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Zynewave
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Joined: 22 Mar 2004
Posts: 5908
Location: Denmark
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 Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:34 am Post subject: Preview 2.36: Extended UI and mixer resizing. |
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The graphics designer in me got the upper hand on this release, which has resulted in some new UI scalability features that I've been meaning to do for a while. The new UI resize features makes Podium more suitable for touch-screen interfaces. It can also be convenient for sight-impaired users, or to adjust for different usage situations.
You may be shocked to learn that I've dropped the old circular button style, and now use a "rounded corner" style  . You can still get the old circular look by setting the new "roundness" setting in preferences to 100%. For the new compact mixer design, the circular buttons are not practical as they waste more space than rectangular buttons.
I'm not done with testing, so there may be bugs I haven't discovered yet. I'd appreciate your feedback on the new design.
Beta1 is available in the VIP lounge. Changelog so far:
- The mixer horizontal zoom can now extend down to 25%. When zooming below 100%, the various mixer controls will change position and size to accomodate for the narrow mixer strips.
- Added an "Appearance" page to the preferences dialog. It includes new settings for default button size, button and and slider knob roundness, and various options. The Podium default is updated to use a button roundness setting of 50%.
- Added a shortcut for setting the default button size directly in the Podium UI: Place the mouse cursor over the project window menu bar, hold the Ctrl key down, and use the mouse wheel to adjust the overall button size. The entire UI will scale in realtime.
- Redesigned various graphical details of the track inspector, track headers and mixer strips.
- Revised the design of menu buttons, so that they all have the same rectangular shape and appearance.
- Removed the outdated "use name of device assigned to track" option from the effect track properties dialog.
- Removed the slider knob style options from the Colors dialog. These settings are replaced by the new Appearance page in the Preferences dialog.
- Fix: Dropping a device object onto a partially hidden effect chain panel on a track header could cause a crash.
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swindus
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Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 201
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 5:19 am Post subject: |
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| Wow! Podium looks so great now! |
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Slomo
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Joined: 19 Jul 2007
Posts: 114
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 8:34 am Post subject: |
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| Excellent! |
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Trancit
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Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 138
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:01 am Post subject: |
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Thx very much, but one little thing:
For me the size of the level meter drops down to soon to make place for the Solo/Mute/Record buttons...
The size drops down already at the next possible step before 100%, when the buttons are "far far away"
The buttons reach the level meter at a zoom level of about 50% and it would be nice if the size drops down directly before that and not so early...
Second I noticed, if busses are docked (I always use them docked at right side as well as the master) there are not affected by zoom level...
Third, the meter scale: If you would place the level meter scale under the SMR buttons, they could be visible for much longer time...
But apart from this, this zooming works very fine...
Thx again
Trancit |
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LiquidProj3ct
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Joined: 01 Oct 2008
Posts: 807
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:07 am Post subject: |
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The mini-mixer strips are cool.
It would be nice if you could hide the master and return mixer strips since when you're using three or more they take a lot of horizontal space from the screen. (or, is there any way to do it?) |
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Trancit
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Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 138
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:14 am Post subject: |
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| LiquidProj3ct wrote: | The mini-mixer strips are cool.
It would be nice if you could hide the master and return mixer strips since when you're using three or more they take a lot of horizontal space from the screen. (or, is there any way to do it?) |
The only way I found is when you "undock" them...
Trancit |
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Trancit
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Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 138
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:23 am Post subject: |
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Another question:
Because the midi preview works so well, especially with in sync to the project, do you plan rex support with same preview features from the browser, that would be so cool and would bring Podium at the same level with Reaper in this point...
At which I have to say, you have implemented the named notes in editor, drum editor and now the midi preview so much better and smoother than they did... 
Trancit |
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thcilnnahoj
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Joined: 20 Mar 2007
Posts: 822
Location: Austria
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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Sigh... I think I'm over the initial shock now. That was quite something.
