[jjd-uk]

What have I started?

You've let loose the Kraken

[DaveBlake]

Well I'm away for a day for now, so don't create too much trouble while I'm not here

But I'm sure the skinners would prefer not to have yet another screen to work on. So how about an "auto return focus to current playing song" option for the current playlist screen as a solution for this feature?

[scott967]

Hi, just got around to looking at this thread. Some lat thoughts:

1. Now we have single xml file for both musicplaylist and videoplaylist.

2. Either playlist window is very much the same as the main music and videos windows.

3. I think containers are by nature "paged". A number of functions/infolabels are oriented towards what is currently visible on the display.

4. Some things can be done in the vis and/or fsv windows to duplicate what is shown in the playlist windows. But I do find using the playlist windows as an overlay on the playing video in particular useful.

5. Since the first visible item is always the currently playing on a party-mode playlist it's easy to skin an "OSD"-like window from the playlist windows. (Note that if you stop playback of a party-mode playlist it reverts to a "normal" playlist. Same thing if a party-mode playlist has less than 10 possible entries (for example, party mode playlist built from smart playlist with playcount rule).

6. Mixed playlist is possible. This creates some interesting behavior. For example, play a mixed playlist from music window, the musicplaylist window shows both music and musicvideo files. You can tab into vis window when a music is playing, and the fsv window will auto-open when a music video plays, but when the music video ends and music plays again it doesn't return to vis window, you have to tab into it. Also in this case, there is a videoplaylist window available (when the musicvideo plays) but it is empty (other than .. ). So I find using the musicplaylist window best for mixed playlists.

7. Skinner can show info/image from the active player rather than playlist container focus item but I would like a way for focus to auto-shift to currently playing item in the container (for non-party mode).

scott s..

[DarkHelmet]

6. Mixed playlist is possible. This creates some interesting behavior. For example, play a mixed playlist from music window, the musicplaylist window shows both music and musicvideo files. You can tab into vis window when a music is playing, and the fsv window will auto-open when a music video plays, but when the music video ends and music plays again it doesn't return to vis window, you have to tab into it. Also in this case, there is a videoplaylist window available (when the musicvideo plays) but it is empty (other than .. ). So I find using the musicplaylist window best for mixed playlists.

Can't confirm that. On Jarvis and now on Krypton final in a mixed playlist music visualization and music video switch flawlessly for me. Music files show the full screen visualization and music video the video itself.

[tkgafs]

Well I'm away for a day for now, so don't create too much trouble while I'm not here

But I'm sure the skinners would prefer not to have yet another screen to work on. So how about an "auto return focus to current playing song" option for the current playlist screen as a solution for this feature?

I'll take anything that display the correct artwork !!

[scott967]

6. Mixed playlist is possible. This creates some interesting behavior. For example, play a mixed playlist from music window, the musicplaylist window shows both music and musicvideo files. You can tab into vis window when a music is playing, and the fsv window will auto-open when a music video plays, but when the music video ends and music plays again it doesn't return to vis window, you have to tab into it. Also in this case, there is a videoplaylist window available (when the musicvideo plays) but it is empty (other than .. ). So I find using the musicplaylist window best for mixed playlists.

Can't confirm that. On Jarvis and now on Krypton final in a mixed playlist music visualization and music video switch flawlessly for me. Music files show the full screen visualization and music video the video itself.

Hmm.. Working on Estuary. Need to try to see what I've tested previously. Regardless I still like the playlist windows vice vis or fsv in most cases.

scott s.
.

[DarkHelmet]

The behaviour you described was what I saw in some previous version of kodi too but it was fixed at some point. I remember I made a bug report in trac and it was fixed. At that time it depended on the library you started the playlist from (music library or video ibrary) and the now playing playlist that was created. It worked in the now playing video playlist but not in the now playing music playlist if I remember correctly. But yeah, it was fixed.

[Andrew-M]

I just found this thread and I’m very happy to see that this issue is being discussed again and hopefully getting somewhere

Ever since my first meeting with XBMC, I’ve always considered this as a strange bug, and every time it has been raised in different threads it has been talked down as “not needed” or “not possible”.

I know nothing of programming so I can’t tell what is possible or “easy” to implement, but I see a lot of different solutions being discussed in this thread. In my opinion, what needs to be changed is the current playlist view. The default behaviour should be to display the cover/artwork of the highlighted/now playing item and keep the other views as they are. The idea should be that while you’re browsing albums/singles/compilations, the artwork where the cursor is should be displayed – while changing to current playlist view the artwork follows currently playing item.

If I understand correctly DaveBlake is the only music developer, so I have to thank you for all your hard work to improve the music section. The problem now as I see it, is to make the skin developers catch up with this. All the new features when it comes to tags and nodes are great, but now we need the skins to display them in a nice way as well.

[scott967]

It is always possible for a skin to show the info and art for the currently playing media item in a window or dialog. The problem is when the user wants to interact with the playlist items via the playlist window.

scott s.
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[John R Leddy]

Current behaviour is by design and most definitely not a bug, however I've seen this request mentioned multiple times over the years so I think some selectable option, possibly in the side blade, would be good to allow the artwork/media info of the currently playing item to always be displayed

Just for my own interest does anyone know why this was designed in this way, I'm sure the original coder had a good reason to come up with this behaviour.

Certainly not to create any arguments or discussion as its all away in the past simply to understand the thinking and design choices

Because it's presumed if you've moved focus to an item, then you want the media info for that item and that media info will remain displayed until focus is moved, in this regard Kodi is no different from any other music program I've tried in that details for the focused item is always displayed. The big difference is desktop type programs such as Windows Media Player and Kodi is that as well as the playlist view there will be a Now Playing area with the playback controls along side which will sit the cover and info of the currently playing track.

If you know of any program that already does it for how you wish it to operate then please tell us, this might help guide us to a solution.

foobar2000 > File > Preferences > Playback > Other > [Checkbox] Cursor follows playback

[jjd-uk]

Probably not what's wanted as it's just a modified full screen window (viz window), but shows what's possible with some fairly simple skin changes

[Andrew-M]

Probably not what's wanted as it's just a modified full screen window (viz window), but shows what's possible with some fairly simple skin changes

Thanks jjd-uk! This is a really nice option for the full screen mode, I like it! Still, as you mention, it’s not the same as the playlist view and its displayed artwork.

[DaveBlake]

Thanks jjd-uk something to talk round. Of course visualisation window approach also does not provide the facility to manage the current playist, which the current playlist screen does.

[jjd-uk]

Having looked at this in depth in the last week I'm convinced it's a skinning issue rather than a Kodi core code issue, all the info labels are there for use so it's a question of design which is the remit of the skins.

[DaveBlake]

Taking the viz window approach that is certianly true. But if we did want the current playlist (management) screen to optionally revert to tracking the current playing song once you leave don't move the cursor for a bit, then that will be a core issue somewhere.