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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0002018MMW v4Now Playingpublic2022-01-25 13:53
Reporterrusty Assigned To 
PriorityurgentSeveritymajorReproducibilityalways
Status closedResolutionfixed 
Summary0002018: Auto-DJ: doesn't work correctly if shuffle is enabled
DescriptionIf 'shuffle' is enabled, then Auto-DJ doesn't work properly, since it:
a) Deletes tracks that might not yet have been played (haven't confirmed this, but I assume it's true based on b)
b) Doesn't add tracks when tracks that have already been played are after the currently playing track

This is best understood via an example:
If the configuration is:
Maintain at least 2 unplayed tracks
Retain 2 previous tracks

Tracks are shown below, bracketed track indicates currently playing track:
(1), 2, 3, 4, 5
1, 2, 3, 4, (5)
(2), 3, 4, 5
3, (4), 5
playback stops, presumably because track 5 has already played

I think that the root cause of this problem is the fact that 'shuffle' doesn't display tracks in their play order (bug 0000023), and that this problem will go away when that one is solved. Please confirm.
TagsNo tags attached.
Fixed in build926

Relationships

related to 0000023 resolvedrusty MMW v4 Configurable Shuffle functionality (current behavior vs randomize list) 
related to 0002028 resolvedLudek MMW v4 Auto-DJ toggle button 
related to 0018776 closedLudek MMW 5 Automatically retain X files in Playing list does not work when Shuffle is enabled 

Activities

Ludek

2005-09-22 23:07

developer   ~0005883

You are right, Rusty! I have placed the keeping tracks to the Auto-DJ box. It is enabled only if both repeat and shuffle are disabled similar to maintaining tracks. I think this is the best solution. Try to review.

rusty

2005-10-03 13:38

administrator   ~0005915

Last edited: 2005-10-03 13:59

Tested in 898--now enabling 'Shuffle' or 'Repeat' doesn't cause Auto-DJ to work erratically, HOWEVER, the problem is now that enabling 'Shuffle' or 'Repeat' disables Auto-DJ!

I know that this is by design, however, users will have no idea why this is occuring.

From my perspective, the fix to this problem is to:
a) fix bug 0000023
b) Re-enable Auto-DJ even if Shuffle and Repeat are enabled

This bug can't be closed until those issues are resolved. I suggest that no work should be done until 0000023 is resolved.

Ludek

2005-10-04 21:58

developer   ~0005933

I don't think that Auto-DJ should be enabled in cases of enabling 'Shuffle' or 'Repeat'. It doesn't make sense (at least 'Repeat' + AutoDJ). I think we should thinking about notification -> the question is: How to notify user that AutoDJ can work only if both 'Repeat' and 'Shuffle' are disabled.

jiri

2005-10-05 10:48

administrator   ~0005934

Re. 'Repeat' - Well, this really doesn't make sense with Auto-DJ and so there possibly could be some kind of notification to the user that turning it on won't work (a dialog with an info?).

Re. 'Shuffle' - A full fix to 0000023 would really help here. On the other hand I'm not sure if we won't need an option in 0000023 to choose between the current and the new behaviour. In case user chooses the old one, we are in the same situation. And so we might consider something like in case of 'Repeat'...

Actually Auto-DJ could possibly work even with the current shuffle behavior, MM would randomly play all the tracks in NP and when the last one is played (the last _doesn't_ mean the one most down in the list), Auto-DJ adds a couple of new tracks that are played randomly. Due to the current algorithm 'Don't play any track twice until all others all played once' MM wouldn't return to the previously played tracks.

rusty

2005-10-06 00:28

administrator   ~0005937

Re. 'Repeat', if both 'Repeat' and 'Auto-DJ' are enabled, wouldn't the user expectat that after Auto-DJ stops adding tracks (because there aren't any more to add), then whatever is in the Now Playing list should repeat itself?

In some circumstances this may not be desirable (e.g. if the auto-dj is only keeping 5 tracks in the list), but _that_ would be the case we should warn the user about. e.g. 'Auto-DJ and Repeat are both enabled. This will result in tracks repeating themselves once the Auto-DJ runs out. [Ok] '.

Re. 'Shuffle' and bug 0000023, why would we want an option for 'new' vs 'old' shuffle. The new version is more intuitive in so many respects and doesn't have any obvious downsides?!

