wants, needs, suggestions, comments and more - Page 4

NeonBoomBox · 03-06-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by w6csmith

Any chance of another bmw logo on the clock image now you've changed the shade of red ;o)

car logos are coming soon

NeonDev · 03-06-2008, 09:50 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by TTeuer

I just downloaded the latest release - I like the progress being made! The interface looks 100x better than before although it could still use some improvement to my eyes - I think you're on the right track though.

Album art was not working for me. All of my music showed up with no album artwork (yet 99% of my music has artwork).

Legibility of text on the music interface buttons isn't great (at least with the default red color). Deep red + dark grey is a usability nightmare. (I do have a little bit of a UI/graphics design background

)

Album art must actually be embedded in the song file for it to work. What kind of music are you talking? NBB only supports AAC and MP3 artwork at the moment as I have no other type of music. Like I said in another thread if you pass along a sample to me I can look at the file binary and see if there is actually artwork embedded and if so I can extend NBB support to make it work

Rjaniz · 03-06-2008, 01:43 PM

Downloaded it last night, ... if you really get everything in there you are planning on, this is going to be a killer app!

The multi-colored interface is a stroke of genius.

Suggestions:
*some of this might already be planned on already, I don't know, I'm just kinda throwing these out there*
1) Playing Song Title & controls. Can the song title and progress be displayed in the Home Screen with the basic controls, play/pause, forward, backward, progress bar (in the big globe where the Time sits)? Like the itunes controller that's in Dashboard.

I figure (at least for me) the more apps that get put into this thing, the more people are going to want to be at the home screen for easy access to other stuff.

Course, that might conflict with the other requests of putting their car logo/personal picture in there.

2) Album artwork. Can the album artwork work like iTunes (by referencing an image files from somewhere)? Very few of my files have the artwork embedded. A lot of my songs come from CDs that I ripped long before "Album Artwork" was "the thing". Would it be possible to use iTunes' referencing method to call in the artwork like iTunes does?

3) I didn't leave the computer alone long enough for this, but is there a screen saver? If not, can there be?

Other than that, looks like you guys already have everything planned out (or other people have already suggested it) and/or in development. Great job, and I'm looking forward to updates!!

NeonDev · 03-06-2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

The multi-colored interface is a stroke of genius.

Thank you. It wouldn't have happened if NeonBoomBox (the person) hadn't *****ed and moaned at me for eternity for it ;-)

I rather like it too. I will be tweaking it alot in release 6 to be more efficient.

Quote:

1) Playing Song Title & controls. Can the song title and progress be displayed in the Home Screen with the basic controls, play/pause, forward, backward, progress bar (in the big globe where the Time sits)? Like the itunes controller that's in Dashboard.

I don't know exactly how it will pan out but we will come up with something satisfactory.

Quote:

2) Album artwork. Can the album artwork work like iTunes (by referencing an image files from somewhere)? Very few of my files have the artwork embedded. A lot of my songs come from CDs that I ripped long before "Album Artwork" was "the thing". Would it be possible to use iTunes' referencing method to call in the artwork like iTunes does?

I will look into it but I don't know how referenced art is stored so I need to research that. If you could sent me a sample song I could prolly see pretty quickly.

Quote:

3) I didn't leave the computer alone long enough for this, but is there a screen saver? If not, can there be?

im sure we can do that. does the regular os x screen saver not come up? I have never tried it, but I don't "capture the screen" so in theory it should. tho I may need to adjust my window levels if they are somehow above the screensaver...

thank you for your interest. keep the tips and suggestions coming everyone

Edit: the os x screensaver should be used if you desire one it works fine... or use the music visualizer as soon you will be able to make and use your own.

pepsibobby · 03-06-2008, 04:59 PM

I figured that the info about the version would change not just the file. my bad im sorry.
when i click on show / do not show mouse it disappears, but does not come back.

California_2006 · 03-06-2008, 05:16 PM

Hi NeonDev,

thanks to all the improvements you have made in the new release!

I have tried to contact you via personal message / email to send you an mp3 with attached cover / album art, because this board doesn't allow me to send a mp3 track via personal message.

