Ideas for Music Section (1 Viewer)

[jameson_uk]

I know I can swap between genre, artist, etc. I just don't like accessing this through a menu option. Truthfully, I'd like Playlist, Genre, Artist, Album to be permanently along the top in the UI to easily switch between them, but am not sure how that would work with remote control arrows very well instead of a mouse.

There is a new feature added in 1.2 to allow plugins to open with a parameter (here). I will certainly have a look at adding this feature to music. Then with some tweaking and some skinning magic I think you can have what you want. Also I think that even if you wanted an extra level on top this would be possible with a very simple plugin which would introduce the extra level you want.

Well for me it is because I'll often hit shuffle in a genre. Sometimes if a song pops up, I'll decide I want to listen to that album so I'll unselect shuffle and let it keep playing. With it now I have to go back to album view, select the album and hit play again. I guess I can't think of another real reason, but the important part is to be able to select it from the NOW PLAYING Screen, which I can't do now.

I will certainly look at adding a shuffle option to the now-playing screen but I wont look at not re-ordering the playlist when doing this (too much effort for not a lot of gain)

Maybe this is a personal one, but my remote control isn't set up perfectly and I use the channel up/down buttons to skip tracks which isn't always intuitive. I'd say this is relatively minor though.

The topbar should really be accessible with the remote but is not within music.

I've selected that option to jump on play now and it doesn't always seem to work. Maybe it goes back to the different actions for Enter and Play because I often tend to hit the enter button instead of play...does it not work with the Enter button? Could the "jumping back when finished" be an option. Maybe I am the only one who still mostly just listens to albums, but when an album is done playing it is done. There is no reason to still see the Now Playing screen, and I want to be right back in my album list to select the next one I'd like to listen to.

Enter will not jump only play now screen ever (think this might be a missing feature). Play will on folders (genres, albums, artists etc) on tracks it will jump but only if the option is set to jump always

? I think part of my confusion is that I know something different is happening with those 2 buttons, but still am not fully sure what it is.

Not sure what else to add. The only difference should be when looking at tracks where play will queue up a single track, clear whatever is playing and start that track. Enter will clear whatever is playing and start that track but will also queue up whatever was in the folder you pressed enter in to have that play next

Good insight. Thanks, I'll see if I can understand the stuff at that link!

This is more up to skinners to do but if you don't like your skin ask the skinner...

I think this goes to what you mentioned about lack of documentation. I know it is user changeable, and I have done so, but it took me a while to figure it out. That section of the music options is not intuitive to your standard user. Also, it seems that most people's default preference would be to simply see a list like most music players on the market. I can't remember off the top of my head if I have an artist that begins with Q or not I'd think the people that would like to see the lettered folders would be the more advanced users and it would be easier for them to figure out the configuration.

When the new wiki come on line I will make sure this is made a lot clearer but I don't plan on changing the default views

Thanks everyone for the replies, and I hope I can be of help in this conversation. I would say most of my input is coming from 2 places: As a standard user without a lot of technical expertise who desires the most straightforward of usability options, and as a designer who is used to organizing information into ways that have the proper hierarchy and are easily accessible to the audience. I'd love to design a skin some day but it is much more technical than my print background allows me to do right now!!

This is exactly what we are looking for so keep feeding back

 

[emphatic]

Well for me it is because I'll often hit shuffle in a genre. Sometimes if a song pops up, I'll decide I want to listen to that album so I'll unselect shuffle and let it keep playing. With it now I have to go back to album view, select the album and hit play again. I guess I can't think of another real reason, but the important part is to be able to select it from the NOW PLAYING Screen, which I can't do now.

I will certainly look at adding a shuffle option to the now-playing screen but I wont look at not re-ordering the playlist when doing this (too much effort for not a lot of gain)

How about adding a "Queue album" option in the playlist context menu then? This would move all songs from the corresponding album up the current playlist to next in line. So if song #3 in that album is playing while this action is performed, #4, #5 etc is queued up, and added to the end after the last song we get #1, #2.

