[PD] segmented patchcords (was Re: PD & MAX)

[Hans-Christoph Steiner]

There are occasional times when segmented patchcords make a patch  
more readable, but the vast majority of the time, they are a  
distraction at best.  I have watched so many Max users spend quite a  
bit of time segmenting and organizing their patchcords.  If they  
instead put that same effort into organizing the code, using  
subpatches, etc., the code would be much more readable and maintainable.

There is one thing that a patchcord should clearly communicate, and  
that is which two objects are connected.  In order to get that  
information from a segmented patchcord, you have to follow its path  
with your eye.  When the patchcord goes straight from one object to  
another, the connection is much more apparent and easy to perceive.

.hc

On Dec 4, 2007, at 10:09 AM, marius schebella wrote:

> segmented patchcords can make patches less readable, but most of the
> time they make patches more readable, and that is when you use so many
> unsegmented cords that they hide the objects. also when you want to
> connect an object at the bottom of the patch to an object at the top,
> then you can lay the cord at the outside of the patch to make the
> ~feed-back.
> you don't want patchcords in situations where it is not clear anymore
> which cord is going where.
> a big problem in max is that there is no undo for segmented  
> patchcords.
> once segmented, you can only delete them and redraw to make them not
> segmented. that might be one of the new features of max 5... as  
> well as
> the infinite number of undos. (true?)
> marius.
>
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