[MPlayer-dev-eng] [PATCH] key assignment for frame-stepping

[Reimar Döffinger]

Hi,

>>I saw that the 's' key is already taken by two other functions, so I'd 
>>like to change it to something else. I though '.' to be quite suitable...
> 
> Using punctuation keys for default key bindings is a bad idea because
> different localized keyboard layouts have a bad habit of moving them
> around or hiding them under modifier keys.

There aren't so many keys left, especially when it should make at least 
some sense. Anyway, feel free to think of something better and send a 
patch. Using the arrow keys in pause mode seems a bad idea because
1) When you forget to pause first you will be far away from the position 
you were looking for.
2) I don't like double-triple usage keys.
3) I'm sure that it will eventually make users complain that their 
back-key doesn't work in pause mode ;-)

In case you want it anyway: A command filter might be the best way to do 
it (it also gets passed a "paused" flag), see input.c, line 775: 
mp_input_add_cmd_filter.

Ed Wildgoose wrote:
 > I'm coming in late here, but why not do something like have it frame
 > step when you use fast forward/rewind keys in, say, pause mode?  This is
 > how many VCRs work?

I don't like it and implementing it would be more work. Not to mention 
that those keys are currently {,[,] and }. Hardly better to reach that 
'.' ...

 > I think it would also be cool if it could be extended eventually to work
 > something like the high/slow speed patch that I saw floating around, so
 > you could pause video, then keep clicking fast forward to get it to go
 > from single stepping and gradually go faster and faster (perhaps even
 > the same in reverse).

This will just not work (correctly) with audio.

 > There are a couple of video apps that already have this kind of
 > function, perhaps it would be worth reviewing their interfaces and steal
 > a few ideas?  Mythtv includes both high/slow speed video playback and
 > also frame stepping in both directions - I have to be honest, their key
 > structure works for me.

I doubt that they have that many functions that already use up most 
useful keys... :-(
Just as a side-note to the much discussed frame steeping backwards: The 
first person trying it with streaming will have really much fun... Like 
MPlayer hanging for 2 minutes or so. Currently I can call this 
functionality in MPlayer only fantasy...

Greetings,
Reimar Döffinger