Hi !
The HIG doesn't specify where in the menus (and even if) to display
control-items for media-apps. Also it doesn't specify which shortcuts to
use. (See attachment for current menu-layouts.) What we see now is:
* CD-based apps are showing the items in the first menu called "CD" or
"Disk". Very neat because they don't use "Open..."- or "New.."-items.
* Totem uses a firs menu called "Movie" (which is bad, you can also play
music => just call it "File"). It puts "Eject" and "Play / Pause"
somewhere mixed between "Open / Location / CD" etc. and the Recent
Files. "Next" and "Previous" are placed in another menu: "Go" (just like
HIG says), but: "Previous" should be *before* "Next".
* Many apps use a combined "Play / Pause"-item (Totem, SJ) or use a
toogle-item (Muine). HIG says don't use the same button for play and
pause.
* Rhythbox uses a "Control"-menu to put all control-items together.
We could propose a menu called "Control" or "Controls" with all the
control items in it:
_Control =>
_Play Ctrl+Space
_Pause Ctrl+Space // only active when playing
_Stop Ctrl+Escape
E_ject Ctrl+J
---
P_revious Ctrl+PageUp
_Next Ctrl+PageDown
---
_Skip to...
Skip _Backwards Ctrl+Left
Skip _Forward Ctrl+Righ
---
<Place for "Go to ... Menu"-items used in Totem,
or in "Go"-menu???>
---
_Volume =>
_Up Ctrl+Up
_Down Ctrl+Down
---
_Mute (=toggle)
Pros:
+ All controls together. Users know this from their CD-player etc.
Cons:
- Adding "Skip B/F" will make this menu long. Do we really need this
items? Is a "Skip to..." really needed? => Maybe just let the user use
the time-bar for this tasks?
Or place "Play", "Eject" in "File" and "Previous", "Next" in "Go":
_File =>
_Open Ctrl+O
Open _Location Ctrl+L
Play <disk>
---
_Play Ctrl+Space
_Pause Ctrl+Space // only active when playing
_Stop Ctrl+Escape
E_ject Ctrl+J
---
Properties Alt+Return
---
_Quit Ctrl+Q
_Go =>
P_revious Ctrl+PageUp
_Next Ctrl+PageDown
---
_Skip to...
Skip _Backwards Ctrl+Left
Skip _Forward Ctrl+Right
---
<Place for "Go to ... Menu"-items used in Totem.>
Pros:
+ Totem's and SJ's menus don't have to change much.
Cons:
- Where to place "Volume Up/Down"? It is not important enough to make a
separate menu.
- Is it logical to place "Play" etc. in "File"?
Another thing for playlist-based apps:
* Where to put "Shuffle" and "Repeat": in "Control" (Rhythmbox),
"Edit" (Totem) or "View"?
* Is "Shuffle" a toggle (Rhythmbox, Totem) or an action (Muine)?
--
Tim Steenvoorden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Where do Gnome apps currently place control items?
* Banshee & Gnome CD-Player:
(None)
* Goobox:
_CD =>
_Play Space
_Stop Escape
_Next N
Pre_v P
_Eject J
* Muine:
_Song =>
_Play (=toogle) P
---
_Previous B
_Next N
--
_Skip to... T
Skip _Backwards Ctrl+Left
Skip _Forward Ctrl+Right
* Rhythmbox:
_Control =>
_Play Ctrl+Space
---
P_revious Ctrl+Left
_Next Ctrl+Right
* Sound-Juicer:
_Disk =>
_Play / Pause Ctrl+P
Pre_vious Track Ctrl+V
_Next Track Ctrl+N
E_ject Ctrl+J
* Totem:
_Movie =>
_Eject Ctrl+E
---
<cut>
---
Play / Pa_use P
_Go =>
_Next Chapter/Movie N
_Previous Chapter/Movie B
---
_Skip to... S
Skip _Forward Right
Skip _Backwards Left
_Sound =>
Volume _Up Up
Volume _Down Down
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