Location Paths window too narrow

[stevebow]

When in the media player, you select the file Location with the yellow button, which brings up a window with a list of locations to choose from.

I have much of my media on my NAS, which can result in long path names. Unfortunately these are tending to be cut off because the window is too narrow:

Locations screengrab

screenshot.jpg (165.07 KiB) Viewed 2283 times

The problem is, it's sometimes difficult to tell which location is which.

I can't seem to find a setting for the window width, so I assume it is fixed. Would it be possible to widen it please? The current width seems to be a hangover from 4:3 days perhaps?

My suggestion would be to widen it so the left/right space outside the window is around the same as the current top/bottom space. I believe that would be adequate. Thanks.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

Why not use the "location alias" option to set a short alias name for different share paths? For example -
NAS_Video for path /media/autofs/TS509_Public509/Video
NAS_Media for path /media/autofs/TS509_Public509/Media
Recordings for path /media/hdd/movie
MEDIA>>MENU>>Settings...

[MrQuade]

Aliases can be easily set by pressing:

MEDIA->MEDIA (to get to the Bookmark screen)
CH- (to get to the bookmarks themselves)

Then, from memory, it is MENU and "Create alias". If I am remembering that incorrectly, either way there should be a clear way to set the alias from that point.

[IanSav]

Hi Stevebow,

When in the media player, you select the file Location with the yellow button, which brings up a window with a list of locations to choose from.

I have much of my media on my NAS, which can result in long path names. Unfortunately these are tending to be cut off because the window is too narrow:

The problem is, it's sometimes difficult to tell which location is which.

I can't seem to find a setting for the window width, so I assume it is fixed. Would it be possible to widen it please? The current width seems to be a hangover from 4:3 days perhaps?

My suggestion would be to widen it so the left/right space outside the window is around the same as the current top/bottom space. I believe that would be adequate. Thanks.

Are you using OverlayHD? If so I can investigate widening the window for you. Please note that at this time I will have to make the change as a patch for you as you currently can't use recent versions of OverlayHD on the Beyonwiz firmware.

Regards,
Ian.

[prl]

There is code to left-truncate displayed path names in the media selection list (and its popups), i.e. to display /a/very/long/and/tedious/path as something like ...nd/tedious/path, but it's only used in the "Do you really want to remove bookmark '...nd/tedious/path?" popup.

Something like that should probably be done for the location list, too.

The truncation is a bit problematic, because it truncates to a fixed number of characters, not to a screen display width (the font is variable-width), and IMO it's generally better to do path abbreviation by centre truncation, so: /a/very/lo...dious/path rather than ...nd/tedious/path (or perhaps, even better, something like /a/very/.../tedious/path (i.e. remove only complete path components).

The problem with making the popup wider is that the popup becomes unwieldy when there are only relatively short path names, and what's wide enough for one person may not be wide enough for another.

[IanSav]

Hi Prl,

There is code to left-truncate displayed path names in the media selection list (and its popups), i.e. to display /a/very/long/and/tedious/path as something like ...nd/tedious/path, but it's only used in the "Do you really want to remove bookmark '...nd/tedious/path?" popup.

Something like that should probably be done for the location list, too.

The truncation is a bit problematic, because it truncates to a fixed number of characters, not to a screen display width (the font is variable-width), and IMO it's generally better to do path abbreviation by centre truncation, so: /a/very/lo...dious/path rather than ...nd/tedious/path (or perhaps, even better, something like /a/very/.../tedious/path (i.e. remove only complete path components).

The problem with making the popup wider is that the popup becomes unwieldy when there are only relatively short path names, and what's wide enough for one person may not be wide enough for another.

I agree with your comments. The ALIAS feature should address the problem but this is a Beyonwiz only feature.

Regards,
Ian.

[Gully]

The solution I use is when creating the mounts. You can edit the local share name to a suitable short form, eg TVSeries or Movies.

You can go back and edit the current names through Mountpoints Management.

BTW I notice a number of your mounts have spaces in the names which can cause problems.

[stevebow]

Why not use the "location alias" option to set a short alias name for different share paths?

I wasn't aware of path aliases, I'll look into that as a workaround, thanks.

The example I attached were cached entries rather than bookmarks though. Sometimes I want to go back to a directory I was recently in, but have to "guess" which entry it is in the list as I can't see the actual directory name. But if aliases also do show subdirectories e.g. NAS_Video/Show/Series, might be the way to go.

[stevebow]

Aliases can be easily set by pressing:

MEDIA->MEDIA (to get to the Bookmark screen)
CH- (to get to the bookmarks themselves)

Then, from memory, it is MENU and "Create alias". If I am remembering that incorrectly, either way there should be a clear way to set the alias from that point.

