Waveform 8.1.16 Beta Available

[dRowAudio]

Hi everyone, Waveform 8.1.16 is now available from your downloads area: https://marketplace.tracktion.com/shop/ ... chive/?v=8

Key notes:
• The main change here is the ability to change plugin channel configurations by right clicking the plugin icons in racks or in the track mixer area. Please give this a whirl and let us know if there are any problems.

8.1.16
- Fixed an issue where tab names could be drawn over two lines
- Fixed an issue where audio files would be written to the wfaf format
- Fixed issue where MIDI Pitch Wheel couldn't be set above 98%
- Added support for setting plugin bus and channel configurations (available by right clicking plugin mixer icons)

8.1.15
- Added support for .wfaf files
- Improved visual indication of controller controlled tracks by colouring the corner of controlled tracks
- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

[strogon14]

- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

Yeay! I'll have to check that out later.

[Hermu]

- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

NOT FIXED!!
makes more troubles than before, because every lock and unlock reloads now the plugin again and overlays the close and unlock button!
if a plugin gui is resizable, then it brings the buttons back, but if plugin gui is not resizable then this plugin could not be moved and blocks now all funtions which are hidden from plugin gui and you have to kill Waveform 8.1.16 beta.
a plugin windows should never drop behind the main window and should have the same behaviour as on Windows and MacOs!

[dRowAudio]

- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

NOT FIXED!!
makes more troubles than before, because every lock and unlock reloads now the plugin again and overlays the close and unlock button!
if a plugin gui is resizable, then it brings the buttons back, but if plugin gui is not resizable then this plugin could not be moved and blocks now all funtions which are hidden from plugin gui and you have to kill Waveform 8.1.16 beta.
a plugin windows should never drop behind the main window and should have the same behaviour as on Windows and MacOs!

Damn, I tired this extensively with the built in Master Mix and FM Synth plugins as their windows should appear in the same way but it looks like external VSTs reposition themselves incorrectly when the window properties are changed to be "always on top". I'll have to take another look at this.

[Hermu]

- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

NOT FIXED!!
makes more troubles than before, because every lock and unlock reloads now the plugin again and overlays the close and unlock button!
if a plugin gui is resizable, then it brings the buttons back, but if plugin gui is not resizable then this plugin could not be moved and blocks now all funtions which are hidden from plugin gui and you have to kill Waveform 8.1.16 beta.
a plugin windows should never drop behind the main window and should have the same behaviour as on Windows and MacOs!

Damn, I tired this extensively with the built in Master Mix and FM Synth plugins as their windows should appear in the same way but it looks like external VSTs reposition themselves incorrectly when the window properties are changed to be "always on top". I'll have to take another look at this.

plugin windows "always on top" should be standard, because no one needs plugins behind main window!

[chico.co.uk]

- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

NOT FIXED!!
makes more troubles than before, because every lock and unlock reloads now the plugin again and overlays the close and unlock button!
if a plugin gui is resizable, then it brings the buttons back, but if plugin gui is not resizable then this plugin could not be moved and blocks now all funtions which are hidden from plugin gui and you have to kill Waveform 8.1.16 beta.
a plugin windows should never drop behind the main window and should have the same behaviour as on Windows and MacOs!

Damn, I tired this extensively with the built in Master Mix and FM Synth plugins as their windows should appear in the same way but it looks like external VSTs reposition themselves incorrectly when the window properties are changed to be "always on top". I'll have to take another look at this.

plugin windows "always on top" should be standard, because no one needs plugins behind main window!

Yeah, nobody needs that explained mate. It's not being done deliberately.

[dRowAudio]

- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

NOT FIXED!!
makes more troubles than before, because every lock and unlock reloads now the plugin again and overlays the close and unlock button!
if a plugin gui is resizable, then it brings the buttons back, but if plugin gui is not resizable then this plugin could not be moved and blocks now all funtions which are hidden from plugin gui and you have to kill Waveform 8.1.16 beta.
a plugin windows should never drop behind the main window and should have the same behaviour as on Windows and MacOs!

Damn, I tired this extensively with the built in Master Mix and FM Synth plugins as their windows should appear in the same way but it looks like external VSTs reposition themselves incorrectly when the window properties are changed to be "always on top". I'll have to take another look at this.

plugin windows "always on top" should be standard, because no one needs plugins behind main window!

It's a bit more complicated than that because the plugin windows are only "always on top" and shown when an Edit has focus. For example, if you switch to the Project or Settings page, the plugin windows drop to the back of the app. When an Edit regains focus the windows need to be shown again. Also, on the Mac, when the app loses focus, we disable the "always on top" aspect of plugin windows so they're not forcibly in front of other application windows such as the Finder (which would be annoying if you wanted to use the Finder to find audio samples to drag in to Waveform for example).

