Confluence - Move favourites to menu bar
#1
Confluence is the first interface every first-time XBMC user sees. It is also likely preferred by many long-time users for its stability and refinement. I have always felt, however, that accessing "favourites" from a star at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen confusing, awkward and inconvenient. It's out of the way, like an afterthought. It's unintuitive, grouped with the off switch. You have to maneuver over the off switch to get to it.

It seems to me that the natural, convenient and intuitive place to access favourites would be on the main menu bar, with Weather, Files, Programs, etc. I can tell you that nobody under my roof (other than me) is even aware of what that star does. I believe this this is an unintuitive, user-unfriendly element of an otherwise excellent GUI.
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#2
With any luck, we should have a total replacement skin for v14 Helix with a number of such improvements. Confluence is an excellent skin, but it's home screen is indeed lacking in many areas.
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#3
(2014-05-09, 00:09)Ned Scott Wrote: With any luck, we should have a total replacement skin for v14 Helix with a number of such improvements.
Is this happening? If not, it would be nice if interface weaknesses like this one could be be alleviated.
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#4
I'm honestly not sure. I haven't been following most of the skin related talk, but I do know there is interest in doing some short-term fixes for Confluence for 14. Nothing super major, like a total replacement, but it's possible that this might be addressed. One of the skin devs would know better than I.
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#5
Use the Confluence Customisable Skin: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...confluence

You can add/remove any menu to the bar like favourites, family, Disney etc. Remove useless sub menus and widgets. Allows custom backgrounds with live art, coverflow and a whole heap of extra options to set XBMC just the way you need it.

XBMC should be shipped with this skin by default IMO.
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#6
I'm aware that there are options. The significance of addressing issues in stock confluence is:
- It is a new user's intro to XBMC/Kodi, and a positive first impression is important
- If one wants to run bleeding edge builds, other skins are more prone to break
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#7
So, we're on beta, three versions past Gotham, and confluence is still the default. I don't have a problem with that, as I think it is (mostly) an excellent interface.

It would be nice, however, if the dysfunctional bottom corner position of "Favorites" could be addressed. It is rendered useless, in my view, by making access to it so inconvenient and unintuitive.
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#8
I may consider making an option for an optional main menu favorites item in the next version. I would suggest, that the item should be the most righ item in the main menu. Agreed?

Maybe you take a look here:
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=242892
(Screenshots are very old, just try the latest version. It's just like Confluence with no nasty modifications)
⬅️⬅️ Feel free to leave a 👍 on useful posts  |  A Confluence ZEITGEIST (A modern reimagination of Confluence)  |  axbmcuser REPO (Download Link)  |  Kodi 17.7 DSPlayer x64 BETTERGUI (2020 build)
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#9
I would suggest either to the right of weather or the left of programs. It seems to me that the far right is appropriate for settings (i.e., where it is now).
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#10
I'll take a look.
⬅️⬅️ Feel free to leave a 👍 on useful posts  |  A Confluence ZEITGEIST (A modern reimagination of Confluence)  |  axbmcuser REPO (Download Link)  |  Kodi 17.7 DSPlayer x64 BETTERGUI (2020 build)
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#11
Check out just updated version 2.7.70

- New optional setting "Move Favorites Button to main menu (ONLY works if main menu isn't full!)"

You can activate it via Skin-Settings. Feedback welcome.

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=242892
⬅️⬅️ Feel free to leave a 👍 on useful posts  |  A Confluence ZEITGEIST (A modern reimagination of Confluence)  |  axbmcuser REPO (Download Link)  |  Kodi 17.7 DSPlayer x64 BETTERGUI (2020 build)
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#12
(2015-11-19, 23:30)allan87 Wrote: I would suggest either to the right of weather or the left of programs. It seems to me that the far right is appropriate for settings (i.e., where it is now).

I think that is an excellent idea, you would expect that the user experience would be enhanced by putting "favorites" in a spot befitting its name and the intention that it takes users to their most used area/location
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#13
Well, as said.

You can use my compact / non-bloated Confluence-near Skin if you want. (link above)
⬅️⬅️ Feel free to leave a 👍 on useful posts  |  A Confluence ZEITGEIST (A modern reimagination of Confluence)  |  axbmcuser REPO (Download Link)  |  Kodi 17.7 DSPlayer x64 BETTERGUI (2020 build)
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#14
Hope dev responsible for stock confluence adopts this proposal.
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#15
Hi,

Is there a way to make menu items appear vertical instead of horizontal like you can in the Amber skin?
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