Time to port OpenMpt to QT?

oxxi · August 23, 2013, 03:55:41

I remember reading a post on here about porting OpenMPt to QT and sometimes I feel like it's time this should happen. As powerful and great as modplug is right now it still lacks many features, workflow improvements and etc. Implementing all these things is almost impossible for the amount of developers contributing right now. Maybe it would be worth to maybe look into crowd funding for a new re-write/port of modplug? I would just like some opinions on this because if it's done right, I feel it could happen....maybe.

LPChip · August 23, 2013, 08:01:52

Unfortunately its so much work to do this, you're talking about a years plan of working. There are so much benefit of having this, so if it was that easy, it would've been done already.

Its also something that is difficult in a technical way, so just putting many people on it is not going to solve it.

Saga Musix · August 23, 2013, 09:37:41

You do the start. MFC is certainly not the reason for the lack of many features.

oxxi · August 23, 2013, 14:04:02

Quote from: Saga Musix on August 23, 2013, 09:37:41
You do the start. MFC is certainly not the reason for the lack of many features.

I agree, but Qt would be needed for modplug to be cross-platform, right?

Quote from: LPChip on August 23, 2013, 08:01:52
Unfortunately its so much work to do this, you're talking about a years plan of working. There are so much benefit of having this, so if it was that easy, it would've been done already.

Its also something that is difficult in a technical way, so just putting many people on it is not going to solve it.

Well what I'm thinking now is that maybe it would just be better to create a new piece of software inspired by OpenMpt. But there probably wouldn't be enough people interested anyways. I guess I'm just going to have to work with what I got for now. It's just after years of using modplug, there is a lot of little things that are just too repetitive or need better workflows and my hands just get tired

.

LPChip · August 23, 2013, 14:18:03

If you find the workflow in OpenMPT not well enough, then maybe you have the problem I had.

You see a problem, but when you ask about it, you find out that there actually is a way to deal with it. I, for once, don't find any problems with OpenMPT. My workflow in OpenMPT is far better than in any other music app.

Can you tell us what problems you are experiencing?

oxxi · August 23, 2013, 16:29:49

Quote from: LPChip on August 23, 2013, 14:18:03

You see a problem, but when you ask about it, you find out that there actually is a way to deal with it.

There might be some things I'm overlooking. I will have to work on some tracks today and see what I find. But here is one. Is there a way to assign a keyboard shortcut that would allow one to quickly enable channels for recording while directly working in the pattern editor? For example holding ctl+alt and moving left or right with the cursor keys would start selecting channels for recording. Basically something that would not involve the mouse. The less keystrokes/mouseClicks the better.

LPChip · August 23, 2013, 16:44:05

I believe there's a key combo to set the channel the cursor is in for multi-channel recording. Take a look in the setup-> keyboard manager.

Diamond · August 23, 2013, 19:25:34

I personally dread the day that OpenMpt is ported over to QT. By default QT is not very accessible to screen readers and although it is possible to make it so, it requires interest and extra effort on the part of the developer.

Saga Musix · August 24, 2013, 00:43:49

Quote from: oxxi on August 23, 2013, 16:29:49
There might be some things I'm overlooking. I will have to work on some tracks today and see what I find. But here is one. Is there a way to assign a keyboard shortcut that would allow one to quickly enable channels for recording while directly working in the pattern editor? For example holding ctl+alt and moving left or right with the cursor keys would start selecting channels for recording. Basically something that would not involve the mouse. The less keystrokes/mouseClicks the better.

Make a selection and use the record select shortcuts. No need to switch to Qt for that.

Quote from: Diamond on August 23, 2013, 19:25:34
I personally dread the day that OpenMpt is ported over to QT. By default QT is not very accessible to screen readers and although it is possible to make it so, it requires interest and extra effort on the part of the developer.

Can you point out what needs to be done for that (on current Qt versions)? From what I understand, Qt uses standard WinAPI calls to draw buttons and other controls, so I don't see why it would be less accessible than your standard MFC app.

Diamond · August 24, 2013, 01:08:29

Not that my programming/knowledge of QT is spectacular, but I think these resources might start to give you an idea of what is required. Although I really have no idea how difficult or not QT accessibility is to implement.
http://doc.qt.digia.com/qq/qq24-accessibility.html
http://mayaposch.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/msaa-and-ia2-accessibility-in-qt/
http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-5.0/qtquick/qml-qtquick2-accessible.html
A search on
"QT accessibility" "screen readers"
will pull up many more results.

Saga Musix · August 24, 2013, 01:19:30

Soo... err... doesn't that exactly support my point that there's not going to be any more problems than with MFC?
In short:

QuoteIn summary, Qt 5 accessibility support is pretty darn easy and well-supported these days,

Obviously I'm not going to use a ten year old version of Qt when / if I'm going to rerwite all this crap.

Diamond · August 24, 2013, 01:34:42

I'll take your word for it. Up until now, it had been many months since the last time I read up on the subject. All I know is that most of my experience till this point with QT and accessibility has been pretty negative.

Harbinger · August 27, 2013, 19:52:56

Quote from: oxxi on August 23, 2013, 14:04:02
Well what I'm thinking now is that maybe it would just be better to create a new piece of software inspired by OpenMpt.

Way ahead of you. I've already started the painstaking task of creating the specs for an MPT-inspired, full-service tracker-sequencer. I'm basically creating a manual for a visionary but still imaginary piece of software, but with programming the thing still at the forefront of my thought process. I understand most of C++'s programming structures and data handling functions but not so much that it hinders my inspiration for this uncreated software. Jojo (Saja Musix) is the most qualified to handle the project, but he's way too busy with other projects to take on a new one, and i will soon be asking at various websites for help in what i hope will be open-source software. I don't want to divulge to much information, and it's still in the preplanning stage, but there will be alot of features for creating and manipulating digital audio generally and musical tracks specifically. I just need to get it going before i lose the inspiration & the interest.

I just wanted to let you know that there are fish trying to swim up that stream...

Saga Musix · August 28, 2013, 13:12:18

Creating a software like OpenMPT from scratch in a short time is just something that's not going to happen, no matter who you ask.

Harbinger · August 29, 2013, 20:46:59

Oh, good. Thank God you're here to remind us that all our efforts are futile, Nietzche. Well, in that case, i'll just convince all programmers that their inspirations are worthless and they should instead spend their time relying on other people to do what they need done. As a matter of fact, i think i'll contact Mr Lapicque and tell him that he shouldn't have bothered putting together the framework for a decent piece of composition software.

I never said it would be done anytime soon. But if i can get some likeminded programmers interested in the potentiality of this kind of sound creation, then the "stream" can be conquered (and i hafta get this fleshed out before i lose my inspiration). Admittedly, you're a rare breed, Jojo, a composer AND a programmer who also sees the benefit of open-source software, but i'm sure you're not alone. I'll just hafta turn over a few stones...