Author Topic: New Compact Player Layout  (Read 450406 times)

Alexis

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This last update is really  pretty good imo.  At level .5, the backdrop for the information and  and visualizer are totally gone.  Nice!

The  picture no longer makes me feel like my cataract is acting up :)
Thanks for implementing the transparency on the left side.

This is for who may not yet be using overlay:

 
Last Edit: May 25, 2013, 09:24:42 PM by Alexis
They are not lazy... just more efficient.

KissCool

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

Misunderstood what you said. On the last picture I posted:
Playing line -> white (255,255,255)
track info (bio, now playing) -> gray (192,192,192)
overlay (opacity=0.2, picture artist=white) -> gray (217,217,217)
White font will always be readable since u'll never have a perfect white background cause of the overlay.
a gray (192,192,192) font on another gray (217,217,217) background lack of contrast:
It's not really noticeable with the track info cause you added a 2nd darker overlay. But if we compare e.g sync lyrics with bio:
    ---->    


But maybe I have a display bug since, with your latest patch, here what I have (check on the right of the album cover in the now playing list, "lenght" is darker):


Edit: forget this. Think it's cause i'm using png cover with transparency and MusicBee seems to don't like that. got to test it.

the backdrop for the information and  and visualizer are totally gone.  Nice!
I'm finally not the only one to dislike this backdrop!  ;) maybe a box to tick in the settings to enable it or not in higher transparency?^^

BTW, sorry for the late answer but the font I'm using is Good Time and Good Time RG (you can't use the 1st one in MusicBee). if you're using winXP->Win7, all good for you. But if you're using Win8, dunno why, it doesn't look as good. Got this issue with few fonts since I'm using Win8.
That sucks, loved my rainmeter skin with those fonts...

Last Edit: May 25, 2013, 10:26:06 PM by KissCool

Steven

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i expect you will a lower contrast set in the preferences for the "length" field. When overlay is enabled, 128,128,128 is used as the contrast base hence why its grey

KissCool

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i expect you will a lower contrast set in the preferences for the "length" field. When overlay is enabled, 128,128,128 is used as the contrast base hence why its grey

All apologies. you're right. Usually never using this setting. Dunno why i did it^^
Thx.

Alexis

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Fwiw, I think this is a MAJOR accomplishment, considering the gamma-thingy that was also done to the images.  White was the only risk (since we are utilizing white text) but now the text can be seen on white backgrounds because of the overlay and the pictures are pretty good because of the G-thingy. :)

Well done imo!
They are not lazy... just more efficient.

KissCool

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Thanks for the font response.

Regarding the backdrop, I think we have been trying to figure that for a while now, but the hurdle is the color conflicts.
You would know if you went through the previous posts, but that is  far too much to ask of anyone.. which is why I periodically remove posts I have made that are either no longer needed or just unnecessary.  The thread is getting very long.

Like  these letters as you know would not have been legible without overlay.



I read all the post of this Topic. But, yeah, I don't remember all of 'em^^

I don't get it about the picture you posted: there's not the second backdrop under the track info! So, u're just proving that what I'm saying is true: you don't need this second backdrop. Was talking about this, not about the full transparency I asked for.

About the full transparency, I'm agree. Sometimes, you just couldn't read anything unless you're applying a shadow effect to the font. But I already talked about this with Steven.

My point about the full transparency is that you're not always in front of your screen, reading the track info, lyrics, bio or whatever.
Sometimes, u just start a playlist and go away. Then having in the room a screen in background that display some nice pictures while u're just listening your music isn't a bad idea IMO. Back to your PC? then u just have to adjust the transparency setting.

Not to mention that any of the other view offer the features of the compact player in overlay mode:
 - ThaterMode: no local artist picture rotation, no cover rotation, the equaliser seems "laggy"
 - Artist Picture visualiser in a Tab: no local artist picture rotation, picture aspect ratio is altered
 - Now Playing in a tab: no equalizer transparency, no track info backdrop transparency, fanart is too much cropped

But, well, i'm just trying to give some ideas and I'm aware that Steven can't please everyone. And That's why all the new features I'm asking for, I'm asking for 'em to be implemented as an option if doable. Don't like it? Just deactivate it.


