Features/FedoraStudio

Organize Media Applications

Summary

Classify multimedia applications into subgroups for easy access.

Owner

• Name: Orcan Ogetbil

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 12
• Last updated: (2009-08-24)
• Percentage of completion: 82%

Detailed Description

Motivation

We have a wide range of applications and libraries dedicated to media production. See, for instance, the AudioCreation page for a list of our audio creation related applications.

Currently, the media production applications go into the Multimedia group (Sound&Video group in GNOME) in the desktop menu, mixing up with audio/video players (we also have a wide range of such applications), and make this group rather cluttered.

Outline

The key is to make the applications easily accessible. Too many subcategories and the inexperienced user will get lost. In the table below, we propose a solution to this problem by grouping applications that show similar features. The (sub)categories are bulleted and are in bold. The numbered entries indicate what type of applications will fall into the corresponding (sub)category. The green entries associated with each group indicate what type of .desktop file categories each group will host. If any application goes into any of the submenus, it will not be displayed in top menu.

• Multimedia / Sound&Video .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video)
  • Capture&Import .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND (X-AudioVideoImport OR X-AudioVideoCapture)
  1. AV Demultiplexing
  2. Audio Recording
  3. Optical Media (CD/DVD/...) Ripper
  4. Stream Recorder
  5. VNC Recorder
  6. Video Capture
  7. ...
  • Creation
    • Digital Processing .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND (X-DigitalProcessing OR X-Synthesis)
    1. Audio effect (racks)
    2. Audio Mastering
    3. Synthesis applications
    4. Fluidsynth GUI applications
    • Editors
    1. Sound/Audio/Wave editor .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND (AudioVideoEditing)
    2. Video Editor
    3. Soundfont editor
    4. ...
    • Jack .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND X-Jack AND NOT(X-DigitalProcessing OR X-Synthesis)
    1. All jack supporting GUI applications
    • MIDI .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND Midi AND NOT(X-DigitalProcessing OR X-Synthesis)
    1. MIDI sequencer
    2. Virtual keyboard
    3. ...
    • Sequencer .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND (X-Multitrack OR Sequencer OR X-Trackers)
    1. Digital Audio Workstation
    2. Multitrack sequencer
    • Notation .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND X-Notation
    1. Lilypond editor
    2. MusicXML editor
    3. Tablature editor/viewer
    4. ...
  • Mixer .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND Mixer
  1. Volume control application
  • Output Generation .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND (X-OutputGeneration OR DiscBurning OR X-Streamer OR X-SubtitleEditor)
  1. AV Multiplexing
  2. Audio Streamer
  3. Optical Media (CD/DVD/...) Writer
  4. Subtitle Editor
  5. Format Changer
  6. Video Streamer
  7. ...
  • Tools .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND (X-AudioVideoTools OR Tuner)
  1. Instrument Tuner
  2. Metronome
  3. ...

1. Audio/Video Players .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND Player
2. Media Library
3. TV Playback .desktop file categories: (AudioVideo OR Audio OR Video) AND TV

Benefit to Fedora

The number of available desktop applications of both player and production types is increasing every day. Listing these programs under different (sub)categories in the desktop menu, will make the Multimedia group (Sound&Video group in Gnome) look sane and make both type of applications more accessible.

Scope

1. Either the existing /etc/xdg/menus/applications.menu file need to be edited, or a new .menu file will be added into /etc/xdg/menus/applications-merged/. For a test drive, grab the RPM from http://oget.fedorapeople.org/multimedia-menus/
2. The .desktop file for each Multimedia GUI application needs to be revisited and the proper "Category" key(s) will be assigned.
3. 11 new icons will be requested from Fedora art team for new submenus. Temporary icons will be used until they are made.
4. Localization team will be contacted for translations of new submenu names and comments.

Note that certain applications will fall in more than one category. There is nothing wrong with that. Listing the application in the correct category(ies) will make it more accessible.

Current Status

1. FESCo approved the FedoraStudio menus, as long as the package is optional and required by no other package
2. The review request for the multimedia-menus package is approved. Package is in rawhide (F-12).
3. Fedora Art team is contacted for new icons
4. About 3/4 of packages are updated with the above scheme. Freeze breaks are granted for those packages that need it. An announcement was made for the remaining packages.
5. An email was sent to xdg for requesting inclusion of the categories we are using.
6. The project is now hosted at fedorahosted
7. The project is imported into transifex. The translations begun.

Test Plan

To test this, install multimedia-menus package (available in rawhide) and check out your Audio&Video/Multimedia desktop menu.

User Experience

This feature promises easy access to all types of multimedia applications for every user level.

Dependencies

None

Contingency Plan

The /etc/xdg/menus/*.menu files will be reverted to their previous state.

Documentation

None

Release Notes

An optional multimedia-menus package is provided for the users who want to have their audio & video applications classified in their desktop menu.

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