Teletype - Programming a keyboard to send stored commands

[grey]

A way to treat the keyboard like the grid might make sense? So listening for keycodes or keycode combos in live mode.

Maybe using caps lock as a “macros active/inactive” toggle so you know when you can type freely or not?

To me this brings up the timeline/shadow scripts discussion. More space to define macros in script is also relevant.

[jlmitch5]

@scanner_darkly @xenus_dad I updated to the version linked to and wasn’t able to reproduce any sort of lost keystroke with my vortex core!

[laborcamp]

To me this brings up the timeline/shadow scripts discussion

Yes, I was thinking about the same thing!
I imagine writing these script lines would end up a bit like a “timeline”, but one that could be accessed one line at a time, nonlinearly by the various keybaoard key combinations.

OR
now that you mentioned it: the grid… so like a list of 128 lines of code where each can be played by grid pads…

Can you imagine playing earthsea, except instead of the note values you could sequence the lines of code?

[xenus_dad]

I’ll give a shot tonight. I type fast

[xenus_dad]

@scanner_darkly, this is also perfect, for me. It’s like having a whole new module! Or a working keyboard

Does this come with potential performance side effects?

[scanner_darkly]

awesome, thanks for testing @jlmitch5 and @xenus_dad!

this version doesn’t have any changes in how often keyboard is polled, so no effect on performance. the fix is described here.

i’m pretty sure the version i posted should have everything from 3.0 but i’ll make another build tonight using the official 3.0 just in case and post it in the other thread.

[scanner_darkly]

re: assigning arbitrary commands to shortcuts - this is basically scripts, with the ability to assign shortcuts to them, which necessitates having more scripts or the timeline feature (as scripts 1-8 already have shortcuts assigned to them).

[laborcamp]

That is exactly the case.

[scanner_darkly]

now that you mentioned it: the grid… so like a list of 128 lines of code where each can be played by grid pads…

this would be a much bigger change (imagine the UI you’d need to support the editing mode), but it gives me an idea. what about a variation of SCRIPT op where you could execute a specific line in a script, something like SCLINE script line? then you could code a scene with earthsea like grid UI triggering specific lines, or even create a sequencer where you sequence which lines to execute.

[laborcamp]

what about a variation of SCRIPT op where you could execute a specific line in a script, something like SCLINE script line ?

That sounds great!
It seems like something that would fit very nicely within the general TT logic/ethos.

As far as UI for the grid triggered commands. In my head it just looked like a vertical scroll of numbered lines (or they could be numbered as coordinates of column/row: 1.2, 1.3, etc.). As you scroll up and down to enter the command lines, the given number lights up the corresponding button.

[scanner_darkly]

that feels like a pretty special use case tbh, i’d rather have some more generic way of doing this, which to me is just scripting a UI using the existing grid ops. you could implement a sequencer or an earthsea style keyboard with just init and metro scripts, which leaves you with 48 possible lines.

[xenus_dad]

Counter: if you added or deleted a line to a script you had targeted elsewhere with SCLINE it would break the references throughout the rest of your scene.

I don’t know if it’s possible to have arbitrary (can’t remember what they’re really called but the) : operators, to ‘name’ a line. Almost like function/method names.

FOO: TR.PULSE 1

and then call EX FOO or something to execute.

I am assuming there are very good reasons why Teletype doesn’t support named functions. But, referencing a specific number line in a script seems to be asking for things to break.

[alanza]

Eagerly awaiting the GOTO op

[xenus_dad]

We can make rocket ships!

Actually could probably make rocketships with grid ops and L now.

[scanner_darkly]

good point, i would argue though that in a limited script space it’s easy enough to find all instances / edit appropriately (could also be done automatically but that would likely cause more issues than solve). also, for some use cases you would simply use scripts as collections of lines, so you would just edit specific lines without moving them. also this fits nicely within the existing system as it doesn’t require any major changes (although the execution context will need to be carefully considered).

regardless, having functions would be very useful. relevant thread:

Argument Expansion -> Functions

In the TT Short Aliases thread, SCALE was a popular request for shortening. I think something that may help would be to permit users to store groups of arguments for later use. Consider: #I AG 1 0 V 10 N * X 24 N * X 48 AG 2 0 V 10 N * X 60 N * X 12 #M EVERY 3: CV 1 SCALE &AG 1 IN OTHER: CV 1 SCALE &AG 2 IN #1 X + FLIP 1 Notes AG means Argument Group Its first argument is the AG index All remaining arguments are stored in the AG Fits as many commands as you can stuff yes, this is a de…

[xenus_dad]

That makes sense. It just has code smell, to me but you’re right, this is a small world of 60 lines, and we already make assumptions by calling SCRIPT 2 and such. Updating isn’t a huge burden.

I am also coming to this without much knowledge of the thought & discussion that’s gone into TT development so context like the discussion you linked is awesome.

Also, thanks for what you do! It’s a huge effort.

[scanner_darkly]

thinking more about using grid to trigger specific lines, i should just add it to the grid control mode. when you on a script page the grid control allows you to toggle comments for individual lines, i could add 6 more buttons to trigger specific lines (i would have to remove the 2 buttons for “enable all lines” / “disable all lines”):

[mirth]

Here’s a usb stick that can be used to emit keyboard codes. It’s sold as a hacker injection tool but it could potentially work for this use case: https://hakshop.com/products/usb-rubber-ducky-deluxe

[greaterthanzero]

That’s an interesting prospect, but it looks like it just triggers when you plug it in, where I think the group is looking for a selection of such macros, and some sort of interface to choose between them.

EDIT:
Just found the docs. Let’s see if I can confirm that.
…looks like there’s one button. Might be enough for a round-robin sort of arrangement, or a “execute random script”…

[jasonw22]

now that you mentioned it: the grid… so like a list of 128 lines of code where each can be played by grid pads…

this would be a much bigger change (imagine the UI you’d need to support the editing mode), but it gives me an idea. what about a variation of SCRIPT op where you could execute a specific line in a script, something like SCLINE script line ? then you could code a scene with earthsea like grid UI triggering specific lines, or even create a sequencer where you sequence which lines to execute.

So, I can imagine the UI for the first idea. Use the second idea in a 128 line script. Just add scrolling to the code editor.

This is totally GOTO, by the way. And I love it. Totally understand if there are technical reasons why it is a terrible idea, but GOTO was my intro to making stuff do things in interesting ways. I was 9. It was the most fun I had ever had up to that point.

So wait, is it part of grid mode already?! Man, I need to catch up!