[gmpi] Re: Topic 7: Audio packaging
- From: Tim Hockin <thockin@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: gmpi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 22:42:10 -0700 (PDT)
> implement such features just to make it possible to use actually
> plugins. A "modular synth" style host shouldn't really need to have
> any converters and stuff at all, but rather just publish all the mono
> channels and leave the decisions to the user.
Assuming we go with multi-channel connections, the host can transparently
decouple all the wires at the edge of each plugin. To the user, your 5.1
plugin looks just like a 6-channel plugin. Behind the scenes you'd have to
rebundle them. Making a universal wire-converter would be pretty straight
forward. Add to that the meta-data of definitions. download a new
gmpi_formats.def file and now your host knows that format #27 is 7.1 and
contains 8 channels in the following order with the following names...
Now you can unbundle a 7.1 wire. No host change needed.
> So you can't run plugins at all if they happen to say that some input
> is 7.1, while your host supports only up to 5.1? I don't see the
> point. If it's just an enum that says something about a group of mono
> channels, the plugin will at least run, and if it's done properly,
> fixing the problem is just a matter of downloading a more up-to-date
> definition file.
We're saying the same thing.
The differences between our 'everything is mono' (A) model and the 'enumerated
formats' (B) model:
point: A allows the host to connect anything anywhere
counter: B can use a universal adapter to emulate A very closely
point: A is very flexible
counter: B allows the plugin to be more sure of it's inputs
point: A includes some ambiguity and room for weird failure modes
counter: B requires that plugins enumerate supported formats
point: A requires the host has to make some guesses or goto the user to
emulate B
counter: B requires someone to keep up to date on formats
point: B forces you to unbundle and re-bundle signal-sets (baton-passing makes
this become almost 0 cost)
point: B requires the host to code flexibly for an external format defs
file (SDK candidate)
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