Pattern Attributes (Batch Settings)

Started by Harbinger, September 07, 2010, 15:59:21

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Harbinger

Like the Ultimate Channel Manager, this is but a pipe dream, but if anyone wants to go with it, this is what i'd like to see...

Thanks to some features added by various devs over the years, we have some batch processing capabilities -- bulk saving of track samples, complete macro setup, and channel Record-Select toggling (in the Channel Manager), to name a few. I'd also like to see a dialog for setting up all of the patterns at once. For me, this is important because i don't often compose on the fly (anymore). Instead i do a lot of transcribing from old notes, scores, or sequence files. Doing it this way, i know what my patterns are going to look like before i start. I'd like to able to set up all my patterns before i begin entering notes into them.

Below is a mockup of what i envision, with descriptions to follow:

The dialog holds 16 but any number will do. Any pattern given a name or number of rows will be created if it hasn't been already (or maybe we can use a batch-Create button). Scrolling is done by using the slider on the right, whose detail is adjusted by the number of patterns. (I thought about using arrows and scrollbars, which i'd prefer, but the pattern list is made up of controls and may be more difficult to program.) Keyboard shortcuts will allow for moving the slider up/down, scrolling the list display by one pattern or by one set of 16.

The tabbing order goes across the text fields/controls, but pressing Return will move the input focus down to the same field in the next pattern.

Since Jojo was able to configure Pattern-specific time signatures, i have incorporated his work into the dialog. One could probably use arrow controls for increment/decrement as well in the Rows-per-Beat (R/B) and Beats-per-Measure (B/M) columns. The Rows column will always equal R/B times B/M (...or no?). You can also set the Time Signature for all patterns by pressing the lock button; the currently selected pattern's time signature will be set for every other pattern.

The arrow at the right of each Pattern entry is simply a placeholder for a contextual menu, which will show the following functions (most of which already exist in method):

New (Before/After/End): Creates a new pattern with the default attributes before/after this pattern, or at the end of the track's Pattern List.
Clone (Before/After/End): Creates a new pattern with this pattern's attributes before/after this pattern, or at the end.
Duplicate (Before/After/End): Makes an exact copy (attributes and contents) of this pattern and inserts before/after this pattern, or at the end.
Delete: Removes this pattern from the Pattern List.
Sort (By Order/By ID): Relists the patterns according to ID number (as in the Treeview) or by its appearance in the Order List (helpful in naming).

Finally, the Reset button will return the pattern attributes to those that existed before changes were made. Sort of like a Cancel without leaving the dialog. I can also see the use of an Apply button (OK without leaving) and perhaps a Cleanup button (using the functions in the Patterns settings of the Cleanup dialog).

Error traps: If a new row count is given for a pattern that already has data, the user should be prompted that data will be lost.

EDIT: Sorry, i just did a Search and found i've mentioned this before, like here... my bad. 8)

EDIT: Thanks for inlining the image Jojo.