New Compact Player Layout

[VX]

artist picture rotation is a great addition and i love the way the visualizer changes color with the artist picture change.

Yes, indeed.   The new compact player is even better than I expected when I saw this idea for the first time.

This is now my default layout for MB. In case someone was interested, this is very simple to do:
 set MB to minimise to compact player and start minimised in the Preferences.

Really great work Steven!   Thank you very much!

The only reason why I go back to Main Player view is to choose what to play.

if anyone has any further suggestions about reducing the need to go back to the main player then i will consider but as mentioned i am not planning on putting in full library navigation from the compact player as the layout can be too small

IMHO, a full library navigation (or filtered folder navigation at least) could be added to the compact player the same way as Now Playing List but with auto-hide option enabled by default.. That wouldn't clutter the GUI, yet allowing for an easier navigation.

Just enable album and tracks and auto-hide options for now playing list in compact player layout preferences and have a look how comfortable it works.
I'm sure a Library navigation implemented this way would be very comfortable too.
I guess wide-screen monitors and resolutions are more and more popular these days, so it seems worth considering.

one question though, is it possible to set the artist artwork folder as the only source for the artist picture rotation?

It would be great option, especially when no internet connection is established.

[Steven]

one question though, is it possible to set the artist artwork folder as the only source for the artist picture rotation?

just to clarify why im asking is because when your dealing with lesser know bands and artists you get some very strange pictures which have nothing to do with the band.

i would think that comes from flickr, so maybe just the option of disabling flickr might be a better approach otherwise just using your own pictures for rotation would be quite limiting to the majority of people

[redwing]

View> Visualizer> Artist Picture Settings menu disappeared?

[jistme]

There was a recent question from someone about the 'inner fish bone' of the new wavebar. (can't find it back)
I'm also curious if there is information on that? Is it showing something about dynamics, or frequencies or anything like that?

- Would it be possible to disable this 'two-tone' look through skinning?

Bump

[Alexis]

thanks for the major improvements Steven.

I still think that  would like to see something different with the transition from the artist information area to the artist picture. 

For some images it is a sharp divider and others faded.  (I gather it becomes faded when there is scaling or filling out involved from something you did earlier)..  I think I would lust like to see some more consistency there.

Actually, it almost would seem that from the automatic color adjustments you have in place, the bar for the text could remain somewhat  transparent, if at all present. 

I am assuming that the idea of having those bars was to have a background to make the text as well as the visualizer visible, no matter what background the artist picture has.  But with the auto color adjustments, is that still necessary?

[Alexis]

There was a recent question from someone about the 'inner fish bone' of the new wavebar. (can't find it back)
I'm also curious if there is information on that? Is it showing something about dynamics, or frequencies or anything like that?

- Would it be possible to disable this 'two-tone' look through skinning?

Bump

I am the one that asked this question but removed it because I gathered  it was evident that it was more of a reflection of the outer edges  (After observing it for a while), and thought it looks rather nice, affording much customization later on... and so I removed the question.

[jistme]

Ah, I can stop doubting my searching capabilities ;-)

Still curious, since the inner fish bone seems not always consistent with the outer. (I believe you also made some screenshots about that).

If it indeed is no indicator of anything specific, I'd like to be able to disable it through skinning.

[Alexis]

Ha.  Sorry.

I think actually that the images I posted were what answered my questions as they showed that it is adaptive to the outer edges.  It is compressed when the wave is thin and more expanded when the wave is wide.

[SimonBRT]

congratulations steven.  this has come so far in a very short time.  what an amazing addition to musicbee.

one quick (and probbably very dumb!) question:  in some of the images posted above, the shuffle button appears next to the volume indicator.  i don't have that and can't figure out how to get it there!?

[Steven]

There was a recent question from someone about the 'inner fish bone' of the new wavebar. (can't find it back)
I'm also curious if there is information on that? Is it showing something about dynamics, or frequencies or anything like that?

- Would it be possible to disable this 'two-tone' look through skinning?

its mostly visual effect but it reflects the deviation of the peak energy levels vs the average. So if the gap is wider then it means there is more variation and if its close then the peak and average are similar. I will add a skin element in the next few days

I still think that  would like to see something different with the transition from the artist information area to the artist picture.  

For some images it is a sharp divider and others faded.  (I gather it becomes faded when there is scaling or filling out involved from something you did earlier)..  I think I would lust like to see some more consistency there.

Actually, it almost would seem that from the automatic color adjustments you have in place, the bar for the text could remain somewhat  transparent, if at all present.  

I am assuming that the idea of having those bars was to have a background to make the text as well as the visualizer visible, no matter what background the artist picture has.  But with the auto color adjustments, is that still necessary?

this has been bugging me as well - i've decided to get rid of the blurring effect (i know some of you like it but to me its not fitting in with the overall look), but for the small album picture layout there will always be a solid semi-transparent bar. It does mean that for some pictures more will be cropped than now.
For the large album layout, it will always be a solid colour ie. no overlap between the track info and the picture - reason being is the album cover will cover less of the artist picture

[redwing]

View> Visualizer> Artist Picture Settings menu disappeared?

So where is it now?

[Alexis]

What would it look like if the edge of the background bar was just with a tight/narrow blur.. just to soften the hard line where there will be one?

[Steven]

View> Visualizer> Artist Picture Settings menu disappeared?

i have removed it ie. its always using last.fm and flickr, but now i will add an option from the compact player to remove flickr. I wont add back in the option from the artist visualiser menus, but it will respect the same setting

What would it look like if the edge of the background bar was just with a tight/narrow blur.. just to soften the hard line where there will be one?

have a look at the new way and if you and others still feel its better with some blurring then i will reconsider

[Alexis]

have a look at the new way and if you and others still feel its better with some blurring then i will reconsider

Sounds good.  Looking forward t it.

[jistme]

its mostly visual effect but it reflects the deviation of the peak energy levels vs the average. So if the gap is wider then it means there is more variation and if its close then the peak and average are similar. I will add a skin element in the next few days

Thnx for clarifying, I had some hunch about it but couldn't put the finger on it.