Fast FX Finder - Add VST's, templates and fxchains

[n0ne]

Hi everyone!

Been lurking and using everyone's amazing additions to Reaper for a long time now, so very excited to share something back.

This is one of my personally most used scripts: Fast FX Finder, a pop up window that let’s you add FX, FxChains, JSFX or add Track Templates to the project. The searchbox will sort the results by most used.



I've always found the original browser kind of slow and it doesn't allow loading templates either (I personally use templates for most of my instruments).

Also sorting by most used makes it 'learn' your preferences, and most of the time a few letters will get you what you need.

Optionally you can also add a blacklist filter (to hide certain fx from the list) or specify folders where to look for FxChains and Templates (default uses everything in your Reaper default folders).



Install:
Add my repo to Reapack:
https://github.com/n0ner/Reaper/raw/master/index.xml
Run once to create the settings ini file in the main folder.

Require's JS Extension for full functionality (auto focus when opening in dock): https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=212174 can be installed through Reapack.

How to use:
- Start typing to search for an FX. The window will list only fx that include all the terms.
- Use categories tags to filter: @fx, @chain, @temp, @i, @vst3, @vst, @js, @a. Use \@ to escape '@' (only necessary for first character of word).
- Hit enter (or click) to insert an FX on the selected track(s)
- Hold shift to keep the window open and add multiple FX
- Hold Control/CMD to insert on selected item(s)
- Can trigger actions too (turn on in settings). Only main right now, experimental.
- Use ctrl/CMD+shift+backspace to clear the textbox
- Open REAPER Resources folder, Scripts/n0ne scripts/Various/FX Finder/fx-finder-settings.ini to customize. Create a blacklist, add specific folders, change text size and if the script should float windows/show in chain.

Notes:
- Supports VST's, templates and fxchains and JSFX right now, also adding these to items works (except for fxchains).
- Use at your own risk, but please let me know if something doesn't work.

*** UPDATES ***
2023-04-19 0.7.28
+ Checking if the right ini file is set for MacOC 64 or arm64
+ Added shameless self promotion in titlebar of the window
+ The window will now stay open when trying to insert while no track/item is selected and display a tooltip to indicate this
2020-08-17 0.7.27
+ Added support for copy/pasting. CTRL + C will copy the whole textfield. CTRL + V will paste at the carret.
2020-06-11 0.7.26
+ added more comments to default settings file to make it easier to customize things
2020-03-15 0.7.25
+ Fix window focus when opening in dock
2020-03-15 0.7.24
+ Fix negative screen coordinates error message
+ Updated error message when JSFX ini file does not exist. Updating Reaper deletes this file and you need to run the default FX browser once.
+ Added colors for different type's of FX
+ Added option to float fx windows after adding FXCHAIN
2020-01-20 0.7.19
+ Fixed textbox bug
+ Improve textbox: use ctrl+backspace for deleting the last word, ctrl+shift+backspace to clear the field. Home and end work too!
2020-01-19 version 0.7.18
+ Allow blacklist search to also look in plugin filename (add dll to skip VST version or VSTi to skip instruments for example)
+ Only pull actual template and fxchain files from directories
+ Don't filter when you start typing a '@' tag. If you want to filter for a word starting with '@', escape it like: \@
+ Added support for JSFX and @js tag!
+ Cleaned up default settings ini, left some test comments in there ;p
+ Add (experimental) support for loading actions. Turn on in settings. Can use @a tag. Right now only main window actions. Actions are not ordered by usage.
2020-01-12 version 0.7.17
+ Allow resizing of GUI and change number of results
+ Store window position
+ Scroll down list with tab and arrow keys
+ Add setting to open FX in chain
+ Fix searching in hidden filename parts
+ Add support for searching with tags: @fx, @chain, @temp, @i, @vst3, @vst
+ Improve format of ini file. Backwards compatible but recommended to update (see REQ/ settings default)
+ add gui_size option to scale elements of the gui



Enjoy!

[_Stevie_]

Amazing work! Thanks for contributing!

[Vagelis]

I like the searchbox, very straightforward/fast way to add fx.

I'm not in the studio now and will try it later, does it work for take fx as well?

Thanks!

[n0ne]

Originally Posted by Vagelis

I like the searchbox, very straightforward/fast way to add fx.

I'm not in the studio now and will try it later, does it work for take fx as well?

Thanks!

It doesn't yet but it's a cool idea! Would that be something you use?

