Re: [Audacity-devel] MixerBoard layout changes

[Vaughan J. <vau...@sb...>]

Gale Andrews wrote:
> | From Steve <ste...@gm...> 
> | Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:15:20 +0100
> | Subject: [Audacity-devel] MixerBoard layout changes
>   
>> Now that there is a bit more room, how about numbers on the slider
>> scale? I have attached a mock-up which also shows a pop-up to indicate
>> the set level (is that possible?).
>>
>> I've shown the scale as non-linear which is more like what you will find
>> on a hardware mixer.
>>     
>
> I think we're hoping Leland has slider tooltips in hand in due course
> (Checklist P4 "Toolbar and track gain/pan sliders should display 
> current slider position on hover"). So I assume this would also fix 
> the Mixer Bar sliders?   
>   
Are you saying that because of that planned enhancement you think there 
should not be numbers on the slider?

---

> I think Martyn's idea of having the slider underneath the meters is 
> quite interesting, 
I don't think I saw that. Can you point me to it? I think the slider 
really needs to be vertical to be at all reminiscent of a hardware mixer 
board, so I don't see how that would work, if they're vertical on top of 
vertical.

---

> maybe we're overestimating the need for resolution
> in the meters? Will that give us enough resolution on the gain slider 
> though, especially if we go from  -36 to +36, or even lower negative
> values?  Would it be practical (or confusing) to have a shorter scale
> for the +ve section, so it needs less space to get to + 36?
>
> I do tend to think the values on the Track Panel and Mixer Board 
> gain sliders should be the same. None of the workarounds for
> different values  seem attractive. I'm not sure about having a log
> scale on the Track Panel. I think that could be less intuitive for less
> experienced users, and maybe less useful if you only have a single 
> track?  I guess the Track Panel scale could switch to log when the
> MixerBoard is open (but again impractical or confusing?). 
>   
Very confusing. Like having your car speedometer change scale when 
you're in a different part of town.

---
> Vaughan,  I'm not finding myself very happy with my own idea of 
> having  a separate window for Mixer Board, because it obviously 
> disappears as soon as you click in the main window. Or are users
> of Mixer Board going to prefer that? 
>   
I don't think so, I put it in only because of your request. I'm sure 
finding it annoying.

Again, it was a separate window and is still a separate window. The 
change was to remove "float on parent".

---
> If we went back to the original window idea, is there a way we could 
> roll up the Mixer Board, which gives people another way to get it out 
> of the way when they want to look at the waveforms or use the menus? 
> If it's rolled up to the main window Title Bar, neither the width or height
> of the Mixer Board would be an issue. 
>   
It's a separate window, so rolling it up to the title bar is very 
nonstandard. I think there are lots of better things to improve about 
it. There is already a minimize box, the standard way to do what you're 
addressing.

Let's not spend a lot of time speculating about what users might want, 
and get some actual feedback on it.

- Vaughan

>
>
>   
>> On Sun, 2009-08-02 at 19:39 -0700, Vaughan Johnson wrote:
>>     
>>> I made a first effort at rearranging the MixerBoard strips, such that 
>>> gain slider and meter are not visually related by being the same height. 
>>> Widened the strip and moved the mute/solo buttons below the meter. 
>>> Comments on the attached image, please. I can still add notations for 
>>> the tick marks on the slider, too.
>>>
>>> Thanks, Vaughan
>>>       
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