akos and i were sitting in the pub (the one where we got the jugs for the
bbq from), trying to specify all the user interface guidance, i.e. what
happens if you click where. we did not get it finished and hope that robert
(hello) will pick it up where we left it, as he knows more from the day to
day studio operations.

more info later tomorrow.

one thing we did come up with though is a feature that doug mentioned being
part of another piece of software, the DJ bag.

this is like a clip board which can hold files and playlists. anywhere you
do something to a file or a playlist, you can add it to the DJ bag. from
the DJ bag you can then select one or more items to go somewhere else.

an example:

i add a file by uploading it to the storage. it automatically comes up in
the DJ bag. from there i can right mouse click of select for 'add item to
exising playlist'

another example:

i searched the archive for my 'r&b night hour' programme, searched for all
items with 'guitar' and 'tears' in the title. from the found items, i
select 5 with a check box and say 'add to DJ bag' before continuing my
search to add some gary moore. later i will select 25 items from the DJ bag
and say 'create new playlist with selected items'.

so the DJ bag really is like a clipboard - and saves a lot of trouble of
going back and forth between feautres, e.g. uploading gary moore and adding
to the DJ bag AND searching for items to add to the DJ bag will gve me a
list of files that goes straight into my new playlist.

the DJ bag will be right mouse click sensitive and ofer a set of features
for files and playlists which will be the same for files and playlists
anywhere in the system.

so... it is pretty late to add a new feature to the software package, which
is why we want to keep it simple. an icon tells us if it is a file or a
playlist and it will only display the title, because the DJ bag is like our
working memory. it is there, in our mind, in the bag. short term memory.

the main problem to the interface design will be: if we decide to use the
DJ bag, this also means that the DJ bag should become almost the core
crossroads to many operations, i.e. needs to be quite prominent and
potentially *always* available. so... where do we attach this baby to...
the main window, running across the top? then we have a L shape, lying on
the side...

more later,

Micz Flor - micz@mi.cz

content and media development http://mi.cz
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"Das kommt in beiden Faellen Blau. Von Lila keine Spur."
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