UI Suggestion - Queues: Title Queue vs Encoding Queue

[merrickw]

As a new user I couldn't understand why adding a folder of files to the app left the Queue empty?
I had to Google to find out that the folder was loaded into Titles, but not Queue.

My suggestion is to show two queues, Title Queue and Encoding Queue.
Show the number of files in each.
Have an arrow to move all files from Title Queue to Encoding Queue, or have two list boxes to select individual files.

So no longer one button for "Queue", but two, "Title Queue " "Encoding Queue .

That's it, that's my suggestion.

[drmandarin]

Loading a folder of files populates the list of titles available for encoding. It's not a queue as such - it's a list of titles to choose from to encode. You can then select individually which of those available titles to add to the queue; or you can add them all to the queue.

…

On Tue, 2 Feb 2021 at 14:14, Merrick Weintraub ***@***.***> wrote: As a new user I couldn't understand why adding a folder of files to the app left the Queue empty? I had to Google to find out that the folder was loaded into Titles, but not Queue. My suggestion is to show two queues, Title Queue and Encoding Queue. Show the number of files in each. Have an arrow to move all files from Title Queue to Encoding Queue, or have two list boxes to select individual files. So no longer one button for "Queue", but two, "Title Queue " "Encoding Queue . That's it, that's my suggestion. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3394>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAF5WZ46G3UENI3QWSWKUVLS5ACGHANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q> .

[merrickw]

Thanks for your response. For a new user, after dragging a folder it is confusing that the folder go straight to the Queue. I understand it resides in a 'drop-down' called Title. There is no hint to move from Title drop down to the queue. While your program is fantastic, I think it might be intuitive to make it clear where your folder of files went, and they need to be moved to the queue to start encoding. If someone drags a folder, they are trying to encode more than one file. In the current UI, only one file appears at the top of the list. The rest are buried/hidden. I like my idea of a Title Queue and an Encode Queue. That would make it overtly clear what is happening. A 'List' and a 'Queue' are not much different. The List has to be manually selected but that's it. Thanks for reading these suggestions. Your program is tremendously helpful.

________________________________ From: drmandarin <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 9:31 AM To: HandBrake/HandBrake <[email protected]> Cc: Merrick Weintraub <[email protected]>; Author <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [HandBrake/HandBrake] UI Suggestion - Queues: Title Queue vs Encoding Queue (#3394) Loading a folder of files populates the list of titles available for encoding. It's not a queue as such - it's a list of titles to choose from to encode. You can then select individually which of those available titles to add to the queue; or you can add them all to the queue.

On Tue, 2 Feb 2021 at 14:14, Merrick Weintraub ***@***.***> wrote: As a new user I couldn't understand why adding a folder of files to the app left the Queue empty? I had to Google to find out that the folder was loaded into Titles, but not Queue. My suggestion is to show two queues, Title Queue and Encoding Queue. Show the number of files in each. Have an arrow to move all files from Title Queue to Encoding Queue, or have two list boxes to select individual files. So no longer one button for "Queue", but two, "Title Queue " "Encoding Queue . That's it, that's my suggestion. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3394>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAF5WZ46G3UENI3QWSWKUVLS5ACGHANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q> .

— You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFSPAJACBSAFCWSKMRMZ64DS5AEFPANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q>.

[drmandarin]

Just to make it clear - I am also a user, just part of the helpful community, I am not one of the developers. The distinction between list and queue is important. If there was a title queue - how is this different to the encoding queue? The current setup I think meets the requirements it's trying to meet - a list of titles to choose from, and a queue of items that will be encoded. It's very easy and simple to add all the items from the list (titles) to the queue (encode). I think this is quite well explained in the HandBrake documentation. https://handbrake.fr/docs/en/1.3.0/ On Tue, 2 Feb 2021 at 15:09, Merrick Weintraub <[email protected]> wrote:

…

Thanks for your response. For a new user, after dragging a folder it is confusing that the folder go straight to the Queue. I understand it resides in a 'drop-down' called Title. There is no hint to move from Title drop down to the queue. While your program is fantastic, I think it might be intuitive to make it clear where your folder of files went, and they need to be moved to the queue to start encoding. If someone drags a folder, they are trying to encode more than one file. In the current UI, only one file appears at the top of the list. The rest are buried/hidden. I like my idea of a Title Queue and an Encode Queue. That would make it overtly clear what is happening. A 'List' and a 'Queue' are not much different. The List has to be manually selected but that's it. Thanks for reading these suggestions. Your program is tremendously helpful. ________________________________ From: drmandarin ***@***.***> Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 9:31 AM To: HandBrake/HandBrake ***@***.***> Cc: Merrick Weintraub ***@***.***>; Author < ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [HandBrake/HandBrake] UI Suggestion - Queues: Title Queue vs Encoding Queue (#3394) Loading a folder of files populates the list of titles available for encoding. It's not a queue as such - it's a list of titles to choose from to encode. You can then select individually which of those available titles to add to the queue; or you can add them all to the queue. On Tue, 2 Feb 2021 at 14:14, Merrick Weintraub ***@***.***> wrote: > As a new user I couldn't understand why adding a folder of files to the > app left the Queue empty? > I had to Google to find out that the folder was loaded into Titles, but > not Queue. > > My suggestion is to show two queues, Title Queue and Encoding Queue. > Show the number of files in each. > Have an arrow to move all files from Title Queue to Encoding Queue, or > have two list boxes to select individual files. > > So no longer one button for "Queue", but two, "Title Queue " "Encoding > Queue . > > That's it, that's my suggestion. > > — > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > <#3394>, or unsubscribe > < https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAF5WZ46G3UENI3QWSWKUVLS5ACGHANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q > > . > — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub< #3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe< https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFSPAJACBSAFCWSKMRMZ64DS5AEFPANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q >. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAF5WZ2RU6EVAP6UYSF2TOLS5AITZANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q> .

