Audio waveform rendering in info panel

[kendaman]

Thank you for your hard work in moving to twinBasic.
Xyplorer has definitely evolved into a perfect piece of software now that it is 64-bit compliant.
We are now able to argue with users who claim that VB6 is dangerous because it has not been updated.
I previously submitted a request to draw waveforms in the file list, and you were very helpful in responding by adding an image column.

I know that there may not be any changes in the libraries that can be handled by twinBasic,
but I thought it would be a good time to request that waveforms be drawn in the information panel preview or in a new tab, as I think this would be great.

Currently, audio playback in the infopanel only displays a horizontal bar, but it would be very easy to check the audio if waveforms could be drawn here. Also, if possible, it would be easier to handle if the size of this horizontal bar could be widened horizontally or made variable.

Free or paid, that manages audio software, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. However, despite not being genre specific, I can say that Xyplorer is a better filer than any other audio management software currently available. It is the easiest to use ever. It would definitely be perfect if the preview could allow you to see the waveform in real time.

If you would like, please consider this, Thanks!

[admin]

Sounds doable. XY would need to derive the image file name from the sound file name, right? Then it could display the wave form right where the audio progress bar is now in the Preview tab.

[kendaman]

Sounds doable. XY would need to derive the image file name from the sound file name, right? Then it could display the wave form right where the audio progress bar is now in the Preview tab.

Thank you very much! Yes, if there is an image file linked to the audio file name, it would be good to be able to display that image overlaid on the timeline bar.
If the start and end points of the image are the start and end points of the timeline bar, then the bar should also be the same length, so if the image can be scaled to fit the width of the bar, the result should be satisfactory.

Where to place images may be an important issue. Placing them in the same directory as audio files will not cause any problems in xyplorer, but may cause some problems in other software. Similar to image thumbnails, I suggest placing them in the xyplorer data folder, but this may cause problems with file path references.

[admin]

The waveform file path could be handled with a template that defines the path relative to the sound file, but can be absolute as well. E.g., in XYplorer.ini:

Code: Select all

AudioPreviewWaveFormPath=<xydata>\WaveForms\<audiobase>.png

Where <xydata> is the xyplorer data folder, and <audiobase> is the base name (name without extension) of the currently previewed audio file. Or maybe better use <audioname> to include the extension.

But the <xydata> strategy quickly runs into trouble when you have same-named (but different) audio files in different locations. So a path relative to the previewed file is probably better. This, for example, would look for "C:\Music\Guitar\WaveForms\09 - Andres Segovia - Luis Milan Pavane No. 5.mp3.png" when you preview "C:\Music\Guitar\09 - Andres Segovia - Luis Milan Pavane No. 5.mp3":

Code: Select all

AudioPreviewWaveFormPath=WaveForms\<audioname>.png

[noembryo]

But the <xydata> strategy quickly runs into trouble when you have same-named (but different) audio files in different locations.

What I did in a similar situation (audio thumbnails in numpy arrays), is to have the name include the extension (bla.mp3, mpla.wav), and append the exact file size (Air on the G String.mp3_8777254.npy).
That way you can use the same thumbnail for the same file in different locations..

[admin]

Okay, good option. I could easily add <audiofilesize>.

[kendaman]

It would be great if you could set up something like "AudioPreviewWaveFormPath" so that the most appropriate choice can be made depending on the environment!
If file names never duplicate, we can use <xydata>, and if they do, we can place them in the same directory, allowing for flexible handling.

noembryo's proposal also seems very good. File size duplication is not usually a concern (since there are id3tags and vorbis comments), but hashes such as CRC may be more effective in preventing duplication. However, the cost of calculating hashes is an issue.

[admin]

Got it working. Won't get a design price, but it's up to you how the waveform looks. The progress bar is now below the waveform, 3 pixels high.

[highend]

For creating waveforms, look at e.g.: viewtopic.php?t=25811

[kendaman]

Thank you for the beta update! I tried it right away, and it works perfectly. This makes xyplorer the best sound effect management software for me.
I checked the size at which blurring does not occur due to stretching, and it seems that 272x15 at a ratio of 1:1 will be displayed beautifully.

With other sound effect management software, the waveform bar is usually displayed large at the bottom of the screen
(can see this in google search screenshots of Soundminer and Soundly), so I was a little concerned about its small size, but when I actually used it, it didn't seem inconvenient at all (when I refer to the waveform, I usually only use it as a guide to skip silent areas). For me, it's the perfect UI.

Thank you very much for the wonderful update!

[admin]

Great, thanks for the idea! And yes, 272x15 is correct (at 100% screen scaling).*

* I just saw that weird difference between the left and the right margin. I think I should enlarge it to 285x15. So wait, before you generate masses of 272x15 waveforms.

[kendaman]

Great, thanks for the idea! And yes, 272x15 is correct (at 100% screen scaling).*

* I just saw that weird difference between the left and the right margin. I think I should enlarge it to 285x15. So wait, before you generate masses of 272x15 waveforms.

I understand that there is a possibility of size changes. It has only just been implemented, so there may still be changes. Of course, I have no complaints, and I am grateful for the implementation of this wonderful feature

[admin]

I just changed it to 284 x 15. (I think the odd height number, 15, is better than an even one (eg 16), since it allows for a single pixel in the vertical middle.)

[bossi]

works great , AudioPreviewWaveFormPath=<preview_base>.png uses the local img file , nice

[admin]

What do you use to create the waveform files?