Author Topic: Simplicity and consistency  (Read 16993 times)

lnminente

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1049
Redwing asked me some months ago for starting a post for speaking about proposals for making MB simpler and more consistent between its different areas and in relation with standard usual software in windows, so here it is. Feel free to add any +1,0,-1 saying why, for any new proposal adding a number for easy commenting. Here are some:

1) Hotkey for editing Now playing track. That would be useful when want to fix mispelled or add new tags from the theatre mode. Or change the behavior of the hotkey for selected tags for editing now playing track when no song is selected or MB is in TM at full window/screen

I'm in theater mode and i see a tag which needs to be fixed, would be nice a hotkey instead of coming back to main windows and search for the playing song, select it, right click menu, edit



2) Miniplayer, hability of removing stop button and volume slider. As shown in this mockup, also added some extra mockups for simplicity for seeking:



3) Alternative mini player option. A new option for showing the actual player in the main view in place of miniplayer. So if we are using a customized xmlc file, the miniplayer would be customized too.

Then i could have my usual player controls with its tricks/shortcuts and the behavior i'm used to as the miniplayer:



4) Hability of choosing the skin from the shift+click execution of MB
& 5) Also would be nice an easy way for testing MB with the default settings from the Shift+click execution. Or maybe a selection of the last saved each two days. With that we could do better betatesting.



6) Stablish where and when use Now playing, now playing list, and playing track terms for avoiding mistakes.


7) Easier switching between Playing track panels modes. Currently is complex doing it. Enabling the one at the bottom is easy, but now change to one in a tab (which is not as easy as clicking one entry in the browser panel), and again try to use the one at the bottom. Very complex, the button at the bottom has dissapeared, doesn't matter if you close the playing track in a tab or not.


8.) Layout: More than one year with MB, and still find this confusing, the moving navigation buttons depending on left panel. It also makes the address bar too small with a normal window when you have some custom buttons. Navigation bar should occupy the full width of the windows, and don't change depending in side panels.

Mockup proposed: Navigation arrows always at left border, search box always at right border, address box not shrinking. Also moved tabs to the left



9) Internals: The function for editing files, if there is one  ;D  I wonder if the internal function could ask for confirmation as default. And Steven shouldn't have to remember enabling the confirmation, but instead would have to remember disabling it.
Just imaging/guessing: edit(file, id3.2, year, new value, no confirmation)
So if edit(file, id3.2, year, new value) is used it should automatically ask for confirmation, and is safer forgetting not removing the confirmation than forgetting not adding it.


10) Lyrics: I use minilyrics for showing lyrics and editing/storing them in an external file. I miss an easy way to telling MB to forget about searching/showing any lyrics panel because i'm using an external plugin for them.


11) Hability of phisically deleting a file when being in the Now playing tab, not only removing it from the playlist.
Edit: As Scampbll pointed out is possible to do it pressing shift+delete, i'm asking from the right click menu, like it happens in the other tabs.



12) Teather mode, end the screen size fragmentation. Newer TM could add the size of the screen for which is designed, and MB could resize it to look the same way in smaller or bigger screens


13) In the player controls at the main window, all the buttons has some tooltip showing some info. When hovering over the playing track text it could show the bitrate info, or the complete title if it isn't shown completely.



14) Bookmarks inside library, while MB has a browser the first thinking i have is for showing a web in a tab, but its a fragment of a track.  Suggest renaming them to Audio bookmarks to dissipate any doubt.
& 15) Would be nice the possibility of adding real web bookmarks to the browser panel. Something like www.discogs.com/search?type=release&sort=year&sort_order=asc&artist=<Artist>&title=<Title> would be more convenient there than inside the playing track panel for some reasons: bigger screen, possibility of copying/editing the current address


16) Rating for no stars clicking in the edit panel is different than clicking in the main panel, it shows 0 stars and requires another click more for no stars


NOTE: If you really would like any of the proposals shown in this tread to get done, feel free for opening a new thread and asking for it, as a big post like this one is really not a good way for getting them done
Last Edit: February 08, 2013, 03:26:07 PM by lnminente

redwing

  • Guest
Wow, you didn't forget it. :)

Wonderful proposal! I can see how much thought you have put into this. Must have taken some time to aggregate these. I really hope discussions and suggestions out of this thread will contribute to streamline the current MB in every detail.
 
BTW I haven't read each item carefully yet, but just a quick query about #4 & #5. As you know, currently shift+MB execution opens up library selection pane. So are you proposing to change the hotkey to another, or do you mean something else?

lnminente

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1049
I keep my promises ;)

For 4) & 5) i mean adding more options to the current dialog, specially adding any option which would require to restart MB

psychoadept

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10691
11 can be done with Shift+Delete.

I agree in principle with simplicity and consistency as a principle, and about many of these.  A few I don't understand, but that's okay.  I am finding many other things that could probably be improved, as I look into things for the wiki.
MusicBee Wiki
Use & improve MusicBee's documentation!

Latest beta patch (3.5)
(Unzip and overwrite existing program files)

lnminente

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1049
For 11) That's right but not everybody know that hotkey. The menu should how "Delete" for being consistent with the other tabs

Tell me what proposal you don't understand and i will try to explain then better. Feel free to add more proposals related with this principle

lnminente

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1049
Added some mockups

I had one idea about theater mode, playing track and bookmarks. When have it more reasoned will post a mockup
Last Edit: February 06, 2013, 12:31:52 PM by lnminente

beeing good

  • Guest
I don't agree with 8. I would rather have the extra vertical space for the left and right panels than have that bar going all the way across, it wouldn't seem to serve any purpose at all having it going all the way across where as as it is at the moment you do gain more room for the Now Playing List etc.

lnminente

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1049
Well, sad to say but its the option i would like most :/ It's not only space in a bar, i see it hierarchycally more important, it has the search bar, command buttons, address box to know if you are browsing an album, with filters or not, or a folder in your computer, and that needs space. Also would give you the efficency of a fast click in the back button because you always will know exactly where it is. I see all that has a lot more importance than an entry easily scrollable with the wheel mouse at side panels. Also see it as the menu button, it has to be always there, not moving, for hierarchy and for efficency too.

