
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: nila on December 31, 2003, 12:00:12 pm
Two interfaces for the same thing is bad.  It makes the program more confusing and more difficult to keep bug free.

If there are ways to improve the dialog system, we're all ears.

Matt - I kinda disagree that it makes it more confusing.
It just add's to the ease of use. The original VS dialog box is to initially create the scheme and set it up quickly.
After that though tweaking it is alot nicer with right click on the appropriate pane - it's very fast.

Bug free I guess could be a problem yeah.
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Zarius on December 31, 2003, 05:28:15 pm
Here's another vote for both systems :)

Though I can see how it could be a little confusing for a few beginners... they see two things that seem to do the same thing and wonder what's different.  Maybe this is one for a 'Beginners/Advanced' option... Beginners would only get the dialog, Advanced would get both, same with the Customize View dialog and other facets of MC.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it depends on what on is doing, or how one is sitting, as to which way is faster... so it's better having more options. [eg I use click/drag with the ctrl key to copy files, but also use all the these: ctrl-ins/shift-ins, ctrl-c/ctrl-v, shift-f10/c shift-f10/p, right click/copy rightclick/paste and right-click/dragdrop/copy - depending on how I feel or whether my hands are on the keyboard or mouse... that's a lot of options :) Some people I know just settle on the one they like and ignore the rest.] (I understand there is a slight difference here though, as options don't coexist on the same menu.)

I would offer a better idea if I had one, but I think the rightclick/add column is often the most efficient way for me.  As for 'move left/move right'... it would be a lot easier (and more consistent) if the pane columns could just be dragged left and right with the left mouse button like the view columns [ since they look the same, and having the left and right mouse buttons do the same thing as they do now seems a waste :) ].
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: nila on December 31, 2003, 10:15:27 pm
I dont think it'd need a beginners/advanced mode.

Give it to a beginner to try - I doubt they'll even discover the pane header options for ages and by then they'll be pretty familiar with MC.
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: LisaRCT on January 01, 2004, 11:20:32 am
Um, yeah sure, uh huh   :P

 ;D
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Marko on January 02, 2004, 11:39:18 am
Here's a pic, just in case anyone's in any doubt what we're talking about here....
(http://foc.no-ip.com/pics/pane.jpg)

Don't forget to vote ;)

-marko.
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: nila on January 02, 2004, 11:50:28 am
Um, yeah sure, uh huh   :P

 ;D

OT but thanks for this comment Lisa - this has just become my MSN nick name:

Um, Yeah, Sure! un huh, Right! ^o)
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: ZRocker on January 02, 2004, 08:50:59 pm
I like the new way much better...Edit view scheme (and Customize view for columns) is easier, faster, all in one place and more organized (straight forward).  The old method was cumbersome (always right clicking...a big pain).
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Marko on January 03, 2004, 01:35:11 am
I like the new way much better...Edit view scheme (and Customize view for columns) is easier, faster, all in one place and more organized (straight forward).  The old method was cumbersome (always right clicking...a big pain).
I could not agree with you more. There is absolutely no way I want to lose the new view scheme setup dialogue. No Way.

Now and again though, I could looking at any given VS and wish I could see, say, the comment field, just to check/look for something, then remove the comment field once done with it.

For me, this is where the right click menu comes into it's own. It makes it so quick and simple. Without it, I find one of two things happen here....
1. The process of adding the pane, then removing it when done would take longer than actually checking the info I want, so, "yeah, it would have been nice to know, but I'm not that bothered" so I don't bother, but as I move away from it, it hit's me that I really miss that right click menu

2. The process of adding the pane, then removing it when done would take longer than actually checking the info I want, but, "I really need to know, so better launch that dialogue" All the way through the process, right up to OK'ing the removal of the pane, it hit's me that I really miss that right click menu

My point is, that the VS dialogue is a great tool for setting up the view scheme in the first place. We set view schemes that we use most commonly, but never in a month of sundays could you set one for absolutely every occasion. Why build a view scheme you'd maybe only use once in 6 months?
That right click menu was a great tool for tweaking, temporarily or otherwise, an existing view scheme. That's why I miss it. To that end, does anyone see a problem with the proposal below (if it's even possible?)

Task - Create new View Scheme ---> View Scheme dialogue is the only path to do this
Task - Modify View Scheme ---> right click pane headers, have previous options + 1 to open the dialogue if preferred. Right click view scheme in the tree, "Edit" always pops the dialogue box.

Last time, OK....
I'm not proposing an either/or scenario here, I want both. Yup, like most guys, I not only want to have my cake, but I want to eat it too ;)
I'm willing to bet that the peeps who voted "No" did so in the belief that this was an either/or debate. Which would bounce their votes to one of the other options, and, not that I'm biased or anything, I reckon they'd be yes!! ;):D:D
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: LisaRCT on January 03, 2004, 08:53:51 am
Two interfaces for the same thing is bad.  

I see nothing wrong with having multiple ways to achieve the same thing (Right-Click as well as the dialog box) . . . .  Windows and MAC OS both offer multiple ways to do everything ('Drag & drop', 'Right-click', toolbar/menu driven, etc.).

What makes this such a bad thing in MC?
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Marko on January 07, 2004, 02:05:42 pm
any more thoughts regarding this Matt?
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: JimH on January 07, 2004, 02:26:47 pm
Since Matt is busy coding, I'll give the same answer I've just given a couple other people asking about whether something they wanted would be done.  We can't say.  We have our own list of priorities and some user requests are on it, but most aren't near the top of the list right now.

Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Marko on January 07, 2004, 03:05:50 pm
So, basically, what you're saying is that for now, you're working on your own list of priorities atm and the users are not being listened to.

Apologies if that sounds a tad blunt, but that does seem to be your drift. As you won't say what it is that comes before us humble users just now, I can't comment. I just hope it's worth the wait, that's all.

I think for now, I'll drop back to v9.1 and watch v10 from a distance. At least it has a local start page, unlike v10 which still sports a "phone home" start page.

Just a thought here, but it would be nice if your online shop is totally configurable, ie. it's not on by default, and can be turned off and it stays off, like forever. ;)
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: zevele10 on January 07, 2004, 03:09:35 pm
call home...online shop hey hey  are we going to get a real mc10?
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: JimH on January 07, 2004, 03:11:10 pm
So, basically, what you're saying is that for now, you're working on your own list of priorities atm and the users are not being listened to.
No.  What I said was that we had a list of priorities and that some user requests were on it.

If you will take a look at the list of requests compiled by JLee and NoCodeUK, it is a long list.  Some will make it into V10.  Many won't.

We have other work going on that will become apparent in a few months.  Much of it involves user interface issues.  
Title: Re:Pane Headers Right Click Menu....
Post by: Marko on January 07, 2004, 03:13:26 pm
Quote
Much of it involves user interface issues
which is precisely what this thread is all about. No?