Hi
In the recent update (1014) there was (im so grateful) an improvement regarding command line stuff.
After this build gets made public maybe this can be moved to a different forum.
Here's the thread:
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=258395
What I was trying to do was to be able to right click a video file, and find a way to send it to a new instance of reaper, apply a template (which has a project startup screenset), and also one track with 4 video effects im likely to use, along with render settings ready to go.
I REALLY WISH REAPER HAD OFX SUPPORT and more render options but I love editing in reaper for little clips that might not really need much processing. Or bigger clips that dont!
So, I set it all up and try several different ways to do it.
I end up using the "send to" menu in windows because it seems the easiest.
IN ALL OF THE EXAMPLES BELOW I AM PUTTING MY PROGRAM PATH.
yours might be different. Mine is:
"C:\Portable Programs\Reaper (x64)\reaper.exe"
and this will also reflect in my templates folder:
-newinst -template "C:\Portable Programs\Reaper (x64)\ProjectTemplates\video edit.rpp"
yours might be different like:
"C:\Program Files\Reaper (x64)\reaper.exe"
or
-newinst -template "C:\Program Files\Reaper (x64)\ProjectTemplates\video edit.rpp"
I would love it if someone could guide me through how to make it contextual so it only pops up on mov, mp4, etc etc... but that seems like a long ass process. I was doing that in the beginning but figured it didn't work because of my own ignorance, not because of reaper.
After using the "send to" method, I gave up and made a thread (as I tend to).
As it turns out, reaper doesn't support a template AND a filename, till now.
I'm going to show my process for what I did on windows.
Go to start, type run, and enter
shell:sendto
it will take you to your send to menu.
here, create a shortcut
in the box that pops up, find your reaper.exe - mine is in a non-standard place, yours is likely in Programfiles/Reaper (x64)
next, make a name for it... I would name it according to your task or the template you're opening.
After this, you will have the ability to send any file you want directly to reaper, but that really isn't that helpful.
Next, we have to add parameters to the shortcut to tell reaper what kind of conditions we want when we import that file.
So, set up a template that loads up the workspace you want. I'm sure you know how to set up a project template, if not, look it up, it's a like 30 year old feature.
This is what I have for video:
It's a workspace fit for video (imo) and altho the colors are a bit off (I just upgraded to win11 and I love the darker and rounded colors, but I need some work here) I love it personally.
I have the windows I want exactly where I want them by arranging them, saving a screenset, adding that screenset to the project startup actions, and then saving the template.
I also put 4 video effects I often use in there.
So, cool. I save the template after everything. Don't forget to save it after you make the screenset, the startup action, everything.
I wanted it to open a new instance of reaper, but I don't know if that's needed. Let's include that anyway.
We need to tell the shortcut to:
- open a new instance of reaper
- open it with this particular template (video edit.rpp)
- send this file to it.
right click the shortcut in the send to folder and go to properties, and this will come up
again, ignore the wonky colors, I'll work on that later. As long as reaper looks good idgaf
The "target" box is what we are concerned with.
this is what it has now:
"C:\Portable Programs\Reaper (x64)\reaper.exe"
we need to add some commands to it. There's a full list of commands here:
https://github.com/ReaTeam/Doc/blob/...0parameters.md
You will also see it if you mess up. haha
So we are going to add two commands telling it to open a new instance
-newinst
and to open a template
-template
after that we have to enter a file name.
Since the shortcut is calling reaper.exe within that same directory, I think you can just put a relative path to the template IF it's under the reaper directory so I put:
"ProjectTemplates/video edit.rpp"
I put the quotations because I put a space in the template like a noob. I think you can leave the quotations out if there's no space, not sure. Doesn't hurt if you do.
So the entire thing looks like:
-newinst -template "ProjectTemplates/video edit.rpp"
I did have it looking like this for some reason as I look back at my notepad:
"C:\Portable Programs\Reaper (x64)\reaper.exe" -newinst -template | "C:\Portable Programs\Reaper (x64)\ProjectTemplates\video edit.rpp"
but not anymore. I have feeling that one didn't work.
So save the shortcut and try it out.
It SHOULD open reaper as a newinstance, open a template, the template loads a screenset, and your file gets inserted into reaper.
Boom.
Now, it will load subsequent projects in that same template in that same instance, so maybe if you want a default project that adheres to your typical needs, make sure that template loads a screenset that fits that on startup.
Next steps:
I would love to find an easy way (maybe a .bat files that alters the registry) to have it context sensitive and on the top level of the right click menu, so that when you right click an mp4, it shows the video editing shortcut, and when you click an rpp, it shows a couple of options there, and if you right click a .wav file maybe it opens up a wav editor interface.
But to make those shortcuts you have to do some registry stuff which I'm comfortable with, but since that was my first frustrating foray into this and I was thwarted left and right by a reaper limitation and not my own obvious cognitive deficiencies, I will almost have PTSD going into that. There are TONS of articles online about adding to the right click menu with params.
maybe we can discuss that more here.
thanks devs!
some sources for related things:
https://www.online-tech-tips.com/com...-context-menu/
https://thegeekpage.com/add-any-prog...-context-menu/