iPod interface for Media Manager

**mindracing** · 08-24-2005, 06:07 AM

I am writing an iPod style interface for Media Manager that will use a Contour Designs Shuttle Xpress as the hardware inout device. My intention is to achieve similar functionality to the iPods' 'on-the-go' playlist.

David, I know I have asked this before, are you going to give us keyboard shortcuts for Media Manager? This will allow for much tighter code without having to rely on mouse movements and clicks.

The shuttle Xpress has 5 buttons, a jog wheel and a shuttle control. 3 buttons and the shuttle control will be used to control media manager, selecting what to play. The jog wheel will control volume with the remaining buttons controlling next/previous.

If the keyboard shortcuts are sensitive to the screen being displayed, i.e. the same shortcut has several functions, depending on if Media, Radio or DVD is being displayed, then the program will control most functions required when moving. This is largely up to David including the keyboard shortcuts.

**veetid** · 08-24-2005, 11:39 AM

I plan to add more hotkeys/speech commands, mainly in the media manager section... I don't know of any current hotkeys that I can use though... they will most likely be new ones... most of the current ones can still perform their functions while in media manger and none would make sense performing different commands in media manager... but yes you will see new shortcuts...

david

**mindracing** · 08-24-2005, 11:55 AM

That's great. It's Back, Forwards, Library, Queue, Playlist, + and Load that are vital. The rest would be great too!

For my application, 3 key (Alt+CTRL+A for example) shortcuts would be fine. I know they will probably be user configurable however if they can't be then I don't mind obscure key combinations.

Thanks David.

Ash.

**RPM_VR4** · 08-29-2005, 12:55 AM

"iPOD interface" is such a bad term. The iPODs interface is totally lame IMHO.

Anyway, about hot keys David: It would be really, really nice if you allowed navigation through every item using a few basic keys. I don't care what the actual keys are (as they will probably be configurable anyway), but the basic functionality I am looking for would be similar to using Tab, Shift-Tab, Space, Enter, Esc, the arrow keys, page up/down, home, and end in most windows apps.

This has been requested before and it usualy comes along with so sort of current selection graphical "highlight". I just wanted to say that if the graphical aspect is what's holding you back, then just forget about it. I want this functionality so I can write a Girder script for my Griffen PowerMate, my Pioneer remote control, and my On-Star mirror buttons. Some sort of highlight, dotted lines around the boarders, or whatever would be great, but I would happily forget about it as long as I had some way to write key-stroke-macros that could do anything and everything in CF.

**babazoid** · 08-29-2005, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by RPM_VR4

"iPOD interface" is such a bad term. The iPODs interface is totally lame IMHO.

Anyway, about hot keys David: It would be really, really nice if you allowed navigation through every item using a few basic keys. I don't care what the actual keys are (as they will probably be configurable anyway), but the basic functionality I am looking for would be similar to using Tab, Shift-Tab, Space, Enter, Esc, the arrow keys, page up/down, home, and end in most windows apps.

This has been requested before and it usualy comes along with so sort of current selection graphical "highlight". I just wanted to say that if the graphical aspect is what's holding you back, then just forget about it. I want this functionality so I can write a Girder script for my Griffen PowerMate, my Pioneer remote control, and my On-Star mirror buttons. Some sort of highlight, dotted lines around the boarders, or whatever would be great, but I would happily forget about it as long as I had some way to write key-stroke-macros that could do anything and everything in CF.

Yeah, right iPod's interface is "lame." That's precisely why the iPod has about 80% market share, because it's soooo "lame."

No one asked you to use this plug-in, so why don't you keep your comments to yourself. Those of us that like the iPod interface will use this plug-in, and you can... well you can do whatever you want.

A little note to the author of this plug-in: I'm glad to see that someone is taking the ball on this one. The iPod user interface has to be the ultimate in elegance and simplicity available for navigating music on the go.

Mark

**RPM_VR4** · 08-29-2005, 03:51 PM

Dude, it has so much market share because of advertizing and the MAC name. That's it. I have used many portible players and they ALL can do everything the iPOD can plus more. Every time you want to change what you are listening to, you have to start off at the root-menu and search through the tree for what you want. You can't get songs alphebetically by artist (only by track under albums), you can't use next-track if you have told it to "repeat one", to turn on suffle or repeate you have to navigate through the long menu system. The only thing unique about the iPOD is its scroll wheel (which I personally don't like at all either).

Anyway, forget about it. I made a very small comment (one short line at the top of my post). You don't have to totally flame me over it. If you are happy with the iPODs interface than that is your opinion (which I consider un-experiance), but I am entitled to my own and to share it with others and my small comment did not deserve such a mean responce.

I am happy to leave it at that, but if you do want to continue this disscussion, then please post some specific things you like about the iPOD that most other players don't have.