Multiple Download Queue Tabs -> Previously (A Few Requests)

[graymatter]

An option to have more than one Download Queue Tab.
- "New Download Queue" Button.
- Maybe option to (re)name queue tabs.
- Each queue tab creates own queue.abz (queue1.abz, queue2.abz, etc...)
- Dedicate # of connections per tab.
- Dedicate % of download speed per tab.
- "Merge tabs when closed" option.
- Pause = Pause All.
- Each download tab has own pause button.
- NZB Import Button - Tab dependent.
- Auto Import to queue 1.
- Double-click imports to queue 1.
- Transfer files between tabs.
I Think this would only be possible with on-the-fly decoding.

Thanks.

Edited, modified and renamed 06-02-08.

[Blue_Matter]

+1

[pablorindt]

Yeah nice idea's! +1 from me, and yeah I also think it's only possible with on-the-fly decoding, otherwise the PC is too busy.

[Hecks]

These things are already possible - and indeed are far easier - to do by running multiple instances of Alt.Binz.  Copy the altbinz.exe to a new folder and launch with the "-mi" switch.  You could also change thread priorities in the different instances to balance the load.  I'm not sure what advantages there would actually be to multiple queue tabs over multiple instances.

[graymatter]

I'm not sure what advantages there would actually be to multiple queue tabs over multiple instances.

I think the advantages would be during the checking, repairing and unraring.

[cr4zyfr4g]

and what are those??

[Hecks]

I think the advantages would be during the checking, repairing and unraring.

Unless you're suggesting also having separate PAR2 tabs, I'm not quite sure where you're going with this.  As I said, you can always change priorities for downloading, decoding & par2/unrar threads for each instance of Alt.Binz via Setup > Miscellaneous #2 (not sure how well this would work, as I haven't tested it).

And just in case there's any doubt about this: adding extra queue tabs or running multiple instances won't increase your download speed, and will of course increase the time it takes for individual queue items to complete, if not the queue(s) overall.

[graymatter]

The way I understand how the Par2 tab works is that it's first come first serve (checking/repairing/unraring one archive at a time).  Multiple instances - checking/repairing/unraring at the same time - would probably slow the system down to a crawl and overwork the hard drive.

I currently have [Pause downloading while repairing/unraring] checked and unless one instance can tell the other instance to pause, I don't think that setting would work well with multiple instances.

What I was thinking was using queue 1 for large, high priority downloads (8 threads and 80% of connection speed) and queue 2 for small, low priority downloads (2 threads and 20% of connection speed) using only one Par2 tab.

[Hecks]

As I said:

you can always change priorities for downloading, decoding & par2/unrar threads for each instance of Alt.Binz via Setup > Miscellaneous #2 (not sure how well this would work, as I haven't tested it).

Why not try it and let us know?  Maybe Alt.Binz will just fall over.  As for your scenario, I'm afraid it still doesn't really make sense to me.  Why split your speed between queue items?  What's it supposed to accomplish?

To illustrate: say you have 2 files, each the same size, that would take 10 minutes each to dl at max speed (the limiting factor being your bandwidth).

With consecutive downloads in a single queue at 100% speed:

@ 0 mins
file A starts to dl

@ 10 mins
file A completes & unrars
file B starts to dl

@ 20 mins
file B completes & unrars

With parallel downloads and 50% speed/threads each:

@ 0 mins
file A starts to dl
file B starts to dl

@ 10 mins
file A is half complete
file B is half complete

@ 20 mins
file A completes & unrars
file B completes & unrars

Parallel downloads with file A at 80% speed, file B at 20% speed:

@ 0 mins
file A starts to dl
file B starts to dl

@ 12.5 mins
file A completes & unrars

@ 50 mins
file B completes & unrars

Wiser heads please correct those sums if they're wrong, I'm terrible at maths