Compact FX control panel

[Aerio]

To improve the allocation of screen space, I suggest a compaction of the control panel of the FX Window.

Here is my concept:
(don't overlook the new "Replace" button, which would reduce working steps to replace plugins in place)





Further drafts are welcome!

[EvilDragon]

Good thinking!

[airon]

Where's the button to expand the panel back out to include the fx again ?

[EvilDragon]

Perhaps something like this would do:

[IMG]http://img218.**************/img218/1697/compactfxpanel.jpg[/IMG]

[nickmoritz]

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

Perhaps something like this would do:

[IMG]http://img218.**************/img218/1697/compactfxpanel.jpg[/IMG]

+1

strongly needed

[delphi]

I like it. Personally (in my ideal workflow), i would keep this window always docked and all the FXs floating.

[Aerio]

Originally Posted by airon

Where's the button to expand the panel back out to include the fx again ?

I thought it was clear, that I only showed the part with the control elements. The complete FX window would look like this:

[EvilDragon]

I think that such FX embedding won't work well at all for plugins with big UI, for example u-he ACE, NI Kontakt, NI Reaktor 5, etc...

But oh well



Still, I think that the solution with 4 buttons (Add, Remove, Replace, Float) makes the most sense.

[Aerio]

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

I think that such FX embedding won't work well at all for plugins with big UI, for example u-he ACE, NI Kontakt, NI Reaktor 5, etc...

???!!?

This is not MY invention! The ability of embedding plugins is part of Reaper since the year one!!! It has ever been one of those features, that made Reaper so unique. A concept, I fell in love with as soon as I saw Reaper for the first time.

All I suggested, is to compact the control part of the FX window,

If you like to float them, just doubleclick their name ...

[EvilDragon]

Yeah, I know. I'm just saying that not all plugins are decently embeddable because of their size.


The addition of "Float" button would help new users a lot to understand that they indeed can float the plugin. Doubleclicking the plugin name isn't always oh-so-obvious to a newbie.

[jmcecil]

I wish bridged plugs embedded.

I have the FX window open on a 2nd monitor.

It's annoying as I scroll down a track list to all the sudden end up with a plug in the middle of the screen that snags focus.

[Aerio]

Could this be true, that almost nobody knows the existence of the track FX window, that is already a prominent part of Reaper?!

It is the brilliant concept of editing plugins within a single (and dockable!) window, without to open/close each one, and without the mess of dozens of floating windows ...

[EvilDragon]

Originally Posted by jmcecil

I wish bridged plugs embedded.

Right-click on the plugin in the FX browser, Run As...->Embed bridged UI.

[Aerio]

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

I'm just saying that not all plugins are decently embeddable because of their size.

The addition of "Float" button would help new users a lot to understand that they indeed can float the plugin. Doubleclicking the plugin name isn't always oh-so-obvious to a newbie.

Regarding the size of plugins, of course you are right. Therefore I'm fighting here for the optimal usage of screen space. I even don't buy plugins with too large GUIs! NI for example is just going in the right direction, as some of their plugins are resizeable (Kontakt, Reaktor). And for the rest that is too large: scrolling or floating.

Regarding your "float" button: it is a viewing option and doesn't make sense in a row of functions for adding/removing.
("apple", "pear", "apricot", "duck" ... which one doesn't belong to the other ones?)

[EvilDragon]

Dunno about you, but I love eating apples, pears, apricots, and ducks, too.

[Curvespace]

+1 to the concept of this tidy-up. Excellent thinking

[Aerio]

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

I love eating apples, pears, apricots, and ducks, too.

Well, Mr. Omnivore, that fact raises the difficulty level of that riddle ...

[brainwreck]

With the new dockability, I think that some windows could use some trimming, not only the fx list. The performance meter really needs some trimming. The virtual midi keyboard should have an option not to scale, or it should have the ability to be manually scaled.

[EvilDragon]

The Item Properties window should meld with the background color of the docker...

[Evan]

For consideration---> http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=53556
and for voting---> http://forum.cockos.com/project.php?issueid=2160

[jmcecil]

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

Right-click on the plugin in the FX browser, Run As...->Embed bridged UI.

Will it stay that way? If so, thanks!

[EvilDragon]

So far it is like that. Don't see why it'd change...

[jmcecil]

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

So far it is like that. Don't see why it'd change...

It's one of those cases where I THINK I tried that, but it didn't do what I expected. I believe it undocked every time through, but don't remember exactly what was acting goofey. But, I'm now having a face palm moment, like recently getting schooled on mapping controllers to params. So, when I get back to my computer later today, I'll give it a whirl and proceed with the smacking of own head.

I'm much more comfortable in Reaper now, than when I probably ran through the FX panel options going wtf the first time. And, didn't realize it would do what I wanted.

[jmcecil]

hah, works. Thanks mucho!

Sample Tank no likey to be docked though.

[Broman]

That looks amazing Aerio. The replace button is a great idea too (with an action in the right-click menu at the same time).

I always thought the send/receive and envelope dialogs were pretty awful too... Not quite sure what it is about them that makes them so painful to look at.

[junkfood]

+1 for this..

and +1 for the fx browser itself to have a slim version for better docking on the right and left sides.. similar to Sonar X1's fx browser layout that you can see docked on the right in a lot of the screenshots floating around on the internet.