I guess there's no way you could be convinced to make the button roundness setting also apply to all the things on track headers, mixer strips, and the rack...? I understand the implications it would have.
| Zynewave wrote: | | I'd appreciate your feedback on the new design. |
Are you sure?
Well then, time to put on your graphic designer flame suit, Frits! I hope it has rounded corners. 
- I find it weird that buttons on track headers, mixer strips, and in the rack don't have (noticable) shadows anymore, whereas all other buttons still do. Personally, I liked it better with shadows, as in 2.35.
- What happened to the frame on mixer strips!?  Personally, I don't care whether the selector buttons overlap the frame, or the frame overlaps them - I don't want to have to look at the top of mixer strips every time to see which one is selected. Besides, it looked really neat. 
- I don't like how the group level color strips are so distinctly separate from the track headers now. I much, much prefer the 2.35 look.
- I don't like that the space between the input/source selectors and effects is gone.
- It's funny that the gain/pan fields now always use that small font, even though you said before that better readability compared to the small font on faders was one of the fields' main advantages.
- I think a logical consequence of mixer strip resizing is that the BSMR buttons should just be centered when they are drawn on top of the meters. I'd say this should also happen on MIDI tracks (that have no meters).
- There's some space wasted where the B button usually is. Maybe this space could be reclaimed when you don't actually have a track visible on which bouncing is enabled. If there is one, it would push down the SMR buttons so they're aligned again on all tracks.
- With the line separating the name and selector buttons on track headers gone now, I think it'd look better if the whole header was colored with the selection color again whenever it's small enough so that the input, source, etc. buttons aren't visible. Incidentally, since the separator is gone, there's no indication of where you can drop things, so would it be possible to change it so that devices can be dropped anywhere on track headers?
- I think hiding the handles in the zPEQ editor miniature when reaching a certain zoom level would be worthwhile. That way you could at least see the EQ curve (you can't reasonably edit it anyway using that tiny editor).
- Have you ever thought about using dials for pan again? It's just easier to see, and definitely easier to adjust values on small strips. Unless everyone hates dials. 
- About moving the glass slider option away from color settings... I think it's something that is more closely related to color setups. This is a really minor thing, though.
Looks like my design preferences just differ greatly from yours sometimes. I apologize for all the bitching. Possibly more to come as I notice things, though  |
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Zynewave
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Joined: 22 Mar 2004
Posts: 5908
Location: Denmark
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Trancit wrote: | | For me the size of the level meter drops down to soon to make place for the Solo/Mute/Record buttons... |
I'll see if I can optimize this. Note that if you have enabled RMS metering on a track (click the meter to toggle this), then the RMS level indicators are drawn on the right side of the meter. That's why there is a space between the meter and the BSMR buttons. |
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Zynewave
Administrator
Joined: 22 Mar 2004
Posts: 5908
Location: Denmark
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Trancit wrote: | Another question:
Because the midi preview works so well, especially with in sync to the project, do you plan rex support with same preview features from the browser, that would be so cool and would bring Podium at the same level with Reaper in this point... |
REX file support is not on my time plan. There are a lot of features I want to work on before looking at REX support. |
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4mica
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Joined: 07 Mar 2010
Posts: 142
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Man oh man. The whole roundness thing was the tiniest of issues for me, something I was always conscious of but not really bothered by. That's why I've never mentioned it. But wow-no more puffy stickers (my pet name for them)!! Looks even slicker now, thank you. |
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Zynewave
Administrator
Joined: 22 Mar 2004
Posts: 5908
Location: Denmark
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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| thcilnnahoj wrote: | | Sigh... I think I'm over the initial shock now. That was quite something. |
Cheer up. Try the new beta2
| Quote: | | I guess there's no way you could be convinced to make the button roundness setting also apply to all the things on track headers, mixer strips, and the rack...? I understand the implications it would have. |
Explain why you preferred the old style?
| Quote: | | Zynewave wrote: | | I'd appreciate your feedback on the new design. |
- I find it weird that buttons on track headers, mixer strips, and in the rack don't have (noticable) shadows anymore, whereas all other buttons still do. Personally, I liked it better with shadows, as in 2.35. |
I felt that the shadows around all the controls within a track header were a bit too much. By toning it down I feel it's easier to distinguish the track headers from each other. That's also why I added the 1 pixel rounded corner to track headers.
