Superglue: Reversible, nondestructive glue and nesting pooled audio for Reaper

[AZpercussion]

I'm working on a big project now at home and studio both.
There are big structure of folders in it, but all placed in master folder.
I show the master folder for Reaper every time I start project on other computer. It's not difficult.
But Superglue save exact source path and I get offline items on reglue.
Could it possible to search at least in project folder automatically?
And optionally in 1-2 level higer folder would great)

Also it would be better to copy script png images into project media folder on first run.

Thanks for support!)

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

I'm working on a big project now at home and studio both.
There are big structure of folders in it, but all placed in master folder.
I show the master folder for Reaper every time I start project on other computer. It's not difficult.
But Superglue save exact source path and I get offline items on reglue.
Could it possible to search at least in project folder automatically?
And optionally in 1-2 level higer folder would great)

Hey AZ, thanks again for your bug reports. The fix to this will hopefully be a simple check for the existence of the previous folder in the path and replace with current project media folder if not found.

Also it would be better to copy script png images into project media folder on first run.

Why project media? Is your computer having trouble loading pngs from the script folder?

[AZpercussion]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Hey AZ, thanks again for your bug reports. The fix to this will hopefully be a simple check for the existence of the previous folder in the path and replace with current project media folder if not found.

Good to know!

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Why project media? Is your computer having trouble loading pngs from the script folder?

When I switch the computer the path for already pasted images changes. And it require manipulations from user to show the path.

Also hypothetically, there could be a case when some user haven't Superglue and they get the project with such items.
If he can see these images on items, he will aware that something special exist in the project.

It's a small thing, though. If it's easy to implement, as a polishing

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

When I switch the computer the path for already pasted images changes. And it require manipulations from user to show the path.

Ah now I understand. The project can't find the item note pngs because the new system's REAPER path differs. Yes I suppose they ought to be saved in project instead, since they're part of the project data after the first Superitem is created.

[talustalus]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

No, but any changes you make during Edit can affect the other pooled Superitems. So for example if you leave the Contained Items in the same place, but move the left edge of the Sizing Region, then if you have the option to Propagate Position enabled, on Reglue the pooled Superitems will change their left edge position too.



Try to make a Licecap of that, as it could have many causes.

Thank you for explaining prop length/position. And thanks for your responsiveness. Not only built an amazing script, but you're also very helpful.

Regarding the issue I noticed, I have not been able to reproduce, but I realized another problem that is my fault. I am using exclusively the Smart Action Glue/Edit (assigned to keyboard shortcut), and this was not returning the contained items when I created multiple layers of superitems and used this smart action.
Then, using the "glue" and "unglue" (non-smart) actions, it works fine.
Just my error, as I said.

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by talustalus

I am using exclusively the Smart Action Glue/Edit (assigned to keyboard shortcut), and this was not returning the contained items when I created multiple layers of superitems and used this smart action.

What are "multiple layers" of Superitems?

[talustalus]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

What are "multiple layers" of Superitems?

Superglue contained items > Superitem 1
Superglue Superitem 1 > Superitem 2
Superglue Superitem 2 > Superitem 3
etc..

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by talustalus

Superglue contained items > Superitem 1
Superglue Superitem 1 > Superitem 2
Superglue Superitem 2 > Superitem 3
etc..

Ah, I think you're referring to what I call "nesting".

Yes, certainly if you want to Edit a Contained Superitem, Smart Action might not guess correctly.

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

I'm working on a big project now at home and studio both.
There are big structure of folders in it, but all placed in master folder.
I show the master folder for Reaper every time I start project on other computer. It's not difficult.
But Superglue save exact source path and I get offline items on reglue.

Hi AZ! I'm having trouble reproducing this error. Here is what I did:

1. Copy project folder from computer A to (desktop of - NOT same path) Computer B
2. Open project on Computer B
3. Edit a Superitem then reglue

I don't get an offline Superitem. Can you give me more of a hint how to reproduce the bug? I agree that Superglue should work perfectly on any machine a project is run on, so I'd definitely like to fix this issue.

