GUI changes for v3.0

[Steven]

An early beta version is now available:
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V3_0/MusicBee3_Patched.zip

unzip into the musicbee application folder and run MusicBee.exe


for those of you who want to continue using theinbuilt web-browser for wikipedia, you-tube etc, that functionality is now in a plugin
http://www.mediafire.com/download/7e1wmhm81xlk6l0/mb_WebBrowser.zip




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continuing on from the Win10 Style discussion http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=14941.0
i have set up a separate topic to go more into the detail of the changes that will be implemented. Please continue the discussion on the other topic if you want to add to that which is more high level

I want to reassure people that even though the proposal is that for new users the GUI starts out more simple and clean than now, you wont lose customisation - infact i plan to increase the flexibility and hopefuly make the layout task easier as well.

To start with this is a very quick mockup of how the panel layout will be configured. Elements can be re-arranged in order top-to-bottom

[image out of date]

The "filter" choices include various Thumbnail browser categories (Artist, Album, Genre etc), the Library Explorer or the Column browser.
"track information" is the Details/ Artwork/ Lyrics tabs you get in the Now Playing panel. It will have its own layout when docked in the main panel, probably much like the "Playing Track" panel when docked in the bottom of the main panel today.
By default for new users, the left navigator will not be enabled and navigation will be done via the tabs which i will discuss in a later post or read the other discussion topic where its covered.



Notice you can change the panel configuration directly on the screen eg. click "Artists v" to change to "Library Explorer v" for example. Click "Details v" to change to "Lyrics v", etc
If the left and/or right sidebar is enabled, they can be collapsed/ auto-opened as today, which is set on a per tab basis. The behavior with main panel views will also stay the same, apart from the ability to also set the column browser and maybe left filter sub-panels with the view.

However the Now Playing panel, when displayed in the main panel will change. See the 3rd screenshot in the original discussion. In broad terms it will be based on the Playing Track in a tab panel (the Playing Track panel will no longer be available as a separate view as now). It will have its own configuration which i will do a mock up of next.

[late]

Thank you for clearing the air on how the 3.0 GUI changes will hopefully be done.

Right now I'm really liking the customization screen and it looks like it'll be even more broader than in 2.5 or earlier.

This might be too early to ask whether current themes will work with 3.0 or not, but will they?

[hiccup]

I am responding on assumptions, and making some quite general remarks, so take this as just that.

In case you are thinking about developing MusicBee in the direction that it would be also great to use on upcoming Windows 10 tablets or other touchscreens, I believe the changes will probably have to be a more drastic for the near future.
As much as I have no problems whatsoever with "Windows 98" like option screens and check-boxes (almost on the contrary), I also suspect and believe that any effort in that direction would not be much in line of developments in which direction Windows 10 OS, applications and 'apps' seem to be heading.

Microsoft will not only bring out Windows 10, but also will be promoting and releasing new 'app' versions of software.
Take for example Office.
When I look at what they are doing there, I feel it is a very promising way to go in getting it as right as possible for both pc and tablet.
To get an idea what it's going to look like: http://bit.ly/Windows_apps

To get a little more specific, for example "The Ribbon" (which so many people hated at first when it was introduced on Office 2010), looks very promising in offering solutions to scale very well on different screen sizes and user interfaces.

To summarize,
I have no doubts at all you will come up with great improvements anyway, but would hate it if you put much work in a direction which might be short-lived. So maybe it would be wiser to investigate to maybe completely revamp things like preferences panels etc. to make a bigger leap into the future?

[Bee-liever]

To start with this is a very quick mockup of how the panel layout will be configured.

Looks easier to configure and gives more options.

I'm assuming some options will be mutually exclusive, eg. if you select the wavebar in the LH panel, it will automatically disable selection of that option in the other panels.

Also, will the column browser get a configure button to be able to choose between horizontal and vertical layout, or will that be set in Preferences?

There is also a thread in the wishlist about the column browser having independently adjustable columns, the same as the fields in the main panel.  With this major re-design, would that be possibly implemented as well?

