Player display length in "Minutes:Sec" only withou

Big Isch · Post by **Big Isch** » Tue May 06, 2008 7:57 am

When playing audiobooks, lengthy tracks can be longer 1 hour.

The "Player" just displays "Minutes:Seconds".

E.g. When playing a track of length 1:28:24, the last second played is displayd as 88:24 (Minutes:Seconds).
This is correct, but for usability, the player should also display "Hours:Minutes:Seconds" as in other places, where a timely length is displayed.

nohitter151 · Post by **nohitter151** » Tue May 06, 2008 10:29 am

This is determined by the skin you are using, not by MM itself.

Big Isch · Post by **Big Isch** » Thu May 08, 2008 6:35 am

I tried all three skins, delivered with MM and all three have same problem.
So, it is a problem of MM or the three standard skins.

nohitter151 · Post by **nohitter151** » Thu May 08, 2008 9:36 am

Most skins define time this way, its more convenient this way than to constantly list 0:3:12 for an average-length song.

Big Isch · Post by **Big Isch** » Thu May 08, 2008 10:12 am

nohitter151 wrote:Most skins define time this way, its more convenient this way than to constantly list 0:3:12 for an average-length song.

In all places in MM, the "hour" part displays only for times of at least one hour.

E.g. MM displays a track-length 1:28:24, while the player displays 88:24.

It would be convenient and desirable to have consistent display of times throughout Mediamonley.

nohitter151 · Post by **nohitter151** » Thu May 08, 2008 10:17 am

Big Isch wrote:
nohitter151 wrote:Most skins define time this way, its more convenient this way than to constantly list 0:3:12 for an average-length song.
In all places in MM, the "hour" part displays only for times of at least one hour.

E.g. MM displays a track-length 1:28:24, while the player displays 88:24.

It would be convenient and desirable to have consistent display of times throughout Mediamonley.

Exactly, but in adding h

s to the player you ruin that consistency. Imagine a situation where MM displays a track as 3:12 but the player reads 0:3:12. Since its is likely more common that users have libraries of tracks mostly LESS than 1 hour long, most skins opt for a m:s display of time.

Big Isch · Post by **Big Isch** » Thu May 08, 2008 11:14 am

nohitter151 wrote:Exactly, but in adding hs to the player you ruin that consistency. Imagine a situation where MM displays a track as 3:12 but the player reads 0:3:12. Since its is likely more common that users have libraries of tracks mostly LESS than 1 hour long, most skins opt for a m:s display of time.

In all places in MM, the "hour" part displays only for times of at least one hour.
That means your that your example of "0:3:12" would display as "3:12." as it does in ALL other places of MM.

You did tell that problem is skinning. Is this a problem of skins to
use "m:s" for times less one hour and ELSE "h

s" ?

nohitter151 · Post by **nohitter151** » Thu May 08, 2008 1:50 pm

Big Isch wrote:....

You did tell that problem is skinning. Is this a problem of skins to
use "m:s" for times less one houre and ELSE "hs" ?

Yes, thats not possible to configure into a skin.

Big Isch · Post by **Big Isch** » Fri May 09, 2008 12:32 am

Thanks for explanation.

How could this usability issue be solved ?

As "h

s" and "m:s" is possible, why not add a third formatting version to be consistent with rest of MM ?

Kilmatead · Post by **Kilmatead** » Thu May 22, 2008 1:51 am

(Maybe I'm a bit late with this, but as no one saw fit to redirect his last question, I'll add this:)

When in doubt, do it yourself. Check out the MM Skin Wiki for instructions on how to extract the skin data to a \Test directory so you can play with it.

When there, edit the 'player.ini' file (it's just a text file)

Under an entry called [PlayerSkin] there's a setting for 'TimeFormat=mm:ss'

change this to 'TimeFormat=hh:mm:ss'.

Now, no doubt the more experienced skinners will point out that this will lead to all sorts of 'Size=' field compatibility conflicts, but it's nothing a little common sense and trial and error can't sort out. You can't hurt anything (if you screw it all up, just delete the folder and start over).

While there, you might find all sorts of other stuff that you would like to change. Jump in and muck with it. The MM Artwork Forum contains loads of very confusing (but fun!) information and headaches. Welcome.

drjboulder · Post by **drjboulder** » Thu May 22, 2008 3:48 am

Off Topic...
@Kilmatead
Wish we had a welcome to the forums thread.
You have been here a little over a month and I have noticed that you have been providing thoughtful (Sisyphus!!!) , useful and sometimes humorous responses!

Keep it up!

and yeah, most skinners would not include hours in time display. But, it is a pretty easy mod.

Kilmatead · Post by **Kilmatead** » Thu May 22, 2008 4:03 am

@Drjboulder,

You must have been the trucker who gave me a lift when hitching to Snowmass 20 years ago in the rain. Everything else related to Colorado (and Coloradian women) is just a painful memory from another continent long long ago. Breathe in the sky there for me, mate, Europe's pollution's turning me green (which is probably why I live in Ireland). Don't believe the tourist brochures.

Does this mean I can't "turn to the Darkside"? There are demon's in them there scripts...

Big Isch · Post by **Big Isch** » Thu May 22, 2008 4:27 am

Kilmatead wrote:Under an entry called [PlayerSkin] there's a setting for 'TimeFormat=mm:ss'

change this to 'TimeFormat=hh:mm:ss'.

In WiKi, I cannot find list of available formats.

What is needed would be a format "H:mm:ss", that displays the
'Hour' (and colon) for times of at least 1 hour only.

Anyone knows, where these formats are defined ? Are they customizable,
or can one request the new format proposed above ?

PetrCBR · Post by **PetrCBR** » Thu May 22, 2008 7:41 am

This option with upper case masks (for Day and Hour) will be added into next release.

Kilmatead · Post by **Kilmatead** » Thu May 22, 2008 11:01 am

Big Isch wrote:What is needed would be a format "H:mm:ss", that displays the 'Hour' (and colon) for times of at least 1 hour only.

I'm a bit confused... is 'hh:mm:ss' not good enough? I understand the wish for hours (that's why I learned to change it myself), but I find it a bit distressing for the human race if '0:03:20' (a superfluous leading '0:') is considered an unfortunately outrageous price to pay if you have a 3 minute song.

As I recall, Austria has National Service, so a pseudo-military-time layout should come as second nature. Right fond of it myself. Maybe that's what I get for growing up watching Wargames.

Beats '127.30' minute displays.

Big Isch wrote:In WiKi, I cannot find list of available formats.

I do agree the Wiki's a bit scarce of useful minutia though.