Shortcut support to change MIDI CC values

Guest_26

📁 Original board: Elephant › Feature Wishlist

Hi, I've been trying to use the Dial with Lightroom for a while and have tried many work arounds I can find to enable me control of Lightroom using the Dial. None of which have worked, or when I have found a solution it was temporary as Lightroom software updates have broken my workaround.

I have a feature that I feel could help me with this challenge using Elephant

Wishlist Request:
Shortcut hotkey combination support of up to three buttons (for example CTRL + 1 + J) to change the Midi CC value.

No limit in how many CC values can be applied

Scenario:
When I press CTRL + 1 + J CC value is 66
When I press CTRL + 2 + J CC value is 88
etc...
Using the Elephant configuration application I will need define the CC value and associated shortcut combination I wish to use.

Further information

My plan is to use Lightroom and a opensource plugin called Midi2LR. The plugin enables me to use a midi controller to control every dial within lightroom.

Midi2LR Software Link

PabloMartin

<r>

Hi Trej. 
Open Elephant, make a right mouse click on the circular menu, now the config open. 
You can access up to 12 MIDI values, with 12 direct shortcut keys for switch from MIDI CC and or encoder mode. 
Some example of shortcut keys. 
shift + key 
control + shift + key 
control + alt + shift + key

<URL url="https://pablomartin.com/user-guide/">https://pablomartin.com/user-guide/</URL>

</r>

PabloMartin

<r>Here the link of beta version of upcoming version. 
<URL url="https://pablomartin.com/installers/">https://pablomartin.com/installers/</URL> 
The link will be valid up to the moment I release this version, probably in the next hours.

With the option "On dial click always return to" you can switch form shortcut keys, without have to click the dial. 
That behavior will be useful for you.

</r>

PabloMartin

After think in your post, I assume your style of hotkeys CTRL + 1 + J , CTRL + 2 + J is for enable the ability of remember large number of hotkeys, in order you can access to they in a way is easy to remember, CTRL +1 + X , CTRL + 2 + X in that way you can order your hotkeys with some logic, CTRL +1 + key to 2 , 3, 4 , 5 etc
That is right?

I can increase the number of MIDI, but there is a point where the amount of hotkeys make the task of switch from one hotkey to another a tedious task. From my point of view and as suggestion,................ you never take in consideration use a touch screen?
Your license include access to Chameleon multi-touch MIDI controller. A combination of the dial with elephant + touch screen with chameleon I think can be a more practical. You leave the most common used features to the dial, other to the touchscreen. The mouse frequently used features can be easy accessed trough a mouse like this: There is some mouse more cheap and provide same functionality. Or can use a hotkey form keyboard.
Touch a touch screen all the others you want, of course this require an invest as minimum on a touch screen i suggest DELL P2418HT:

This touch monitor is around 350U$..............yes I know have to invest on this. But I think you can build a great workstation combining technologies. About that plugin will be great i the creator add support to encoder mode, in order to borken the limit of 0 to 127 values, With pitch bend you can send high precision, With encoder mode is also possible and the number of encoders is unlimited.

Fore sure there is some monitors in order of 299U$, you need ensure, the touch sensor is capacitive, DELL P2418HT is highly suggested. Another option can be a cheap windows 10 tablet, is possibe send midi trough wifi or lan, usedn free software + chameleon and you cna use a cheap tablet under 200U$
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/New-10-1inch-Intel-Z8300-Quad_60711892621.html?spm=a2700.galleryofferlist.normalList.1.2b62765dbtlKYr

Anyway, the monitor is my preferred suggestion, but the tablet can work like a charm if you need portability.
Again, if you work on a fixed place (studio desktop work), the extra touch monitor is the best.
Just some suggestions.

Guest_26

Hi,

Thank you for the quick reply and suggestions. I am using a Surface Book 2 which has touch screen already. My plan will be to use another piece of software called Tablet Pro, using this I will be able to create buttons on the screen where I can press the 'slider' I want to use. The reality is, the soft button in Tablet Pro is pre-programmed with the shortcut to change the CC value.

The issue is there is lots and lots of sliders in lightroom that I would like to control with the Dial, but I also understand that it needs to be easy to use. My hope is that using the combination of Elephant, Midi2LR and Tablet Pro I will be able to achieve this.

I will have a look at these settings you showed my and the beta version of the app.

Cheers

Trej

PabloMartin

Duet you already own a touch device, all what need is external monitor to run on that monitor Lightroom , and on the tablet screen chameleon.
I think you can have a great experience of usage with a setup like that. There is one thing will be great, if Midi2LR can support encoder mode.

Guest_26

Hi,

So I have been working through some testing and it is all looking very good.

I would really like to see support for up to 100 CC/MIDI controls please ? . Using another bit of Software called Table Pro I can create touch screen buttons to the corresponding shortcut configured in Elephant.

I was also having issues where the shortcut keys I programmed were not working, but now they suddenly are. It felt buggy and was not working all the time. For the moment it is all good and I think it is working. I will report back if I have any more issues.

Further details:

MIDI2LR supports encoder controls so I was able to use this instead of MIDI values. MIDI2LR also support configuration where you can control the amount of fixed steps. Increasing the configuration from 127 up to 400 for example provides finer control off the slider in lightroom.

Below is comment from their website:

"For relative value controls, select the correct type of control. When you select a relative value type, the dialog changes slightly (see below), showing resolution instead of minimum and maximum values. This is because you have more flexibility with relative value controls, and can set the resolution to any value you wish, rather than the 127 fixed steps you would have with a normal CC control. Finer resolutions (higher numbers) are more useful with develop parameters with wide ranges (e.g., temperature), but don't overdo it, as then it can become difficult to make large changes without lots of knob twirling."

I would like to understand how I can use Chameleon to help me with controlling Lightroom using the Surface Dial. Is there a basic template you can demonstrate so I can understand how it would look?

PabloMartin

That is the nature of Chameleon, build the template you need, there is no way to have a template for every custom need of a user, and that is the nature of chameleon, build and construct what you need I suggest check try and test, probably for do what you need you need wait some upcoming versions add more features.
Great to know MIDI2LR support encoder mode.
I can increase the number of MIDI messages elephant can send, no idea if up to 100 is a very large task and lot of code. Not impossible, is just about time, but again...............you really think 100 buttons is a practical way, and how you plan easy access and remember 100 buttons. I agree increase MIDI is ok, but 100 midi shorcutkeys? Really?

About your comment: "I was also having issues where the shortcut keys I programmed were not working" are you using the beta version I provide to you? ...........and already disable "On Dial Click Always Return To:" you need that option disabled, in order to switch with hotkeys without have to click the Surface Dial. Please confirm.

Guest_26

Hi mate,

I have been working through a couple of tests, and yes 100 is likely more than I need. Would it be difficult to increase the number from 12 to 20?

There is only one situation where I think more than 20 is needed but I haven't checked the quantity of sliders for the panel I am trying to control.

Thanks again for the help

PabloMartin

Well I can add a second group of 12, so you have 24 actions trough MIDI.
Take your time, do all your tests.

Guest_26

Thank you very much sir.

Once I’ve got a working platform I’ll post a write up on how I use the Dial to work with Lightroom.

I feel this will open up a lot interest from the photography community. Maybe not your intended audience when you made this software ?

PabloMartin

Version 1.9.1 released.

Guest_26

Thanks! I will let you know how I go ?

PabloMartin

Documentation also updated I suggest re-read, not increased yet the number of MIDI CC available.