Author Topic: Tabs for Multi-Disc Albums  (Read 4764 times)

Mafios

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I think something like this would benefit those who have multiple discs per album, which would reduce a lot of scrolling, easier to shift through many tracks at once, and would keep almost if not everything within a visible page before scrolling to another album that would have the same changes.

Capt_Blakhelm

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So I just learned today  that grouping tag is sometimes used on albums when multiple songs are part of the same "Act" or group of related songs, such as hidden or bonus tracks. Basically like "Chapters" for an album.

Maybe this post answers what you're looking for? https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=11990.0

Mafios

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So I just learned today  that grouping tag is sometimes used on albums when multiple songs are part of the same "Act" or group of related songs, such as hidden or bonus tracks. Basically like "Chapters" for an album.

Maybe this post answers what you're looking for? https://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=11990.0
No. What that does is formulate tags to change the names of the given discs within an album.

What I'm suggesting is to have tabs for albums with more than one disc set, that way instead of constantly having to scroll through 20 discs of tracks, I can just easily click on the disc numbers to have those selection of tracks appear. Think of browser tabs for a bit of a better idea.


Zak

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How do you see this being implemented?

Just selecting a multi-disc album shouldn't open a heap of separate tabs for each disc, so it has be user-initiated in some way.
Do you always want all discs shown - which would be overwhelming if you have 20 discs - or do you want to open specific discs at different times?
One way might be an additional item on the Send To context-menu for selected tracks: New Tab. This, combined with the disc headings mentioned in Capt_Blakhelm's reply might work.

keep almost if not everything within a visible page before scrolling to another album that would have the same changes.
What does that mean? If you have a disc per tab, what other album is going to be shown there?

As is, your request is still a bit vague and seems like a lot of work.
I can't find it right now but there is a way to have tracks appear under collapsible headings, which might also offer a solution to "albums" with hundreds of tracks.
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phred

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I agree with Zak. I'd like to see how you propose this would work.

I'm contemplating getting a box set that has 73 disks and I sure as hell don't want 73 tabs opening up, even if there was a "close all tabs" option.
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Mafios

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How do you see this being implemented?
Something like this. It's edited, but it more or less conveys the idea.



These are the tabs I was referring to, where each disc hosts its own separate tab, reducing if not removing the vertical scrolling that's needed, because only these tracks are the ones shown. It's kept all in one page, so instead of shifting through all the tracks in a boxset, you shift through those tabs instead, perhaps building mental cues through those clicks which would make it both easier and faster to get to your desired disc or track.

There could even be an offset of some sort when you have a certain number of discs in a given album, where you could show 2 or more discs per tab as an option, so it doesn't have to be just one disc that is visible if you want.

phred

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Nope. I don't see any benefit to this.
-1
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phred

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Can I ask why?
Because MB works well for me as is. I use Disk # to separate my disks and even with a 15 disk set I can do want I need easily enough simply by scrolling. I don't need 15 tabs open to work on my metadata. I can select the tracks on all 15 disks and enter all the common metadata. How would you accomplish that if each disk is in a separate tab?

And if I get the 73 disk box set I mentioned earlier, It would take 73 times as long to enter the common metadata.
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The Incredible Boom Boom

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+1

It would be a pain to implement, so it's not likely to be done, but it would be very useful for me.

Zak

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How do you see this being implemented?
Something like this. It's edited, but it more or less conveys the idea.
I, and I'm sure others, thought you meant the tabs that MusicBee already displays across the top of the program window, which would have been pretty bad.
What you've shown in the mock up looks much more practical, but would still need to be optional as it really only works for compilations where each disc is truly different. It might even need to be opt-in on an album basis rather than applied to all.

For example, if someone - i.e. me - had tagged Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" as two discs with their respective names "Dawn to Dusk" and "Twilight to Starlight", they probably wouldn't want them displayed this way because then it becomes harder to see and play the album as a whole (though see below). On the other hand, I also have box sets like "The Best Singles of All Time" where each disc represents a different decade, in which case it makes more sense. There are very few like that though, and the number of discs in most compilations isn't usually in double digits.

I can select the tracks on all 15 disks and enter all the common metadata. How would you accomplish that if each disk is in a separate tab?
Was thinking the same thing, even just for playing all discs in a multi-disc set. I guess one approach would be for the first tab to be called "Album" or "All" or similar, and it shows every track the way MusicBee does now.

I can't find it right now but there is a way to have tracks appear under collapsible headings, which might also offer a solution to "albums" with hundreds of tracks.
By the way, what I was thinking of here only collapses the tracks in each album title in the Tracks view.


With the last album expanded:


-edit-
Actually, taking the screenshots of the collapsible album tracks above has suggested an alternative approach.

Using "Melon Collie" again as an example, an option for the Group By headings (Disc Names in this case) to be shown as collapsible triangle things like in the previous screenshots would provide a way to avoid showing hundreds of tracks at once for really large compilation sets:



Maybe not as aesthetically pleasing, but it would be easier to implement, and might be of benefit to all albums not just multi-disc sets.
Last Edit: July 25, 2022, 03:10:29 AM by Zak
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The Incredible Boom Boom

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For example, if someone - i.e. me - had tagged Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" as two discs with their respective names "Dawn to Dusk" and "Twilight to Starlight", they probably wouldn't want them displayed this way because then it becomes harder to see and play the album as a whole (though see below). On the other hand, I also have box sets like "The Best Singles of All Time" where each disc represents a different decade, in which case it makes more sense. There are very few like that though, and the number of discs in most compilations isn't usually in double digits.

An album opt-in would be the most ideal solution. I, for one, have a fairly large number of box sets and tabs as envisioned by the original poster would be extremely helpful in overall layout appearance, consolidation and saving my finger from scrolling.

I can select the tracks on all 15 disks and enter all the common metadata. How would you accomplish that if each disk is in a separate tab?
Was thinking the same thing, even just for playing all discs in a multi-disc set. I guess one approach would be for the first tab to be called "Album" or "All" or similar, and it shows every track the way MusicBee does now.[/quote]

Clicking on the album cover plays the entire album.