updated top post, with overview of controls of orac
Ive also added ‘upcoming features’, which are things I plan to do , likely for next release (no promises 
)
one thing I would like to get some feedback is the current controls of Orac…
once you get used to them do they feel ‘natural’?
"more background info... aka thinking behind current UI" (click to expand)
here is what I set out to do:
I want Orac to be a very similar experience to the Organelle (so as to help share experience between platforms).
Orac is not the same as the Norns software, so things have to be different, but were possible i don’t want the UX to not conflict, so try to use some common ‘gestures’ between norns and orac.
however, I don’t use the norns software much, and very few scripts - so quite possible there are some improvements that could be made 
hers is my thinking so far:
we have limited UI to work with which has to work with 3 and 4 encoders.
so Im using :
- encoder
- button press
- button + encoder.
I could use long hold (no encoder) vs short press, but I know some users have issues with this, so Im at present avoid this.
Im currently trying to only have one ‘function button’ (button 3), to avoid too many things being overloaded.
so here is how i think it maps to norns : (given my above disclaimer about not known norns well!)
but 1 - is used in norns to switch between play/menu … hence its use as flip to main menu/param screen
enc 1 - select tabs in norns in main menu, hence its use in main menu.
enc 2/3 - are used in norns in menus and parameter screen to select parameters and change values.
but 2 - back, but 3 - ok/select
(but 2 is reserver for aux button later, which is used a lot on patches)
but 3 as shift button.
I chose this, probably because im right handed (!) , and so it’s natural when holding norns to easily hold it down whilst turning encoders.
I use encoder 3 as page - as its close to but 3, so feels like ‘minor change’ and encoder 2 as module since its not quite as close, so ‘bigger change’ .
my current feelings , things Im not sure about
Im not sure enc 1 for selecting menu items - sometimes it feels like enc 2 would be more natural.
but 3 + enc 2/3 (module/page) … sometimes I feel like enc 2/enc 3 should be reversed?
… not sure why, perhaps because we read left to right, so page then module?
If i free up enc 1 (from select menu item) , then perhaps enc 1 (no but3 = page/module?) with but 3 (shift) = page/module? - again not sure if unshifted should be page or module.
thoughts, other ideas?
I think we get one opportunity to ‘revise’ the controls due to user feedback,
then we should try to keep them the same, so that users can build up familiarity.
one plea… please base your feedback on experience using Orac for a bit,
this is not just about logical placement, it’s more about what feels right once you have got used to things.
to some extent all layouts will tend to feel weird/odd when we start out, and sometimes with cramp UI there has to be a compromise between ‘logical layout’ and what feels good after getting familiar.
