Feature Roadmap
Immediate implementation: barring unexpected technical or interface design difficulties, these will all be finished before the closed alpha begins.
PATCH MODE FEATURES
- Single-port cable delete: With a single port selected, delete cable(s) from that port
- Cable follow to select: With a single port selected, follow attached cable(s) (looping through them for outputs with multiple cables) and select the linked port
- Multi-wiring: Add a cable without clearing output selection (for quickly wiring multiple inputs from one output)
- Cable color randomization: option for the center pad or for all pads
- Quick-add option: string cable with preselected, last-used, or randomized color as soon as ports are selected
- Change existing cable color by activating color pads under the circumstances that activate the [DEL] pad
PORT SELECTION MODE FEATURES
- Port Select Both: begin port selection with ports of both types available
- Recall last-used port (input or output)
- Back out of grid to previous selection level instead of having to start selection over
- Zoom in to grid when the sub-rectangles are selected, snapping back to original viewport on selection or cancellation
- Indicate port status on select markers (connected, unconnected, etc.); probably only when sufficiently zoomed in, unless anyone has a very good design idea
- Simple select option: when choosing between two or three ports with no ambiguity, allow more than one pad to select the port (so if one port is above another, allow all three top pads to select the upper port and all three bottom pads to select the lower port)
- Spill select option: when a chosen grid area has <= 9 ports, map all of them to the pads, saving clicks at the expense of interface consistency (since nine ports in a line would be mapped to all nine directions)
- 2x2 grid (for 2x4 or 2x8 “bar” MIDI controllers or non-keypad keyboard use); more clicks, but fewer selection options, and better for colorblind users
Pre-Beta Implementation: these are intended for inclusion before the plugin is released in open beta.
MODULE BUTTON FEATURES
- Select module via grid search, then limit selection to ports on that module
- In and outlist of modules (editable from the pads) to limit both port and module selection
- Module-level operations (like randomize, disconnect cables, etc.) from the pads.
VIEW BUTTON FEATURES
- Navigate Rack from the pads, so that the mouse isn’t even needed for moving the viewport (several existing modules do this, and I’ll be looking to them for features)
- View shortcuts, like zoom-in-on-selected port, follow-cable, etc.
GENERAL FEATURES
- MIDI pad color feedback for supported controllers
- MIDI in and out on-module (per Iverson)
- STROKE-based keystroke interception on-module
- Actual visual design, especially of pads and panel
- Interface helper: optional text display of interface next steps (for learning plugin)
- "Playing nice" with Rack in general (menu configuration, serialization, interoperability with mouse-based cable selection, optimizations, etc.)
Long-Term: these are not intended for inclusion before the open beta, but will definitely be explored at some point (and might make it into the beta, especially if there’s interested).
- Mouse-select port if you’re already using the mouse and want to cache a port for later use
- Port snapshot: option to show a picture of the selected port on the module, if I can wrangle the API
- Save quick recall ports (probably 9 input slots and 9 output slots)
- Expanders: several ideas here, including an option to defer a sequence of cable adds/deletes and perform them simultaneously (especially good for performance, and possibly on external triggers)
- The enigmatic Control button
