I'm must agree that having multiple tabs and handbrake self updating the combobox in hidden tabs is not very handy..
I too prefer the original design, keep it simple on a single view..
Philippe
New Mac GUI Prototype
Forum rules
*******************************
Please be aware we are now using GitHub for issue tracking and feature requests.
- This section of the forum is now closed to new topics.
*******************************
*******************************
Please be aware we are now using GitHub for issue tracking and feature requests.
- This section of the forum is now closed to new topics.
*******************************
Re: NO!
This is true. I'm finding the Video|Audio|Subtitles tabbed layout to be a little frustrating because of the extra clicks. Especially having to click over to Video just to click again to get to Picture Settings. However, I think it looks a lot cleaner than the old UI.zzmadd wrote: Before=0 tabs = 0 clicks back and forth + 1 click for Picture settings
Now: 2 main tabs, +3 other tabs + click for picture settings
There's a user interface argument to both sides. On one hand, for power users who know where everything is, it's great to accomplish things with the fewest clicks necessary. On the other hand, the new UI lays things out logically, which should make the app feel more intuitive. It makes sense that Picture Settings are inside Video, instead of off in a corner to the bottom right. It makes sense for Output Settings to be in their own area and not lumped with the destination file path.
You'd be amazed how many people seem to be happy with the default autocropping HB does and never touch the manual crop controls.zzmadd wrote:Since HB only encodes from DVD/VIDEO_TS than ALL the material has to be cropped. Then HB would become faster and better if such preview window would be on the front GUI and wouldn't need a button to be accessed.
I'd like the picture stuff to be on the main window too. I think it might overwhelm a lot of people, though.zzmadd wrote:Since the idea of encoding without cropping is sick by itself i wouldn't hide such button in the advanced, and even more I would make the preview immediately visible. The preview DOESN'T need to be as big as now is.
What counts is to be able to set proper cropping/size/proportions.
As far as the preview frame? Well, I like the full-size picture. As you said, what counts is the ability to set proper cropping, etc, and without a full-size frame it's awful tough to see when HB's autocrop is off by a pixel or two. This will get more difficult as display resolutions continue to rise.
IMO, part of Apple's design philosophy is to do exactly what dynaflash's GUI does, which is to logically compartmentalize an application so that a user isn't hit with everything at once. You want to change what format optical disk you burn in iTunes, you've gotta open the iTunes menu, select Preferences, click the Advanced tab at the top, click the Burning tab at the top of the panel that appears, click to the new format, then click ok, THEN burn. Or look at QuickTime Pro's MPEG-4 exporter. First you go to the Quicktime menu and select Export. Then you choose Movie to MPEG-4 from a drop-down menu. Then you click Options and a window pops up where you shift between audio and video settings with a tab--just like the new HB interface.zzmadd wrote:Anyway .. to design an app is just incredibly difficult.
As you know only few succeed. One is Apple.
Pls look at Garageband, iMovie, Aperture .. then go back to HB. The design is a result of a study that involves what, why,when, how to reach an objective.
De-interlace
One of the most frequent check-boxes I check is the "De-Interlace" button.
(I rip a lot of TV DVDs and watch on a progressive-scan display, so it's fairly crucial, and I end up checking it almost every single time.)
In the original HB 7.1, You have to go in to the "Picture Settings" to check it.
In the new beta, you have to click on the "Video" tab, then "Picture Settings", then click on it.
With a "basic" shell as the default display, along the lines of what you proposed, I would need to click on "Advanced" then click on the "Video" tab, then click on "Picture Settings" then click on it.
Every layer I need to drill through for the sake of a frequently-used checkbox is another move in the wrong direction, IMHO.
Oh, and since Handbrake doesn't allow you to just set a "default" de-interlace setting and preserve it, if I'm queueing up one season of a show for conversion, I need to repeat all those steps 22 times.
I realize it makes sense to some people to put the checkbox next to some kind of preview window, because you can't always be sure that the image needs to be de-interlaced until you've seen it. (Some shows, especially newer ones intended for HD broadcast, have progressive-scan DVD releases). Nevertheless, it's kind of a pain.
I probably wouldn't complain if there was a way for a checked de-interlace box to *stay* checked as you flip through disks and files, but for every new "save as", it resets, just like the h.264 format resets to MPEG every time.
