FR: Transformation Curve GUI Enhancements

[Hexspa]

Hi, I'm learning about the Transformation Curve in the Modulators and find it a bit unintuitive. While I now better understand how it affects the modulator behavior, I think two GUI tweaks would make it much easier to understand. The first is a little ball that "rides" the path of the Transformation Curve to reflect the phase of the modulator. The second is to change the shape of the Modulator to reflect the changes made via the transformation curve. This would be based on the selected parameter in the parameter's list, of course, since each parameter gets its own Transformation Curve editor.

You can see in IMAGE 1a and IMAGE 1b a little green ball with arrows showing the direction of the ball per the modulator phase on the left (also shown with an arrow). For the Transformation curve reflecting in the modulator, I show in IMAGE 2 a highlight box around the selected parameter and a simulation of the appearance of the modulator as it would appear if the Transformation curve actually affected its shape (I actually used the Custom modifier to do it but image editing is a heck of a power).

This graphical feedback of the transformation curve would make this powerful feature more inviting to use and is in line with the behavior of the other modulator shape modifier knobs (Custom and Step) in the modulator window. The ball color could follow the user-selected theme, it doesn't have to be green or even a ball. Could be a hula girl for all I care; just something to visually reflect this complex controller would be better than nothing. Maybe a line similar to the one on the Modulator or the envelope shape in MSF.

I'm submitting this here for feedback from others. If you agree then I'll email it to Vojtech.

Thanks.

EDIT: The more I think about it, the more valuable I think this feature is. Really, the Transformation Shape editor lets us have a per-parameter Modulator shape (and rate, kind of). A plugin might have just four Modulators but clever use of each parameter's Transformation Shape editor would let you turn a sine into a square, a 2x frequency triangle wave, etc. Of course each TS is bound by the rate of the Modulator itself but it can subdivide the rate and change the shape; reminds me of a paraphonic synth. So yeah, I think being able to see what I'm doing would be akin to turning the lights on one of the most powerful features in the whole modulator section. As it is, I doubt most users are making this kind of full use of the TS editor.

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IMAGE 1a:
Sine Modulator at 45deg with the Transformation Curve "follower ball" ascending in the positive half of the curve:

transformation-curve-follower-dot-45-deg-phase.png

IMAGE 1b:
Sine Modulator at 135deg with the Transformation Curve "follower ball" descending in the positive half of the curve:

transformation-curve-follower-dot-105-deg-phase.png

IMAGE 2:
Transformation Curve effect reflected in Modulator Shape (note symmetrical effect of transformation curve which is part of the non-intuitive/confusing aspect of it):

transformation-curve-reflect-in-selected-modulator.png

[Hexspa]

bamp because took effort

[sparella]

I kind of like a vertical follower line, but a follower ball would look nice too.

[Hexspa]

I kind of like a vertical follower line, but a follower ball would look nice too.

Thanks for your feedback. I didn't think of the line until later but that seems more in line with Melda's existing design language. Either will help make this feature easier to use, at least for people like me who aren't used to using these kinds of graphs.

[Hexspa]

oops. tried to update OP with correct phase position and accidently quoted myself. too tired for internet at this time.