Author Topic: "Unlock views" for filters and playlists  (Read 16124 times)

redwing

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Originated from here: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=8435.0

Currently if a filter or a (auto)playlist is set to a specific view, the view gets locked, and there's no way to change the view because other view options are grayed out. I think the user should be able to change to other views when needed, given that clicking on the node again will always take it back to the original view. If not default, then please offer an option to unlock views for filters and playlists. This is different from "default" view in that it allows to use for filters and playlists custom views of different column sets and a preferred (but overridable) view.
Last Edit: November 19, 2014, 08:37:45 AM by redwing

Zak

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I always thought it was a bit strange/annoying that having assigned a view to a playlist or filter it isn't possible to change it later. The saved view should only be the initial view and the user can change it later if they need, to suit what they're doing.
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Steven

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While i appreciate the suggestion makes it easier to change the view, i dont understand the comments saying it isnt possible to change the locked view. Just re-edit the playlist or filter definition and change it there

redwing

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While i appreciate the suggestion makes it easier to change the view, i dont understand the comments saying it isnt possible to change the locked view. Just re-edit the playlist or filter definition and change it there

You don't mean that users have to re-define the view selection to another "locked" view every time they want to switch to another view, do you? The request here is not to gray out other view options ("unlock views") and allow to switch to another view when the user wants to. I don't understand why it has to be "locked" to the selected view.

Steven

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yes because a "locked view" is the intention of that playlist/ filter view setting and the grayed out menu makes it clear the value is locked.
As i said i dont understand why people are saying it isnt possible to change the value and really, it isnt very hard to change the view depite how this is being presented by some posts on this topic.

redwing

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What I'm saying is that it doesn't have to be "locked" to achieve the purpose of the view setting. Just make the view a "default", "initial" view of the filter/playlist so that clicking on the node will always return it to the view. What would the downsides be you think if the view selection is unlocked?

Again, changing to another "locked" view is pointless. Yes, it's hard to re-save the view setting every time, compared with switching to another view using a hotkey or toolbar button.

psychoadept

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+1

As long as I've been using MusicBee, custom/locked views still throw me for a loop.

For instance, say I have my Classical filter set to a custom Track Details view, but I decide I temporarily want to view my Classical filter in Artwork view.  I have a couple of choices: I can edit the filter to "Default" and apply Artwork, then reconfigure the default artwork view to look the way I want for Classical.  That will affect any other views using Defaut, which I probably don't want.  Or I can edit the filter to "Artwork", so then when I configure it, it only affects that filter (I think?).  In the first case, I can easily switch back to my custom view using the layout menu - but then, again, that switches ALL Default views.  In the second case, I have to edit the filter again to switch back.

So in order not to mess up any other views, I have to edit the filter at least twice.  That means right click > open filter > change > save, right click > open > change  > save, rather than click > select, click > select in the layout menu.  (And as much as I've messed with custom views, I'm also still not even sure I have this right.)

Maybe rather than having it in the layout menu, views could be a right click menu item for filters and playlists, so you could change them individually without having to open the whole configuration screen.  (I would much rather have each filter/playlist just remember its own settings and custom views be more like static templates you can apply, but that seems to be just me.)

Edit: Or maybe better than cluttering up the right click menus more, offer a GLOBAL setting for each playlist/filter to remember its last view, rather than having to set them all to "default" if you want to switch views quickly, and then having them all change together.  I'm not sure, I tend to get confused when I try to think this through.  I can write convoluted library templates, but I can't seem to get my head around how the views work - which is why I think simpler is better.  One thing for sure is I would like to see it work consistently between all filters, nodes, static playlists, and auto-playlists, including the main library filter.
Last Edit: November 19, 2014, 10:30:58 PM by psychoadept
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Bee-liever

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Maybe a compromise would be the ability to set a 'default' view that was used when "Default" was selected.   That set 'default' view would be used as the starting view for any "Default" setting views and no view changes would be automatically saved.  Then, when you wanted to view a playlist/filter in a different view, it wouldn't change the "Default" view for other unlocked playlist/filters. They would revert to the set 'default' view when re-opened.
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Steven

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i've changed it so you can now change the view from the panel layout button.
It effective changes the "locked" view in the playlist or filter

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_5/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

redwing

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Thanks for the change! Now it's great to be able to change a view easily.

But one thing I don't get is how non-default column sets are handled. Say, you set the view setting to "Album & Tracks". You temporarily switch it to Track Details. But the column set for Track Details view is different from the one for default view. With custom views, you also get all different column sets from non-initial views. So how are these non-default column sets handled?

Also, the initially saved view setting for a node is constantly changing whenever it's switched to another view. I guess that's because you made it to change the "locked" view rather than allowing temporary view change while retaining the original view setting.

Now I'm not sure this change has made it any better than the previous at all.
Last Edit: November 20, 2014, 11:20:13 PM by redwing

psychoadept

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i've changed it so you can now change the view from the panel layout button.
It effective changes the "locked" view in the playlist or filter

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_5/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip


*thumbs up*

Testing now. 


Update: This is WAY better, thank you.  Sorry, redwing, but I'm not sure where the issue is when you can switch views in a couple of clicks now.  I now have a classical details view and a classical artwork view and can switch between them at will.  Or go fool around with another view without fear of causing unwanted changes elsewhere.  :)  I think the key with the way this works is to use a lot of custom views (which I already have for almost everything).
Last Edit: November 21, 2014, 04:50:56 AM by psychoadept
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Bee-liever

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Sorry, redwing, but I'm not sure where the issue is when you can switch views in a couple of clicks now.

I think redwing might be referring to the problem that if you change the view within any playlist set as "Default" view, all Default views still get changed.
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psychoadept

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Sorry, redwing, but I'm not sure where the issue is when you can switch views in a couple of clicks now.

I think redwing might be referring to the problem that if you change the view within any playlist set as "Default" view, all Default views still get changed.

So it's the ones that aren't locked to a particular view?  Yeah, I can see where that would be a problem still, especially if something then does effectively get locked that wasn't before.
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