Use tittlebar for showing FX channel name information

[musikBear]

The problem around labels in FX-Mixer could be solved, if the tittle-bar was used :

Alternatively, but with more complexity

That field should be used for all kind of info (as in Fls)

[mikobuntu]

Other methods :-

(1) There is plenty of space below the Mixer strips to show longer text.

(2) Use Continuous scrolling of the text in the FX strips. I imagine the scrolling only to be needed if the text exceeds a certain number of characters to save on CPU cycles.

[Umcaruje]

(1) There is plenty of space below the Mixer strips to show longer text.

The padding was removed

(2) Use Continuous scrolling of the text in the FX strips. I imagine the scrolling only to be needed if the text exceeds a certain number of characters to save on CPU cycles.

I find constant scrolling hard to grasp, and I think there will be readability issues since the text is vertical

I quite like this idea, to be quite honest, it uses the current real estate, and it is kind of consistent with the Piano Roll, where we show the name of the currently edited pattern.

[tresf]

To be consistent, it will be FX-Mixer - Master (dash, not colon). Also, unrelated, but we don't need dashes in our window titles. Should be FX Mixer - Master (no dash between "FX" and "Mixer"). We need to make that consistent too.

Here's a mockup from 2017 (@musikBear feel free to cherry-pick it for the original description if you like):

[mikobuntu]

@musikBear 's proposal does make good use of otherwise wasted real-estate .

• Just noticed that in the latest master branch, that the text string no longer exceeds beyond the FX channel LED, like in @musikBear 's image. 👍

[miketurn]

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS

Hopefully this opinion will be considered, especially since this very idea was birthed on my own turf! :)
MIXER - Length Of Channel Labels #3156

As I mentioned in the thread above I personally don't like how that looks, to me it looks like it doesn't belong there, because it makes the text off center and would kind of clutter up the clean new look implemented in 1.2.0 RC2.

I do however like the idea of making use of that space and I think I have a good idea/compromise.
You put an on/off option in the LMMS Settings called something like......
"Replace FX Mixer Title with Selected FX Mixer Channel Name"

This way you don't have an odd amount of text items in the title bar.
I would probably LEFT justify the text as shown here
(the two white vertical lines are an idea of what to align the text to)

Please let me know if anyone likes this idea?
(This actually might go great with another idea I was thinking about (which I will reference when I post it) concerning the label lengths)

[tresf]

You put an on/off option in the LMMS Settings called something like......

I'm never a fan of burying GUI preferences in the settings dialog (they should be a right-click menu, if any).

This way you don't have an odd amount of text items in the title bar.

What? I don't know what you're saying, but we do that in other areas.

[miketurn]

If a solution is reached on mixer channel label lengths, I personally would eliminate the hovering tag, that shows the selected mixer channels name.

A post regarding this can be found here....
#3257

[miketurn]

@tresf

I'm never a fan of burying GUI preferences in the settings dialog (they should be a right-click menu, if any).

Even better, I agree with having options specific to a window, be in that windows specific context menu.

This way you don't have an odd amount of text items in the title bar.

What? I don't know what you're saying, but we do that in other areas.

(First off, I am in no way trying to argue with you, hard to convey that with typing, I think the work you do is amazing)
I don't think I have seen any of the title bars contain any other info other their that windows title, especially in the main components (mixer/songeditor/b&b editor)
Is there an example where this is done in other windows I can take a look at for reference?

The "odd amount of text" I was referring to is that in my own opinion, it might be weird because
(based on the image provided by musikBear at the top of this thread)
(note it is hard to tell the justification of that text from that picture)

1.) If the "FX-Mixer" label remains centered and the proposed channel name goes after that it would be off centered if the "FX-Mixer" label remains static at the center of the title bar and the channel name is shown after it.
2.) If the entire label gets centered "FX-Mixer - then it seems like you would see a lot of movement in the title bar when selecting channels.
3.) Even if the text is left justified, if a user is looking for the channel name in the title bar, it might be a little confusing/unnecessary to always have to see the "FX-Mixer - " prefix when trying to read it.
4.) Also may be a little confusing if someone labels channel names for example "Drums - Snare" then you would see "FX-Mixer - Drums - Snare".

Again, just my opinion I am not trying in any way to step on anyones toes.
I just love the new clean look provided in 1.2.0 RC2 and just want it to stay as clean as possible :)

[tresf]

@miketurn please re-read #3239 (comment)

[Umcaruje]

This way you don't have an odd amount of text items in the title bar.
I would probably LEFT justify the text as shown here

No. It won't be consistent at all with other windows, and a seperate settings option is an overkill

1.) If the "FX-Mixer" label remains centered and the proposed channel name goes after that it would be off centered if the "FX-Mixer" label remains static at the center of the title bar and the channel name is shown after it.

Look at @tresf's mockup please, as it is more close to how this feature would look coded up, and the text is perfectly centered

2.) If the entire label gets centered "FX-Mixer - then it seems like you would see a lot of movement in the title bar when selecting channels.

That's a valid concern but I don't know how it might affect my workflow until I code it and test it.

4.) Also may be a little confusing if someone labels channel names for example "Drums - Snare" then you would see "FX-Mixer - Drums - Snare".

Maybe we could implement something like FX Mixer [Master] and do it in the piano roll too.

I also think we should drop the FX from the Mixer, it's completely unnecessary in my opinion.

[tresf]

think we should drop the FX from the Mixer

👍

If the entire label gets centered "FX-Mixer - then it seems like you would see a lot of movement in the title bar when selecting channel

That's a valid concern but I don't know how it might affect my workflow until I code it and test it.

[miketurn]

@tresf
I agree with the removing of the "-" from titles such as Song-Editor and Piano-Roll
and I was going to mention removing the "FX-" from the FX-Mixer title as well.
(You mentioned it was alright for me to edit text items I found, but am I right in saying that these are not items I can edit like the others without approval?)

To Anyone,
All the other windows can have multiple instances, so for example the piano roll showing "Piano Roll - Bitboy" will make more sense.

There can be only one Mixer so having "Mixer - " in front of each channel name wouldn't really be necessary. The only reason I mentioned making a "setting" for it was to keep the consistancy, so that each window has the same centered title, but for those who are know it is a mixer :) can check off that option and get functionality out of that title bar space.

The only reason I mention to Left Justify it was because you will scroll through mixer channels a lot more than you would piano rolls, so looking in just one place where the text is left justified the beginning of the label will always be in the same place which would be easier in my opinion to look at and read.

I would not show the channel names in the title bar at all, and just add this....
#3258

[tresf]

All the other windows can have multiple instances, so for example the piano roll showing "Piano Roll - Bitboy" will make more sense.

Not true. GIF above.

[miketurn]

@tresf
Ahhh, I forgot that it is just one instance, but in this case the piano roll gets the titlebar name of the instrument because that entire window at that moment belongs that specific instrument. In the case of the mixer, all the channels share that title bar.

Not only did I forget about the piano roll only having one instance, but on top of that I combined BitInvader and Freeboy in my brain and called it "Bitboy" :)

[tresf]

As part of a pruning effort, this enhancement request is archived into a dedicated "Better Workflow" checklist here #4877.