New Compact Player Layout

[Steven]

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_3/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

@Anti, this should fix your bugs
@scampbll, i have put back in support for ratings in the player panel
@endeavour1934, i will probably do what you suggest about right aligning the picture (not done in this version though) and will also look at the colouring of the controls on the popup menu
this version also tweaks the compact player layout settings to (hopefully) make the new way the right panels are used clearer

[Anti]

Confirmed: all bugs fixed. Thank you very much. Compact and mini players are looking fantastic.

[mrad]

Hi Steven,

have my suggestions been overlooked ?

[Steven]

1) Can the |> control bar be adjusted between the bottom and top of the compact overlay view like it can on the main view ?
2) Can this compact window allow for desktop level layer "z order" so that icons etc. can remain on top of it (i.e. Always on bottom) ?
3) Is there a way to adjust the transparency of the find bar ? (Sorry if this has already been asked)

1) will look at supporting the progress bar above but not the wavebar or in the middle
2) i dont know what you mean
3) i will see if that can be addressed but not promising

[Bee-liever]

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_3/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip
@endeavour1934, i will probably do what you suggest about right aligning the picture

I actually prefer the current smaller picture aligning. You don't get the RH panel (when opened) obscuring the image this way.
Maybe a little more blending on either side of the image so that the edge is not so noticeable?

[endeavour1934]

I actually prefer the current smaller picture aligning. You don't get the RH panel (when opened) obscuring the image this way.
Maybe a little more blending on either side of the image so that the edge is not so noticeable?

Current version shows the image aligned to the left if the right panel is displayed.
If all the right panels are closed, the image appears centered without gradients, and this is what I think should be changed to be aligned to the right with a gradient fade-out.

[psychoadept]

Thanks, Steven!  Sorry if I was a little rough.  This works great, and the changes to the configuration panel are really helpful.

p.s. In the download, the MusicBee Default skin is in the main directory rather than Skins.

[Steven]

@endeavour1934, i will probably do what you suggest about right aligning the picture (not done in this version though)

this was a really good suggestion as it has been on the back of mind how to get a better result when the picture doesnt fill the panel. Its only done for the compact player, but is left aligned if there is a solid right panel displayed. If the right panel is overlaid, it still right aligns the picture as i felt the picture shouldnt jump around when hiding the overlaid panel and it still looks good in my opinion, although i am willing to change it so the picture remains left aligned when right panel overlaid is enabled.
I will post a link later

[Steven]

http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_3/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

[endeavour1934]

@endeavour1934, i will probably do what you suggest about right aligning the picture (not done in this version though)

this was a really good suggestion as it has been on the back of mind how to get a better result when the picture doesnt fill the panel. Its only done for the compact player, but is left aligned if there is a solid right panel displayed. If the right panel is overlaid, it still right aligns the picture as i felt the picture shouldnt jump around when hiding the overlaid panel and it still looks good in my opinion, although i am willing to change it so the picture remains left aligned when right panel overlaid is enabled.
I will post a link later

When the right panel is open I think the picture should be left aligned, like it was before. Thanks to the gradient and BG color, all the background feels like an entire image, so the change it's not a nuisance at all, it just feels like it's part of the photo framing.

The change in alignment is not a problem as long as it's not inmediate when you press the button to open/close the panel.

EDIT: Maybe the gradient should be wider? 1.5-2x the current one?
EDIT 2: Sometimes a 1px line of the image appears on the left side of the gradient

[Bee-liever]

a picture to illustrate my viewpoint

[Steven]

i have changed it to adjust the left or right orientation according to whether anything is displayed in the right panel.
http://musicbee.niblseed.com/V2_3/MusicBee_Exe_Patched.zip

[mrad]

Hi Steven,

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

Thanks for looking into these


about item 1 - excellent. and yeah, just the controls - not the wavebar etc.

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about item 2 - this idea comes from Rain Meter where a window settings position can be set (see selected dropdown in image 1).


If MB compact view had its own "On desktop"  then MB could be underneath any type of other window ...
image 2 shows a mock use of this where the RM clock is on top of MB without being on top of other windows.

Ideally, there would be a button next to the _ x window controls that was "pin", "send to back", "bring to front".
Hmm, in fact now I'm writing this, perhaps I should look for a window manager - lol

2b) The compact window could do with a RM style draggable (aka Pin) to prevent accidental movement.

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about item 3 - sure, thanks for taking a look



I've kind of talked myself out of the number 2, but i'll leave it here in case it is silly easy to achieve. The issue is MB looks so damn nice with the artwork, but I want to fit it within my RM stuff on the desktop where I don't need to control it, but simply just look at how pretty it is instead. It would make a really nice desktop background tho, one where you can control it, but the window doesn't come to the top of other windows. I hope I make sense.

Thanks again.

[SimonBRT]

@mrad - item 2 -  the idea of the compact player effectively becoming the desktop (albeit interactive) is actually pretty amazing.  wouldnt work for people using lots of desktop shortcuts but personally my desktop is largely clear (i use the amazing launchy).  no idea how difficult this might be to implement or how many others might be interested but definite +1 from me....

[klint]

Hello Steven
Would it be possible to minimize MB to the tray when minimizing it from the Compact Player?
Currently, it does only minimize to the Task Bar, where the MB icon stays active in addition to the icon in the systray. Isn't it one too many icon here?
Thanks
Olivier