Dopamine

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

The current volume control in Dopamine has three ways to change the level.

# Hover over and move the scrollwheel of the mouse.

# Click somewhere on the bar to move the level to that area

# Grab the slider and move it around.

 

Personally I think the first two are enough, you cover both scrollwheel and non scrollwheel adjustments. But you'll need more inputs from the rest of the users to see what is preferred.

 

There is also "+" and "-" on the keyboard when the window is in focus. and ctrl+"+" and ctrl+"-" for finer adjustments

Option 2 wouldn't work if the bar only appears when scrolling

[jasondefaoite]

Yup I got that after I posted, hence the edit

[Jackaluichi]

You should try Musicbrainz Picard. This tagging software uses song recognition technology to identify and tag your music, much like Soundhound and Shazam apps.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll give it a shot as soon as I can

[Jan Veteran]

A few ideas:

 

Double click the cover art in mini-mode to go back to full size.

Drag anywhere on the mini-mode to move it, not just the titlebar.

You could try the Windows 10 new icons?

And possibly a what's next mode to see what songs are coming up?

 

Here's a few mockups:

 

An alternative way to show titles:

 

https://gfycat.com/UnripeElatedGuineapig

 

What's Next in Mini Mode

 

https://gfycat.com/ComposedAfraidGoldenmantledgroundsquirrel

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

A few ideas:

 

Double click the cover art in mini-mode to go back to full size.

Drag anywhere on the mini-mode to move it, not just the titlebar.

You could try the Windows 10 new icons?

And possibly a what's next mode to see what songs are coming up?

 

Here's a few mockups:

 

An alternative way to show titles:

 

https://gfycat.com/UnripeElatedGuineapig

 

What's Next in Mini Mode

 

https://gfycat.com/ComposedAfraidGoldenmantledgroundsquirrel

 

Wow that's an impressive mockup! Thanks

 

There's some nice ideas in there. I planned a "what's next" list,  similar to yours. However my list button would be in the top left corner in the area where the window buttons reside.

Now that doesn't seem so sure anymore in my head I'll try some things out.

 

For the windows 10 buttons. They look quite good indeed. I might switch at some point.

 

From looking at your mockup, removing the circles around the all buttons except play helps making the mini player cleaner it seems.

[Mike43110]

Strange, can't quote anything. Quite frustrating!

?Looking at Jan's mockup, I can't see the way to display the title. Personally however, I feel the title should remain displayed at all times.

?The button layout on the other hand is perfect. It adds in the space required for volume to be added (vertical bar appearing on top of the icon?) and adds the useful functionality of the what's next list. The icons chosen are also beautiful. Being able to switch icons could be a nice touch?

 

Raphael, I did an undergrad in mechatronics then leapt over to do a masters in Computer Science. Which I am still doing now! Evolutionary Robotics is a field where I can use my knowledge from engineering and combine it with CS!

[Thomas the Tank Engine]

What's Next in Mini Mode

 

https://gfycat.com/ComposedAfraidGoldenmantledgroundsquirrel

Would that work with shuffle turned on?

[dakn]

Would that work with shuffle turned on?

 

That's how it would be in any other player. Certainly that way in Zune.

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

Strange, can't quote anything. Quite frustrating!

?Looking at Jan's mockup, I can't see the way to display the title. Personally however, I feel the title should remain displayed at all times.

?The button layout on the other hand is perfect. It adds in the space required for volume to be added (vertical bar appearing on top of the icon?) and adds the useful functionality of the what's next list. The icons chosen are also beautiful. Being able to switch icons could be a nice touch?

 

Raphael, I did an undergrad in mechatronics then leapt over to do a masters in Computer Science. Which I am still doing now! Evolutionary Robotics is a field where I can use my knowledge from engineering and combine it with CS!

 

I agree about the title needing to be displayed at all times. Displaying it on the cover art can cause issues, depending on the color of the picture. I saw a screenshot of the new xbox music app in windowed mode some time ago (can't find it anymore). It was displaying the title in white on the cover. With that cover, it looked nice. But I can't see this working with every type of cover.

 

Sounds like an interesting field you're in!

