djoddity
A suggestion for something right here on the website - a dedicated forum for talking about VDJscript. It would make it a lot easier to try and find snippets of code without having to pour through the general chit-chat of the general forum. I know from doing searches, it is almost impossible to find results for code unless you already know the name of piece of script you are looking for.
Posté Sat 20 Feb 16 @ 12:39 am
djdad
We have a dedicated topic here http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/199861/VirtualDJ_7_Technical_Support_(PC_Version)/VDJ_Script_Examples_-_User_s_Database.html
and we have created a wiki page to add useful VDJ script actions and examples as well.
http://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/VDJScript%20Examples%20Database.html
and we have created a wiki page to add useful VDJ script actions and examples as well.
http://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/VDJScript%20Examples%20Database.html
Posté Sun 21 Feb 16 @ 12:44 am
lucid_tek
djoddity wrote :
A suggestion for something right here on the website - a dedicated forum for talking about VDJscript. It would make it a lot easier to try and find snippets of code without having to pour through the general chit-chat of the general forum. I know from doing searches, it is almost impossible to find results for code unless you already know the name of piece of script you are looking for.
I'll second that. The forums here have many silly general questions. The wiki is kind of ... inflexible. A list without navigation like the faqs.
But DjOddity, what is an example of what you can't find? The syntax takes a while to get used to, but myself am confused a bit regarding LED feedback, and variables overall. I'll PM you...
I'm looking to map some stuff as well... so far I've gotten suggestions that were easy to script for, and in one case, was left with a broken line of script that still doesn't work today.
But honestly, I think it would take a big load off the staff and admins here, if there was a dedicated space to discuss VDJscript and or definition files... The wiki contribution aspect is too formal, and as the parameters keep expanding, tutorials regarding VDJscript, would be not found elsewhere better than in these forums... amiright? (hehe)
Thanks... +1
Posté Sun 21 Feb 16 @ 1:13 am
djoddity
One forum topic (in a forum for a previous version no less) doesn't really help with searching (via the local site search or via Google). A dedicated forum would make it a lot easier to search the thread topics for a specific area you need help in, and then only read threads that relate to what you are trying to do. I have used the wiki extensively and have found it helpful, but a dedicated forum would allow follow up questions without cluttering up the general chatter forum, or having one extremely long thread that nobody can follow anymore.
In my opinion, one of the major strengths of Virtual is the power of scripting and custom maps (I know it's the #1 reason I use this software over others). The site should do a little more to highlight that power (think how much NI users love the Traktor Bible).
In my opinion, one of the major strengths of Virtual is the power of scripting and custom maps (I know it's the #1 reason I use this software over others). The site should do a little more to highlight that power (think how much NI users love the Traktor Bible).
Posté Tue 23 Feb 16 @ 9:01 pm
mathieu.markus
That would be great!
Dedicated section regarding the VDJscript language seems welcome. Some considerations I'd like to learn more on:
- advanced conditional logic / functions
- debugging and checking for syntax errors
- concatenating variables
- how to prevent "oops I clicked on something in the UI while the focus was on a working action and now its broken" stuff
Yesterday I tried to set "LED_SYNC" to blink it on the beat. The initial idea didn't work:
key : LED_SYNC
action : var 'blink_interval' "((60000 / get_bpm) * 2)ms" & blink blink_interval
Today my logic seems adjusted to be more VDJscript-compatible, and got it working:
key : LED_SYNC
action : get_beat_num 1 2 ? on
In addition, flashing the four LEDs on the beat:
key : LED_FX_PAD_1
action : get_beat_num 1 ? get_deck_color absolute
key : LED_FX_PAD_2
action : get_beat_num 2 ? get_deck_color absolute
key : LED_FX_PAD_3
action : get_beat_num 3 ? get_deck_color absolute
key : LED_FX_PAD_4
action : get_beat_num 4 ? get_deck_color absolute
Therefore, it'd be great to discuss, share and gain a deeper understanding on the topic of VDJscript, so thumbs up for a dedicated subforum on scripting!