[AZpercussion]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

I don't get an offline Superitem. Can you give me more of a hint how to reproduce the bug? I agree that Superglue should work perfectly on any machine a project is run on, so I'd definitely like to fix this issue.

Ah, I see that default project media directory works fine.
But if you'll try to create a subfolder in project media directory files will loosed.
For example there cold be such structure:
/Project/
Media/
Souce/
SFX/
Music/
DIA/
Foley/
Ambience/
Office/
Traffic cars/
Night forest/

In this case Reaper can find files automatically on project load, but Superglue can't.



Also there could be another structure:
Here would be very useful if Superglue script can ask the user where to search files. So, suggested folder should be folder with project I worked on, saying Mix project. Then I'll go one level higer and will choose All project stuff folder.

/All project stuff/
MIX project/
Media/
ADR edit/
Media/
SFX/
Music/
Foley rec&edit/
Media/
Ambience/
Office/
Traffic cars/
Night forest/

[MonkeyBars]

Just want to emphasize something related to the bugs AZ has been reporting: Superglue does not work between projects! The basic pool information etc. is all stored in the project at hand. Copying Superitems or Contained Items over to another project will disconnect them from the Superglue data and they'll lose all connection with their Pools.

I just ran into this while Editing a Superitem. I was doing some sound testing and moved out my Contained Items to another project and forgot when I moved them back they were no longer seen as Contained Items for that pool (or any pool). (I assume because their GUIDs changed....) Be very careful!

Another very important subject I ran into in my latest song production is keeping track of the multichannel Superglue option. I was Supergluing vocals and using take FX to render effects reversibly, which works awesome - BUT, be careful to set the multichannel Superglue option correctly so that your mono edits stay mono and your take FX prints render to stereo, etc. I accidently Superglued my take FX as mono and it sounded real bad lol

[daxliniere]

I have absolutely no idea the mechanics of how Superglue works, but would it be possible to take advantage of REAPER's native sub-projects feature to alleviate this problem?

(P.S. I don't think it would be a problem for me. I'm seldom sharing items between projects.)

(P.P.S. Is the Superglue data stored in the project or specifically in the project's tracks? If the latter, does that mean an entire track could be copied between projects and it would work?)

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by daxliniere

I have absolutely no idea the mechanics of how Superglue works, but would it be possible to take advantage of REAPER's native sub-projects feature to alleviate this problem?

Nope. Subprojects are just projects with autorender and pointers from another project. They're awesome though! We think of Superglue as a midpoint between glue and subproject.

(P.P.S. Is the Superglue data stored in the project or specifically in the project's tracks? If the latter, does that mean an entire track could be copied between projects and it would work?)

Superglue data is stored in the project, master track (so that changes are tracked in the undo history), items, and takes. So no, copying a track won't do you any good. All data interacts with the project data.

[AZpercussion]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Just want to emphasize something related to the bugs AZ has been reporting: Superglue does not work between projects! The basic pool information etc. is all stored in the project at hand. Copying Superitems or Contained Items over to another project will disconnect them from the Superglue data and they'll lose all connection with their Pools.

Just in case I want to say that I remember about this limitation.
I asked about finding files when ungluing already done, but items are offline.

Though, I thought more deeper about copying between projects. And here what I found:
The master track P_EXT attribute string can be used temporary, when SuperItem is unglued.
And constantly we could keep SuperItem's data directly in media item P_EXT attribute. Or in the same string attribute of a take, what I personally prefer because of takes advantages in a future extensions...
So, the script need just copy attributes to a master track P_EXT sring on unglue, and then copy them back on reglue.
What do you think?

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

Just in case I want to say that I remember about this limitation.
I asked about finding files when ungluing already done, but items are offline.

