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Window Tiling

Hi there,

I use a lot drumkv1, samplv1 and sometimes synthv1 and I've noticed that it's not possible to use windows tiling (Super + Arrpw keys for me) anymore with those.
I'm pretty sure I was able to a few months ago. My packages are from kxstudio-repos (0.7.5). I tried to compile synthv1 0.7.6 from source and it's now possible to tile it up and down but not left and right. As this function its pretty important in my workflow, I was wondering if there is a workaround for this and if it'll be reimplemented in the next versions. It's probably related to the fact that the window cannot be resized under a certain width/height.

Thanks a lot for your contributions,

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rncbc's picture

you mean the windows cannot shrink below a certain level? yes that's a fact. but thay can always grow on either direction, width or height, i'm sure.

one other fact is that minimum-size constraint is there for quite some time, if not for ever since birth. the only thing that have changed in that respect is about that minimum-size which has increased to accommodate some new control-widgets knobs, that have been added over time and on each successive release. yes, the last time that happened was on v0.7.2. so, if that doesn't do as one probable explanation, i suspect it must be something with your WM (window manager) configuration or even specific rules that affect those windows in particular.

cheers

Thanks a lot, I actually played a bit with my resolution settings to understand, and it turns out I can tile those windows except if their width is inferior widthscreen/2 or their heigth is inferior heightscreen/2. So I guess there is no workaround, and yes it probably appeared on v0.7.2 with the new widgets.
Just out of curiosity what would happen if you reduce the minimum size constraint ? Will some widgets wont be accessible or will they autosize themself to the new window size?

cheers

rncbc's picture

what would happen if you reduce the minimum size constraint ?

i've been trying on and on and to no use... well, not to my own self use, should i say :(
the main constraint is about those dang knobs that shall be kept to some minimal and visible sizes: they must all stay on some reasonable size (at least) on all times...

byee

yPhil's picture

Hey on that topic, I noticed that those (dang) knobs DO shrink in i3! Here is a shot of what it looks like in i3 juust before the widgets begin to eat each other. There is no limit of size, and BTW this is how well groomed apps are supposed to behave in i3, so you can resize the container in any way you want

Still on that topic (Qtractor, SynthV1 & friends) on to my question :) the one(s) I came to ask : What's the deal with presets? Exactly:
- I got a directory full of presets for, say, synthV1, of which I use the LV2 plugin flavor, version 0.7.5 ; What do I have to do to find all those presets in all my SynthV1 plugin instances?
- The aforementioned directory is in Qtractor's Options, in the "Plugins" tab. Is there something else I have to do? Apparently yes, because the preset menu is empty :(
- Also, do you know of other Plugins that would store/read their presets in this very directory?
- Can it have subdirs?

Cheeers!

PS - BTW SynthV1 is fantastic, but we all know that :)

rncbc's picture

- I got a directory full of presets for, say, synthV1, of which I use the LV2 plugin flavor, version 0.7.5 ; What do I have to do to find all those presets in all my SynthV1 plugin instances?

there are two kinds of preset representations you must be aware of:

  1. native preset files (*.synthv1) that are stored anywhere on your file-system and managed only and directly from the own common GUI window's top-left and applies to both JACK and LV2 formats;
  2. LV2 presets, stored in the so called LV2 Preset user directory (~/.lv2 is the default) in the LV2 State specific format, managed by the LV2 host in charge; on qtractor those are accessible from the generic plugin properties dialog top-left with similar controls as in a. it also means that all LV2 presets are interchangeable and accessible from any LV2 host (qtractor, ardour, jalv, etc.) independently from which one it was first saved/created.

on both cases, a. and b., you handle each user created preset item on a one-by-one basis; there's no provisions to configure more than one preset in a batch or container process;

- The aforementioned directory is in Qtractor's Options, in the "Plugins" tab. Is there something else I have to do? Apparently yes, because the preset menu is empty :(

see above.

- Also, do you know of other Plugins that would store/read their presets in this very directory?

all LV2 plugins, on all LV2 hosts may store and read their LV2 presets from that very directory, provided the LV2 host is aware of it; note that in general the default, if left blank in qtractor options for instance, is ~/.lv2. take care that, if you choose something else, that directory won't be handled by any other hosts than qtractor.

