Bugzilla – Bug 1052
[Scrub Phase I] No indication above Status Bar that scrubbing is enabled.
Last modified: 2018-08-20 11:45:30 UTC
Peter, David B and Gale all think this is an issue. Gale has suggested the Play button should engage and the green playhead appear when scrub is initiated, just as it appears when standard scrub suspends when the playhead reaches the pointer.
(In reply to Gale Andrews from comment #0) Use case: and gere on the forum we have poor benighted user who has accidentally strayed into scrub mode by mistake - has no ide what is going on, or how to get out of it: http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=87602&p=286216#p286216 This is why a good clear visual cue is important - plus some idea of how to escape.
(In reply to Peter Sampson from comment #1) I am not sure the forum post describes quite the same thing as Gale did. I think Gale means that if you ctrl-click but have not moved the mouse yet, then scrub play has not yet started and there is no visual indication of what mouse move will do.
(In reply to Paul L from comment #2) I generalised the title from "No visual indication whether CTRL has initiated scrubbing or not" to "No indication above Status Bar that scrubbing is enabled". We have Bug 1053 for no Status Bar indication that scrubbing is enabled. This bug describes two sides of the same problem. The issue in the steps to reproduce is that a user who has knowingly turned scrub on can't see that it's enabled. Then there is the issue that a user who CTRL-clicked in the track by accident, or CTRL-clicked expecting Quick-Play from previous versions doesn't know they are in scrub mode.
https://github.com/audacity/audacity/commit/724a5d0a3a47c3d25a991d7027c96f400a395e0b
Now the play head will appear as soon as you ctrl-(double-)click, but the play button on the transport toolbar does not depress until you move the mouse. Good enough?
(In reply to Paul L from comment #5) Yes the playhed does appear as Paul says(testing on W10) but the Phase-1 proposal asks for a different playhead: 1.1) Change the shape of the green triangle on the cursor, so indicating that it is not recording, nor playing, but some other mode. Change cursor, even before mouse moves. (NOT a blinking cursor). 1.2 text indicates that it should be a double-headed traingle pointing left and right to indicate bi-directionality of scrubbing play. 1.2) Change the green triangle on the play button to indicate scrubbing-play (in both cases possibly a double headed triangle would work, indicating bi-directional).
Are all those things included by reference in this bug issue? The green play line appears immediately after clicking now even before the mouse moved to start play. I think that addresses this issue, narrowly construed. To say more would be to start design discussions in Bugzilla and get yelled at for it. So could there be another bug or enhancement issue instead, please.
(In reply to Paul L from comment #7) There is no need for a design discussion - if you read the Proposal Phase-1, the doudle-headed cursor and playhead are there - and were agreed long ago by James, Gale and myself. Therefore I am loath to start a fresh bug/enhancement for this, I would rather jus see it simple dealt with here - others may disagree.
To be clear on terminology that misled me: We do NOT require a change of the mouse pointer cursor from its usual i-beam. The "cursor" you mean is the down-pointing green triangle of the time ruler, and only that. You will be satisfied with a change of its appearance.
(In reply to Paul L from comment #9) Yes that is the one Paul - that and the Play button in the Transport Toolbar.
Okay, try this, for the time ruler part. Be sure the appearance changes properly and critique my artwork. https://github.com/audacity/audacity/commit/88025ba6136bf3246be94ab464856b5b58fd69b4
And now, here's a change for the appearance of the Transport toolbar button. https://github.com/audacity/audacity/commit/36e6bffa012e0f6579d4a83123959eb26f7e365a
Looks good to me on Mac El Capitan Still waiting for a Windows nightly so that I can test on W10
(In reply to Paul L from comment #12) Works fine on W10 My only suggestion is to make both of the double triangles a little larger: the cursor in the Timeline and the icon on the Play button.
I think the Play button should definitely be depressed when scrubbing is entered but mouse not yet moved. But if not, I would like to take up Paul's suggestion that the Play button should carry the scrubbing icon before it depresses. So I won't be resolving this yet. (In reply to Paul L from comment #9) > We do NOT require a change of the mouse pointer cursor from its usual i-beam. Actually I have suggested that double-headed pointer on -quality, but just for when the pointer is over the playhead. This would give a larger indication than the double-headed icon in the Timeline for the case in the description - scrubbing entered but mouse not yet moved. I don't regard that idea as mandatory.
Play button now changes appearance immediately on ctrl-click. https://github.com/audacity/audacity/commit/880241dd8831fcfe735c78d1a42798836d97573d
(In reply to Paul L from comment #16) >Play button now changes appearance immediately on ctrl-click. Confirm this behavior is ok testing on latest Windows and Mac nightlies - W10 and El Capitan. Also changes appearance immediately on using the Transport menu scrubbing commands
Seems OK to me on Ubuntu 14.04 (also tested starting scrubbing with shortcuts. Thanks, Paul.
