development of openMPT! sic!

[l8]

guys, i feel that this community - rocks!
good people.... if we compare forum "containing" with renoise forum for example,which is full off "new_school_dummies".
i like you. really... that is why i have some suggestions, to make
modplug the best old school tracker.

i like it best of all - because of:

- not resource hungry
- simple interfaced (but it needs to be polish)
- real feeling of tracker
- not bad sound quality
- i hope it will not die in near future
- and will not transmutate in *monster* with too much junk-fat
like Mad tracker


list of random needed stuff. the way to perfect and the best tracker
in the world.



sample loading
##########

first of all i dont like the idea of using standard
windows dialog for loading samples.besides, there is no
sample preview option in open dialog.
look to IT - it has convinient file browser, all things to do
is to add sample preview function to it.


Sample editor
#########

1.abililty to shrink sample size with or without interpolation
(good feature when you are working on size limit)

2.ability to load mp3/ogg compressed samples?

sample list
#######

ability to swap samples "places" like in IT, in song also


pattern oder list
##########

vertical pattern oder list (like in renoise). which
can be placed on left border of the screen, with impulse tracker
shortcuts (like "g" go to current pattern) and ctrl+/ctrl- for
navigating though pattern`s oder.

dont you want just to copy F11 screen from Impulse Tracker, and expand it  capability?


info page in IT style
#############

page which appeared when user press F5
with detailed information on notes, channels, spectrum analisers...
and so on..


Track View Functions
#############

Track View Functions (abillity to lock most important tracks, and see
them all the way tracking, on the left side of pattern editor for example )

very non-convinient left bar in ModPlug
#########################
(where sample and instrument trees located)

expanding and collapsing these trees with mouse is very "booring"
Impulse Tracker with it sample/instrument-library style - rocks!
we need more ergonomic solution...


loading external fonts
##############

think about this. i have bad sight. bigger fonts are requied.


Effect graphical automation (+VST)
######################

better effects automation. maybe better VST support, but VST is no the
priority. i think that is not so important feature to go for (coz we
are tring to make old school tracker)


audio engine
########

improve audio engine quality. modplug engine
not so bad, but we must bring it to new level (i know renoise is better mixing routines).

saving
####

maybe saving directly to mo3 would be great feature? m?


misc:
####

1.
Time elapsed from starting tracker (to know how much time left for benning of working day;)

2.
how about advanced templates?
Often, you may want to enter a note with the same effects following each
note. eg.


keyboard
########

i cant create 100% compatible IT layout, needed more shortcuts.
Impulse Tracker had fastest and original keyboard layout, it would be great to see
all of it in Modplug.


keyboard requests:


-    4              Play note under cursor
-    Ctrl-F7        Set/Clear playback mark (for use with F7)
-    ',' (comma)        Toggle edit mask for current field
-    Alt-Enter          Store pattern data
-    Alt-Backspace      Revert pattern data (*)
-     Ctrl-F2            Set (multiple) pattern length

and please make "copy without losing selection"


one more thing
##########

1.

shortcuts connected with pattern editor doesnt work, this happens
when you click mouse once higher than pattern editor. and to get hotkeys to work you need point and click mouse on pattern editor. i think that is not ergonomic.i think that in classic tracker keyboard control must have a priority over mouse.


2. when i entering effect i want special option which allow me to choose
to advance entering effect value, or to jump to next row. (like in Impulse Tracker ctrl+f2)


so, the *main aim* - FAST, ERGONOMIC, CONVINIENT interface!
hmm.. i think that on this note my thoughts come to end.


sorry for bad eng again. i hope you`ve got me...

ps

are you ready for program redesign?
or this will be too difficult to bring it to life?
how many people are busy with this project?

i can make some photoshop drawings..that will show my concept ideas about tracker`s interface.

ufff... 4k of text;) somebody stop me.....

