MPC-HC new toolbar discussion

[tetsuo55]

EDIT:
thanks the the inspiration from this thread a dev has stepped up to fix some of the issues preventing "nicer" buttons, voting and responding to this thread is no longer required, i will open a new thread when we have a nightly out with the new controlbar features (and yes, the buttons will be skinnable)



Original post:

Hello everyone,

We have designed a new toolbar.

This toolbar should be easier to read when you are far from the display or if you are seeing impaired.
The new icons also use one theme now, and thus look less erratic.

Before:
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/771/1old.pnghttp://img211.imageshack.us/img211/155/2old.png
After:
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6122/1new.pnghttp://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8274/2new.png

[clsid]

I think the new mute icon looks ugly.

[stax76]

I prefer after but they are both very simple.

[Razoola]

I don't like the mute icon either but it is better than before. It may look better if it were to the right of the volume slider instead of the left though.

Can anything be done to update the volume bar also, personally I feel have db / volume values would be better.

Going back to the speaker icon, have you though about something like this... and for muting you simply remove the sound waves.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/emes/images/137px-Speaker_Icon_svg.png

[Snowknight26]

Ditch the Win 98 style altogether perhaps?

[stax76]

Then you have to ditch 'Classic' too in favor of 'Contemporary', some would applaud, others would cry. I don't see the GUI changing unless a new coder with design skills joins the project.

[XhmikosR]

@GTPVHD: That's why it's discussed before it's done.

[jmartinr]

I like the black and white idea.

[Keiyakusha]

Don't see much difference here... If mute icon and slightly bolder buttons is all that changed then it doesn't matters for me.
Comepletely redesigned gui will be much much better. By the way you not necessarily need "new coder with design skills" for that. Designer without much coding skills will do. If sketches will looks fine, implementing gui by them is not something hard like writing new renderers.

[pirlouy]

I prefer new ones.

[slavickas]

how about ditching inc dec speed?

[[P]ako]

I like Razoola's idea. Though, it may be so because it sooo looks like Mac's overlay icon for sound.

[mariush]

Going back to the speaker icon, have you though about something like this... and for muting you simply remove the sound waves.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/emes/images/137px-Speaker_Icon_svg.png

I'd like this more... that red on the mute messes up the whole layout.

[ikarad]

Hello everyone,

We have designed a new toolbar.

This toolbar should be easier to read when you are far from the display or if you are seeing impaired.
The new icons also use one theme now, and thus look less erratic.

Before:
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/771/1old.pnghttp://img211.imageshack.us/img211/155/2old.png
After:
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6122/1new.pnghttp://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8274/2new.png
Sorry, but I don't see any difference except speaker icon.

Maybe is it possible to add feature to allow to create different themes by anyone like with vlc?

[tetsuo55]

Here are 2 shots comparing the new "no audio track" icon

Before:
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6003/3old.th.png (http://img717.imageshack.us/i/3old.png/)
After:
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/539/3new.th.png (http://img534.imageshack.us/i/3new.png/)

[tetsuo55]

I think the new mute icon looks ugly.Can you show us an icon that you would like better?I don't like the mute icon either but it is better than before. It may look better if it were to the right of the volume slider instead of the left though.

Can anything be done to update the volume bar also, personally I feel have db / volume values would be better.

Going back to the speaker icon, have you though about something like this... and for muting you simply remove the sound waves.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/emes/images/137px-Speaker_Icon_svg.pngi prefer that icon too, i could ask our artist to make oneAgain, the same mistakes repeated. It looks terrible on XP using Windows Classic look, no Luna(remember the last time some icon changes were done? Everyone HATED that), obviously not gonna be tested on XP so it will annoy everyone again.Can you please show us samples and explain what would look better?Don't see much difference here... If mute icon and slightly bolder buttons is all that changed then it doesn't matters for me.
Comepletely redesigned gui will be much much better. By the way you not necessarily need "new coder with design skills" for that. Designer without much coding skills will do. If sketches will looks fine, implementing gui by them is not something hard like writing new renderers.Yes the changes are minor but relevant enough for a poll.
Changing the gui any further then this requires a PHD in brain suregery (completely refactoring of the gui engine)Sorry, but I don't see any difference except speaker icon.

Maybe is it possible to add feature to allow to create different themes by anyone like with vlc?The icons are slightly enlarged, and the speaker icons are completely remade



@ALL:
We would like to make the gui skinnable (but only if that does not hurt performance compared to the current gui)
Changing the gui is basically a complete rewrite from scratch

[Keiyakusha]

Maybe is it possible to add feature to allow to create different themes by anyone like with vlc?
For that someone should code skinable interface. Currently there is no separate GUI thing in MPC, only hardcoded interface.

By the way, why not put message about it somewhere. Maybe someone outside of doom9 forum can code a nice gui but don't even know that it is wanted?

[XhmikosR]

@ikarad: open each image in a different tab and switch through the tabs or download the images

[ikarad]

Can you show us an icon that you would like better?

here

http://nsa13.casimages.com/img/2010/02/26/mini_100226103042966898.png (http://www.casimages.com/img.php?i=100226103042966898.png)

[stax76]

For that someone should code skinable interface. Currently there is no separate GUI thing in MPC, only hardcoded interface.

There isn't much demand for a skin so it's a waste of resources. A toolbar should be implemented as OSD and a OSD should be implemented as separate Window on top of the video hosting main window.

[tetsuo55]

What do you guys think of these icons for the speaker?

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4923/mockup24all.png (http://img197.imageshack.us/i/mockup24all.png/)

[foxx1337]

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4923/mockup24all.png (http://img197.imageshack.us/i/mockup24all.png/)[/URL]



first one is twisted sick! love it

[tetsuo55]

We made a mockup in 1 screenshot of all the suggested speaker icons:

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/9261/mockup99all1.png (http://img46.imageshack.us/i/mockup99all1.png/)

[clsid]

Perhaps a black speaker with a single fully black forward slash would look nice as a mute button (for left to volume slider).

[tetsuo55]

like the last one here?

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/364/mockup101all.png (http://img717.imageshack.us/i/mockup101all.png/)

[tetsuo55]

thanks the the inspiration from this thread a dev has stepped up to fix some of the issues preventing "nicer" buttons, voting and responding to this thread is no longer required, i will open a new thread when we have a nightly out with the new controlbar features (and yes, the buttons will be skinnable)

[bobdynlan]

Nice to hear that.

I would love a better integration between the toolbar and the background color. As to not require the hack of not using XP-theming on player controls when using custom windows themes.

And how about using black, if transparency seems not possible. Then there are the volume and the progress controls that could use some skinning. Dreams...
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6117/1defwintheme.th.png (http://img191.imageshack.us/i/1defwintheme.png/)http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/3457/2customwintheme.th.png (http://img43.imageshack.us/i/2customwintheme.png/)
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/9504/3customwinthemewithnoxp.th.png (http://img718.imageshack.us/i/3customwinthemewithnoxp.png/)http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/2844/4oldschetchblackbgd.th.png (http://img194.imageshack.us/i/4oldschetchblackbgd.png/)