Re: [campcaster-dev] Studio Redesign
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    Paul,


    I couldn't agree more with what Ferenc has already said.

    The only thing I wanted to add was that any changes to the UI at this
    point should not be considered without extensive input from actual users.
    Now that we have users and real-world environments where the software is
    running, it would be crazy not to take advantage of that.


    doug






    Ferenc Gerlits
    01/04/2007 12:37 PM
    Please respond to campcaster-dev


    To: campcaster-dev@campware.org
    cc:
    Subject: Re: [campcaster-dev] Studio Redesign


    Hi Paul,

    I think we could make Studio into a usable Live Assist system with
    relatively minor changes. It would be a huge waste to stop now, start
    over from scratch, and spend months on a complete redesign. These are
    the minor changes I have in mind:

    Usage scenario:

    1. The audio technician opens a file browser to a USB stick or a network
    drive, selects the files prepared by the journalists, and drops them on
    a desktop shortcut for the Mass Import script.

    2. He starts up Studio, which opens the sub-windows to the configuration
    in which he left them the previous day.

    3a. The Search window has an option for searching for files added
    recently. He finds the files he just added, and drags them over to the
    Live Mode window.

    3b. Optionally: searches for some more files, and adds these to the Live
    Mode window as well.

    3c. He adds some jingles from the Scratchpad to the Live Mode Window.

    4. He rearranges the files in the Live Mode window to the correct order;
    marks some of them as "beds", ie, background sounds which will loop
    continuously when played.

    5. He presses a (customizable) key to start playing the top item in the
    Live Mode Window; this key would do this no matter which window is
    selected. He can also double-click an item possibly different from the
    top one, to play it out of order.

    6. He logs out, exits Studio, exits the studio, and goes home.

    The changes we'd need to implement for this are the following:

    * Modify the mass import script to accept directories and files mixed
    together (at the moment, you have to specify -f or -d).

    * Remember the open/closed state of windows at logout.

    * Implement a "search for recently added" feature in the Search window.

    * Implement drag and drop between Studio windows.

    * Forget the idea that everything touched goes to the Scratchpad
    window, and use it as a jingle bank instead.

    * Add an Automatic/Manual switch to the Live Mode window.

    * Implement a global hotkey which activates the Play button in the
    Live Mode window.

    These are all small changes which can be done in the next weeks, instead
    of months, and would noticeably improve the usability.

    After this, there are (bigger) second tier features we can do:

    * Allow for mass import directly into Studio.

    * Implement an audio properties pop-up window for displaying (possibly
    editing) metadata.

    * Integrate the Scheduler into Studio, including a nicer Scheduler
    window, with day view.

    * Grey out instead of remove played items in the Live Mode window, and
    allow the contents to be saved as a playlist metafile.

    * Support for web stream inputs.

    * Support for streaming the output to a web stream.

    * Allow the user to save his user name, password and preferred
    language, so in a single-user setting he wouldn't have to log in every
    time he starts Studio.

    * etc

    Completely redesigning the interface to make it single-windowed, in my
    mind, comes somewhere way down the list, after all of the above are
    finished. Having said that, I _would_ like to rewrite Studio in
    libglade: that would mean separating the code from the visual design, so
    it would allow creative people to redraw windows (change color, spacing,
    placement of widgets) without any change in the C++ code. That would be
    a good thing, and I hope Sava can find the budget for it, but it
    probably won't be easy.

    Ferenc
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