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I want to use this thread for posting suggestions for only Mamba Black.
Not for reporting bugs, only new features, great ideas, freaky menus and other splashing things to make this software better and better than it is now :)
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First, is it possible to add a function that will select ALL scenes?
Like Rob wrote in his post http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...ead.php?t=3811 we can glue two seperate shows together using copy-paste of all scenes. But when you have more than 8 tracks (with effects), it is not possible to copy all scenes in one time.
Also, if the show is not exactly synchrone to the music, its sometime usefull to 'shift' all the scenes a bit to the left or right on the timeline...
Second, is it possible to add a button that will give a real grid in the draw editor?
Its more easy than to create nice figures...
Third, is it possible to add a function that will give a countdown clock instead of the clock its in Mamba now?
This can be very nice during newyears eve or at the beginning of a show...
Audrey
I agree with ALL of your suggestions but you may regret askin' (or OldGrumpy may hate you for suggesting this thread) as I could write a page or more of things I would like....this could be a long thread.
Heres are a couple to begin with....
1 Better frame editing tools - flip rotate object etc
2 Click on left side of geo rotation wheels jumps in increments of -90 click on right jumps in increments of +90 (as is the case already) cos its bloody impossible to set values accurately with the mouse.
3 Also have these wheels scroll with mouse scroller.
4 Abstracts.
5 Custom Pallete to load on start up - its possible to save and load but it would be easier if you could definfe yours as default.
6 when select to recolour a scene the eyedropper button should automatically push on. Now you have to select 'use colour' then click 'eyedropper' then select the colour - why the extra step?
7 Remove colour morph with a single click - as you can add it with just one but only remove with 6 clicks (3 right clicks + 3 left clicks).
8 Allow scrolling text to auto resize to fit the text input and font size. This was a nightmare for me the other night when I used this in the field. Resizing manually caused longer delays than was needed between messages.
9 Maybe have vertical scrolling text as an option....
10 Allow you to shift the music start point. At the moment your show will start when the music does - it would be good to be able to delay the music to display text or other effects before the music begins. To do this now you need to edit the wav or MP3 file and put in how ever many seconds of silence you need.
Ok theres just 10 off the top of my head - Im sure I will post some more later :)
Rob
Nah, no hate here, I appreciate it :) Saves me writing dozens of todo lists :D
here are a few more - mostly to do with what I think are sortcomings with the implementation of effects track items
1 - a colour balance setting would be good - so when colours are on together they match for balance but if a single colour is on it ignores the balance and goes to max. In DPSS lasers often green is much brighter than the others - this setting would allow green to be backed off for great balance without sacrificing its impact when running alone.
2 - Sliders that appear with effects should be able to adjust with keyboard or mouse scroll not just click n drag.
3 - a recolour effect would be useful so you could recolour a scene in the normal way buy overide it for some or all or the scene length with an effect.
4 - allow sines to act in horzontal or vertical modes.
5 - have a triangle wave effect.
6 - have an optional context menu selection that allows a scene to automatically resize to match the scene its under. Sometimes its a faf timing them both to match.
7 - Individual colour shift functions to allow matching of different DPSS lasers - as it stands blue often lags green which lags red 1 shift is not enough
8 - When you click to zoom into the timeline the cursor position or selected scene should be the centre of the zoom - as it stands you can easily loose where you are.
9 - Maybe have a zoom whole show, zoom selected scene, or zoom to markers option.
Damn nearly made 10 :)....but not quite
Rob
Why not have an audio track below the scene tracks. That way you could add multiple audio files and handle them just as easy as the scenes. No need for any fancy stuff just an offset for the sound on the timeline.Quote:
Originally Posted by stanwax
It would be nice with a crossfade and the like for the audio files but thats a bit far off.
And:
-A preview window at full screen! (just like the 'other' software....:p)
-Extra button next to the loop button: Loop backwards!
-Flash rate not only in 1/25 seconds but also in beat per minutes BPM.
Sorry Andre. We hope theise suggestions will not give you any stress in your job. Just pick the best items for the next version. :D
Re-posted here as suggested:-
Can sound to light be done in Mamba, for synchronizing beam changes? i.e play a series of made frames and the frames only change on adjustable beat times?
I can sort of do this in Freestyler using DMX control be it only with pre-programmed patterns within my DMX board and using the sound to light function within the Freestyler program. It works very well but unfortunately only with the pre-programmed stuff.
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I will try and get a video done of what I can acheive in FS and post a link on here. It does look good :)
answered in the other thread :)
Rob
Would a sound to light feature be difficult to add Andre?
