MusicBee panels Configuration

[Stamimail]

1. I think it should choose Other approch. It's not clear enough. Maybe a big image on top explainig the structure of MusicBee. With Drag and Drop on this image. I think the Elements list on the right side should be fixeble and full. You can't use CheckBoexes and Drag and Drop. Maybe Microsft Word Customize can be the new approch. I would prefer customizing on the Player itself. Each Panel will have its handle. Like 3 dots of Toolbar. Where you can Drag it and make it floating Window (WIth X close button to remove). Then, You can Drag it and accoring to the Cursor/Drag location, you can see hilighting areas where you can place it. Windows Sanp...

Anyway,
2. Currently, when you drag an element there is a Red line/s. Red in genaral says "Not allowed", You should replace it by Green.
3. There is no ToolTips or Titles in the Player naming the Panels. "Playing Track" RCMenu looks better.
4. Consider to make Panels in Menu. where we can choose new Panels. (The list of the all Panels with Vs for Actives Panel). "MusicBee panels Configuration..." at bottom. You can make it as new Menu, or to put "Panels > " under View.
5. When "Now Playing" Tab. "MusicBee panels Configuration..." shouldn't open the customization of the Panel. It should open "MusicBee panels Configuration".Customization of the Panel should be in RCmenu of Panel/Tab.
6. Consider "New Tab" making a blank Panels, wich you can organize from start how will look the Panels of the Player.

[Stamimail]

I think I found a solution to improve the current situaution.

1. Give numbers to all Items/Panels in "MusicBee panels Configuration". Replace the Checkboxes with Numbers.
2. When Clicking on "MusicBee panels Configuration" button, It will make a temp copy of the current settings. This copy will be used for now for "MusicBee panels Configuration", to let it make LIVE Preview of what is been changed in Player, while Drag and Drop. If eventually user clicks "Cancel" (or the software crashes for some reason), settings return to the original settings.
3. Normally, the Numbers will not appear in the Player. Only after you press the "MusicBee panels Configuration" button, it will display the Numbers, both in the Player and in the "MusicBee panels Configuration" window.
4. After each "Drag and Drop" of item in "MusicBee panels Configuration" window, the user will be able to see what is happennig LIVE in background, in the Player. [Like pressing "apply" after each Drag and Drop].
5. "Save" will replace the old settings with the temp settings copy.

[hiccup]

I am not sure I understand to what problem this would be a solution to.

Numbers are completely non-descriptive. I don't believe it is that difficult to learn what things as 'Album cover', Lyrics', 'Column Browser' etc. etc. are.
Also learning the concept and locations of 'Left Sidebar', Left Main Panel', 'Bottom panel', 'Floating Panel' etc. can't be that difficult?

Two things you mention that I do agree on are:
- keeping all optional elements always displayed on the right, so it will give a good overview of all the available elements, which will also make it easier to learn and understand.
- dragging and dropping the panels themselves. This might be nice, but far from an essential feature. You couldn't drag panels that are not displayed at that moment anyway, and what would you do with stacked panels, tabs etc.

And, both these two requests/suggestions belong in the wishlist.
And in fact, they have already been posted there before.
So instead of posting this here, it would be better to just +1 these already existing wishes/requests in the applicable wishlist posting.


edit,
To prevent you wasting your time on searching the wishlist for these, I might be wrong, and these wishes/requests might also be buried somewhere in the "GUI changes for v3.0" topic.

[peewee678]

IMO the numbers are not needed because Steven already provided the icons at the left side of the Panel Configuration dialog with an overview of all the different panels and bars.

Ofcourse it would be nice to see the changes right away but I think it's best to post that in the wish list. (although I don't think Steven will implement this because the GUI changes are more or less finished; please correct me if I'm wrong).

[Stamimail]

While dragging - "Not allowed" area/text will be grayed-out.

[hiccup]

While dragging - "Not allowed" area/text will be grayed-out.

I am honestly not trying to make it difficult for you here, but is this just an observation, a bug, a suggestion for improvement?

[Stamimail]

Suggestion for improvement.

[phred]

Suggestion for improvement.

Personally I see no need tor this "improvement."  I think what Steven has done for the panel config section is just wonderful and quite intuitive.  Click on an element and the panels where it can be placed are indicated in red.  Click it; place it; apply it.  If you don't like it, remove it.  What's not to understand?

[theta_wave]

I'm a relatively new user of MB (~2months) after coming over from Mediamonkey.  I started with 2.5.x for about two weeks and then switched over to 3.0.beta.  After a relatively brief period spent wrapping my head around the new panel configuration window, I came to the conclusion that it is excellent for revealing the myriad of configuration options available to the user without it being too unwieldy.  However, as with anything it isn't perfect and I, like many others here, appreciate suggestions to streamline the process without taking away the number of configuration options available.  With respect to OP's proposed numbering scheme, I believe that it will just add unnecessary clutter to an already information-dense area with the potential of making the process all that more confusing to a new user.  Just my 2c.  Anyways, I believe this type of discussion is better suited for the GUI 3.0 metathread: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=15050.0

[psychoadept]

By the way, there's now a wiki page that shows all the possibilities for every panel: http://musicbee.wikia.com/wiki/The_Anatomy_of_MusicBee