Proposal: Relatively simple fix for a huge problem (browser)

[leinad]

That Instruments/Effects/Plug-ins/... browser on the left, I guess we all know that it's extremly inefficient.

This problem could be solved by allowing drag and drop operations onto the Live interface not only from Windows Explorer, but also as html links to the Instruments/Clips/... from web pages. I'm not talking Internet here, but plain {a href='file:///S:/2.%20Samples/Sample%20Libraries/Library%206/MyClip.alc'}MyClip.alc{/a} links to local files.

If these links are dragged and dropped onto any application, they initiate a dnd-operation of text format, instead of the shortcut format used by dnd-operations initiated from the explorer.

If Live could interpret these text dnd-operations to import the target they point to, Live Users could use their browser of choice to organize their Live Library, even build powerful database driven interfaces for the library. HTML is so rich in features, it would be wonderful to be able to enrich the library with icons, and color coding items as desired.

Please, vote for this issue.

Kind regards,
Daniel

[madlab]

What do you think is inefficient in the browser as it is ?

[leinad]

I personally find myself scrolling to death and expanding/collapsing folders to find what I'm looking for.

I actually have to look closely at the labels of the folders just to know where I'm at, because it's not possible to memorize a relative positioning of a category in the browser, since it changes depending on which subfolders are open.

If there would be at least a color coding in the categories, ie Instruments have a certain color, MIDI Effects another one, Audio Effects another one, then I'd have a lot more ease in finding what I'm after.

Also, that alphabetic sorting isn't very efficient, if you consider that you have a delay at Ping.. and one at Simple... that doesn't help much.

If I now start renaming my effects and instruments, I'm going to have a lot of trouble when I upgrade to a new version, since the new install will most probably expect my library to have the default names. So, If I can add a layer to the Library which is external to Live, ie just by designing a useful layout on a html page, I get what I need without destroying my actual Library.

In the case of the delay, the page could have a popup layer over an entry called "delay" where Ping.. and Simple... would show up. As well as my VST plug-ins which could be related to a delay effect. As well as presets to those delays.

Should that prove efficient, and a layouting/labelling community be born, it could ultimately have the effect that Ableton would consider integrating mozilla or webkit into Live so that this system replaces the current browser. HTML integration could then even come to benefit the tutorial system. But those are long term issues.

Simply accepting text dnd-operations with file:/// format would already help a lot.

[Angstrom]

Yes, the browser is overpowered by the content. I posted this wish today

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=136031

[madlab]

Ok, I agree with thiese points.