The problem with Linux is that if a window is marked as "always on top" and then we hide it, the area that it used to take will block all mouse input i.e. as if there's an invisible window where the plugin used to be.
Because of this, I've now had to add some Linux specific code to turn on and off the "always on top" property when the visibility of the plugin window is changed. However, it seems that whilst this is a simple operation on macOS, doing so on Ubuntu actually re-creates the window. This is in turn then positioning the plugin UI in the wrong place for reasons that are currently unknown.

Now I can try and re-position the plugin UI when the window's "always on top" property is changed but that may not be possible. If not, I'll have to change the way Windows are handled on Linux so that instead of just being made invisible, we actually delete them and re-create them when the Edit regains focus (which again, could be in issue if for example you use a second monitor and want to keep the plugin windows on that whilst you switch to the Projects or Settings tab etc.).

I also need to do all this very carefully making sure that the plugin window behaviour doesn't change on macOS or Windows which is where the bulk of our use base is and also make sure it works with the 5 plugin formats across these OSes.

Hopefully I'll be able to take a look at it this week.

[PierreG]

Thanks for your excellent support Dave!!!

[fedexnman]

( - Added support for setting plugin bus and channel configurations (available by right clicking plugin mixer icons) ,............ Will you be doing a newer YouTube tutorial on how to route multiple output plugins in racks and in the PDF manual . Thanks in advanced ...

[dRowAudio]

I've made a note to add this to the manual in a future revision.

I know you mentioned a "newer" video but the process is much the same as this old video from T3:
The T4 manual also has a chapter on Racks right at the end: https://www.tracktion.com/training/manuals

There's not much to document in the way of the new bus configuration options, it's just a new menu option which should change the number of IO pins available for a plugin.

We'll document this more fully in a future release of the manual though.

[Hermu]

- Fixed a problem where plugin windows on Linux would drop to behind the main window when locked

NOT FIXED!!
makes more troubles than before, because every lock and unlock reloads now the plugin again and overlays the close and unlock button!
if a plugin gui is resizable, then it brings the buttons back, but if plugin gui is not resizable then this plugin could not be moved and blocks now all funtions which are hidden from plugin gui and you have to kill Waveform 8.1.16 beta.
a plugin windows should never drop behind the main window and should have the same behaviour as on Windows and MacOs!

Damn, I tired this extensively with the built in Master Mix and FM Synth plugins as their windows should appear in the same way but it looks like external VSTs reposition themselves incorrectly when the window properties are changed to be "always on top". I'll have to take another look at this.

plugin windows "always on top" should be standard, because no one needs plugins behind main window!

there is a big mistake with the lock function, as i you can see in Waveform manual on page 178, the lock button should only prevent keyboard shortcut inputs, if the keyboard was used as virtual keyboard for recording and has nothing to do with the plugin handling!
behaviour on Mac and Windows is the same and each change to any other tab page or move page to another screen closes all other opened plugins.
It's a bit more complicated than that because the plugin windows are only "always on top" and shown when an Edit has focus. For example, if you switch to the Project or Settings page, the plugin windows drop to the back of the app. When an Edit regains focus the windows need to be shown again. Also, on the Mac, when the app loses focus, we disable the "always on top" aspect of plugin windows so they're not forcibly in front of other application windows such as the Finder (which would be annoying if you wanted to use the Finder to find audio samples to drag in to Waveform for example).

The problem with Linux is that if a window is marked as "always on top" and then we hide it, the area that it used to take will block all mouse input i.e. as if there's an invisible window where the plugin used to be.
Because of this, I've now had to add some Linux specific code to turn on and off the "always on top" property when the visibility of the plugin window is changed. However, it seems that whilst this is a simple operation on macOS, doing so on Ubuntu actually re-creates the window. This is in turn then positioning the plugin UI in the wrong place for reasons that are currently unknown.

Now I can try and re-position the plugin UI when the window's "always on top" property is changed but that may not be possible. If not, I'll have to change the way Windows are handled on Linux so that instead of just being made invisible, we actually delete them and re-create them when the Edit regains focus (which again, could be in issue if for example you use a second monitor and want to keep the plugin windows on that whilst you switch to the Projects or Settings tab etc.).

I also need to do all this very carefully making sure that the plugin window behaviour doesn't change on macOS or Windows which is where the bulk of our use base is and also make sure it works with the 5 plugin formats across these OSes.

