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Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Suggestions for new features for Magic.
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Terry Payman
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Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by Terry Payman »

When a large number of scenes are desired as inputs to (eg) a MultiMix module it would be neat to be able to select the scenes in the Folder Panel and have a menu option to add them all as Scene modules to the Edit window.
Sadler
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by Sadler »

Certainly scene folders would be a convenient place to re-use scenes from. Might encourage heavy scene embedding though! :shock: I would also like ways to drag and drop other modules. This is where the idea for a 'last used' panel came from. This drag n drop functionality could be the same mechanism as the playlist population idea - just a different drop-zone.
Magic
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by Magic »

Yes, adding/dragging one or more scenes from the folder panel might be useful. I'm hesitant to start implementing more panels/windows though; I don't want too much clutter. Maybe the simplest solution is just to have a "Recent" submenu under the "Add" submenu when you right-click. I also still like the idea of searching for a module by starting to type in a pop-up text box.
damstraversaz
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by damstraversaz »

I'm agree about implementing more panels/windows. The Recent menu could be a very nice solution, as the text finder, but I'm not really sure for the popup. could it be possible to have something like this ?
Right-click mouse on add and then when you tape the first letter ,the concerned module appear in the add menu. It can be a nice solution as you will not need to use your mouse.
Magic
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by Magic »

The way I was thinking about it is that you would right-click, maybe with the Shift key, and there would be some kind of pop-up text box to filter the menu, and then the menu would appear below it with only the filtered results. I think this is more or less what you were describing?
Sadler
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by Sadler »

I am all for less clutter.

I understand that a right click menu gives context and location for the operations, however, it has become a black hole sucking every feature into its core, consuming context menus, effects, media, transforms, scenes and cut'n'paste. This will get worse if you implement presets or templates for example.

The two main difficulties with right-click menus (and hierarchical menus in general) are:
  1. Having to navigate a mouse cursor, often to four levels through, often, large lists which may pop-up left or right or have scrolling. It can be frustrating and fiddly to choose a module navigating through the top item of every sub-menu without accidentally having it close by moving a fraction too far, especially on a track-pad.
  2. Finding things when one is not exactly sure of its name. e.g Is it RGB buffer or RGB trails or RGB delay or Convergence... especially when they exist in separate branches. (After FX similarly suffers from a proliferation of effects)
A module-search would certainly go some way to alleviate these frustrations. Here's how I might like to see it implemented: a text box is persistent in the UI (as much as the folder or global view is) and is docked above above a side panel. This can be given focus by mouse cursor or hotkey and typing can begin immediately. The text box has a drop down list for previous terms. On typing any number of characters or choosing a term from the previous drop-down, a list of matching menu items is displayed below with a scrollbar if necessary, searching within module title, aliases and description. Hierarchies could be indicated with a colon, e.g. "ISF:RGB". On choosing the item the module would be inserted.

Only challenge is providing the context and location. Modules have a current selection but connectors don't (perhaps that might be handy?). Insertion, pasting and replacement etc could be a context menu on the searched-for, selected module name. Perhaps there could be some sort of work-space cursor or ghosted module/connector indicators to indicate paste/add location - perhaps there are other nicer solutions.
Magic
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by Magic »

A persistent text box is a reasonable idea because it wouldn't take up too much extra space. But the challenges you mentioned are considerable, so everything has to be considered as part of the efficiency of the overall system.
damstraversaz
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by damstraversaz »

You're right Sadler, a persistent text box could be very useful. I'm totally agre with right clic and most of time I try to avoid to use mouse with menu. It is very hard to use it with the menu, especially if you have a lot of files ( for exemple my ISF and Glsl folder). A good organisation does not help, as it give you even more more sub menu, but you need it for having a efficient creative flow.
Sadler
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Re: Add selected Folder Panel scenes as Scene modules

Post by Sadler »

Only challenge is providing the context and location.
Drag and drop, of course, is the UI mechanism designed, precisely to provide context and location. I can certainly imagine dragging and dropping filtered module names onto the work-area to the exact position required. Every current operation (replacing, inserting, adding etc) seems to be naturally supported but there are always key modifiers (Ctrl, Shift) and drop menus to improve the efficiency and flexibility of the whole system if required. I don't know why I didn't think of drag'n'drop for module search at the time.
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