FX management: improvements to folders

nicholas · 12-08-2009, 01:54 AM

I've searched this forum as best I can and much to my surprise can't find a reference to this. Apologies if I'm wrong. Here goes ...

I would like to see the ability to:

1. Change the order of user created folders in the FX browser (drag and drop).
2. Use collapsible subfolders (also with drag and drop)
3. Change order of items within folders and subfolders (drag and drop again).

Thus, you could have a top level folder perhaps "Dynamics", another "EQ", with collapsible sub-folders, for example within dynamics Compressors, Limiters, Gates.

You could view by default just the top level, then expand branches as required.

This would make for a more efficient library filing/retrieval system for those of us who have many FX. There's no benefit particularly in having to order things as they are now..

Better and more efficient to be able to list in whichever order you prefer - for example, from top to bottom in order most commonly used.

If you agree, please vote for it here:
http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=1703

(edited to add info)

EvilDragon · 12-08-2009, 02:14 AM

+1 on all three points!

Kainz · 12-08-2009, 02:15 AM

Yup, hate messing around with the .ini files to do this kind of things.

++1

musicbynumbers · 12-08-2009, 07:20 AM

A big yes! Now, where can we vote on it?

Drugs · 12-08-2009, 07:25 AM

Yes please. We need a better way to manage vst plugs.

(Your referring to drag and drop from win explorer right? I hope so. It also needs to update the Reaper fx folder if you add a new plug to windows folder.)

Evan · 12-08-2009, 07:26 AM

yup!

and... http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=46904

nicholas · 12-08-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicbynumbers

A big yes! Now, where can we vote on it?

Good point? How do we make it voteable? I should know but I don't.

EvilDragon · 12-08-2009, 01:39 PM

Post it in the Tracker, nic

nicholas · 12-08-2009, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

Post it in the Tracker, nic

Thank you, now I have!

plgrmsprgrs · 12-08-2009, 03:05 PM

I'm on board! Where do I vote?

Chris_P_Critter · 12-08-2009, 03:31 PM

+1.

FX management needs some help. Pretty important for me at this point.

nicholas · 12-08-2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plgrmsprgrs

I'm on board! Where do I vote?

You can vote for it here:
http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=1703

Mercado_Negro · 12-08-2009, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabian

+1, adding the ability to have a folder tree built based on VST folder(s) structure (SONAR does it wonderfully, I have to say)

- Mario

/whistle/

maxdis · 12-09-2009, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabian

+1, adding the ability to have a folder tree built based on VST folder(s) structure (SONAR does it wonderfully, I have to say)

- Mario

vote for it here:
http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=959

sdv · 12-09-2009, 06:42 AM

+1 Thank you

Evan · 12-09-2009, 07:35 AM

and some more...

- When renaming FX, don't include the (company name) field in the rename box. Instead, keep it optional in the FX list (via a preference to display next to the name, or not)

- Don't display the plugin type before the plugin name, when you're browsing for specific plugins.

e.g. don't show VST: epicverb (bootsy), when you're already browsing in the VST category
show: epicverb (bootsy) instead
Then you can hit letters on the keyboard to jump to initials (hit 'e' to jump to epicverb)

kindafishy · 12-09-2009, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan

and some more...

- When renaming FX, don't include the (company name) field in the rename box. Instead, keep it optional in the FX list (via a preference to display next to the name, or not)

+1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan

- Don't display the plugin type before the plugin name, when you're browsing for specific plugins.

e.g. don't show VST: epicverb (bootsy), when you're already browsing in the VST category
show: epicverb (bootsy) instead
Then you can hit letters on the keyboard to jump to initials (hit 'e' to jump to epicverb)

+1

AtmanActive · 12-11-2009, 02:33 AM

Yeah, I agree.

In my opinion Reaper is P-E-R-F-E-C-T except for that FX selection screen.

To select a new FX is painful and time consuming, and it should be a breeze.

In past decade I've been using all sorts of VST hosts and building my custom VST DLLs tree. I've been using only freeware, portable DLLs becuse I'm sick and tired of doing Setup->Next->Next->Finish over and over again. So, I built a nice selection of usefull plugins with realy nice folder structure to help me navigate and select exactly the plugin I need at some given moment. Now, in Reaper, all that is useless because it completely disregards the original folder structure.

So, my recommendations are:
- I agree with everything said and suggested in this forum thread
- I suggest giving an user an option to select plugins acording to original DLLs folder structure
- I suggest implementing some kind of usage tracking like, FX used that many times, or last usage of FX, so in some kind of table one could sort by these parameters and quickly get to last used / most used FX.
- Maybe some kind of user star-rating of plugins like Windows Media Player does with MP3s in a library.
- Maybe an option to pack (zip, or something) all used DLLs with a project so a project folder becomes self-sufficient to play back on some brand new machine.

Portable is the future. Setups are obsolete and unnecessary.

Best regards to all, and a special shout out to all the developers of Reaper, you did a magnificent job. Thank you.

Evan · 12-11-2009, 03:06 AM

A while back I had made a post about giving custom tags to plugins. Like

- Reverb
- Compression
- Distortion
- Vintage
- Freeware
- Surround
etc...

a plugin can have more than one tag (because many belong to more than one category)

You could have a powerful search and organization features by that alone.

(and please, plugin customizations not tied to specific file paths + dlls)

Of course it may be greed in itself to have 100s of plugins

But they're so... everywhere nowadays!

maxdis · 12-11-2009, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtmanActive

- I suggest giving an user an option to select plugins acording to original DLLs folder structure

vote here:
http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=959

AtmanActive · 12-11-2009, 06:57 AM

Voted.

Maxdis, you are right, Evan, you are right as well. And Wok really hit the spot here http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=959 saying "We just would need a position 'My HD' on the left side in the fx browser, where all the folders appear automatically, and it's done. The existing functionality could remain."

Of course, these are all our suggestions and wishes, but ultimately it is up to Reaper developers to find out the best approach, and I'm sure they will.

Cheers.

arkima · 10-26-2010, 07:01 PM

Voted and Bump.

lxm · 10-26-2010, 07:50 PM

yes............

edkilp · 11-03-2010, 05:41 PM

Something else that bothers me a little; I have 3 instances of Kontakt. 64 out, 16 out and 8 out. Reaper only sees the 64 out. I read why, but can't recall. I tried to get the 8 out to show up but it just won't. A little more control over plugins would be a good thing.

lxm · 12-28-2010, 07:03 PM

we need this for v4. PLEASE devs.

Elam251e · 04-11-2011, 06:57 PM

I just bought this program....VERY disappointed over this basic omission.

Yeah...I need to be able to create SUB-DIRECTORY folders with drag and drop in the effects directory tree.

When will it come to be?

EDITED AFTER THOUGHT: This topic for feature request was presented nearly a year and a half ago and it still isn't addressed????