[Denemo-devel] menus, commands, and user ease of use. And other things....

[alex stone]

I'm having somewhat of a deep think about the menu and command structure.

Before i go through the list i ask is it possible to assign commands
outside of the current pre-determined menu structure?
I mention this because i get the following messages in a terminal:

 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Calling the file loader with
/usr/share/denemo/actions/menus/ObjectMenu/Directives/

** (denemo:31371): WARNING **: Cannot place DeleteDynamic after
MezzoForte as requested,
because I haven't seen MezzoForte yet
To fix this delete the DeleteDynamic command save the command set,
Quit and restart Denemo
Then re-install DeleteDynamic by right clicking on the MezzoForte item
and choosing More Commands
And finally saving command set again
About to load from
/usr/share/denemo/actions/menus/ObjectMenu/Markings/TextMarks/Dynamic
Markings/init.scm
going for 3 for 0
Calling the file loader with
/usr/share/denemo/actions/menus/ObjectMenu/Markings/TextMarks/Dynamic
Markings/

** (denemo:31371): WARNING **: Cannot place Forte after Fortissimo as requested,
because I haven't seen Fortissimo yet
To fix this delete the Forte command save the command set,
Quit and restart Denemo
Then re-install Forte by right clicking on the Fortissimo item
and choosing More Commands
And finally saving command set again

------------------------------------------------------------------

That tells me i have to load commands in a pre-defined order, and
within a certain menu, and so on. That's ok i guess, but if i want to
do the following, it seems i can't :

Example.

Dynamics (user defined menu heading)

forte
fortissimo
mezzoforte
mezzopiano
pianissimo
piano
start crescendo
end crescendo
start diminuendo
end diminuendo
delete dynamic

This makes sense to me, but i can't seem to add the cresc/dim commands
to a dynamics menu, in this format, with a menu listing on the menu
bar as simply "Dynamics".

My suggestion, if it's indeed possible to do this, is to have, as well
as the pre-defined menus and commands, a "central" repository in the
programme, where all commands are listed, outside of a menu structure.
The user then adds a new menu and names it, to his preference, and it
appears in the menu bar. The user then populates his defined menu with
the commands he or she wants, and this is saved as part of the user's
command set. It won't take long to build a commandset profile that the
user is entirely familiar with, and puts the lesser used commands, the
bindings of which may be forgotten for lack of regular use, in menus
the user can understand and navigate. We don't all work the same way,
and i see this as a positive step forward for each user in his or own
workflow wishes, making Denemo even more accessible and easy to use
for more users.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A gentle reminder of both Nils' and I wish to have a global all notes
off function added to playback STOP. I'm getting hanging notes here
for every stop that doesn't involve letting the piece play through to
it's current end. This is quite important, imho, as the current state
is curtailing momentum in writing, with the back to start, all the way
to the end, playback model.

Can i add that it would be useful to have playback recommence from
where we stopped it, and the ability to back the cursor up a few notes
and run playback again, continuing on further into the piece? I'm
getting into 30 and 40 bars, and it's a long run back and forth to
edit, listen to a particular phrase, etc..

My suggestion for this is the current Denemo cursor as a "defined
point", so where the cursor resides is where the playback commences
from. This takes care of most scenarios of use, imho.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The new midi input is terrific and works well. (Jack only linux build)
Can i ask that we have the option to have this on by default when
Denemo starts? I have a lot of ports to handle, and do so from a
script which connects everything automatically. Like Denemo's brand
new Jackmidi framework, where ports are persistent at startup, having
the input port do the same means it's scriptable in a executable for
port assignment. Currently this port appears only when we select midi
input, and so must be connected manually, after the event.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The crescendo and dim hairpins appear above the bar when inputted in
denemo (score) view. Is there a code based requirement for this, or
can we change this behaviour to have the hairpins placed below the
bar, when they're created, in Denemo score view?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's about it for now.

I'll keep testing and evaluating, and see what else springs up.

Alex.


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