WALTER custom elements in default 7 theme

[smandrap]

Hi,

I am curious about how the new custom buttons/blocks are used in the default 7 theme (if they are used at all). I’m not experienced in WALTER, and the 1500+ lines of rtconfig are quite daunting to decipher

@White Tie if you have spare time could you share how you leveraged this feature with the new theme? Did they help achieving something you weren’t able to do before? For curiosity’s sake only

Sorry for bad English

[White Tie]

The v7 theme is built with extensive use of the new custom elements, which have made a huge difference.

Replacing Images
Lots and lots of things that were images in previous themes are now custom elements - rectangles of colour created and managed by WALTER. I did a big push in v6 to reduce the image count, because of HiDPI but also to make modding easier, and this the next level of that because I've not needed to use many (nearly all?) of the '_bg' images.

New Images
Things like the little 'selection dot' I have previously had to do as part of index_bg, so it swaps image on selection, and then jump through hoops to get it centred. That's now just two little images, by my choice, independently positioned and swapped by WALTER and reused across TCP and MCP. And as it happens I'm not using index bg at all, I did that as a re-colourable custom element as well. For theme making this is the end of a lot of hacks we've been doing for years, for which I almost shed a nostalgic tear.

Code control
So, they're just rectangles of colour created and managed by WALTER. So the theme can change things that were previously fixed, and the adjuster script can tell them how. That's why there are now sliders for everything : background colour, custom colour depth, selection strength ...and even on the Env panel, which didn't have custom colour before.

Development Help
You may not directly feel the benefit of this, but being able to use the custom elements as guides for planning and managing WALTER has been huge, and along with the new error checking is why I've been able to do lots of the really complicated stuff I've been doing with the theme and how it interacts with the theme adjuster. You can turn on 'visualise sections' in the dubugging box (in Global) to see that sort of thing.

I also use them to make little graphs on each panel to indicate WALTER values when I'm debugging, which is new and a big help.



...and yes, also...


...yeah, custom buttons I suppose, but I want to really downplay this because it seems to be something people have really grasped onto as the answer to all their dreams. Maybe that's true, but the reality is custom elements can fire of actions, and if so use a three state image. I've experimented and had some fun, but haven't found a use for them yet and its not because I'm being a big old meanie.

[smandrap]

Thanks for your reply.

It seems like it was indeed a big thing !
Do you plan on writing a little bit about how to work with this stuff in the future?

I feel that this will open a lot of new possibilities for themers (as you already said) but it’s a somewhat hidden thing, so maybe it would be beneficial to have some sort of “tutorial” which highlights some of the more complicated stuff in the default theme.

Or maybe it’s easier than I think and I just can’t cope with Walter

[lexaproductions]

So it is now possible to use three states buttons on custom buttons? Is it documented somewhere how it is implemented?

[Meo-Ada Mespotine]

Originally Posted by lexaproductions

So it is now possible to use three states buttons on custom buttons? Is it documented somewhere how it is implemented?

Would love to know as well.

And tutorials for the other new things with minimal code/theme examples would be awesome, as the new addition seem to be quite powerful.
If one knows how to use them..

[smandrap]

Originally Posted by lexaproductions

So it is now possible to use three states buttons on custom buttons? Is it documented somewhere how it is implemented?

Yes but it's only normal, hover, click i think. When it fires the action it returns to the normal state.

[White Tie]

I hope you don't mind, I've changed the name of the thread from 'buttons' to 'elements', since I haven't used that side of it (I did, but removed it) and its a word that inflames many flights of fancy, followed by crashing disappointment. Let's not have any disappointment about what they aren't, because what these things are is awesome.

Custom elements are still in pre-release, so their documentation is the change logs:

+ WALTER: create custom elements by using "custom tcp.custom.xyz [label] [action ID] [accessibility description]" in layouts
+ WALTER: allow custom elements to reference theme images and be normal buttons, using: custom mcp.custom.foo "Text Desc" command_id "accessibility_string" "image_name"

Mostly I've just created a custom WALTER element just as an element:

custom tcp.custom.myCustomElement

..but it could also have a background image...

custom tcp.custom.myCustomElement '' 0 '' 'fileNameOfPngImage'

And give it properties :

set tcp.custom.myCustomElement [0 0 20 10]
set tcp.custom.myCustomElement.color [0 0 0 255 150 150 150 255]

Color is standard WALTER : first four numbers RGBA of the text, second four numbers RGBA of the background rectangle, which is the bit I've mostly used.

And that's all of it. There's nothing more complicated than that in the Default 7 theme, just add lots of messing with those values of the elements by WALTER and scripting.

[smandrap]

No problem for the title

So for example, the track selection indicator is a custom element right? How did you manage to make it a circle?

EDIT: that was a VERY dumb question, I figured it out


Sorry to bother you with dumb questions, just a lot curious

[lexaproductions]

Originally Posted by White Tie

And that's all of it. There's nothing more complicated than that in the Default 7 theme, just add lots of messing with those values of the elements by WALTER and scripting.

Thanks for this explanation. By looking at your WALTER and your LUA code, I think I understood a few things. My need is to simply add functions to the already existing Transport buttons. Like when I press the repeat button, I want an extra script to be triggered. But I want to keep the Highlighted button when Repeat is on.
I just tried to setup my custom button on top of the current Repeat button but it appears to be either one or the other. Pushing it won't trigger my script. Do you have a suggestion?

[White Tie]

Top thing gets the click, so no, I think you'd need to do a really annoying thing where your script also toggled Reaper's repeat state. Sounds messy.

