hey. i just downloaded the latest foobar2000. i like the speeds and simplicity but, no gui is increative (if there is such a word). This could easily top winamp just because it feels more powerful but it needs a stronger, better looking gui than winamp (right now it has none). and i'm just wondering out of curiosity what is the advantage of this over winamp 2.9 because i just got that the day it came out. thanks. btw i love these open-source developers. they make good programs.
foobar is about quality and functionality. Although I personally agree that a slightly nicer GUI would be nice, it's not the developer's purpose for the program.
I quite like it. If you do, use it. But Winamp's fine, too.
indeed. I like so i'll keep. i hate to admit that i'd ever see the day winamp got outnumbered but, i think this is the rise of it
...and i'm just wondering out of curiosity what is the advantage of this over winamp 2.9...
Please search the forums. This has been discussed a thousand times. Have you been to the FB2K forum?
Please search the forums. This has been discussed a thousand times. Have you been to the FB2K forum?
This has also been said a thousand times.
Kinda like IRC channels or NNTP groups with anti-spam rules. The rules are there because every time somebody sends 1 message of spam, you get 20 telling them not to.
fb2k GUI is nice, you just need to configure playlist properly. After a month of using it, I tried Winamp and I didnt like it GUI. I just fb2k
I mainly use foobar because evgeryone else uses winamp ;-)
But I find it better because it has more functionnalities (unzip, unrar, plays tfmx/spc without 3rd party plugins) uses less memory/cpu time, and I didn't look at winamp anyway : a few global hotkeys, minimize it, and you don't need to see it anymore.
About foobar's GUI I think it's okay, and I like the custom strings for the playlist etc., but I don't understand why it doesn't use the standard explorer detailed view, with resizable columns and the little arrows at the top to let you sort by artist, size, length, title, album, bitrate etc...
BlueScreenJunky:
but I don't understand why it doesn't use the standard explorer detailed view, with resizable columns and the little arrows at the top to let you sort by artist, size, length, title, album, bitrate etc...
And I hope it never will, but for you (given your name and love for BSOD's) you can use WMP.
About foobar's GUI I think it's okay, and I like the custom strings for the playlist etc., but I don't understand why it doesn't use the standard explorer detailed view, with resizable columns and the little arrows at the top to let you sort by artist, size, length, title, album, bitrate etc...
Well you have kind of answered your own question.. The reason there aren't resizable columns with arrows is because of the flexibility of the custom strings. You cannot have both..
Also you can already sort by artist, album, track number, file path, title, display name and, in fact
any custom string you like. Agreed you need two mouse clicks for most and 3 for the custom one but they are all at least possible!
That's not entirely true. I'm pretty sure that Peter could implement a list-view using custom strings for each of the columns, and even allow adding and removing arbitrary columns. I don't see it happening, though. It would probably be a lot of work, and not really worth the time.
The only 'GUI' thing I would like to see in foobar would be customizable toolbar, where you could assign any function to a button (like with hotkeys) and load you own icon for it. Besides that, it should also have ability to put sliders to it, and you could assign volume, pan, seek and similiar actions to them.
The day foobar gets such a toolbar will be the day I will uninstall Winamp
And please don't implement explorer style playlist! Customizable strings are *the best*!
The only 'GUI' thing I would like to see in foobar would be customizable toolbar, where you could assign any function to a button (like with hotkeys) and load you own icon for it. Besides that, it should also have ability to put sliders to it, and you could assign volume, pan, seek and similiar actions to it.
This could actually be realized as a plugin. Why don't you go and write it?
The only 'GUI' thing I would like to see in foobar would be customizable toolbar, where you could assign any function to a button (like with hotkeys) and load you own icon for it. Besides that, it should also have ability to put sliders to it, and you could assign volume, pan, seek and similiar actions to it.
This could actually be realized as a plugin. Why don't you go and write it?
I think there is such plugin (search the forum), I tried it, but didnt like it. With it, there is no fb2k spirit any more
foosion, how would you add a toolbar to the main window? I'd think that if it were possible, someone would have already added one (for volume and seek, if nothing else).