[X-Raym]

Excellent, very quick !


I don't like the fact that default FX browser is linked to a certain track so this can be a workarround to this.



Few requests:


- can it works on all selected things ? Tracks + Takes ?
- a smll scollbar on the right cause sometimes no results are displayed cause the results were scrollbed to the bottom in a previous search
- reset scrolling at every search (see issue above)

- can you add CTRL/CMD+A to select all the text in the text field ?
- a small cosmetic thing I like in search fields is when the matching part of a string are BOLD, like in my reascript API doc.
- more complex, but boolean keywords like NOT + word (which is used in the FX windows) could be nice :P



Thx again for sharing !

[sonicowl]

Great tool. Thnx.
Now it pops up in top left corner of screen. How can I change script so that it pops up in the middle of screen?

[n0ne]

Originally Posted by sonicowl

Great tool. Thnx.
Now it pops up in top left corner of screen. How can I change script so that it pops up in the middle of screen?

You can change the x and y of the window in the fx-finder-settings.ini file in the script folder!

[Vagelis]

Originally Posted by n0ne

It doesn't yet but it's a cool idea! Would that be something you use?

Yes, i 'm using a lot take fx and i believe it would be a nice addition to the workflow if we could add them with the searchbox

[SubbaseDnB]

Nice one,gonna have to try this

[Vagelis]

Originally Posted by n0ne

You can change the x and y of the window in the fx-finder-settings.ini file in the script folder!

Wouldn't be also nice if there was an option to open the window where the mouse cursor is?

[n0ne]

Thanks for all the feedback! New version is up!

- Can now also add VST's to items, hold CONTROL to do
- Fixed the scroll issue, thanks X-Raym!
- Added highlighting of search term.

@X-Raym:
There's no selecting in the textbox (yet?) but you can use control+backspace to clear it.

@Vagelis:
Open to this idea, but it can be done already with a custom action:
SWS/BR: Move active floating window to mouse cursor (horizontal: middle, vertical: middle)

Sadly because the Reaper API doesn't let me add a fxchains to a media item this can't be done for now (just VST's). For the tracks I'm messing with the Track State Chunk but for the media items that's more complicated and I wouldn't want to screw up anyone's project.

[X-Raym]

Thanks for this first update and fixes !

Sadly because the Reaper API doesn't let me add a fxchains to a media item this can't be done for now (just VST's).

Actually, there is functions in mespotine API which can help you with that.



https://mespotin.uber.space/Ultrasch...etFXStateChunk

[BirdBird]

Wow! This is amazing, the search is also significantly faster than the default FX browser, brilliant work.

[sai'ke]

Awesome!

[n0ne]

Glad its working for you guys!

@X-Raym thanks for that. I'll implemented adding FxChains to items next update!

[Ozman]

This is off to a great start!

A Request: Can you somehow have it to remember last location, maybe in its ini file?

[Fabian]

Great tool!

It would be great if it could remember its position, and if it's docked or not.

Thanks

EDIT: I just made some changes to the code for it to remember its position and dock state. If anyone is interested I can post it here, or someplace.

[Ozman]

Yes, please post,..
n0ne can probably use it to update what's in his repository, if he hasn't already added it in an coming update.

[schapps]

+1, I would also love to have the update that remembers position and docked state.

[Skorobagatko]

Originally Posted by Fabian

Great tool!

It would be great if it could remember its position, and if it's docked or not.

Thanks

EDIT: I just made some changes to the code for it to remember its position and dock state. If anyone is interested I can post it here, or someplace.

Yes, please!

[HoJo]

This seems to be lightning fast!
Thanks for sharing

BR,
HoJo

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by Ozman

Yes, please post,..
n0ne can probably use it to update what's in his repository, if he hasn't already added it in an coming update.

OK, I hope n0ne don't mind, else let me know

And I hope this link works https://chalmersuniversity.box.com/s...7xvepzd797aua6

Put this where the original n0ne_Fast FX Finder.lua file is, Here (windows) it is in <REAPER resource path>\Scripts\n0ne scripts\Various\FX Finder

[Skorobagatko]

Originally Posted by Fabian

OK, I hope n0ne don't mind, else let me know

And I hope this link works https://chalmersuniversity.box.com/s...7xvepzd797aua6

Put this where the original n0ne_Fast FX Finder.lua file is, Here (windows) it is in <REAPER resource path>\Scripts\n0ne scripts\Various\FX Finder

It works, thanks a lot!

