INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: lee269 on February 08, 2006, 01:09:29 pm
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A number of posts about MCs interface at the moment. I dont plan on adding to them now MC11.1 is nearly out the door but as a total non expert and non beta tester Im wondering if anyone is following Jensen Harris' MS Office 12 User interface blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/). A really nice site. It looks like the latest Office will be quite different. Im not suggesting MC needs to adopt a 'ribbon' of course as the applications are quite different, but there is some interesting stuff in there for non developers like me, like 'super tooltips', 'rich menus' and the ill-advisedness of having an 'expert mode' which is a feature I remember hearing on this forum a number of times.
Of course it'll be forever before my employer rolls out Office 12 so I can see for myself how the new UI works. I wonder if we'll see a rash of 'copycat' applications once O12 starts to emerge into the world.
Another interesting nugget in there is a list of the most used commands in Word 2003. I wonder what the top 5 most used commands are in MC (apart from transport controls)?
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I've already been working on a possible interface for MC12 that would do away with the dreaded file tree. If I could put together a decent enough presentation together in time, I'll try to give it to them when I'm in Minneapolis next month.
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any hints as to what your idea is?
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I've already been working on a possible interface for MC12 that would do away with the dreaded file tree. If I could put together a decent enough presentation together in time, I'll try to give it to them when I'm in Minneapolis next month.
It'd have to be pretty amazingly good (and able to work without using the "Panes" at all) to convince me. Frankly, I doubt you'd convince everyone here-or-there (http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=29838.0) that the tree is really "dreaded".
the ill-advisedness of having an 'expert mode'
+++
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(http://www.captsmurf.co.uk/trees/protest.jpg)
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Mr ChriZ: Hee!
glynor: I concur. I like the trees -- I've always like the outline format, and Ilove the fact that we can create customized hierarchies on the fly.
Galley: On the other hand, if you come up with some cool new UI paradigm, by all means, let us know. I like to think that I'm open to new ideas...
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Quoting Galley:
"I've already been working on a possible interface for MC12 that would do away with the dreaded file tree. If I could put together a decent enough presentation together in time, I'll try to give it to them when I'm in Minneapolis next month."
Galley, I think this is a great idea. I've never met JimH, but from reading his posts I get the impression that he's a man who loves criticism, particularly of his life's work. And your timing could not be better: jriver is just wrapping up a months-long effort at reformulating the interface. They brought in outside consultants, hosted focus groups, and finally washed all that through the beta-test crew for comments. And here you come walking through the door with a flipchart and a well-meaning expression on your face? Be my guest!
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:o 8) ::)
Funny, John.
Galley,
John is right about me. I'm a stubborn iconoclast committed to my vision of MC and the road to glory with my MC brothers.
On the other hand, you never know, and the beer is free here. Bring on the flipcharts.
Jim
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Free beer?
Heck, I've got some ideas and I can make flipcharts with some scissors and glue. ;)
/me checks the price of flights to Minneapolis...
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One interface that I find quite usable in place of a tree is the 'collapsing side tabs/panels' type (for lack of a better description).
The thing I find most annoying about tree navigation (in most software) is the fact that it is cluttered, bunched up and easy to miss-click on. The side panel system helps to alleviate these issues, whilst maintaining the tree structure.
Unfortunately, I cannot think of an example of exactly what I mean, although I know they exist, so here is an attempt at a descripition... :-\
1) Take the root level tree nodes, turn them into clickable "Button bars", the full width of the navigation pane
2) Make it so that as one of these button bars is depressed the following happens:
- The embossing/shadow/"button effect" for that button is reversed or otherwise altered
- The NON-Selected button bars are pushed to the bottom of the navigation pane
- The selected node is expanded to show its sub-nodes (leaves?)
The same would happen with sub-nodes so that the end effect would look something like
(you will need to use some imagination to get a proper idea....)
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| Playing Now |
| Audio |
| - All |
| - (Multiple Artists) |
| -- Best of Air Guitar |
| -- Best of Classical |
| --- Beethoven |
| ---- Sonata in F Minor |
| ---- Sontata in C Minor |
| ---- Symphony No. 7 |
| . |
| . |
| . |
| ---Greig |
| ---Mozart |
| ---Schubert |
| -- Best of Pop |
| -- Best of Rock |
| -Mozart |
| -Other artists |
| Images |
| Video |
| Playlists |
|
NOTE:
- dots are not there ;)
- Dashes are only to assist with level identification in the mock-up
- We are looking at a multiple artist album with works by Beethoven, Greig, Mozart and Schubert, and have selected Beethoven, Symphony #7
This should make navigation cleaner and possibly simpler to navigate, yet maintain the abilities inherent in the tree structure. Of course, some will want at least two areas of the 'tree' open at any one time, but I'm sure that could be figured out (Spilt the pane in half? ... sticky a certain spot open?)...
Just an idea..... :)
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My interface idea does have panes, but definitely no file tree. I'll give you one hit... "dynamic". ;)
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Gotta say I have a fear of tall green things...the tree needs to be revamped. Good luck!
Dr. C
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The thing I find most annoying about tree navigation (in most software) is the fact that it is cluttered, bunched up and easy to miss-click on. The side panel system helps to alleviate these issues, whilst maintaining the tree structure.
This is my biggest gripe with the tree the way it is currently. It worked perfectly in mc 10. I'd go as far to say it was better than the mother of tree's in win explorer. I have posted on this a few times now. Basically the prob is when you drag folders and your destination is beyond what the screen shows, the tree view scrolls very fast to the top so you often miss your destination.
I don't really see a way around the tree tbh, when it comes to moving folders within MC.
Rename file from properties is the oft quoted solution for moving folders but falls flat on it's face, if you like keeping everything pertaining to an album in it's own folder like Album art as opposed to a central repository.