CD Art Display RC5

[Carlos]

CD Art Display RC5 (28Sep06)

What's new?

Improved support for AlbumPlayer, Winamp, foobar2000, iTunes and MediaMonkey
Added support for Mp3Toys and QMP (QCD)
Improved skin engine
Three independent text lines
Support skin with mirror effect
Support skin with rotation
Support vertical ratings
Notifier background
Improved transition effect
Opacity is part of the skin not a general setting
Opacity for case/cover
Opacity for Fancy ratings
Opacity for Progress bar
Opacity for each text line
Added more fine skin elements position adjustments
Windows Live Messenger interaction (display picture and personal message)
Lyrics (read, download and submit thanks to LYRDB.com)
New "Read cover" procedure
New save downloaded cover procedure
Improved ID3v2 v2.4 reading
Progress bar: Left click: Fast foreward (not all players)
Progress bar: Right click: Rewind (not all players)
Troubleshooting section added in Control Panel>Options
Improved Control Panel
Improved context menu
General improvements
Bugs fixed
Help file updated

Note

If you experience any issue (e.g. with QMP) please try the "Troubleshooting" in "Control Panel>Options" first.

Download

Full setup:
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/CD_Art_Display/1109367710/1

Just the main executable (for those testing the last RC4 build):
http://www.closetosoftware.com/temp/cadrc5b1.zip

Screenshot

http://www.closetosoftware.com/images/cadrc5_prev.jpg

:)

[Aaron]

Thanks man!

Can't wait for 1.0 Final. :)

[noroom]

Could it be that... CAD never stops "searching" when doing an automatic search? I have a song by "Nine Days", and since I don't know from which album it is, the album tag says "Acoustic". CAD just stays searching throughout the song, and never goes into "cover not found" mode. And when I do a manual search, there is one result. It's not the correct result, but still.

Is anyone else experiencing something similar? Or can someone tag a song with the details I've provided and confirm this?

[Carlos]

One Album indeed.

The web service is not that perfect! ;)

[noroom]

Oh, that's not the main point. The problem is that even though there is one result, CAD never stops "searching". :?

[Carlos]

OK. ASAP I'll create a tag to try automatic for that.

[ravebot]

I have the same problem like noroom since the build 859 but for all tracks. I've tried everything I could imagine :D . I've uninstalled it , deleted folder, registry and finally installed a fresh XP just for CAD (best application found for cover art). Since I'm a noob, don't know what could I do next. Hope you'll find some answers :D .

[Carlos]

ASAP I'll try to see what's wrong.

[noroom]

Yeah, this has been happening for a few builds now... But I wasn't sure it was CAD's fault. I thought maybe it was a setting I changed or something...

Looking forward to your reply, Carlos.

[Carlos]

Can you please test build 3?

http://www.closetosoftware.com/temp/cadrc5b3.zip

Thanks! :)

[noroom]

Build 3 fixed that problem. :)

[Carlos]

Thanks noroom!

I think we're getting close to the 1.0 now! :)

[klowndes]

Couple requests:

--I requested this before, but if there is no album in the id3 tag, have the notifier text show nothing at all rather than "Unkown."

--hotkey for lyrics display.

Many thanks,
Ryan

[Carlos]

Ryan,

Added your suggestions to my to do list.

1.0 will be RC5 plus bug fixes.

More features will be added after 1.0 final. We're in alpha, beta and RC for too long. More than a year!

Thank you for your feedback! :)

[mojomuse]

hi carlos,

just came across the update via MP3Toys - and nice collab with robert on that one! 8-)

anyhoo, few things i've noticed/can't seem to figure out with this most recent build:

- the mirror effect/image is not in the same position as my main image. i know you mentioned there is no config for this, so how do i fix it ..?
- like the new option to min the image like the notifier 8-)
- love the lyrics integration (no more evillyrics, which doesn't want to be disabled via winamp ;-)). on same point, does this also integrate into the same lyric database/approach as MP3Toys (or other) ..?
- some odd crashes whilst i've been playing around with the new settings (hopefully just a minor glitch/oddity with my stsem which will be aok once i "leave it alone" ;-))
- can't see how to try out the rotate deature - or did you scrap this already ..?

cheers ..

[Carlos]

- mirror: can you send me a screenshot? The mirror is working fine here. Or are you trying to apply mirror in another skin?

