MIDIMonster compatibility issues

[pilarmera]

Hi! I've been working on a setup to map Viimix with my nanoKONTROL2 midi device using the MIDIMonster library. I published a repo with the config files here: https://github.com/pilarmera/midimonster-vimix

It's being very useful and fun; MIDIMonster is great for OSC mapping, but I found a couple of compatibility issues between Vimix syntax and the osc backend of MIDIMonster:

• MIDIMonster forces all osc patterns to have at least one argument, so messages like vimix/current/flag to jump to next flag are not working (they overlap with vimix/current/flag {flag_index})
• MIDIMonster only allows values of the type i, f, h, d. You can't send a string as an argument (i.e. /current/{source_name})
• MIDIMonster considers '#' character as illegal, so messages like /batch/#0 are not allowed.

Thanks!

[brunoherbelin]

Quick response to help you find solutions;

• use -1 for flag to go to next flag ; I updated the documentation, e.g. /vimix/current/flag f -1
• the /vimix/current/ does not work with an argument but by constructing the message itself, e.g. /vimix/current/0 set source at index 0 to be current.

Otherwise, the vimix OSC translation file is here to allow compatibility with all possible external constraints (not specific to OSC, such as here for MIDIMonster). e.g. in your case this might work (not tested);

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--LittleOSC translations -->
<osc>
    <from>/vimix/batchzero</from>
    <to>/vimix/Batch#0</to>
</osc>

Let me know if this is effective in your case.

[brunoherbelin]

(NB; maybe this is not obvious, the translator is accessible from vimix settings, under OpenSoundControl, by selecting [Edit] for the translator.)

[brunoherbelin]

okay, you got me curious and I improved the translator; it now supports partial string matching. E.g. to use 'b0' as a target in MIDIMonster to target Batch#0 in vimix, set this as translation for vimix;

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--LittleOSC translations -->
<osc>
    <from>b0</from>
    <to>Batch#0</to>
</osc>

You access the translation file from vimix settings and can check what it does in the logs by activating the 'OSC' logs (second button);

Available only in Beta for now

[pilarmera]

Hi! The Next flag command with -1 value works great, thanks! I've just updated my setup and repo to include this (until now, I could only jump to the first flag).

Regarding the other formatting and syntax issues, I did know about the Vimix translator, just hoped it wouldn't be necessary so I could work just with the midimonster config file and keep all the mappgins and setup only there. I can use the translator for the batches, and the index number for the /current/ command, but what about all the filter commands that require string as values, like /vimix/current/filter ssff blur gaussian 1.0 1000 ? The Vimix transaltor can only translate the message patterns, not the values, right?

I guess these things like allowing strings or some specific characters should be improved on the midimonster side, will open an issue there.

Just one more suggestion for you, regarding the batches: it would be great to launch the "select a batch/user selection" action with osc commands (the same as clicking on the User selection menu, in the Player). Also, in the sync messages, it would great to include info about what "bulk" is currently selected: a batch (and which one) or the user selection. This would be useful to send orders to "whatever is selected" in the player (I know you can sen commands to the user selection -in case there is such- and to a specific batch, but not to the "current batch"; this would be great and much simpler for a midimonster mapping)

Thanks a lot!