Yes of course! You mentioned opening the same project on a different system, which absolutely should not break but currently does, so that's a bug.

Though, I thought more deeper about copying between projects. And here what I found:
The master track P_EXT attribute string can be used temporary, when SuperItem is unglued.
And constantly we could keep SuperItem's data directly in media item P_EXT attribute. Or in the same string attribute of a take, what I personally prefer because of takes advantages in a future extensions...
So, the script need just copy attributes to a master track P_EXT sring on unglue, and then copy them back on reglue.
What do you think?

Not exactly sure what you're saying here... but it does put me in mind of the possibility to create a special action for copying a Superitem from one open project to another. I'm not sure about the details though, e.g. GUIDs tend to change etc.

[AZpercussion]

Do I understand right, that GUID needs for now just for SuperItem itself, not for contained items?

If so, I think we can keep Superitem's attributes directly in the SuperItem. So there will no matter that GUID can change.
Take a look closer to the API, there are functions GetSetMediaItemInfo_String and GetSetMediaItemTakeInfo_String like similar function for a track.

So the master track P_EXT attributes needs only while SuperItem is unglued to keep fx, stretch markers, envelopes etc.

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

Do I understand right, that GUID needs for now just for SuperItem itself, not for contained items?

Well contained items are stored as state chunks and state chunks do contain GUIDs, so...

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

If so, I think we can keep Superitem's attributes directly in the SuperItem.

If I understand your proposal correctly, you are suggesting to store all Superitem data inside the Superitem itself? Such an approach will break Superglue's nesting functionality, since at any given point Superglue may be storing Superitem data in the master track P_EXT for items not actually present in the project timeline (but which will nevertheless appear correctly again should a nested Superitem be revealed by Editing its parent). There are also other complications with pooling given that approach.

[AZpercussion]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Well contained items are stored as state chunks and state chunks do contain GUIDs, so...

Ah, okay, so these GUIDs just for restorable, not for search by GUID. That's good.

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

If I understand your proposal correctly, you are suggesting to store all Superitem data inside the Superitem itself?

Yes.

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Such an approach will break Superglue's nesting functionality, since at any given point Superglue may be storing Superitem data in the master track P_EXT for items not actually present in the project timeline (but which will nevertheless appear correctly again should a nested Superitem be revealed by Editing its parent). There are also other complications with pooling given that approach.

Though, it's possible on reglue to check every item is it SG item and have it any nested SG items or not.
But I don't know how it could influence on performance in big project...
I tried my batch fades/crossfades function of my Fade tool script on 5000 items and it worked with 3 sec latency on my 4-core i7 intel laptop.

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

Though, it's possible on reglue to check every item is it SG item and have it any nested SG items or not.
But I don't know how it could influence on performance in big project...

I'm not concerned about performance, but changing the entire data paradigm at this point just for cross-project item sharing is poor dev practice. As previously mentioned, the way to do this is to create a specific script that allows copying a Superitem from one open project to another.

[AZpercussion]

There could be a moment in the future, when you'll have many accumulated ideas and need to change whole data paradigm will more obvious. So that remember this solution, it could be helpful.

But if there is possibility to make a script for copying, it's really welcome too!
Hope, it's possible to copy the whole tracks by this script, not only one item.

[DreamDisease]

Hi this looks awesome, but is there any way to make it work between tracks too? Or does it already do that? Like so you can highlight a whole stack of items and nest-group them to pool and sync wherever, just as this seems to do for one track at a time?.Right now I use subprojects for that purpose

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by DreamDisease

Hi this looks awesome, but is there any way to make it work between tracks too? Or does it already do that? Like so you can highlight a whole stack of items and nest-group them to pool and sync wherever, just as this seems to do for one track at a time?.Right now I use subprojects for that purpose

Yes, though it's fairly labor-intensive. It's a very high priority enhancement (card #11). Have a look at the roadmap here.