Yes, I see it, thanks. One thing I did notice was that any bookmarked location paths containing the contents newly created alias were hosed. e.g.:

Bookmark: TS509_Public509/Video/TV Series/Lost In Space - X264/Series 1
New Alias: "TS509 TV Series" = TS509_Public509/Video/TV Series

The book mark was gone. I am not fussed by it at all, just thought I'd mention it. When I navigate via the new Alias, I now see:

TS509 TV Series/Lost In Space - X264/Series 1

Even this solution just barely fits in to the Location path list window though.

[stevebow]

Are you using OverlayHD?

I'm afraid not, just using the default skin. But by all means don't let that stop you from making any improvements in OverlayHD.

[stevebow]

IMO it's generally better to do path abbreviation by centre truncation, so: /a/very/lo...dious/path rather than ...nd/tedious/path (or perhaps, even better, something like /a/very/.../tedious/path (i.e. remove only complete path components).

I agree, this is my preferred representation as well.

The problem with making the popup wider is that the popup becomes unwieldy when there are only relatively short path names, and what's wide enough for one person may not be wide enough for another.

Personally, wide windows displaying a lot of RHS space due to short list entries have never bothered me, but hey, that's me. But something at least a little wider than it currently is I don't think would upset too many, and using your /a/very/.../tedious/path suggestion may be the trick.

[stevebow]

The solution I use is when creating the mounts. You can edit the local share name to a suitable short form, eg TVSeries or Movies.

Thanks, but I mount only a single "high level" share on my NAS, which is my preference.

BTW I notice a number of your mounts have spaces in the names which can cause problems.

That one share is mounted as "TS509_Public509". With an underscore.

[MrQuade]

Thanks, but I mount only a single "high level" share on my NAS, which is my preference.

Yep, that's the best way to do it. No need to make multiple mounts to the same share when you can just bookmark the sub-folders as required.

[IanSav]

Hi Stevebow,

Are you using OverlayHD?

I'm afraid not, just using the default skin. But by all means don't let that stop you from making any improvements in OverlayHD.

OverlayHD already has a much wider list. I was curious if the paths fit within the OverlayHD skin.

Regards,
Ian.

[prl]

That one share is mounted as "TS509_Public509". With an underscore.

It's not only the local mount name that can cause problems. Spaces in the mounted path can also cause problems.

[stevebow]

It's not only the local mount name that can cause problems. Spaces in the mounted path can also cause problems.

Or highlight bugs in filepath/filename handling.

[stevebow]

Hi Stevebow,

Are you using OverlayHD?

I'm afraid not, just using the default skin. But by all means don't let that stop you from making any improvements in OverlayHD.

OverlayHD already has a much wider list. I was curious if the paths fit within the OverlayHD skin.

Regards,
Ian.

Sorry Ian, I meant to follow up on this but totally forgot. I installed your server feed and OverlayHD plugins and am quite impressed so far, I think I will try it for a little while.

There is much more room for the location paths, and I do prefer your approach over the tiny window the default GUI presents.

On a different note, after installing your feed plugin I am prompted to do an online update with "Install now?". There is no info at all presented as to what this update actually is or which feed it is coming from (presumably yours since I have just installed your feed plugin). What is this update? Is it not possible to provide any info in the prompt box before committing to the update?

[prl]

If you mean the "Online update available. / Install now?" popup, I'd expect it to follow the normal update procedure where if you answer yes, it downloads the package list and gives you an opportunity to see the number of updates and even view the list of packages being updated before you go ahead.

Of course, the list of updated packages doesn't really answer the question you really want answered: "What does the update do?" But it's at least something.

[stevebow]

As you can see, I rarely do online updates... Pressing Yes takes you to a window with options, not actually installing anything.

Confirming "Install Now?" sounds very definite - wouldn't it be better to replace the "Install Now?" text with "View Options", something other than "Install Now?", because you aren't actually doing so until that option appears in the next window.

[stevebow]

Darn, just lost the openshop icons, guess Ian needs to update his picons package. Still, won't be losing any sleep over that one.

[IanSav]

Hi Stevebow,

Darn, just lost the openshop icons, guess Ian needs to update his picons package. Still, won't be losing any sleep over that one.

This is probably the version number issue about which PeterU was concerned. I didn't bother updating my feed because the official Beyonwiz update was released so promptly. I will create the update in my feed as well so that you don't need to do anything other that allow the update when I am done.

I will try to keep this issue in mind on future updates.

Regards,
Ian.

[stevebow]

I didn't bother updating my feed because the official Beyonwiz update was released so promptly.

I think that's only available via the beta f/w? I'm still on 17.5. I usually pull prl's updates directly from the bitbucket repository and install manually, but if I have your feed running then it may nag me about it in the future.

I will create the update in my feed as well so that you don't need to do anything other that allow the update when I am done.

No probs, thanks!