-- Edit: and an option to embed 'code'-tags would be nice. Formatted this post assuming that [ c o d e ] ... [ / c o d e ] tags worked, but it didn't.
Dedicated section regarding the VDJscript language seems welcome. Some considerations I'd like to learn more on:
- advanced conditional logic / functions
- debugging and checking for syntax errors
- concatenating variables
- how to prevent "oops I clicked on something in the UI while the focus was on a working action and now its broken" stuff
Yesterday I tried to set "LED_SYNC" to blink it on the beat. The initial idea didn't work:
key : LED_SYNC
action : var 'blink_interval' "((60000 / get_bpm) * 2)ms" & blink blink_interval
Today my logic seems adjusted to be more VDJscript-compatible, and got it working:
key : LED_SYNC
action : get_beat_num 1 2 ? on
In addition, flashing the four LEDs on the beat:
key : LED_FX_PAD_1
action : get_beat_num 1 ? get_deck_color absolute
key : LED_FX_PAD_2
action : get_beat_num 2 ? get_deck_color absolute
key : LED_FX_PAD_3
action : get_beat_num 3 ? get_deck_color absolute
key : LED_FX_PAD_4
action : get_beat_num 4 ? get_deck_color absolute
Therefore, it'd be great to discuss, share and gain a deeper understanding on the topic of VDJscript, so thumbs up for a dedicated subforum on scripting!
-- Edit: and an option to embed 'code'-tags would be nice. Formatted this post assuming that [ c o d e ] ... [ / c o d e ] tags worked, but it didn't.
Posté Wed 24 Feb 16 @ 9:34 pm
locoDog
I believe bbcode is restricted for home users.
I can see both points of view here, staff feel that the current setup works as script is everywhere in vdj skinning, mapping and currently each request for help will have a correct place.
Also I am pretty convinced once a user understands that more or less everything in vdj is script they can really work vdj, and any way to help digital dj's accept that a bit of coding may make quite a difference should be encouraged.
I'm unsure how you marry the two, but I'll keep browsing the forums, trying to answer questions in a accessible way,
I'm normally up for pm's or contact via my wall too,
Also the script repository is pretty informative once you add up all the examples.
Posté Thu 25 Feb 16 @ 7:02 am
Dancechamp777
Posté Thu 25 Feb 16 @ 8:11 pm
Dancechamp777
philibuster wrote :
I'll second that. The forums here have many silly general questions. The wiki is kind of ... inflexible. A list without navigation
like the faqs ... But honestly, I think it would take a big load off the staff and admins here, if there was a dedicated space to
discuss VDJscript and or definition files... The wiki contribution aspect is too formal, and as the parameters keep expanding,
tutorials regarding VDJscript, would be not found elsewhere better than in these forums +1
djoddity wrote :
A suggestion for something right here on the website - a dedicated forum for talking about VDJscript. It would make it a lot
easier to try and find snippets of code without having to pour through the general chit-chat of the general forum. I know from doing
searches, it is almost impossible to find results for code unless you already know the name of piece of script you are looking for.
easier to try and find snippets of code without having to pour through the general chit-chat of the general forum. I know from doing
searches, it is almost impossible to find results for code unless you already know the name of piece of script you are looking for.
I'll second that. The forums here have many silly general questions. The wiki is kind of ... inflexible. A list without navigation
like the faqs ... But honestly, I think it would take a big load off the staff and admins here, if there was a dedicated space to
discuss VDJscript and or definition files... The wiki contribution aspect is too formal, and as the parameters keep expanding,
tutorials regarding VDJscript, would be not found elsewhere better than in these forums +1
I totally agree with the above comments. This has been suggested MANY times and basically
ignored in favor of the status quo.
Since scripting is such an integral function of VDJ it seems so obvious that it should have its
own nesting place, on this forum, that is dedicated, easy to search and navigate, and informative
for the users. Every time this idea is mentioned, the Atomix staff answers with something similar
to ..."we have the info in all these other places, read the (limited and cryptic) documentation, then
basically go figure it out yourself ... we might help you a little bit if we feel like it ..."
