KONTAKT GUI Maker in development

Hi everyone,

this is to inform you, that there´s a new software being developed and possibly a lot of you have been waiting for something like this.

It´s called the KONTAKT GUI Maker and does exactly what its name implies.






No more tedious and cumbersome ui_control definition via code - let KGM do it for you!

With KGM, you can drag and drop picture files (GUI items) to a virtual KONTAKT window and from there further modify settings for them, arrange them and so on. When you are done, simply press a single button and it will output a KONTAKT-ready script file.

Here is a little GIF showing an alpha build of KGM


Features planned (for v1.0 release):

• Adding ui_sliders, ui_knobs, ui_menus and ui_tables via buttons.
• Assigning basic operations to UI elements.
• Assigning pre-made functions to UI elements.
• Basic included operations like set_volume, change_pan and ADSR engine parameters.
• Import of PNG image strips. If a *.TXT file exists for that particular image, the contents will be read and used/displayed accordingly.
• Editing of UI properties like name, picture-file, no. of images, width, height, mouse, automation name/allow, help text, min, max and default values.
• On screen positioning and arranging of UI elements.
• On screen image animation preview using the mousewheel.
• Drag and drop ui_elements from a central library.
• Customizable on_init block.
• Customizable on_ui_control blocks.
• Locking of UI objects in the editor.
• Support for ui_offset (for different wallpaper backgrounds).
• Support for UI tables with custom width, height, range and colours. resizable on screen, set_table_steps_shown().
• Message output.
• Control over make_persistent, read_persistent_var.
• Support for text input fields and ui_labels.
• User expandable script library.
• One-click KONTAKT-compatible script generation. (Incl. Auto-Update).

Possible future features:

• Automatic "3D-izing" of (circular) knobs.
  
  
• Adding transparent shadows.
• Support for arrays.
• Support for level meters.
• Support for modulators (FIND_MOD).
• Support for keyboard modifiers.
• Support for NKA files (saving/loading and array handling).

Release information:
Type: Desktop-application for Windows.
(OS X version not yet confirmed. If there will be a OS X release, it´s included in your purchase!)

Release Date: 1st of October, 2016.

Retail price: $99.99
Pre-Order price: $49.99 (save %50)

To help in the development process, you can pre-order the KONTAKT GUI Maker for 50% of its retail price.
You will receive beta builds then as they appear. The goal is to have a stable and working beta with all the essential features very soon.
You are also invited to suggest ideas for KGM - we are open for anything as long as its doable and not unrealistic

More information: http://www.rigid-audio.com/products_kontakt_gui_maker.html

Thanks for the read!

 

Being that this is a commercial announcement, I will move this to the third-party subforum.

 

Oh, ok. Thanks, David!

 

A short new beta video has been uploaded.

It showcases
- adding items via drag and drop
- previewing animations via mousewheel
- aligning objects precisely using the arrow keys
- opening the item´s script editor


Thanks!

 

Hi everyone,

this post is to inform you that the first BETA of "KGM" for Windows has been released and can be downloaded right away after you´ve pre-ordered the KONTAKT GUI Maker! The OSX BETA will follow very soon.







The BETA v0.73b already supports:

• manipulating width, height, min, max & default values, unit value, name, automation name, automation, help text, persistancy.
• sliders and switches
• drag and drop items from the library to the project.
• exporting to a KONTAKT-ready script file (done automatically).
• image animation preview when hovering over an item in the library.
• scrolling through image animation frames using the mouse wheel.
• importing (interpreting) existing script (*.txt) files.
• changing graphics (*.png files) of existing ui elements on screen.
• green lines appear when items are aligned with each other (horizontally or vertically).
• zooming into the window for precise movement of ui elements.
• ui control information when hovering over an item with the mouse.

Bugs will now be fixed on a regular basis - please send bug reports to questions(at)rigid-audio.com

More information and pre-ordering visit:
http://www.rigid-audio.com/products_kontakt_gui_maker.html

Thanks!

