Reaplugs GUI Concept

[reznikdesign]

Hi everyone. I made a GUI concept for some of the Reaper's native plugins — https://www.behance.net/gallery/1017...ins-concept%29.

I'm sharing the figma source file (free to copy/modify). You can explore it and maybe use as a library for your own projects: https://www.figma.com/community/file...lugs-(vst-GUI)

I'm open to any feedback and comments. Also if you're working on a theme, extension or a plugin and you need a designer's sight, feel free to drop me a message.

[dagamusik]

This is simple, elegant and amazing!

[marcelofernandezmusic]

Love it!!

[denmla]

I bet they would immediatelly sound better to many

[richie43]

To the OP:

Have you implemented these with the plugins?
Are you planning to?

[Pink Wool]

The Reaplugins are unfortunately not skinnable/themable so the only people who could make those chances are the devs.

But JS plugins are skinnable! Wish someone would make some more modern (flat) GUI work for them (hint to the OP!)!

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=35359

[reznikdesign]

Originally Posted by richie43

To the OP:

Have you implemented these with the plugins?
Are you planning to?

Nope, I'm not a developer

[ceanganb]

Originally Posted by denmla

I bet they would immediatelly sound better to many

Touché

[Arno Jordan]

[QUOTE=reznikdesign;2436165]Hi everyone. I made a GUI concept for some of the Reaper's native plugins — https://www.behance.net/gallery/1017...ins-concept%29.

this is a great concept !

[Kabraxis]

I'm sure more people would be willing to use Native plugins if they just looked like that. Current UIs feels like they are there just for the functionality.

[Pink Wool]

I think there just about enough information out there to make this into reality (on JS plugins, that is)!

I've done one as a test, JS Tremolo, based or Argee's work. But since I don't know enough how the GUI stuff works, I've just replaced the png's. But if someone knows how the code works...

[reznikdesign]

Thanks (и спасибо) for the kind words everyone!

[infectdsniper]

just popping in to show support! this should happen. if reaper looked as good as other daws it would get taken so much more seriously. to me it is the absolute best daw so i would love to see it get the recognition it deserves.

The designs look great and are so simple that they shouldnt tax the file size or performance much if at all. seems like a no brainer.

[richie43]

Originally Posted by Kabraxis

I'm sure more people would be willing to use Native plugins if they just looked like that. Current UIs feels like they are there just for the functionality.

Um..they are there for the functionality.

[swiiscompos]

Originally Posted by richie43

Um..they are there for the functionality.

But GUIs like the ones in this thread improve greatly the functionality.

[JRTaylorMusic]

Beautiful!! And I feel like I could operate properly without even reading the knobs. Have you created a Reaper theme? I’d love to see these knobs all over my Reaper.

[richie43]

Originally Posted by swiiscompos

But GUIs like the ones in this thread improve greatly the functionality.

They may improve the eye-candy aspects, but how would new skins improve functionality? The skins don't offer any functions that are not already there. It's like changing colors on your car...The engine won't act any differently.

[G-Sun]

Looks very good :thumbsup:

[airon]

That's some very interesting concept work, that also looks fairly simple.

The GUI elements are basic, yet it would require a new library. Since I'm no expert on coding, that's about as far as I am willing to speculate.

Fabfilter Pro-C2 is really easy to use, and it relies mostly on knobs for the most used parameters, and sliders that I find more readable than our sliders on ReaPlugins/JS plugins. Searching is down to a minimum.

A GUI that relies mostly on knobs and has far too many stacked in a way that does not make me learn the plugin well is Aether. Even Stratus is confusing that way, yet I use it every day as well. But it could be more usable, at the beginning.

Would be nice to have a more ergonimic GUI, even in a simpler form. With a GUI library that consists of just a few elements, that may not be so difficult. Plenty of good designers here that have done stuff in that department. You give them a palette and let them paint until it works well.

One more good example I found instantly useable is a hardware copy/extension, Empirical Labs "Arouser" plugin. Has a sub section here and there, but overall it's an extremely usable plugin for me.

If at any point the Cockos lads want to tackle a bit of GUI library action, a few basic controls, size and colour is most of what we'd need. One day perhaps.

Originally Posted by reznikdesign

Hi everyone. I made a GUI concept for some of the Reaper's native plugins — https://www.behance.net/gallery/1017...ins-concept%29.

I'm sharing the figma source file (free to copy/modify). You can explore it and maybe use as a library for your own projects: https://www.figma.com/community/file...lugs-(vst-GUI)

I'm open to any feedback and comments. Also if you're working on a theme, extension or a plugin and you need a designer's sight, feel free to drop me a message.

[ANDYZ]

Originally Posted by reznikdesign

Hi everyone. I made a GUI concept for some of the Reaper's native plugins —

The GUIs are beautiful and ergonomic. But there's one thing that's bugging me - fader/slider caps. What you designed is a thin cap suitable for human fingers, but not very usable to grab it by the mouse cursor.


Fader caps in a plugin UI should be more square to have bigger footprint to hit and grab it by the mouse. Thin caps serve nothing.

[reznikdesign]

Originally Posted by ANDYZ

The GUIs are beautiful and ergonomic. But there's one thing that's bugging me - fader/slider caps. What you designed is a thin cap suitable for human fingers, but not very usable to grab it by the mouse cursor.


Fader caps in a plugin UI should be more square to have bigger footprint to hit and grab it by the mouse. Thin caps serve nothing.

