On Fri, Jan 16, 2004 at 03:32:17 -0500, Dave Robillard wrote: > On Thu, 2004-01-15 at 14:46, Mike Rawes wrote: > > > It's when you have several connected plugins forming a single module > > (I'll roll out my old example of an ADSR, a few DCOs, DCA etc) that GUI > > generation really falls down. An alternative is that used in gAlan > > (http://galan.sourceforge.net), where you build up your UI and hook it > > up to whatever ports you like. Or PD - which lets you do ... just about > > anything. > > I suppose you have a point, nice UIs for a subpatch would be a nice > thing. Not a very complicated thing to implement in a host though, > especially in something like AMS which already has the ability to > control pretty much any parameter (right now from MIDI). Literally > defining in the subpatch "these things should be on the master subpatch > GUI" (just a big list of params) and letting the app draw them as it > pleases, as with current normal LADSPA plugins.
There more to it than that, take a look at the nord modular UI (it has the best modular synth UI IMNSHO): http://www.clavia.com/pictures/nordmodular/patchwindowlarge.jpg I dont think you are going to get that quality of module layout and space efficiency and ease of use with automatic GUIs. > The GUI code need not be anywhere remotely close to the engine code, > it's not necessary to have some message-passing interface to accomplish > this. I keep coming back to this, but I dont think I've made the point well enough - the external UI control data has to be routed to the host - the host needs to keep a (sample accurate) log of all the control data that is sent to the plugin so that it can have reproducability. If you use OSC-like systems that doesnt require that the data flow through the host, but its much easier if it does. - Steve
