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Topic: [feature request] current track highlighting (Read 1672 times) previous topic - next topic
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[feature request] current track highlighting

I usually have many long and diverse playlists in tabs at any given time, as I'm in the neverending process of cleaning up my unreasonable music collection.
A problem I usually have, specially when changing playlist focus, stopping playback and so on, is that I lose track of playback position, and, while sometimes just pressing play works to make foobar play from the last position on the current playlist, it doesn't always for a number of reasons. I'm not saying it's a bug at all, in that respect it works as intended and makes sense.

What I'm asking for is full line color highlight on the current track, distinct from the cursor/selection, and more easily visible while browsing than the "now playing" icon and which also stays on when nothing is playing, indicating the playlist's internal current track.
Not as important, but maybe also make it slightly flash back and forth while playing?

Hope you'll like the idea.

Re: [feature request] current track highlighting

Reply #1 –
Playback -> Cursor follows playback.

Re: [feature request] current track highlighting

Reply #2 –
You can also set up a shortcut to show the now playing track. Double clicking on the status bar might does that by default, but I could be wrong on that.

There are also many ways to highlight a playing track, perhaps look into titleformatting.

Re: [feature request] current track highlighting

Reply #3 –
Quote from: kode54 on
Playback -> Cursor follows playback.
Quote from: radorn on
[...] distinct from the cursor/selection [...]
I have tried that and used it for a good while, actually, but it has shortcomings and annoyances:
It will trash your selection upon track change, by forcing a focus change (at least.
It only does something the instant the track changes. It doesn't do anything during inactivity or for playlists other than the active one, and you loose that pseudo-highlighting if you do something else during playback.

The effect I'm looking for is a highlighting of the current track in all playlists, regardless of what's playing or where the cursor is at.

Quote from: Daeron on
You can also set up a shortcut to show the now playing track. Double clicking on the status bar might does that by default, but I could be wrong on that.

There are also many ways to highlight a playing track, perhaps look into titleformatting.
I didn't know about that status bar doubleclick shortcut. Thanks for the heads up, it will sure come in handy.
But it still isn't what I was asking for. It doesn't do anything when nothing is playing, and it doesn't help either with knowing current position in inactive playlists.

I'll look more into title formatting, but a quick look didn't seem to turn anything suitable. There are things for PLAYBACK information, and QUEUE, but what I'm looking for would be related to playlist position, for which there doesn't seem to be anything.

@everyone:
My interest here is NOT on what's currently PLAYING, but in the current position within all playlists. It's also not about the queue, as there isn't necesarily always a queue defined at all times.

I know foobar remembers positions within playlists and it can be easily proven:
Open several playlists, play one track on each one (just starting the playback is sufficient), and remember which it was.
Then, while any track is playing, close the playlist that contains it and let the song end (you can accelerate it by moving the playback cursor to the end).
Once the track ends, foobar will proceed to play from the playlist that has focus at that particular time, and the track loaded will be the one that's next after the last one that was played from that playlist.

My point is that foobar seems to keep track of the playback position even for inactive playlists, and I would like for that information to be used for a permanent visual highlight, preferably as background coloring, distinct from cursor highlight (like, a lighter color).

Re: [feature request] current track highlighting

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Daeron on
Double clicking on the status bar might does that by default, but I could be wrong on that.

News to me. First time I've been made aware of this useful shortcut. I normally use a custom toolbar button mapped to 'View/Show now playing'.

Re: [feature request] current track highlighting

Reply #5 –
I don't intend to be a bother, but this is frustrating.
After the initial misunderstanding over what exactly I am asking for, it seems the thing is considered settled, and nobody seems to have noticed the further clarification on how the suggested solutions don't really satisfy the request.
At the very least I can say that nobody has acknowledged the followups.

I'll quote myself from Reply #3 in this thread for convenience:
Quote from: radorn on
My interest here is not on what's currently PLAYING, but in the current position within every playlist. It's also not about the queue, as there isn't necesarily always a queue defined at all times, and the queue works across all playlists, overriding the default order.

I know foobar remembers positions within playlists and it can be easily proven:
Open several playlists, play one track on each one (just starting the playback is sufficient), and remember which it was.
Then, while any track is playing, close the playlist that contains it and let the song end (you can accelerate it by moving the playback cursor to the end).
Once the track ends, foobar will proceed to play from the playlist that has focus at that particular time, and the track loaded will be the one that's next after the last one that was played from that playlist.

My point is that foobar seems to keep track of the playback position even for inactive playlists, and I would like for that information to be used for a permanent visual highlight, preferably as background coloring, distinct from cursor highlight (like, a lighter color).

Hopefuly my request is clear now and can be properly addressed, whether it is to satisfy it, explain why not, or just dismiss it.

Thank you.

Re: [feature request] current track highlighting

Reply #6 –
Maybe a more clear short description of what I'm after would be something like "you are here", "this is where you left", "last active track", rather than "current track", which, I guess, seems to imply "currently PLAYING".