Thanks! Regarding the caps I had 2 ideas: to make it actually big or to make it small with large click area (like transparent padding basically). I've picked the second one but yeah, it may need some improvements.

[kainkrup]

Love it!!

[Ann-82]

This just looks amazing! Is it possible to try out this UI?

I wish so bad that you are going to re-design the entire GUI of reaper!

[Phazma]

Originally Posted by Ann-82

I wish so bad that you are going to re-design the entire GUI of reaper!

Yeah that sleek and comprehensive look should be all over Reaper. A lot can be done with theming already but many parts can just not be accessed and stick out like sore thumbs no matter how great the themer is and how much attention to detail he put in his work.

I also wish all the settings windows were redesigned too as many of them seem like settings have been thrown into them one after the other where a little space was found and in my experience one has to almost read through all settings every time something needs to be changed because they don’t jump to the eyes. With a little care in aligning settings, giving text-boxes sensible dimensions and grouping options into meaningful sections navigating and configuring Reaper would be much quicker.

[iscaryoth]

Hi all, here's another one for ya:


This time I looked into the masterLimiter. It's functional, but since there was no redesign graphics I sketched out something that resembles the compressor. On the surface it does not look that different from the previous plugins, but under the hood I've done a couple of improvements, mainly fixed some VU alignment (bar vs numbers), added ability to easily change accent color and draw sliders, that can be also drawn on top of meters (and their scales are aligned).

For anyone interested that missed the original: https://github.com/iscaryoth/jsfx
I really appreciate your comments as they do help keep focus on the bits that are most helpful for us all.

@Pink Wool: I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm. I'm really having fun doing these things. With ReaPlugs, though, as these are closed source there is not really much I can do.

[Distressor]

I would love for the Reaper Plugins to be themable.

I'm not a big fan of this flat look that is proposed here though. I think it looks boring and unispired.
Almost as bad as Ableton live (the most ugly DAW ever) with a little Apple Logic mixed in (which gets uglier with every update).
I'm just not a fan of the flat look that is so popular at the moment.
That's just the thing with design. Everybody has a different opinion.
I also prefer faders to dials in general.

I know the Reaper Plugs can look terrible. This is especially true for all the mac users unfortunately.

The way they are now actually works well with my theme i have to say.
If i could i would change them but i really prefer them the way they are now to what is proposed in this thread.
The current "design" - if you actually want to call it that - is pleasantly simple and retro.
I like it.

[Pink Wool]

Originally Posted by iscaryoth

Hi all, here's another one for ya:


@Pink Wool: I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm. I'm really having fun doing these things. With ReaPlugs, though, as these are closed source there is not really much I can do.

Nice! Wizardry!

I didn't mention anything about Reaplugs though as I'm very well aware those aren't skinnable.

What I did write was that perhaps we, as a community, could support your (and the OP's) work through some means (Patrion?) and then when there's enough of these designs that actually work - not "just" concepts, they could be offered to the devs (as an example?)

I think it's one of the only ways these would ever get "out into the wild" any "official way". Can't see Justin or Schwa taking time from their superbusy schedule to re-design and make some JS effect gui's!

But I do think that a redesign (of Reaper) should happen at some level. And not only looks wise but with accessibility in mind. And the JS plugs are an important part of that! And if something free (workwise) and easily appliable is offered to the devs, they might atleast consider the possibility of changing some things for the better, in my opinion.

Perhaps by offering the job to someone whose well-versed on such designs or opening Reaper more for theming so that people can make it even more their own (the more likely scenario).

Just my 2 cents.

[/AND/]

WOW, I really LOVE this design! I hope it makes in the official version! I'm even willing to contribute money to see that happen.

[Ideosound]

A big thumbs up from me too, amazing work.

[Ideosound]

Originally Posted by /AND/

I'm even willing to contribute money to see that happen.

Me too if it did ever happen

[nait]

Man, I'd love to see this. It is minimalist, so it's not going to bloat the installer... but it looks very nice, clean and professional.

[reznikdesign]

The feedback is so inspiring, thanks everyone!

[fmL]

if we could see the devs todo list i bet GUI's is dead last. i mean.. png still.. cmon.

[themixtape]

May have missed the post about how to get these installed (forgive me, I'm not a coder)... how does one use these instead of the default plugin GUIs? Thanks!

[Pink Wool]

Originally Posted by themixtape

May have missed the post about how to get these installed (forgive me, I'm not a coder)... how does one use these instead of the default plugin GUIs? Thanks!

You can't. These are concept design ideas by one designer (OP - reznikdesign) on what Reaper (Reaplugs) should/could look like. Nothing official. Nor do we have any way to implement anything since Reaplugs aren't open source, unlike JSFX.

[themixtape]

Damn. Ok, thx

[maxcomposer]

Can we revive this thread?!

Reaper's GUI is functional, but this is quite frankly simple and beautiful.

[Fergler]

Ok. Thinking out loud, but know how we can disable UI in a plugin window? What if we could add an additional layer to any plugin (*any*), which both disables the UI and replaces it with a GFX window rendered by JSFX / ReaIMGUI etc. The only native support part being the fluid implementation of the window where the FX usually goes, a menu addition to the FX search list, and maybe a couple API calls (for meters for example). Otherwise, the rest lies in the script designer. Then the community can make reskins of whatever they want, even non-stock plugins, and the UI is just a fancy parameter controller/follower).



Because let’s be honest, there’s so much more for Reaper devs to work on that clearly trumps this, but at the same time so many people want this option. So let’s meet somewhere that can be minimal work for Justin and a huge open door for the talent here.