Nodes & wires color

The possibility to change nodes and wires color would realy help in the logical organization of the patch.
In a very complex system it’s important to easily see the different data fluxes.
it’s not an aesthetic wish. …not only :)

doc

i tend to use CTRL+H (Hide on Lock) on nodes and links which are not so important for the dataflow.
and note that there is another way to hide links!!

but somehow i agree with you.
and for sure lots of other users.

I’d like a visual information if any link is framedelayed.

yes kalle, I know CTRL+H (and I use it A LOT).
But I think is not enough: when you have to manage more then 2 kind of data (example: logic tag, position, croma, ecc) it’s realy hard! :(

I think colors could realy help organizing the patch and recognizing the data flows.

the dtd has an attribute “color” for the links. didn’t get managed to use this though.
and the patch “bgcolor” attribute
*which never was in the dtd
*which i found by accident
*which is still written into patch when using shortcut CTRL+6 or CTRL+6
doesn’t work anymore.

buäääh :(

yes this would be great, definetly!

I have to agree, I really like this idea for visual organization and have thought about it often.

it wouldn’t even need to be accessible via the interface. just make it an optional xml-attribute so the hacking can commence ;)

in fact there IS an xml attribute for links. but how to use?

it could also just be a keyboard shotcut… select nodes then ctrl+alt+number, 9 different colors. But yeah, I guess if the option was there a patch could be hacked :)

meinen senf dazu - I wana have that too :)

personally i would vote including for dash-styles, wave-styles and line thicknesses rather than color;

BUT can there be an standardized semantics of visual attributes in a graphical programming language? similar to indentation patterns in conventional languages? like there is e.g. in engineering drawings or electrical circuit drawings

is it actually important to modify the lines? or the pins? are additional graphical elements needed?

or is a patch who would really gain from colors too unstructured anyway?

can the layout be automated? or does every style of algorithms lead to a different usage of colors? or can there be a generalized one obvious way to do it? or is it cool to dont have a automated standardized way of doing it (as we have e.g. with the uestion of where to put a node?

sounds like an very intersting research topic.

some times ago i was working on a developpement software :
scope DP (by creamware …now known as soniccore)
the environment was quite the same as vvvv (boxes and wires…)
the main difference was the graphic side …
in this soft (and other like reaktor) you have dual environments
Dev side / graphic side …
for example you can create a GUI for each module and then combine/group them in one big interface…
but it’s cpu / gpu consumming
and i’m shure …here…everybody want to keep his cpu headroom :)

perhaps the good innovations in audio softs last years
were more about "how to control "and “what we need to control”…

for example the Clavia Nord Modular software was the first to introduce Macro’s concept (groups) identified by Colors!!!
this feature allow to “link” with defined ranges (min/max)
many parameteres to one knob(the macro knob) on the main interface (all the childs take the parent knob color with the range indicator )
the Macro/group function allow at least to know where the importants parameters are…
Ableton Live (since V6) also use Macro concept…combined
to the novation software “automap”( a transparent splash screen
with knobs that come over the main app)it’s quite easy & effective.

but have to admit that even with colors my vvvv patches
will always remain messy…as a child i always forgot to tidy up my room :)

Reading about this makro knob just gave me an idea:

What about you make a makro knob (with switch or what ever) and change visibitliy of nodes in patch (set/getpatch) instantly.
You turn Vvvv to locked mode, which let you hide all hidden lines nodes etc. (Can you turn lcok mode on/off by Setpatch?)
With this makro knob you can turn on/off specific nodes, node regions or data lines by setting all others to invisible hidden mode.
Before hand you mark them with ids inside xml-structure or may be some automated way of detecting.
Still there’s the problem of not being able to scroll the patch if its in locked mode. But may be you can scroll with some workaround patching.
What you guys think about this?

Can you turn lcok mode on/off by Setpatch ?

Yes, it is.

This idea sounds like a nice alternative but can be a little bit complex for huge patches.

LockUnlock.v4p (8.0 kB)

Yes, its just a workaround…
But I found in DTD a color attribute for connections. Couldnt figure out how to use though.

Yup kalle mentionned some times ago doesn’t seems to be active atm.

doesn’t seems to be active atm

you think of that color ATTRIBUTE of the link ELEMENTin the DTD?
or you think fo me?

in both cases you are right. was travelling for >1 week now. 208 new posts! sic…

MAYBE SOME OF THE DEVVVVS LIKE TO EXPLAIN THE USAGE OF THE COLOR ATRRIBUTE OF THE LINK ELEMENT MENTIONED IN VVVV’s DTD.

oh…capslock…capshock…

you think of that color ATTRIBUTE of the link ELEMENTin the DTD?

I tought about the color ATTRIBUTE of the link ELEMENT !

was travelling for >1 week now. 208 new posts! sic…

Yup, vvvvorum is getting faster and faster.