Hopefully I'll be able to take a look at it this week.

there is a big mistake with the lock function, as i you can see in Waveform manual on page 178, the lock button should only prevent keyboard shortcut inputs, if the keyboard was used as virtual keyboard for recording and has nothing to do with the plugin gui handling!
behaviour on Mac and Windows is the same and each change to any other tab or move project page to another screen closes all other opened plugins.
that's what i meant, plugins should be defined "always on top" as standard.

[chico.co.uk]

there is a big mistake with the lock function, as i you can see in Waveform manual on page 178, the lock button should only prevent keyboard shortcut inputs, if the keyboard was used as virtual keyboard for recording and has nothing to do with the plugin gui handling!

The manual does not say that's the **exclusive** function of that lock icon, and it isn't the only use for the lock function.

If you mouse over the lock, in the top right of the gui it says "Locks the properties panel to keep showing the current contents". It's used with floating plugin guis to keep displayed them on screen, if they lose focus, because you clicked on something else. It absolutely is used to control plugin gui handling.

[terrynoakes]

8.1.16 Beta
Don't know if any body else can confirm, editing tools for midi clips sluggish
Tried to enter volume control using pencil tool to alter level in clip.
The line would appear after a few seconds trying to draw different levels difficult, as no immediate visual feedback.
Re installed 8.1.2 and all pencil movement showed as it was being drawn.
Cheers
Win 8.1 64bit 16gb ram

[Hermu]

there is a big mistake with the lock function, as i you can see in Waveform manual on page 178, the lock button should only prevent keyboard shortcut inputs, if the keyboard was used as virtual keyboard for recording and has nothing to do with the plugin gui handling!

The manual does not say that's the **exclusive** function of that lock icon, and it isn't the only use for the lock function.

If you mouse over the lock, in the top right of the gui it says "Locks the properties panel to keep showing the current contents". It's used with floating plugin guis to keep displayed them on screen, if they lose focus, because you clicked on something else. It absolutely is used to control plugin gui handling.

i'm sorry, but the lock function changes only the lock icon and did not realy lock anything, because you can change all current contents in this locked properties panel as with unlock and this is not what everyone would expect from locking. it seems, this feature was never implemented since T5 and only the popup help shows what lock should do.
tested on Windows and MacOs and i have not found any difference between lock and unlock!

[dRowAudio]

there is a big mistake with the lock function, as i you can see in Waveform manual on page 178, the lock button should only prevent keyboard shortcut inputs, if the keyboard was used as virtual keyboard for recording and has nothing to do with the plugin gui handling!

The manual does not say that's the **exclusive** function of that lock icon, and it isn't the only use for the lock function.

If you mouse over the lock, in the top right of the gui it says "Locks the properties panel to keep showing the current contents". It's used with floating plugin guis to keep displayed them on screen, if they lose focus, because you clicked on something else. It absolutely is used to control plugin gui handling.

i'm sorry, but the lock function changes only the lock icon and did not realy lock anything, because you can change all current contents in this locked properties panel as with unlock and this is not what everyone would expect from locking. it seems, this feature was never implemented since T5 and only the popup help shows what lock should do.
tested on Windows and MacOs and i have not found any difference between lock and unlock!

Are you sure about this? I've just tested the Properties Panel lock button and it behaves exactly as it is supposed to. Perhaps you're getting confused between the plugin window lock button and the properties panel lock button? They have completely different functions.

Properties panel lock button:
• Select a item in an Edit e.g. a track, the track's properties are visible in the properties panel
• Click the 'lock' button in the top right hand corner of the properties panel
• This locks the contents of the properties panel so selecting other elements won't change what's shown in the properties panel
• Now select another item in the Edit e.g. a 4-band EQ plugin on a different track
• Notice that the properties panel still shows the originally selected track
• Press the 'lock' button in the properties panel again and the content will change to the currently selected 4-band EQ plugin
(N.B. as chico says, because the properties panel is used to determine whether to show external plugin windows, if you select a VST plugin, show the window then lock the properties panel, because that plugin is still being shown in the properties panel, it's window will remain open even if you select another element).

Plugin window lock button:
• The plugin window lock button is different and distinct from the properties panel
• If you open a plugin window the window will stay open and on top of the Edit until you select another element in the Edit
• If you 'lock' the plugin window, it will stay open, even if you select another element in the Edit
• You can do this with multiple windows and even rack windows to ensure they don't close automatically
• Locking windows basically means they stay open until explicitly closed with the "X" button
• There's an option in the "Plugin" settings to automatically lock all plugin windows
• One caveat to this is that if you change Edits or move to the Project/Settings page, all plugin windows for that Edit will be closed whether locked or not

This is how the lock functionality is supposed to work in Tracktion/Waveform and to the best of my knowledge does so. If you see any deviation from the above please let us know and we'll take a look.