MuseScore 3 Beta – Workspace selection in setup wizard
When starting the beta for the first time, users are greeted by a setup wizard. In one of the steps of the setup users are asked to choose a workspace with "Basic" and "Advanced" being offered as options. I don't think it is reasonable to assume that first-time users are familiar with MuseScore's workspace feature. Therefore, I would recommend adding some sort of explanation (similar to the one for Tours), this would allow the user to make an informed selection.
Apart from that, what is the rationale for this option in the setup wizard? Would it perhaps make sense to make one of the two – "Basic" or "Advanced" – the default thereby eliminating this step in the setup wizard?
Comments
If you ask me, the workspace names are incorrect to begin with. Perhaps basic and extended would be more meaningful in English. The indicates the choices are a limited number of options in the Basic workspace compared to the extended number of options in the Advanced workspace.
An explanation if these workspaces in the setup wizard seems wise (you can decide on the pun for yourself).
In reply to If you ask me, the workspace… by mike320
(That's why I translated "Advanced" with "Erweitert" in German ;-))
In reply to (That's why I translated … by Jojo-Schmitz
You should have also submitted a PR to fix the English.
In reply to You should have also… by mike320
I know, and I did this a lot (and still do). This one just had fallen between cracks.
And nowadays is no longer a translatable string it seems ?
Originally (prior to MuseScore 2) there was only one workspace - what we now call Advanced. there was a perception mong some that it was too overwhelming for beginners, so the split into Basic and Advanced happened years ago. The decision was made to make Basic the default, as the whole idea was not to overwhelm beginners. Problem was now that people who might be beginners to MsueScore but not to music notation had trouble discovering MuseScore had more symbols than just those. How to satisfy both needs? Right now, best we can do is ask on startup - hey, do you want a stripped down simple interace, or do you want to see everything. No doubt, it could be explained better in thw wording - suggestions welcome. And we could also consider actually limiting the menus and toolbars accordingly as well (this wasn't possible in 2.0 but is in 3.0).
In reply to Originally (prior to… by Marc Sabatella
Thanks for detailed explanation, Marc. It all makes sense now. :-)
My suggestion would be to just add the following sentence from the handbook entry (https://musescore.org/en/handbook/palettes-and-workspaces):
"MuseScore provides two preset workspaces: Basic (the default option) and Advanced (a version with more palettes and symbols).".
In reply to Thanks for detailed… by RobFog
Question is whether it is worthwhile to still update the 2.x handbook, and for the 3.x it is different.
In reply to Question is whether it is… by Jojo-Schmitz
Sorry, I don't understand how that comment relates to what I wrote.
I suggested adding the sentence to the setup wizard…
In reply to Sorry, I don't understand… by RobFog
Ah, I see, I though you were talking about the handbook, apparently I misread the from the handbook for a to the handbook
In reply to Thanks for detailed… by RobFog
Would someone be willing to create a pull request adding above sentence to the setup wizard?
In reply to Would someone be willing to… by RobFog
That wizard shows a list of workspaces, determined at runtime, that list currently has only 2, Advanced and Basic, but can have more and then such a text would need to get adjusted again. Also those workspaces' names are translated, so would need to get the same translation in that message.
So it isn't as easy as just adding that one text (repeated below)
"MuseScore provides two preset workspaces: Basic (the default option) and Advanced (a version with more palettes and symbols)."
In reply to Originally (prior to… by Marc Sabatella
Can't we just get back to one workspace only?
![Capture.PNG]( "Capture.PNG")
Could sound stupid but I have the impression that the "advanced" one is a lot less impressive in 3.0 just due to the fact that icons are a lot smaller than 2.3.2, we can display more than 2 sets of icons where only one was displayed in 2.3.2, see:
In reply to Can't we just get back to… by frfancha
That is not generally true.
In reply to That is not generally true. by Jojo-Schmitz
" That is not generally true. ""
Why do you say that?
Just checked line, barline, timesignature, fingering, ... they are all a lot smaller in 3 beta
In reply to " That is not generally true… by frfancha
I discussed this display difference in an issue. The date for the pictures I posted on it were Nov. 22, but I can't find the issue now.
In reply to I discussed this display… by mike320
Well I don't really find it an issue, much better in 3.0 I think.
In reply to " That is not generally true… by frfancha
Because for me, on my PC, they are exactly the same size
In reply to Because for me, on my PC,… by Jojo-Schmitz
For me they are smaller on 3.0 as well. I guess we are dealing with the resolution-based scaling differently - or t is, anyhow.
In reply to Can't we just get back to… by frfancha
It's not about the physical size, it's about how overwhelming they are to beginners (often children!) who really don't need to look at a palette with 17 clefs when they are only ever going to use two of them. And so on. It's still a valid concern. I think it's better served with no default so the user has to make a choice.
In reply to It's not about the physical… by Marc Sabatella
Agreed.
People who do want the full functionality but don’t wish to read the entire handbook first would probably be unimpressed if Basic were the default.
That being said, I selected Erweitert and got the Basic pallette instead. (No idea if workspace == pallette, though.)
In reply to Agreed. People who do want… by mirabilos
Advanced palettes are a part of the advanced workspace. Do you also not have double sharps and double flats on the Note entry toolbar? These are part of the advanced workspace.
In reply to Advanced palettes are a part… by mike320
Oh, indeed. So I got the basic workspace. Hum.
In reply to Agreed. People who do want… by mirabilos
For MuseScore 2, a "workspace" was defined as a set of palettes (plural - each individual section like "Accidentals" is a "palette", singular(). So switching workspaces switches palettes and nothing else. But for MuseScore 3, the workspace can optionally also include other elements, like toolbar and menu configuration as well as certain GUI-related settings (eg, font size selected in Edit / Preferences). So now, different workspaces could potentially look more radically different. So far, we haven't taken advantage of this to create any radically different palettes, but I have my eye on creating one for the primary education market at some point.