UI for grouping label/wave tracks
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Mark D-4
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Hey everyone,
I was thinking about how to go about having the user link a wave track to a label track, and I've run into some issues with my previous plan, which was to have a menu like this. However, all those menus are built when Audacity starts, so if I wanted to show a menu that dynamically lists the label tracks that currently exist, it seems I'd have to just create the submenu in TrackPanel::BuildMenus(), and then append to that submenu every time a new label track is created. But this seems to fragment the menu building code: parts would be built in LabelTrack.cpp, and a function to add to that menu would have to be included in TrackPanel. Also, I'd have to dynamically add IDs for each selection in the event table. The other option I'm mulling over is popping up a textbox instead of showing a submenu. The user would then just type in the label track's name that they want the wave track to be associated to. This might also work better for keyboard users, and it sidesteps the issue of dynamically creating ID (for use in the event table) entries for each possible label track. Finally, I just noticed the TrackPanel::FindTrack function. It apparently returns the track the mouse is over. I thought it might be cool if the user could just click on the track they want to associate to, but this would probably cause issues for keyboard users, making one of the previous two methods preferable. Does anyone have any opinions on what might be the best solution for this? Hope you're enjoying your weekend, -- Mark ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
Gale Andrews
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| From "Mark D" <markpd@...> | Sun, 11 May 2008 12:40:36 -0400 | Subject: [Audacity-devel] UI for grouping label/wave tracks > I was thinking about how to go about having the user link a wave track to a > label track, and I've run into some issues with my previous plan, which was > to have a menu like > this<http://audacityteam.org/wiki/images/a/a2/Label-selection-ui.jpg>. > However, all those menus are built when Audacity starts, so if I wanted to > show a menu that dynamically lists the label tracks that currently exist, it > seems I'd have to just create the submenu in TrackPanel::BuildMenus(), and > then append to that submenu every time a new label track is created. But > this seems to fragment the menu building code: parts would be built in > LabelTrack.cpp, and a function to add to that menu would have to be included > in TrackPanel. Also, I'd have to dynamically add IDs for each selection in > the event table. > > The other option I'm mulling over is popping up a textbox instead of showing > a submenu. The user would then just type in the label track's name that they > want the wave track to be associated to. This might also work better for > keyboard users, and it sidesteps the issue of dynamically creating ID (for > use in the event table) entries for each possible label track. > I have not been following this much, so can you remind me what happens for the simple case where I have one audio track and then decide to add a label. Will the labels move/edit with my audio track automatically, or not until I explicitly link the audio track with the generated label track? > Finally, I just noticed the TrackPanel::FindTrack function. It apparently > returns the track the mouse is over. I thought it might be cool if the user > could just click on the track they want to associate to, but this would > probably cause issues for keyboard users, making one of the previous two > methods preferable. You mean click on the label track to be linked to? A sighted user would be clicking on different audio tracks lots of times for other reasons than associating a label track. Selecting association through the label track seems more intuitive to me than doing so on the audio track drop-down menu, but what happens if you have multiple audio tracks - I think we are just associating with single audio tracks? Either way, you could have the cascading menu/pop up box coming out of the label track drop-down menu couldn't you? Having to type in (accurately) "Label Track 3" or "Audio Track 2" in a text box to create the association does seem to me asking too much of the user. I'd make a plea not to forget the right-click menu, even at the cost of duplicating functionality in track drop-down menus. Dragging the mouse across to exactly hit a drop-down menu is a lot more work than right-clicking anywhere in a track. Gale ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
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Mark D-4
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On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 2:17 PM, Gale Andrews <gale@...> wrote:
