Old 03-02-2013, 12:32 PM   #1
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Default Coloured Inserts


Request posted!

Take a look and vote here: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=4686


I read this great idea someone had on the Protools Ideascale request site and thought this might work really well for Protools as well.

The idea is to assign a colour tint per plugin.

The user could select all the dynamics plugins for example and make them tint blue (like the Euphonix consoles do with their backlit knobs). Green for eqs or perhaps modulation effects or whatever else.

This makes it even easier to spot in a larger session.

I'll post a mockup as soon as I can.
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Old 03-02-2013, 12:54 PM   #2
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Here's a rough mockup. I didn't bring the text out in any way, but basically just tinted the insert slots with masked layers of primary colours, at 25% opacity.

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Old 03-02-2013, 01:14 PM   #3
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wow - so much clearer

even if only vstis were automatically colored this would be a big help.

I think autocoloring by string wojuld probably be workable and quick: eq comp etc
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Old 03-02-2013, 04:35 PM   #4
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Without a doubt a very critical and much needed request


Excellent request

Would love to have this in Reaper.
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Old 03-02-2013, 04:53 PM   #5
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Good idea.

To make it even more useful there could be actions and mouse modifiers to batch control all plugins with same color.
For example you could easily toggle bypass of a group of plugins with same color.

Related to this, color based item selection would be nice in arrange view.

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Old 03-02-2013, 05:37 PM   #6
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Is this not already possible since the FX in offline state are shaded?
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Old 03-02-2013, 05:53 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danfuerth View Post
Is this not already possible since the FX in offline state are shaded?
Offline and Bypassed states are already indicated with colors but it is not what I proposed.

Currently you can't define a group of plugins and toggle bypass or offline states of all those plugins at the same time.

Coloring plugins, like Airon proposed, would be very good way to define plugin groups. Colors are useful because you can easily see which plugins belong to same group. But it would be also very useful to be able to control all plugins in the group at the same time. That's why I proposed actions and mouse modifiers to batch control all plugins with same color.
For example, in Airon's example image, I could right-click any of those green plugins and select "Bypass All FX with same color". That action would bypass all EQs in the project because in Airon's example all EQ plugins are green.

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Old 03-02-2013, 05:56 PM   #8
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Here is a version that includes tinted Parameter Knobs, for easier recognition. The colours function as an added visual hook. The same tinting strength was applied (25% opacity of a strong colour).

The idea is to craft colours to be used on plugin insert slots and parameter effects. Then those colours(a set of 16 for example) can be assigned to the plugins in the FX list.

Now the FX list will be colour-coded, and easier to deal with as well. At the very least it will be easier to deal with than a flat list, even if it's searchable.

Suggested categories for using colours on inserts and parameter knobs:
  • Instruments
  • JS plugins
  • Manual per plugin determination, giving the colour a name like "Dynamics"
  • Search term (like sws auto-color for track names)

Even manufacturers could be colour-coded this way. The priority would be as it is handled in the SWS Colorlist.

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Old 03-02-2013, 06:02 PM   #9
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Excellent as always!!

Looks tight Airon!!!

This with full VCA groups is my Reaper wish for V5
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Old 03-02-2013, 06:09 PM   #10
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very critical ??? hardly. fix the freaking midi zoom !!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by danfuerth View Post
Without a doubt a very critical and much needed request


Excellent request

Would love to have this in Reaper.
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Old 03-02-2013, 06:22 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by airon View Post
Suggested categories for using colours on inserts and parameter knobs:
  • Instruments
  • JS plugins
  • Manual per plugin determination, giving the colour a name like "Dynamics"
  • Search term (like sws auto-color for track names)

Even manufacturers could be colour-coded this way. The priority would be as it is handled in the SWS Colorlist.
How about allowing free coloring of every individual plugin instance in a project?

The coloring categories you proposed could be used as "default color" but user could override those default colors manually in the plugin instances of a project. That would allow more flexible color-based batch toggling of bypass and offline states.

It would also solve those situations where single plugin is used in multiple purposes. For example EQ plugin can be used as simple EQ or as a complex LFO-controlled wobbling filter effect.
Or plugins like NI Reaktor can be used as pretty much any kind of instrument or effect.

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Old 03-02-2013, 06:50 PM   #12
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Right now we can only select multiple plugins on one track, and at that only in the FX chain window.

But what if we could marquee a bunch of plugins. Or drop a colour on to plugin slots from a colour pallette window, which is something I've always wanted to use anyway. That window would have a 'context' dropdown that changes according to what I last clicked on. Track, item, insert slot, but one could also drag'n'drop a colour swatch on to an item, track or insert slot, or parameter knob.

I bring this up, because the idea so far was to pre-determine colours only for the rules above, but now it needs to be accessible from the FX chain window and possibly, as suggested above, as a context action for the inserts or parameter knobs.
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Old 03-02-2013, 07:05 PM   #13
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I think ...

