Greb Theater Mode Final V4 [UPDATED 10 March 2012]

[Roadrunner]

Great, many thanks! Even in English I think it's clearer than before

I wasn't aware, that I overslept some days, I just wanted to write "Don't hurry, let you time", and now I see, it's already done!

By the way, you added a new item "Folkie [Track}", which probably has a small typo in it...

[Greb]

Yeap, you're right, there was a small typo.

Anyway, I still want to make a couple of adjustements. So probably one or two things can still change in the menu in the next few days.

[Roadrunner]

No problem, I'll go to sleep some more days and won't release anything in the meantime...

[Greb]

Unless there's some bug (sure there will be!), it's done.

[Greb]

Version 3.1 released.

[Roadrunner]

Hi Greb

Thank you very much for your great work and the new variations. They are pretty nice and show how different they could be designed! But in my opinion you've overdone it by packing too many different views and variations in one single theater mode. Because of the many menu items, they are pretty close to each other now (1920x1080). So, it's difficult to hit the desired view at all...

As a suggestion I'd create a separate "Grebs Font Theater" (or whichever name...) which could contain all entries mainly differ by the specific fonts (menus between "Folkie" up to "Formal [Central]"). An additional advantage would be, that the remaining final theater mode probably wouldn't compulsively need any additional fonts.

Some other smaller suggestions:

• Because "Bar and List of Songs" shows no list of songs, if "[+ Cover]", "[+ Bio]" or "[+ Lyrics]" was selected afterwards, these additions should be under a separate menu
• I'd remove the "[+ TW]" variations, because the difference seems to be not really huge (by the way, what does "TW" mean?)
• After that you could come back to the "one line - one menu point" which is (in my eyes) better readable
• "Simetric" should be spelled "symmetric"

Of course it's your work. So, I just hope you take (some of) these suggestions into account, but feel free to do whatever you think is best!

Thx again Roadrunner

[Greb]

Hi, thanks for the critics.

In my opinion you've overdone it by packing too many different views and variations in one single theater mode. Because of the many menu items, they are pretty close to each other now (1920x1080). So, it's difficult to hit the desired view at all... As a suggestion I'd create a separate "Grebs Font Theater" (or whichever name...) which could contain all entries mainly differ by the specific fonts (menus between "Folkie" up to "Formal [Central]"). An additional advantage would be, that the remaining final theater mode probably wouldn't compulsively need any additional fonts [...] After that you could come back to the "one line - one menu point" which is (in my eyes) better readable

Mmm... I disagree with that. From my point of view, the compressed menu looks better. But this is a matter of taste. Not a big problem to recover the old menu, to increase the font size and to add them as a couple of additional TheaterModes, one with the additional fonts and other without. Not a big deal. The zip file doens't have necessarily to  contain only one Theater Mode.

Anyway, Steven sent me a message saying that he is thinking in developping -in a couple of weeks- a 'Menu system' for the Theater Mode, so the different layouts could be selected in a (I suppose) contextual menu that appears, for example, when you click on the screen. I'm gonna wait in case he does that. That case, I'd convert the TheaterMode to the new menu system (that -I suppose- would look like the normal contextual menu according the selected skin). In case he doesn't find the time or is more complex than he thought, so finally MB is not updated that way, I'd create a new Theater Mode using your suggestions.

Because "Bar and List of Songs" shows no list of songs, if "[+ Cover]", "[+ Bio]" or "[+ Lyrics]" was selected afterwards, these additions should be under a separate menu

I don't understand that. 'Bar and List of Songs' shows a list of songs. But anyway, if the Menu update comes to light, they will be different options in a normal menu. If it doesn't, I will recover the old menu to make to alternative TheaterMode, where they were separate options.

I'd remove the "[+ TW]" variations, because the difference seems to be not really huge (by the way, what does "TW" mean?)

'TW' means Typewriter. If you install the extra fonts, you'll see the difference. The left option looks like a handwritten piece of paper, while the 'TW' one looks like the same piece of paper, but with the title/lyrics and so, written using a typewritter.

• "Simetric" should be spelled "symmetric"

Thanks, I'll fix it.

[Roadrunner]

Hi Greb

Thanks for taking the time to answer!

From my point of view, the compressed menu looks better.

Of course, that part is a matter of taste. The other thing is the no more existing vertical distance between two entries: I hit about every third time a menu above the desired one... (at least on my computer if I hit in the upper third of the text, the menu above will be choosen instead).

...  a 'Menu system' for the Theater Mode, so the different layouts could be selected in a (I suppose) contextual menu that appears, for example, when you click on the screen. I'm gonna wait in case he does that.

Ok, let's see what the future brings, I'm curious!

'Bar and List of Songs' shows a list of songs.

Yes, it does. What I meant, was, when you click afterwards on the associated "[+ Cover]" then you'll see no more list of songs. The same happens, when you click on "[+ Bio]" or "[+ Lyrics]".

'TW' means Typewriter. If you install the extra fonts, you'll see the difference.

Oh, sorry, that's fine of course. I have enough fonts on my system, so I don't install similar new ones which just slowers the system... Therefore I personally prefer those theater modes working fine with the Windows standard fonts (but certainly this is my very personal desicion).

[Greb]

Well, probably at the end it'll be possible to select the layout in a normal menu, so let's see how the new Theater Mode version is  

Oh, sorry, that's fine of course. I have enough fonts on my system, so I don't install similar new ones which just slowers the system... Therefore I personally prefer those theater modes working fine with the Windows standard fonts (but certainly this is my very personal desicion).

Yeap. I know what you say, I make a 'font cleanup' once in a while. For the next release I'll group the fonts. At the end every group of layouts use only two or three fonts each one. The 'post-it / notebook' ones, for example, use only two handwritten fonts and one typewriter one. Surely I'll group the screenshots with something like 'to get those layouts install this fonts and this one'. Kind of.

[beeing good]

Is there a way to hide the menu? I read that it's not possible for an auto hide but does that mean that the menu has to be there all the time?

[Steven]

i have made an unreleased change that should allow greb to do that when he is able to implement it

[beeing good]

Sounds good, look forward to it.

[Steven]

i'm not sure if greb is on holiday so if you want to apply the change yourself:
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

and these are his .xml files which have the amended menu settings - but this is without his input so he might change it:
http://www.mediafire.com/?2in4iy1no849y51

[beeing good]

That's excellent, works perfectly!

[Greb]

Steven, your version works perfect, no need to change it.

 I want to include a couple of new layouts I have done and, specially, a bigger and clearer menu, as Roadrunner suggested  (since the menu is hidden now, it won't bother as before). But I won't do before leaving (I'm leaving in a couple of days), and probably I won't do it at least for the forcoming two/three weeks

Could I include the link to your version in the main post of this thread until then?