[AZpercussion]

Just one simple idea.
There are scripts that switch SG options.

Imagine that user have a contextual toolbar or just a toolbar exclusively for SG bunch of actions. It's really useful for keeping interface structurized.

So, it will be better if user could see options as a button state.
It requires scripts switching the options have a toggle state.

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

Imagine that user have a contextual toolbar or just a toolbar exclusively for SG bunch of actions. It's really useful for keeping interface structurized.

So, it will be better if user could see options as a button state.
It requires scripts switching the options have a toggle state.

Hi AZ! I'm not sure I understand your FR here. Are you just requesting that the SG toggle options all use Reaper's built-in state switch? Or is there more to it?

[vitalker]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Hi AZ! I'm not sure I understand your FR here. Are you just requesting that the SG toggle options all use Reaper's built-in state switch? Or is there more to it?

I guess he is talking about button state. When the options are showed, the button is armed. When closed, is unarmed.

[AZpercussion]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Are you just requesting that the SG toggle options all use Reaper's built-in state switch?

Yeah, that's right. I don't know exactly what you mean by "built-in".
There is an action in API: reaper.SetToggleCommandState

You can see this state here:



It also affects buttons linked with the script or native action.


No, vitalker, not such simple I'm talking about each option itself, not about options window.

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

Yeah, that's right. I don't know exactly what you mean by "built-in".
There is an action in API: reaper.SetToggleCommandState

Great idea! Yes

"Built-in" just means Reaper native

[vitalker]

Originally Posted by AZpercussion

No, vitalker, not such simple I'm talking about each option itself, not about options window.

Well that's what I meant. Does SG have an additional options window?

[AZpercussion]

Originally Posted by vitalker

Well that's what I meant. Does SG have an additional options window?

Good!
Yes, there is script: MB_Superglue - Options - Global - Open script options window.lua

[MonkeyBars]

This is a really important FR, thanks again AZ. My original conception was for the toggle scripts to be used in buttons, cycle actions, etc. but I forgot that's not really viable without native state toggle.

[AZpercussion]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

My original conception was for the toggle scripts to be used in buttons, cycle actions, etc.

Nice!)

[TonE]

"MIDI
Currently only MIDI on virtual instrument tracks is supported."

What does this mean, what is not supported?
UPDATE: I can answer my question myself, on a midi item, without any vsti fx loaded, superglue will not work, displaying a message it requires an fx loading, so it can render it to audio. So it seems superglues main idea is converting something to audio and continuing with that...

I guess without tutorial videos, Superglue is like a kept secret. The videos could explain examples, what is allowed to do and what not. What to do if something goes wrong?

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by TonE

So it seems superglues main idea is converting something to audio and continuing with that...

Feel free to follow the dev roadmap. Full MIDI support is planned...

[TonE]

Let me check if I will find any video or text tutorials for Superglue. What I found so far:
- not working with tracks not containing synths, so those can be rendered to audio, as mentioned above.
- not working over multiple tracks (I guess)
- not sure what to do if something looks mysterious or did not work, but we are stuck somewhere in the middle of the process. Do I have undo for this state, for example.
For non-logic users, who do not know the process in Logic, such tutorials can be useful.

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by TonE

Do I have undo for this state, for example.

Not sure what state you're referring to. Superglue is 100% compatible with Reaper's Undo History. In fact, I had to discover a dependable way to store data that tracks together with the Undo History to achieve this.

For non-logic users, who do not know the process in Logic, such tutorials can be useful.

Superglue isn't emulating any Logic feature per se.

Download the repo and start experimenting with the Glue and Edit scripts to start off. The Unglue script will completely remove a Superitem and return the Contained Items to their state before the last Superglue Glue.

[svijayrathinam]

Originally Posted by MonkeyBars

Superglue
by MonkeyBars

Provides vital missing features in Reaper:

NONDESTRUCTIVE/REVERSIBLE GLUE
POOLED AUDIO ITEMS
and much, much more...