The labels don't move automatically, they have to be linked. You mean click on the label track to be linked to? A sighted user Clicking on a track for the purpose of linking would have to be prefaced by some other action, a menu selection or button. The reason why the linking is done through the audio track is so that a single label track can be used for multiple audio tracks. For example, two audio tracks could be linked to the same label track, useful so that label tracks can be reused if there aren't overly many labels. I didn't plan on linking multiple label tracks to the same audio track. Having to type in (accurately) "Label Track 3" or "Audio Track 2" in Right-click menu? My CVS-built version doesn't open a right-click menu when I right click a track... Or are you suggesting adding a right-click menu for this? -- Mark ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
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Gale Andrews
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| From "Mark D" <markpd@...> | Sun, 11 May 2008 14:49:37 -0400 | Subject: [Audacity-devel] UI for grouping label/wave tracks | > On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 2:17 PM, Gale Andrews <gale@...> wrote: > > I have not been following this much, so can you remind me what > > happens for the simple case where I have one audio track and > > then decide to add a label. Will the labels move/edit with my > > audio track automatically, or not until I explicitly link the audio > > track with the generated label track? > > > > The labels don't move automatically, they have to be linked. Is there any way to turn the linking on automatically, once there is one audio track and one label track (only) present? Wouldn't this be much more useful in the above situation than having linking off by default? You can still go to the audio track menu and turn the linking off. Either way, if you add a second audio track, then you do have to explicitly link that new track to a label track if you want to do that (this assumes this is more useful than having the new audio track associate at once with the only existing label track). If you've already added a second label track, then you do have to choose to link your new second audio track to one of the label tracks. I appreciate this is making it more complex, but given the generally greater usefulness of linking than not, and assuming more people work with single tracks than not, I think it's worth considering at some stage of this work. > > You mean click on the label track to be linked to? A sighted user > > would be clicking on different audio tracks lots of times for other > > reasons than associating a label track. Selecting association through > > the label track seems more intuitive to me than doing so on the > > audio track drop-down menu, but what happens if you have > > multiple audio tracks - I think we are just associating with single > > audio tracks? Either way, you could have the cascading menu/pop up > > box coming out of the label track drop-down menu couldn't you? > > Clicking on a track for the purpose of linking would have to be prefaced > by some other action, a menu selection or button. > > The reason why the linking is done through the audio track is so that a > single label track can be used for multiple audio tracks. For example, > two audio tracks could be linked to the same label track, useful so that > label tracks can be reused if there aren't overly many labels. I didn't > plan on linking multiple label tracks to the same audio track. I can't see any common use either for associating the same audio track to multiple label tracks. Linking would still work if done through the label track (I think), it's just more complex to implement? So if I click in Label Track 1's menu, and check Audio Track 1, then click in Label Track 2's menu, I could check Audio Track 2, but Audio Track 1 would be greyed out. OTOH I could go back to Label Track 1's menu, and check Audio Track 2. To me, this makes it a bit easier to see what is going on. > > Having to type in (accurately) "Label Track 3" or "Audio Track 2" in > > a text box to create the association does seem to me asking too much > > of the user. > > > > I'd make a plea not to forget the right-click menu, even at the > > cost of duplicating functionality in track drop-down menus. > > Dragging the mouse across to exactly hit a drop-down menu > > is a lot more work than right-clicking anywhere in a track. > > Right-click menu? My CVS-built version doesn't open a right-click > menu when I right click a track... Or are you suggesting adding a > right-click menu for this? Exactly, I'm suggesting adding a right-cick menu when over the audio track (or over the label track if it was done that way). Thanks Gale ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
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Mark D-4
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On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 4:01 PM, Gale Andrews <gale@...> wrote: | Sun, 11 May 2008 14:49:37 -0400
I think that's a good idea. I figure we check how many wave/label tracks are, and if there's one of each, we would treat them as linked. But I'm thinking stereo might count as two mono tracks, since I've run into this behaviour already. I can't check right now since I'm not at my computer, but I'll look into it tomorrow.