...and I do like the idea although I wouldn't exactly call it "critical" ...

... that having a plugin manager or something where you could directly just set the default color for all of your insert plugs in one place, for all songs, would be a better choice than indivdually always coloring them in every single song.

I mean, if I use and tweak RComp a lot, I might color it red or something by default in the setup thingy so it's always a clear target, always red whenever I insert it somewhere. I don't see myself using different colors for EQ's or whatever across different projects, but a standard color that I can remember for all projects.
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Old 03-02-2013, 07:43 PM   #14
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That would be the easiest default and the place to start.

In the long run, people will try to colour plugins differently sometimes from project to project, though I won't be one of them.

Who knows, maybe we can attach different knob images to the colours as well, so the visual hook becomes even stronger for the different plugins.

I'll post the FR as soon as we run out of good ideas.
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Old 03-04-2013, 09:38 AM   #15
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Perhaps we should consolidate the mixer requests if they concern the insert and parameter knob area.

Some things I'd find useful to have in the so-called "extmixer" area, including the already mentioned tinting, so this is the complete list so far :
  • Colour-tintable Inserts and Parameter Knobs
    Default behaviour is to create a palette of 16 colours, give these colours names by which they appear in the list, such as "Dynamics", "EQ" or "Reverb", and then assign these name-colour swatches to plugins in the FX browser.

    This default behaviour is the fallback after any additional rules the user can apply. The rule list of the SWS Track Auto Color configuration window is suggested.

    Those additonal rules can be
    • Plugin category or folder in the FX browser (for even easier setup)
    • a simple text pattern like "Audio Damage" or "Cockos" to colour by manufacturer.
    • Plugin type (JS, VST instruments, AU and so on)

    For the tinting, 25% opacity looks good in the mockup.

  • Drag'n'Drop of parameter knobs

    We have this for the inserts. One has to delete the knobs right now to build the right layout as if this was a brick house.

  • Virtual layout grid for inserts, knobs and sends

    Lining up the same effects across a larger session can become important, especially when using such a grid can make it easier to navigate the tracks visually.

    This would not be a static slot system, but just a way to make a visual layout easier. Some people will want to keep a way handy to insert a plugin before all others without the trouble of having to move it. The next item deals with that particular problem as well.

    To make this ever more useful, some sorting functions could be provided, such as "Place same plugin instance in same virtual grid slot on all/selected tracks)".

  • Inserting and Replacing plugins

    This is a context menu function, though some may wish to do a mouse combo, especially for replacments.

    Often requested, often missed. The user currently has to perform several actions to pull these off, so this is a convenience function.

    Right now :
    Insert - Instantiate new fx, then move to final slot
    Replace - delete old fx, instantiate new fx then move to final slot


  • Change send target via context menu of send, and in IO window

    Pretty simple, right ?


  • Display receives in send area if no sends are active

    Even so, sends could be tacked on at the bottom if necessary. The receives could have its knob on the other side for example.

What do you all think of the ideas ? Too much for one request or just right?
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Old 03-04-2013, 10:28 AM   #16
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I'm all for coluring plugins, sends and hardware outs as well.

Add to the mixer list the ability to show VST meters, in the same way we can view VST controls. I'm dying to be able to see compression on the mixer.
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Old 03-04-2013, 10:47 AM   #17
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at least if ReaComp would display a Gain Reduction Meter that would be very cool ...
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Old 03-04-2013, 03:30 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by semiquaver View Post
at least if ReaComp would display a Gain Reduction Meter that would be very cool ...
And that will only be possible on Cockos' own plugins anyway, so we might as well have that.

Is there any more ideal place to put a miniature GR meter than a parameter FX knob ? I think not. So far.


I manage to Licecap two frames of the coloured inserts and parameter knobs, and not being coloured. See what you like better.

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Old 03-04-2013, 06:15 PM   #19
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very persuasive!
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Old 03-04-2013, 10:40 PM   #20
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As has been previously requested I think, give plugins a new attribute called hypothetically 'category' and then control plugins by 'category'. Color could be an additional attribute of a plugin. The FX browser could leverage these new attributes as well.
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Old 03-04-2013, 10:42 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coachz View Post
very critical ??? hardly. fix the freaking midi zoom !!!
For the discerning Reaper user that already has everything.
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Old 03-05-2013, 12:13 AM   #22
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I really like this idea of yours and it really stands out in the licecap above. It's slam dunk if you ask me.

To the above I'd propose yet another feature.
Say you have a plugin colored red and another blue.
Say you have not enough space to show parameters you want for the two plugins.
As an option, of course, one could choose to click the red plugin and in the parameter section in red would appear the red plugin parameters only. Click on the blue and only the blue plugin's parameters would appear...
Of course you'd have to define this working with single click and opening the plugin itself with double click but hey just throwing it out there
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Old 03-06-2013, 03:35 PM   #23
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A very blunt way of doing it - set insert colour per fx browser folder. I have folders such as compression, eq, synths etc, specify here and reaper cross references it. not perfect but would be quick.
Not sure what logic would occur if plugin is in multiple folders.
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Old 03-06-2013, 03:47 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spacemen Tree View Post
I really like this idea of yours and it really stands out in the licecap above. It's slam dunk if you ask me.

