"Album View" in Now Playing?

In a different thread, there is discussion of whether we can roll back to a prior version of Roon. I strongly disagree with that conclusion, as it is clear that the new version brings many benefits.

Those benefits include improvements in the Now Playing window. The new set of icons to quickly call up artist bios and info on the album that is playing are great. That provides great functionality for some of the most important features of Roon. My own criticism of the UI work was not fair or balanced, as it didn’t give credit where credit is due.

I’d suggest that the new improvements in the Now Viewing window should be retained, but modified in how they are presented, as that can also address the concerns expressed in this thread.

It would be a shame if Roon abandoned those improvements and simply reverted back to the older version of the Now Playing window. That would also be the equivalent of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The simple way to address the concerns expressed in this thread is -

(1) for Roon to include another icon in the Now Playing window that would call up a large illustration of the album cover. As is already the case, it should include the option of using either the Roon album cover or what we have already saved in the music folder, depending on which is higher resolution.

(2) On the bottom of the Now Viewing window, start with larger fonts showing the artist, album and track that can be easily and quickly read in a home theater at a distance, or when quickly glancing down at an iPad. Eliminate the thumbnail of the album cover as it just takes up room and is unnecessary.

The row of icons should be directly above the album and artist info. (Not in middle of the window as is currently the case.)

The icon for the album cover should be the first icon, and the Now Playing view should default to that first.

Then 2/3 of the page, if not more, is reserved for what is shown by clicking on the icons.

Then the majority of the page is devoted to a large presentation of the album cover OR the artist bio OR the info on the album OR the scolling lyrics OR a box of static lyrics in a smaller font size OR the photo – depending on which icon is clicked on.

(3) That would build upon the great improvements in the Now Playing window in version 1.6 – but make it even better. Using more of the window for the artist bio and info on the album would mean that in some cases, all of the info can be read without even scrolling. (Depending on how detailed the info is.) And we would have to scroll less.

And it would bring back a large album display which is what everyone posting here wants. And it would default to that as the first choice.

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