Reply To: Preview 2.21: More UI improvements

@Zynewave wrote:

@thcilnnahoj wrote:

@Zynewave wrote:

I’m now going to start on the main 2.21 feature, which will be a new track toolbar. In the default setup it will sit right below the navigator.

Hmmm, let me ask… Do you have anything else planned then for the big empty space right above the track headers?

No, not besides the display of the marker name, tempo, time-sig and scale info that is currently displayed there. You’re of course free to remove the track toolbar, or move it directly above the tracks region. I think the track filter feature will justify using up space for the new track toolbar, but I need to experiment with that.

That’s too bad… I’m just guessing here, but I think more users would like to have a few useful buttons there instead of the info text. At least I don’t think it’s that important. Then again, it might even be a bit of a problem due to Podium’s design, assuming that the whole horizontal line is one region and cannot be easily split…?

@Zynewave wrote:

@thcilnnahoj wrote:

I’m also not keen on the bean-shaped 80’s sci-fi device look and placement of the transport bar elements. This time there’s no way to keep the old setup, so I guess I’ll have to get used to it…?

Specify please: Is it the fact that the buttons are no longer rectangular, that they are joined in a button bar, that the elements in the toolbar have been rearranged?

The placement is actually clever, as we’ve come to expect from you, but it’s just against the standards everyone’s used to even from old tape machines.
What I dislike more is the shape. With those buttons rounded on only one side, the icons look like they’re not at the center of the buttons. Just an optical illusion, probably. I can get the nice old round look back by adding in spaces in toolbars – just not in the transport bar. I really liked the rectangular buttons. However, I’d be very happy if they at least were all round like the new power button instead of bean-shapes when separated with spaces (that would probably require a bit smaller icons).
Otherwise I’ll probably go with a no-transport-bar setup when I decide to upgrade, since I mostly use the keyboard for the functions on there anyway.

The menu bar simply takes away from Podium’s aesthetics, but that’s just IMO. Auto-hide is acceptable, but will also take some getting used to.
For example, when I want to open the inspector/browser with the mouse, I usually move the cursor in a big motion to the upper edge of the screen, since it doesn’t matter if I overshoot the target there. Now I have to either be more careful and stop early, or move down a little so the bar can hide again – but not too far down, or the cursor won’t land on the button when the bar disappears… 🙄 It’ll be fine when you’re accustomed to it, but right now it’s annoying.
Also, I can’t stand it if everything that’s on screen just jumps around… That’s why I’m keeping only one timeline region instead of the default four – don’t like my arrangement jumping up and down all the time when switching on loop/punch modes.

I think the labels for the top buttons in the inspector, “Group” and “Color” could be misleading to unfamiliar users. Without the help text you could quite easily think “Uh, so do I click this button to make this into a group track? And this one to enable track colors?” They’d still fit into the minimum horizontal size of the inspector if they said “group panel” and “color picker” or similar, without ambiguity.

I feel kind of bad because I only have negative opinions and nit-picking to give again. 🙁 I guess it’s best not to worry about it if everyone else is happy. 😛 I’m still eagerly awaiting the track toolbar…