Freestyler uses your soundcard to give an adjustable bargraph with an adjustable setpoint within the bargraph. Each time a 'beat' hits the setpoint it alters a random DMX value within a 0-255 value that in turn alters the pattern projected.
Could MB have such a feature where the bargraph setpoint alters frames, effects, scenes etc etc predetermined by the users choice?
I believe this would be a great feature and would make beam show design so much easier.
I have tried the Winamp visualisation thing and just could not get it to work :(
what you are asking for sounds just like the sound to laser feature in Pangolin LivePro (though im sure it has a better real name than that!). With that you have a number of channels (different frequencies across the audio range) and you set the trigger point. Its - as one would expect - awesome powerful and very well exceuted.
Rob
Yes, that's what I'm asking Peter Mayer (ML) a few years ago also. :rolleyes:
That would be cool if you want to give a lasershow 'realtime' next to the DJ. This can only be done with Live, because you do not know that the DJ is playing next. There is no thime to 'program' a lasershow to his next song...
But I had a sollution with hardware :):
I had build a board with R-C filters that could split the DJ music into parts (bandwidths.) These outputs are TTL levels and connected to optocouplers. Each opto is connected to the wires of a different key of my PC keyboard.
Another small board filtered the beat(rate) of the music realtime, a so called BPM-indicator. This is the trigger for the optocouplers to switch to another scene.
Ofcourse you have to assign scenes to all the keyboard keys and everything works fine.
For less than 20 Euro's (15 pounds ??) I had made my AutoPilot. :)
Grz,
Audrey
Nice 1 Audrey that sounds mega!
Rob
Hello!
My small list is:
1: In the Show editor a Move effect (x,y,z) would be good, which move frame automatically from left to right and back. It could be a checkbox to on/off.
2: Loading predefined color morphs in Show editor to use special color settings not only rainbow
3: A Show player would be good to create a show list to play more than one show automatically.
4: Image masking on scenes.
Whiteg
and add:
- A button for switch off the pc monitor. Very pleasant during show programming :o
- A speedbutton for New Frame. This can be easy added, because there is space left on top of the speedbutton New Show.
- The settings of the Parallel Output Settings are found in the menu Settings > Color Settings > Settings. Why is it in that window? It should be found in the menu Settings > Output Settings. :eek:
Greetings,
Audrey
This is something that is achievable now though its more long winded than a singe effect you can do it over a couple of scenes so I doubt that this would be a high priority addition - but we can ask :)Quote:
Originally Posted by whiteg
I assume that you mean to easly morph between say yellow and blue rather than going through a full colour morph (rainbowing through all the colours). If so this too is possible though I dont think the colour wheels that are provided are very intuitive to use - frankly they are a PIA :)Quote:
Originally Posted by whiteg
I second this too - a standalone player would be mega especially if you could define breaks between the shows so they dont all just run end to end - unless you wanted them to.Quote:
Originally Posted by whiteg
Though this comes into its own for graphics shows that Im not really that much into I agree this would be a useful and cool feature.Quote:
Originally Posted by whiteg
[/QUOTE]
Rob
Audrey there is a dispaly dimming feature on the way - I have tried it in one of the v1.8 beta versions I tested for OG its very cool and dimms the monitor as soon as you hit play - any click will put the screen back to full brightness. I was hoping we would see this as a 'new' function in v1.9 but someone at ML decided we cant have it yet :(Quote:
Originally Posted by MambaFreak
And for copy/paste delete frame - thereis plenty of space for new useful buttons :)Quote:
Originally Posted by MambaFreak
Yes I agree this is in a silly place though I dont use PP output any longer its still not logicalQuote:
Originally Posted by MambaFreak
Rob
Quote:
Originally Posted by stanwax
Beta versions?? :eek: Lucky you !!
Tell me your secret! Sending Xmas cards to ML every year? ;)
Maybe that's a good idea. First bring out any new version for people who are using Mamba very often before a real release :):)
That will make the list of bugs shorter :p
.
no xmas card - my secret is simple - Im just sad and sit in fromt of my computer every day playing with mamba and sending error report to Andre (though there are less these days) - so now he feels sorry for the nerd Rob :)Quote:
Originally Posted by MambaFreak
Rob
Mmmm, poor Rob. :rolleyes:
I wish our distance was a little bit smaller, but the North sea seperates us...