That would be very handy. Using the seek plugin from the components menu is ok but having it right there on a toolbar would be preferable. I think it's better if some things are written as plugins, so that people who don't want them don't use them and people who do, do.
It's all good
it needs a stronger, better looking gui than winamp (right now it has none)
I disagree. It does have a stronger, better looking gui than Winamp, plus, I don't need to retrain all my family to teach them how to use it. It's replaced WiMP on my parents' computer, and Winamp on mine. It looks the same as my Windows environment, and that's exactly the way an application should be.
Besides, there's the incredibly nifty Title Formatting stuff that'll let you do incredible things with tagging. As foobar supports arbitrary tags, it allows me to insert any data I need into my music, so long as it's text.
Furthermore, the development pace is still frenzied, and foobar is still getting loads of intriguing new features.
I'm pretty sure that Peter could implement a list-view using custom strings for each of the columns, and even allow adding and removing arbitrary columns. I don't see it happening, though. It would probably be a lot of work, and not really worth the time.
yup, That's exactly what I was thinking about Curious George, this way you could even do one huge column with your string if you don't want to use it. Besides I don't really need that function, as I said the custom string is cool the way it is, but I think it would be even (and more accessible to neophytes) with a column system.
And I hope it never will, but for you (given your name and love for BSOD's) you can use WMP.
Oh thanx, I just installed WMP9 as you suggested, and it crashed my PC ! I'll definitely get rid of foobar and BSplayer, BSODs are so entertaining
This could actually be realized as a plugin. Why don't you go and write it?
it was actually a hack, and doesn't work with recent builds.
I don't know why everybody want a cool, good looking GUI? Are you guys sitting on the Computer and wwatch the newest Winamp skin while it plays your songs? I mainly LISTEN to the music... Thats the purpose of the program, i think. 99% of the time foobar is minimized, because i can control everything with shortcuts. Only when i change the playlist i see the GUI. And that happens fast, because of the simple GUI.
hey. i just downloaded the latest foobar2000. i like the speeds and simplicity but, no gui is increative (if there is such a word). This could easily top winamp just because it feels more powerful but it needs a stronger, better looking gui than winamp (right now it has none). and i'm just wondering out of curiosity what is the advantage of this over winamp 2.9 because i just got that the day it came out. thanks. btw i love these open-source developers. they make good programs.
foobar 2000 0.6, winamp 2.90
skins: no, yes
visualisation: no yes
replaygain scan: yes, no
disk writer (with dsp & replay gain): yes, no
disk writer support all encoders: yes, plugin for lame
avanced maastagger: yes, no
configurable playlist formatting: yes, no
album list: yes, plugin
database search,media library: plugin; yes
crossfader: no, plugin
decoder 64 bit: yes, no (16 bit)
if you love skin and visuatiation go to winamp, if not go to foobar (remember , foobar is at 0.6b18 version, winamp at 2.90...)
skins: no, yes
Foobar: True but you can change your windows theme to suit and so it's much more uniform with the rest of your system.
visualisation: no yes
Foobar does, see the visualisation thread and note apach's posts
configurable playlist formatting: yes, no
Winamp: Not quite true, there is some configurability in the input plugins, but that's about it. (You can specify artist, album etc in the vorbis, mp3 and musepack plugins I believe)
album list: yes, plugin
To be fair the foobar album list feature is a plugin.
crossfader: no, plugin
Is anyone going to implement this as I do quite like crossfading on seek and stop? (which are the defaults in Winamp using the directsound output method)
As for a "tabulated" list view for a playlist, this could produce some interesting functionality benefits for the masstagger. It would be best if it could be enabled or disabled though, I think, because peoples are fond of the format strings. I know I am becoming more so.
Have fun people.
foosion, how would you add a toolbar to the main window? I'd think that if it were possible, someone would have already added one (for volume and seek, if nothing else).
