New Tool (2.8): Automatron

[afta8]

@Djeroek

yeah, it’s cool, but there’s something that doesn’t feel right to me, and that is the tool settings taking over the edit-step cursor behavior. I’d like my cursor navigating in the pattern editor always be 1, be separate from a shape’s size, so I can quickly go to a note.

Yes I agree this is a bit annoying, fixing this would certainly speed up the workflow.

In terms of other constructive criticism, I loved the simplicity and elegance of v4 and it’s interface. Whilst v5 is cool it does seem its starting to get a bit cluttered with all the pattern effect controls on there too, maybe some tabs to separate the pattern effects and automation would keep it looking more elegant.

Cheers

[Jonas (Djeroek)]

@fathand

Yes I agree this is a bit annoying, fixing this would certainly speed up the workflow.

I can see some instances where the behavior is wanted/helpful, so making it optional would be ideal imo.

[kazakore]

@Djeroek

yeah, it’s cool, but there’s something that doesn’t feel right to me, and that is the tool settings taking over the edit-step cursor behavior. I’d like my cursor navigating in the pattern editor always be 1, be separate from a shape’s size, so I can quickly go to a note.

It should be possible to have it only pick up Edit Step when the window is first opened and then a local variable used if you convince Harold it would be neater or write a patch.

• another request: have the pattern effects work on a mouse selection made in the automation editor, so you can select a portion and apply fade’s to only that selected section!

I don’t think selection within automation editor is currently available to the API unfortunately.

[esp81]

I’ve been getting the same error as Djeroek every time when using the fade in/fade out on v5.

[harold]

I hear you guys. I’ll try to push out another version this weekend. (Last two weeks of school here, lots of work to do)

1. I think I have a fix for the fade-in fade-out Lua error. Though, I still haven’t seen it myself. Can anyone describe a way to reproduce it from scratch?

2. I will do a rev on the thinking around how long each inserted shape will be. I understand that tying it to edit-step so directly is a little awkward.

-Harold

[esp81]

@harold

I hear you guys. I’ll try to push out another version this weekend. (Last two weeks of school here, lots of work to do)

1. I think I have a fix for the fade-in fade-out Lua error. Though, I still haven’t seen it myself. Can anyone describe a way to reproduce it from scratch?

2. I will do a rev on the thinking around how long each inserted shape will be. I understand that tying it to edit-step so directly is a little awkward.

-Harold

Could the error have anything to do with the fact I was automating a vst effect paramater? I don’t seem to be getting any errors when using it on native renoise stuff.

[harold]

@esp81

Could the error have anything to do with the fact I was automating a vst effect paramater? I don’t seem to be getting any errors when using it on native renoise stuff.

Unsure. Were you using the VST Automation device? Or something else?

-Harold

[esp81]

@harold

Unsure. Were you using the VST Automation device? Or something else?

-Harold

yes, using it to control the cutoff frequency of a filter plugin.

[harold]

Just released v6:

Tool page:
http://www.renoise.com/tools/automatron

In this version:

• Hopefully fixed fade-in/out bug, let me know if you still hit it.
• Step length decoupled from edit step.

Next version:

• I have a few more ideas for shapes.
• Let me know anything you’d like to see

Source code, as always, available at:

harold/automatron

I love you,
-Harold

[Jonas (Djeroek)]

Thanks for the update! Fade’s seem to work properly now (haven’t had a notice yet).

The step length thing is still not ideal imo, but this might just be my workflow? I rather have ‘Step length’ in your tool become ‘Shape size’ and have changing the value in the number box in your tool not automatically influence the step length, amount of space travel when moving the cursor!

This way, you can for example set the shape size to 8, use the default current step size or define your own step size using the Renoise shortcuts (ctrl+1 in my case) and be able to quickly travel to a point/ note-event in the pattern. Right now if you want to trigger a similar length shape at note-events placed within the range of the ‘Step length’ this is cumbersome, because you’ll need to adjust the step length. Sorry for the verboseness, does it make sense?

I’d like to be able to generate shapes, while stepping through the automation/pattern line by line.

[harold]

@Djeroek

…, does it make sense?

I’d like to be able to generate shapes, while stepping through the automation/pattern line by line.

Thanks for continuing to try new versions of the tool. I’m glad others are enjoying it as much as I am.

I think what you’re saying does make sense. However, I like the arrow keys in the tool moving by a full step length. I find this convenient if I accidentally enter the wrong shape with the keyboard, I can easily left-arrow, and write over the erroneous shape with a different one.

You can step line-by-line by holding ctrl when you use the arrow keys.

Is this sufficient for your use case?

-Harold

[Jonas (Djeroek)]

@harold

Is this sufficient for your use case?

Awesome! I somehow missed that, yeah this is what I need! Need to read up on all the shortcuts you’ve implemented when having the tool window open! Cheers.

[harold]

@Djeroek

Awesome! …, yeah this is what I need!

We are both happy then. Take care, and let me know of any additional thoughts you have regarding the tool.

-Harold

[Jonas (Djeroek)]

@harold

let me know of any additional thoughts you have regarding the tool.

Only things I’ve mentioned before, like other kinds of fading for the pattern effects etc…

@harold

…please consider non-linear fading too (exponential, logarithmic etc)! Maybe have the shape icons serving a toggle-able double purpose in your tool? One for the current automation shape generation part and one for transforming existing automation like the ‘pattern effects’, for example have gradual step-wise in/out fading for a patterns worth of automation using the staircase icons.

Also it would be nice if the ‘pattern effects’ would work on a scope larger then 1 pattern…

…

And throwing more ideas out there, how about some sorting algorithms ( Sorting algorithm - Wikipedia )to place, shuffle existing automation in another order?

If you could split a patterns worth of automation in blocks (define the block size in your tool), then use the sorting algorithms to shuffle these blocks of data you can easily create variations.

[esaruoho]

harold, thanks so much.

[Jonas (Djeroek)]

Yo Harold, could you add an option to apply the ‘pattern effects’ like fade in / fade out to multiple patterns worth of automation? Cheers

[harold]

@Djeroek

Yo Harold, could you add an option to apply the ‘pattern effects’ like fade in / fade out to multiple patterns worth of automation? Cheers

Hi. Probably. What would you imagine the user interface for this being?

-Harold

[Jonas (Djeroek)]

something to define a scope, a range…, like a box to set the number of the starting pattern and another box to set the ending pattern. For example, set a range from starting pattern 2 to end 5, then hit the pattern effect and magic happens

…

To throw in another feature request: have extra fade curves for the pattern effects, like exponential / logarithmic fade in / fade out slopes.

[harold]

I’ll have to think about this.

More shapes would be cool, agreed.

-Harold

[Jonas (Djeroek)]

@harold

I’ll have to think about this.

Maybe you can check out Laffik’s progressor tool ( Progressor | Renoise ) for inspiration? It also uses a range option in the gui to define the scope of patterns the tool works on.