(I rip a lot of TV DVDs and watch on a progressive-scan display, so it's fairly crucial, and I end up checking it almost every single time.)
In the original HB 7.1, You have to go in to the "Picture Settings" to check it.
In the new beta, you have to click on the "Video" tab, then "Picture Settings", then click on it.
With a "basic" shell as the default display, along the lines of what you proposed, I would need to click on "Advanced" then click on the "Video" tab, then click on "Picture Settings" then click on it.
Every layer I need to drill through for the sake of a frequently-used checkbox is another move in the wrong direction, IMHO.
Oh, and since Handbrake doesn't allow you to just set a "default" de-interlace setting and preserve it, if I'm queueing up one season of a show for conversion, I need to repeat all those steps 22 times.
I realize it makes sense to some people to put the checkbox next to some kind of preview window, because you can't always be sure that the image needs to be de-interlaced until you've seen it. (Some shows, especially newer ones intended for HD broadcast, have progressive-scan DVD releases). Nevertheless, it's kind of a pain.
I probably wouldn't complain if there was a way for a checked de-interlace box to *stay* checked as you flip through disks and files, but for every new "save as", it resets, just like the h.264 format resets to MPEG every time.
Queue
Oh, and I agree with benlake that the current queue systems feels like bolted-on.
(That's because it is. HB did not have a queue at all in early versions.)
A "live" queue in a separate window like benlake suggested sounds to me like an excellent idea for HB 1.8 or so. Instead of pre-caching every job to run as a single batch, leave the UI active while files are converting, and have new jobs "queue up" behind the one that is running. That would be awesome.
(It's also how D-Vision does it, by the way. D-Vision is currently the strongest competing app to HB, which I might have been forced to migrate to if you guys had not resurrected the HB project. I like HB *a lot* better between the two, but I think all devs would be wise to watch what D-Vision is doing, and not be afraid to steal ideas.)
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/16486
(That's because it is. HB did not have a queue at all in early versions.)
A "live" queue in a separate window like benlake suggested sounds to me like an excellent idea for HB 1.8 or so. Instead of pre-caching every job to run as a single batch, leave the UI active while files are converting, and have new jobs "queue up" behind the one that is running. That would be awesome.
(It's also how D-Vision does it, by the way. D-Vision is currently the strongest competing app to HB, which I might have been forced to migrate to if you guys had not resurrected the HB project. I like HB *a lot* better between the two, but I think all devs would be wise to watch what D-Vision is doing, and not be afraid to steal ideas.)
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/16486
Almost done with default preferences. They also apply to the "Basic" and "Advanced" tab for unigui (again, not suggesting it will even become a reality for HB, but I enjoy using it) So, for what its worth. An advanced user would never even have to click on Basic or Advanced once prefs are set.
You would fire HB up and the Advanced tab is already open, just like now. Likewise, an IHB user would only use Basic in all likelihood.
I did alot of reading on the official HB forums when coming up with the idea and took alot of it from questions people had. Two things I noticed. One, people always just refer to either binary as "Handbrake". So, many times you dont even know which one they are talking about.
Two. Many people start out with IHB and use it for a while, later they get comfortable but like all of us, start to yearn for more advanced tweaking, now, they have to go get another Binary app and learn its idiosyncrasis. I am not saying this is a bad or good thing, just that it is true.
The average HB user has, like it or not, changed since 0.7.0. for what its worth. Titer knew that and I think thats why IHB came about. We now know that he had issues with some parts of HB and I think it may have been easier and faster just to fire up a new app.
Anyway, I digress, as I said, ask 10 people you get 10 opinions...
Not my project, so I will try to help where I can with whatever direction you all want to take in the future....
You would fire HB up and the Advanced tab is already open, just like now. Likewise, an IHB user would only use Basic in all likelihood.
I did alot of reading on the official HB forums when coming up with the idea and took alot of it from questions people had. Two things I noticed. One, people always just refer to either binary as "Handbrake". So, many times you dont even know which one they are talking about.
Two. Many people start out with IHB and use it for a while, later they get comfortable but like all of us, start to yearn for more advanced tweaking, now, they have to go get another Binary app and learn its idiosyncrasis. I am not saying this is a bad or good thing, just that it is true.
