Who wants access to Ableton's Python API? .. You? .. Ok!

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:46 pm

Mesmer wrote:Yea, I don't want to create false expectations ...
I don't expect too much from my emacs.
Even though you can tailor it to your very specific needs i've found it cumbersome to do so, for me and my level of comprehension, it takes too much time; so the Return-On-Investment for a simple customisation is not that great.
That said there is a mass amount of stuff that other people have coded before you, so usually it's more convenient to search for those. Like Python Major mode... something like that (should be included with the base, or the base+modes packages).

...

By the way, this is the "test" I use to differentiate the "child" editors from the "men":
After you have made three columns of data, spanning some 10 rows using tabs or whitespaces to separate them,
IF you can select singularly exactly ONE column, vertically, copy or cut it, and then paste it somewhere else whithout messing with the rest of the data: THEN you have yourself a "manly" editor.

I use TextPad to edit columns of data.

Thanks for the reality check on emacs and all the editing scene in general. I was looking at the emacs help files, the Python IDLE icon on my desktop and my guitar sitting in the corner. I uninstalled Emacs and played guitar.

I'm going to hang tight and wait to see more sample code from people and for some of the help files on the LiveAPI site to be written. I could spend the time to get up to speed on my own but my spare time isn't worth it. If I could cheat by following other peoples' work I might get off the ground.

EDIT - Textpad has Python support. I've been using this editor for years at work, it's ~$20 but the demo is fully functional, it just has nagware when you launch it.
http://www.textpad.com

And the dictionary for python support:
http://www.textpad.com/add-ons/synn2t.html

Now if some kind soul can post some short 25-50 line programs I can mimic...

Nathan Ramella · Post by **Nathan Ramella** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:18 am

Just to throw my two cents in here, I've been a unix guy for a long long time, and there's basically two editors that rock my socks.

1. vim
2. Eclipse

For any sort of multi-file management stuff, Eclipse rocks socks, it's basically got the same idea as Emacs except Java instead of LISP. When the LiveAPI project 'got serious' for me I switched from vi over to Eclipse and have nothing but good things to say about it. If you're an editor neophyte Eclipse can be a little difficult to understand since it's a bit of a beast but once you get the basics of how to install plugins and work with projects I can't say enough good things about it.

Our newest addition to the liveapi team Martin Wood-Mitrovski (posts here as mdk) is also an Eclipse guy and working on a neat ActionScript plugin for Eclipse. Rob King also uses Eclipse.. So, while not a prerequisite for being a coder on the project, I guess you could say great minds think alike.

Also, for $20 you can buy a 'vi' keys plugin that covers most of the stuff you'd want.. If you don't know VI I cannot stress enough how awesome it is. In dealing with other editors that force you to move your hand from the home keys to hit arrows to move your cursor around to using HJKL for moving, it's a god-send.

longjohns · Post by **longjohns** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:48 am

See, this is the thing that kills me about computers.

Not only do I have to worry about the seemingly daunting task of learning/understanding the Python language...

But I need to consider picking a program based on how my hands are positioned on the keyboard.

From analagous situations in my own line of work, I'd say that that particular level of functional optimization occurs much later in the game.

What I'm hearing: "Trust me, eventually you will learn to appreciate this feature"

What I'm feeling: "What the hell am I looking at?!?! "getApplication()" ?!?!?!

Nathan Ramella · Post by **Nathan Ramella** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 3:18 am

haha. at the end of the day, as my dad who grew up in a coal mining town said to me, 'Use whatever tool gets the job done, in our case it was a pickaxe, for you its a computer'. You don't need to use Eclipse, or vi. You could use notepad and still bust out some awesome work.

So don't let that be what holds you back.

Basically once you get to a certain point where notepad isn't cutting it and you want to go to the next level you'll have a list of caveats that you want resolved, you'll look into new editors and find one that suits you.

Software is like underwear, one size doesn't fit all, and in some cases some are more appropriate for certain situations than others.

But in the end its how it makes you feel that matters.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:22 am

Angstrom wrote:worth a bump to post a link to MDKs 'patch morpher'

http://www.liveapi.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=66#66

take any live device such as Operator or Sampler - , tweak the controls and 'store' them as 4 different presets, morph between them using an on-screen track pad.
It works too.

Uses Flash as the interface and LiveAPI (y'don't say!)

I got the GUI to come up and the file to show up in Control Surfaces but 'connected' doesn't show up in the GUI.

For editors, check out TextPad, I checked it today at work on C++ files, it marks up keywords great and it works like a typical windows editor, none of the unix/emacs insider knowlege required.

Nathan Ramella · Post by **Nathan Ramella** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:43 am

I just noticed this article from the Covert Operators on reverse engineering the .AMS format, people who like LiveAPI may find this interesting as well!

http://www.thecovertoperators.org/archives/159#more-159

Cheers to the covert ops! Great work guys! I hope you keep it up!

friend_kami · Post by **friend_kami** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:54 pm

..., and for windows theres always programmers notepad.

http://www.pnotepad.org/

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:36 pm

bump.

Has anyone messed with the automap hooks?

It occurred to me that with the Python automap hooks and the monome ideas someone could potentially make an automap device that shows all 128 parameters on 128 screens (or 64 with 2 pages, or 32 with 4 pages, or...).

I still haven't gotten very far with this, I tried the scene morpher, didn't work.

mdk · Post by **mdk** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:04 pm

I'll have a new version of the patch morpher sometime next week thats easier to use and has better feedback so you know whats going on

I havent really used the automap but there are some interesting midi related developments on the horizon

UNISUN · Post by **UNISUN** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:16 pm

Hi,

I have tried 4 different versions of Live 6, and all of them crash as soon as I load LiveOSC or LiveTelnet in midi control surface. C++ runtime error.

I am currently building a multitouch display to interface for live performance and OSC is a MUST for this. What can I do???

PLEASE ADVISE!!!!

longjohns · Post by **longjohns** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:43 pm

What version of python? They do not recommend the latest version - as I recall

Gabe · Post by **Gabe** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:08 am

I've been wishing for a midi control to "delete clip"... can LiveAPI do this? Didn't see it in the API, but likely overlooked it...

longjohns · Post by **longjohns** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:31 am

delete the currently selected clip? wouldn't that be done more easily with midi translator?

UNISUN · Post by **UNISUN** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:07 pm

I used Python22 installed in C:\

UNISUN · Post by **UNISUN** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:09 pm

longjohns wrote:What version of python? They do not recommend the latest version - as I recall

I used the version of python linked to in readme for liveapi.

Who wants access to Ableton's Python API? .. You? .. Ok!

I can't get this to work, and it sucks.

delete clip?