Subject: Re: [ecasound] extending the C-API design
From: Kai Vehmanen (k@eca.cx)
Date: Sun Nov 26 2000 - 21:04:04 EET
On Wed, 8 Nov 2000, janne halttunen wrote:
> Even more usable format would be: (thinking in python)
> - name (string)
...and a description. All ecasound objects provide at least name() and
description(). In many cases they are the same (I've been lazy ;)).
> - effect identifier (string?)
This actually belongs to the object maps. An object map is basically
a dictionary/map of objects and id-strings. As an example, when
libecasound is initialized, object of class EFFECT_LOWPASS
is assigned to id-string "efl". This is done in
'libecasound/eca-static-object-maps.cpp'. You can do lookups in
both directions ("efl" -> EFFECT_LOWPASS instance, E_L instance ->
"efl").
> - number of parameters (int)
> - list of parameters (list of strings)
>>> s = ["gain-%","feedback-%"]
>>> len(s)
2
:) yup, I've been reading some Python tutorials. :)
> - list of parameter hint ranges, if available (list of lists of numbers (float?))
This is something that is about to change soon. The current scheme
(low-hint + high-hint) is more of a quick hack. I'm probably going to
imitate the LADSPA hint properties (so I can map LADSPA hints 1:1 to
ecasound hints). So you'd have something like:
// whether lower bound exists + the actual bound value
pair<bool,parameter_type> lower_bound
// same as lower bound
pair<bool,parameter_type> upper_bound
// true if parameter is a toggle: enabled when parameter
// value non-zero (example: toggle reverb surround-mode)
bool is_toggled
// true if parameter should be treated as integer (example:
// number of delays)
bool is_integer
// true, if logarithmic adjustments are more natural
// (example: amplify-gain in dB)
bool is_logarithmic
// parameter refers to 'value * sample_rate' (example:
// filter cutoff parameters)
bool is_sample_rate_multiplier
Using these hints, it should be possible to generate a pretty
usable user-inteface for any ecasound effect (including LADSPA plugins).
There's been much discussion about these on LAD recently, but I think the
above hints are still a pretty good compromise. I might also add a
string description to the hints, so you could add a longer explanation to
some complicated parameter.
> there could be a short verbal description of the effect..? (or some
> other general info)
description() is meant just for this. Someone just needs to write the
descriptions. :)
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