To be fair, there are a few helpful members [LocoDog, DJdad, & others] who will try to give you
a basic script idea to start with, but they usually don't work completely flawlessly and you have
to tweak and modify them to work for your particular application. This separate forum idea would
be VERY beneficial for VDJ users as they can interact with each other in "real time" as opposed
to just getting scrambled information from a wiki page and figuring out for themselves.
Posté Thu 25 Feb 16 @ 8:13 pm
kradcliffe
Scripting is still pretty much a dark art unless you are one of a few people who completely understand it ..... which is probably 0.0001% of the user base.
What we need is a script builder wizard that asks in plain language what you want to do then creates the code.
What we need is a script builder wizard that asks in plain language what you want to do then creates the code.
Posté Thu 25 Feb 16 @ 9:02 pm
PhantomDeejay
Dancechamp777 wrote :
To be fair, there are a few helpful members [LocoDog, DJdad, & others] who will try to give you
a basic script idea to start with, but they usually don't work completely flawlessly and you have
to tweak and modify them to work for your particular application.
To be fair, there are a few helpful members [LocoDog, DJdad, & others] who will try to give you
a basic script idea to start with, but they usually don't work completely flawlessly and you have
to tweak and modify them to work for your particular application.
To be honest most of the time the scripts we provide "don't work flawlessly" because users fail to explain what they want to do.
Scripting is programming. And a program does EXACTLY what you tell it to do. It follows it's instructions to the letter. It can't guess what you mean or what you want it to do. ;)
Just keep that in mind.
Because several times we ask "please tell us EXACTLY what you want the button to do" only to get a very "generic" answer
Posté Thu 25 Feb 16 @ 9:11 pm
Dan (djtouchdan)
kradcliffe wrote :
Scripting is still pretty much a dark art unless you are one of a few people who completely understand it ..... which is probably 0.0001% of the user base.
What we need is a script builder wizard that asks in plain language what you want to do then creates the code.
What we need is a script builder wizard that asks in plain language what you want to do then creates the code.
Or you could learn the code.
Posté Sat 27 Feb 16 @ 7:23 pm
groovindj
We shouldn't have to. We're DJs, not programmers. :-)
Posté Sat 27 Feb 16 @ 8:17 pm
kradcliffe
Agreed.
Posté Sat 27 Feb 16 @ 8:39 pm
locoDog
groovin was being sarcastic,
tell me when was the point you said to yourself 'i don't want to learn any more'
tell me when was the point you said to yourself 'i don't want to learn any more'
Posté Sat 27 Feb 16 @ 9:01 pm
groovindj
Was I?
The truth is, it could be made easier.
It's like dealing with the language required to create filter folders. Beyond the very basics, it starts to get confusing quite quickly.
Apple make creating "smart playlists" in iTunes easy, by offering choices in drop down menus. OTOH with VDJ filter folders it all has to be figured out by studying the available elements, operators and keywords, then entered by hand in the right order.
Scripting is (or can be) another level of complex on top of that, so there's a greater need to make it easier for the average user.
The truth is, it could be made easier.
It's like dealing with the language required to create filter folders. Beyond the very basics, it starts to get confusing quite quickly.
Apple make creating "smart playlists" in iTunes easy, by offering choices in drop down menus. OTOH with VDJ filter folders it all has to be figured out by studying the available elements, operators and keywords, then entered by hand in the right order.
Scripting is (or can be) another level of complex on top of that, so there's a greater need to make it easier for the average user.
Posté Sat 27 Feb 16 @ 9:20 pm
locoDog
it gets easier with practice,
start small, think about things you'd like to connect together, try them, get stuck, ask for help, think about the things you need to query so every variable [i mean every slider or effect or state] that could change the behaviour is in the script, try more adventurous things, get stuck, ask for help
once you get to this point you won't need to ask big questions and expect the solution handed to you, you'll be asking small questions about just a small part you don't understand.
once you hit the point you can id the variables that might make a difference, you'll be thinking critically.
if you really want to learn ask questions.
start small, think about things you'd like to connect together, try them, get stuck, ask for help, think about the things you need to query so every variable [i mean every slider or effect or state] that could change the behaviour is in the script, try more adventurous things, get stuck, ask for help
once you get to this point you won't need to ask big questions and expect the solution handed to you, you'll be asking small questions about just a small part you don't understand.
once you hit the point you can id the variables that might make a difference, you'll be thinking critically.
if you really want to learn ask questions.