Well, I wouldn't add this to the main window, unless Peter adds some way to the sdk to do this, so I would just create a floating toolbar window. But I guess it would feel like foo_stfu, if it wasn't part of the main window. My main point was that it would be possible to bind actions to buttons, as you can enumerate actions like any other service. Of course you would need slightly more work to add sliders bound to playing position or volume. Still possible though.
skins: no, yes
Foobar: True but you can change your windows theme to suit and so it's much more uniform with the rest of your system.
not true with win98...but i don't like skin!
configurable playlist formatting: yes, no
Winamp: Not quite true, there is some configurability in the input plugins, but that's about it. (You can specify artist, album etc in the vorbis, mp3 and musepack plugins I believe)
foobar config strings is for all type of files...
album list: yes, plugin
To be fair the foobar album list feature is a plugin.
it is a composant done with foobar (pp make)
crossfader: no, plugin
Is anyone going to implement this as I do quite like crossfading on seek and stop? (which are the defaults in Winamp using the directsound output method)
this is fading , crossfading is different!
i love foobar!
Me too Melomane, me too. By "change your windows theme to suit" I meant Control Panel > Display Properties> Appearance and change stuff in there. I personally like the uniformity and prefer it cos otherwise I spend days and days looking for a half decent skin that fits in with my colour scheme.
Hang on, it's been so long since I used windows 98, i can't remember if it had the appearances thing in it. I'm sure it must have done. It's almost vital for any kinda of GUI configurability. Oh well.
Well, I wouldn't add this to the main window, unless Peter adds some way to the sdk to do this, so I would just create a floating toolbar window. But I guess it would feel like foo_stfu, if it wasn't part of the main window. My main point was that it would be possible to bind actions to buttons, as you can enumerate actions like any other service. Of course you would need slightly more work to add sliders bound to playing position or volume. Still possible though.
I don't actually like floating windows. If I was going to use it constantly, I'd want it to be part of the main Window. (I think it might be possible to do this, actually, but I'd have to look into the other UIs in the SDK to know for sure).
Is anyone going to implement this as I do quite like crossfading on seek and stop? (which are the defaults in Winamp using the directsound output method)
If I recall correctly, Peter once mentioned that he missed crossfading as well, so it's possible that he might add it at some point in the future. (Probably not this week, though )
Something like this would probably need to be implemented in the actual output plugin, though, so I don't think we'll be seeing a quick drop-in plugin to do it for us.
I agree about floating windows, but perhaps they could stick to foobar's main window? Just like log window in burnatonce or dvddecrypter (http://www.dvddecrypter.com/)...
I don't have any clue how you would make a Foobar2000 plugin window "snap" to the main window. Unless there's some way to recieve messages from the main window when it moves, it's not possible.
I don't have any clue how you would make a Foobar2000 plugin window "snap" to the main window. Unless there's some way to recieve messages from the main window when it moves, it's not possible.
I mean that this could be another service in foobar (or part of modeless_dialog.c), which allows windows to register as "sticky" and main thread takes care about informing registered windows about main window movements, or something But that's rather "bells and whistles" kind of feature
I don't have any clue how you would make a Foobar2000 plugin window "snap" to the main window. Unless there's some way to recieve messages from the main window when it moves, it's not possible.
It would be a hack, which isn't allowed.
If Windows provides a valid way to be notified when a window is moved, then it's not a hack.
But replacing the windows procedure would, of course, be a hack. I've done that to change the shuffle behavior (or rather, to add a new shuffle toggle to the menu, and to recieve messages when it's clicked), but it's a cheap hack.
Messer, I would indeed like to see something like that added to the SDK.
I don't have any clue how you would make a Foobar2000 plugin window "snap" to the main window. Unless there's some way to recieve messages from the main window when it moves, it's not possible.
It would be a hack, which isn't allowed.
why aren't "hacks" not allowed?
Ok, I heared that zZzZzZz doesn't like such things, but since the WinAPI provides functions for doing such things, why is it bad to use them to improve a program even further?
If I would program a plugin and offer it to the public AND say that it could make foobar2000 unstable because of some rather low level system function and the downloader of the plugin accepts this, why is it still forbidden?
Because then people would use it and bitch at Peter when it screwed up their systems. Using WINAPI functionality is legal (and necessary) in a plugin. It's just not acceptable to do things which are likely to break in future versions.
