New Compact Player Layout

[ma_t14]

kisscool is correct but i am going to make one more attempt at it so it draws the text directly on the picture.
As to filling the panel with the artist picture when overlaying the panels and using the large album cover, i agree and will change that

I know what kisscool is trying to say about the all-window overlay and I agree.

What I am not sure about is the extra overlay on the track info area and whether removing it will work. Steven are you implying that you will remove that overlay as well if you manage to make the text to be drawn directly to the picture?

I'm not one to quickly come to conclusions whether it will work or not. If it indeed works on track info as successfully as seen on kisscool's mockup for lyrics I am happy with that. I just feel that the overlay on the track info area is kinda necessary to separate the two sections (track info/background)... I guess I will wait and see  

[KissCool]

it's not readable because of the overlay but because of transparency applied to the lyrics. Check this:
(Track info aren't affected, Steven may have set the opacity to 0.95 I guess)

I'm talking about the now playing list not being visible. Is that somehow connected to the lyrics?

Additionally when I said not having an overlay would probably not work I was talking about track info and the extra overlay applied there. I was referring to your post here:

...
When you tick the overlay boxe option, this view already got a global overlay. So adding one more for the track info isn't necessary.
...

It appears to me that in the screenshot I posted if the overlay on the track info wasn't there it would result in the track info not being easily readable.

1) Yes, it's connected. Lyrics, Now Playing and bio are sharing the same panel. so do the transparency.

2) I understood and that's why I said "Track info aren't affected, Steven may have set the opacity to 0.95 I guess". So, if you remove the second track info panel, you aren't going to have the same result as the now playing list (track info font opacity around 0.95, now playing font opacity around 0.30):

As you can see, track info is a lot more readable than the lyrics, even without this second overlay.
So again, I'm not trying to convice you that a second overlay is better or not. We have our own opinion about this.
I just wanted to highligh the fact that, on the pict. u posted, the track info is more readable than the now playing list because of the different transparency settings applied to the font (and of course, the second overlay help but not as much as the opacity of the font).

[ma_t14]

My screenshot was specific in that it included a white background. That's why I was trying to imply it wont work in only specific cases.

As long as it works and it is visible at all times it's fine by me. Let's wait and see what Steven comes up with 

[KissCool]

My screenshot was specific in that it included a white background. That's why I was trying to imply it wont work in only specific cases.

I saw, and that's why I avoided to quote my last SS (black background ^^).

Anyway, you made me doubt about a white fanart. So I made a lil' test. Installed one of the previous patch (the one that allow me to get ride of the 2nd overlay). If you are interested, here the result:

Original picture (no overlay, white=255,255,255, so i can't get more white )


With the overlay (i can't go under an opacity of 0.40 with this patch)


And finally with the last patch (opacity 0.40):


No need to tell me wich one you prefer^^
And I'll don't argue anymore too!
Just wanted to show those pictures, so everyone can make his own opinion.
And like you said, anyway, it's up to Steven

[psychoadept]

Thanks, Steven!  The latest changes look great the way I have it, which is without the overlay.  I see you tweaked the buttons, too.

One last comment re: transparency, which is that since the overlay option is available, maybe the pop-up transparency isn't necessary either?  I think it looks inconsistent with the Now Playing assistant on the other side, but if others are still attached to it, I can live with it.

[Alexis]

Though I am sure we are all impressed and thankful for how  far this feature has come forward and so impressed each time it gets polished, I would still like to see a few more features added:

1. An option to allow the Artist picture to go all the way through the playbar, even though I appreciate and like the autohide of the playbar.
   b. I would add here that the contents of the playbar could then also be dynamic in color as the visualizer, but the jury is out on that even in my mind

2.  The possibility of having the same or similar background  (if any at all) to the MB menu and close menu as is behind things like the visualizer as well as the song title bar.  I suppose if the artist picture is extended all the way to the playbar (1 above), that such a background would also be needed there as well.   I think that just because things autohide, when they do show up, they should not be such distractions.

3. Would like to see the same transparency effect to the nowplaying assistant/library explorer on the left side as we have in the nowplaying list etc on the right side.

4.  Regarding the autohide of the playbar, it would probably be nice to be able to pin that.

AND:
Regarding the transparency of the overlay by KissCool.. sometimes I think i am following but other times I am just not sure.. so much of this is going over my head... but if the idea is that doing something with the overlay may offer a solution to the issue with having the background to text etc, then would be interesting to see what could be worked out.  
But I am more convinced  that he is saying bluntly that he wants the full transparency of the overlay  as opposed to the limitation on the lower end, so he could see the visualizer go up Lady Gaga's legs , since this feature allows the image to extend lower.  However, maybe request #1 above would accommodate the latter without the overlay.   Either case,  it would  still make sense  if possible to give one the powerful option of full transparency.

[ma_t14]

One last comment re: transparency, which is that since the overlay option is available, maybe the pop-up transparency isn't necessary either?  I think it looks inconsistent with the Now Playing assistant on the other side, but if others are still attached to it, I can live with it.

Which pop-up are you talking about?

3. Would like to see the same transparency effect to the nowplaying assistant/library explorer on the left side as we have in the nowplaying

+1 For consistency

[psychoadept]

Alexis and I are referring to the same thing, just in opposite direction.  I'm saying no transparency on either, rather than on both.

[ma_t14]

Alexis and I are referring to the same thing, just in opposite direction.  I'm saying no transparency on either, rather than on both.

I figured that was probably it but you got me confused with the part about the overlay. I don't think the pop-up is transparent when you have the overlay option enabled (well, it is if you don't enable any panels but then again why would you do that   )

[Steven]

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

now when panels are overlayed onto the artist picture, the text is written directly on the picture. So that means the text is clearer for lower opacity settings. However its still not very readable a very low opacity settings and i am not planning to do anything more about that. One downside of the new way is that scrolling a panel that is displayed on the picture is a bit slower and can lag a bit (not much on my machine but perhaps others will notice more).
Keep a copy of your current musicbee.exe file in case there are any unexpected bugs (i have tested a fair bit so should be ok).

@ma_t14, the right panel popup does not have any transparency if another panel is permanently displayed on the right - this is because with any transparency the text clashes with the popup panel.
I pass no comment at this point on the new changes requested

[ma_t14]

I know, I was just pointing it out

p/s

Sorry, about the edit.. I accidently hit modify instead of quote... Sorry

[KissCool]

Synchronized lyrics are really readable now. Well done.



Unsync lyrics, now playing and bio aren't really readable with an opacity set to 0.2. But I think it have nothing to do with the overlay transparency.
You should get rid of the filter you apply on those fonts (dunno which filter you're using but i guess it's the one you call "contrast" in the settings).

(by doing this on the track info too, you could get rid of the 2nd overlay. Just saying  )

This way, everything should be as readable as the hilighted lyrics on the picture I posted.

Don't have any "lag".

[Steven]

the only difference with synchronised lyrics is they are dimmed except for the playing line. Otherwise its exactly the same
I have made some further tweaks so the overlay now has gamma adjustment, so it wont "dull down" the picture as much

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

[KissCool]

the only difference with synchronised lyrics is they are dimmed except for the playing line. Otherwise its exactly the same

Exactly what I wanted to say. If the now playing, bio and track info aren't dimmed and look like the playing line, then everything would be redeable, whatever the overlay transparency setting (from 0.2 to 0.85).

Gonna try your new patch.

[Steven]

the change is unrelated to the font readability for which i am not planning to make any changes (the change might make it a little worse in some cases if anything) but the picture now looks less dull at higher opacity settings