Pixel Editor Usability Enhancements

[Scott Tuthill]

I have started spending a bunch of time with Pixel Editor. It is a really wonderful application still in its infancy. But, it already is giving me hope that I can manage the additions to my show this year without having to individually sequence 300 separate RGB channels.

 

Based on my time so far I do have some suggestions to speed up and improve the sequencing process:

• It would be nice to have the Timings of a cell read out when the cursor is hovered over it -- as in the Sequence Editor proper. This makes it much easier to coordinate the start & stop time of effects across props. In my case I am trying to coordinate the timing of effects sequenced in Sequence Editor with those in Pixel Editor. Additionally, in the Sequence Editor, with a wave form displayed when you move the cursor across the cells a vertical line/ time marker moves through the wave form. Having the same thing in Pixel Editor would also be very helpful.

Overall the idea of Favorites is fantastic. Because there are so much flexibility and choices in the Effects Generator having the ability to define pre-set Favorites really enhances usability. You will quickly find Favorites to be an indispensable tool giving common names to the detailed combinations of effect and settings. With that said, there are a few enhancements that would make Favorites even better.

• In the Pixel Editor if you have selected a pre-defined Favorite Effect it would be nice to have the Favorite Name appear in the window below "Effect Generator" rather than the effect's detailed technical description. The goal with Favorites is to not have to know the technical description.

• One thing that quickly gets old is having to launch the Effect Generator, chose an effect (Favorite or otherwise), close the Effect Generator, and then apply it in the Pixel Editor. What would be wonderful is to be able to select pre-defined Favorite Effects right from the Pixel Editor Screen.

• Though less important than the previous two, an ability to re-order effect names and folders in the Favorites area would helpful. It looks like you can drag and drop one folder into another, but that is about it. Unless I am missing something.

Finally, though not really a usability comment, but more of a heads up. At one point I tried to copy a effect application from the "Non-Pixel Editor Sequenced" area up into the "Pixel Editor Sequenced" area. Thinking this would be a good way to coordinate timing. The hope being that the existing timing in the already sequenced props would apply with the selected effect to the new "Pixel Editor Sequenced" props. That managed to crash the program. So, don't do that.

 

Scott

[MattBrown]

Wow Scott! Thank you for the great feedback -- written in a way that is actionable.

 

"It would be nice to have the Timings of a cell read out when the cursor is hovered over it -- as in the Sequence Editor proper."

 

This will be in the next release - coming very soon.

 

I agree with the other 3 bullet points, and will put them on my "to do" list.

 

"At one point I tried to copy a effect application from the "Non-Pixel Editor Sequenced" area up into the "Pixel Editor Sequenced" area. Thinking this would be a good way to coordinate timing. The hope being that the existing timing in the already sequenced props would apply with the selected effect to the new "Pixel Editor Sequenced" props. That managed to crash the program."

 

You should be able to do this -- it works in the testing I have done. Maybe you could send me a PM with the specific example.

 

Good luck sequencing! 

 

Matt

[Scott Tuthill]

Matt -- thanks for the consideration and will try to replicate the Copy and Paste crash. If successful -- will send you a PM.

 

Scott

[MattBrown]

A couple of additional comments...

 

"One thing that quickly gets old is having to launch the Effect Generator, chose an effect (Favorite or otherwise), close the Effect Generator, and then apply it in the Pixel Editor."

 

Note that you can make any one of the thumbnails displayed in the upper left window the current effect just by clicking on it. You can also drag a thumbnail directly onto the sequence grid. Also, clicking on a cell in the sequence grid with an effect already in it makes that effect the current effect. So there are some ways to avoid going to the Effect Generator every time. But I agree that favorites could be made more accessible.

 

"Though less important than the previous two, an ability to re-order effect names and folders in the Favorites area would helpful. It looks like you can drag and drop one folder into another, but that is about it."

 

Favorites can be re-ordered by dragging any favorite onto it's parent folder. This will move the favorite to the end of the list. So you just have to think about in reverse; i.e., which favorites do you want at the bottom of the list?

 

Hope that helps,

 

Matt

[MattBrown]

"It would be nice to have the Timings of a cell read out when the cursor is hovered over it -- as in the Sequence Editor proper."

 

"In the Pixel Editor if you have selected a pre-defined Favorite Effect it would be nice to have the Favorite Name appear in the window below "Effect Generator" rather than the effect's detailed technical description."

 

These are both in the 4.2.6 release - available today.

 

"Though less important than the previous two, an ability to re-order effect names and folders in the Favorites area would helpful. It looks like you can drag and drop one folder into another, but that is about it."

 

Although I mentioned how to do this in the previous post, it is now mentioned in the help contents in 4.2.6 under Pixel Editor > Effect Generator > Favorites. 

 

Matt

[Scott Tuthill]

Thanks -- 4.2.6 looks great. I am glad you thought my ideas were useful to others. And, yes, now I understand how to re-order Favorites. Your explanation was just fine. Have a PM I am sending you on the program crash I saw before.

 

Scott