| Quote: | | - What happened to the frame on mixer strips!? Personally, I don't care whether the selector buttons overlap the frame, or the frame overlaps them - I don't want to have to look at the top of mixer strips every time to see which one is selected. Besides, it looked really neat. |
It looked horrible when used on the new narrow strips. It was difficult to tell apart shadow, meter, slider groove, and the 2 pixel focus frame. In beta2 I've gone back to painting the entire strip background with the select color. The reason I changed it to the frame some time ago, was because the old flat track controls did not blend well with the select color. Since then the new track chain panel with real buttons has been implemented. I think this works better with a full select color background. If no one objects to this, I'll do the same with the track headers.
| Quote: | | - I don't like that the space between the input/source selectors and effects is gone. |
It's back.
| Quote: | | - It's funny that the gain/pan fields now always use that small font, even though you said before that better readability compared to the small font on faders was one of the fields' main advantages. |
If I remember correctly, that was done before the new chain panel with the smaller font was implemented. I felt it looked a little out of place with the large font in between all the small font texts. I think it's ok to use the large font for the track name.
| Quote: | | - I think a logical consequence of mixer strip resizing is that the BSMR buttons should just be centered when they are drawn on top of the meters. I'd say this should also happen on MIDI tracks (that have no meters). |
They are now centered. Note that the pixel width of meters are uneven, and buttons are even, so they cannot be centered exactly above the meter.
| Quote: | | - There's some space wasted where the B button usually is. Maybe this space could be reclaimed when you don't actually have a track visible on which bouncing is enabled. If there is one, it would push down the SMR buttons so they're aligned again on all tracks. |
I can remove it if there are no bounced tracks at all. I won't remove it if just the currently visible tracks don't have a bounce button. It would be very confusing that the BSMR buttons would jump up and down as you scroll along the mixer strips.
| Quote: | | - I think hiding the handles in the zPEQ editor miniature when reaching a certain zoom level would be worthwhile. That way you could at least see the EQ curve (you can't reasonably edit it anyway using that tiny editor). |
Good suggestion. Implemented in beta2. If you move the mouse over the EQ display, the nearest handle will still appear.
| Quote: | | - Have you ever thought about using dials for pan again? It's just easier to see, and definitely easier to adjust values on small strips. Unless everyone hates dials. |
I like the symmetry of the slider. |
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ninjawarrior
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Joined: 23 Jun 2010
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 12:15 am Post subject: |
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Wohoo!  Looks way more better 
If i can suggest, do something about those faders. To me, they don't even look like a faders.
Also you could try to put fader center and left channel output meter goes left side on fader, and right channel output meter goes right side on the fader.
_________________
Look! I am a clown. |
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druid
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Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 400
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| Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:33 am Post subject: |
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So, before I start, I will say that I use a 40" LED TV screen, full HD (1920x1080) and my eyesight sucks, so I have Windows 7 set to ... 125% text size, I think. Windows 7 then increases the size of most text, scrollbars, icons etc. You *could* look at this in Windows also, to determine how you should size the interface. It would allow Podium to be more compatible with general system settings.
I could understand why you might not want to bother with such a thing, but as a steadfast user of larger-than-100% font/scrollbar/icon/etc size in Windows now (on my laptop too) it's sure nice when other programs, like internet browsers, recognise this setting and render the text larger for me too. |
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Trancit
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Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 138
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| Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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After a closer look to the mixer, I have to say, you should definetely work on the Solo/Mute/Record buttons...
Especially when resizing the mixer channels, they are far to big and "ugly"...
I think they are by far not so important to take so much space...
Did you change the colour of selected track in the new beta??? Especially the mixer channel this blue is so dense and bright, itīs hard to see any details anymore and this bright colour doesnīt fit the rest of the colour scheme...
Trancit |
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