[Steven]

I'm assuming some options will be mutually exclusive, eg. if you select the wavebar in the LH panel, it will automatically disable selection of that option in the other panels.

thats right - ticking an option will deselect the other already ticked element if there is a conflict.
Also notice that because the Left Sidebar is enabled, some of the options in the Filter panel are not enabled

Also, will the column browser get a configure button to be able to choose between horizontal and vertical layout, or will that be set in Preferences?

in the left filter panel there will be: Column Browser (Vertical) and Column Browser (Side-by-Side)

There is also a thread in the wishlist about the column browser having independently adjustable columns, the same as the fields in the main panel.  With this major re-design, would that be possibly implemented as well?

not promising - if done, i guess it would acheived by dragging one of the edges in the main panel

[Steven]

To get a little more specific, for example "The Ribbon" (which so many people hated at first when it was introduced on Office 2010), looks very promising in offering solutions to scale very well on different screen sizes and user interfaces.

after all these years, i still shudder using the ribbon interface in office tools

[butty]

after all these years, i still shudder using the ribbon interface in office tools

Me too!
Please stay away from the ribbon interface.

[phred]

after all these years, i still shudder using the ribbon interface in office tools

Indeed!!  No ribbon please.

[hiccup]

To get a little more specific, for example "The Ribbon" (which so many people hated at first when it was introduced on Office 2010), looks very promising in offering solutions to scale very well on different screen sizes and user interfaces.

after all these years, i still shudder using the ribbon interface in office tools

I've had this sentiment for years too, and to give an indication on my 'dinosaur state', on my 'work' laptop I have Windows 8.1 running with a hacked Windows XP classic theme with all eye-candy turned off. So I am certainly not trendy or easily adapting to anything that's new.

And yet, all sentiments and possible preconception aside, what is factual so bad about a well implemented ribbon approach?
And more important for the relevance of this topic: are you contemplating to develop MusicBee in the direction so it might become usable on a tablet like machine or not? I believe that this is important to know to decide on what contributions would be sensible to make here.

[redwing]

Those options look a little confusing because of "left filter panel". It seems it would be possible to display wave bar and spectrum visualizer on the left filter panel when left sidebar is hidden, but I'm not sure how they can stay there along with thumbnail browser.
Also, can you post a mockup with library explorer, thumbnail browser and column browser all enabled for us to better understand upcoming changes?
Maybe the option layout could be simplified if they were arranged by functionality instead of by location, because if, for instance, thumbnail browser is enabled, its position is already determined (hence no need to select its position).

BTW I'd like to see two added layout features from 3.0 though I don't know it's planned or even possible.
- drag & drop of each panel/element to change its location
- multiple side by side thumbnail browser panels

[OrB]

- drag & drop of each panel/element to change its location

+1

[romney_yw]

after all these years, i still shudder using the ribbon interface in office tools

I'll vote for NO ribbon as well. It could have been good, but just wasn't. I'm still using Office 2000  (And don't get me started on Windows 8 .....)

[vpsaxman]

I love the ribbon approach. I'm not saying it would work in MB but I've never understood the level of dislike towards the concept.

[psychoadept]

I would like the ribbon a lot better on the side than on the top.  That's why I'm attached to the left sidebar in MB.  When vertical screen real estate is at a premium, anything you can put at the side helps.

[Zak]

I love the ribbon approach. I'm not saying it would work in MB but I've never understood the level of dislike towards the concept.

Same. I was a power user in Microsoft Office pre-ribbon and while I was a sceptical convert I can get things done as fast or faster with the ribbon.

A ribbon makes sense in Word because:
* your cursor is either in a table or it's not
* you're either editing a picture or you're not
* you're either editing the header or footer or you're not
...

and only having relevant commands shown when they're useful is a good thing, especially for something with as many features as Word. But the ribbons in other programs feel like they've been added for the sake of it (e.g. Windows Explorer, Notepad).

I can't imagine how one would work in MusicBee - it doesn't have discrete "modes" of operation like Word.