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OSCar taking multiple xml formatting files?

OSCar
#1

Hi Thibaut!

How high on your to-do list is it making OSCar taking multiple xml formatting files? :slight_smile:

For your information: I find OSCar very useful in a setup with Reaper and Panoramix, where the global formatting file is fine. But there could be other uses of OSCar where individual formatting files would be better. For instance when targeting many different Modalys Instruments (in Max) with many different parameter layouts and many different parameter ranges. Yes, Reaper itself can send OSC so what’s the issue? Well, OSC values from Reaper are always normalised to [0,1] which makes it hard to set exact values from envelope panes in Reaper. OSCar sends actual values directly (avoiding subsequent scaling and aiding in setting values correct from the sender). Also there is no such thing as the instance ID, which is immensely useful to distinguish parameter targets.

OSCar is made such that it could be a general production tool for many different targets other than Spat. Multiple formatting files is the only thing missing. I hope you see my point, and will nudge up this request.

Kindly Hans Peter

1 Like
#2

Hello Hans Peter,

Unfortunately that is not on the todo-list.
ToscA, the predecessor of OSCar used to support multiple formatting files. Which was useful (as you can imagine), but also was quite problematic for a number of reasons
(for proper configuration of the plugin, the DAW needs to know which parameters are exposed when the plugins are loaded/instantiated – so loading multiple formatting files “on the fly” was quite hacky and not working so well on certain DAWs)

So, unfortunately, OSCar is using a single, hard-coded, configuration file.
If you want to change configuration, you’d need to manually replace this file, and restart your DAW.
I know it’s not 100% user friendly. But that’s the only viable way to workaround the constraints of the DAWs.

Sorry about that.
Best,
T.

#3

Hi Thibaut!

Thanks for replying, good to know, though not what I had hoped for :thinking:

However, just for your information, I found a workaround in Reaper to make Reaper transmit raw (unnormalised) OSC-values. Go edit the OSC pattern config file called “default.ReaperOSC” (found via Options menu and “Show REAPER ressource path …” command, look in the OSC folder). Add the line:

FX_PARAM_VALUE s/fxparam/@/string s/fx/@/fxparam/@/string s/track/@/fx/@/fxparam/@/string

This makes (automated) FX parameter faders send out OSC messages that can be retrieved in Max (on the matching port). Subsequently values can be mapped directly to fx Modalys without rescaling.

So that gives some sort of solution. Though named parameters (like in OSCar) are not possible. One has to keep track of which fader in which FX on which track. Well, that’s life?

Kindly Hans Peter

#4

Hello Hans Peter,

Thanks for sharing the info. That is quite useful.
(maybe, at some point, OSCar will not be needed anymore, and the DAWs will have all the necessary features!)

Best,
T.