If I recall correctly, Peter once mentioned that he missed crossfading as well, so it's possible that he might add it at some point in the future. (Probably not this week, though )
Something like this would probably need to be implemented in the actual output plugin, though, so I don't think we'll be seeing a quick drop-in plugin to do it for us.
Awesome! It just mading seeking sound so much smoother. Of course a toolbar with a seek bar on would be useful for that but I can only hope....
Keep smiling people, I'm sure there's a link between happiness and longevity.
Keep smiling people, I'm sure there's a link between happiness and longevity.
As well as cats and this forum.... behold another mystery!!
What can I say? I like cats. It was a picture of Homer briefly but I found a nice picture of a kitten so I went for that instead. If I can get a good picture of my cat then she'll go up on here...
I don't actually like floating windows. If I was going to use it constantly, I'd want it to be part of the main Window. (I think it might be possible to do this, actually, but I'd have to look into the other UIs in the SDK to know for sure).
That's the problem with foo_stfu. I admit I don't really need to seek that often, and using keyboard shortcuts is so much easier
EDIT: Oops, I should've read the whole thread. I would have seen that floating windows have been discussed in more detail
MaxAuthority: Hacks are evil, because they rely on certain features of the main application, which could be changed by Peter without changing the API (and without notice). You could also have a different application loading a fb2k plugin, only the official API would be usable then.
I don't have any clue how you would make a Foobar2000 plugin window "snap" to the main window. Unless there's some way to recieve messages from the main window when it moves, it's not possible.
Yup, that is how you do it!
Subclass the main window and then add code to move your other windows depending upon the message you recieve.
P.S. Off the top of my head I think "WM_MOVE" is the message you are interested in...
Jamie
That's not entirely true. I'm pretty sure that Peter could implement a list-view using custom strings for each of the columns, and even allow adding and removing arbitrary columns. I don't see it happening, though. It would probably be a lot of work, and not really worth the time.
I thing playlist must be playlist ! Strings functionality is
enought (i want only integrated 'presets' of them )
But this list view must be in media library, there it will be very
useful. MediaLibrary must contains presets, playlists (and drug&drup
between MediaLibrary and main playlist), search engine (i have only it
), use masstagger and other functions that support playlist.
And, if main playlist will be support custom objects from other
plugins (like chekboxes for repeat, for crossfading and e.t.c.), it
will be very useful thing.
avanced maastagger: yes, no
yes, yes
but winamp2.9 masstagger support only ID3v1/2, not APE tags
I don't actually like floating windows. If I was going to use it constantly, I'd want it to be part of the main Window.
I'm too
I don't have any clue how you would make a Foobar2000 plugin window "snap" to the main window. Unless there's some way to recieve messages from the main window when it moves, it's not possible.
Yup, that is how you do it!
Subclass the main window and then add code to move your other windows depending upon the message you recieve.
P.S. Off the top of my head I think "WM_MOVE" is the message you are interested in...
Jamie
I'm pretty sure that Peter would consider that a hack. In addition, it doesn't work properly. I've tried subclassing the Window for other reasons, and it seems rather selective about which messages actually make it through. (WM_COMMAND never makes it through if you subclass in an initquit instance, though if you wait until later it can subclass with no problems)
edit: If spying on resize messages is all you do, Peter might not consider it a hack, because that functionality won't change in future released. I'm not sure if it would work properly, though, based on the aforementioned "missing message" behavior.
avanced maastagger: yes, no
yes, yes
but winamp2.9 masstagger support only ID3v1/2, not APE tags
have you used masstagger of foobar?
it is a Ferrari , "masstagger " of winamp has only the name of masstagger...
I'm pretty sure that Peter would consider that a hack. In addition, it doesn't work properly.
Hmm, it's no hack since it is part of the Windows API. Also, it's known to work since this is exactly how burnatonce does it.
You don't have to use this information, I was just trying to be helpful - I've never even used foobar...
Jamie
Hmm, it's no hack since it is part of the Windows API. Also, it's known to work since this is exactly how burnatonce does it.
Well, there are a lot of things that the Windows API allows that are just hacks. But like I said, this case shouldn't (wouldn't?) be considered a hack.
You don't have to use this information, I was just trying to be helpful - I've never even used foobar...
Blasphemy!
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