Feature Request - Plug In architecture

[Tim Fischer]

I'd like to see LOR support a plug-in architecture for generating effects.  This would allow technical users to write/compile their own plug-ins, and use provided/documented LOR API routines to generate channels/tracks/events/etc. 

Basically it would allow most of BobO's stand-alone software (which writes out files or clipboards) to work within LOR.  It would also allow folks to do such things as write plug-ins which generated moving-head (DMX) effects, different VU-meter-type effects, etc.  Basically stuff that we'd like to see in LOR proper but LOR hasn't had time to add yet.

I suspect many of these things could be written by the community at large and would be given away for free or next-to-it.

Can I get an "Amen"?  LOL.

 

[zeighty]

I second this motion. I am Apple (Mac) centric and though I wouldn't "crossover" to Windows, this old dog may learn a new trick or two. 

 

What is LOR s/w written in, .net or VB...???

[rwertz]

I'd be excited if we could just pass stuff to and from LOR using the PC clipboard. I'm constantly passing data to my programs at work using comma and tab delimited text on the clipboard (for LOR it might be easier to use XML format or binary). I tried playing with the clipboard feature (file) in LOR 2.9.4 and never found a benefit to it. I'd rather save dummy sequence files to export the data and manipulate it.

[Tim Fischer]

I've gotten pretty good at "hacking" the file format.  Last year I blew up 36 standard channels into 1536 RGB channels (4680 actual channels), retaining all the original programming and also placing them into a number of different groups and tracks.  I have subroutines to create channels, RGB channels, groups, tracks, and massage channel info.  So far I haven't had to muck with actual event data (other than copy it from channel to channel) but I know how to do that too. 

The problem with this approach is it's batch oriented::  I have to save the file out of LOR, run a custom script, and re-load it.  Alternatively I could write out a clipboard file (which are very similar in format) and load that in LOR. 

It would be way cooler if I could write a plug-in that could be called right within LOR.  I can picture selecting a cell, going into a "plug-ins" menu, selecting my "generate Tim's cool effect" plug-in, and voila- it would be entered right into my sequence.  And I could select another cell and do it again.

I have about 100 things right off the top of my head I would write plug-ins to do:  Imagine something like a "change intensities" plug-in which takes the selected area and changes anything with intensity 'X' and replaces it with intensity 'y'.  Or scales everything back 25%.  Or takes an RGB channel and changes it from red to blue, in all events including fades, shimmers, etc.  Or a custom VU meter plug-in that looks at an audio file and generates the VU right into the sequence.

Etc.

 

It would be cool.

[Tim Fischer]

I didn't get much of an "amen", lol.  I guess this feature is too geeky for most people's needs lol.

Although I figure that almost everyone could benefit it if a number of folks (including me) created free plug-ins to use with LOR.

[htmagic]

Well I'm a first year newbie but what you're talking about sounds like it would call a subroutine where you could call in your own sequences or special effects.

I think that would be cool and expand the capabilities of the LOR and its software.

 

How hard would it be to make a software change that would allows these "hooks"?

Like I said, I'm a newbie but I could see a bunch of opportunities for the community to give back to LOR (and do some of its programming for "free").

 

Amen, brother, amen!

You have my vote!

[basis21b]

AMEN!!

[ItsMeBobO]

lets do it !