This Layout is optimized [to have all [or most] bars using as less rows as posible] for either a 4:3 monitor, or eg for having Audacity alongside other program in a 16:9 monitor.
In addition to re-arrangment of bars, this also shows what i said in ‘Provide start, end, and length of selection’ https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/provide-start-end-and-length-of-selection/55184/1 :
That exist already: (“Audio position” = ‘Start of Selection’), and chose: “Lenght and end of Selection” option.
So, since “Audio position” serves double duty (as Audio position and as Start of Selection), please don’t take it out. Putting it in its own ‘longer’ bar could waste more space than now.
What i can see cold be done is take out the labels ‘Project rate (Hz)’ and ‘Snap-To’ and make them appear on hover, this way their actual values can be stacked one on top of the other and so shorten the bar.’
'The label “Audio position” can be also eliminated [it would also appear on hover*], and in its place put the Total Lenght of the song/whatever, which is already a request [+1 there].
[since “Audio position” serves double duty (as Audio position and as Start of Selection), the 2 1st options “Start and Lenght of Selection” and “Start and End of Selection” could be eliminated.]
*on hover it would show: “Audio position/Start of Selection”
My apologies in advance for the size of the image! I actually have 3 1920 X 1080 monitors in this orientation:
2 1
3
but I cropped the 3rd monitor from the image as I only used two for Audacity.
Given the size of my monitors and how far away from them I sit, on this monitor resolution I need much larger font sizes. In my advanced years I also need better contrast. My version of Audacity is extremely customized with these issues in mind. Note that the Preferences dialog can be resized much larger (or even smaller - with both horizontal and vertical scrollbars appearing as needed). Note that there are a LOT more preferences to manipulate! One thing of note is that the “time text controls” (in the Selection toolbar) can have their font size changed without changing the size of the font in the rest of the application (this change is by percentage, I use 150% as depicted in this image). Not shown in this image is the fact that ALL dialogs can be resized and show both horizontal and vertical scroll bars as needed (this avoids truncation of text that, when translated, is too long to fit the dialog). Note that the toolbars which are sizable and/or draggable have larger more colorful grab handles and that there are different colors used for sizing and dragging.
As I rarely use Audacity for recording (I have a professional recording studio with far better recording solutions) I do not have my audio meters stretched the entire width of the interface. However, for the general user who DOES record with Audacity, I would recommend this practice.
My version is based on Audacity 2.0.6 But with many of the newer bug fixes from the main Audacity branch and many bug fixes which I have implemented.
The optimized Layout i put is in only 1024x768 pixels, has all [except 1] toolbars, if all same bars, it uses 1 less row vs the usual/shipped Audacity layout.
Implementing user chooseable colors for ‘Stereo 2 channels in one pane via colors’ would add even more to the already extra preferences to manipulate in a like-Edgar’s Audacity; even so, I agree with his philosophy of ‘power to the user’'; extra options can be put in ‘advanced’ sections in Settings.