White was the only risk (since we are utilizing white text) but now the text can be seen on white backgrounds because of the overlay and the pictures are pretty good because of the G-thingy. :)
Text is grey, not white:
Playing line -> white (255,255,255)
track info (bio, now playing) -> gray (192,192,192)
overlay (opacity=0.2, picture artist=white) -> gray (217,217,217)
White font will always be readable since u'll never have a perfect white background cause of the overlay.
a gray (192,192,192) font on another gray (217,217,217) background lack of contrast:
It's not really noticeable with the track info cause you added a 2nd darker overlay. But if we compare e.g sync lyrics with bio:
     ---->     
Forgot to mention that the artist picture is white (255,255,255) and then become gray (217,217,217) with the overlay.
On the left, "true" white text
On the right, the color you're calling white

It's not a mockup. The new overlay doesn't change anythig here (altough i prefer the new one for other reasons).
So, white isn't the only risk. Gray is.

Anyway, as you said:
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

SimonBRT

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'the gamma thingy' - brighter pictures even with the overlay.  fantastic work. 

been following this thread from its start 40 something pages ago, definitely not followed every discussion along the way, but the sometimes steady, sometimes dramatic progress and improvement has been remarkable.  quite the accomplishment indeed.  as this new mode draws toward completion, lets step back from some of the more minor quibbles/discussions and recognise this as the brilliant new addition to MB that it is!

KissCool

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@KissCool,
 I think we are having a communication gap and that is ok.  Keep doing what you are doing but this is where I step back.  But for what it is worth, I was not countering your point. 

If you felt offended, it wasn't my aim. Sorry for that.
Didn't wanted to annoy ppl with my posts.
So, I guess it's better for me to just shut up.

Just one last word for Steven:
Again, thank you very much for this awesome music manager and player.

Steven

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Misunderstood what you said. On the last picture I posted:
Playing line -> white (255,255,255)
track info (bio, now playing) -> gray (192,192,192)
overlay (opacity=0.2, picture artist=white) -> gray (217,217,217)
White font will always be readable since u'll never have a perfect white background cause of the overlay.
a gray (192,192,192) font on another gray (217,217,217) background lack of contrast:
It's not really noticeable with the track info cause you added a 2nd darker overlay. But if we compare e.g sync lyrics with bio:
the colours used are: 200,200,200 but when the opacity is < 0.5 it uses 230,230,230 in the right panels
now the pictures are gamma adjusted and text drawn directly on the pictures i think it can made higher so i have changed it to a sliding scale from:
200,200,200 to 225,225,225/(250,250,250 in the right panels)
When a contrast setting is applied, it was using black as the base but thats too extreme for the overlay mode so its changed to use 128,128,128 as the base.

also the aspect ratio should now be fixed with the artist visualiser (it still does a small aspect ratio change to fit the window if the difference with the window is very small)

I will make a link available later today
Last Edit: May 26, 2013, 10:51:07 AM by Steven

Steven

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Alexis

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Thanks for the update.

Steven, not to distract from what you have accomplished thus far, but discovered something a moment ago that I would like to share just in case it matters at all or is good enough, but seeing that Google Music is not yet globally accessible, not sure who all here would have observed this:

While listening to Google music on my phone, I noticed that they use white text and thumbs but have a shadow so that even with identical white on white, they are visible. Just thought I would share. (the picture is chopped in the view because it oscillates)


Last Edit: May 26, 2013, 04:24:30 PM by Alexis
They are not lazy... just more efficient.

Steven

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

for the lyrics only (for now depending on comments) i have added a slight contrast band around the text so it should be clearer at lower opacity settings. I am aware that for low opacity settings, synchronised lyrics on grey backgrounds can still be a little hard to read but i think it should be a minority of cases and only for low opacity.
This version also fixes a lyrics display bug from the last patch
Last Edit: May 26, 2013, 09:32:12 PM by Steven

Bee-liever

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think the contrast on lyrics works well when not sync lyrics. with sync lyrics the highlight text is now very similar to main body (of lyrics).
maybe highlight text colour could be same as changing colour from visualiser?

liking all the other changes. gamma adjustment has even increased colouring to visualiser when using overlay  :)
MusicBee and my library - Making bee-utiful music together

Alexis

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

for the lyrics only (for now depending on comments) i have added a slight contrast band around the text so it should be clearer at lower opacity settings. I am aware that for low opacity settings, synchronised lyrics on grey backgrounds can still be a little hard to read but i think it should be a minority of cases and only for low opacity.
This version also fixes a lyrics display bug from the last patch

Any thoughts on making the contrast band lighter to almost unnoticeable.. or would that just not have the desired effect at all when needed?
I do not have or use synchronized lyrics so cannot speak on that.
They are not lazy... just more efficient.

be_wz

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I like very much the new layout, but I found a bug, with some artists (ex: King Crimson) MusicBee displays for them a wrong picture that belongs to another band. Perhaps there's a need of a blacklist command for some pictures, what do you think? :)