Author Topic: Proposed (optional) changes for simplified layout  (Read 113620 times)

psychoadept

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or make the toolbar buttons visible only when the mouse is over the caption bar.

Not this, please.  I don't mind a show/hide option, but I had enough trouble using the refresh button when it needed a mouseover.


In short, remove it from the left sidebar too and incorporate it into the main panel.

Yes, this is what I was saying, too.  It looks better even when the player's not at the bottom.


Added: Whoa, I just noticed the awesome mouseover highlight on toolbar buttons in the caption bar.  VERY NICE.  :)

And now that I know where they are, I'm glad to have the layout controls for the player, at least, all in a consistent place.   I feel like sidebar controls could still be associated with the sidebars.  I'd particularly like a one-click way to show/hide Library Explorer.
Last Edit: July 02, 2014, 06:24:41 AM by scampbll
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Steven

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The status bar in the main panel only doesnt look right if you have the library explorer or now playing list docked in the left panel. The reason i didnt want to extend the status bar across the entire panel was because all the empty space because there are no buttons there any more. But maybe the status bar would look better across the whole window if the file summary text was centered with any activity text on the left.
For the toolbar in the caption bar - i personally dont like the panel layout and toolbar buttons there either. What do people think of putting it in the status bar, with the status bar extending across the whole panel in that case leaving just the panel layout button in the caption bar and maybe moving that button closer to the right side or maybe just to the right of the tab add button?
For a quick way to open/close the library explorer or Playing Track panel when docked on the bottom i could add hotkey/ command button support if its not already the case.
I appreciate that having right click/ Configure Layout in each of the panels is convienient when you are used to doing it that way. However i just dont think most people will be continually tweaking the configuration and its better to have the configuration more centralised in one place, especially for new users. I am actually tempted to go further and have the panel layout only for hiding/ showing panels and the configuration details only done from the Layout(1) and (2) preferences.

Please keep in mind with all this is there are a lot of different configurations and i am trying to find the approaches that work best with various configs


Ulf

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Many thanks, Steven.

Not a big change to the layout, but a good one.  I like it...
Been using it this morning.

Skin:  DarkORANGE-Metro


Ulf

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- Regarding the status bar, I'm still for displaying it only at the bottom of the main panel. All activity text (including those from left sidebar) can be displayed on the left, file summary text on the right. As you said, no reason to show it under both siderbars with no buttons on it.

- We had no user so far asking about how to configure the player bar, but I expect lots of new users asking such a question with this new layout. In fact, people have kept asking about how to change views or open playing track panel in tab, failing to find out that far-from-intuitive Configure Layout button. Say, you're trying to hide love icon from the player bar, then why do you have to move the mouse from the player bar to the Configure Layout button instead of using one-click context menu? This already happened with tabs bar configuration before. Why do we have to locate the button and move the mouse to it instead of right-clicking on tabs when we want to change the tabs layout? And now you're trying to remove Configure panel setting menu (from another Configure Layout button) as well? What's the benefit?

Steven

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i'm probably going to make Configure Layout accessible from particular panels as it was before and remove the config options from the Panel Layout button, where the Panel Layout button just controls the visibility and docking of the panels. I think the Panel Layout button is quite obvious and many applications have the same - no matter what you do there will always be some people who struggle.

As to moving the toolbar and perhaps the Panel Layout button to the status bar when tabs and the search box are docked in the caption bar, i will probably do that but would like some comments from people who might use this layout. In the mode the status bar would extend across the entire application

psychoadept

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As to moving the toolbar and perhaps the Panel Layout button to the status bar when tabs and the search box are docked in the caption bar, i will probably do that but would like some comments from people who might use this layout. In the mode the status bar would extend across the entire application

I would prefer keeping the toolbar buttons where they are now to having a full screen status bar.  I think restricting the status bar to the main panel makes the most sense both aesthetically and programmatically.  As mentioned, I'd prefer having the search box on the right in the caption bar, but I can live with it as it is.

Regarding the layout options, I'm not too particular, but I would prefer not having all the layout options in every menu in the left panel - rather just when you click open space that's not being used by playlists, nodes, etc.
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Steven

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"Playing Track Panel" when set to "Show in a Tab", is not remembered on restart.  Have to change to 'bottom pane" and then back to have appear.
Border and colours for caption bar button
...
no longer working for older skins.  Button has lost curved edge.
The playing track panel bug is fixed for the next update. The button has been made square intentionally as i think it works better with the new tabs and i didnt want to maintain 2 formats for the button. I have removed the top line in the button as it doesnt work well with some skins

