autosave/save option: "save patterns only"

[shableep]

hey. usually stuff like this is just for a unique case that involves.. well, usually just me. but maybe you guys could make use of it too. since my save times are kinda long, it'd really help speed up my saving time (instead of 5 minutes it'd be 1 second) and make autosaving a lot more attractive to me.

i'm not necessarily saying save into a separate file. if the patterns could be saved into the whole original file, that'd be amazing.

[speed-goddamn-focus]

What about IT Project files?

[LPChip]

The only way to save patterndata only, is if its being saved to a different fileformat. This could also be an addition to the export of patterndata only, but i agree. It certainly would help. I have auto-save set for 1 minute and with a 17 mb song, it also lags on me.

[Matt Hartman]

What about if you add or delete instruments? If you only save the pattern info then you will not be saving any additions or subtractions of other important data.

I guess this is where having linked samples, instruments, vsts, vsti would come in handy. Only pattern info and tag info (I guess that's what you call it) gets saved. The large files are linked.

I imagine this would make MPT far more productive, you're longest load time would be one time only.

One reason I like using VSTi is because only the pattern info and VST plug in info/settings gets saved, significantly decreasing saving times across the board.

[shableep]

you know, i always saw the .it Project thing. but... i never knew what it did. or.. how to use it.  but thanks to you guys, i got inspired to figure it out. and 'tis beautiful.

yah. in this case i'd use VSTis too, but to replace what modplug is doing right now, i'd have to use kontakt 2. modplug doesn't like kontakt 2 at all. tho, i definitely use the hell outta absynth.

[Squirrel Havoc]

Hey Matt, I like the new avatar        :twisted:

[Sam_Zen]

I don't use the autosave function, but along that, it is a very interesting saving option. Because I think the patterns are the core of the compo, like the score on a piece of paper for a classical orchestra. The used instruments for each row can vary, but the score helds the actual notes that are being played.
Sure this can be already done manually, after finishing a module, by wiping the samples and plugins of the song, and save the tracker-file again under a slightly different name. Patterns only remains.
Of course since FT II there is the option of saving a .pat-file, but that is only for one pattern, not for the whole order.

[MisterX]

you know, i always saw the .it Project thing. but... i never knew what it did. or.. how to use it.

One of my favorite new options!  Cuts my filesizes down dramatically - thanks to the developers who listen to and implement new ideas!

[Snu]

i like this idea too, it would be nice to have the option for autosaves to save as itp.

[Really Weird Person]

You want to save single patterns? Easy as uno, dos, tres, quatro (1, 2, 3, 4 in Spanish)! Press this combination of keys on your keyboard Ctrl 5 (select all, weird), then this combo Ctrl C (ccopy). After the pattern's data is copied, open another program (I use Excel, for the rows & columns). Then press Ctrl V (paste). See? 3 combinations of keys (there is actually a 4th step though, oops)! I am not totally sure if those Spanish words are spelled right, but I tried. The main 1 I am not sure about is the 4th 1 (I am going to guess that the other 3 are right, though). You can do this trick for as many patterns you want (actually, only up to 32,768 patterns @ 2 rows each, 16,384 patterns @ 4 rows each, 8,192 patterns @ 8 rows each, 4,096 patterns @ 16 rows each, 2,048 patterns @ 32 rows each, 1,024 patterns @ 64 rows each, 512 patterns @ 128 rows each, 128 patterns @ 512 rows each,  64 or patterns @ 1,024 rows each)! That is only for 1 worksheet! If you multiply your rows by 3 you get 196,608! I am not sure how many worksheets Excel's workbooks can have, but I have a guess. 65,536! If that is the case, then square your row amount. Here, my Palm's calculator will do it for you! & the answer is (drum rolls). 4,294,967,296! That equals four billion two hundred ninety-four million nine hundred sixty-seven thousand two hundred ninety-six in words, or 65,536 squared!