Author Topic: New Compact Player Layout  (Read 396902 times)

Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
The jury is still out for me on this one.

I can already achieve a floating lyrics panel and a 'drag-down' hidden playlist with the current compact player



I know it's early days yet, but except for the 'Artist Pic' eye-candy, I'm not seeing any of the improved functionality that Steven's changes normally bring.  :(
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

redwing

  • Guest
As I understand, this "custom layout" compact player was no way intended to replace the default compact player. For one thing - and I believe it's the main point - it's skinnable through embedded TM. Isn't that great?

SimonBRT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 434
I can already achieve a floating lyrics panel and a 'drag-down' hidden playlist with the current compact player

true as this may be.  achieving what you show above is not obvious and is not elegant.  the new compact player is.

Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
achieving what you show above is not obvious and is not elegant.  the new compact player is.

I agree that it's not as obvious, having to set a hot key for the lyrics panel, but I disagree that the new panel is elegant.


This shows the new panel, same width as the 2 panels before but a little taller, as that's the shortest the new panel goes too.
Displaying a wavebar and spectrum, with an Artist Pic as an extra. I don't think it's as well laid out and 'elegant' as the current view.
As I said previously, it's early days yet, and with the right Embedded Theater mod, it will probably be great. But don't forget it's supposed to be a 'Compact' player mode, not a 'mini-Theater Mode', too lose the ability to turn the lyrics panel on and off with a key stroke is not an 'elegant' enhancement.

For one thing - and I believe it's the main point - it's skinnable through embedded TM. Isn't that great?

Yes. I do think that's great, as long as the player is kept compact and functionality is enhanced
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

Steven

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 34312
thanks for the negativity and non-constructive criticism bee-liever - you might try resizing the window so the artist picture is a normal size for a start

Bee-liever

  • Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3830
  • MB Version: 3.6.8830 P
Just because I didn't slavishly praise your work and agree whole-heartedly with you, Steven, does not mean I was being negative or that my criticism was non-constructive.

Did anybody happen to read my first line in original reply
The jury is still out for me on this one.

you might try resizing the window so the artist picture is a normal size for a start

Why should I resize the window to increase the artist picture size? It's a compact player.
If I wanted larger artwork, I can use Theater Mode in smaller screen
Excuse me for thinking that a 'compact player' was an alternative to full screen mode. To be used while having other windows open,  but having a bit more pizzazz than the mini-player.

Obviously the days of having an honest and open discussion on this forum are numbered.
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

VX

  • Guest
Constructive criticism is one of the most important reasons for success of MB. I hope this hasn't changed  ???

As a long term compact player user I admire its new look However, IMHO concerns about functionality should be raised in every stage of the development.

I know the current build is work-in-progress, so my constructive (I hope) critics is limited to lack of the one function:
As it was mentioned above:
Great work! I really appreciate you opened unlimited possibilities for customization. Some observations about the beta.

- <#> field is not available for Now Playing list.
For me this means no sorting possibilities for now playing list. This is the one and only reason why I hasn't switched for the new Compact Player layout. I hope it could be improved though.

Alexis

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 712
Please note that Steven already indicated  that what he has done is not what was proposed. 
i haven't done what was requested but i think it looks quite good....

"


We should always remember to give  feedback that acknowledges what a person has accomplished thus far,  then offer suggestions for improvement.  I also believe that doing mockups of what one thinks may be better would go a long way. 

I have been noticing the emergence of a pattern where some members here are rather blunt to almost insulting/degrading when they disagree with others' ideas.  That is really not the type of forum I met here.  We must always remember that because we do not like or agree with something, does not necessarily make it wrong or no good for others.

This topic has been opened for a long time and Steven asked for suggestions/ideas before he implemented what he has. 

"fair-minded words"
They are not lazy... just more efficient.

jistme

  • Guest
thanks for the negativity and non-constructive criticism bee-liever

Wow, that's really not-deserved.

Steven

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 34312
I know the current build is work-in-progress, so my constructive (I hope) critics is limited to lack of the one function:
As it was mentioned above:
Great work! I really appreciate you opened unlimited possibilities for customization. Some observations about the beta.

- <#> field is not available for Now Playing list.
For me this means no sorting possibilities for now playing list. This is the one and only reason why I hasn't switched for the new Compact Player layout. I hope it could be improved though.
i will include the <#> field but as it stands with the current version you can only shuffle or restore the playlist order and not sort by columns for example. So i would like to understand why you think sorting is an important feature

VX

  • Guest
i will include the <#> field but as it stands with the current version you can only shuffle or restore the playlist order and not sort by columns for example. So i would like to understand why you think sorting is an important feature

Well, I've been listening to audiobooks recently. Publishers tend to provide those without a proper tagging. In this case the <#> field is often not enough (but still very helpful!) when you want to sort tracks on the now playing list (eg. supposing an audiobook is released on a couple of CDs, tracks are numbered on each CD separately the easiest way to sort tracks would be to create a custom tag with the <#> field for the whole audiobook, or overwrite the existing <#> fields. I often use another way - just put the proper number before the track title and use sorting by title 8).) Sorting by artist would be useful as well, but if you could include the <#> field and the title field I'd be more than happy  :)
Thanks for considering  :)

BTW. I'd like to see those improvements, but I don't like being pushy. The old Compact Player still offers almost all I'd ever need and works as expected  for me :)

Steven

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 34312
i would be ok to add a right click/ Sort By menu item for this layout but i dont want to add column headers to clutter the look

psychoadept

  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10691
Nice work on this, Steven!  I wasn't dissatisfied with the old compact player, but the new one, with redwing's mini Theater Mode, looks really sharp.
MusicBee Wiki
Use & improve MusicBee's documentation!

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

redwing

  • Guest
Probably this is an item that should be added to the wishlist. But since Steven is currently working on compact player, I'd like to add this just to here. The only thing impossible with the current Now Playing Assistant is to change a filter. It wouldn't matter if you're using main player, but with compact player it's a different story. Search box too is working only for the current filter. To change a filter, you have to exit compact mode, go to main player mode, change the filter, and then return to the compact mode. It would be great if a right-click menu item of "Open filter" is added to Library tab, just like "Open Playlist" menu item of Now Playing list tab.

VX

  • Guest
i would be ok to add a right click/ Sort By menu item for this layout but i dont want to add column headers to clutter the look

Sounds reasonable. It would allow more sorting options as well.
+1