Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] ladspa GUI round 2
From: Robert Jonsson (robert.jonsson_AT_dataductus.se)
Date: Fri Mar 30 2001 - 23:04:42 EEST
>
>
>> No! Or rather, not necessarily. This depends entirely on the approach
>> of the plugin designer. If the plugin has a control port corresponding
>> to "room size" (e.g. Freeverb), then your claim above is false. If the
>> author, on the other hand, uses, lets say, 3 control ports whose
>> aggregate effect is to control "room size", but then has a GUI which
>> has a single control for "room size", then yes, you're right. But I
>> think that this kind of design would be considered poor. The controls
>> in the GUI should map more or less exactly to the actual control ports
>> of the plugin.
>
>
> That depends on your view as to where "UI-specific" code belongs. That is,
> the algorithm implemented by the plug-in may make use of a parameterisation
> that is "counter intuitive" to users - but efficient for run-time.
>
> You might want the GUI to translate between this and something that users
> can deal with.
>
> Iain.
I would think this is quite possible, there are nodubt GUIs that rely on
a LOT of parameters that would be very hard to realize if confronted
with the parameters itself (that is one of the reasons of having a GUI !)
In this case a possible solution would be to make two version of the
plugin, one with sensible controlports and one with a sensible GUI
attached...
Brings me to another point.
I think the correct way when instantiating the GUI would be to ASK it
(the GUI) whether it supports the given plugin (by sending it it's ID),
if it doesn't, ask the next GUI.
Would be nice if it was possible to make a multi-gui which can support a
whole bunch of plugins. Both a way to give a common interface to a lot
of plugins and to make it easy to write multiple GUIs to a plugin.
If you turn it around, the host should than be able to select a "best"
GUI if there are several possible GUIs available.
Not everybody wants the GUI with 2000 knobs, some want the 3 knobs and
one switch solution.
Bottom line, leave all doors open if the need arises in the future...
/Robert
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Sat Apr 07 2001 - 15:58:02 EEST