Author Topic: ACT-Editor  (Read 43212 times)

Offline MarKo

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ACT-Editor
« on: October 05, 2015, 11:03:19 PM »
Hi Alexey,

I dont want to hijack any of the other threads, so i thought it would be best to start a new one here. And i hope it´s ok to upload it here?
Ok, here is a first test of an editor for the genericpluginparams.xml.
It´s purpose is to make the process of manually editing the XML more comfortable, so i assume you know why and what is happening. In the end it just writes the required ACT-parameters in ascending order (by type) to this node in the XML-file.
Unzip and put SonActEdit.exe anywhere you like, then start it and (without selecting a plugin) you see the ACT-Numbers like S1-S8, B1-B16,...
Selecting a plugin from the combo shows it´s params andc the current assignment. Selecting a param highlights the current assignement, and clicking on other control does assign, right-click to clear. Some other editing commands (shift+click to "fill a row") are available.

Now, the funny part is when you have Az-Controller running!
Yes, you can edit while sonar is running (but need to restart Sonar for changes to take effect). If you open Az-Controller-dialog (you can minimize it, so it does not take space), then SonActEdit can follow current Plugin and Parameter of Sonar-UI ("follow Az-Ctrl"). That means you can directly assign any plugin-param to the surface-control (that´s how it should have been always, IMHO).
There are many more details, but i think you get the main idea..
Copys of the original files are saved with date+time, so there should be no risk. To work reliable, the sonaract.xml is replaced by a 0-byte-file, but also with backup.
If you think this could be useful, i would think of a more generic UI, to fit other surfaces too.

Edit: the latest version can be downloaded here: SonActEdit
« Last Edit: October 12, 2015, 11:29:45 PM by MarKo »

Offline azslow3

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2015, 12:01:57 AM »
Thanks for publishing! I am going to test it tomorrow (I am on the way to dreams now...), but when I activate "follow" it say "AZCtrl not found". Do I have to do something special?

Offline azslow3

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2015, 05:48:36 PM »
Update. I have tried it under Linux (Wine) with X2. This time it has found AZCtrl and synced with it!

* The workflow is intuitive. I see only one possible enhancement: clicking on the control can do the same as clicking on the parameter. Not important, but since they are drawn...
* If I remember correctly I have it on Windows as well (not really sure, I have to check at home): the control type is not shown correctly in the parameter list (unlike on your screen-short). Is that some special font?
* Save does not work under Wine, I guess that is wine problem (have to check at home). But as I understand you save the whole XML, there can be an option to save one plug-in only to be "Imported" throw Sonar preferences. I have already checked either automatic import is possible throw API (to "apply" on running Sonar), and unfortunately I have not found the way to do this.

Overall I can say that it is ready to be used as it is. Great job!

"Stealing" plug-in/parameter names from AZ Controller window is a hammer :) Searching manually by name can be nightmare for some plug-ins. I hope we can understand why it does not work for me at home (Win 10 x64, SPlat). Let me know what I can test in that respect.

EDIT:
As possible generalization, I only see one more row of top encoders for sliders 9-16. You have already 16 buttons and 24 rotors and I do not think someone is using more than 2 ACT banks of 2x 8 sliders/encoders/buttons.

While smoking (nothing illegal, normal tabak...), your "windows stealing" has triggered possible approach to solve my long standing problem: how to map ACT in terms of Strip/FX/Synth numbers. I remember Cakewalk has claimed they are "accessible" in X seria, so it should be possible to find what is in focus looking at that information. So now its my turn to spend time based on your idea  ;)
« Last Edit: October 06, 2015, 06:04:40 PM by azslow3 »

Offline azslow3

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2015, 07:25:12 PM »
From my Windows system:

On save: Runtime error '-21470248...', Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden'

AZCtrl: Not found on X3 and SPlat

No control type icons in the parameter list.

Offline MarKo

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2015, 12:20:01 AM »
Thanks for the feedback!

I´m glad that it worked at least on one of your systems, so you could see the "hammer"  :)
This is really the way ACT should always have been!

And i´ve seen coming that there could be problems with finding Az-window and path names - that has to be definable (currently defaults to %APPDATA%\Cakewalk\ACT Data) - there is just a config-dialog and settings-file missing (an error-handler is missing too :o). Also logging for not-found Az-Window is built in, but not written to file.

Appreciate also your other comments, but i had quite a hard day at work (exhibition), so i´ll reply more in detail tomorrow.

Offline Bassman

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2015, 08:50:47 AM »
HI:)

downloaded it and testing it tomorrow!!

thanks a lot;)
Bassman.

Offline MarKo

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2015, 10:16:50 PM »
Hi Alexey,

here is a slightly modified version with logging.
Please try on your systems and tell me if it finds Az-Controller.
Possible reasons why it´s not working:
- Sonar and SonActEdit run at different privilege levels ("as admin")
- the window structure in SPlat is different (i assume Az-Controller to be top-level, as it is in X3)
- the window-classname or title is different

i´m sure you have a tool like Spy++ or similar to check window properties and hierarchy.
If you could check this with Splat and show me the difference?