The average HB user has, like it or not, changed since 0.7.0. for what its worth. Titer knew that and I think thats why IHB came about. We now know that he had issues with some parts of HB and I think it may have been easier and faster just to fire up a new app.
Anyway, I digress, as I said, ask 10 people you get 10 opinions...
Not my project, so I will try to help where I can with whatever direction you all want to take in the future....
User Defined Presets
On the topic of how presets would make the original HB interface nearly perfect... (really, it's hard to beat from a usability standpoint)
One thing I can think of is not necessarily putting the image from picture settings in the main view, but maybe the status of those settings (de-interlace on/off, etc) in the main view. It will be hard to find space though :|
A few months ago I submitted code to titer for the initials of "user presets", something I personally (and many others) wanted. I was awaiting his approval but I've been unable to contact him since. I don't want to subvert titer's (however slim they may be) or the new rebel squads efforts to update HB, but maybe this will get people thinking about presets more.
Below is my build of HB with beta preset functionality. I've been using it for months, but I only use like 2 presets :) I'm not sure I want to know about bugs at this point, it was an initial implementation and I need to know what camp I'm working for before I put more time into it.
(Save Link As or you'll get a screen of pooh!)
http://benlake.org/static/docs/Handbrak ... resets.dmg
NOT a universal binary!
I've contacted rhester via a private message to see if I can help, but I haven't heard anything.
One thing I can think of is not necessarily putting the image from picture settings in the main view, but maybe the status of those settings (de-interlace on/off, etc) in the main view. It will be hard to find space though :|
A few months ago I submitted code to titer for the initials of "user presets", something I personally (and many others) wanted. I was awaiting his approval but I've been unable to contact him since. I don't want to subvert titer's (however slim they may be) or the new rebel squads efforts to update HB, but maybe this will get people thinking about presets more.
Below is my build of HB with beta preset functionality. I've been using it for months, but I only use like 2 presets :) I'm not sure I want to know about bugs at this point, it was an initial implementation and I need to know what camp I'm working for before I put more time into it.
(Save Link As or you'll get a screen of pooh!)
http://benlake.org/static/docs/Handbrak ... resets.dmg
NOT a universal binary!
I've contacted rhester via a private message to see if I can help, but I haven't heard anything.
Re: User Defined Presets
I like it. It's smooth. I'd love to see how it works.benlake wrote:A few months ago I submitted code to titer for the initials of "user presets", something I personally (and many others) wanted. I was awaiting his approval but I've been unable to contact him since. I don't want to subvert titer's (however slim they may be) or the new rebel squads efforts to update HB, but maybe this will get people thinking about presets more.
Below is my build of HB with beta preset functionality. I've been using it for months, but I only use like 2 presetsI'm not sure I want to know about bugs at this point, it was an initial implementation and I need to know what camp I'm working for before I put more time into it.
For what its worth, I like what I see. For my .02, welcome aboard!benlake wrote:I stuck to the main window for the initial implementation. Like I said, if titer would have accepted it I would have finished it up. I figured a generic plist in app support was a simple and portable way to go.
Anyhow, initial implementation, if the new camp will accept me I'm willing to help out.
Re: User Defined Presets
Awesome! (*grabs binary*)benlake wrote:On the topic of how presets would make the original HB interface nearly perfect... (really, it's hard to beat from a usability standpoint)
One thing I can think of is not necessarily putting the image from picture settings in the main view, but maybe the status of those settings (de-interlace on/off, etc) in the main view. It will be hard to find space though
A few months ago I submitted code to titer for the initials of "user presets", something I personally (and many others) wanted. I was awaiting his approval but I've been unable to contact him since. I don't want to subvert titer's (however slim they may be) or the new rebel squads efforts to update HB, but maybe this will get people thinking about presets more.
Below is my build of HB with beta preset functionality. I've been using it for months, but I only use like 2 presets
(Save Link As or you'll get a screen of pooh!)
http://benlake.org/static/docs/Handbrak ... resets.dmg
NOT a universal binary!
I've contacted rhester via a private message to see if I can help, but I haven't heard anything.
I'm in the middle of converting a bunch of files tonight with the trusty old Titer version (the new one is giving me fits tonight for some reason), but as soon as my system is free I'll play with it a little and let you know what I think.