New action "Momentarily send next action to ALL project tabs"

[akademie]

Please, add a new action which would send next action to all project tabs:

"Action: Momentarily send next action to ALL project tabs"

and maybe also
"Action: Momentarily send next action to ALL BACKGROUND project tabs"


Use case:
e.g. to be able to create custom action like to STOP all project tabs (as in this FR thread etc. add action to STOP transport across all project tabs )

[akademie]

+1
I will bump it myself a bit as it would open up many possibilities

[mschnell]

???
I understand that that kind of actions are sent to all project tabs anyway.

I seem to remember that there are actions to send the next action to a dedicated project tab (I once used same before I found that there are "....X" api functions that access a single project tab, given in the last parameter.) (See ReaPack -> Mini Song Switcher")

[akademie]

^^^^ re-read the FR, please

We don't have action to send next action to ALL (or to ALL except the active one) project tabs yet.

[MonkeyBars]

A script could do this with a defer() waiting for next action... I think

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by akademie

^^^^ re-read the FR, please

We don't have action to send next action to ALL (or to ALL except the active one) project tabs yet.

The normal (e.g. stop) action goes top all project tabs.
You are right there is no all except...
But a script can be done for this, looping through all project tabs (see the example I mentioned above for some hints).

[akademie]

Originally Posted by mschnell

The normal (e.g. stop) action goes top all project tabs.
You are right there is no all except...
But a script can be done for this, looping through all project tabs (see the example I mentioned above for some hints).

Pretty please, read > try/verify > write

1) e.g. Stop works for all tabs at once IF, and ONLY IF, the "Play stopped background projects with active project" option is enabled (and this is not always desirable and useful).
This is the same for all other actions, of course!

2) Thanks for recommending a custom external script (this was already written in another FR about Stop projects specifically), but this is a different and more general feature request for expanding native implementation of already existing set of similar actions (introduced in v7.x cycle)

Thank you for respecting users' Feature Requests.

[mschnell]

It is very unlikely that new "native" features will be added for stuff that is not used by a great part of the users, if that functionality is doable by a simple scrip.

[akademie]

Originally Posted by mschnell

It is very unlikely that new "native" features will be added for stuff that is not used by a great part of the users, if that functionality is doable by a simple scrip.

Please the Feature Request is not directed to you, mschnell, really do not comment on FR of other users when you are asked by original poster.

BTW, similar native actions were added recently although that they could be solved also by script before. It just this set of actions that is missing, but I do not want and need to write it again over and over.

If developers will not want to add it, then that is their decision made on some reason, not your.

And let me ask you again to not contribute to this thread anymore if you are not bringing anything constructive and also was asked to do so few times already. Respect.

[Sid]

I understand you have a feature request, but while we wait for that, this will stop all tabs (I couldn't figure out how to count the tabs, so I start at 100 and it skips any number that is more than the number of tabs):

num_projects = 100

for i = 0, num_projects - 1 do
  projectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(i) --get the project for this number if there is one
  if projectID then
    reaper.Main_OnCommandEx(1016, 0, projectID) -- stop transport for this project
  end
end

This one stops all tabs except the open one:

openprojectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(-1)
num_projects = 100

for i = 0, num_projects - 1 do
  projectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(i) -- get the project for this number if there is one
  if projectID and projectID ~= openprojectID then
    reaper.Main_OnCommandEx(1016, 0, projectID) -- stop transport for this project
  end
end

This does not work for most other commands (1016 is stop transport) that you want because they seem to require switching tabs. Here is the switching tabs version (not the currently open tab) that should look ok because I tried to prevent UI refresh while the tabs were switching.