To the above I'd propose yet another feature.
Say you have a plugin colored red and another blue.
Say you have not enough space to show parameters you want for the two plugins.
As an option, of course, one could choose to click the red plugin and in the parameter section in red would appear the red plugin parameters only. Click on the blue and only the blue plugin's parameters would appear...
Of course you'd have to define this working with single click and opening the plugin itself with double click but hey just throwing it out there
Of course we could open the plugin by clicking on the insert slot any more, if the left-click is thus taken to show and focus the parameter knobs for that plugin. Perhaps the middle mouse button ? Good idea for saving space.
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Old 03-06-2013, 04:16 PM   #25
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I also like the idea of separating groups of controls and tinting them and their corresponding plugin only when hovered over.

Like this:
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Old 03-06-2013, 05:54 PM   #26
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Definitely got my vote, would use this all the time
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Old 03-06-2013, 11:47 PM   #27
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And now you can vote for it.

Request posted!

Take a look and vote here: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=4686

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Old 03-06-2013, 11:51 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Youn View Post
I also like the idea of separating groups of controls and tinting them and their corresponding plugin only when hovered over.

Like this:
You could establish a group of plugins by creating a group colour patch and assigning plugins from the FX chain window, insert slot on the MCP(context menu) and project bay.

That might be an interesting way of establishing plugin-wide temporary parameter sync. It's the kind of thing used in dialog and effect mixing when you want to EQ several tracks in the same way quickly.

I'd choose to add that as a new request. A bunch of plugins lighting up like that could be a good grouping indicator.
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Old 03-07-2013, 05:13 AM   #29
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thanks for the FR,
instant vote in my opinion, makes everything 1,000,000 times easier to spot, especially with parameter knobs.
good work
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Old 03-07-2013, 05:31 AM   #30
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.... you'll want them to stop moving around in the TCP too


Issue Tracker: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=295
Discussion: http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=37761
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Old 03-07-2013, 09:00 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by airon View Post
Of course we could open the plugin by clicking on the insert slot any more, if the left-click is thus taken to show and focus the parameter knobs for that plugin. Perhaps the middle mouse button ? Good idea for saving space.
Damn! Totally forgot about the mouse wheel.
Yes, middle mouse button would be just fine.
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Old 03-07-2013, 09:01 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Youn View Post
I also like the idea of separating groups of controls and tinting them and their corresponding plugin only when hovered over.

Like this:
That's actually a very good idea too!


Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkStar View Post
.... you'll want them to stop moving around in the TCP too


Issue Tracker: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=295
Discussion: http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=37761
Voted!
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Old 03-07-2013, 09:12 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by airon View Post

And now you can vote for it.

Request posted!

Take a look and vote here: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=4686

Voted! Airon, you really thought this thing through! Nice FR, but I see that's kinda your style!

Oh, and thanks for mentioning my slight contribution
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Old 03-07-2013, 11:42 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Youn View Post
I also like the idea of separating groups of controls and tinting them and their corresponding plugin only when hovered over.

Like this:
How about dimming the other knobs on other tracks, and the inserts on the same track, so the plugin with its knobs stands out more when you're above those knobs. And why does that sound pornographic.
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Old 03-08-2013, 06:46 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by airon View Post

And now you can vote for it.

Request posted!

Take a look and vote here: http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=4686

Did you intentionally leave out the "color based batch control of plugins" feature?
It would be really useful for example for toggling Bypass of multiple plugins on different tracks at the same time.

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Old 03-08-2013, 09:51 PM   #36
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Yeah, that request may be best put in a separate issue, since it really boils down to parameter grouping, which in itself is an advanced mixing feature we'll need to get more folks involved in.

Grouping controls is something I am sorely wanting as well, and using the coloured inserts is but one way to do it.

Let's say you could easily group stuff like that.

What would you want to group ?

How often would you need to change such groups ?

Would you need to bypass those groups, and if so how often ?
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Old 03-09-2013, 09:23 AM   #37
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hey but how about color based *bypass* *offline* and *delete*only - that alone would be enormously helpful.
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Old 05-06-2013, 05:36 AM   #38
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Guess a bump is good after two months.

Post any new ideas, AFTER reading the request if you please.
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Old 05-06-2013, 12:07 PM   #39
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Being able to resize FX and sends slots would be great IMO, I can hardly read the names with the current layout (don't have any problem with other DAW BTW)
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Old 05-17-2013, 01:40 AM   #40
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Just a minor thing, but would it be possible to have the text colour change rather than the whole item? IMO would look much neater.
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