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TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Suggestions for new features for Magic.
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mikeymalone
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 7:48 pm

TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by mikeymalone »

Hey Eric,

I'm still looking/hoping for a method to accomplish what I mentioned here:
viewtopic.php?p=3615#p3615

I've tried multiple textfile & image modules in an input selector hoping they would refresh on input selection.

Perhaps a module parameter for refresh setting in seconds?

Or even midi control over the refresh button on these would be awesome, that way they could be triggered to update on demand when necessary instead of every X seconds.

Any chance we could get something like this?
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by blackdot »

midi control of the refresh button would be nice.

i'd have another application for this in mind: have people upload pictures from their phones to a server. server saves photos in some folder which is accessed by a jpgfolder-module.

if the refresh button would be controllable with modifiers even, you could have a slow ramp modifier that toggles refresh every time it hits 1.
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by Magic »

Yes, it's on my list :). But you have to keep in mind that loading files in real-time will cause the graphics to stutter (drop frames) -- sometimes pretty badly if the files are large. Which is why I didn't design things that way to begin with.

For small text files, it won't be as much of an issue. But any other module would probably suffer, which is why most files are loaded immediately when the project is loaded. The only module that currently loads files in real-time is the JpegFolder, which is specially optimized and hardware-accelerated to provide good real-time performance.

You can actually use the JpegFolder to solve the problem, if you're willing to do a bit of a hack. Switching to a new index will always reload the image at that index; so if you have a folder with only two images in it (indexes 0 and 1), and you switch between them, it will reload them. Know what I mean? Here's an example:
folderToggle.jpg
folderToggle.jpg (17.15 KiB) Viewed 16042 times
In this case, each of the two images will be completely reloaded when it is selected. Try updating one of them in your image editing program and see it get reflected in Magic while the above is running.

So, theoretically what you could do is link the Index param to MIDI, and each time you want to reload index 0, you quickly switch to 1 -- a blank image -- and then back.
midiToggle.jpg
midiToggle.jpg (14.42 KiB) Viewed 16042 times
mikeymalone
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 7:48 pm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by mikeymalone »

Understandable about the graphics stutter/stop on constant refreshing. Hence the request for midi control as an option as well. Then it wouldn't need to be constantly refreshed, but only on initiation by the user.

The JpegFolder solution works for the image issue, but not for text related issue unless jpegfolder will load text files as well?
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by blackdot »

ah nice. the little test i did, i did with "play" and not the index. this is great :).
Magic
Site Admin
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Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by Magic »

Hence the request for midi control as an option as well. Then it wouldn't need to be constantly refreshed, but only on initiation by the user.
True, but it would still potentially stutter at that point.
The JpegFolder solution works for the image issue, but not for text related issue unless jpegfolder will load text files as well?
I was just referring to the possibility of having an image with text in it :).
D1gits
Posts: 99
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 11:49 am
Location: Stockholm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by D1gits »

+1 For this : )

I actually would use this when I have another program front most. So if it makes a quick stutter or so does not matter for me... (i run quite a lot of automated ques and need this feature to enhance the scripting even more)

It would make my workflow quit much easier with this feature.
ddr
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2017 4:57 am

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by ddr »

Another +1 for a better text module.

Something like JpegFolder but for small text files would work great for me.
Currently I am spending as much time in my image editor converting single words or phrases to JPEG ( boring.... ) as I do in MMV ( fun...) .

Cutting out the middle man would be great!
Magic
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Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by Magic »

How about using multiple Text modules connected to an InputSelector module?
ddr
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2017 4:57 am

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by ddr »

Sure, that was one way I considered doing it but I am running a separate MIDI track in my sequencer to trigger the text and
using the JpegFolder module I have 128 possible words / phrases that I can individually access from one MIDI track.
I found placing 128 Text modules in a scene with an input selector got messy pretty quick..
Thats why a "TextFolder" module would be great for me.
Magic
Site Admin
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Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by Magic »

Ah, yes, 128 would be a lot :)
alt0182
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 2:13 am

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by alt0182 »

Hey, I just wanted to share this. I see a lot of questions posted regarding getting text added to MMV output.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7_rNy ... sp=sharing

I used Superstring 2 to do the lyric video black text on white background. Then just added the videofile module to a preexisting MMV. I had to use a transparency module on all of the elements other than the lyric video, so the text would stand out better.

Also, Superstring offers a free demo. It will have a logo in the bottom right-hand corner, but if you crop .2 in the videofile module, it'll trim that out.

It's not perfect, but my customer is happy with it. I hope this helps to fill in one of the few missing modules in MMV.

Cheers
pcshooter24
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2017 2:13 am

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by pcshooter24 »

So I am looking for a refresh for the Text File also because I currently have a 30 band spectrum visualizer that I want to just have run in the background at a party at my place. The music for the party would run though this and be on the TV. I have the song title and artist stored in a .txt file by using Snaz. The text just scrolls across the screen on the bottom. The thing is I just need it to refresh the text file every so often so that I don't have to manually press it every time the song changes. Another workaround could be having the text file reload the text file every time the module is powered off, then I could just have it power off and back on every time the text gets off screen. Anyways it would be nice to have a refresh feature regardless of the fact that large files would cause dropped frames, because people could either "deal with it" or not use it.

Scrolling text.PNG
Scrolling text.PNG (818.38 KiB) Viewed 15073 times
DemBambiSeiMudder
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 10:43 pm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by DemBambiSeiMudder »

I would also be interested in a way to dynamically load images that are new to the folder. I just tried and JpegFolder Module doesn't load images unless the reload button is clicked.
So at least midi control would be really nice on that button.
But automatic the reload would also be awesome.

Our idea what we want to do with that:
We have a photo booth where people can shoot their images. Including them into visuals would be nice.
So next to the photo booth there would be a projection that switches btw. visuals and photos, and adds nice effects to the photos.
:-D
ToxMox
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 6:43 pm

Re: TextFile/Image Refresh Module Parameter?

Post by ToxMox »

Did anyone come up with a solution to this? I'm also trying to dynamically bring in song title in from a text file that is automatically written to every time the song changes by an outside app.
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