reaper.PreventUIRefresh(1)
openprojectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(-1)
reaper.Main_OnCommand(reaper.NamedCommandLookup("_SWS_FIRSTPROJTAB"), 0)
num_projects = 100

for i = 0, num_projects do
  projectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(i)
  if projectID then
    if projectID ~= openprojectID then -- not the currently open tab
      reaper.Main_OnCommand(40001, 0) -- Insert new track This is the command that will run on all tabs
    else
      current_tab = i
    end
    reaper.Main_OnCommand(40861, 0)
  else
    break
  end
end
-- go to the current tab
reaper.Main_OnCommand(reaper.NamedCommandLookup("_SWS_FIRSTPROJTAB"), 0)
for i = 0, current_tab - 1 do
  reaper.Main_OnCommand(40861, 0)
end
reaper.PreventUIRefresh(-1)
reaper.UpdateArrange()

[akademie]

Thanks.
Still this request is not about "Stop" action specifically and only.
It was meant as helper action the same way as other ones like:

Action: Momentarily send next action to next project tab 1 (.. 5)
Action: Momentarily send next action to previous project tab 1 (..5)
Action: Momentarily send next action to previously active project tab
Action: Momentarily send next action to project tab 1 (.. 10)
Action: Momentarily send next action to project tab N
Action: Momentarily send next action to project tab N-1 (.. N-9)


The workaround would be something like a custom action using stacked actions like this:

Action: Momentarily send next action to project tab 1
some action A
Action: Momentarily send next action to project tab 2
some action A
.
.
. etc

but this will still be limited to 10 tabs (or 20? if adding also N-9 etc. actions) only

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by akademie

Please the Feature Request is not directed to you, mschnell, really do not comment on FR of other users when you are asked by original poster.

If somebody posts a feature request I assume (s)he wants to find a solution to a problem, not (usually) do politics.
If (s)he would already have a solution (s)he would go something like "It would be nice if ... "
That is why stating facts might help.

[smandrap]

This FR was made some time ago iirc in the context of the Stop thing. I also remember to have provided the script in the other thread.

OP's request is perfectly reasonable and has my +1, since yeah we can script it, but it would be much more convenient to have it native.

With all due respect, the "it's easily scriptable" narrative has to end, ESPECIALLY in the case of such requests that just make sense. "Easily scriptable" means "new users have no idea it's possible in the first place".

[akademie]

^^^^^ Thank you for your support, smandrap.

(Yes, that "Stop..." thread was(is) a bit too specific and therefore I made another (this) request for more general action which would be more useful for everything and everybody

[lexaproductions]

Originally Posted by Sid

I understand you have a feature request, but while we wait for that, this will stop all tabs (I couldn't figure out how to count the tabs, so I start at 100 and it skips any number that is more than the number of tabs):

num_projects = 100

for i = 0, num_projects - 1 do
  projectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(i) --get the project for this number if there is one
  if projectID then
    reaper.Main_OnCommandEx(1016, 0, projectID) -- stop transport for this project
  end
end

This one stops all tabs except the open one:

openprojectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(-1)
num_projects = 100

for i = 0, num_projects - 1 do
  projectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(i) -- get the project for this number if there is one
  if projectID and projectID ~= openprojectID then
    reaper.Main_OnCommandEx(1016, 0, projectID) -- stop transport for this project
  end
end

This does not work for most other commands (1016 is stop transport) that you want because they seem to require switching tabs. Here is the switching tabs version (not the currently open tab) that should look ok because I tried to prevent UI refresh while the tabs were switching.

reaper.PreventUIRefresh(1)
openprojectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(-1)
reaper.Main_OnCommand(reaper.NamedCommandLookup("_SWS_FIRSTPROJTAB"), 0)
num_projects = 100

for i = 0, num_projects do
  projectID, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects(i)
  if projectID then
    if projectID ~= openprojectID then -- not the currently open tab
      reaper.Main_OnCommand(40001, 0) -- Insert new track This is the command that will run on all tabs
    else
      current_tab = i
    end
    reaper.Main_OnCommand(40861, 0)
  else
    break
  end
end
-- go to the current tab
reaper.Main_OnCommand(reaper.NamedCommandLookup("_SWS_FIRSTPROJTAB"), 0)
for i = 0, current_tab - 1 do
  reaper.Main_OnCommand(40861, 0)
end
reaper.PreventUIRefresh(-1)
reaper.UpdateArrange()

Keep in mind that the proj max is 128 tabs so you might want to change "num_projects" to 128.