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

Based on Jan's ideas, but using the current graphics and icons, I've created those mockups:

 

 

 

Going to list-mode would use sliding similar to Jan's mockup, but I'm not as great as him in creating that kind of mockups

 

What do you think?

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

Build 149 is available. This is the changelog:

 

• Fixed a glitch with the progress slider on the Mini Player
• Fixed a bug where double clicking the ScrollBar starts playing songs
• Added the Songs screen
• Added a volume control to the Mini player
• Fixed a glitch in the album selection at 125% item size
• Small UI fixes here and there

This build still has the old mini player layout, but with volume slider on the cover picture. That will change later.

 

Download here

 

Next week will be a poor development week. My day job will require evening time. So next coding will start only next weekend. I'll check here regularly for suggestions and questions though. So keep the posts coming.

[wetworker]

Nice. Installing right now. Happy,Happy, Joy, Joy,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0V4TZAyd8I

[Jackaluichi]

[Ruti]

Loving it! anywat to sort it by folders>?

[dakn]

Awesome. Donated. Keep up the great work.

 

(Would really love to see sorting by Genre on the main screen. )

[Darrian]

After installing the new build there are obviously changes, but it still reports build 148 in the about screen and prompts me to download build 149 in the top left corner.

[+Zagadka Subscriber²]

Um, just noticed that I can't make the shuffle and loop buttons work at the same time. They toggle each other off, which is inconvenient. Also, no way to minimize the album art yet?

 

Very very very minor note that I assume will be addressed later... icon in the uninstall window etc is system default.

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

After installing the new build there are obviously changes, but it still reports build 148 in the about screen and prompts me to download build 149 in the top left corner.

 

Oops, I made a silly mistake when posting the changelog on Neowin, renaming the installer and putting version info on my blog for the version check (i was convinced it was 149 somehow). It's indeed 148, not 149. The version check will not bother you anymore starting from now

Um, just noticed that I can't make the shuffle and loop buttons work at the same time. They toggle each other off, which is inconvenient. Also, no way to minimize the album art yet?

 

Very very very minor note that I assume will be addressed later... icon in the uninstall window etc is system default.

 

Shuffle does both shuffle and loop.

What do you mean by minimizing album art? The big cache?

Icon of uninstall: later

Awesome. Donated. Keep up the great work.

 

(Would really love to see sorting by Genre on the main screen. )

 

Thank you!

Genre can be done. I'm adding a task for myself.

[:B: Rex]

hmm genre would be good but not all music is properly tagged with a genre

for me the playlist function is crucial then for sure i can have genre's sorted out and break up my collection

as well as a playlist would make indexing only part of my collection easier and faster

 

the album list view isnt so good for me. i have so many albums there are just too many thumbnails to find what i need

and for me the album thumb view is somewhat broken. many albums show up with a thumbnail for 1 or 2 songs. so some sections of album thumb view have a dozen or more of the same image showing

sure some albums show with only 1 thumb but there are too many for me that show multiple thumbs

i think my tracks are tagged ok but for whatever reason the album view doesnt work so well

 

i would like to be able to disable album view and perhaps it would also disable the large caching of album art which takes forever

 

and to answer one of your earlier questions raphael i think your player is the only one to show album art in album view

 

about your mini player, most media players have a very tiny mini player and if they show album art it is also a very small thumbnail

on yours you have your larger now playing screen if people want to see album art so why such a big image on your mini player?

personally i never use a mini player, using multiple monitors i usually will have a full screen player on one of them

 

playlist function soon please because shuffle of all my different genres isnt good when i only want to hear a certain kind of music

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

and for me the album thumb view is somewhat broken. many albums show up with a thumbnail for 1 or 2 songs. so some sections of album thumb view have a dozen or more of the same image showing

sure some albums show with only 1 thumb but there are too many for me that show multiple thumbs

 

Can you verify an album which shows up more than once, and verify these tags in 1 file under each album:

 

- albumtitle

- albumartist

- discnumber

- disccount

 

As those are the tags that define an album right now. Which means that all tracks with the same value in each of the 4 tags, belong to an album.