- Can it have subdirs?
nope. you're a human being and NOT supposed to touch any of contents of the LV2 preset directories, unless you know what you're doing--leave that for the LV2 host application to handle: you shouldn't care and you don't wanna do it the hard way. :)

hth.
cheers

yPhil's picture

nope. you're a human being and NOT supposed to touch any of contents of the LV2 preset directories, unless you know what you're doing--leave that for the LV2 host application to handle: you shouldn't care and you don't wanna do it the hard way. :)

You're right, and besides, AFAIK they're all sensibly named, with the plugin/app name as extension, so I have absolutely no PB shoving 'em all in a single big dir :) I was only asking ; I dislike complex directory structures anyway.

on both cases, a. and b., you handle each user created preset item on a one-by-one basis; there's no provisions to configure more than one preset in a batch or container process;

I'm afraid to understand ; You mean that, given 150 (wow, 183, actually) synthv1 presets in my dir, in order to read them, let alone write, I'm going to have to fetch them all from synthv1 one by one? That can't be..! And, from my experience, when you do that, I did it some time ago for Jeremy's Autostatic patches (now on MA too, BTW : https://musical-artifacts.com/artifacts/147) there was only a dozen of them so it was OK, the list is persistent. So that means that, at some point, Qtractor writes it somewhere. So I must be able to populate this list myself somehow, programatically? Could it be... In a .qtt template, for instance? Because if I understand correctly (but I'm not sure I do) the thought of loading 183 presets, clicking with my mouse, makes me want to let everything go ;)

rncbc's picture

at some point, Qtractor writes it somewhere. So I must be able to populate this list myself somehow, programatically?
on the a. case, talking about native .synthv1 preset files, that's not and never were a qtractor job whatsoever--it is synthv1 actually who does it on its own way. you should know that, once you load a preset file from the main synthv1 GUI it stays there mapped on drop-down list from that moment on. again, it doesn't matter if you're on the LV2 plugin version or the JACK stand-alone client, they both refer to the same configuration file that is ~/.config/rncbc.org/synthv1.conf.

of course, if you dare and are brave enough, you can try editing the preset map section that is stored in the .conf file. at your own risk and benefit. ;)

cheers

yPhil's picture

version-controlled the file

i'd advise you not to do that; look, that file is internal to synthv1 workings and *is* changed on *every* plugin or stand-alone run.

that said, you have no control over it, unless you take backup snapshots, when everybody and everything else is sleeping or idle. ;)

byee

yPhil's picture

Hey, I didn't post the previous MSG! My, this looks like a nasty Drupal BD bug..! :/

Anyway. At *every* run, really? But I quit & restared Qtractor, reloaded a session, opened synthv1 and there were my presets! But hey, when the creator of a software tells me not to do something, I tend to take it seriously. Rui, what is wrong with scanning the preset dir, maybe with a little sanity check on the preset file, like what is done on plugins themselves at startup/reload? Is there any justification for preventing (and/or making it so hard to workaround) the user experience (I open the plugins, the presets are here, hence the "pre" prefix) other plugins (ZASFX, Tal NoiseMaker, Calf instruments, etc.) provide? There probably is, and I'd really like to hear it :p

And BTW, I'd find it logical that when used as a plugin, SynthV1 would then use the host's LV2_preset dir, and not its own, what do you say?

rncbc's picture

yes, as said, the synthv1.conf file is read and possibly rewritten on every run of the plugin (synthv1.lv2) or stand-alone client (synthv1_jack) instances. though, some sections or portions of the .conf file, are actually rewritten only when you, the user, make some configuration change, like, loading a .synthv1 preset file and it stays named, mapped and remembered thereafter. however, that's as an assumption you should not take into account here. and this mechanism is NOT under qtractor control either--remember this relates to native .synthv1 preset files, type a.

now to the b. part: that's where qtractor has responsabilities, about LV2 preset management. as also said earlier, LV2 plugins do NOT have control over their LV2 presets--they relate to them, but do not own them--LV2 plugin presets are strictly a host's business, not a plugin's one.

i hope i've made myself clear, now.
byee

so, if you want

yPhil's picture

i hope i've made myself clear, now.
Yep, thanks :)

You see, plugin presets are a big deal - I'm really not talking about me, but for all my fellow users here - the usual workflow is to play the song or loop and to browse presets on the fly. Ideally, with only a key. Not all plugins allow that, Most notably ZASFX, with its huge click-o-rama floating panels, or even worse, TAL Noise Maker, with its humongous right-click preset menu (apparently, they all handle their presets in different ways (TALs are all in a turtle file, ZASFXs are separate files/collections) I didn't know that the LV2 norm allowed that, back to the point) The Vees are really user-friendly in this respect, with their in-GUI Preset Combobox menu: You click in it, and press down/up along the list. The only thing missing in the Vees is the persistence of said list (because how sad is an empty list?) and well, my system is a hackish (but it works) attempt at solving this. After a Qtractor session, it's already an habit to commit & push HEAD in my "main dotfiles" repo dir, where my Qtractor.conf and Template.qtt are already versioned. Don't fear the user (baby take my hand 🎜) :)

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