GUI changes for v3.0

[Steven]

As promised, a demo version intended just for showing the new "Now Playing" panel and the new "Compact Player"
This version will read your existing settings, except for the layout settings and save them to "MusicBee3DemoSettings.ini", so you can change things without affecting your existing install. It also means you can change the layout and the settings remembered on restart. However any files you edit, files you add/ delete etc will affect your existing musicbee library. You will need to "+" add the "Now Playing" panel if your existing configuration doesnt have it.

There are still plenty of things i plan to do regarding the v3 GUI, and infact this version might superfically appear the same as the last demo but pretty much all the existing v2.5 should be available. Temporarily for the demo version, only the Theatre Mode plugin is enabled.

Unzip and copy the files to where your existing MusicBee is installed.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/4a521dy299lbhn6/MusicBeeDemo.zip

and then run MusicBee3.exe from the musicbee application folder

[Steven]

i forgot to mention i have barely tested with other skins and i know there is some issues with the Dark Metro ones on the scrollbars.
Which skin did you try? I might need you to send me your settings file

[Alexis]

Thank you Steven,

I tried this SkbeeFlat :  http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=7368.0

(Yeah, I am behind in the skin maintenance department)

[Steven]

i have updated the same link to address the isssue

[Alexis]

Thank you Steven!  Works!   Will  dig around.

[J24]

Looking good! The playing tracks overlay is very slick! In the final release, will we still be able to customize the columns in the Playing Tracks sidebar? or choose the skin's default color as the background instead of the artist/album image?

The problems I encountered were that the panels in Now Playing could not be resized individually. So if I made the Playing Tracks narrow, the biography panel became very narrow too. Or if I made it very wide, then part of the biography went off screen and the album cover at the bottom left could not be seen at all. Sorry I made any observations that have already been addressed, I haven't been keeping up with all the v3.0 discussions.

EDIT: I forgot to mention it would be awesome if we could overlay the Playing Tracks with the Album Cover too

[Steven]

In the final release, will we still be able to customize the columns in the Playing Tracks sidebar? or choose the skin's default color as the background instead of the artist/album image?

you will be able to change the columns in the playing tracks sidebar. For the default colours, i am not completely sure what you mean. The right panels when not overlayed will use the skin colours. If there is a gap on the right edge of a picture, it uses the dominant color from the picture - is that what you mean?

[Bee-liever]

Looks good.  
Like the overlay controls as shown in your screenshot.
Glad that you kept the visualiser on the image.

Hope this can be achieved as the maroon colour doesn't work with all skins:

[Steven]

Hope this can be achieved as the maroon colour doesn't work with all skins:

yes i will add a new skin element but i am leaving that sort of thing until the new GUI is mostly done

[Bee-liever]

Hope this can be achieved as the maroon colour doesn't work with all skins:

yes i will add a new skin element but i am leaving that sort of thing until the new GUI is mostly done

I thought that maybe a highlight colour could be generated by MB based on the skin, without having to add another skin element.

But a skin element is probably the way to go, even if only to forestall a wishlist item, about adding an override, being posted in the future.  

[J24]

For the default colours, i am not completely sure what you mean. The right panels when not overlayed will use the skin colours. If there is a gap on the right edge of a picture, it uses the dominant color from the picture - is that what you mean?

When I'm not overlaying the right panel, it uses the skin colors but the left panels (Lyrics and Bio) use the Artist Picture as background. What I wanted to know was if we will be able to use the skin's main color (e.g. black) as the background of the Lyrics and Bio panels. But it would be even better I think if we could set a semi-transparent overlay for the Lyrics/Bio panels that would darken the background, like we can do with the Playing Tracks panel.

[Ansem]

Reading this post it seems that MB 3.0 is going to be real soon
There is still not ETA for the public beta?

[phred]

There is no ETA for anything regarding v3.

[Zertop]

I've just started using MusicBee, and it's brilliant! V3's default skin is fantastic too.

[Steven]

http://www.mediafire.com/download/68ia4i13dy6oa0o/MusicBeeDemo.zip

unzip into the folder where MB is installed and run MusicBee3.exe - you wont lose any v2.5 settings and can continue to use v2.5 afterwards

- all layout options should now be configurable
- support for placing elements in the "right main panel"
- the various views (Track Details, Album and Tracks, Artwork and the custom views), now allow overring the default musicbee layout to hide: column browser; left sidebar; left main panel; right main panel and right sidebar eg. you could create a custom view and hide the column browser when that view is used
- the panel layout handling has been enhanced
- a new notifications icon that displays next to the "Panel Layout" button - it displays when new podcasts are downloaded or files added to the Inbox (intended mainly for when the left sidebar is collapsed and you cant see the podcast or inbox counters)
- for now the plugins, except theater mode are temporarily disabled until more testing is done

to be done next:
- playlist directory for when the left sidebar is hidden
- support for local library browsing in the layout suggested in endeavour1934's second screenshot http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=14941.0
When done, i will move some of the functions (various web links) from the Now Playing panel
- better windows10 handling and consistency eg. unskinned windows borders have an 8px border gap