I'll lift the restriction on single use effects modules in the next update and also create a new Multi-FX module so that you can either use them independently or select any effect from one module.
Kirsty
Official Company Forum
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 555 posts since 21 Nov, 2012 from Sitting in front of my PC
Ok.
I'll lift the restriction on single use effects modules in the next update and also create a new Multi-FX module so that you can either use them independently or select any effect from one module.
Kirsty
I'll lift the restriction on single use effects modules in the next update and also create a new Multi-FX module so that you can either use them independently or select any effect from one module.
Kirsty
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 555 posts since 21 Nov, 2012 from Sitting in front of my PC
1.IV! wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:55 pm By the way, every time a new version of SynthCraft is released - which files/folders should I delete and replace, and which ones can I keep?
The easy way is to backup your existing projects and skins.
Install the latest version and then copy back your projects and skins to the correct folders.
2.
In an updated version the following are subject to change...
SynthCraft.exe
SynthCraft.chm
ReadMe.txt
and everything in the resources folder
Kirsty
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- KVRian
- 735 posts since 31 Oct, 2019 from Wonderland
Good afternoon, I'm here again with a few questions and suggestions. In particular, having tinkered with the GUI creation capabilities today:
1) It took me a while to figure out why my custom knobs were displayed on a white background. But it looks like SynthCraft doesn't handle the alpha channel, and the built-in skins just use the same gray color for the elements background as the skin background?
This has certain disadvantages: you can't use images or even just textures as a background, because the elements background will stand out.
My usual approach to GUI would be to draw everything possible on the Background.png and then just put the elements in their place. JKnobMan creates a transparent background around the elements by default. I hope that you will add alpha channel support for the elements, especially since it will not affect the built-in skins in any way.
2) It looks like the skin can only use a limited set of elements right now: two sliders, several knobs and switches, and 6 custom elements. I think it's not enough. Even thinking about making a sequencer with colorful sliders or a Roland Jupiter style UI with its colored buttons.
I would like SynthCraft to be able to use, for example, at least elements named User_1-99, or better 999, if there are no software restrictions for this. It's even better if it can read any element names: it will be more convenient not only at the creation stage, but also when you want to change the skin of an element in an already compiled plugin, if it has the correct names like "OSC1_Env_Slider" or "Filter_3_On_Button".
For example, I just see on the Nakst Regency Skin Template now, and apart from the three sizes, there are about 40-50 different elements for one skin, for a pretty clean and minimalistic modern GUI actually. I mean, the extra slots won't be left idle)
3) It looks like SynthCraft handles elements of any size correctly, but only if height=width, so one frame is a square. It would be great if one day it could work correctly with any proportions. I think this is important for two reasons:
First: this is not a problem when you make all the elements from scratch, but if you want to use one of the 2000+ (mostly) public domain elements from the JKnobMan online library as is or to make your own element based on it, then mostly people don't do it in squares unless it's a knob or LED.
Second: if you want to use sliders or horizontal buttons as a User_element, you won't be able to place them side by side, as the square work area will overlap. I see that some trick is used in horizontal/vertical sliders - the frames are square, but only part of the frame is shown on the GUI. Again, this is only one element of each type and implies that you are drawing the slider with an offset from scratch.
The general wish is that I hope over time you will add the standard and expected functions from GUI elements: reset to the default value when double-clicking left mouse button on it, slow/precise movement with shift + mouse drag, and the ability to display the current value of knob/slider when clicking and dragging on it - for example, instead of the parameter name.
1) It took me a while to figure out why my custom knobs were displayed on a white background. But it looks like SynthCraft doesn't handle the alpha channel, and the built-in skins just use the same gray color for the elements background as the skin background?
This has certain disadvantages: you can't use images or even just textures as a background, because the elements background will stand out.
My usual approach to GUI would be to draw everything possible on the Background.png and then just put the elements in their place. JKnobMan creates a transparent background around the elements by default. I hope that you will add alpha channel support for the elements, especially since it will not affect the built-in skins in any way.