[akademie]

Guys, while I really and heartly appreciate your input, because the thread got derailed too much I think, I have to reintroduce the main idea of this thread and thus this Feature Request, which:
1) IS NOT to Stop project tabs (it is in different thread!)
2) IS NOT a custom ReaScript which also requires 3rd party SWS Extension etc.
3) IS purely native action
4) IS universal action which when triggered, then any following action will be sent to ALL project tabs (or to ALL BACKGROUND project tabs, which means ALL project tabs except the active one)

Let's say it can be used to send e.g. "Select Track 1" (or "Mute Track X") to all project tabs (= all open projects) simply by 1st running this new requested action, followed by standard action for selecting or muting tracks. Or it can be used to construct custom action operatively by actual needs by non-programmer users/musicians/sound.engineers simply like this:

Custom: Mute Track1 in ALL tabs
  Action: Momentarily send next action to ALL project tabs (! FICTIONAL ACTION, YET)
  Track: Select track 01
  Action: Momentarily send next action to ALL project tabs (! FICTIONAL ACTION, YET)
  Track: Mute tracks

I hope you see the potential and also that it is a missing puzzle in all those new individual "Momentarily send next action to (???) project tab (???)" actions introduced in REAPER v7.

[Sid]

Your feature request is totally valid.

We in the forum have gotten used to discussing workarounds, because some feature requests can take 10 years to get added to the code base. Some never get added. This is why I started my comment with "while we wait". BTW, the action _SWS_FIRSTPROJTAB can be replaced by code using native actions only.

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by akademie

3) IS purely native ...

Originally Posted by Sid

We in the forum have gotten used to discussing workarounds, because some feature requests can take 10 years to get added to the code base. Some never get added. ...

Yeah !
There are Feature Requests that Reaper should out of the box do what Melodyne does (e.g. Dynamic Beat Detection and Mapping -> https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=272169), and what Vocaline does (-> https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=277840) , and provide all Instruments that come with a full Kontakt license.

This comment is not intended to bash akademie, just stating the obvious.

I in fact recently started a thread about Stem separation (like "Replay" does -> https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=292898) as a native feature. Would be very useful IMHO, but this is just a personal view (and Apple's ), as I often do use Replay for this in a rather clumsy way.

[h31k0]

Originally Posted by mschnell

Yeah !
There are Feature Requests that Reaper should out of the box do what Melodyne does, and what Vocaline does, and provide all Instruments that come with a full Kontakt license.
This comment is not intended to bash akademie, just stating the obvious.
I in fact recently started a thread about Stem separation (like "Replay does) as a native feature. Would be very useful IMHO, but this is just a personal view, as I often do use Replay for this in a rather clumsy way.

So, you are trying to say that the FR for having an action that sends the next action to all project tabs is as complicated to create and implement as Melodyne, VoAlign, etc. ? LOL xD

[mschnell]

Just supporting Sid's comment.

[smandrap]

[lexaproductions]

Originally Posted by akademie

2) IS NOT a custom ReaScript which also requires 3rd party SWS Extension etc.

In the provided code, replace every line

reaper.Main_OnCommand(reaper.NamedCommandLookup("_SWS_FIRSTPROJTAB"), 0)

with this

reaper.SelectProjectInstance(reaper.EnumProjects(0))

I think this will allow a fully native operation if I didn't miss anything.

[akademie]

bumping a request for adding this new action

[mschnell]

As by default all actions go to all Tabs (but individual tabs can be configured to adhere to certain actions or dismiss them), it would make sense to rephrase the FR and state what exactly the additional action is supposed to do.

[akademie]

Originally Posted by mschnell

As by default all actions go to all Tabs (but individual tabs can be configured to adhere to certain actions or dismiss them), it would make sense to rephrase the FR and state what exactly the additional action is supposed to do.

