RE: Categorizing the Plugin menu (whyterabbyt)

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 07:56:05 GMT

ORIGINAL: tunekicker

*FYI- I had these settings disappear in Sonar for Effects when I closed and re-opened. I think it was because I ran SubSonar inbetween. I opened the plugin manager, verified that my name was still there on the plugs, closed the manager, then tried the menu again. All the plugs were now categorized. A little sketchy, but at least I found a workaround. It hasn't happened again on repeated close and re-open trials. I'll post again if I find anything. Anyone who has had experience with this please post. whyterabbyt?

The only problem with doing things this way is that any reset of the VST-DX adaptor will trash your changes. I also suspect that you may also need to switch off automatic VST scanning in S5...

The issue with your effects settings clearing seems to happen with SUBSonar, and I believe its related to the automatic VST scanning. If your changes were still 'visible' in the plugin manager, then SUBSonar definitely hadnt touched them.

Just one thing:

1. The first word in the name is the category under the Plugin menu.

This is slightly inaccurate. If I remember rightly its not actually just the first word, its sorted by the first 'string' which can be multiple words.

ie

BIG REVERB Genericverb
BIG REVERB Acme Reverb
BIG DELAY Acme Endless Echo
BIG DELAY Infinite Delay 3.14

should give you two submenus, 'BIG REVERB' and 'BIG DELAY', not just one 'BIG' submenu.

Categorizing the Plugin menu (tunekicker)

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 04:15:39 GMT

Can't do sub-categories in the plugin menu, but we can come close.

I've heard SubSonar mentioned a lot- you might have some luck with that. Otherwise, here is the manual way to get it done.

Open the Plugin Manager. Double-click on a plug to see its "Friendly Name." Sonar uses different parts of this name to order things.

1. The first word in the name is the category under the Plugin menu.
2. Everything after that is in alphabetical order, so you can make virtual "sub-categories" by name everything with its sub-category as the second word in the "Friendly Name."
3. Plugs that have a unique first word in their "Friendly Name" show up in the top part of the menu. I use this for my favorites.
4. VST effects show up mixed in with DX effects if you name them with the same convention.
5. Synths work the same way.

As an example, I might have list my Reverbs this way using their "Friendly Name." Notice this is a mix of DX and VST plugs.

REVERB Cakewalk FxReverb
REVERB Cakewalk Perfect Space
REVERB Lexicon Pantheon
REVERB Sonitus Reverb

These would show up listed like this on my menu:

Audio Effects--> REVERB-->

Cakewalk FxReverb
Cakewalk Perfect Space
Lexicon Pantheon
Sonitus Reverb

As mentioned above, if I want to make sure Perfect Space shows up in the top of the menu, I just need to make sure no other plug has the same first word in its "Friendly Name."

*FYI- I had these settings disappear in Sonar for Effects when I closed and re-opened. I think it was because I ran SubSonar inbetween. I opened the plugin manager, verified that my name was still there on the plugs, closed the manager, then tried the menu again. All the plugs were now categorized. A little sketchy, but at least I found a workaround. It hasn't happened again on repeated close and re-open trials. I'll post again if I find anything. Anyone who has had experience with this please post. whyterabbyt?