_____________________________________________

Download Superglue and stick it to your Reaper workflow today!


Import MonkeyBars's ReaPack repo from Github here.


Superglue is a suite of scripts allowing Reaper users to place items
into container items called Superitems which can be Edited and Reglued back together later.

Copies of Superitems stay in sync with each other in a pool by default,
but of course you can remove a Superitem from its pool at any time and create as many pools as you wish.


_____________________________________________

Want to smush your items into a single container Superitem
that you can unsmush, change, and resmush later?

SUPERGLUE THEM!





Want to create pooled audio items that all update in sync
whenever one of them is updated?

SUPERGLUE THEM!





Want to nest these pooled Superitems into other Superitems
that are also all pooled and all update in sync?

SUPERGLUE THEM!




These examples only scratch the sticky surface of all the amazing capabilities Superglue adheres to.

_____________________________________________

Superglue Script Guide

• Core scripts: Glue, Edit, Unglue
• Use Smart Actions to trigger these automagically by context.
• DePool: "Pool - Remove selected Superitem from Pool"
• Script options: "Options - Global - Open script options window"
• Utilities
• Option scripts for convenience to control the options in the SG script options window via Action List

_____________________________________________

Please examine the README on Github carefully before asking for support here.

The project board is kept up to date with all the enhancements and bugs.
Check there for an existing feature or bug before posting here.

Superglue is open source and free.
Every effort was taken to ensure the codebase is clean and self-explanatory.
Developer contributions are very welcome – just grab a card on Github and submit your pull request.

ENJOY!

_____________________________________________

Thank you to matthewjumpsoffbuildings for creating his Glue Groups script in 2015, which formed the core logic for Superglue.
Numerous ReaScript advances and a lot of bugfixes & new features enabled the fulfillment of his vision – the codebase is over quadruple the length now.

Superglue is dedicated to my good friend @Julian. We slew the White Whale!

Thank you also to generous @tack for Reaper Toolkit (rtk), the amazing SWS team for the SWS Extension, Julian Sader for js_ReaScript_API, and pkulchenko for Serpent, which are used in Superglue.

Special thanks to @Breeder, @AZPercussion, and @Phazma for consultation, and of course @Justin, @schwa and the rest of the Reaper team for the great DAW and API!

Keywords: Referenced objects, Item Patterns, Meta-Items, Audio Containers, Item Folders, Blocks, Ghost Copies, Non-destructive Glue, Cubase Parts, Logic Folders, Audio Regions, Media Container, Prefabs, Pooled Box for audio-items, Repetitive Structures, Ghost Audio Item, Pooled Copy, Item Container, Container Item, Region Groups

Thank you for this script. When I try to import your repack I am getting the following error.


"Download failed: SSL connect error (35): LibreSSL SSL_connect: SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL in connection to raw.githubusercontent.com:443
https://github.com/MonkeyBars3k/ReaScripts/raw/master/index.xml"

Can you pls look into this ?

[MonkeyBars]

Originally Posted by svijayrathinam

Thank you for this script. When I try to import your repack I am getting the following error.

"Download failed: SSL connect error (35): LibreSSL SSL_connect: SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL in connection to raw.githubusercontent.com:443
https://github.com/MonkeyBars3k/ReaScripts/raw/master/index.xml"

Looks like you have a connection error.

Please remove the quotation of the entire OP from your post

[MonkeyBars]

Deployed v1.838

• Add check for offline restored items / reglued Superitem

AZ, please check this version on your setup and let me know if it works right... suggestions welcome on this. It was a bit awkward to test.

[MonkeyBars]

Deployed v1.839

• Use native Reaper action state for Boolean Superglue options and refresh toolbar button states

[MonkeyBars]

Deployed v1.840

• Script item bg images now copy to project folder

AZ, please check this on your multi-system projects as well and let me know if it's functioning properly – thank you and happy new year