What's Best For Smoother WaveShape Transitions?

[JayPro]

Actually, before I delve into that, I have to ask (and rather ashamedly at that):

Given a choice via customizing via the Prefs or Boot file, which would be easier and less of a strain on the GF processor?

That asked, I'm trying to customize based on a suspicion I have that some difficult WaveShape transformations have caused the iTunes build to freeze and crash (speaking of which, I seriously doubt there being any RTF/invalid files in my config folders, especially in the WaveShape folder where I had to do the most editing/tweaking/hairpulling/heavy drinking (JK) coz I wanted to integrate previous particle-only docs into the new WaveShape system. Joy. ). Anyway...

The Boot file shows the following params:

SetPref(PREF_WAVESHAPE_MORPH_DURATION, "5+rnd(15)");
SetPref(PREF_WAVESHAPE_TRANSITION_FCN, "i^1.6"),

The Prefs file shows the same formulae.

Does anyone here have a better formula for slightly speedier, yet smoother transitions? I tried the suggestions in the Docs file but none of them suited me. What if I just knocked the transition rate to just "i"?

Also, Am I right in assuming that framerate has a role to play here? I used the Bootfile to knock the framereate down from 32 to 30. Bad Idea mebbe?

Thx

JwP

[JayPro]

...bump?

EDIT/UPDATE: I got a crash again last night as I was playing a music CD in iTunes. This time, ostensibly, the console didn't display any oncoming configs, as if to somehow lead me to infer that iTunes the Application simply assed out on me. It was evidently smack-dab in the middle of a display with no "Config Xing" sign up ahead...as it were.
As usual, I made sure nothing extra was active (Classic Mode off, unnecessary OS X apps quit, sleep mode disabled, you name it). I'm still canvasing the docs to cover the bases.

JwP

[andy55]

Actually, before I delve into that, I have to ask (and rather ashamedly at that):

Given a choice via customizing via the Prefs or Boot file, which would be easier and less of a strain on the GF processor?

That asked, I'm trying to customize based on a suspicion I have that some difficult WaveShape transformations have caused the iTunes build to freeze and crash (speaking of which, I seriously doubt there being any RTF/invalid files in my config folders, especially in the WaveShape folder where I had to do the most editing/tweaking/hairpulling/heavy drinking (JK) coz I wanted to integrate previous particle-only docs into the new WaveShape system. Joy. ). Anyway...

The Boot file shows the following params:

SetPref(PREF_WAVESHAPE_MORPH_DURATION, "5+rnd(15)");
SetPref(PREF_WAVESHAPE_TRANSITION_FCN, "i^1.6"),

The Prefs file shows the same formulae.

Does anyone here have a better formula for slightly speedier, yet smoother transitions? I tried the suggestions in the Docs file but none of them suited me. What if I just knocked the transition rate to just "i"?

Also, Am I right in assuming that framerate has a role to play here? I used the Bootfile to knock the framereate down from 32 to 30. Bad Idea mebbe?

Thx

JwP

Hi there... Sorry for not writing you sooner, but I'm knee deep in some G-Force 2.7 stuff--I'm shooting to hand our betas sometime this week.

As far as this problem, changing either of the above isn't going to change frame rate to any noticable degree. Also, the value in the pref file is what actually gets used. The values in the boot file are the values used when the prefs file is missing, outdated, etc.

Let's do this... Try to figure out how to get a consistent crash right around startup (make a simple script in startup.txt if you have to). Once you get it to crash consistently, sitx your whole G-Force folder and send it to me (email or my upload server).

Andy

[JayPro]

Thanks for the feedback (PS Looking forward to the beta test. Hopefully oodles of new effects ).

Seriously, I'm beginning to thing that the iTunes build has something to do with it. I *finally* *finally* wrapped my fat head around how to get the standalone to work (vvv see below vvv) .

(I had to switch the input source to the internal mike and not line-in...kinda odd, no? I mean, wouldn't it make sense for the puter's line-in capabilities to pick up both the analog (what you see?) and digital (what you hear?) signals from my CD's? Of course I needed a third-party player to complete the set-up to keep iTunes out of the loop, not to mention choosing the iTunes setting that precludes the aforementioned app from choosing itself as the default audio disc player.)

Anyway, my program seems more reliable in the standalone environment, i.e. some of the good-faith tweakage meant for the iTunes build, like changing color and waveshape with each new song load, could have beeen a backbreaker, especially in terms of how much I've allowed my G-Force effects inventory to grow over time).

I may be just plain disilusioned at this point; but I just don't trust iTunes to handle the load anymore, what with the aforementioned size of my program, plus the sheer amount in my library. EDIT: I can import and play my iTunes songs on my way cool player...Amazing Slow Downer BTW. Nifty gallifty piece of work. Check VersionTracker if you haven't heard of it. Apologies in advance if plugging outside products is out of bounds).

To boot, I no longer have hundreds if not dozens of pict files gumming up the flow, either; so you can prolly imagine how much strain the GF processor had to bear with loading stuff in the first place.

EDIT: I suppose the vaunted new engine will do more than enough to solve the problesm I tried to outline here. I guess the next few months will answer some inner questions I yet have.
Keep up the great work.

JwP

[JayPro]

I've been working with the standalone, along with two of my choicest players for a few days now, and things are going without a hitch. I'm not gonn spend time here bashing iTunes or the GF bundle for it, as I may be proven wrong in future. After all, every application here mentioned is in a continuous state of development and optimization.
It's just that for the longest time (from my first download in IIRKindaC *very* late 1999 to the first GF for iTunes bundle) I had been using the standalone, what with its undetractable interface, versus the iTunes window, all busy, bell-and-whistle-ridden and unnecessarily OS X-ish in appearance (i.e. the metallic borders).
I intend to continue with the standalone until the first release of the new engine, whereupon I will test iTunes GF v??? and see for myself. The future looks promising, or at least very interesting.

JwP