New Compact Player Layout

[VX]

I like the current view. 

Sorting command in the List submenu is the only feature I miss for this view.

Replacing the progressbar with the wavebar (if selected) is a very good idea as well.

Small bug reports for this view and MB 2.1.4817:
1. If you click onto the Artwork to save it, the artwork selection window appears always below the New Compact Player window.
You can't access the artwork selection window as it's hidden behind the compact player window. Furthermore, the new compact player window hangs so that you can't move it nor minimize it.
The only solution in this case is closing MB using the tray icon.

2. MB 2.1.4817
When the old Compact Player layout is used and you click onto the Artwork there are no menu options for Artwork used in other layouts (eg. Enable Image Rotation, Save Picture etc.).

[ma_t14]

Something i noticed.. If the window is sufficiently big the artwork picture overlaps the wavebar. Would it be possible to make the wavebar appear on top of artwork and/or transparent when this happens?

[Alexis]

I suppose that the transitional effect can be applied to these two lines/borders?

[Steven]

i've made the following changes:
- wavebar (when enabled) now displays in the player controls panel (for the compact player only)
- visualiser bar colours are now stronger (Alexis let me know if its still not ok in some cases)
- dominant colour picker has been tweaked
- minimum size is reduced when lyrics and now playing panel are not displayed
- volume button is changed to a button that pops out a bar
- a few bugs fixed
- indirectly related, i have changed the layout for the "Playing Track" tab when docked in the bottom panel so the album picture is bigger and the track info text blends in with the artist picture. The wavebar and visualiser no longer display in this view. When docked in the main panel the new visualiser shows

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_1/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

[psychoadept]

I see you also made it at some point so double clicking the artwork opens artist picture.  Cool!

[Alexis]

Thanks Steven.. I think that my issue is that it looks so striking against black/darker backgrounds that it makes one expect the same against the lighter ones, which I do not think is practical.  I think I now feel (with my limitations) that there may not be much to do about that.

I certainly appreciate the work and time you have applied to this part of the project.

I should add that I notice the tweaks you have made and they are indeed significant.  Thank you.

[Steven]

i might experiment some more with the bar colours (maybe some different colours rather than black/ white contrast depending what can be automated).
I still havent finished the compact player changes and will consider the other suggestions made on this topic

[Alexis]

- indirectly related, i have changed the layout for the "Playing Track" tab when docked in the bottom panel so the album picture is bigger and the track info text blends in with the artist picture. The wavebar and visualiser no longer display in this view. When docked in the main panel the new visualiser shows

I REALLY like this change.  Just looks so much cleaner and seems like you utilized the.. let's call it chameleon option  

Looking forward to the improvements.

[psychoadept]

i might experiment some more with the bar colours (maybe some different colours rather than black/ white contrast depending what can be automated).

As I was looking at it a bit ago, I thought the colors of the visualizer weren't always clicking and I had two thoughts:
1) Make the background color the same as the rest of the player and the visualizer bars match the font
or
2) If you're going to make the background on the visualizer lighter, make the bars the darker color of the rest of the background.  (Except maybe the "cap" for visual pop?)

And I *really* hope you can fix the artist picture scaling problem somehow.    That's the only thing that makes me think I might not keep using the compact player long term.

[Alexis]

I suppose i am rambling on with suggestions, and sorry if it seems that way, but not many others seem to be voicing... so....

The way you did the playing track for the main player on the bottom tab... I really like the transition effect, and it would be nice if in this compact player view.. one can elect not to have the album cover show and have that effect show up instead.  I think it looks very nice.

[Alexis]

i might experiment some more with the bar colours (maybe some different colours rather than black/ white contrast depending what can be automated).

As I was looking at it a bit ago, I thought the colors of the visualizer weren't always clicking and I had two thoughts:
1) Make the background color the same as the rest of the player and the visualizer bars match the font

I was pondering that idea too.. making it the same as the rest of the player...  will post a mockup of what I thought again in a min.

[Alexis]

This idea reduces the size of the play bar a bit as suggested earlier.  And one of two things can be done.. raise the play buttons and progress bar closer to the spectrum bar, or put the progress bar between and just chop off the lower end.   Assume that the area covered by the spectrum bar is  same color as the play bar.

I keep wondering though if folks would have a problem with a thinner play bar... which would be heightened with the enabling of the spectrum bar.. if you do it the way scampbll suggested.

[psychoadept]

The way you did the playing track for the main player on the bottom tab... I really like the transition effect, and it would be nice if in this compact player view.. one can elect not to have the album cover show and have that effect show up instead.  I think it looks very nice.

Oh, I think that would be SNAZZY.  Although I'd want the option to apply it to album art instead.  The lyrics could take up the rest of the space.

[VX]

The patch 2.1.4818 looks really great! Thanks 

BTW. The bugs mentioned in reply no. 75 haven't been fixed still.

[jistme]

Minor observation:
Since I think the word 'classic' assumes being consistent with accustomed looks/behavior, I'd like it if classic compact player had the classic volume control. Not the new fancy one.