[PD-announce] dyn~ - dynamic object menagement (now in CVS)

[Thomas Grill]

Hi all,
as already announced, dyn~ is now available for cvs checkout.
It needs minor patches (for exports of a few functions) to the PD source
code, which i already made available in the devel_0_36 branch of the pd cvs
module.

see also: http://www.parasitaere-kapazitaeten.net/ext/dyn

As described before, dyn~ allows to create/destroy, connect/disconnect
normal pd objects and abstractions hidden inside the dyn~ external on the
fly.
It's very experimental at this stage and more like a proof-of-concept. In a
further step similar functionality shall be accessible for scripting (like
the pyext external) to allow efficient and easy management of complicated
patches and massive polyphony.
Also with the current dyn~ version it's only a small steop to a Max-like
poly~ object (although inlets and outlets cannot be shared between signals
and objects)

There are several sources of problems with the current dyn~ version:

- dyn~ needs some PD functions that are not normally accessible to
externals. These are
o    canvas_addtolist, canvas_takeofflist - to enable DSP processing of a
non-root canvas
o    canvas_isconnected, canvas_connect, canvas_disconnect - to manage
object connection without GUI interaction
o    pd_newest - introduced by me to expose the "newest" pointer (the latest
created object)

I consider these functions quite non-critical in terms of version changes.
However, there are further critical issues:
- a sub-canvas is added to the list of root-canvases manually
- managing connections seems to be a GUI-affair to some extent

Managing objects in PD should definitely become more independent from the
GUI. dyn~ may serve as an example, but due to my very limited insight into
PD there are definitely some hidden incompatibilities with PDs inner
workings at this point.

may the god of digital audio be with you!
have fun and make some good music!

Thomas