Topic: Tag Info Window was Better in v9 (Read 3685 times)

jlar310 · « **on:** January 29, 2004, 10:24:51 pm »

I just switched to the latest v10 beta and I have to say that the Tag Info window was much better in v9. I don't like that the chosen columns in the window parallel the visible columns in the main display. I like to customize the Tag Info window for details that I don't normally want to be bothered with in the main list, but that I want to see when editing tags.

Also, when you edit fields in the Tag Info window, the field expands to cover up the field label. When you are tabbing from field to field, it can be very hard to know which field you are editing.

I know there have been other postings complaining about the new 'features', but I think you need to hear from everyone.

The action window in general was easier to work with in v9. The tiled icon format maintained a consistent window size. The list format in v10 changes it's length as you drill down. Very disorienting.

Please reconsider your design changes. There was no need to change
it from v9.

Zarius · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2004, 10:57:09 pm »

Whilst I like the extra space gained by covering up the field label... I too find it hard to use now... 1) as jlar310 mentioned, sometimes it's hard to see what field you are editting and you have to tab up/down to see the name) and 2) I rely on the edit window coming up where I click, so I can click once and then drag-select text straight away without searching ("where'd that letter go, oh, it moved left 10 pixels...") so I can quickly and efficiently cut and paste.

Similar to jlar310 and others, I also use the Tag Info a lot for editting certain fields that I don't want to show in the main list - yet I don't want to look at the whole list of tags... this is where user-definable groups could come in handy, when you edit a field you could set a list of groups (eg Music;Classical;Music Videos;Movies for a field that appears in all those groups) so that one could show different groups whilst doing different tagging jobs (I'd use very different fields to take Movies to those used tagging Classical music).

Anyway... just chucking some ideas around :)

park · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2004, 12:24:14 am »

I like the new view. I put all the tags I use in the General part and occaisonally reference the other parts. It's nice that they're just there and not hidden in a menu. Good for quick reference too.

Bug (should I post it in the main bug thread. I'm not sure if this is still abug on newest release):
I'm using build 10.41 so perhaps this has been fixed, but...

In the tag editing window I go to select the first word or two of a field and (if starting from the right and dragging left to the edge of the program window) when I finished highlighting the words they automatically unihighlight themselves. So then I pixel perfect highlight and its ok. But very tedious.

jleerigby · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2004, 02:27:13 am »

I wholeheartedly agree that Tag Info and AW navigation was much cleaner in 9.1. If I could change anything in v10 it would be this. Ironically for me the AW and Tag Info would have been the last thing on my list for change in v10 but it has been at the forefront of v10 changes.

The work done on 9.1 was well thought out and did not need changing. These changes IMO detract attention away from the nice usabilty enhancements like Smartlist Wizard and Customise View.

I'd love to see it returned to the way it was.

rocketsauce · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2004, 02:41:00 am »

Quote

I wholeheartedly agree that Tag Info and AW navigation was much cleaner in 9.1.

Actually, I suspect that jlar310 was referring to the tag info window in v9, not v9.1. There was no action window in v9.

Rob

jleerigby · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2004, 03:30:19 am »

Quote from: rocketsauce on January 30, 2004, 02:41:00 am

Quote
I wholeheartedly agree that Tag Info and AW navigation was much cleaner in 9.1.

Actually, I suspect that jlar310 was referring to the tag info window in v9, not v9.1. There was no action window in v9.

Rob

You are right about there being no action window in 9.1. jlar310 wrote:

Quote

The action window in general was easier to work with in v9.

Hence my reasonable assumption that he/she was referring to 9.1.

rocketsauce · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2004, 04:49:19 am »

Oh. I guess I kinda missed that reference to the AW farther down in the post. I read the first sentence and assumed s/he was referring to v9.

Quote

I just switched to the latest v10 beta and I have to say that the Tag Info window was much better in v9.

Rob

JimH · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2004, 08:10:48 am »

Quote from: jlar310 on January 29, 2004, 10:24:51 pm

I like to customize the Tag Info window for details that I don't normally want to be bothered with in the main list, but that I want to see when editing tags.

Couldn't you just move the columns you don't want to see all the way to the right so they are off the screen?

Matt · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2004, 08:54:08 am »

Or pick "Show All Fields" in the Tag Info window's tools menu.

nila · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2004, 09:21:53 am »

Quote from: JimH on January 30, 2004, 08:10:48 am

Quote from: jlar310 on January 29, 2004, 10:24:51 pm
I like to customize the Tag Info window for details that I don't normally want to be bothered with in the main list, but that I want to see when editing tags.
Couldn't you just move the columns you don't want to see all the way to the right so they are off the screen?

From previous posts in the past I thought it slowed down things if we showed more fields?
Like showing lyrics and BIOS fields etc.

And I have no need to see them when searching files. Just when playing but I'll still want them to be editable in the tag info window.

Matt · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2004, 09:46:50 am »

Showing more columns has little or no effect on speed.

ZRocker · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2004, 11:38:34 am »

Quote from: Matt on January 30, 2004, 09:46:50 am

Showing more columns has little or no effect on speed.

Oh really!?

Well, try it with lots (or even a few) calculated columns...has a 'big' effect on speed (which I/we proved before when I was having a problem with speed & MC displaying lists).

JimH · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2004, 11:43:15 am »

Z,
Aren't you saying that speed is related to the type of column, and not the number of columns?

ZRocker · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2004, 12:46:50 pm »

Yep...and Matt said the # of columns has no effect...that's not true (a column is a column...Matt didn't say anything about specific types of columns...he just said 'columns').

Matt · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2004, 01:04:19 pm »

Quote

Yep...and Matt said the # of columns has no effect...that's not true (a column is a column...Matt didn't say anything about specific types of columns...he just said 'columns').

Non-visible columns on the far right shouldn't affect speed.

Visible columns can affect speed.

Quisp · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2004, 01:37:50 pm »

Quote from: jlar310 on January 29, 2004, 10:24:51 pm

I just switched to the latest v10 beta and I have to say that the Tag Info window was much better in v9. I don't like that the chosen columns in the window parallel the visible columns in the main display. I like to customize the Tag Info window for details that I don't normally want to be bothered with in the main list, but that I want to see when editing tags.

Also, when you edit fields in the Tag Info window, the field expands to cover up the field label. When you are tabbing from field to field, it can be very hard to know which field you are editing.

I also agree with both of these observations.

I find the covering up of the label in the AW annoying and my gut reation is to always attempt to move the pull-down out of the way. Of course this is impossible. I like the "extra" space but that is what the expansion bar to the right is for and it isn't that much space. It ends up looking like a bug, not a feature.

I also don't get why there is a one-to-one relationship between what I see in the AW and the right hand columns. Seems natural to want these separate, for the reasons outlined above and simply, if the columns on the right were what I wanted to edit, wouldn't I just....edit them in place.

I guess there are always workarounds, but for me anyway, I'd rather workaround the lack of features than existing features.

JSmithson · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2004, 03:54:55 pm »

If you are viewing album thumbnails then 'visible columns' in the AW are very helpful...... Since I have mostly full albums and I can use the AW to do tagging I almost never use Details view anymore......

Cindy_B · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2004, 05:54:07 pm »

Quote from: JLee on January 30, 2004, 02:27:13 am

I wholeheartedly agree that Tag Info and AW navigation was much cleaner in 9.1. If I could change anything in v10 it would be this. Ironically for me the AW and Tag Info would have been the last thing on my list for change in v10 but it has been at the forefront of v10 changes.

The work done on 9.1 was well thought out and did not need changing. These changes IMO detract attention away from the nice usabilty enhancements like Smartlist Wizard and Customise View.

I'd love to see it returned to the way it was.

I couldn't agree more. It's time to rest on AW and tags.

rocketsauce · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2004, 08:33:48 pm »

I think Action Window tweaking needs to continue as a priority. All of it's little kinks aren't completely ironed out, and they need to be for a final release of v10.xx.

Rob

lalittle · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2004, 08:44:27 pm »

Quote from: Quisp on January 30, 2004, 01:37:50 pm

if the columns on the right were what I wanted to edit, wouldn't I just....edit them in place.

This would limit you to changing these fields on only one track at a time. The AW is needed to make changes to multiple tracks at the same time -- you can highlight as many tracks as you want, at which time a change made to one of the fields in the AW effects all of the highlighted tracks. In other words, having the "column tracks" visible in the AW tag info screen does in fact have a useful purpose.

Larry

nila · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2004, 09:02:52 pm »

Quote from: lalittle on January 30, 2004, 08:44:27 pm

Quote from: Quisp on January 30, 2004, 01:37:50 pm
if the columns on the right were what I wanted to edit, wouldn't I just....edit them in place.

This would limit you to changing these fields on only one track at a time. The AW is needed to make changes to multiple tracks at the same time -- you can highlight as many tracks as you want, at which time a change made to one of the fields in the AW effects all of the highlighted tracks. In other words, having the "column tracks" visible in the AW tag info screen does in fact have a useful purpose.

Larry

Thats not quite true actually.
You can do inplace editing for lots of tracks too.
If you select lots of tracks, press F2 to edit one, change a field in it then click elsewhere on the screen you'll see the changes applied to ALL the tracks.

Quisp · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2004, 10:06:10 pm »

My point wasn't really where I want to do my editing or where it would be best, only that my method of editing in the AW and what I see in the right window usually aren't related.

Here's an example. Let's say i'm editing a series of custom fields, like tones and styles in the Action window. I would like these fields as well as the sort, genre and date fields to be at the top of my list in the Action window. However, in the list window, I'd probably more likely want Artist, album, track number, name, etc. This way I don't have to switch around my views depending on how I use a particular window. I set up the AW the way I want to use it for tagging and set up the list view the way I want to list things. Seems pretty straight forward and intuative and as I have mentioned before, this is how I assumed it worked. I find it confusing that it doesn't work this way. I always find it confusing when a menu item that I get to by right clicking on a specific window states "Customize Current View" and it actually customizes another view.

phelt · « **Reply #22 on:** January 31, 2004, 12:28:21 pm »

Quote from: Quisp on January 30, 2004, 10:06:10 pm

My point wasn't really where I want to do my editing or where it would be best, only that my method of editing in the AW and what I see in the right window usually aren't related.

Here's an example. Let's say i'm editing a series of custom fields, like tones and styles in the Action window. I would like these fields as well as the sort, genre and date fields to be at the top of my list in the Action window. However, in the list window, I'd probably more likely want Artist, album, track number, name, etc. This way I don't have to switch around my views depending on how I use a particular window. I set up the AW the way I want to use it for tagging and set up the list view the way I want to list things. Seems pretty straight forward and intuative and as I have mentioned before, this is how I assumed it worked. I find it confusing that it doesn't work this way. I always find it confusing when a menu item that I get to by right clicking on a specific window states "Customize Current View" and it actually customizes another view.

I am 100% with Quisp on this. With regard to the "Customize..." menu: aside from the basic UI concept of options applying to the objects which 'produced' them, it breaks the logical model within MC. There's no logical or apparent causal relationship, unlike modifying panes to produce results in the lower view.

My use of the tag info window/area appears to be the same as well - I would mainly utilize it to modify things that aren't already columns or panes in the pane/list view. Way back in v9 days this worked extremely well. Now I use a 3rd party tagger and mostly ignore the action window since I already have buttons for the actions I want to take.

nila · « **Reply #23 on:** January 31, 2004, 03:18:00 pm »

I'm 100% behind being able to customise the AW.

Have been for literally years now wanting to be able to set it up to display the fields that I want.

Just want to be able to choose what fields show, create pre-sets of field groups and load these up from any VS.
Preferably have the VS remember which group of fields I had saved for it although I REALLY wouldn't mind if I could just customise the grouping myself.

lalittle · « **Reply #24 on:** January 31, 2004, 04:30:30 pm »

I still prefer to do pretty much all my tag editting in the AW. Somehow I just find it more elegant to work there instead of having to scroll back and forth in the list window. I do occasionally edit in the actual list, but I would not want the fields "split" between the two places -- the AW should have ALL the fields in it.

You can also shrink the "Visible Column" part of the AW tag info screen if you want, making it only take up one line.

Larry

gpvillamil · « **Reply #25 on:** January 31, 2004, 07:16:43 pm »

I also preferred Tag Info in v9.1

It was really comfortable to see all the fields for a given song (or selection) then move back and forth with Page-Up and Page-Down.

Also, the floating AW in 9.1 let me *preview* album art at its full resolution. I don't think there is a way of doing this now. I can look at the album art in a window for the currently playing song, but I can't do this for songs that I'm *not* playing.

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Author Topic: Tag Info Window was Better in v9 (Read 3685 times)

jleerigby

jleerigby

nila

nila

phelt

nila