It would be nice if I could play with your dongle and you could play with my speed buttons. :D:D
Xx Audrey
as we say in England - Fnarr fnarr :)
I think I need to go and have a lie down! :)
Rob
Gosh - I have a little lump :)
How about selectable/lockable slider controls especially in the UGC section - for example the 'scale' sliders?
Still would love to see Sound To Light really as this would be such a boon!
OR a decent 'working' tie in with WMPlayer or Winamp visualisations.
Are there any schematics floating around Audrey for your Autopilot system or was it a complete home build? Sounds interesting anyway ;)
She could always bring it along to the next UK meet and demonstrate it to us all - the north sea isnt that big to cross for a mega laser day is it?
Rob
Define 'IT' please Rob :)
Good idea - It's in August Audrey ;)
why her super live mamba player stuff of course.
Rob
One more suggestion for the pot - When in Live Player could it be made so it can be full screen and not just a small area within the Mamba backdrop?
Maybe be able to minimize and maximize?
Jim
One more suggestion: a preview would be good in open dialog of frames.
Whiteg
Rob or Audrey or anyone in the know, for that matter... Do these suggestion get read by the relevant people?
Do they ever get implemented?
Jim
Yes
Andre Tertling is employed by Medialas to develop Mamba he is a member here - OldGrumpy. Andre joined PL very soon after being contracted to ML and right away was asking what we want to see and do with the application. So he is very open to suggestions and is very interested in what we the users want. There are two problems however, one is that he has an long list of bugs/faults to sort out before he gets to the wishlists of us users but worst of all, its not Andre who has the ultimate say in what goes in and what doesnt. That is the realm of the ML management - so its really them he needs to convince on our behalf!
If you want proof that they do listen - I moaned like an old fart about how much I hated the ML splash screen that shows on start up. When this was introduced the prog was still very crashy and everytime you had to restart Mamba after a crash you had to wait for the logo to come and go. Andre put a tick box in to disable the splash screen and listed it in the changelog file with a little smiley for me - take a look. I know this isnt a big thing but its proof they are listening, all we can do is shout louder to make sure thay listen to the right things from us.
Rob
I've just been trolling around YouTube after looking at Stanwax's new creations, and found this. It's a DMX laser projector using it's pre-programmed patterns linked up to PC running Freestyler set to sound to light mode. Only limitations being you are governed by the preloaded patterns as to what beams you project. still looks darn good though :)
This is the sort of thing I was suggesting Mamba to be able to do but using user creatable and definable patterns....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHsBT...eature=related
Did a quick video of Freestyler running the DMX graphics card via Sound to Light on the RGB today. Admitidly it was in daylight which numbed things a bit but you can get the jist of what I am trying to show :)
If Mamba could do something similar, re-sound to light control, then I would die a very very happy man :)
http://mysite.orange.co.uk/smogthemog/RGB.wmv
or woman ;)
Saving a Releaseable Show this is already existing, Mamba will not give a message box for Overwrite File or Cancel.
It just overwrites the first show. :(
Is it possible to implement a warning box for this?
A.
Another small suggestion:
If you save a show, Mamba stores the name (and folder) of the audio file in the XMB file.
If you open that show, Mamba will search for that music.
If the audio file is not in it's folder anymore for any reason, Mamba will come up with the message "Mamba could not find the specified show music file. Please load it manually."
It would be nice if the software also mention the name of the music file that its looking for. :)
In that way it's easier to search for the file on your pc.
I think this should be easy to implement...
A.
It would be good if the software can save show as "video". (i.e. animated gif or any preview format)
Another suggestion:
If I can scrolling the frame list with the wheel of mouse, I will be happy.:)
Whiteg
There seems lots of things missing as far as scrolling with the mouse wheel is concerned, and what is there is a bit erratic. I pointed out some problems with various sliders and their odd behaviour with the mouse wheel to OG and these were addressed in the last release but there is still more to do. As I have stated previously I would like the geo rotational wheels - and the colour wheels to move with the mouse scroller - this would be a great help, as setting them as you do now is a nightmare unless you want 90, 180, 270, 360.Quote:
Originally Posted by whiteg
Rob
Small suggestion:
If you have opened a lot of frames, it's not quite visible to see which frame is the current one. The colors of the tabulators on top of the frame editor are all the same.
Is it possible to give this tab a different color?
This would be great !!!!!!!!
I agree with you. Simetimes I think that a numericupdown control would be good next to wheels and trackbars to set the correct value. I know that's not so nice on a graphical interface, but easy to use.Quote:
Originally Posted by stanwax
And in the far future :):
- abstract generator
- variable size of frames in the frame list. I mean, there would be good two choices: a bigger and the actual size of frames.
