[Clam-devel] Re: [pksampler-devel] CLAM and PK widgets

Wed Apr 18 14:11:50 PDT 2007

On 4/18/07, David García Garzón <dgarcia at iua.upf.edu> wrote:
> On Dimecres 18 Abril 2007, Patrick Stinson wrote:
> > Sounds cool. I had a look at the links about creating good transparent
> > povray widgets. It would take a little getting used to, but the
> > workflow could be automated and integrated into the python-based
> > solution that I already started with the pk.povray package, and
> > respective rendering tools in repos/resources. We are using
> > alpha-blended widgets with Play, and they are great to work with.
>
> Great news. So you finished the release, didn't you? ;-)

We've got another month of PLANNED work. who knows when we get to
chill out a little.

>
> I am just casting transparent shadows on QSynth knobs. It was easier to do
> than with povray. Of course the effect is not the same but it is cool. Check
> the last screenshots.
> http://iua-share.upf.edu/wikis/clam/images/5/58/Qsynth-knobs-shadows2.png
> http://iua-share.upf.edu/wikis/clam/images/4/43/Qsynth-knobs-shadows1.png
>
> Not 3D but almost ;-)

Cool. Once you get some interface stability it would be nice to work
towards some continuity as well. Developing the semi-transparent
widget method would help a lot, so you could get rid of the old 136,
136, 136 that all my stuff uses. My Allen and Heath xone:3D mixer uses
black plastic with white indicators for all of it's controls - jog
wheels, faders, knobs, buttons, etc. Obviously this only makes sense
if you are building a toolkit or one app, but it appears that that is
what you are trying to do.

>
> > There are some things that need to be cleaned up with the widgets
> > along the lines of cleaner implementation. I have a few different
> > implementations for the knob that rely on modifier keys and make it a
> > little easier to get course and fine adjustments. The pixmap frames
> > for the pk.widgets.povwidgets should be all in one file instead of
> > separated out like they are in the implementation that you got from
> > me. This provides for resource and memory footprint.
>
> Modifier keys are really a good idea.
>
> > Also, the next thing I'd like to do is have a look at using python in
> > common audio plugin hosts. This will mostly involve project templates,
> > but that would kill two birds with one stone: using Qt with VST, and
> > AU, and using PyQt with them as well.
>
> Did i tell you we are also very much interested in mixing Qt and VST. Sure, i
> did. We want to extend the prototyper idea to VST plugins. We have the
> processing part solved but we lack a way of running the Qt interface. Drop us
> a line as soon as you start addressing such problem.
>

Actually, as far as I know all you have to do is create a
QApplication, then use QWidget *QWidget::create(WId) to create the
window. There is no event translation required. Be prepared for
inconsistent behavior between window systems, though. That's what I'm
working on at the moment.

> > fun stuff, and all in good time...
>
> Definitely. :-)
>
>
> > On 4/18/07, David García Garzón <dgarcia at iua.upf.edu> wrote:
> > > Any enhancement would be really very wellcome, Patrick.
> > >
> > > I am starting to adapt also widgets from Rui Nuno Capella and Pedro Lopez
> > > Cabanillas (QSynth/Qtractor/QJackCtl...), and Chris Cannam
> > > (SonicVisualizer,Rosegarden...). Let's make Linux interfaces cool ;-)
> > >
> > > David.
> > >
> > > On Dimecres 18 Abril 2007, Patrick Stinson wrote:
> > > > I just had a look at some of the screenshots. Good greif! I thouht I
> > > > recognized those widgets...I wish I had some time to play with it and
> > > > make it better...
> > > >
> > > > On 4/12/07, Patrick Stinson <patrickkidd at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > On 4/12/07, David García Garzón <dgarcia at iua.upf.edu> wrote:
> > > > > > On Dijous 12 Abril 2007, Patrick Stinson wrote:
> > > > > > > > I did some experiments by changing parameters such as colors
> > > > > > > > and size of buttons, and works pretty well. :-) I need to know
> > > > > > > > how to crop them but i am on the track.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Right. I wrote a tool to do that a while ago, but it isn't in my
> > > > > > > repository anymore because I took a different direction with the
> > > > > > > widgets I have now. I could write it again in a day or less if I
> > > > > > > wasn't so busy... We release early june (hopefully) and this
> > > > > > > stuff would be fun to get back into then (no promises!)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Nice to know. If i need it before i think i could do it myself.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > What i miss is some way of making the background transparent.
> > > > > > > > Adding pkwidgets to an interface forces you to use the widget
> > > > > > > > background for all the interface to avoid awkward aspect. By
> > > > > > > > having an alpha background we could remove this limitation. I
> > > > > > > > spotted several interesting links:
> > > > > > > > http://www.imagico.de/pov/icons.html
> > > > > > > > http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/shadowtut/index.htm
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > This was one of two major problems I never tackled.. I thought
> > > > > > > about using some sort of mask, but I'm not sure. The purest way
> > > > > > > would be to get povray to do it, but I haven't looked into it. If
> > > > > > > it isn't immediately possible using the povray docs, then a post
> > > > > > > to the povray mailing list and/or community forums would probably
> > > > > > > be worth it. If not, creating some sort of mask might be the way
> > > > > > > to go, but that would be difficult with the shadow.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Have you checked the links? Ok, you are in release ;-) i can just
> > > > > > describe them, they explain how to do icons with alpha by doing 2
> > > > > > or 3 povray runs with different parameters. By doing that we could
> > > > > > get some alpha shadowed backgrounds. I promise to get on that,
> > > > > > well, if you don't before ;-)
> > > > >
> > > > > you probably will before me
> > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Keep me informed how your work goes. I'm glad to hear my code
> > > > > > > > > helped.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > At the moment i'll use the existing widgets and pixmaps and
> > > > > > > > i'll extend both as i need more. Our packaging must not to be
> > > > > > > > changed for that. Eventually i would like to integrate things
> > > > > > > > further and porting other widgets. So let's talk then. I'll
> > > > > > > > keep you informed. Warn me also when your release is over and
> > > > > > > > lets chat a little.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I may not remember (we are REALLY busy), so drop me another line
> > > > > > > if I don't get back to you. This is what we are working on:
> > > > > > > www.soundsonline.com.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Are you doing anything commercially?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Not so, but we are currently seeking commercial projects involving
> > > > > > CLAM. Here comercial does not mean non-free but we also are able to
> > > > > > drop non relicenceable dependencies if non-free is a requirement.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Good luck with the release.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > David García Garzón
> > > > > > (Work) dgarcia at iua dot upf anotherdot es
> > > > > > (Home) vokimon at telefonica adot net
> > > > > > http://www.iua.upf.edu/~dgarcia
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Patrick Kidd Stinson
> > > > > http://www.patrickkidd.com/
> > > > > http://pkaudio.sourceforge.net/
> > > > > http://pksampler.sourceforge.net/
> > >
> > > --
> > > David García Garzón
> > > (Work) dgarcia at iua dot upf anotherdot es
> > > (Home) vokimon at telefonica adot net
> > > http://www.iua.upf.edu/~dgarcia
>
>
>
> --
> David García Garzón
> (Work) dgarcia at iua dot upf anotherdot es
> (Home) vokimon at telefonica adot net
> http://www.iua.upf.edu/~dgarcia
>
>

-- 
Patrick Kidd Stinson
http://www.patrickkidd.com/
http://pkaudio.sourceforge.net/
http://pksampler.sourceforge.net/