Hello mschnell, welcome back

How many times I politely (also using word "please") asked you to not participate in this Feature Request thread anymore if you have no use for its outcome AND also your inputs are wrong (like this one ^^^^).

Anyway, what leads you to your personal knowledge (or experience), that if you perform/run an action (e.g. "Track: Select track 02" , ID: 40940 action) then it is recognized and performed in ALL TABS (= all tabs have Track2 selected then)???
Have you tried it by yourself before sharing that info?
Or is it any specific action that works like that?

EDIT: TBH, I actually do not know what you are writing about with project tabs individual config. options dealing with Actions? How does it relate to this FR which is about Actions, and not background projects "play/run" behavior???

[mpl]

So you need a meta action.

I suggest to try this (SORRY YES IT IS A SCRIPT):

reaper.PreventUIRefresh( 1 )
-- get current project
local curproj_ptr, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects( -1 )
-- loop through all tabs
for proj_idx = 0, 128 do
  local proj_ptr, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects( proj_idx )
  if not proj_ptr then break end
  if proj_ptr ~=  curproj_ptr then -- is this tab is not current
    reaper.SelectProjectInstance( proj_ptr ) -- activate background tab
    reaper.Main_OnCommand( 2999, 0 ) -- Action: Repeat the most recent action
  end
end
reaper.SelectProjectInstance( curproj_ptr ) -- revert back current project selection
reaper.PreventUIRefresh( -1 )

This lua script repeat last triggered action for all project tabs except current project, just like:

(or to ALL BACKGROUND project tabs, which means ALL project tabs except the active one)

So if you want to do something for all project tabs, you can create a custom action:
- do something
- this script

This is successfully tested with [Track: Select track 02] action.
EDIT: added to reapack as mpl_Repeat the most recent action for all background tabs.lua
EDIT2: added comments

[mpl]

For special needs it is possible to replicate some native actions (the only difference is order of meta action relative to main action) and change them as you want like this example for

Action: Momentarily send PREVIOUS action to next project tab 1

tabnextID = 1


reaper.PreventUIRefresh( 1 )
-- get current project
local curproj_ptr, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects( -1 )
-- find current project ID
local curproj_idx
for proj_idx = 0, 128 do
  local proj_ptr, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects( proj_idx )
  if proj_ptr ==  curproj_ptr then  curproj_idx = proj_idx break end
end
-- get project immediately placed after current project
local proj_ptr, projfn = reaper.EnumProjects( curproj_idx + tabnextID )
-- select if it exist and repeat last action
if proj_ptr then 
  reaper.SelectProjectInstance( proj_ptr )
  reaper.Main_OnCommand( 2999, 0 ) -- Action: Repeat the most recent action
  reaper.SelectProjectInstance( curproj_ptr )
end
reaper.PreventUIRefresh( -1 )

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by akademie

I actually do not know what you are writing about with project tabs individual config. options dealing with Actions?

Right clicking the project tab there are "Background project" options that influence how "Play" and "Stop"actions (as you mentioned in the first message) are handled by different (i.e foreground visible vs background) tabs.

[akademie]

Originally Posted by mschnell

Right clicking the project tab there are "Background project" options that influence how "Play" and "Stop"actions (as you mentioned in the first message) are handled by different (i.e foreground visible vs background) tabs.

What is wrong with you ?

First, this Feature Request is not about Start/Stop commands at all, but the general one!

Second, have you tried to play project tab 1, later on the project tab 2, then going back to prj-tab1 and press stop? (it partially works ONLY IF "Play stopped background projects with active project" option is enabled (which BTW is not by default), but that's not I a after, the project can be independent and also independently started and again that is not the topic here at all.

Oh, and to your statement

(but individual tabs can be configured to adhere to certain actions or dismiss them)

It is not configurable for "individual tabs" but it's the behavior for the "tabs globally"! And of course that settings again has nothing to do with any/certain "actions" but the transport behavior in very specific cases (as I already mentioned above).

So please please please, don't come here visit again.