Neither could I. It also forces you to hold a structure capable of storing pointers to all those linked tracks, instead of just one pointer. The reverse behaviour could be useful though. Linking would still work if done through the label track (I think), it's Wouldn't this mean building a separate menu for each label track, though, so that we'd be able to grey out the correct selections? -- Mark ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
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Martyn Shaw-2
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In reply to this post by Mark D-4
Hi Mark
Mark D wrote: > Hey everyone, > > I was thinking about how to go about having the user link a wave track > to a label track, and I've run into some issues with my previous plan, > which was to have a menu like this > <http://audacityteam.org/wiki/images/a/a2/Label-selection-ui.jpg>. > However, all those menus are built when Audacity starts, so if I wanted > to show a menu that dynamically lists the label tracks that currently > exist, it seems I'd have to just create the submenu in > TrackPanel::BuildMenus(), and then append to that submenu every time a > new label track is created. But this seems to fragment the menu building > code: parts would be built in LabelTrack.cpp, and a function to add to > that menu would have to be included in TrackPanel. Also, I'd have to > dynamically add IDs for each selection in the event table. You could use a wxComboBox in the same place, a bit like mRateBox in SelectionBar. That could be dynamically populated as label tracks are added / deleted and I guess would only need one ID. And it would be empty when there were no label tracks, aiding discovery of the feature? Just my 2p. ... > Hope you're enjoying your weekend, Yes thank you, it's been sunny where I've been! Martyn > Mark > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference > Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. > Use priority code J8TL2D2. > http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Audacity-devel mailing list > Audacity-devel@... > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
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Gale Andrews
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In reply to this post by Mark D-4
| From "Mark D" <markpd@...> | Sun, 11 May 2008 16:27:49 -0400 | Subject: [Audacity-devel] UI for grouping label/wave tracks > On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 4:01 PM, Gale Andrews <gale@...> wrote: > > > > Linking would still work if done through the label track (I think), it's > > just more complex to implement? So if I click in Label Track 1's menu, > > and check Audio Track 1, then click in Label Track 2's menu, I could > > check Audio Track 2, but Audio Track 1 would be greyed out. OTOH > > I could go back to Label Track 1's menu, and check Audio Track 2. > > To me, this makes it a bit easier to see what is going on. > > Wouldn't this mean building a separate menu for each label track, though, > so that we'd be able to grey out the correct selections? I can't comment much about that, except that obviously each label track submenu would need updating when a new audio track is added just as the audio track submenu would need updating when a new label track is added. There is another possible advantage to creating the association in the label track, too. If you had say six audio tracks that you wanted to associate with the same label track, then doesn't that currently mean performing this operation in the menus of all six tracks? If this was done in the label track, and multiple selection checking was possible, then the same thing can be achieved in one menu rather than six. Thanks Gale ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
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James Crook
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In reply to this post by Mark D-4
Mark D wrote:
> Hey everyone, > > I was thinking about how to go about having the user link a wave track > to a label track, and I've run into some issues with my previous plan, > which was to have a menu like this > <http://audacityteam.org/wiki/images/a/a2/Label-selection-ui.jpg>. > However, all those menus are built when Audacity starts, so if I > wanted to show a menu that dynamically lists the label tracks that > currently exist, it seems I'd have to just create the submenu in > TrackPanel::BuildMenus(), and then append to that submenu every time a > new label track is created. But this seems to fragment the menu > building code: parts would be built in LabelTrack.cpp, and a function > to add to that menu would have to be included in TrackPanel. Also, I'd > have to dynamically add IDs for each selection in the event table. > > The other option I'm mulling over is popping up a textbox instead of > showing a submenu. The user would then just type in the label track's > name that they want the wave track to be associated to. This might > also work better for keyboard users, and it sidesteps the issue of > dynamically creating ID (for use in the event table) entries for each > possible label track. > > Finally, I just noticed the TrackPanel::FindTrack function. It > apparently returns the track the mouse is over. I thought it might be > cool if the user could just click on the track they want to associate > to, but this would probably cause issues for keyboard users, making > one of the previous two methods preferable. > > Does anyone have any opinions on what might be the best solution for this? > For my own uses of label tracks a scheme that would work well for me is that labels are associated with the first 'block' of tracks above them. So: Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Labels 1 Labels 2 Track 4 Track 5 Labels 3 Track 6 Label tracks 1& 2 are linked to Tracks 1,2 and 3 Label track 3 is linked to Tracks 4 and 5 Track 6 doesn't have any labels. I can move the tracks around if I want different linking. It's not quite as flexible as arbitrary linking, but probably easier to use and to explain in practice? --James. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ _______________________________________________ Audacity-devel mailing list Audacity-devel@... https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-devel |
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