[lexaproductions]

Originally Posted by White Tie

Top thing gets the click, so no, I think you'd need to do a really annoying thing where your script also toggled Reaper's repeat state. Sounds messy.

Actually, that's no problem to trigger Reaper's state. But it won't help me as I wanted to trigger a button and have it reflect a state at the same time. I guess I can assume it just can't be done at the moment?

To me that's the biggest gain to this custom functionality.

EDIT:
What makes it a "Top thing"? I tried to change the order in WALTER but it seems as if REAPER's stock command always wins over my script.

[Phazma]

Originally Posted by lexaproductions

So it is now possible to use three states buttons on custom buttons? Is it documented somewhere how it is implemented?

Sadly three state buttons are not currently possible with “custom element”. I hope devs will give us this option at some point so this feature can become useful as buttons too, something many people hoped for.

[gapalil001]

unfortunately, can't force REAPER to load images for custom commands from 150 and 200 folders, seems that it's broken for dpi translation layouts. any ideas?

[copypaste from pre-release thread]

[edited] seems that the custom command image name does not obey the layout folder:

      layout "Default 200" "200"

looks like a bug to me

[edited x2]
the workaround is to use macro in image name with "/"

macro DrawTCP scale layoutfolder
custom tcp.custom.command  " " none " " layoutfolder/tcp_command_bg
endmacro

layout "TCP 200"
DrawTCP 2 200
endlayout

but keep in mind that the default layout (layout "") should be below others

[Justin]

seems that the custom command image name does not obey the layout folder:

hmm, it seems to be working here. e.g., take the default 7 theme, go to the "set tcp.size" line, add this after it:

custom tcp.custom.test "" 0 "" customimagename
set tcp.custom.test [0 0 270 90]
front tcp.custom.test

If I copy track_mute_on.png to customimagename.png in each path, it clearly uses the 200/ one when on the 200% layout, etc.

If 200/customimagename.png does not exist, then it uses the root png.

[gapalil001]

Originally Posted by Justin

hmm, it seems to be working here. e.g., take the default 7 theme, go to the "set tcp.size" line, add this after it:

custom tcp.custom.test "" 0 "" customimagename
set tcp.custom.test [0 0 270 90]
front tcp.custom.test

If I copy track_mute_on.png to customimagename.png in each path, it clearly uses the 200/ one when on the 200% layout, etc.

If 200/customimagename.png does not exist, then it uses the root png.

looking to default theme rtconfig seems that all works as expected in it, i have 2 questions:
- Could my issue be caused by forgetting to change "version 6" to "version 7" on the header?
- as you probably noticed, I use "" instead of '' and do not use them at all for image names. can it also break something?

[Justin]

Originally Posted by gapalil001

looking to default theme rtconfig seems that all works as expected in it, i have 2 questions:
- Could my issue be caused by forgetting to change "version 6" to "version 7" on the header?

Should not matter.

- as you probably noticed, I use "" instead of '' and do not use them at all for image names. can it also break something?

Also shouldn't matter... if you want to post a minimal test theme that does not work right in this respect, I'd be happy to look at why...

[gapalil001]

Originally Posted by Justin

Also shouldn't matter... if you want to post a minimal test theme that does not work right in this respect, I'd be happy to look at why...

thanks, Justin. Unfortunately, only the complete theme with an already implemented workaround. I can remove macro and send the theme archive if you don't mind, or if it will work I can just reply here

here is an theme demo

example custom commands lines are 545-552

            custom tcp.custom.folderlabel    " " 0 " "      'tcp_folder_namebg'
            custom tcp.custom.folderlabelsel " " 0 " "      'tcp_folder_namebg_sel'

            custom tcp.custom.colorbg        " " 0 " "      'tcp_color_bg'
            custom tcp.custom.colorbgsel     " " 0 " "      'tcp_color_bgsel'

            custom tcp.custom.greybg         " " 0 " "      'tcp_grey_bg'
            custom tcp.custom.greybgsel      " " 0 " "      'tcp_grey_bgsel'

[Justin]

Originally Posted by gapalil001

thanks, Justin. Unfortunately, only the complete theme with an already implemented workaround. I can remove macro and send the theme archive if you don't mind, or if it will work I can just reply here

here is an theme demo

example custom commands lines are 545-552

            custom tcp.custom.folderlabel    " " 0 " "      'tcp_folder_namebg'
            custom tcp.custom.folderlabelsel " " 0 " "      'tcp_folder_namebg_sel'

            custom tcp.custom.colorbg        " " 0 " "      'tcp_color_bg'
            custom tcp.custom.colorbgsel     " " 0 " "      'tcp_color_bgsel'

            custom tcp.custom.greybg         " " 0 " "      'tcp_grey_bg'
            custom tcp.custom.greybgsel      " " 0 " "      'tcp_grey_bgsel'

edit again: fixing, thank you!

[gapalil001]

Originally Posted by Justin

edit again: fixing, thank you!

Wow, great, Thank You!

[Win Conway]

Originally Posted by Phazma

Sadly three state buttons are not currently possible with “custom element”. I hope devs will give us this option at some point so this feature can become useful as buttons too, something many people hoped for.

Yeah this was a big feature for me in V7, and it wasn't what I thought it was haha, if it turns in to custom buttons it would be nice for sure.

[lexaproductions]

Originally Posted by Win Conway

Yeah this was a big feature for me in V7, and it wasn't what I thought it was haha, if it turns in to custom buttons it would be nice for sure.

+1. Still praying for this.

[Vagelis]

Could someone explain please where and what I should add in rtconfig.txt to show a fixed lanes button?