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[JimH]

We're thinking about putting a sort of Table of Contents page on the Wiki.  It would look something like this:

Installation

Licensing and Purchase

Getting started
             Importing      <-- 
             Playback       <--  These three items are an example of how any of the main topics might branch or divide.
             Views           <--

Audio

Video

Images

Devices
             iPods
             Other MP3 players
             Cameras
             Cell phones

Servers

Theater View

Remote Control

Manual

DevZone

Support


So, would this work?  What is missing?  (I'll update the list above in response to your replies.)

Thanks,

Jim

[thurston]

Portable Devices/iPods? 

[glynor]

One thing that bothers me about the Wiki is the odd "separation" between the Manual and the "Using" documentation.  Isn't it really "all" the manual?  So, what do you mean by "manual"?  I think that if you're going to re-organize it, then re-organize the manual section and really break it out so the whole wiki is your manual.

Heck, it'll make future iterations of your Help File easier to make.  Just dump the contents of the wiki, clean it up, and Help-ify it.

I don't know about the completely separate Audio, Video, and Images "sections".  I'd put them "under" the View Schemes section.  I've already made a good start on View Schemes in the Wiki (though I lost steam there... I do intend to get back and finish that page sometime soon).

And I'd bust out a Full Section on the different Views of MC (ie Theater, Display, Standard).  So something more like this:

1. Installation
1a. Installation Options
1b. Licensing and Purchase
1c. Trial notes (something about how the 30-days is once per major version of MC, even if you don't use the product in that timeframe)

2. Getting Started
2a. Importing
2b. Playback (Concept of Playing Now and basic description of how to Play stuff.)
2c. Basic Application UI control scheme (explain the control "motifs" -- how the divider bars work, right click on things, drag-and-drop, etc.  Teach them how to find the stuff they want and how to work the "buttons", if you will.)  Explain the Tree conceptually and how it relates to how to navigate around the UI (leave alternative navigational methods for the more advanced "view modes" discussion below).  Pointers to more advanced later discussion of View Schemes and Options.
2d. Very basic description of the regular Views (display, theater, standard, mini) and how to switch between them.  Pointers to more advanced later discussion (in this section, don't worry about trying to explain all the options, just show it how it is by default).
2e. Basic concepts of "tags" and "tagging" and how this relates to the views of your media MC shows.

3. View Schemes
3a. What are View Schemes?  How are they organized?  How do they relate to what media you see and to filters?
3b. Basics of how it is by default.
3b1. Audio
3b2. Video
3b3. Images
3b4. Documents
3b5. Playlists and Smartlists
3c. Customizing View Schemes and Creating your Own.
3d. Advanced Uses of View Schemes (filtering on Playlists, Advanced Expressions, and other fancy-pants stuff that we come up with).

4. MC View Modes (include full discussions of navigational methods, different "views", split views, tabs, Theater View modes, how the different modes relate to one another, etc)
4a. Standard
4b. Theater
4c. Display
4e. Mini

5. Not sure what to call this section, but I'd say there should be another section that covers this stuff sort-of "together".  Devices, Services, and Plugins or something like that.
5a. Podcasts
5b. Devices (including Handhelds, TV tuner, Ripping, and Burning)
5c. Services and Plugins
5d. Remote Control
5e. Image and Audio Editor
5f. Importing from Cameras and Camera Cards.

6. DirectShow and Audio Playback Concepts (high-level "this is how it is" stuff)
6a. File Format Support.  Discussion of Media Types (documents vs video vs images vs audio)
6b. DS Playback Guide (of course)
6b. DVD Playback stuff
6c. Audio Formats and settings used for ripping.  Difference between Lossy and Lossless.  Transcoding concepts, etc.
6e. Image details.  Raw images, editing, rotating, etc.
6f. I'm sure more will come up here.

7. Tagging.  Explain the concept of the database and the concept of "tags" and how MC uses them for everything, in detail.  How to do it in all the different fancy ways.

8. Options.  Every option -- rip the content on options from the manual.  Put it all in one place, systematically, and then when links need to be made from other relevant subsections, you can easily just link to the relevant option in this section.

9. Zones and Advanced View Uses *
9a. General Overview of Zones concept.
9b. Configuring Zones (what options are zone-specific, how-to type stuff, etc)
9c. Detached Displays, multiple displays, and other fancy setups.

* Special Thanks to fitbrit for suggesting the Zones section.

10. DevZone

11. Troubleshooting.  Hardware discussions.  FAQs on Anti-Virus and solutions, etc.

12. Support

[fitbrit]

Close your eyes.

Repeat what Glynor said.

Imagine I said it.

Now add something about multiple zones.

$0.02

[glynor]

Good point.  Adding.

[fitbrit]

Good point.  Adding.

   You can't do that! What if someone stops reading this thread at my post... they'll think I'm blind and can't read! 

[glynor]

  You can't do that! What if someone stops reading this thread at my post... they'll think I'm blind and can't read! 

Again.  Good point.  Adding.

[gappie]

that is a nice list Glynor. maybe the 'advanced tools' like the media editor should get some place (under 5). you know, being advanced and all. 

[glynor]

No one else has any comments?  I suspected that I'd be one of many... I doubt my list is perfect!

[gappie]

I doubt my list is perfect!

i dont.

[rjm]

Nice work glynor.

I like to start with a solid understanding of the big underlying concepts. I would move some of section 7 into the getting started section and ensure that the big basics are explained, such as:

- database (what is it, why is it important, where is it stored, how to backup and restore)
- importance of keeping database aligned with files (eg. always move files within MC)
- concept of internal vs. external tags and why it is important to really understand this well
- concept of artwork and the options for managing it (I observe that almost every new user starts wth questions on this)
- few basic tips on best practices to get started
- top ten things not to do

Also would add section near end on backup (concepts, best practices, etc.)

Thanks for your work on this glynor.

[Alex B]

Disc burning

- Audio CD / data CD / data DVD
- Rewritables
- CD file naming systems
- File format conversions, disc space calculations when using different bitrates
- Using DSP when burning audio CDs
- Saving burning playlists for future use
- Disc Labeler
- Troubleshooting, test mode

[Alex B]

- using several libraries
- copying data between libraries (MPL export/import)
- copying libraries between PCs

- Library Server
- UPnP Server
- Tivo Server
- the shared library feature

- Remote Server

[rjm]

- using several libraries
- copying data between libraries (MPL export/import)
- copying libraries between PCs

- Library Server
- UPnP Server
- Tivo Server
- the shared library feature

- Remote Server

And syncronizing media files and databases between multiple computers.

[galahad1974]

Id love to se a more organized and in depth detail on some of the dev zone ares. id be happy to contribute time to writing them, but i would need some info . For example, there is some good info out there on theater view skinning, but if I could get more info from JR on what functions are available and what All thier arguments are and mean, id be happy to type it up and create and provide examples. There also needs to be more out thier on expressions, not just the language, but where they can and cant be used, and examples for each. Again, here time isnt the issue, its knowledge of specifically where thnings do and dont work and why.

Media server help, with examples

Id also love to see some archives of some of the great view scheme info here on the board, structured so that they can be found easily by new users.Just my 2 cents.

[fitbrit]

No one else has any comments?  I suspected that I'd be one of many... I doubt my list is perfect!

Shhhhh I haven't noticed yet, and nobody else will either unless you go pimping its perceived imperfections.

[skeeterfood]

DevZone

Wherever DevZone moves to, you should fix the Dev Zone link at the top of the forums to take you directly there, instead of linking to the old location and having that redirect you like it does now.

-John