Roon 1.8 Discussion

[charlesphoto]

47 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I really don't like the Recent Listening and stats area about what I've been listening to. Yes, this says more about me than Roon, but I'd love to disable it. I just want to listen without metrics. 

 

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. What does it accomplish? Supposed to make you feel satisfaction, guilt, just what? Waste of space.

 

So far I'm seeing nothing much but lipstick, and I'm 50/50 on it. I guess anything 'revolutionary' will have to wait for 2.0. I would love to see scrolling windows within the main windows, so less of this 'view all' (now relabeled 'more') action needed that takes one to a new screen, and then having to click back again. A top level button for a metadata editor popup. It's really the same old structure with fancier fonts. The ability to stick the main menu open or not should have been there since 1.1. And present me with an entire book of Pantone colors and I almost guarantee you I wouldn't have chosen an off purple and orange to highlight areas. Filter on the Overview page should filter your entire library and not just the added/played selection. 

 

The good is that it upgraded with none of the issues I've had over the last several and plays and sounds great as ever. 

[charlesphoto]

Well, I now I have a nice baby blue across the board instead of purple and orange thanks to some intrepid users over on the Roon forum who figured out how to change some code. Will need to change it again each update, but it's a start and a lot more pleasant... Looking into other color schemes. 

[charlesphoto]

5 minutes ago, jhwalker said:

 

I haven't seen that post, but have been looking for it!

 

It seems it would be pretty simple to implement a color-picker control to change 1) Background color; 2) Accent color; 3) Return to default

 

It's gone. I have a feeling the Roon team probably not to keen on users going in and changing code. Good thing is we know it can be easily done. Hopefully they'll soon give users some choice in themes. 

[charlesphoto]

5 hours ago, firedog said:

Is this only on MAC, or also Windows? Link to the explanation at the Roon site?

 

Thread is gone. Can be done Windows or Mac though (using Terminal in Mac). 

[charlesphoto]

29 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

One nice thing about an independent forum is that these threads don't disappear :~)

 

Hopefully someone will post how to do it here.

On a Mac go to the Roon app and right click to show package contents. In the Themes folder open the colors file (dark or light mode or both). This is the part you should compare to change (I'm pasting my changes but don't have the original file to compare to). On a Mac, when you open the file you'll be in TerminaI so just change away (at your own risk). I wish I knew the codes for other colors - in fact just a mid gray would be nice. Anything but purple and orange! 

 

atom-blue                         #6ba2d9
atom-blue-hover                   #6badd9
atom-blue-pressed                 #6badd9
atom-blue-insensitive             #40%6B6ED9

atom-blue-mapping                 #578fb5
atom-onebox-blue                  #508bb3

atom-orange                       #6ba2d9
atom-orange-hover                 #6badd9
atom-orange-insensitive           #6badd9
atom-orange-mapping               #C9544B
 

[charlesphoto]

For me, the absolute worst part of the new design is the unreadability of paragraph text. Renders the whole discovery thing moot if one can't easily read a line or two of text without feeling dizzy and wanting to fall over. 

[charlesphoto]

They changed the thread title and put it under tinkering. Kore complete instructions there.

 

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/customizing-the-roon-theme/142548/53

[charlesphoto]

Here's a mid-gray theme. So much better imo and readable. Just need to work out a few things like the name hyperlinks.

 

 

[charlesphoto]

A bit more tweaking and pretty much have it where I want it. Not much to do about the blank spaces though (this is on my 27" NEC).

[charlesphoto]

I really wish I'd made a backup of 1.7....

 

The overall design is a mess. Kind of like the first time somebody decided to design something in Word or Pagemaker and are like - wow, I can make this big, and this a different font and this a different font and move things all around - without thinking of why do those and what do those changes bring to the big picture. I've worked with some great designers and frankly would be embarrassed to show them this design. No idea if it's laziness, ignorance, an outside designer they couldn't back out of, or what???

 

The big problem is that as a culture, we've dumbed down our ability to discern good design and art from all the 'noise' out there. Modern fonts, bright colors, unreadable text (who reads these days anyway) and lots of random stuff going on everywhere - then it must be good! 

[charlesphoto]

14 minutes ago, ssh said:

k6davis,

 

You nailed it!  All of the criticism is on point.

 

The shuffle mode problem is the biggest problem for me. I used to be treated to a track by Lefty Frizzell followed by Mary Halvorson piece than pivoting to Max Richter. Not anymore. I hope the fixes come soon.

Easiest workaround for now is go to your album page and select all, and then make a bookmark (label it something like Shuffle Albums, etc). That works.

[charlesphoto]

2 minutes ago, ssh said:

I get to "select all" but I can't find the "bookmark".

Upper right hand corner? I'm on Mac.

[charlesphoto]

11 minutes ago, skatbelt said:

Btw, it is possible to change fonts by replacing font files in the 'Resources' directory and keeping the original font names. For instance, I replaced GrifoS-Medium and GrifoM-Medium (the most defining ones) with .otf fonts more to my liking. I am on Mac OS.

Correct, that is what we have done. Renaming and replacing so tricking it into thinking it's calling up a Grifo but it's whatever. I'm thinking about changing the whole thing to Helvitica and being done with it! Might be some sizing issues if you go to radical, but boy I sure would love something more readable for the block texts. As it is I go dizzy quick. Might be just me but I don't do that elsewhere in (much) software. Let us know what you come up with. 

[charlesphoto]

Some screen shots of my final 'build.' Franklin Gothic Book for text and Franklin Gothic Regular for other items. 616161 for main background. Of course not sized up to full desktop screen dimensions. Easier on my 57 year old eyes imo. 

[charlesphoto]

Yeah, but there's some real basics they need to deal with, that have been issues for years, such as return to place when scrolling. I thought 1.8 a bit of a mess, where it felt like instead of approaching the software as a uniform piece that easily flows together, developers just tacked on their pet builds here and there. I'm used to it now, but imo there is huge room for improvement, but that would probably involve starting with an entirely new base/format. 

[charlesphoto]

30 minutes ago, firedog said:

Don't disagree. There's a few things I don't understand why they never fix.

But again, just b/c I want something doesn't mean it HAS to be that way.

Gotta step back and ask if there's anything else that comes close to giving me what I want - and the answer is no. Even if there are specific features in other SW that I wish Roon had. 

 

I think there's wants and then there's needs. Scrolling is a basic function - a need. The fact that it doesn't return to place renders some of the Roon's own wants - like their fancy new releases for you page - almost unusable. Yet they've used lots of time and resources on DSP, which imo is more of a want then a true need (I don't use it, have tried, and found it always makes my sound quality worse but that might be my gear as well). 

 

But yeah, same thoughts myself as far as nothing else does what it does for me (I'm a lifer, when it was $499). I just hope they make sure the basics are done better.