[akademie]

Originally Posted by mpl

So you need a meta action.
I suggest to try this (SORRY YES IT IS A SCRIPT):
<snip>CODE removed<snip>
This lua script repeat last triggered action for all project tabs except current project, just like:
<snip>...

Originally Posted by mpl

For special needs it is possible to replicate some native actions (the only difference is order of meta action relative to main action) and change them as you want like this example for
<snip>CODE removed<snip>

Hi mpl,
thank you for participation, even thou I am asking for native solution (which is apparently missing in that bunch of all new "momentarily" possible actions), it is good to have it also in script, so thank you for the "(SORRY YES IT IS A SCRIPT" solution

[mpl]

Originally Posted by akademie

Hi mpl,
thank you for participation, even thou I am asking for native solution (which is apparently missing in that bunch of all new "momentarily" possible actions), it is good to have it also in script, so thank you for the "(SORRY YES IT IS A SCRIPT" solution

I think native action will share nearly same code at least on API implementation side (Justin/Schwa will correct me if I'm wrong), so it is a valid request to have same meta action "in the box" for the users, who does not using 3rd party extensions.

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by akademie

don't come here visit again.

If you so much dislike discussing and see well meaning but maybe not perfectly correct / 100% targeting contributions, at best we would mutually block each other in the forums.

[akademie]

^^^^^^ I am sorry mschnell and I apologize.

I didn't want to be rude, harsh or bad in no way.
I just simply was quite annoyed by you insisting in proposing those unrelated and unconfirmed tips and disrespecting the main feature request.

Anyway, it needs to be told that it's the questions that we learn from, more than from the answers.
(but you didn't ask any question unfortunately, I would describe again why I request it - and mpl and others understood the need for native solution).

So again ,sorry and welcome back

[akademie]

Originally Posted by mpl

I think native action will share nearly same code at least on API implementation side (Justin/Schwa will correct me if I'm wrong), so it is a valid request to have same meta action "in the box" for the users, who does not using 3rd party extensions.

Thanks mpl, that's it, it seems more like ommission of such action when the set of momentary actions was added.

Scripting solution is fine, but for me (and I believe also others), when I try dozens of Reaper portable installations either for me or for confirming issues of other users here, I do not want to copy, install any 3rd party extensions and add reascripts to all individual installations just for a while of testing.

Also I prefer to use Reaper in its vanilla state so I know I do not miss anything as I hop a lot between different machines. (Although it is very hard to not to use your extremely useful and powerful scripts, yeah )

[mschnell]

Very OK. Thanks !

Originally Posted by akademie

(but you didn't ask any question unfortunately,

I asked your to be more explicit with the text of the feature request. This could be re-phrased as a question:
"in which cases exactly (with transport actions and with other actions) should the new "to all tabs" action work, regarding that transport actions seems to access all tabs, anyway, in case the appropriate option ( "Play stopped background projects with active project" and friends) is set."

(I think from the discussion I now do understand, anyway.)

[akademie]

Originally Posted by mschnell

Very OK. Thanks !


I asked your to be more explicit with the text of the feature request. This could be re-phrased as a question:
"in which cases exactly (with transport actions and with other actions) should the new "to all tabs" action work, regarding that transport actions seems to access all tabs, anyway, in case the appropriate option ( "Play stopped background projects with active project" and friends) is set."

(I think from the discussion I now do understand, anyway.)

I think you did get it already (as written in your last sentence), but I will copy the part which relates to transport commands:

... <snip> play project tab 1, later on the project tab 2, then going back to prj-tab1 and press stop? (it partially works ONLY IF "Play stopped background projects with active project" option is enabled (which BTW is not by default), but that's not I a after, the project can be independent and also independently started<snip>...

And also pretty much any other action that will in all project tabs e.g. select specific track(s), MUTE/SOLO them etc. - can be used to build kind of Reaper's native modular "Live" scene player or for any other workflow where the parts of project can be distributed in more tabs (like subprojects, etc.)

Sky is the limit, you know ...