[n0ne]

Cool guys! I'll fix the position thing over the weekend!

Cheers

[EpicSounds]

cool script

seems like some more default filtering can be done to keep out things like .ds_store

[n0ne]

thanks @Fabian for the help, I'll borrow some of your code if you don't mind . I'm not sure if I should store it in exstate or my own ini. Thoughts?

[n0ne]

Originally Posted by EpicSounds

cool script

seems like some more default filtering can be done to keep out things like .ds_store

That looks horrible. Looks like MAC hidden folders on Windows system? I'm happy to hardcode it in the script but it might make more sense for you to add it to your own blacklist in the settings file.

[Lokasenna]

Or just have it ignore all files starting with "."?

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by n0ne

thanks @Fabian for the help, I'll borrow some of your code if you don't mind . I'm not sure if I should store it in exstate or my own ini. Thoughts?

Sure, you're welcome.

Yeah, about where to store the coords and the dockstate, I didn't really give it any thought, I just re-used what code I already had. For me it was easiest to use Reaper API to store and re-load to/from exstate, but I have no ideas about what's best. Do what's easiest for you. As long as it works... it works

[Jae.Thomas]

this is cool -

what about

- wildcards/boolean
- options with views
- seperate finders for templates/fxchains
- priority order (fxchains first? effcts first? vsti first?)

very nice! would also be cool to have a big version with screenshots of hte fx, but I dont even know what that would entail.

but as it is, a great addition and script, and your work is very much appreciated.

[X-Raym]

Originally Posted by n0ne

I'm not sure if I should store it in exstate or my own ini. Thoughts?

Extstate are perfects place for saving this kind of stuffs which doesnt need to be share accross several computers.

[Joe90]

Hi n0ne.

This seems very cool. Thank you!

Can I ask - I really like the fact that it show recently/often used selections, but it's placing those suggestions ABOVE the results that actually contain the search term, even if they don't contain the search term. Is this expected behaviour? I would expect it to place the results containing the search term at the top of the list, with the most used of those at the top of the list, and the rest in alphabetical order, and any other often used selection that DON't match the search term would appear in the list below the results that do?

Here is an example, if I type in 'plate' in order to open valhalla plate, here is what I get in Fast FX Finder, vs the FX browser. It shows my recently used track templates at the top of the list, above and mixed in with the search results that contain the actual search term -



Perhaps it's user error on my part. I've turned off the setting to favour VST3 versions, as well as added a blacklist to filter out plugins with a '#' just like Reaper does, but I don't see why that would make a difference.

Thanks!

[n0ne]

@joe90
It's kind of a bug that turned into a feature: the search also looks in the filename which contains RFxChain or RTrackTemPLATE. So you're getting your most used templates first.

The nice thing here is that this can help you search in categories, but in your example it is kind of annoying so it might have to go. Thanks for bringing it up.

@Jason
I've though about the option of having multiple setups from different actions. Maybe with a specifiable added search term. However with some handy search terms and after using it a while, your most used items should be very easy and fast to get to. For the past year I haven't felt the need to have more windows. But open to the idea!

[Joe90]

No worries. I love the fact that you can search FX, FX chains, track templates all together, so I'm hoping it won't lose that functionality. I just think it should prioritise the list so that you get all results containing the search term first, ideally with most used at the top.

In fact - I would argue that the search results should ONLY show results containing the search terms, and the only time you should see other recently/often used FX/Chains/templates should be when you open the script GUI, before you type. Others might disagree there though, perhaps there's some use for that that I'm missing. We can just add a / in to our search if we want to search on track templates only (for example), right?

Thanks again. Great script. Excited to see how it develops.

[tonybeepbeep]

Installed and playing with it right now

Thanks to all who have posted useful hints and tips

[Nantho]

Really cool script, thank you very much !

Right now, the script open the added FX in a floating window. Is it possible to add an option for opening the track FX window instead ?

[n0ne]

Originally Posted by Nantho

Really cool script, thank you very much !

Right now, the script open the added FX in a floating window. Is it possible to add an option for opening the track FX window instead ?

yeah for sure!

[dahya]

Nice script and very useful, many thanks for sharing !!

[Gianfini]

super nice

Could it be possible to ad an option to limit search to VST3 if VST3 version (with same name) exists? so that I don't get duplicates...

thanks
g

[pepe44]

Great work.
I read all responses and i see that there are some nice feature requests. Haven´t tried the script myself , will do later.