Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] Virtual Sliders Considered Harmful
From: Paul Barton-Davis (pbd_AT_Op.Net)
Date: Thu May 25 2000 - 23:26:04 EEST
>I can control four sliders independently, or two knobs; the knobs give
>repeatable absolute position. On-screen I can control one slider or
>zero knobs: knobs are uncontrollable on screen. (I can't keep the
>mouse pointer on a circular track around the knob center and listen to
>the sound at the same time.) On a virtual devices the value I need
You need to experience the Steinberg model for knobs (I use it in all
my apps now). To adjust the knob, you move the mouse up and
down. Moving the mouse horizontally changes the scale of the motion
induced by a vertical motion over a given pixel distance. I added some
extra controls: using modifier keys also changes the scaling, by
successive multiplication of the factors associated with each key.
>will lie in between two pixels; the real ones can be nudged with great
>precision.
As can knobs that use this model. In fact, they can be adjusted with
*much* better precision than a physical knob by setting the single
step value to a very small number. If you want to do big changes, just
move the pointer away from the knob and/or use the modifier keys. Its
bizarrely great!
>You know what I want that digital can give me? Boxes to type numbers
>into. Boxes give me range, and they give me precise relations between
>quantities. Sliders and knobs are a unary encoding; who needs that pain?
the sliders/knobs created with libgtkmmext can optionally display
their exact value in a window below them, which is also a text entry
field. most quasimodo knobs look like this, except for a few where it
was too cluttering to do so.
> * Detach view from control. The slider may be short and vertical,
> but I can control it with a long horizontal motion.
my sliders work just like knobs. "up, down ..." repeat after me.
> * Let me pick two sliders and control them X-Y with the mouse.
thats a neat idea.
you missed:
* Couple the sliders/knobs to an external control unit (e.g. a MIDI device)
and let me control from a real physical control surface.
to which I would have said:
Been there, done that :) All motion-driven control elements in
quasimodo, softwerk and other apps of mine can be dynamically bound to
any MIDI controller, or NoteOn, or pitchbend. stick a PC1600X on your
desk, and use 16 faders to control the knobs. ahh, much better.
--p
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