If we decide, though, that we don't have time to implement 0000023, then we could go with the approach that you suggested for getting shuffle to work with Auto-DJ, however, this would be confusing to users (seeing tracks being added but other tracks playing), and would be throwaway (assuming we eventually implement 0000023).

rusty

2005-11-10 17:28

administrator   ~0006220

Re. 'Repeat': Based on the current Auto-DJ implementation (which plays tracks endlessly), I agree that 'Repeat' can be disabled when Auto-DJ is running.

Re. 'Shuffle': I don't agree that this should be disabled--many users will want to have both 'Shuffle' and 'Auto DJ' enabled. Based on Jiri's comment, I think that this could work, though it would be preferable for the Auto DJ to add tracks to the bottom of the list (rather than the middle). Fixing 0000023 will make this even more usable.

jiri

2005-11-11 08:56

administrator   ~0006234

Just a note re. Shuffle: My idea wasn't to add tracks randomly to NP, Auto-DJ will add tracks to the end of NP as usually, but due to the implementation of Shuffle, there tracks will be played in a random order then.

Assigning to Ludek to implement as described.

Ludek

2005-11-11 11:34

developer   ~0006236

Ok, I take it into account nevertheless it still doesn't make sense for me.
I still think that Auto-DJ should be exclusive with both repeat and shuffle, cause the primary idea was if NP gets empty or stops playing on last song than Auto-DJ should add a track: nevertheless NP never stops playing if shuffle is switched on.

rusty

2005-11-23 17:34

administrator   ~0006343

I think I understand what Ludek is saying. i.e. if shuffle is enabled then the Next Track is chosen randomly from among the tracks in the Now Playing list. However, if Auto-DJ is enabled then WHEN SHOULD A NEW TRACK BE ADDED?
-If it is added after all tracks in Now Playing have played (which is how one would expect it to work) then effectively although shuffle is enabled, as soon as tracks start playing from the auto dj, then Shuffle only shuffles among the tracks that have been added (since all other tracks have already been played).

This implementation makes sense to me, and in fact is probably critical froma user perspective, since many users will want to shuffle their NP list, but also have the auto-dj kick in once the NP list is exhausted.

Ludek

2005-12-12 13:16

developer   ~0006617

Per discussion with Jiri, the 'Keep only X songs' would be strange. i.e. a songs would be disappear randomly. Jiri suggest to enable 'Keep only X songs' only if shuffle is off, but to me it is more strange than disable it (Auto-DJ&&Shuffle) absolutely. So We have considered to push it from MM 2.5 and leave currently "exclusived" imlementation. If the users will miss this ability then We will implement it, but properly with bug 0000023 fixing.

rusty

2005-12-12 16:02

administrator   ~0006624

I agree with your assessment that 'Keep only x tracks' conflicts with 'Shuffle'. This means that there are 2 possible solutions:

1) Long term: fix 0000023 so that this can be resolved
2) Short term: remove 'Keep only x tracks' from Auto-DJ . i.e. Change the Auto-DJ pane to a Now Playing pane, and make the 'Keep only x tracks' setting apply to the Now Playing node, irrespective of whether Auto-DJ is enabled, and disable it if 'Shuffle' is enabled.

I'd appreciate your thoughts re. the second solution in the short term.

rusty

2005-12-12 17:49

administrator   ~0006628

Per discussion with Jiri, this can be fixed as follows. Keep in mind that we can't add new strings:

a) On the Options Panel, rename Auto-DJ to 'Auto-DJ / Now Playing'
b) On the Auto-DJ config panel move 'Automatically retain...' from the Auto-DJ box and put it into a new box below the Auto-DJ box:

--Now Playing-----------------------------------------------------
| Automatically retain at most ____ previous tracks in Now Playing
------------------------------------------------------------------

c) Change the logic so that the 'Automatically retain...' function is always active--but ignored when 'Shuffle' is enabled.

d) If Shuffle and Auto-DJ are both enabled, implement the addition of new tracks in the manner previously suggested by Jiri.

Ludek

2005-12-17 13:24

developer   ~0006681

Has been done according to the 6628 note in build 926.

Btw. Another small bug has been appeared for about 2 months in MM related with Auto-DJ. In special case that a user had checked [x] From Entire Library and add only one song then sometimes (e.g. in case of deadline) no track was added. This has been corrected in build 926 too.

rusty

2005-12-18 02:19

administrator   ~0006682

Verified 926.