Compact/Main/Mini players' layout unification

[Alexis]

Currently MB is considered music organizer/manager, but with new compact mode as default it will have much greater emphasis on being a music player and then organizer/manager, etc. It will help to expand user base considerably.

I think I can feel your frustration with that designation of MusicBee because as as a fan, it really bugs me when I see it mentioned that way also.  Heck, I get annoyed when users come on here saying that they love it as a music manager, but use something else to play their music (And we know it is about flexibility regarding eye candy).  This is why we are asking for more of said eye candy... thank you Steven.

[Alexis]

I REALLY like where HHM is going with this, and also truly like the fading idea.

[VX]

I can see a few very reasonable proposals in this topic.

@HHM,
thank you very much for a very inspiring idea 

@redwing
There much easier way to expand MB user base - release beta updates with full installers more often (regularly). Most software portals don't inform users about a software update unless it's distributed with full installer.

In fact, MB is one of the best maintained software projects I've ever seen. However, many users think that the latest MB release was made available 6 months ago. I can understand the impression that MB is not actively developed. All forum members are aware that this impression is false, but you must visit the forum regularly to know about it.

If a program (beta) update is published on software portals regularly (let's say-once a month), considerably more users are involved in the project.

[boroda]

In fact, MB is one of the best maintained software projects I've ever seen. However, many users think that the latest MB release was made available 6 months ago. I can understand the impression that MB is not actively developed. All forum members are aware that this impression is false, but you must visit the forum regularly to know about it.

Actually there is latest beta portable version on download page. Maybe one should write release date next to download link to show that this version is recent?

[HHM]

I've done another mock ups that change much more in layouts.
My aim was to:
* make a minimalistic look (so to keep the tendency of Compact Player's recent changes),
* get rid off frames wherever possible (anti-skeumorphic tendencies of Windows 8 Modern/Metro UI)
* save as much workspace as possible. I've managed to reduce the amount of toolbars by sending many of the buttons and tools to the Caption Bar.


COMPACT PLAYER





MAIN PLAYER
(notice that there are two different background clours in library for every other verse, but that;s just the thing herited from the skin:) It should be as plain and of the same colour as background of Right or Left Panel. my graphic skills were to poor to change it:))






MINI PLAYER
they stay the same as in the 1st post, but just paste to refresh the idea:)

[HHM]

And yet another very new MODE/FORM of MB that we can obtain with my suggestions:




If it's set to show album cover, the Track Info would adjust it's colour to album covers dominant (not Artist pic). However I think it could be adjustable if you want to see album's cover or artist pics - and the background would adjust to what's chosen.

[VX]

The mockups are getting better and better 

[HHM]

Now the thing I'd change is a kind of integration of Controls Panel and Track Info field. Track Info is a very large field with lots of empty unused space. I'm thinkkng about combining it into one rectangle and compact field that would consist all necessary stuff - controls, info, progress bar and album cover/artist pic.

[HHM]

Here are some quickly made mockups (please don't mind inaccuracies, these are just a sketches), where you can see what I'm thinking about. We could save additional space for a bigger library view or bigger artist photos. Guess low resolution screen owners wouldn't mind that:)

[lnminente]

@HHM: Sometime ago i wrote about eliminating duplicities looking for simplicity and consistency, in case you missed it, i menction here some ideas you could like from http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=8795.0 :

3) Miniplayer showing the normal player controls from main window
7) Easier switching between Playing track panels modes. As them could be used as a sustitution of compact player and theater mode in a window
12) End of screen size fragmentation for TM
- Yo might like my narrow one teather mode, it is written for a good use of all that narrow and wide space over the playing controls: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=8252.0

Some changes better explained in this post: http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=8795.msg51416#msg51416

[HHM]

As I see some v 2.2 changes are coming and September is getting closer, just wanteed to bump this thread, as I think some of these ideas are worth considering