Emph

 

[jameson_uk]

How about adding a "Queue album" option in the playlist context menu then? This would move all songs from the corresponding album up the current playlist to next in line. So if song #3 in that album is playing while this action is performed, #4, #5 etc is queued up, and added to the end after the last song we get #1, #2.

In now playing if you bring up the context menu whilst playing a track you get the option to add the current album to playlist. If you have the option set in config to add tracks next in playlist not at the end then the rest of the album will get queued up.

Not quite what you are saying as (a) any songs on that album later down the playlist will get played again and (b) you have to have started a playlist first (pressing play on a genre though will do this anyway)

 

[mbuzina]

views incorporating different filter criteria in one would be nice, but lets keep something for MP2 ...

What other filters do you want? (I think most of the tags taglib reads are already exposed and this will meet the needs to 98% of people). Have we missed any?

With this I meant the views showing Artists & Albums & Songs in a single View like Helios61 showed in his mock-up.

Another thing that might be exactly what jrichards52081 wants and what I would like also. This would be the "Views View". It would work as follows:
1st you define the views you want to have in Configuration just as it is now (e.g. Albums, Album Artists, Artists, Genre, Year)
2nd you select the option "start in Views view" checkbox (or you can switch to it inside the music plugin)
3rd going to the music plugin and viewing the "Views view" results in the following list:

Album Artists
Albums
Artists
Genre
Year

4th you select e.g. Artists and you get to the first level of the view "Artists".

Groked?

 

[jameson_uk]

Another thing that might be exactly what jrichards52081 wants and what I would like also. This would be the "Views View"

With the patch I have provided to open up the plugin with a parameter this should be straight forward as a new plugin.

I will try and mock this up later. Basically the new plugin will just provide a list of views and then open up the music plugin with that view.

 

[jrichards52081]

After playing around with MP a bit more last night, I think the music section actually does work very similarly to how I'd like for music, but some of the small details aren't quite working. After my long posts before, I think it boils down to 4 main problems for me at least:

1. As I addressed before allowing the views (paramaters) to exist as an extra level on top. I do like the way it is done in MovingPictures. There is a selectable option whether or not to use it, and the ability to choose which parameters are shown. If the option is selected, when you first enter MovingPictures there is a "popup" with those sorting parameters. Image attached. Maybe this is what you are referring to with the parameters Jameson? Of course the downside to this is that I have to back all the way out of the Music plugin to get to this list again or use the menu. It's just easier to hit the back button a certain number of times in a row than to bring up the menu, then make the selection of views to get the popup menu. I really like mbuzina's suggestion! Sounds like the patch might make that possible in a round-about way?

2. The ability to select shuffle (and repeat?) from the Now Playing screen. It would also be great to be able to assign a remote button to this function. I'd prefer it as an on/off function (XBMC does this) but I understand Jameson's concern that it is too much work for too little gain.

3. When a playlist, album, song, etc is completely done playing for the screen to automatically bounce back to the previous window/directory. This appears to happen in the other sections of MP. Not sure why it doesn't do so in Music. I don't need to see a blank screen with just the album cover if nothing is playing anymore.

4. An easier way to get back to the Now Playing screen if you are browsing other music. Maybe even just moving that selection to the top of the menu? Is the Now Playing little box not an actionable item to be able to highlight it and select it like you can in with the mini-video in the TV section?

Jameson has already addressed some of the above, with some really good info. Thought I'd include a few more specific comments:

The topbar should really be accessible with the remote but is not within music.

I just realized this what the issue is. I haven't had a mouse plugged in for a while. But the top bar does most of that already, I just can't bring it up without the mouse!

