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Topic: "Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise? (Read 4684 times) previous topic - next topic
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"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Hi there,

I would like to create some kind of graphical genre browser within my fb2k using Columns UI. Currently I've done something like that for "Browsing by Artist" with the foo_uie_graphical_browser.dll using CoverArt:



Now I would like to create something like that, but for choosing Genres like "Rock", "Progressive Rock", "Soul" and so on by some custom graphics. It should work like as follows:

On start there should be a graphical list of all Genres within my media library. I should be able to mark and unmark dedicated genres (so there should be also the possibility to mark "Soul" and "Jazz"). When changing the tab (i.e. to the above shown "Album Browser") then I would like to see only music tagged with the before marked genres.

How can I do this?

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #1
i think the only way you can "mark" multiple genres at once is to use a filter panel and use ctrl+click. not possible using GB.

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #2
Now I would like to create something like that, but for choosing Genres like "Rock", "Progressive Rock", "Soul" and so on by some custom graphics.

Just use %genre%.png as cover image. Or if you have multiple-value genre tag use $meta(genre,0) because, as marc2003 posted, impossible to use multi-value tag in Graphical Browser

On start there should be a graphical list of all Genres within my media library. I should be able to mark and unmark dedicated genres (so there should be also the possibility to mark "Soul" and "Jazz").

Also impossible with Graphical Browser to select multiple groups, AFAIK

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #3
as graphical browser only shows the currently active playlist, i guess another solution would be to add your whole collection to a playlist. then have multiple genre/graphical browser tabs. you can use the @skip GB function in the "group by" field to show only the genre of your choice.

Code: [Select]
$if($stricmp(%genre%,jazz),%album%,@skip)


repeat for each new tab. the obvious limitation is not being able to browse combinations of different genres at once but at least it's graphical.

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #4
Thanks for your ideas!

So let's start by using graphical browser and grouping be genre:




OK, this looks quite ok (the missing icons are resulting on missing images).


Now, trying marcs additional code:




Hm... no the best at all...  furthermore there's still the problem that there is no possibility to select more than one genre.
The demand results on the idea to use fb2k as audio-player in our living room, controlled by a small touchscreen display. Hence I need some comfortable interface by not using a keyboard.

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #5
well your 2nd method is using title formatting to show a genre based image even though it should be the album art. it's just the tab name and group by code should be jazz. and i did also explicitly state this would be no good for browsing multiple genres at once. 

what about my original suggestion of using a filter panel to select genres?

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #6
Upsa, you're right. I was stopping thinking... 


Using a filter panel is something like that, isn't it?



Not finger-friendly at all...

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #7
you can change the font size which would make the selectable area bigger.

preferences>display>columns ui>colours and fonts>fonts tab>select "filter panel: items" from the drop down list, change mode to "custom".

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #8
Yes, of course - thanks for that hint.
Its working but not so "sexy" like those icons...

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #9
Take a look at this nice layout: Filters on the lift and Graphical Browser on the right

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #10
Wonderful... yeah, that's a really good implementation of what I'm looking for.
Any chance to get this work as basis for a custom setup?

"Browse" graphically by Genre - How to realise?

Reply #11
It seems Filters and Graphical Browser are put in Panel Stack Splitter
Maybe you can even put two Graphical Browsers in PSS: left with one vertical group column for %genre% and right for %album%

[edit] I tried above suggestion, and browsing is somehow strange - they mutually respond on selecting from either panel - not that bad, but if you select some genre, on the right panel only the first album will be selected - not all, as we said about multiple selection limitation in Graphical Browser