FXstack management

[Peter Wassink]

i am a bit confused about the way to share and swap FX's in the stack.

you can export a stack under preset
and you can export a single fx under its fxbin pulldown button

but when you import a stack into an existing stack it replaces it.
resulting in the los of the fx's that were there.

and also it doesn't seem possible to import a single fx into a stack.
well... only if you first select it yourself from the add fx stack you can import it into that.

how do you combine two fx stacks?

[Elodie]

I'm afraid... you can't.

Bu indeed, this should be redone entirely to be more user friendly.

Todo listed !

Edit : if you import a bin of FX stack, use the option "Add", then import another bin of FX stack and use the option "Add" again : you will be able then to switch from a stack to another stack... Not ideal, but it can help at the moment.

[Peter Wassink]

ah thanks,
yes that helps

[Cardin]

Just recently, I also needed to combine stacks and discovered a workaround that accomplishes that objective.

The exported FX stacks are stored in an array as a text file so combining stacks is just a matter of copying and pasting the data from one into the other. There is a caveat; each file has a set of unique identifiers (each one corresponds to a slot for the effect, not the effect itself) specific to it so a small step is involved in order to make the proper modification. This method is inconvenient but it would be very useful if the effects you want to add to another stack have a lot of complex parameter changes, keyframes, etc. In such cases, adding the effects you want and then readjusting parameters using the normal method via FX Stack can be very time consuming and frustrating. So if anyone really needs to combine stacks (and doing it manually is too time consuming), here is a way to do it until an update to TVP is released.

I have laid out the steps in the SPOILER.

Spoiler : :

FX stack 1 - It is missing the 3 effects we want which are in the next image of Stack 2




FX stack 2 - These are the 3 effects we want to combine with Stack 1 with its corresponding text file.




We have added 3 filters. These are arbitrary but the number of filters added must match the number from the second effect stack. In this case it is three. After you have added them, export the stack. You can overwrite your existing one or create a new one.



Now we have a text file with the array element identifiers we need but we must replace the data. Do not change the identifier.



We have replaced the effect data



Now save the text file and then reimport the Stack...

Annnd the result (WIP)..

[Animationriver]

Wow!!!

[Elodie]

I agree : Wow

[Thierry]

Indeed, impressive

[Cardin]

Thank you all. It's still an unfinished test but your responses are very encouraging.
(I assume the comments are directed at the animated effect and not the step-by-step process to combine Fx stacks )

I look forward to seeing the updates to the FX Stack hopefully in the next release.

[Elodie]

(I assume the comments are directed at the animated effect and not the step-by-step process to combine Fx stacks )

Both actually !

[Peter Wassink]

as an FXstack overhaul is todo listed...
some thoughts:

The panel should be thought of more as a place where you can organize stacks.
Because despite the preset option it is still mainly a place to organize FX's into a single stack
i would argue for a tab-system like tvp has with projects.
In TVP each open project is represented by a tab in the menu bar, with the active project highlighted.
this same approach could be done with the stack.

You should be able to create a NEW stack and name it just like you would create a new project
it is very confusing to know what FXstack preset is active in the stackpanel because its name is not displayed.

and colorcoding individual FXs would also be a nice way to help organize more complex stacks

[slowtiger]

I'd also like to have the ability to change stack order of FX.

[Peter Wassink]

I'd also like to have the ability to change stack order of FX.

you can change the order of FX's within a stack by clicking&draging, but i guess you mean something else?

[Thierry]

you can change the order of FX's within a stack by clicking&draging, but i guess you mean something else?

Indeed, that's the way to edit the FX list.

as an FXstack overhaul is todo listed...
some thoughts:

The panel should be thought of more as a place where you can organize stacks.
Because despite the preset option it is still mainly a place to organize FX's into a single stack
i would argue for a tab-system like tvp has with projects.
In TVP each open project is represented by a tab in the menu bar, with the active project highlighted.
this same approach could be done with the stack.

You should be able to create a NEW stack and name it just like you would create a new project
it is very confusing to know what FXstack preset is active in the stackpanel because its name is not displayed.

and colorcoding individual FXs would also be a nice way to help organize more complex stacks

Thanks for the ideas Peter

[slowtiger]

Funny, it works now - it didn't last time I tried. Strange ...

[Thierry]

You need to click near the FX name, hold, then drag. Clicking elsewhere won't work.

There might be something to look at on our side for this...