[merrickw]

Got it. I am just making an interface suggestion. When a folder is added to source, there is no visual confirmation that the titles were loaded into a drop down. There is no visual hint that the Queue remains empty until an action is taken. Believe it or not, many people don't read the full documentation before running the app. This is just for new users, or people that haven't used the app for a long while and forgot how it works. Once you know what to do it's no big deal. I would like to see the interface be a bit more intuitive for new users. Regards, Merrick

________________________________ From: drmandarin <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 10:19 AM To: HandBrake/HandBrake <[email protected]> Cc: Merrick Weintraub <[email protected]>; Author <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [HandBrake/HandBrake] UI Suggestion - Queues: Title Queue vs Encoding Queue (#3394) Just to make it clear - I am also a user, just part of the helpful community, I am not one of the developers. The distinction between list and queue is important. If there was a title queue - how is this different to the encoding queue? The current setup I think meets the requirements it's trying to meet - a list of titles to choose from, and a queue of items that will be encoded. It's very easy and simple to add all the items from the list (titles) to the queue (encode). I think this is quite well explained in the HandBrake documentation. https://handbrake.fr/docs/en/1.3.0/ On Tue, 2 Feb 2021 at 15:09, Merrick Weintraub <[email protected]> wrote:

Thanks for your response. For a new user, after dragging a folder it is confusing that the folder go straight to the Queue. I understand it resides in a 'drop-down' called Title. There is no hint to move from Title drop down to the queue. While your program is fantastic, I think it might be intuitive to make it clear where your folder of files went, and they need to be moved to the queue to start encoding. If someone drags a folder, they are trying to encode more than one file. In the current UI, only one file appears at the top of the list. The rest are buried/hidden. I like my idea of a Title Queue and an Encode Queue. That would make it overtly clear what is happening. A 'List' and a 'Queue' are not much different. The List has to be manually selected but that's it. Thanks for reading these suggestions. Your program is tremendously helpful. ________________________________ From: drmandarin ***@***.***> Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 9:31 AM To: HandBrake/HandBrake ***@***.***> Cc: Merrick Weintraub ***@***.***>; Author < ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [HandBrake/HandBrake] UI Suggestion - Queues: Title Queue vs Encoding Queue (#3394) Loading a folder of files populates the list of titles available for encoding. It's not a queue as such - it's a list of titles to choose from to encode. You can then select individually which of those available titles to add to the queue; or you can add them all to the queue. On Tue, 2 Feb 2021 at 14:14, Merrick Weintraub ***@***.***> wrote: > As a new user I couldn't understand why adding a folder of files to the > app left the Queue empty? > I had to Google to find out that the folder was loaded into Titles, but > not Queue. > > My suggestion is to show two queues, Title Queue and Encoding Queue. > Show the number of files in each. > Have an arrow to move all files from Title Queue to Encoding Queue, or > have two list boxes to select individual files. > > So no longer one button for "Queue", but two, "Title Queue " "Encoding > Queue . > > That's it, that's my suggestion. > > — > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. > Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub > <#3394>, or unsubscribe > < https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAF5WZ46G3UENI3QWSWKUVLS5ACGHANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q > > . > — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub< #3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe< https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFSPAJACBSAFCWSKMRMZ64DS5AEFPANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q >. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAF5WZ2RU6EVAP6UYSF2TOLS5AITZANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q> .

— You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFSPAJC6WOND5Q4OIL2AHT3S5AJY3ANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q>.

[sr55]

It's actually an interesting problem as far as the UI goes although it's not something that's come up an awful lot.

HandBrake started off as a tool that only read DVD. Hence the design was initially focused around a single DVD source at a time, each containing multiple titles. That's a use-case that still exists and we decided to keep the UI behaviour consistent based on this. We just treat files as Titles.

The UI is very deliberately a "config first" design rather than a "queue first" design that many of the simpler consumer focused apps take. When you do "queue first", it certainly makes batch encoding workflows more intuitive and easier to design but to counter that, it makes more advanced workflows more awkward. There is a reason that most apps that use this style are either really bad, or really simple in feature set. It also assumes the user is making simpler batch operations. Handbrakes target audience is not general consumers (although it is popular there). It's supposed to be a bridge between the simpler apps and the really advanced stuff like avisynth

We have a bit of work to do in general on the UI in terms of trying to make the batch experience better. There are a number of legacy items that need an overhaul to make things operate better.

