[Rhythmbox-devel] Re: [Usability]rhythmbox interface

[Jorn Baayen <jorn nl linux org>]

Hi,

On Fri, 2002-11-22 at 13:18, Roberto Rosselli Del Turco wrote:
> Jorn Baayen wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > The current Rhythmbox interface isn't very good, and we've been thinking
> > about improving it, but it's hard. So some input from you guys would
> > rule.
> > 
> > Current interface, with it's problems:
> > ======================================
> > To begin with, for the people who have never run rb here is a
> > screenshot:
> > http://nl.linux.org/~jorn/Files/ff.png
> 
> Just a few notes jotted down while looking at the screenshot:
> 
> - Organize menu 1st item, why? should be after View or Music;
> - no File menu? (to load/save playlists, add whole directories to 
> current playlist etc.) unless that's what the Organize menu does, in the 
> which case you should rename it;

Olivier already replied on these, so I wont :)

> - navigation tools, audio control and search field should belong to the
> same toolbar;

I disagree about the search field; it's related to the view, so it
should be close to it, and not in a toolbar 'far away' :).

> - said toolbar should have a handle and should be clearly distinct from
> song title + progress bar;

The handle thingie is there, but it's not shown on my shots since I
turned it off :) (gnome pref)

> - song played and song progress slider should be on the same ideal line 
> (/toolbar);

I'm not sure what you mean here.

> - sidebar should have a title;

Yeah, if we end up keeping it.

> - what's the purpose of Album/All?

Showing all artists, or all songs in the library. For example if you
want to shuffle play everything, and not just a single artist or album.

> 
> Not much that I can add without trying RB (will download it).
> 
> > As you can see, there is a sidebar, which allows you to switch between
> > different views. This has a lot of problems:
> > 1. The interface changes when clicking a button in the sidebar, just
> > like Evolution. My opinion is that it sucks, badly. I tend to remember
> > where items are in the menus, and if they get messed up all the time, I
> > get confused.
> 
> I agree 100%. Menus shouldn't change.
> 
> > 2. The toolbar with the playback controls and the area with the
> > currently playing information are static; they don't change when
> > switching between views, and act on the playing view. This is really,
> > really confusing. Even though I wrote it, I still find myself being
> > dizzy when using it. (Just hiding these wouldnt work either: because it
> > still is playing. Or stopping playback is not an option either, since
> > you may just want to browse your playlists or do some organization.)
> 
> Can't you hide all playback controls while in playlist organizing view, 
> and pop them up (at the same time hiding all organizing info) when in 
> playback view?

Nope, since you still want to see whether rb is playing or not. If all
that stuff were hidden, you couldn't tell.

> 
> > 3. It's not obvious how to add songs to groups/playlists. (Right now you
> > have to dnd songs from the lib to the sidebar button, or use C&P)
> 
> Is simple (multi)file selection with a requester possible? You could 
> have a temporary list of files in the middle selected with a normal 
> requester, and then organise them by dragging and dropping to different 
> playlists hosted in the sidebar.

I'm not really sure what I'm proposing here; but playlists have nothing
to do with files in RB. You dont add files to them, you add songs from
the library to them.

> 
> > 4. Users cannot specify what song to play after the current one.
> > Playlists are not enough here; if you are playing from the library, you
> > want to be able to say which song is to play next.
> 
> I really have to try this thing ;)
> 
> > Things we have now, that will probably be moved out:
> > ====================================================
> > 1. Audio CD. Got this in because we had the views stuff, but it prolly
> > belongs in a separate app. [For ripping we would ideally have nautilus
> > support browsing audiocds, and support copying oggs off it]
> > 2. Internet radio. Same as above.
> > 3. The sidebar :)
> 
> Hmmm... the idea of a complete music solution for GNOME was quite 
> appealing, why remove CD and Internet radio support?

Well, they will probably require view-like stuff, which is rather bad in
my opinion (changing interface on switch, etc). I'm not opposed to it
though, if a clean way to integrate them can be found.

Thanks,
Jorn

> 
> Ciao
> 
> -- 
> Roberto Rosselli Del Turco      e-mail:	rosselli@cisi.unito.it
> Dipartimento di Scienze			rosselli@ling.unipi.it
> del Linguaggio			Then spoke the thunder	DA
> Universita' di Torino		Datta: what have we given?  (TSE)
> 
>    Hige sceal the heardra,     heorte the cenre,
>    mod sceal the mare,       the ure maegen litlath.  (Maldon 312-3)
> 
>