2) It looks like the skin can only use a limited set of elements right now: two sliders, several knobs and switches, and 6 custom elements. I think it's not enough. Even thinking about making a sequencer with colorful sliders or a Roland Jupiter style UI with its colored buttons.
I would like SynthCraft to be able to use, for example, at least elements named User_1-99, or better 999, if there are no software restrictions for this. It's even better if it can read any element names: it will be more convenient not only at the creation stage, but also when you want to change the skin of an element in an already compiled plugin, if it has the correct names like "OSC1_Env_Slider" or "Filter_3_On_Button".
For example, I just see on the Nakst Regency Skin Template now, and apart from the three sizes, there are about 40-50 different elements for one skin, for a pretty clean and minimalistic modern GUI actually. I mean, the extra slots won't be left idle)
3) It looks like SynthCraft handles elements of any size correctly, but only if height=width, so one frame is a square. It would be great if one day it could work correctly with any proportions. I think this is important for two reasons:
First: this is not a problem when you make all the elements from scratch, but if you want to use one of the 2000+ (mostly) public domain elements from the JKnobMan online library as is or to make your own element based on it, then mostly people don't do it in squares unless it's a knob or LED.
Second: if you want to use sliders or horizontal buttons as a User_element, you won't be able to place them side by side, as the square work area will overlap. I see that some trick is used in horizontal/vertical sliders - the frames are square, but only part of the frame is shown on the GUI. Again, this is only one element of each type and implies that you are drawing the slider with an offset from scratch.
The general wish is that I hope over time you will add the standard and expected functions from GUI elements: reset to the default value when double-clicking left mouse button on it, slow/precise movement with shift + mouse drag, and the ability to display the current value of knob/slider when clicking and dragging on it - for example, instead of the parameter name.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 555 posts since 21 Nov, 2012 from Sitting in front of my PC
Hi Iv!
These are all good points and most of them are already on my todo list.
1. Creating a transparent parameter background generally requires a 'mask' image although it is possible for SynthCraft to create one internally in code. I'll look into it for a future update.
2. I chose a limit of 16 parameter Gui elements so that when I eventually add an option to embed the graphics in the plugin the file size does not get too big.
3. I chose square (width = height) parameter strips so that we don't need to supply a text file to define the parameter strip dimensions. SynthCraft simply calculates it internally. I have an interesting idea to allow size manipulation directly from the parameter properties window. More on this later
...
Creating your own complex background externally in your favorite paint program is probably the best option.
I have been experimenting with GPU accelerated graphics using Dear ImgGui to render both SynthCrafts development enviroment and the final plugin Gui. In tests I can render a complex knob with full alpha blending, animation and layering on my (some would say old AMD Ryzen 7 5700g) iGPU at a ridiculous 1864fps. This should prove more than enough for large complex plugin GUIs in future.
Thanks for your feedback.
SynthCraft is constantly evolving.
Regards
Kirsty
These are all good points and most of them are already on my todo list.
1. Creating a transparent parameter background generally requires a 'mask' image although it is possible for SynthCraft to create one internally in code. I'll look into it for a future update.
2. I chose a limit of 16 parameter Gui elements so that when I eventually add an option to embed the graphics in the plugin the file size does not get too big.
3. I chose square (width = height) parameter strips so that we don't need to supply a text file to define the parameter strip dimensions. SynthCraft simply calculates it internally. I have an interesting idea to allow size manipulation directly from the parameter properties window. More on this later
...
Creating your own complex background externally in your favorite paint program is probably the best option.
I have been experimenting with GPU accelerated graphics using Dear ImgGui to render both SynthCrafts development enviroment and the final plugin Gui. In tests I can render a complex knob with full alpha blending, animation and layering on my (some would say old AMD Ryzen 7 5700g) iGPU at a ridiculous 1864fps. This should prove more than enough for large complex plugin GUIs in future.
Thanks for your feedback.
SynthCraft is constantly evolving.
Regards
Kirsty