[LPChip]

guys, i feel that this community - rocks!
good people.... if we compare forum "containing" with renoise forum for example,which is full off "new_school_dummies".
i like you. really... that is why i have some suggestions, to make
modplug the best old school tracker.

Thanks. We do our best

sample loading
##########

first of all i dont like the idea of using standard
windows dialog for loading samples.besides, there is no
sample preview option in open dialog.
look to IT - it has convinient file browser, all things to do
is to add sample preview function to it.

There are more ways to load samples, WITH Preview

On the left side of the screen you see a treeview. Unvold the Instrument Library, and browse to where your samples/instruments/songs are stored. You can there press a directory with samples/instruments, or press a song to open the samples/instruments in the pane below. Select a sound you like, and play it with the keyboard. Found the desired sample/instrument, drag it to the sample/instrument (when in that tab).

You can see the difference between samples and instruments by their icon. Sample = red, instrument = white.

Sample editor
#########

1.abililty to shrink sample size with or without interpolation
(good feature when you are working on size limit)

2.ability to load mp3/ogg compressed samples?

1. You can downsample a sample which is this. There's no difference between using interpolation or not in MPT. You can also make a sample smaller by making a selection, right click, cut/trim (trim will keep selection and remove the rest)

2. Load, maybe, but saving would be still in wav. But why do you want to load something with low quality if you're also concerned about high quality?

sample list
#######

ability to swap samples "places" like in IT, in song also

Agreed, this would be nice. Similar to instruments. I believe this is on the to-do list.

pattern oder list
##########

vertical pattern oder list (like in renoise). which
can be placed on left border of the screen, with impulse tracker
shortcuts (like "g" go to current pattern) and ctrl+/ctrl- for
navigating though pattern`s oder.

dont you want just to copy F11 screen from Impulse Tracker, and expand it  capability?

I don't really see the benefit of a vertical pattern order list? You can use IT's shortcut keys (if you've chosen the Impulse tracker keypreset file) CTRL-left and right arrow to navigate through the order list. It will also change your current pattern directly. You can also use + and - to just go to another pattern in your pattern editor without loosing focus from the orderlist, but I'd suggest to always use Ctrl-left,right anyway. It works more intuitive.

info page in IT style
#############

page which appeared when user press F5
with detailed information on notes, channels, spectrum analisers...
and so on..

We've given this some thoughs a while back, but we didn't see how this was usefull. As a tracker you want to make music, and the VU meters, or the balls (yes that was there too) were just for entertaining purposes. You can enable VU meters on the pattern editor itself. The strange frequency thingy page is too detailed I think to can be used anyway...

Track View Functions
#############

Track View Functions (abillity to lock most important tracks, and see
them all the way tracking, on the left side of pattern editor for example )

very non-convinient left bar in ModPlug

I don't exactly get what you mean with this?

#########################
(where sample and instrument trees located)

expanding and collapsing these trees with mouse is very "booring"
Impulse Tracker with it sample/instrument-library style - rocks!
we need more ergonomic solution...

Perhaps you're one of the people that keeps going through the sample/instrument tab all the time? I personally select them at the beginning of the track, which takes me like 10 mins at most, then I hide the thing to get more space

loading external fonts
##############

think about this. i have bad sight. bigger fonts are requied.

You can enlarge the size of the font in the options menu to one level which is about double the size. Its not possible to alter the fonts with size in particulair because of limitations.

Effect graphical automation (+VST)
######################

better effects automation. maybe better VST support, but VST is no the
priority. i think that is not so important feature to go for (coz we
are tring to make old school tracker)

This feature was introduced after RC2 I think, but maybe its already in there. Right click and select Visualise Effect (alt-b)

audio engine
########

improve audio engine quality. modplug engine
not so bad, but we must bring it to new level (i know renoise is better mixing routines).

Its far superior than IT was. But also this is on the to-do list.

saving
####

maybe saving directly to mo3 would be great feature? m?

