Author Topic: GUI changes for v3.0  (Read 1233792 times)

Roadrunner

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This is shaping up really nicely Steven - I think the latest mockup of the configuration panel (with endeavour1934's icons) is a huge step forward and looks pretty professional.
Definitely a great way to combine the huge individual layout configuration possibilities with a much easier way to move around and (re-)find those settings!

Maybe appended by the chance to store and re-select chosen combinations under individual names?

Steven

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thanks roadrunner
i'm still thinking through the handling for custom views but broadly and probably a view would have the following:
- for each element, you can specify: Default/ Show/ Hide - all elements would initially be "Default" but say for a Playlist view you might specify "column browser" to Hide.
- that only allows overriding whether the element is shown or not. You wouldnt be able to override positioning in the panel arrangement (see previous posts for the screenshot)
- i guess there could be a way to save/ load the base panel arrangement which is what i think you are asking for
- additionally each element that has configuration options, you can override the configuration eg. the columns shown for the "Tracks" layout
- There will be 4 base layouts - being: Tracks/ Album and Tracks/ Albums/ Artists where Albums is the existing Artwork Layout grouped by Album and Artists is the existing Artwork Layout grouped by one of the artist types (Album Artist, Composer, Sort Artist etc)
- I want to split Albums and Artists from the existing layout as i think they justify there own configuration options and it will also work better with the new dropdown in the top left of the main panel. The Artists layout is not to be confused with some discussion from endeavour1934's proposal

redwing

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Maybe I am really stupid, but I don't even understand the given column browser example of the mockup. Can somebody kindly explain to me what would happen if I drag it (1) to left sidebar and (2) to left main panel, as the two panels are currently bolded? And maybe currently column browser is located horizontally on the top section of main panel, or not?

Steven

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Can somebody kindly explain to me what would happen if I drag it (1) to left sidebar and (2) to left main panel, as the two panels are currently bolded? And maybe currently column browser is located horizontally on the top section of main panel, or not?
the element can be dropped in any of the 3 bolded sections. When ticked it will be displayed or when overriden by a View as described above it may be displayed. The configuration options for this element will include an "Orientation" setting: Horizontal/ Vertical (Stacked)/ Vertical (Side-by-Side)
Some of those choices will be disabled depending on which section the column browser is located

Roadrunner

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- i guess there could be a way to save/ load the base panel arrangement which is what i think you are asking for
Yes, that was the idea, I think they should include the settings in the additional configuration options as well.

- for each element, you can specify: Default/ Show/ Hide - all elements would initially be "Default" but say for a Playlist view you might specify "column browser" to Hide.
- that only allows overriding whether the element is shown or not. You wouldnt be able to override positioning in the panel arrangement (see previous posts for the screenshot)
- There will be 4 base layouts - being: Tracks/ Album and Tracks/ Albums/ Artists where Albums is the existing Artwork Layout grouped by Album and Artists is the existing Artwork Layout grouped by one of the artist types (Album Artist, Composer, Sort Artist etc)
That means exactly one panel arrangement, and 4 similar panels for each base layout in which I only had to choose with just default/show/hide options?
Not sure, if people would need/like to have two or more view layouts for some of the 4 base layouts and/or different underlaying arrangements... If that's true, proably the first choice of a view layout could be which arrangement to use and the second which kind of view it is (Tracks/Album asf.).

Zak

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Some elements are permanently ticked with a dimmer tick.
If it's permanently ticked it doesn't need a tick box. A tickbox that can't be unticked will only confuse people.


The elements that cant be moved are a dimmer colour.
Gray text means a control is disabled. I'm not sure it's a good idea to use that as a visual indicator of something else.
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redwing

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Can somebody kindly explain to me what would happen if I drag it (1) to left sidebar and (2) to left main panel, as the two panels are currently bolded? And maybe currently column browser is located horizontally on the top section of main panel, or not?
the element can be dropped in any of the 3 bolded sections. When ticked it will be displayed or when overriden by a View as described above it may be displayed. The configuration options for this element will include an "Orientation" setting: Horizontal/ Vertical (Stacked)/ Vertical (Side-by-Side)
Some of those choices will be disabled depending on which section the column browser is located

Then it would offer the user 3X3 layout options just for column browser! Even if some of them will be disabled according to the section, it still doesn't make much sense to me unless you're planning to break the current filtering hierarchy (library explorer - column browser - thumbnail browser) by allowing placing them the other way around. If that's not planned, then I'm still not sure how many of those options will be real choices. Anyway I will wait and see.

redwing

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This is how I would design the layout editor.



Note the following points.

- No drag & drop. The user will not be overwhelmed by the infinite number of possible combinations.
- No mention of left/right sidebar/main panel. And elements are listed not by their location but by their functionality. Just select elements and their location (right/left/vertical, etc.) and MB will take care of the rest. Some elements will be shown on the left sidebar, and others on the left main panel, but the user doesn't need to care about that. The user will just take it as how things are designed with MB.
- Currently selected element (thumbnail browser on the mockup) will be highlighted on the right diagram. The shape of diagram will keep changing according to the selected elements and their selected locations so that the user could preview how it will look and quickly learn the name of each element.

Steven

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This is how I would design the layout editor.
i dont agree this is better. For example, i dont see how you would control the order of elements inside a specific panel.
One of the things i like about the proposal modified with endeavour1934's layout icons is its very easy to visual how the whole panel will look.
I accept we are all wired differently and perhaps some people might not agree with that. I even accept there will be some people who wont feel comfortable dragging elements to other panels - but its not a required thing to do and for them they can still just tick/ untick elements within the default assigned panel, and i think people will have an idea of what they want to do, so its just a question of whether musicbee will support what they want rather than being an overwhelming task.
I am happy for people to make further suggestions while this is still in the discussion phase but i am quite comfortable on what to do with this now so there is a high bar to pass in my mind.
Last Edit: February 12, 2015, 06:23:05 PM by Steven

redwing

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OK, I'll stop here as I don't think I could make myself any clearer at this point. Hopefully all my concerns will prove to be unfounded and mere differences in how to see things as you described.

Steven

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please dont interpret this as to no longer comment on this - even when i dont agree with something someone says, i can still later adjust my position or when implementing detail be influenced when facing things i hadnt considered

redwing

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Of course I will keep commenting on this. Just saying I won't keep repeating myself about those points, which will turn discussion into argument.

Zak

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I won't bother to selectively quote from three or more earlier posts, but I agree that now would be a good time to agree on "official" terminology for each of the screen elements and areas.

Even now, every time I type "navigation panel" or "main panel" I worry people won't know what I'm talking about because they're only de facto names that were never properly endorsed.

Names should to be unambiguous with regard to position and use - i.e. "Top" and "Bottom" are clearer than things like "Filter" or "Main" to the uninitiated, and not everyone will have elements in the same place.
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psychoadept

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I won't bother to selectively quote from three or more earlier posts, but I agree that now would be a good time to agree on "official" terminology for each of the screen elements and areas.

Even now, every time I type "navigation panel" or "main panel" I worry people won't know what I'm talking about because they're only de facto names that were never properly endorsed.

Names should to be unambiguous with regard to position and use - i.e. "Top" and "Bottom" are clearer than things like "Filter" or "Main" to the uninitiated, and not everyone will have elements in the same place.

Yes, please!  We currently even have multiple menu buttons with the same name (configure layout).  Surely we can distinguish these things easily enough.
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Bee-liever

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I won't bother to selectively quote from three or more earlier posts, but I agree that now would be a good time to agree on "official" terminology for each of the screen elements and areas...

Yes, please!  ...

Yes! Definitely a good idea.
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