View Issue Details
| ID | Project | Category | View Status | Date Submitted | Last Update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0008804 | MMW v4 | Synchronization | public | 2011-12-04 03:04 | 2012-11-11 01:10 |
| Reporter | rusty | Assigned To | |||
| Priority | urgent | Severity | minor | Reproducibility | always |
| Status | closed | Resolution | fixed | ||
| Product Version | 4.0.1 | ||||
| Target Version | 4.1 | Fixed in Version | 4.1 | ||
| Summary | 0008804: Sync Selected can be confusing | ||||
| Description | Raised by Eiji at #8677: I think Sync Device Menu structure is a bit strange and difficult to understand. Sync Device is basically a execution command. And Auto-Synchronize and Sync selected are two options for this execution. It took me a lot of time to figure out the difference of these (execution and option) In addition, these two choices are a bit hard to tell from one another in the first place. Why a user have to select first one of options and execute "Sync Device"? I think that the alternative like the following with two execution commands is a lot better: Sync Device (Auto Synchronize) Sync Device (Selected Files) With this, users do not have to do two menu operations. In addition, users don't have to learn difference of options and command in this context. Even better approach is 1) to put this Sync Device (Selected Files) to Context Menu of Details and Folders in Device. Since you have select files first, Context menu is the best place for this, and 2) to keep only Sync Device (Auto-Synchronize) on the standard menu, this way users would not have to be confronted with difficult-to-understand options. | ||||
| Tags | No tags attached. | ||||
| Fixed in build | 1601 | ||||
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afaik, the 'Sync Selected' function can probably be removed. It was useful previously in earlier incarnations of MM, but in the current version: a) Send to <Device> (Sync) performs this functionality b) As suggested above, if there are users that wish to utilize 'Sync Selected' it would be preferable to just allow them to enable a 'Sync Selected button' on the Toolbar--it certainly doesn't make sense for them to click the 'auto-sync' button next to the device. So: i) Options can be eliminated and commands should be: Sync Device > Auto-sync Sync Device > Sync selected ii) Sync selected command should be added to the list of Available Actions for purposes of Hotkeys or Toolbar Configuration. |
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A second area of confusion, raised at #8833 is that 'Sync Selected' implies that bidi sync rules would apply, and in fact they don't. i.e. if the user tries to 'Sync' tracks on a Device to the PC, the bidi sync rules don't apply for syncing those tracks. With this in mind the changes suggested above should be: a) Remove the option to set a 'mode'. b) Commands should be: i) 'Auto-sync': syncs selected tracks following auto-sync list ii) 'Sync selected' > <Path on Device--initial default from device profile>: copies selected tracks based on the Device Auto-conversion and Destination rules (but doesn't modify the auto-sync list). This is functionally identical to the Send to > <Device> (sync) function. iii) 'Sync selected' > <Path on PC--default taken from device profile>: copies selected tracks on the device to the PC. This is functionally identical to Send to > Folder > <folder> (copy). So to summarize, the menu would appear as: Auto Sync Sync Selected ------------- [x] Device 1 [ ] Device 2 ------------- Safely remove device c) 'Sync selected' command should be added to the list of Available Actions for: - Hotkeys - Custom toolbars |
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I am still a little bit confused about what exactly should be implemented. Based on the last note I suppose that it is about content of the menu Tools -> Sync Device The current layout is Sync Device ----------------- (o) Auto-Synchronize ( ) Sync Selected ---------------- (o) Device 1 ( ) Device 2 ----------------- Safely remove device and you suggest Auto-sync Sync Selected ---------------- (o) Device 1 ( ) Device 2 ----------------- Safely remove device so in summary: 1) The "Sync Device" button is removed 2) Change the radio buttons "Auto-Synchronize" and "Sync Selected" to regular buttons 3) "Sync Selected" works bi-directionally, i.e. if a track on the selected device is selected in tracklist/tree then it is copied to PC without adding to Auto-Sync list Is it what you suggested? Note that I think it still is not perfect. e.g. if user selected "Device 1" as radio button and selected tracks on "Device 2" via MM nterface then it is unclear what should happen. I think that the original idea to remove "Sync Selected" mode from menu Tools -> Sync Device and keep it only in context menus makes more sense. |
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This is what I'm suggesting: Auto-sync Sync Selected [> appears only if selected tracks are on the PC] ---------------- (o) Device 1 ( ) Device 2 ----------------- Safely remove device 1) 'The "Sync Device" button is removed'. Yes--that command is being replaced by 'direct' commands: Auto-sync, and Sync Selected. 2) 'Change the radio buttons "Auto-Synchronize" and "Sync Selected" to regular buttons.' You can think of it that way or that we're just getting rid of the concept of a 'mode'. 3) '"Sync Selected" works bi-directionally. Not exactly. I'm suggesting that the command currently implies to the user that 'Sync Selected' is bidi even though it isn't. My suggestion is to merely _show_ the user that it isn't bidi by including additional contextual information that illustrates where the tracks are being synced to (depending on where they're being synced from). i.e. ii) For tracks being synced from the PC: 'Sync selected' (<Path on Device--from device profile>): copies selected tracks based on the Device Auto-conversion and Destination rules (but doesn't modify the auto-sync list). This is functionally identical to the Send to > <Device> (sync) function. iii) For tracks being copied from a device: 'Sync selected' > <Path on PC--default taken from the active device profile> (but can be switched i.e. the > appears like in all Send to commands): copies selected tracks on the device to the PC. This is functionally identical to Send to > Folder > <folder> (copy). |
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But Sync Selected [> appears only if selected tracks are on the PC] is in contradiction with iii) For tracks being copied from a device: 'Sync selected' > <Path on PC--default taken from the active device profile> (but can be switched i.e. the > appears like in all Send to commands): copies selected tracks on the device to the PC. This is functionally identical to Send to > Folder > <folder> (copy). |
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You're right--it should have read: Sync selected [> appears only if selected track are on the currently active device] |
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OK, 1) & 2) are clear, but 3) isn't If I understand correctly we are replacing the current tooltip: "Copies selected files to the directories configured in Portable/Audio Device settings. Also copies a playlist whenever an entire node is copied." by the tooltips from 3)ii) and 3)iii) based on currently selected tracks? What should be exact text of the tooltips? Also it is not clear whether the concrete path should be presented, because for multiple tracks the paths can be various - therefore I suppose that something like 'Sync selected' > 'E:\Music\ABBA\...' wouldn't work for multiple selected tracks. What should happen if none track is selected? I suppose that the "Sync Selected" should be disabled (currently it isn't). What should happen with the current toolbar option "Send to Portable Device" that is identical to "Tools" > "Sync Device"? There are at least 2 possibilities: a) get rid of "Send to Portable Device" toolbar item and replace it by three new items: "Auto-Synchronize", "Sync Selected", "Safely remove device" b) rename the "Send to Portable Device" toolbar to "Sync Device" and get rid of the button behaviour so that it is just a group item like ("Tools" > "Sync Device") a) seems to be more flexible |
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As discussed offline, the the 'Send to <DeviceName> (Sync)' terminology that currently exists within the SendTo menu/toolbar button is probably cleanest. And to minimize disruption of existing users, we'll use the following format for the Tools > Sync Device > menu and the Sync combo button (that is no longer included in the MM4 default install): Auto-sync Send to Device 1 (Sync) ---------------- (o) Device 1 ( ) Device 2 ----------------- Safely remove device |
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Yes, and we concluded solution b) suggested in my last note for the Sync combo button |
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Fixed in build 1601. |
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Verified 1605 |