- lyrics: it's from LYRDB.com database

- crashes: it may happen tho it shouldn't (it's due gdiplus procedures)

- rotation: it's just a line in skin.ini (check the Pin skin) to enable/disable rotation; however you can't control any other rotation aspect.

Thank you for your feedback! :)

[mojomuse]

will see if i can recreate the mirror issue.

incidentally, the crashing only seemed to happen with the latest build, so have gone back to the original RC5-1 release. not sure why that would be the case ..?

as for the lyrics db, actually meant in terms of locally storing them - i.e. so to keep/use the same one as created/used by the main chosen player, i.e. MP3Toys in my case ..?

ps one other thought for now - any chance to have separate timeout for the actual case display + the notifier text ..?

otherwise, see what you mean. thanks ..!

[Carlos]

- crash: build 3 just fixed the automatic search feature (nothing more - one or two lines of code regarding the search cover feature)

- I don't know how MP3Toys stores its lyrics; anyway, you can select the folder where CAD saves the downloaded lyrics; in addition, CAD uses "Artist - Title.txt" pattern.

- timeout: not for now

:)

[mojomuse]

strange re build 3. will try again asap.

as for the lyrics, not had a great deal of time to work with this aspect of MP3toys yet, but seem to think (presume) they're store in the song's folder - much like the album art.

with this in min - and considering you save the album art in the same way - couldn't you implement sth like %folder%/lyrics or sth ..? just think would make more sense than having all lyrics ever collected in one single folder.

just a thought ;-)

cheers ..

[Carlos]

CAD RC5 Build 5 (03Oct06)

- Added "Search cover" hotkey
- Added "Lyrics" hotkey
- Added "Play" hotkey
- Added "Next" hotkey
- Added "Previous" hotkey

http://www.closetosoftware.com/temp/cadrc5b5.zip

And let's test it please in order to release 1.0 final!!

:)

[noroom]

http://www.closetosoftware.com/temp/cadrc5b5.zip

[Carlos]

Thanks noroom! Man! You're fast! :D

[noroom]

Hahaha... Thanks :D

Carlos, when I open streams from this page (http://www.amazon.com/Calling-Albany-Vermont/dp/B00005V5NZ/sr=1-1/qid=1159951618/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2569730-9531203?ie=UTF8&s=music), CAD shows the video cover instead of the web radio cover. It doesn't happen with all amazon streams though.

[mojomuse]

hi carlos,

just to let you know, i seem to have isolated the "stray" mirror image, to when i check "hide case too" in the notifier section. check out the screen below :

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7843/cdamirrorerrorfl0.th.jpg (http://img183.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cdamirrorerrorfl0.jpg)

ps is there any way to add the mirror effect to skins that don't seem to include it ..?

cheers ..

[ravebot]

after checking "exit when player is ended" box, I can't open CAD to make some adjustments if player is closed

hope I'm useful :)

[Carlos]

mojomuse

I'll try to see what's wrong.

ravebot

It's not a bug. Since CAD can't find the player it will exit.

[noroom]

Missed my post? :(

[Carlos]

hi carlos,

just to let you know, i seem to have isolated the "stray" mirror image, to when i check "hide case too" in the notifier section...

ps is there any way to add the mirror effect to skins that don't seem to include it ..?

cheers ..

Mirror bug: fixed: http://www.closetosoftware.com/temp/cadrc5b72.zip

Mirror/skin: yes it's possible (see skin.ini from "Mirrored Case" skin)

[mojomuse]

excellent - great stuff, thanks! ;-)

also, not sure if i already asked about the following featurettes :

- could extend the time limit on showing the notifier/case and/or give separate entry for each, i.e. hide notifier after X seconds, but keep case up for Y seconds ..? basically, notifier can go after say 30-60 seconds, but would like case up as long as i'm listening to sth (so would typically hide itself if no track change after a few mins).
- also still longing for a feature like the QuickTracks plugin for winamp, so i can quickly see/directly access tracks/queue new tracks etc in the playlist with whichever player i choose.
- occurred to me, would also be handy to be able to change the linked player on the fly, i.e. from the right click, rather than just via the main control window/options ..? for instance, if i have both running on occasion ..

anyway, let me know what you think + keep up the great work ..! 8)

cheers ..

[Carlos]

mojomuse,

Some notifier options will be added in the future.

I'd like to add something like QuickTracks... Maybe after 1.0 final I'll try to make something like that.

Changing player on the fly: sorry but there isn't any plan to add such feature.

////Topic closed due newer build.