Feedback on ClipFlair Studio application Revoicing usability  Viewed 522404 time(s), 15 post(s), 11/14/2012 4:27:22 PM - by George

1) clicking on Play button toggles it to show playing state, but Silverlight never notifies of playback end to update the button - maybe just make that a simple button instead of a toggle one
2) clicking on Rec button should show a flashing recording button instead of just making it with lighter color to make apparent recording is active
3) backpanel of CaptionsGridWindow should have option that when enabled would mute temporarily all audio when recording [that would talk to the parent/container, which would talk to all windows to mute or something like that and tell them again to undo it and restore their previous "muting" state when recording finishes])
4) when clicking rec button for an already recorded sound to replace it, the respective caption grid row is selected which plays the previous sound, so then you have to stop the recording and start it again. Obviously some way is needed there to not play previous sound when rec is clicked, or to not select the current grid row immediately but only after the rec has finished (which would immediately play the new sound)
5) probably after recording it should immediately playback what you recorded or have it as option at the backpanel, since it might not fit all scenaria (e.g. a scenario where you'd hear sound via headphones and try to do live "revoicing")

Right-click on rec should clear the recording

Play button should show pause (action) icon while playing (if cannot fix media ended event that doesn't get fired now, then make simple button and right click to pause)

Audio recorder control's load button should also load .mp3 (and caption grid state loading should support .mp3)

Apart from disabling inactive buttons, also hide them (bind visibility to enabled)

load/save should be maybe one button. When both actions are available show a dialog to select load or save. If only load is available (only save available isn't a possible scenario) then show load dialog directly

examine the possibility of having a Rec/Play, a Load/Save and a Clear button (3 buttons). A problem is that you'd need to Clear, then Rec again to correct some recording

if cannot get notified of media ending, then Play should stop with right click (and if clicked stop current playback and PLAY AGAIN), else it should show pause icon while playing and allow you to click to pause the current playback instead of playing again

another issue with revoicing is that since I've set new instances of Captions component to start with AudioColumn hidden you may not easily find out that there is revoicing functionality available (which is a main theme of ClipFlair)

so I'll add a button to the activity toolbar to add a Revoicing component (in fact it's the Captioning component, but told by the activity when added to show Audio column and hide Captions column).

I'm thinking of showing Role column by default in both Captioning and Revoicing scenaria (I have to make it storable first though [Role and Comments columns are not currently stored])

Dear all,
I've been trying the 'revoicing' option and I find some issues that could be improved to fit the students' needs.
- I think the icons 'load audio from' and 'save audio as' are not necessary in this type of activity and can cause confusion in students.
There could be an option for saving the whole recorded audio at real time, so that it could be mereged with the video later. Or is this considered by Clipflair already?
- When you record there is no tip that tells the students he/she is recording (they could see a bar showing the level of voice or any other thing).
- I assume that the adjustment of the volume of the original need to be done manually on the video, right?
I will try to have the videos I want to use uploaded tomorrow (at least uploaded to Dropbox), so that I can start creating the activities so as to see other possible 'problems' or needs.
Regards,
Noa

- while recording the icon of the recording button has a more bright color - maybe a transparent recording symbol overlay over the whole screen should be shown to maybe only allow to STOP recording (block you from doing anything else with the app in between)

- since you may be listening to the original in headphones while recording, we're not doing any automatic lowering of playback volume when recording, user has to either pause the playback or lower (can instead click the volume icon to mute temporarily) the original's volume

Thank You, George. What about my other question? About saving the whole recorded audio track? Noa