 

I have no idea how other player decide which tracks belong to the same album. In the past I checked only for albumtitle and albumartist. But then I got complaints that albums with multiple discs just got their songs mixed together.

[dakn]

hmm genre would be good but not all music is properly tagged with a genre

for me the playlist function is crucial then for sure i can have genre's sorted out and break up my collection

as well as a playlist would make indexing only part of my collection easier and faster

 

the album list view isnt so good for me. i have so many albums there are just too many thumbnails to find what i need

and for me the album thumb view is somewhat broken. many albums show up with a thumbnail for 1 or 2 songs. so some sections of album thumb view have a dozen or more of the same image showing

sure some albums show with only 1 thumb but there are too many for me that show multiple thumbs

i think my tracks are tagged ok but for whatever reason the album view doesnt work so well

 

i would like to be able to disable album view and perhaps it would also disable the large caching of album art which takes forever

 

and to answer one of your earlier questions raphael i think your player is the only one to show album art in album view

 

about your mini player, most media players have a very tiny mini player and if they show album art it is also a very small thumbnail

on yours you have your larger now playing screen if people want to see album art so why such a big image on your mini player?

personally i never use a mini player, using multiple monitors i usually will have a full screen player on one of them

 

playlist function soon please because shuffle of all my different genres isnt good when i only want to hear a certain kind of music

 

I like the size of the mini player as it still puts a nice focus on the artwork without it being too small and if you never use it then it shouldn't be an issue?

Also, Zune displays album art in album view in exactly the same way.

 

Genre works nicely for me because my music is all tagged correctly and I define the genres I want, and in the middle column I can sort by: Artist / A-Z / Year / Date Added. Here's a little mock-up I made for something else.

 

[Skiver Veteran]

Can I add something to consider...

 

When using the mini player, have an option to disable the next song notification? Its a minor issue but if its open on top, I don't need a second box telling me.

 

Perhaps a check box under the "always on top" that becomes available when always on top is selected to check/uncheck notification. Obviously if its not on top you may still want it.

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

I like the size of the mini player as it still puts a nice focus on the artwork without it being too small and if you never use it then it shouldn't be an issue?

Also, Zune displays album art in album view in exactly the same way.

 

Genre works nicely for me because my music is all tagged correctly and I define the genres I want, and in the middle column I can sort by: Artist / A-Z / Year / Date Added. Here's a little mock-up I made for something else.

 

 

To answer both of you at once. With Dopamine I chose to focus on album art. That is why the albums list is there and why the mini player puts the focus on the album art. It will not change (at least as long as I have a need for it to be like that ).

I gladly respond to suggestions and ideas. You're all very constructive and helpful. Thank you. If the suggestion fits in the general idea that I have for Dopamine or if your motivation to have such feature is so strong that you can convince me that I also have a need for such feature , it'll get included. In any other case, I'm sorry I can't please everyone.

Can I add something to consider...

 

When using the mini player, have an option to disable the next song notification? Its a minor issue but if its open on top, I don't need a second box telling me.

 

Perhaps a check box under the "always on top" that becomes available when always on top is selected to check/uncheck notification. Obviously if its not on top you may still want it.

 

Excellent idea! It will be added.

[+Zagadka Subscriber²]

[allannyholm]

I think I've allocated a bug in the white theme with colors for Dopamine following the Windows 8.1 colors. 

 

It happened while clicking to go to the album from Miss Kittin - A Bugged Out Mix and I then double-clicked to hear one of the mixes on that album.

 

All of the sudden every hover turned white as you can see a glimpse of.

 

Each and every other track that I select after that get s a white blanked out hover. Just as the 'Close, maximize and minimize' buttons do.

 

I do use Glass8 with much transparency. So if that's what's causing it this is of course not something that you should try to workaround since it's really a hack to the OS.

 

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the scrollbar also turns white - I could not capture that with the built-in Snipping Tool.

 

Edit: I just found out that of course there's no bug - it was because I used a transparent white color for my windows - now that was silly for me to allocate that as a bug when clearly it was my own wrong doing. Switching to a blue or any other color helps the issue a great deal. 

Edited March 9, 2015 by allan.nyholm