Timeline-specific actions

Add a checkbox to the actions inspector that would limit an action / group of actions to the current timeline. Useful for a multi-purpose button.

Can you describe what you’re trying to do? There’s not really a concept of a current timeline, since multiple timelines can run in parallel with each other.

Timeline is not the right word. I’m thinking of multiple control channels, as with Director, in which control channels can be turned on and off by keyframe script or other means. A control channel runs like Hype’s Timeline actions, but you can create as many control channels as you wish and switch between them.

As for the actions, I am talking about action sequences. Example - mouseUp actions can include setting a flag / watching for a flag. Assign several possible actions to a single object. The flag determines which will run and controls the sequence.

Set the mouseUp to check for flags, then execute an action depending on the flag. Individual actions can have the option of setting/toggling a flag.

Crude flowchart: The Actions UI at present. / Options for stringing individual actions and for combining, as well as stringing individual actions.

The current ability to call javascripts is one approach. The sequencing approach enables the user to use the basic tools as they are at present, but offers the option of a more freestyle approach.

(Might as well beat this horse into the ground…) Consider a musicians rig with keyboard, outboard processors, outboard synth and sampler modules, etc - all of which can send / receive program changes as well as direct control of envelope, timbre, delay or whatever “action” is desired. As a MIDI rig you can lay out an entire performance, song by song, with every program change and form of automation you wish. All the musician needs do is to trigger the desired MIDI program and play.

To take things further, tempo must be synchronized for sequenced music and the tempo of delays or filter sweeps. You set a sensor on the kick drum, connect it to the system, and the drummer controls the tempo of the keyboard rig…

Thanks for the diagram and additional thoughts!

Our general philosophy has been that if logic (if/else/then, loops) are involved then code is the way to go.

Did you happen to see Steve Jobs’ demonstration of Apple’s OOP UI from around 15 years ago? The use of flags and booleans in the form of a pop-up list were the key to the thing.

I obviously am suffering from a prometheus complex. Taking things from the level of use a graphical UI to create actions to the level of automating the playback control takes me too close to the sun. If a person wants to fly like the gods, he has to speak the language of the gods.

The interesting thing is that, using twine and some rusty nails, much of this could be accomplished by creating an elaborate set of timelines.

I’ve seen a couple of the SJ demos of NeXTSTEP, but don’t recall specifically which one you mean?

Complex systems could definitely be made with timelines. I remember an early example of using a timeline as a counter - basically it has an inner html animations that would change a number, and pause points for each value. Then timeline could be continued to count up when a game event happened (or with today’s Hype continued in reverse to subtract a score). I imagine this is even now more powerful with the flag to not restart!

That said going such a route for logic would make it nearly impossible for anyone to figure out what is going on! Code is very explicit, easily changed, and debuggable. Most visual systems don’t hold up as well, and that’s why I have a stronger stance on logic in the Hype UI. Of course, code does have its shortcomings at times too :slight_smile:, hence Hype’s existence!

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