Steven

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I would prefer keeping the toolbar buttons where they are now to having a full screen status bar.  I think restricting the status bar to the main panel makes the most sense both aesthetically and programmatically.  As mentioned, I'd prefer having the search box on the right in the caption bar, but I can live with it as it is.
but people have been complaining it makes the caption bar too crampt/ busy and thats how i feel about it as well - it just looks so much better without the buttons there. The search button on the left of the tabs means it stays in the same place when adding tabs - if it was put at the far right then its not aligned with the main panel and looks out of place. I've given the reason for the status bar not being in the main panel only - it will only work well with some configs. Playing around now i think with the status bar across the full window with summary text centered looks quite good so i will try this.

psychoadept

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but people have been complaining it makes the caption bar too crampt/ busy and thats how i feel about it as well - it just looks so much better without the buttons there. The search button on the left of the tabs means it stays in the same place when adding tabs - if it was put at the far right then its not aligned with the main panel and looks out of place. I've given the reason for the status bar not being in the main panel only - it will only work well with some configs. Playing around now i think with the status bar across the full window with summary text centered looks quite good so i will try this.

Okay, I'll withhold judgement til I see it in action.  :)  I agree that the location of the search box should be fixed and aligned with the main panel.  That's my problem with the buttons as well, so maybe I will like this solution better once I see it in action.


The playing track panel bug is fixed for the next update. The button has been made square intentionally as i think it works better with the new tabs and i didnt want to maintain 2 formats for the button. I have removed the top line in the button as it doesnt work well with some skins

What about making the button mirror the tabs?  I mean, give it the exact same profile, only flipped.  That could look really good with the tabs in the caption bar.
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Steven

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i dont think its going work with putting the tool bar into the status bar due to height constraints/ proportional size of the icons to the bar.
I am going to put the buttons to the right of + tab button like in the original proposal and see what people think. I appreicate it will mean the panel layout button moves to the right as more tabs are added but it looks less cluttered and more in alignment with the main panel

Steven

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http://www.mediafire.com/download/w37hzh4o95mlptj/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

- fixes the "Playing Track Panel" not reloading and the menu button glitch
- Status bar now extends across the entire window and in addition to the file summary, it now shows the playlist duration on the right if the now playing panel is docked on the right
- When tabs are docked in the caption bar the panel layout button and toolbar buttons display immediately to the right of the tabs

psychoadept

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This is definitely an improvement!  I like the new MusicBee button, and the position of the toolbar buttons.  Putting the layout button on the left is a good idea.

All in all, I think it would be better to keep the border between different pieces of the status bar (left sidebar/right sidebar) rather than have it solid all the way across.

One small bug: each time I restart, the toolbar buttons go back to the far right until I add or remove a tab.

Oh, a second one: right clicking on the buttons in the caption bar has the same effect as left clicking.  There's no way to reach the dialog to add/remove buttons.

And finally a skinning request: would like to be able to put a border on the menu button to match the tabs.

Edit: I see now that the CD ripping notification, etc, has been moved to the far left.  I would much rather this info stay in the main panel.   There has never been a space problem with that stuff on my screen, so it's unlikely there has on anyone else's.
Last Edit: July 03, 2014, 04:38:42 AM by scampbll
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Steven

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http://www.mediafire.com/download/w37hzh4o95mlptj/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

- some more tweaks to the status bar handling
- the active tab when docked in the header bar should no longer show a bottom border line
- right click menus now allow panel customisation (as was the case in older versions)
- fixes a couple of layout bugs
- added hotkey/ command button support for toggling the Playing Track Panel when docked on the bottom panel

right clicking on the buttons in the caption bar has the same effect as left clicking.  There's no way to reach the dialog to add/remove buttons.
i am not sure i will be able to address that but you can access the tool bar from the Layout(1) preferences

SimonBRT

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Looking good!  Latest tweaks definite improvements, especially the status bar.  I feel that is looking great in a number of situations now.  Still not 100% sure on the toolbar buttons, I agree they look better further to the left than before but it is still a little 'busy'.  That said I don't have a decent suggestion for any improvement at the moment.  One thing I have noticed is that if I go fullscreen the toolbar buttons are almost clipped off the top of the screen and do not look good at all.  not sure if that is due to my monitor/setup or if others have the same issue?

One small bug in the latest version - there is now a border line with tabs in the caption bar on the active tab (see image).



Going to spend some more time with this and see how it feels with some extended use.


Great work, thanks as always Steven.

EDIT: can someone help... I am trying to change the search box in the image above to be light grey as opposed to plain white but can't seem to find the correct element to edit?  thanks!
Last Edit: July 03, 2014, 09:31:49 PM by SimonBRT

Steven

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One small bug in the latest version - there is now a border line with tabs in the caption bar on the active tab (see image).

thats intentional so there is no blocking line under the active tab. Your screenshot looks ok to me - do you think it looks wrong?