Enter will not jump only play now screen ever (think this might be a missing feature). Play will on folders (genres, albums, artists etc) on tracks it will jump but only if the option is set to jump always

Not sure what else to add. The only difference should be when looking at tracks where play will queue up a single track, clear whatever is playing and start that track. Enter will clear whatever is playing and start that track but will also queue up whatever was in the folder you pressed enter in to have that play next

Ok. I figured this out last night. I originally expected the function to be the same no matter which button I pressed. Now that I understand the difference, I feel like the functionality is reversed. I expected to hit Enter/OK to play just that one selected song, and to hit Play to play that song along with the rest of the folder.

In now playing if you bring up the context menu whilst playing a track you get the option to add the current album to playlist. If you have the option set in config to add tracks next in playlist not at the end then the rest of the album will get queued up.

Not quite what you are saying as (a) any songs on that album later down the playlist will get played again and (b) you have to have started a playlist first (pressing play on a genre though will do this anyway)

This is a pretty good work-around since I don't use the add to playlist option often (although if I did, I would set the option to add at the end. I figured out what was bugging me though. In my views I have it set to go from Genres->Albums. Which works fine for browsing. But, because of this, I expected that if I hit play while on a specific Genre, it would have all the songs in that playlist sorted by Album.

Also I just re-read this thread and saw this from jameson:

- Adding the ability to skip levels of views where only a single item exists.
- One thing I would possibly like to see if a multi-purpose now-playing screen so you could switch between fanart, vizualisations, tag info, artist / album info.
- I personally do not like the current setup where pressing ok on a track will play it and then queue up remaining tracks in the view you are looking at. I would like to be able to configure this to allow ok to add just the track you want to the playlist.

I would emphatically agree with these ideas!! I overlooked them before. I think they would be large improvements, but I think the 3rd should be an option.

 

[jameson_uk]

1. As I addressed before allowing the views (paramaters) to exist as an extra level on top.

If I can get the patch it it basically allows you to launch music straight into any view. What I am proposing is a new plugin that you would actually launch from the home menu instead of music. This will simply give you a list of views and clicking on any of them will open up the view in music. There is a shortcut to get back to the home screen (the green button on the MCE remote) and from there it would be one click to open up this plugin again

2. The ability to select shuffle (and repeat?) from the Now Playing screen. It would also be great to be able to assign a remote button to this function. I'd prefer it as an on/off function (XBMC does this) but I understand Jameson's concern that it is too much work for too little gain.

I think it is too much effort to implement what you wanted for shuffle to not re-order the playlist. I will look at adding shuffle to the now playing screen but this will re-order the playlist

3. When a playlist, album, song, etc is completely done playing for the screen to automatically bounce back to the previous window/directory. This appears to happen in the other sections of MP. Not sure why it doesn't do so in Music. I don't need to see a blank screen with just the album cover if nothing is playing anymore.

Still need to think about this

4. An easier way to get back to the Now Playing screen if you are browsing other music.

I have submitted a patch that will allow you to jump to now playing from anywhere within MP. Also if you want to jump to now playing from any screen within the music section this is possible if the skin adds a button to do that. If you want this you need to ask the skinners (this can be done already)

- Adding the ability to skip levels of views where only a single item exists.
- One thing I would possibly like to see if a multi-purpose now-playing screen so you could switch between fanart, vizualisations, tag info, artist / album info.
- I personally do not like the current setup where pressing ok on a track will play it and then queue up remaining tracks in the view you are looking at. I would like to be able to configure this to allow ok to add just the track you want to the playlist.

I would emphatically agree with these ideas!! I overlooked them before. I think they would be large improvements, but I think the 3rd should be an option.

Skip levels is in current test version.
Also we have made all the data available to skins to hopefully now skinners will be able to work some magic and use it.
I have not fully thought about how to implement the third option but more than likely there would be two modes (one as now and a new one) and user can chose which they want

 

[blubserl]

hi!

I also looked at the music section last night...