A simpler change might be to rename "Title" to "Files:" when in batch mode. Make it slightly clearer.
I'm not sure how we can fix pre-conceived expectations, particularly if they are derived from using other apps that behave differently. We'd probably have to build in some quick-start UI overlay that explains the basic flow.

I'm not a huge fan of separating the file list out as it might fix one problem by creating others. I'm also sure many users have different expectations that you do based on their own difference experiences. So, even if it make it less confusing to you, it'd just move the problem to someone else.

[merrickw]

I think if something indicated how many Titles or Files had just been dropped, a button or a label with the count, so the user would know that the batch of files went somewhere​ even though not straight to the encoding queue. This suggestion is just for a total newbie. Being that I've used the program for two days, I of course, am fine with the current interface. Now, if someone can tell me how I can take an exported Preset json and plug that into a kmttg encoding profile, that would be terrific. Regards, M

…

________________________________ From: Scott <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 1:44 PM To: HandBrake/HandBrake <[email protected]> Cc: Merrick Weintraub <[email protected]>; Author <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [HandBrake/HandBrake] UI Suggestion - Queues: Title Queue vs Encoding Queue (#3394) It's actually an interesting problem as far as the UI goes although it's not something that's come up an awful lot. HandBrake started off as a tool that only read DVD. Hence the design was initially focused around a single DVD source at a time, each containing multiple titles. That's a use-case that still exists and we decided to keep the UI behaviour consistent based on this. We just treat files as Titles. The UI is very deliberately a "config first" design rather than a "queue first" design that many of the simpler consumer focused apps take. When you do "queue first", it certainly makes batch encoding workflows more intuitive and easier to design but to counter that, it makes more advanced workflows more awkward. It also assumes the user is making simpler batch operations. Handbrakes target audience is not general consumers (although it is popular there). It's supposed to be a bridge between the simpler apps and the really advanced stuff like avisynth We have a bit of work to do in general on the UI in terms of trying to make the batch experience better. There are a number of legacy items that need an overhaul to make things operate better. A simpler change might be to rename "Title" to "Files:" when in batch mode. Make it slightly clearer. I'm not sure how we can fix pre-conceived expectations, particularly if they are derived from using other apps that behave differently. We'd probably have to build in some quick-start UI overlay that explains the basic flow. I'm not a huge fan of separating the file list out as it might fix one problem by creating others. I'm also sure many users have different expectations that you do based on their own difference experiences. So, even if it make it less confusing to you, it'd just move the problem to someone else. — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFSPAJDC2NRAEAFWXPTJSULS5BB2TANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q>.

[sr55]

It looks like they have some custom warpper around HandBrakeCLI with their own format that's basically CLI commands. You might find it easier to just read HandBrakeCLI --help and produce a preset file that way.

[merrickw]

Thanks Scott - I'll try and compare the JSON to the CLI commands, hopefully it's not to honerous to translate.

…

________________________________ From: Scott <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 3:12 PM To: HandBrake/HandBrake <[email protected]> Cc: Merrick Weintraub <[email protected]>; Author <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [HandBrake/HandBrake] UI Suggestion - Queues: Title Queue vs Encoding Queue (#3394) It looks like they have some custom warpper around HandBrakeCLI with their own format that's basically CLI commands. You might find it easier to just read HandBrakeCLI --help and produce a preset file that way. — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#3394 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFSPAJERDWT3J76EFNFDKJTS5BMENANCNFSM4W6WQE5Q>.

[merrickw]

Actually, there's -Z presetname option that I googled, which works perfectly with the CLI.

But I still think there should be some label or something that that says '14 files loaded to Title List' or just [14] next to the title drop down, or something, so the result of the load isn't so silent and hidden. IMHO.

Regards,
M

[muesic]

I just came here to say the same thing as the OP. I have literally thousands of movies and TV episodes that I want to compress. I too tried to add a folder (ideally, a multiply nested folder hierarchy) and was confused to see an empty queue. I too am not a developer, just a pesky user hoping that HandBrake might evolve into a more intuitive batch processing machine. I am aware of HandBrakeCLI but (for now) confess I'm a bit hesitant to go down that road.

[muesic]

Appreciate your response, thanks. So I know what to do in future, but for the problem at hand (i.e. compressing a mountain of these things) do you recommend me exploring the CLI approach? I just don't want to go down a very long road only to find out that I started off on the wrong foot.

[muesic]

I'd also be quite willing to accept a recommendation for a paid program that does this. I confess to being a bit wary that many such programs on the market originate from "dubious" places that have a reputation for compromising your computer...

[sr55]

Might be easiest for bulk processing dvdmedia files.

https://handbrake.fr/docs/en/latest/cli/cli-options.html

Once you're happy with one file processing you can write a quick shell script to iterate your files and run the same command
https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/139363/recursively-iterate-through-files-in-a-directory
There might be some near ready made ones you could fine https://forum.handbrake.fr/viewforum.php?f=10 in this forum section.

[sr55]

For dvdmedia, I don't really have any good recommendations that wouldn't involve command line i'm afraid.

[muesic]

Many thanks! Very much appreciate all of your help :-)