This has been requested before. Rewbs had a good reason to not implement it at this time, but I kinda forgot:P Rewbs, could you do us the honour to tell us again? Believe it was something about compressing compressed files over and over again, and loose alot of quality.

misc:
####

1.
Time elapsed from starting tracker (to know how much time left for benning of working day;)

2.
how about advanced templates?
Often, you may want to enter a note with the same effects following each
note. eg.

1. It used to be in the tracker, but no one found it usefull, and thereby was removed.

2.I do remember that you could memorise this in IT (made an M in that channel)

In MPT its easier to use the quick copy/paste method. Select the item you want to copy (eg the effect, or the note, or the volume) and press enter. Move down one row, and hold space.

keyboard
########

i cant create 100% compatible IT layout, needed more shortcuts.
Impulse Tracker had fastest and original keyboard layout, it would be great to see
all of it in Modplug.


keyboard requests:


-    4              Play note under cursor
-    Ctrl-F7        Set/Clear playback mark (for use with F7)
-    ',' (comma)        Toggle edit mask for current field
-    Alt-Enter          Store pattern data
-    Alt-Backspace      Revert pattern data (*)
-     Ctrl-F2            Set (multiple) pattern length

and please make "copy without losing selection"

I've requested 4 too, but was never granted.
Alt-Backspace is the undo feature in the Impulse Tracker presets file, which is what you're asking for. It just doens't have the fancy dialog.

You can remap the copy to not loose the selection. I personally was too confused if the selection wasn't gone, and copied the same data 2 or 3 times because I wasn't sure I did copied it.

one more thing
##########

1.

shortcuts connected with pattern editor doesnt work, this happens
when you click mouse once higher than pattern editor. and to get hotkeys to work you need point and click mouse on pattern editor. i think that is not ergonomic.i think that in classic tracker keyboard control must have a priority over mouse.


2. when i entering effect i want special option which allow me to choose
to advance entering effect value, or to jump to next row. (like in Impulse Tracker ctrl+f2)

1. Most functions above pattern editor can be controlled by keyboard. Perhaps learn them, and stick with the mouse in the pattern editor?

2. I've missed this too, but since you can quickly copy'n paste effects by enter/space, its easy to use and doesn't require this anymore.

so, the *main aim* - FAST, ERGONOMIC, CONVINIENT interface!
hmm.. i think that on this note my thoughts come to end.


sorry for bad eng again. i hope you`ve got me...

ps

are you ready for program redesign?
or this will be too difficult to bring it to life?
how many people are busy with this project?

i can make some photoshop drawings..that will show my concept ideas about tracker`s interface.

ufff... 4k of text;) somebody stop me.....

I can ban you, if thats what you want? That would certainly stop you

Anyway, We currently have 2 active developers. A redesign of the program won't gonna happen. Too much people are way too happy with this interface (me included ) Agreed, I used to not like it that much, because IT seemed better, but after using MPT a while, I went back to IT, and guess what... IT sucks majorly So much that I couldn't even track a little bit in it. Missed the overview etc. MPT supports windows xp's styling. So if you change your style (for example, you can use programs like windows blinds, or Style XP and download another skin) mpt will also change.

k... Turned your 4k into 8k or so happy now? :lol:

[l8]

thanks for detailed explanation of many things. i understand that i must to work a while in tracker to get into the habit..i dont believe you that MPT is better than IT. we shall see..

about  Track View functions.
here is the quote from it.txt:

          Sometimes you just want to know what you've put in those tracks
           that are currently off the screen... these functions allow you
           to do just that!

           Alt-T       Cycle Track view mode.
           Alt-R       Remove all track views
           Alt-H       Remove track view divisions (allows you to view 36
                       channels!)
           Ctrl-0      Remove current track from track view
           Ctrl-1->5   Quick select a track view for current channel.

remeber this feature?

***

i dont care that MPT support xp's styling. prefer classic interface.

***

ok, i`ll try to put myself into Modplug "kitchen".

8k yes!!!:)

[LPChip]

I'd say, let the programmers decide. They have to do all the work