Unclutter and improve track effect chain

I love simple things and improved workflow so here’s a simple suggestion for the track effect chain.

It will look like this as default without the effect list shown.
fx idea v1_0000_default

When you move the mouse over a spot where you can insert a FX a plus sign appear.
fx idea v1_0001_mouse plus

Click on the plus sign and the VST FX list box appear.
fx idea v1_0002_FX inserted

Search for your FX, the most probable/suggested will be highlighted while you type and you can just press enter to insert it.
fx idea v1_0003_FX autocomplete

Et voilà. You have your effect inserted just where you want it so you don’t have to drag it in place and we have removed a piece of clutter at the same time.
fx idea v1_0004_end result

Maybe this is already possible with keyboard shortcuts but I’m not great at remembering the millions shortcuts the would make life easy unfortunately.

8 Likes

What about the favorites context menu? I think it works quite similar to your idea?

I also miss drag n drop onto the mixer view, from anywhere to anywhere.

Yeah I know about the context menu and I did try to use it when I first found it long time ago, I never got used to it, I think it’s a combination of a few things, first of all I don’t want more than 8 favorite effects as that mess with the list shown and that you can quickly double click on without having to scroll, and I don’t always know exactly which effect I want to insert so getting only your favorites isn’t enough and I also hate maneuvering menus in a context menu and having to use two ways of inserting an effect is like weird so I’d rather use the whole list. My idea is about improving the whole workflow and making it simple, but it’s a good point and I’m sure many use the context menu just fine.

I have never used the mixer view but I just tried to drag’n’drop things around in there, seems to work fine. Has a feature been removed?

1 Like

Being able to colour code fx individually too would be great. My chains get quite long and after like 10 or 20 things it’s hard to know whats what when they’re all the same colour.

Although I do use doofers a lot to fix this issue I’d still like the option. Maybe even being able to colour code the doofers as well.

2 Likes

:+1:‍‍

One color per “Top level” groups in FX browser…visible in FX chain

IE: Dynamics are red,reverbs are blue…

Very nice UI polish suggestion imo. It reduces both mouse distance movement and amount of clicks, while still being elegant and intuitive. Win.

2 Likes

None of this is necessary! Just ask @taktik to change the insert at the end of the string, to the insert right after the selected device.

For example, if the chain has 10 links, if you select link 3 (position 3), have that Renoise insert the device in position 4.

This is how I build my related LUA tools. Each device in the chain receives an index. In fact, this way of working should be integrated. At the programming level, it is not necessary to modify anything in the GUI, just “play with the device indexes”.

This way of working should be integrated into any type of chain, be it the tracks, the instruments or the modulation.

You will only have to previously select the previous device.

3 Likes

That’s a good idea.

I use it in my tools and it works very well like that, it is the most direct. For @taktik it wouldn’t be a huge effort to change it this way.

Anything that involves changing the Renoise GUI is “tricky” or more complicated.

Right, your idea is definitely something he should implement if the other is too much work.

I agree with Garf’s suggestion, the more I think about it. Don’t like the fx list constantly on the left bottom. This would improve it and also give back a bit of space.

The dynamically inserted list could be then a bit wider, too.

It also could remember last selection, and give shortcuts for everything, popup, close, reset search etc.

Only problem now ithe horizontal scrollbar. The list is larger, since the scrollbar does not reach until there. So the list would be smaller in height. Or it could simply partly overlap the scrollbar, or being already expanded! Like so:

grafik

+1 then for a API trigger “openedPluginListAtTrackPosition(track, pos)”, with option to disable the native popup then.

1 Like

In this I do not agree.

Having the window fixed in the lower left corner allows you to access your favorites list directly with the mouse, which is what it is for. The view of user will always go to this corner if you want to add these types of elements (which is more convenient). In addition, the user can hide the window frame so that it does not take up space.
The simplest and most feasible thing that does not involve modifying anything important about Renoise is to simply insert the device into the selected device +1. If there is no device selected, it is inserted at the end of the chain.
Easy, fast and uncomplicated to move floating windows that could appear in different positions on the horizontal, because the view of the chain must constantly adapt to the width of the Renoise window (if it were an always fixed width DSP panel, it would be fine). Also, changing this here, would imply changing it in other areas of Renoise (in the fx chain of the instrument, in the modulation …).

In addition, a window that opens, must subsequently be closed. Are you going to have to open the window every time you want to insert a device in X place?

In other cases it might be a good idea. But in this case, I don’t see at all necessary for the floating window to appear right next to it between the two link spacing.

Also, floating windows have performance issues in certain cases with Renoise (an issue that has not been fixed yet). The fewer windows or moving menus the better.

2 Likes

You can also drag and drop the devices from your VST effect list directly to the desired position in your effect chain. You don’t need to insert your effect device by double clicking, so you can also save the effort swapping the devices by clicking on the arrows. :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like

Why did you not tell me years ago?? that is something I’ll certainly try