Posté Sat 27 Feb 16 @ 11:11 pm
PachN
groovindj wrote :
It's like dealing with the language required to create filter folders. Beyond the very basics, it starts to get confusing quite quickly.
Apple make creating "smart playlists" in iTunes easy, by offering choices in drop down menus. OTOH with VDJ filter folders it all has to be figured out by studying the available elements, operators and keywords, then entered by hand in the right order.
It's like dealing with the language required to create filter folders. Beyond the very basics, it starts to get confusing quite quickly.
Apple make creating "smart playlists" in iTunes easy, by offering choices in drop down menus. OTOH with VDJ filter folders it all has to be figured out by studying the available elements, operators and keywords, then entered by hand in the right order.
A couple of weeks ago, on a bored Sunday afternoon, I started to create a tool that offers exactly that.
A GUI with dropdowns to create filter folders.
Posté Sun 28 Feb 16 @ 3:47 pm
Dancechamp777
kradcliffe wrote :
Scripting is still pretty much a dark art unless you are one of a few people who completely understand it .....
which is probably 0.0001% of the user base. ... What we need is a script builder wizard that asks in plain language what
you want to do then creates the code.
which is probably 0.0001% of the user base. ... What we need is a script builder wizard that asks in plain language what
you want to do then creates the code.
A Script Building Wizard is a very good idea!
Posté Mon 29 Feb 16 @ 3:17 am
locoDog
But highly unlikely to happen, and not the silver bullet you think it is.
If a user can't consider every variable that may alter the script behaviour, then you'll only get a script that works only sometimes.
The machine can't guess and if it could the chances it will get it wrong are high.
Something less exotic that might help would be a highlight to show where a script terminates. Be it a missed space, semi colon instead of a colon, spelling mistake or something that doesn't conform to the language.
But let's at this wish the opposite way, what do you feel needs further explanation?
Don't say everything because that just means you haven't even tried to learn.
I'd like to see
param cast explained a bit more, like reading the echo effects beats string and taking that as a number
Also a variable added to a variable, (i have a vague idea)
If a user can't consider every variable that may alter the script behaviour, then you'll only get a script that works only sometimes.
The machine can't guess and if it could the chances it will get it wrong are high.
Something less exotic that might help would be a highlight to show where a script terminates. Be it a missed space, semi colon instead of a colon, spelling mistake or something that doesn't conform to the language.
But let's at this wish the opposite way, what do you feel needs further explanation?
Don't say everything because that just means you haven't even tried to learn.
I'd like to see
param cast explained a bit more, like reading the echo effects beats string and taking that as a number
Also a variable added to a variable, (i have a vague idea)
Posté Mon 29 Feb 16 @ 1:17 pm
PhantomDeejay
Let's be honest:
VDJ uses it's own language aka "VDJScript". To several people this looks like c++ code written in Chinese mixed with some ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs. The truth however is that "VDJScript" ia a simple scripting language and we try to keep it that way. Sometimes the scripts may get extremely long (and thus hard to follow if you don't understand the scripting code well) exactly because we don't want to include 100 functions on it, in order to keep it simple!
Yes, I know how this sounds... A paradox. But it's the truth. If VDJ Script had more functions (like "if-elseif-else" instead of "if-else" or even a "switch case" function) then the code would look even more complex and not so much human readable.
On the wizard thing:
It wouldn't do any good besides "simple scripts" which are already easy to do without a wizard anyway.
Someone mentioned the "filter folder" queries above.
Filter folders use SQL statements. SQL stands for "Simple Query Language" and it's the most common scripting language for databases on the globe...
However besides simple queries, no proper wizards exists for building SQL queries nowhere in the world.
Imagine that a little: The most common language for databases in the world used by billions of websites and millions of corporate companies does not have a proper "Query Builder Wizard" !!!
