tags: gui, editor, vst, c++, cpp, windows, .net framework

Bitwise Gui Editor

A "basic" Vector Graphics drawing tool for:

• Drawing Vst controls skins
• Creating and exporting Vst gui layouts (bitmaps and source code for the wisegui library)

This software is, currently, an "alpha" release and has not been extensively tested.
Save frequently and backup a project file before opening it again.

Examples:

A basic "demo" vst whose layout was developed using Bitwise Gui Editor. It renders the layout using the Wisegui Library.

Wisegui library's usage example. It shows how to use the Wisegui Library.

• None: simply exported as a bitmap
• View: exported as bitmap and source code
• Control: exported as bitmap and included in the view's code

1. Draw controls skins on control canvases.
2. Draw the view layout on a view canvas.
3. Add the controls defined above to the view canvas.
4. Set the controls properties.
5. Save the project.
6. Export the project.
7. Copy the exported files into your C++ project folder and add them to it.

Note: The class headers should not be modified if you plan to update the skins and/or the layout. You may modify the source code files, but you don't have to replace them if exporting again.

The exporter will create a subfolder in the same folder that contains the project file. Its name is: [project name]_files, where [project-name] is the name (without extension) you gave to the project when you saved it .

You can automate the copy of the exported files by creating a batch file. The batch file must be located in the same folder as the project file. Its name is [project name]_post-export.bat. If the exporter finds this file, it runs it.

Example

set SRCDIR= ... Path To editor's project files ...
set DSTDIR= ... Path to cpp project ... 

set file1=MainView.cpp
set file2=OtherView.cpp


copy %SRCDIR%\*.png %DSTDIR%\img
copy %SRCDIR%\*.rc2 %DSTDIR%
copy %SRCDIR%\*.h %DSTDIR%

  
cd /D %DSTDIR%

if exist %file1% goto noe
copy %SRCDIR%\%file1% %DSTDIR%
echo %file1% copied
:noe

if exist %file2% goto noe2
copy %SRCDIR%\%file2% %DSTDIR%
echo %file2% copied
:noe2


cd /D %SRCDIR%      
    

How To Draw

Select a layer in the canvas properties, select a shape in the toolbar, click on the canvas and drag to select a rectangular area. When you release the mouse, the shape is inserted in the area you selected. A Control (used for exporting source code) is initially blank, the Template property gives it its image.

A canvas has 8 layers. Each layer has its own animation. Before opening the animation editor, select the number of frames that the canvas will contain. Once the animation editor is open, select the layer you want to animate. Then set its properties according to the animation you want.

• Each control added to a view, has an Id property which is used in the source code to
  identify the parameter it refers to.
• When you add a Control to a view, it is blank (independently of the type of Control.).
• To assign a skin (a "Control" canvas that you have already designed):
set the Template property by choosing the Control canvas in the list.

• A slider control has an additional template that is used for the slider handle.
• Note: Buttons and Labels don't provide a value and they are not handled by the vst host.
  These special cases "must" be identified by an Id whose last character is @.
For example: kButton1@, kVolumeLabel@.
• Also, if you don't need that a parameter is managed by the host,
  append a @ to its Id property, for example: kKnobVolume@.

	Knob Control A knob image contains all the frames required to show its animation. If the frame size is W x H, the size of the image is W x (H * Frames).
	HSlider The Handle is drawn separately.
	VSlider The Handle is drawn separately.
	HSwitch The HSwitch image contains as many sub-images as the options are. The OptionsCount property is the number of options.
	VSwitch The VSwitch image contains as many sub-images as the options are. The OptionsCount property is the number of options.
	DropDownList FontSize sets the size of the fonts. Items is the list of items to insert in the list. The items cannot be inserted/removed at runtime.

Wisegui Library

The Wisegui Library is a graphic framework for rendering (testing) gui layouts created by the Bitwise Gui Editor.

(VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH)

    
    class Gui : public AEffEditor, public Window
    

The Window class hosts a View derived object. The derived View is provided by the code exported by the Gui Editor and contains the code to create the controls. A Vst creates the gui in the following way:

    
    View *view = new MyView(this);
    _gui = new Gui(this, GUI_WIDTH, GUI_HEIGHT);
    _gui->SetView(view);        
    setEditor(_gui);
    

The View has also two methods whose use is optional:

The View sends and receive information from the vst through the ControlListener interface:

    
    class Example : public AudioEffectX, public ControlListener
    

The vst implements its three methods:

• void ParamChanged(int, double);
  The View informs the vst that a control has changed its value.
• double GetParamValue(int index, bool normal = true);
  The View needs the parameter value whose identifier is index.
• ParamInfo *GetParamInfo(int index);
  The View needs info about the control whose identifier is index.

The ParamInfo class is used to describe a single vst parameter. You describe the parameter in the constructor:

    
    ParamInfo(kKnobVolume, CTYPE_DOUBLE, 0, 100, v, "Volume", "")
    

The arguments are:

• Parameter id
• Parameter type
• Min, Max values
• Default value
• Name
• Label

Note: The file ids.h defines parameters ids and macros for the constructor of each parameter defined:

    
    #define P0(v) ParamInfo(kKnobVol, CTYPE_DOUBLE, 0, 100, v, "Volume", "")
    

ParamInfo Methods: