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General => MusicBee Wishlist => Topic started by: redwing on November 30, 2012, 05:31:44 PM

Title: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on November 30, 2012, 05:31:44 PM
Before moving onto some fancy new features, I'd love to see some basic feature enhancement of theater mode. Here are what I'd like it to have.

(1) Expansion of onclick function: support for playback, stop, play nth(including previous and next) track in the list.

(2) Support for on-screen editing of Gallery tag (e.g. text box): This is the only way theater view developers can do something with the fantastic feature. You can't expect users to edit xml file every time they want to use different search terms.

(3) Support for searching other tag values in addition to artist: What not for album artist, composer, genre, mood, and some other tags that could be useful for retrieving relevant images?  

(4) Clicking on a picture or image on the screen should, by default, proceed to the next image if rotation or web search is enabled, overriding the preset rotation time and interval. There is no reason users must endure watching some picture they find abhorrent. During my test, quite a few out-of-the-context pictures were picked up and thrown at me.

Thanks in advance.
 
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 01, 2012, 04:31:25 PM
for the next 2.1 update i have implemented
1)
onClick="PlayPause"
onClick="PlayStop"
onClick="PlayPrevious"
onClick="PlayNext"

in addition, there is a new icon element so these can be implemented using images
<element type="Icon" image="Images\Test.png" mouseOverImage="Images\TestH.png" x="100" y="100" onClick="PlayPause"></element>

3) there is already a new attribute for artist biography and picture
<element type="ArtistPicture" artistType="Composer" ...></element>
<element type="ArtistInfo" artistType="Composer" ...></element>
where
artistType="Artist"
artistType="Composer"
artistType="ComposerPref" - this one tries composer first and if blank then uses the artist

specifically for the Gallery element, the following tags="xxx" values are supported and take their value from the current playing track:
tags="artist"
tags="albumArtist"
tags="composer"
tags="genre"
tags="mood"
tags="occasion"

Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 01, 2012, 05:28:50 PM
That looks quite an enhancement so far. If it's not a big trouble, can a new attribute be added "trying artist first if blank then uses composer" for classical music tracks which quite often retrieve no artist picture at all? Thanks a lot!
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 01, 2012, 05:51:59 PM
this has the changes:
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

i dont think the gallery tags works that well but perhaps you will find otherwise

anyone making use of the new Icon element, i suggest the icon images be placed in their own folder, with the folder named the same as the skin so to avoid clashes with other skins
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 01, 2012, 10:50:49 PM
Thanks. But I'm afraid to report that among the four newly implemented onclick functions, "PlayStop" is working just as "stop," not toggling to "play." The other three are working fine.

Edit: One more thing. It seems that onclick area is always aligned left, no matter where the actual text is.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 02, 2012, 08:00:59 AM
PlayStop means stop playback just like the stop button in the main player

the onclick area will be the entire area you have allocated for the text
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 02, 2012, 08:31:59 AM
Quote from: Steven on December 02, 2012, 08:00:59 AM
PlayStop means stop playback just like the stop button in the main player
Got it.

Quote from: Steven on December 02, 2012, 08:00:59 AM
the onclick area will be the entire area you have allocated for the text

What's wrong with this?
<element type="Field" id="Tracks[1]" xAnchor="#NextInfo.Right" x="0" yAnchor="#NextInfo.Top" y="3" width="180" align="center" font="Segoe UI" style="Regular" size="10" fg="255,255,255" onClick="PlayNext"><child id="Title"></child></element>

I found the onclick area varies following the length of title, and aligns always left even though "align=center" was set.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 02, 2012, 09:48:58 AM
it would be easiest if you sent me your skin files
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 02, 2012, 10:13:05 AM
Quote from: Steven on December 02, 2012, 09:48:58 AM
it would be easiest if you sent me your skin files

I PMed you my file. Thanks for your help!
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 02, 2012, 10:49:03 AM
that has been fixed for the next update
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 02, 2012, 08:54:54 PM
this has the fixed version:
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 02, 2012, 11:43:03 PM
Thanks! It works like a charm.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 03, 2012, 01:12:33 AM
I am afraid to report that the onclick area of "onClick=OpenAutoHidePanel" is always aligned left too.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 03, 2012, 11:08:59 PM
@Steven:

Quote from: redwing on December 03, 2012, 01:12:33 AM
I am afraid to report that the onclick area of "onClick=OpenAutoHidePanel" is always aligned left too.

When do you think you will be able to fix this? May I just go ahead and post my second work assuming this bug will be fixed sooner or later?

Edit: I didn't know you already fixed it and posted the new version. Works perfectly! Thanks.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 05, 2012, 07:11:31 PM
(I am going to add some more theater mode-related wishes in this thread)
   
1. Configurable artist picture sources for theater mode: Artist picture on theater mode is surely one of the greatest features, but its current fixed settings can easily get users bored.
(1) Currently only visualiser (artist picture) allows users to configure artist picture retrieval sources (Main menu> View> Visualiser > Artist Picture Settings). I noticed that configuring the settings provides a great degree of variety for pictures. Why not make it work for theater mode too?
(2) Randomize retrieval order for the same artist: the current fixed order makes it predictable and less entertaining.

2. Support for "mouseOverFg" attribute  
(1) "mouseOverFg" attribute is currently working only with onClick="OpenAutoHidePanel," not working with all other onClick functions.
(2) If "mouseOverFg2" is supported, the display of rating-love and rating icons on a hidden panel will be possible.

3. New onClick functions: Volume up, Volume down, Mute on/off

4. A right-click menu item that opens up theater view list pane during theater mode: Very inconvenient to access the pane in full screen mode.

5. Support for mouse scroll wheel on Artist Info panel just like Lyrics panel
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 05, 2012, 07:56:37 PM
Quote from: redwing on December 05, 2012, 07:11:31 PM
1. Configurable artist picture sources for theater mode: Artist picture on theater mode is surely one of the greatest features, but its current fixed settings can easily get users bored.
(1) Currently only visualiser (artist picture) allows users to configure artist picture retrieval sources (Main menu> View> Visualiser > Artist Picture Settings). I noticed that configuring the settings provides a great degree of variety for pictures. Why not make it work for theater mode too?
(2) Randomize retrieval order for the same artist: the current fixed order makes it predictable and less entertaining.
if boredom of seeing the same artist picture is an issue, why not use the Gallery element? it retrieves pictures from flickr and last.fm, both of which can have a lot of pictures.
the difference with the single artist picture element is that is much more likely to be high resolution and high quality (not always because sometimes the high quality sites fanart.tv and htbackdrops.com dont have a picture so MB resorts to last.fm)

A recent change was the Gallery element now starts with any artwork from fanart.tv and htbackdrops.com that has already been cached, so the first picture displays much quicker, but the downside is its always the same first picture.
For the randomness, MB does randomise the pictures but in order to have pictures displayed faster and more reliably to be a picture of the artist, MB starts with last.fm. Sometimes there might only be a couple of suitable pictures on last.fm.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 05, 2012, 10:09:32 PM
Thanks for the detailed explanation. Now I can understand better how MB retrieves pictures. What I liked with visualizer though was the option to disable last.fm that retrieved quite a few "new" pictures.

Quote from: Steven on December 05, 2012, 07:56:37 PM
but the downside is its always the same first picture.

Probably that's why I felt as not being random. Not a big deal, but you might want to reconsider that. Personally I hate some of those first pictures.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 06, 2012, 10:31:35 PM
i changed it so it no longer loaded the high-res single artist picture for the gallery tag
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 07, 2012, 02:41:12 AM
Thanks a lot! Now it's much better. But I'm not sure the loading indicator is really necessary.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 08, 2012, 09:31:58 PM
Quote from: redwing on December 05, 2012, 07:11:31 PM
2. Support for "mouseOverFg" attribute  
(1) "mouseOverFg" attribute is currently working only with onClick="OpenAutoHidePanel," not working with all other onClick functions.
(2) If "mouseOverFg2" is supported, the display of rating-love and rating icons on a hidden panel will be possible.

3. New onClick functions: Volume up, Volume down, Mute on/off

4. A right-click menu item that opens up theater view list pane during theater mode: Very inconvenient to access the pane in full screen mode.

5. Support for mouse scroll wheel on Artist Info panel just like Lyrics panel
these have been done now:
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

for 3 the commands are:
VolumeToggleMute; VolumeUp; VolumeDown
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 08, 2012, 10:07:51 PM
Thanks a million! Now I have to update my theater views. With the new volume control support, I expect all kinds of new player layout will be coming out soon!
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 08, 2012, 10:58:21 PM
Quote from: Steven on December 08, 2012, 09:31:58 PM
Quote from: redwing on December 05, 2012, 07:11:31 PM
2. Support for "mouseOverFg" attribute  
(1) "mouseOverFg" attribute is currently working only with onClick="OpenAutoHidePanel," not working with all other onClick functions.
(2) If "mouseOverFg2" is supported, the display of rating-love and rating icons on a hidden panel will be possible.

3. New onClick functions: Volume up, Volume down, Mute on/off

4. A right-click menu item that opens up theater view list pane during theater mode: Very inconvenient to access the pane in full screen mode.

5. Support for mouse scroll wheel on Artist Info panel just like Lyrics panel
these have been done now:
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

for 3 the commands are:
VolumeToggleMute; VolumeUp; VolumeDown


I can confirm, among the new features, (1) "mouseOverFg," (2) mouse scroll wheel on Artist Info panel, and (3) hotkey for "View: Theater Mode - Show List" are working perfectly.
But the new three onClick functions are not working for some reason. And I'd appreciate if you give me an example code for "mouseOverFg2" attribute to display rating-love and rating icons since I can't get it to work.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 09, 2012, 09:08:41 AM
i missed out the volume command changes in that build and they will be in the next.
there is no "mouseOverFg2" implemented - what do you expect it would do?
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 09, 2012, 09:18:04 AM
Quote from: Steven on December 09, 2012, 09:08:41 AM
there is no "mouseOverFg2" implemented - what do you expect it would do?

That will make it possible to display rating-love and rating icons on a hidden panel since both of them need two colors.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 09, 2012, 02:16:57 PM
this has the volume controls and mouseOverFg2
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 09, 2012, 09:26:59 PM
Quote from: Steven on December 08, 2012, 09:31:58 PM
for 3 the commands are:
VolumeToggleMute; VolumeUp; VolumeDown

MB v. 2.1.4726:

I am afraid to report that, among the three functions, only VolumeToggleMute is working.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: Steven on December 09, 2012, 09:29:10 PM
the volume increment is 0.02, so there are 50 clicks to fully change it
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on December 09, 2012, 09:51:36 PM
Quote from: Steven on December 09, 2012, 09:29:10 PM
the volume increment is 0.02, so there are 50 clicks to fully change it

You're right. I was mistaken with Windows volume level. Thanks a lot for the new features!
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on January 14, 2013, 12:42:29 PM
While working on a new theater view, I came up with two requests.

1. Would it be possible for gallery element to support tags="album" and tags="title"? That would be useful to many tracks that have unique titles and album names, not to mention soundtrack music.

2. Among auto-hide panels, currently only lyrics panel can be shown when activated via autoOpenLyrics="true." How about supporting a new attribute "autoOpenPanel" that will open an auto-hide panel with "true" value of that attribute?

Edit: I will add one more request regarding auto-hide panels:

3. It would be nice if more than two auto-hide panels can be shown at the same time when activated as long as they don't overlap one another. And opening or closing down each auto-hide panel shouldn't affect other auto-hide panels that are already open.
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: lnminente on January 14, 2013, 03:02:25 PM
+1 for wish #3 I miss it for enabling/disabling the wavebar under lyrics or artist info

4. Possibility of using the spectrum inside an autohidepanel
Title: Re: Basic feature enhancement for theater mode
Post by: redwing on February 15, 2013, 03:40:08 PM
I was a little frustrated that such a basic thing as drawing a scalable square with a certain side length could not be achieved with the current TM functions.

For example, I wanted to place an album cover in the left-top corner with every side length of 1/2 of panel height.

Code
<element type="AlbumCover" x="5" y="5" widthDock="?" width="-5" heightDock="Y:Panel.Center" height="-5" min="100" max="500" brightness="1.0"></element>

The problem was that it was impossible to set the width the same as the scalable height, "Y:Panel.Center."

How about supporting the following code? (note that width supports Y value and height supports X value too)

Code
widthDock="Y:Panel.Center" width="-5" heightDock="X:Panel.Right" height="-5"

And please consider supporting the following code that could give more flexibility in designing scalable TM views.

Code
widthDock="X:2/3Panel.Right" width="-10" heightDock="Y:3/4Panel.Bottom" height="-5"

(not only width and height but x and y too)