Why ?
Because for simple queries a wizard is "useless" and for more advanced queries it can't really do the job.
Same rule goes for VDJscript as well.
I agree that DJ's are not programmers. However when you want one button to do several tasks depending on 5 different conditions then what you want is to actually "instruct" (program) the software to do things depending on your logic. That cannot be done without programming. When synths were introduced massively to the musician world most of them would just use 5 different presets and do their jobs. However musicians that wanted something more (to produce their own sounds) had to learn how to program their synth...
They had to learn how to deal with terms and conditions beyond their own "musical" field. They had to learn how to deal with velocity, with splits, splits under specific conditions, transpose (aka "shift") octaves up & down e.t.c.
Surely operating a modern "state of the art" synth up to the maximum of it's potentials these days differs a lot from just playing the piano or any "simple" key instrument. You "have" to learn how to "program" your synth if you want to get the most out of it.
Same rule goes with software like VirtualDj. It's inevitable if you want to be a pioneer and explore more and more the abilities of what technology and a particular software can offer to you.
Otherwise you can be like the "most" musicians on the example above. Just use what's already there. There's no-one that "forces" you to learn how to program and remap buttons if all you want to do is just use what's already there and do your job. Nor learning to program a software or a synth will make you better...
I'm pretty sure that there are great musicians out there that never bothered to tweak their synths and they rock the place with their music. As I'm pretty sure there are great "programmers" that s*ck when they play their great new sounds!!!
VDJ uses it's own language aka "VDJScript". To several people this looks like c++ code written in Chinese mixed with some ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs. The truth however is that "VDJScript" ia a simple scripting language and we try to keep it that way. Sometimes the scripts may get extremely long (and thus hard to follow if you don't understand the scripting code well) exactly because we don't want to include 100 functions on it, in order to keep it simple!
Yes, I know how this sounds... A paradox. But it's the truth. If VDJ Script had more functions (like "if-elseif-else" instead of "if-else" or even a "switch case" function) then the code would look even more complex and not so much human readable.
On the wizard thing:
It wouldn't do any good besides "simple scripts" which are already easy to do without a wizard anyway.
Someone mentioned the "filter folder" queries above.
Filter folders use SQL statements. SQL stands for "Simple Query Language" and it's the most common scripting language for databases on the globe...
However besides simple queries, no proper wizards exists for building SQL queries nowhere in the world.
Imagine that a little: The most common language for databases in the world used by billions of websites and millions of corporate companies does not have a proper "Query Builder Wizard" !!!
Why ?
Because for simple queries a wizard is "useless" and for more advanced queries it can't really do the job.
Same rule goes for VDJscript as well.
I agree that DJ's are not programmers. However when you want one button to do several tasks depending on 5 different conditions then what you want is to actually "instruct" (program) the software to do things depending on your logic. That cannot be done without programming. When synths were introduced massively to the musician world most of them would just use 5 different presets and do their jobs. However musicians that wanted something more (to produce their own sounds) had to learn how to program their synth...
They had to learn how to deal with terms and conditions beyond their own "musical" field. They had to learn how to deal with velocity, with splits, splits under specific conditions, transpose (aka "shift") octaves up & down e.t.c.
Surely operating a modern "state of the art" synth up to the maximum of it's potentials these days differs a lot from just playing the piano or any "simple" key instrument. You "have" to learn how to "program" your synth if you want to get the most out of it.
Same rule goes with software like VirtualDj. It's inevitable if you want to be a pioneer and explore more and more the abilities of what technology and a particular software can offer to you.
Otherwise you can be like the "most" musicians on the example above. Just use what's already there. There's no-one that "forces" you to learn how to program and remap buttons if all you want to do is just use what's already there and do your job. Nor learning to program a software or a synth will make you better...
I'm pretty sure that there are great musicians out there that never bothered to tweak their synths and they rock the place with their music. As I'm pretty sure there are great "programmers" that s*ck when they play their great new sounds!!!
Posté Mon 29 Feb 16 @ 2:35 pm