Whiteg
I tell you what would be just fantastic - the ability to assign ANY slider or rotary control in Mamba to a MIDI channel as you can already with some parameters within the Live Player.
This would make everything SO much easier.
I have two Behringer MIDI controllers, the BCF2000 (with motorized faders :cool:) and the BCR2000 (I also use them to control a synthesizer). It would be great if you could use these to alter Mamba parameters - SO much easier than using your mouse!
http://www.behringer.com/BCF2000/index.cfm
http://www.behringer.com/BCR2000/index.cfm
Hi Smog,
YES, I know these BCF2000 and BCR2000 MIDI controllers. They are very nice to work with :)
Because they are not cheap, I decided two years ago to make the myself.
For less than 40 Euro's, a friend of mine took the solder iron and made my first Sony, ehhhh MIDI for me. See pictures below.
I also attached the circuit for this thing. It's written in Dutch, but the symbols are international I think ;). As you can see, the circuit is very simple too.
OK, it doesn't look like the BCF2000 and BCR2000, but for a Beginner in Laserland it was good enough. The 8 knobs can be assigned to one of the controlls (scanspeed, color change, size, position, ...) but I don't like the way of the displayed scenes in Live Player. I mean, you have to know what is 'stored' under each keyboard key. It would be nice if Mamba's LivePlayer displays the scenes like a moving picture. For that I'm using the Moncha software. It's written specially for playing Live next to the DJ and visualizes the scenes on your monitor. A cheap touchscreen is placed over the monitor and I just have to hit the needed scene for instant laser output :)
But my name is here MambaFreak, so Mamba is good enough to make beamshows right now :)
Greetings,
Audrey :cool:
Very nice A, very nice. And personalised to 'Mamba' too :)
I also have a little Behringer BC-44 Nano MIDI controller which reminds me a bit of that ;)
If only all these things could get implemented into Mamba, it would be awesome :D
Mamba show editor effect track:
Add New effect Direc color. Start color to end color.
Whiteg.
It would be good if I can set more parameters of effects like frames in show editor.
For example I could set the start and end time of effect, set the speed
(sine, spiral).
Whiteg
Flash animation converter for mamba?
Whiteg
Does anyone think that we will ever get a Mamba update?
It's all gone very quiet?
Quote:
Originally Posted by smogthemog
I'm working my a** off at the moment, can't say I'm very quiet ;) I've mentioned it before, I have very little spare time, if there is anything important, send me a PM. Update requests DO suffer a little lag at the moment because I spent quite an amount of time with tracking down some pretty nasty bugs and I thought it would be better to fix them first (I don't like half-baked stuff...).
Surprise, surprise, half of that is already done for Mamba 2.0 - it just lacks the scene animation at the moment because GUI code isn't finished at all yet. But you can have a live player touch panel - if you have a touch-sensitive display, you won't need anything else, the current code for the touch panel just reacts to mouse clicks like touch panels usually generate them. If I can find some time, I'll see if I can release some sneak-peek-preview screenshots of some of the experimental things I made to play around with ideas.Quote:
Originally Posted by MambaFreak
I'm very thankful for all the suggestions for new features, but I think the first 2.0 version cannot have all of them - simply because it takes a bit of time to implement them carefully. Previous versions sometimes suffered from rushing them out, and I'd really like to change that. I'll keep on working on improving Mamba for as long as the powers that be allow me to.
Bear with me if I'm quiet from time to time, it's not because Mamba has been abandoned, to the contrary. I'm spending most of my time and energy with Mamba. During the last weeks I made a whole lot of small detail changes under the hood and when I'm finished with that, Mamba will notify you :)
thanks buddy .... that sounds great
im looking forward to the live player changes and a sneek peek would be fantastic ( you know we love piccys here :D )
all the best .... Karl
Hi OldGrumpy,
That's a good news. :)
I only hope, I'll can use the frame editor without any bug. :)
Whiteg
Andre
I for one would like to say thankyou for all your efforts - I know Mamba is far from perfect at the moment but I also know the huge leaps its taken in stability are down to you and Im sure we are all thankful for that.
I know you have so much to do but is there any hint at the timescale for 2.0 to be released? Even just the season & year would be good ;)
Keep up the good work - I hope the folks at ML hq appreciate ALL you effort - We do out here in Mamba land :)
Rob
Those words are mine !! :)
After all I'm the official MambaFreak here :D