And for consistency with the most used apps with tabs:
Firefox:

Chrome:

Again Firefox, being this capture from a library browser having direct relation with MB:


Also windows explorer has the back button at a fixed place and later is the side panel:
Last Edit: February 07, 2013, 12:31:58 AM by lnminente

psychoadept

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10691
The only trouble I see with it is if the navigation buttons are top left and the player is in the top, the controls are going to be right next to each other and it will be very easy to hit one or the other by accident.
MusicBee Wiki
Use & improve MusicBee's documentation!

Latest beta patch (3.5)
(Unzip and overwrite existing program files)

lnminente

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1049
Thanks Scampbll, the good thing is we can easily try it disabling the left panel. I have done some testing, there are currently 6 pixels not clickeable between the back button and the seek bar with the standard skin:


Also you can see the back button in my TM :D  http://s3.postimage.org/u01sk5z3n/fix.png
Last Edit: February 07, 2013, 12:34:18 AM by lnminente

psychoadept

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10691
Well, I'm less talking about the physical problem of hitting one or the other as the mental problem.  :)  As it stands I no longer have the player at the top of my layout, but I still want to hit the navigation back button instead of the previous track back button sometimes.  I bet more people would want player controls on the right if this were implemented.
MusicBee Wiki
Use & improve MusicBee's documentation!

Latest beta patch (3.5)
(Unzip and overwrite existing program files)

redwing

  • Guest
I remember lnminente proposed the same idea several months ago, and I thought it really made sense. With the examples of other applications, now it makes more sense. Aside from its immediate benefits (fixed width of address bar and search bar, more toolbar buttons), it will make using MB more comfortable in the subconscious level with the more consistent layout.
As for the worries about mishitting buttons, while I've been using MB with player on the top and left panel hidden there's been no such accident. Of course it's just me, and it might be the case with some other people, but I doubt it will be a major problem with the majority.

What about the "New Tab" button? Chrome and Firefox got rid of it long time ago and have been using a small tab with + mark (Firefox) or none (Chrome). I'd like to see a little bigger Back, Next buttons and a small Next Tab button next to the last tab in place of New Tab button. Then Back button can be placed on the leftmost, which feels just easy and comfortable.

Edit: It's been a long time since I tried "Show Tabs in Caption Bar" option, so I forgot MB already supports the FF-like layout with the option. So I guess my wish is to apply the layout to other options as well.
Last Edit: February 07, 2013, 11:38:20 PM by redwing

SimonBRT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 434
i have felt for a long time that it is frustrating that the location of the back button is not constant.  this really does not make sense (though i believe understand the current reasoning behind it).  it has also been in the back of my mind that this browsing buttons/address bar/command buttons/search bar area would make more sense if it always stretched across the entire panel.

i understand what being good is saying about the lost vertical space in the side panels, but in my opinion it would be a worthwhile trade-off for a more consistent/intuitive layout.  you would lose a little space at the top of the left navigation panel but only a couple of rows.  above the right panel it currently shows 'Track Information' or 'Now Playing' as a header.  I do not see losing this header as a big loss.  Perhaps it could be written in the status bar at the bottom of the panel instead? 

in short, i am supporting something along the lines of the bottom image in this mockup


Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
Re:#8  +1
I even suggested this back here as part of the revamp of "Now Playing", but support, it seemed, was scarce at the time.

above the right panel it currently shows 'Track Information' or 'Now Playing' as a header.  I do not see losing this header as a big loss.  Perhaps it could be written in the status bar at the bottom of the panel instead? 

double-clicking on the 'Track Information' header opens/closes the 'Now Playing' section of the RH panel; double-clicking on the 'Now Playing' header floats the 'Now Playing' panel, so it might be hard to put them in the status panel, but I do think they could be reduced in height, similar to 'Playing Track/Selected Track' header.
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

psychoadept

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10691
Re:#8  +1
I even suggested this back here as part of the revamp of "Now Playing", but support, it seemed, was scarce at the time.

I wouldn't actually mind this, provided that the headers were removed or reduced, as below.


above the right panel it currently shows 'Track Information' or 'Now Playing' as a header.  I do not see losing this header as a big loss.  Perhaps it could be written in the status bar at the bottom of the panel instead?  

I agree with this.

Quote
double-clicking on the 'Track Information' header opens/closes the 'Now Playing' section of the RH panel; double-clicking on the 'Now Playing' header floats the 'Now Playing' panel, so it might be hard to put them in the status panel, but I do think they could be reduced in height, similar to 'Playing Track/Selected Track' header.

Wow, those are REALLY non-obvious functions.  I still hadn't stumbled across them, and I've been *trying* to find all different ways to do things.  Surely there's a better way to implement them?  Add floating window as an option in the configure layout menu, maybe?  (My post about layout options would seem to make this a good option, too.)  A little button for the Now Playing list?

On my little 13" monitor, I would love to see the headers go away.  One of the few things I miss from Media Monkey is an option to hide all the headers.
MusicBee Wiki
Use & improve MusicBee's documentation!

Latest beta patch (3.5)
(Unzip and overwrite existing program files)