Timer Trigger = Widget Challenge #1

[Novabrain]

Let's have a friendly, problem-solving challenge.

While we have a ways to go yet before an extension or MMF provides a sophisticated time line for synchronizing events, that has to start somewhere. There has been extensive talk about this between myself and developers.

However, right now we could start playing with the concept using Widgets or, more likely, S-Widgets.

I would like to see various approaches to this and then, see some applications using the results.

The Challenge:

Create a way for an author to run their main application and click on timing events that will record and can be played back. Better yet, you should be able to overdub new triggers in your "time line" and erase/edit them.

The difference between this and just using TimeX or other methods is that it is a VCR-style recorder in ways that can be used in any application with events that are true based on the trigger that "plays" at the time.

Ex: I run my main application and I have some video and some music playing. I want certain events, (and objects) to act at certain times. So, I click on the Time widget to record where I want events to start or stop. When run the application again and set a variable to playback the markers I made, I can use the results as triggers in my events.

At 10.00 seconds, Timer Track 1 on - do something
At 11.00 seconds, Timer Track 1 off - do something
At 12.00 seconds, Timer Track 2 on ... etc.

I don't want to restrict how you do this since we are looking for the most innovative way to make a tool for this purpose.

It should be efficient and flexible and the triggers should be easy to access from the main application.

You can use whatever objects you think will work best together. Remember that not only do we want to record our triggers, but we want to do that with efficient file size.

How many trigger markers can you make available? How should the interface look/operate? What is the minimum timing resolution you can use without missing triggers?

We can all discuss the entries in this informal challenge and decide who solved the problem in the best way(s). All in all, we are going to learn something about how the future should look and I even bet that many end-users will find the results useful and inspiring.

Are you up to it? Let me know if you understand the idea and the purpose and if you might want to apply your skills to this kind of challenge.

[Dynamite]

I would like to try, but I have one question.

Does the widget have to allow us to set the triggers in the game (running the application and doing it), or in the application itself? (Using events from MMF)

[Novabrain]

Thanks for responding.

Simply put, it should allow for setting during runtime.

So, basically, you can create triggers while you watch your application run. This is much easier and more visual than going back and forth to the Event Editor.

What we are trying to achieve is a simple, but easy to use, proof-of-concept. With a good demonstration of this in action, it will benefit some users and we can discuss where to go in the future.

The old time line in MMF was not really right for this, either. There has been much discussion about going in that direction with an extension or maybe a future version of MMF, but it might be a while before we see anything.

[Novabrain]

How simple or complex a first attempt will be is up to users.

Some ideas:

- VCR Controls to play, stop, pause, etc.

- Some way to see what markers you have set and where in the time line.

- Some way to let the main app know that the playback is paused or stopped. That way the user can check a variable that turns on and off certain actions, etc., to keep in sync.

I am sure you will have your own ideas and once you are testing this, (maybe syncing events with music or something) the needs will be obvious.

[LB]

What we really need is the ability to use expressions in object names for expressions, then we can have a feature where we specify an object name in a string and it records from that object.

[Dynamite]

Just to inform you, I've been working very hard on doing this and I almost have something that does this!

The downside is that it hardly is a widget. The only "widget like features" it has is that all the events are cramped into the behaviors of the object. Plus I'm using 1 extension to help it out.

:grin:

[Novabrain]

Tbat's fine. I think any examples of doing this could have an impact. As I said, it has been discussed and it's just a matter of some exposure and use.

I am looking forward to seeing what you came up with.