[PD-dev] more ideas... registering abstractions/externals etc..

[B. Bogart]

hey all,

to contextualize this idea I'll take pixelTANGO as my example. In
pixelTANGO there is a pt.layerfx that deals with pixel processing. Inside
it there are a number of abstractions that each correspond to a particular
filter fx/edge.pd or fx/negative.pd These abstractions have a standard
interface, gem inlet and outlet and a sigle control inlet to control the
amount of effect, from 0-1.

The filters are turned and and off by routing the gem-data through
spigots. A really usefuly feature for pixelTANGO would be the ability to
drop your own patch into fx/ since they have a standard interface. The
problem becomes how to register this added effect, and worse yet how to
build a dynamic gem chain that changes based on the number of effects in
the fx/ folder. Follwing this the popup widget would have to get an
updated list of abstractions in fx/ and build its contents dynamically.

Beyond those learning PD hacking the contents of a high-level abstraction
it would be even more useful if they could create a component of that
abstraction using certain API standards, and drop it in without actually
having to worry about breaking the abstraction. Even better if the
abstraction just uses components sitting in a special folder. Argument
here is that its perhaps easier to make the component than to hack the
high-level abstraction or than making a new abstraction for what you want
to do.

Alright thats enough of my creativity for the list.

B.