We have lots of changes to the UI for Mixxx 2.1, but significant work
has only been done on the Deere and Tango skins. We need to decide what
to do about LateNight and Shade.
LateNight and Shade are both still using raster graphics. Now that we
have support for scaling skins for high resolution screens, which are
becoming increasingly common on new laptops and monitors, they won't
scale well unless they're vectorized. Shade does not resize, so it only
makes good use of space on low resolution (netbook) displays. LateNight
wastes a lot of vertical space and feels cramped, especially with 4
decks, on 1366x768 screens, which is the most common laptop/desktop
screen resolution in use today. Combined with having to scale raster
graphics, LateNight only looks good on a narrow range of resolutions
(1920x1080). LateNight could be redesigned to make better use of space,
but that would be *a lot* of work that would take months to do well.
Deere and Tango both fit in netbook resolutions and use vector graphics,
so they scale from small resolutions to high resolutions. Deere now
supports both split and parallel waveform modes well, so we don't need
LateNight for those who prefer parallel waveforms.
So, we no longer have compelling needs to continue to maintain LateNight
and Shade. The only reason to keep them would be because people like the
aesthetics of them, but to keep them, they need a lot of maintenance
work done. I hope people step up. It would be a shame to drop skins
people like just because no one maintains them.
Here are changes that would need to be done at a minimum:
* Effects: 2 rows of 2 Effect Units with only one row showing by
default. Each Effect Unit shows 3 effects' metaknobs, enable button, and
effect selector, plus the chain dry/wet knob when
[EffectRack1_EffectUnitX], show_parameters is 0. When show_parameters is
set to 1, add the parameter knobs and buttons, plus metaknob linking and
inversion buttons. Both the parameters hidden and parameters showing
views need to support drawing a border around the focused effect and
showing the effect focus buttons. An expand/collapse icon needs to be
designed for toggling show_parameters (as well as for the samplers).
Effect unit routing buttons go in the decks, samplers, microphones, and
auxiliary input sections, not the effect units, except for the master
and headphone routing buttons.
* Looping and beatjumping: BeatSpinBoxes for beatloop_size and
beatjump_size, buttons for beatloop_activate, reloop_toggle, loop_in,
loop_out, beatjump_backward, and beatjump_forward. The beatloop_activate
and reloop_toggle buttons will require designing new icons.
* Samplers: show rows of 8 samplers, with the number of rows
configurable in the skin up to 8 rows. Each row can be individually
switched between a collapsed and expanded view.
* Use new recording length widget
* Fix an old bug from 2.0: all skins show show a split cue mode button
I think all of that could be accomplished in several weeks for one skin.
You can refer to the code of Deere and Tango for details on implementing
these changes.
Does anyone want to step up to maintain LateNight or Shade? If we decide
to remove a skin, we can post it on the forum to download for those who
wish to keep using it despite it being outdated and incompatible with
controller mappings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
Get Mixxx, the #1 Free MP3 DJ Mixing software Today
http://mixxx.org
Mixxx-devel mailing list
Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mixxx-devel