2. The ability to select shuffle (and repeat?) from the Now Playing screen. It would also be great to be able to assign a remote button to this function. I'd prefer it as an on/off function (XBMC does this) but I understand Jameson's concern that it is too much work for too little gain.

exactly my thoughts. shuffle on/off, repeat one/all/off should be global switches, accessible from every music screen (not only the now playing screen). their state should be saved between sessions. assigning remote buttons to these functions is a very good idea - maybe like the subtitle or language switcher in the video section? imho this tweak would improve the music section a lot.

3. When a playlist, album, song, etc is completely done playing for the screen to automatically bounce back to the previous window/directory. This appears to happen in the other sections of MP. Not sure why it doesn't do so in Music. I don't need to see a blank screen with just the album cover if nothing is playing anymore.

+1


What i have to add is, that the "Next Track" Info should be optional. Music-wise I like being surprised - which is why i also don't like the current way of going to the playlist, randomize the playlist and then go back to the now playing screen. you already see the next 15 tracks. with shuffle mode on, the playlist should automatically be randomized in the background each time one starts playback. maybe already played songs could temporarily be stored in a "black list" so they don't get played twice during a session.

Additionally i would love to see more last.fm information in the now playing screen. Localized (in my case german) Artist biography/discography/events/label information etc.

BTW It can't be said often enough: Big thanks and much respect to you devs for listening to us and for developing such a great media center software!

greetings,

blubserl

 

[jameson_uk]

exactly my thoughts. shuffle on/off, repeat one/all/off should be global switches, accessible from every music screen (not only the now playing screen). their state should be saved between sessions. assigning remote buttons to these functions is a very good idea - maybe like the subtitle or language switcher in the video section? imho this tweak would improve the music section a lot

Good idea for shuffle, finding the repeat function was a bit like the shuffle, I did not know it was there

A shuffle option and repeat toggle looks like a good idea and we should be able to do this through any music screen. I just need to figure out how...

3. When a playlist, album, song, etc is completely done playing for the screen to automatically bounce back to the previous window/directory. This appears to happen in the other sections of MP. Not sure why it doesn't do so in Music. I don't need to see a blank screen with just the album cover if nothing is playing anymore.

+1

I was unsure about this but as pointed out when video ends it jumps back to list so this is different to music, so this me kind of warm to it

What i have to add is, that the "Next Track" Info should be optional. Music-wise I like being surprised - which is why i also don't like the current way of going to the playlist, randomize the playlist and then go back to the now playing screen. you already see the next 15 tracks. with shuffle mode on, the playlist should automatically be randomized in the background each time one starts playback. maybe already played songs could temporarily be stored in a "black list" so they don't get played twice during a session.

I am not planning on changing the playlist logic as I would have a feeling it would be far too complicated. If you want to blank out the next track label (permanently) it is a one second job to amend the skin file

Additionally i would love to see more last.fm information in the now playing screen. Localized (in my case german) Artist biography/discography/events/label information etc.

This is what I was hoping to do (well artist info anyway) but the last.fm API seems to advertise different language support but when I was playing with it I only seemed to get English

BTW It can't be said often enough: Big thanks and much respect to you devs for listening to us and for developing such a great media center software!

we have only implemented a few things so far but hopefully we can get a few more things into 1.2 beta

 

[el_gato]

AW: Re: Ideas for Music Section

Also we have made all the data available to skins to hopefully now skinners will be able to work some magic and use it.
I have not fully thought about how to implement the third option but more than likely there would be two modes (one as now and a new one) and user can chose which they want

i really like your commitment and the energy you put into the improvement of the music section. when you talk about the available data, does this include only infos which are available when media is already playing like #Play.Current.Track or is there also some data available for the current selected item? there is already the #Selecteditem tag but this shows the whole filename (06. 30 Seconds to Mars - Savior in one row in this example here). i would like to have the artist and track seperated like #Selecteditem.Artist or sth like that to be more flexible in skin creation. specifically i think about the coverflow view as shown in the attached pic with 2 rows, one with selected song and one with selected songs artist...

i just started playing around with all this skinning, so pls be patient if i missed these tags if they already exist...