Bitwig 5 browser is a mess

[pdxindy]

And one of the useful new features of the V5 browser, is not only can I include my most used synths when I first open the browser for instruments, but that collection also has a few useful template presets as well. That was not possible in the old browser.

So it is also only 2 clicks to add one of those template presets.

[ThomasHelzle]

For me the issue is more neurological.

I look at the old pop-up browser, it's all logical and clear and well ordered, nothing shouts at me for attention and the layout is balanced, nothing jumps at me. I can directly select anything from any column with one click. It is a relaxing experience.
It's just there. It's a browser.

The new browser is totally confusing visually and an eye-sore for me. Yes it can do a lot of things (I don't need), but each time I use it (avoiding it as much as possible) I am annoyed. I have to unravel what the icons are supposed to mean, find which one may or may not lead me to what I want to do or find. In Germany we have that word "KlickiBunti" for this kind of "visually engaging crap".

Still undecided if I will stick with 4.4.10 or use 5 moving forward.
The new features are nice enough, but the browser is close to being a showstopper here.

I didn't see that one coming.

[pdxindy]

but each time I use it (avoiding it as much as possible) I am annoyed.

That's your own doing... your resistance creates the negative experience, not the browser. It's easy to understand and work with.

[xbitz]

I would like to see multiple columns on the right side; the big icon at the top-left makes the look so unbalanced



otherwise I'm happy with it, the context-based default views + favorites make it pretty useful

[BobDog]

I definitely think the ability to set your own icons is really needed, I'm pretty sure that BW would be working on this. Hopefully not just for user collections but for everything.

[Dionysos]

I look at the old pop-up browser, it's all logical and clear and well ordered, nothing shouts at me for attention and the layout is balanced, nothing jumps at me. I can directly select anything from any column with one click. It is a relaxing experience.

For many people, the old browser with its many columns seemed intimidating and confusing, precisely because of the lack of visual hierarchy. If nothing jumps out at you in a design, that also means that nothing presents itself as an obvious initial focal point.

When I started using Bitwig, I mostly ignored all the columns that meant nothing to me, until I learned how to hide them.

I think what I'm trying to say is that the old browser looking balanced to you is likely also a result of you simply being used to it, and you're probably generally good at parsing complex UIs. But not everyone is.

[dupont]

honestly, I had planned to purchased Biywig 5 with the summer rebate but that browser frustated me so much that I decided to stay on bitwig 4 and posponned the liecence renewal untill black friday in hope developpers will find a better way to please the community with a better, more logic, simplier redisign browser.

[dupont]

my 30 days trial period is over and honestly, I had planned to purchased Biywig 5 with the summer rebate but that browser frustated me so much that I decided to stay on bitwig 4 and posponned the licence renewal untill black friday in hope developpers will find a better way to please the community with a better, more logic, simplier redisign browser.

[neverbeeninariot]

[...] the big icon at the top-left makes the look so unbalanced

This.

Get rid of the big icon and have "Devices" or "Plugins" or "Whatever" written in a slightly larger/bolder/brighter font, then move everything else up so that we can see more of the lower pane.

Otherwise, a few niggles aside, once you've set your preferred context filters, it just works. I really wasn't sure about it at first, but for me it's as usable, or better than the v4 version.

[ThomasHelzle]

but each time I use it (avoiding it as much as possible) I am annoyed.

That's your own doing... your resistance creates the negative experience, not the browser. It's easy to understand and work with.
FOR ME

Fixed that for you

That is your truth.
You've never been me.
People are different in their perception.
What works well for some, does not work well for others.

I do not have a problem understanding it,
I have a problem looking at it and find it visually offensive and annoying.

Currently back in Bitwig 4 and I think I'll stay there.

It's interesting since from the very early first pre-release screenshots I was in love with Bitwig.
I guess some of the original devs are similar in their neurological setup, it always did fit me like a glove.
That started to change a while ago and I assume the influx of new devs and trying to appeal to some kind of "modern app standard" is now making it a different experience.

Well, it was nice as long as it lasted.

Cheers,

Tom

[wvshpr]

[Lusamars]

I think the new browser is great, all setup the way I wanted, perfectly layout. Thank you Bitwig

[pdxindy]

That's your own doing... your resistance creates the negative experience, not the browser. It's easy to understand and work with.
FOR ME

Fixed that for you

That is your truth.
You've never been me.
People are different in their perception.
What works well for some, does not work well for others.

We're not talking about deep personal truths and subtle perceptions. It's just a browser in some software.

And when you get down to it... both browsers are fairly simple and pretty similar with some minor setup differences required. In the old browser, it took seconds to get what I wanted into a track. In the new browser, it takes seconds to get what I want into the track. The actual difference in practice is minimal and anyone can use either of them effectively if they just get to it.

---

The new browser does have an improved workflow for people who mainly use key commands.

I also like that the new side browser has all the data types now. It's useful to be able to drag any of the data types from the side browser into the project. For example, drag a desired wavetable and drop it into the device pane and it adds a Polymer with the Wavetable Osc selected and that wavetable loaded. Sweet! Drag that wavetable into the Grid and it adds a Wavetable Osc with that wavetable loaded.

Drag an IR from the side browser into the device pane and it adds a Convolution device with that IR loaded. Also sweet.

If I want to add a Macro modulator plus Random and Segments modulators, I can select all 3 in the side browser and drag them into a device. Sweet again. Means I don't have to open up the popup browser 3 separate times.

The search functions are also smartly improved in the new browser.

[pc999]

Yes, I agree, the new browser is quite bad.

I actually preferred the old one.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I actually do think the new browser is in many ways better than the old one, but there are sometimes things I can't do that surprise me, given how many options there are and similar ways of doing the same thing. Like how do I save defaults for the side panel? In My Library for example I want to save it with Bitwig Presets as the File Kind, but there's only defaults for the pop-up browser on tracks? Not for side panels for the different sources? Or am I missing something?