Just like Rjaniz, I ripped all my CDs a long time ago when album art wasn't a part of iTunes. I have over 100 GB of mp3 and AAC files in my iTunes library. And for that reason I startet my car pc project, to have the complete collection with me. That was before Apple came up with the 160 GB iPod.
It took me weeks of work to get covers attached to all the music files. Cover Scout helped a lot with that job. But now it is the nicest part, running iTunes in full cover flow mode and scrolling through my collection with my fingers on the touchscreen or go through it very fast with the Powermate wheel.
So therefore I find the cover function quite important. So if you give me your email, I send you a mp3 file with integrated cover so you can test it. It works in iTunes (I have tested it in an empty library on another computer) but not in NBB.

NeonDev · 03-06-2008, 07:01 PM

if you just click again after setting it it will come back (in my build, not sure about the release). Im working on a fix

Edit: at the moment this seems like a bug in apple's NSCursor object so i don't know what else I can do but offer that workaround.

Edit2: ok after reading the NSCursor documentation calling unhide will simply negate an earlier call so I need to balance them and it should work fine.

Edit3: ok should now be fixed. hard for me to throughly test without a touch screen. will be in the next release.

super-fly · 03-06-2008, 10:54 PM

Is there any way possible at all that you can also make this run on 10.4?

Bugbyte · 03-07-2008, 12:08 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by NeonDev

i think i can manage that. can somebody provide a small list of common resolutions for car pcs? obviously I am only aware of 800x480 but would happily support others if only they are brought to my attention

I suppose I could simply resize according to the system resolution, but I am a bit reluctant because I don't want the interface to get squished or anything. I will look into that but I would still appreciate a list at the very least to provide in the settings window...

The 8.4" screen runs at native 800 X 600.

NeonDev · 03-07-2008, 12:12 AM

I'm reluctant to spend as much time it would take to make and maintain a 10.4 version... I feel that by the time it was good to go most people would have access to leopard. My time is probably better spent expanding features and fixing bugs.

to give you more details; I would have to rewrite the audio playback engine and write my own animation engine, and im sure there are alot of minor things too.

if NBB ever reaches the point where it does all we plan for it to do I'm sure it will be well worth it for people to drop the $130 to pick up leopard ;-)

TTeuer · 03-07-2008, 02:57 AM

The album artwork doesn't seem to be an isolated case. Most of these songs are purchased from the iTunes store or downloaded and iTunes then downloads the album artwork. All my music is MP3 or AAC.

I know that AMP2 needed to import all of the album art (as well as the music) for it to all work. Maybe take a look at what it was doing? I have a feeling my album artwork is NOT integrated into the MP3, but I also have a feeling that you are going to run into the majority of peoples artwork not being embedded into the tags. I don't get why AMP always had to import stuff though - never made sense to me.

super-fly · 03-07-2008, 03:01 AM

I haven't been able to use this yet as I dont have leopard installed so this may already be an option. Is it possible to have an icon for the ipod to pop up somwhere on the music screen when it is plugged in? That way u can play music from the ipod.

NeonDev · 03-07-2008, 09:52 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by super-fly

I haven't been able to use this yet as I dont have leopard installed so this may already be an option. Is it possible to have an icon for the ipod to pop up somwhere on the music screen when it is plugged in? That way u can play music from the ipod.

our solution for the ipod/any other supportable external media will be to choose a library in the music module preferences. we will probably allow the user to order their prefered libraries as well.

@TTeuer-
the problem with the album art is that I don't know how it is referenced when it is not embedded and all of my music is embedded so I have no reference at hand nor can I find any with google. If somebody has this information I will certainly listen to them.

I will guarantee you this. my solution won't involve any importing ;-)

Area3 · 03-07-2008, 10:25 AM

Ok Here is my List of Wants

Navigation

Music ( From I-Tunes )

Internet ( with The Ability to play internet Radio)

Ob2 Car Diagnostics

Dvd

5.1 Support With Eq

And Multiple Screens..

Please and Thanks

NeonDev · 03-07-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Music ( From I-Tunes )

already done

Quote:

5.1 Support With Eq

wouldn't get your hopes up. sorry but this is going on the far back burner
odds are you would have to write your own module

Quote:

Multiple Screens..

again not something I would get my hopes up for at the moment. has a better shot than 5.1 audio tho.

Everything else is on the road map. its just a matter of time and effort

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