0019804: Android Auto: Rating functionality isn't usable - MantisBT

ID	Project	Category	View Status	Date Submitted	Last Update

0019804	MMA	Android Auto	public	2023-02-06 22:36	2023-05-12 02:44

Reporter	rusty	Assigned To
Priority	urgent	Severity	minor	Reproducibility	always
Status	closed	Resolution	fixed
Product Version	2.0.0
Target Version	2.0.0	Fixed in Version	2.0.0

Summary	0019804: Android Auto: Rating functionality isn't usable
Description	In a standard Android Auto display, 5 buttons are displayed in the Playing [MediaMonkey] view: [Overflow: Star up] [Overflow: Shuffle toggle] [Overflow: Repeat toggle] [Star down] [Back] [Play/Pause] [Next] [Overflow] In this configuration, the rating functionality is difficult to use because the user can press the [Star down] button to reduce the rating, but there's no way to easily increase it other than by subsequently tapping the overflow menu and then increasing the rating. This is really annoying though since: - it looks kind of silly, as if the developers gave no thought to the design - if the user is interested in rating tracks, they must re. click the Overflow button each time they switch from Playing --> Map --> Playing. A second issue raised by Drakinite at 0017825 is the fact that a track's rating is _really_ small and the user must take their eyes off the road to see it. Due to changes in Android Auto since that issue was documented, I don't believe that the solution to both of the above issues at 0017825 is feasible Two possible fixes for these issues are: 1) Display ratings and allow them to be adjusted from the main panel: Ratings viewability: display them next to the track time. e.g. 0:30 / 2:50 - ☆☆☆☆ Inability to adjust ratings within a single portion of the UI: have only a single [☆] button next to the [BACK] button that cycles through ratings e.g. for a track that's rated as 3-stars: ...4, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, ... 2) Display ratings and allow them to be adjusted from the overflow menu: This is essentially a variant of the proposal at 0017825; The Repeat toggle is moved to the main screen, and the Overflow menu is expanded to include both Rating buttons + a new larger icon that shows the actual rating but with larger text so that it's visible. i.e.: [Overflow: Star down] [Overflow star rating] [Overflow: Star up] [Overflow: Shuffle toggle] [Repeat toggle] [Back] [Play/Pause] [Next] [Overflow] Note: with this approach it would also make sense for the ratings buttons to cycle. i.e. [Star down] decreases ratings ..., 2, 1, 0, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 5 .... [Star up] increases ratings ...4, 5, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, ... (The current rating functionality jumps UP from 0-stars to 3-stars / DOWN from 5-stars to 3 stars--originally intentioned to reduce clicks, but confusing in actual implementation).
Additional Information	https://developers.google.com/cars/design/automotive-os/apps/media/interaction-model/playing-media
Tags	No tags attached.

Fixed in build	1081

martin 2023-05-10 15:50 developer ~0071799	Updated to next build 2.0.0.1081. [Star up] moved to overflow. I believe when the Star Up and Down actions are side by side, it's more clear how it works. [Shuffle toggle] moved next to [Back] to be consistent with MMA NP view. So currently it looks like: [Overflow: Star down] [Overflow: Star up] [Overflow: Repeat toggle] [Shuffle toggle] [Back] [Play/Pause] [Next] [Overflow] Other improvements TBD.

rusty 2023-05-10 18:34 administrator ~0071802	I would suggest that for both MMA and MMA/AA, the repeat function should be on the left since: - that's the layout in MMW and in most other players - it limits the possibility of accidentally enabling shuffle in AA which can cause changes in the track position that aren't easy to revert while driving.

rusty 2023-05-12 02:36 administrator ~0071814	Verified 1081 -- Ratings functionality design/layout is mostly OK--with the exception that the ratings still jump (tracking that at 0019979). Remaining issues re. the lone Shuffle button can also be tracked separately.