Quote
Is that some special font?
the font is Segoe UI, which is standard since Win7, but may not be installed on XP or wine.
It was the quickest solution with this symbols - otherwise i have to use a real multicolumn-listview with icons, and i wanted to avoid dependencies. Or could it be related to regional settings - is your windows russian?

Quote
workflow is intuitive. I see only one possible enhancement: clicking on the control can do the same as clicking on the parameter. Not important, but since they are drawn...
i know, i´d like that too - but they are not really drawn, it´s just a background-image, so i would need separate transparent controls or a click-map, and there was no time for that.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2015, 01:39:56 PM by MarKo »

Offline azslow3

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2015, 11:58:22 PM »
It is no longer crashing, and the errors (from your log file):

23:40:27 AZ main window not found
23:46:40 Error -2147024893 in frmMain2.cmdSave_Click; Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden.

So, no sync and no save. Interesting that the log file is just near the xml file it can not find... but stop, how it can show my plug-ins in case the file is not found?

I run sonar and your tool under the same user. I do not have Spy++ (I am not developing under windows, no tools there). Took WinSpy++ and it shows there is a window with title "AZ Controller - 1". Or you search by some class id?

I use Windows 10, German version and also German localization (at the moment). Sonar speaks English.

I see Segoe UI font in the Windows folder, still get just "squads" instead of symbols.

Offline Bassman

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2015, 02:29:40 PM »
Hi:)

"Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden"

Hat sich mit der 2. Version erübrigt, geht jetzt!

"AZ window not found" ist auch bei mir. German Win 10, German Sonar Platinum....

Teste jetzt mal ohne Platinum ein paar Plugs, muss erst kucken, ob ich noch welche hab, die Meisten hab ich schon eingestellt!

Merci,
Heinz.

Offline MarKo

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2015, 10:15:14 PM »
I have modified how the window is found, please try again.
But i have no clue about "Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden."
Obviously the path is correct because it can read the file, and also logging works in this path...
Perhaps Platinum locks the file (although i would expect a different error then).
Can you try to close Sonar - and save afterwards?

« Last Edit: October 12, 2015, 01:40:10 PM by MarKo »

Offline MarKo

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2015, 10:46:28 PM »
Quote
I remember Cakewalk has claimed they are "accessible" in X seria, so it should be possible to find what is in focus looking at that information. So now its my turn to spend time based on your idea  ;)

This could be helpful: https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR%20X3&language=1&help=Views.02.html AccessibilityMode at bottom of page. With value=3 you see the info that you get.

Offline azslow3

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2015, 01:26:20 AM »
I have modified how the window is found, please try again.
But i have no clue about "Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden."
Obviously the path is correct because it can read the file, and also logging works in this path...
Perhaps Platinum locks the file (although i would expect a different error then).
Can you try to close Sonar - and save afterwards?
Everything the same... AZ Ctrl not found, Pfad not found  :(
Tried without Sonar, with reinitialized XML file (only one plug-in). It is displayed, but it can not be saved.

Quote
I remember Cakewalk has claimed they are "accessible" in X seria, so it should be possible to find what is in focus looking at that information. So now its my turn to spend time based on your idea  ;)

This could be helpful: https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR%20X3&language=1&help=Views.02.html AccessibilityMode at bottom of page. With value=3 you see the info that you get.
Thanks for the link, I will have a look. But value=3 means some extra window and registry editing for potential "users"... I prefer to avoid that if possible.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2015, 01:27:53 AM by azslow3 »

Offline MarKo

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2015, 08:59:26 AM »
Quote
Everything the same... AZ Ctrl not found, Pfad not found  :(
this is not nice. But the latest version writes more logging, could you send it?
And could you make a screenshot with Winspy, showing your AZ-dialog?
perhaps i can see the problem there.

Offline MarKo

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2015, 02:09:49 PM »
Quote
But value=3 means some extra window and registry editing for potential "users"
3 is just to see the window - i use 2, which is invisible.
And the Reg-key could be set on installation (screenreaders do that also, and i´ve never seen a negative effect).

Offline azslow3

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Re: ACT-Editor
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2015, 07:52:40 PM »
I am sorry, did clean re-download and it looks like I have tested old version before...
The latest can find AZCtrl!

But still can not save:
19:47:14 ----- SonActEdit_main ----- 09.10.2015
19:47:14 LoadActXML: C:\Users\Alexey\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\ACT Data\genericpluginparams.xml
19:47:14 no parseErrors
19:47:14 show
19:47:14 ListEffects
19:47:19 AZ main hWnd: 20500
19:47:19 ACT-map: 1054A
19:47:19 ACT-param: 1054E
19:48:06 backup, copy
19:48:06 DOM save
19:48:06 Error -2147024893 in frmMain.cmdSave_Click; Das System kann den angegebenen Pfad nicht finden.

19:48:06 reload ActXML
19:48:06 LoadActXML: C:\Users\Alexey\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\ACT Data\genericpluginparams.xml
19:48:06 no parseErrors
19:48:06 ListEffects
19:48:06 ListEffects


Also still undefined characters as control types.