 

KGM now comes by default with a set of basic knobs and sliders. These can be assigned to alter different
KONTAKT engine parameters in an also included "template.nki" instrument.

This will feature all the bells and whistles that KONTAKT has to offer, including filters, effects and modulation stuff. So basically, all you have to do is importing / mapping your samples inside that template instrument afterwards and you are good to go!

What do you guys think?

 

Here are the next ideas planned for KGM:

- One template NKI instrument for KONTAKT 4
- One template NKI instrument for KONTAKT 5 (w. some of the new effects for example)
(Basically, you only need to get together the samples and import them into the instrument & map them).

- These template instruments will come with most important things set up and ready to be modified:

• 3x2 versatile Filter for LP/BP and HP modes
• 2x LFO (one synced to host tempo)
• Pitchbend range
• Cutoff control
• Volume, Filter and Modulation-Envelope
• Velocity to Volume / Cutoff routing
• Modwheel Assignments
• Typical (most used) insert effects like Delay, Reverb, Chorus etc.
• Sample start-point modulation via Velocity or fully random
• Effect bypass switches
• Random note pitch ("analog drift")
• Panning modulation
• Polyphonic or monophonic Note sequencer
• Effects sequencing
• ...

- Graphical elements dragged from the KGM browser can have template script code or link to an existing script file (stored in an user-expandable "Library" folder on disk)
- These graphical files "feature" extended descriptional text files. Basically we are using the default required text files that describe ui elements KONTAKT needs and add e.g. "Is Label: no/yes", "Is Text Input: no/yes" and so on. If you add "Is Menu: yes" for example, a stitched PNG file with like preset names will be converted into a clickable menu.

Or you can add (override) parameters, like: "help: "this is the help text"" or "default value: 500000".

- A big library of template PNG knobs, sliders (vertical and horizontal), buttons and switches in a modern style that you can assign template scripts to taken from the script library (we call them "Actions" for now):



These scripts can be modified and/or exchanged by your own, if you prefer. Currently, these are all programmed to work with the K4/K5 template NKI Instrument. So, if you need a filter cutoff control for your instrument, drag and drop a knob or slider to the interface that you like or import your own and then assign the "filter cutoff" action to it and you are good to go.
EDIT: You will also be able to decide if an ui_element acts globally or just for the currently selected patch (KONTAKT group).

- Support for 5 main script files (tabbed)
- Support for different wallpapers (basically one single wallpaper where the vertical offset will be changed)

- The possibility to "3Dize" PNG files in the future which looks like this:



(Only works for circular knobs, though). You can adjust the 3d shape, radius and length.
KGM will automatically update and render these into PNG files to be used with KONTAKT. No more steps needed.

What do you think?

EDIT: Can an admin/mod please move this topic to the "KONTAKT" section as this is where it belongs. Thanks!

 

Elements in the library, that have an Actionfile (Script) associated with them, will now display it as well
(Handy to know in advance, if there are actions assigned. Dragging an item with <SHIFT> key pressed will ignore that assigned action).

 

47 script "action" files have been programmed already with way more to come!
(These do work with the bundled KONTAKT NKI template instrument).

 

Brand new KGM feature: Automatic image menu generation



Basically you create a PNG file in the library, call it e.g. "my_patches.png" and add a default "my_patches.txt" file to it. The image is in this case just a placeholder for the library.

In that text file, you can define your patch names for example. The whole file would then look like this:

Code:

Has Alpha Channel: yes
Number of Animations: 1
Horizontal Animation: yes
Vertical Resizable: no
Horizontal Resizable: no
Fixed Top: 0
Fixed Bottom: 0
Fixed Left: 0
Fixed Right: 0
Type: menu
Font: 1
Font Size: 1
Font Colour: #FFFFFF
Outline: yes
Outline Colour: #000000
{ BEGIN MENU ITEMS }
Fairy Tale
The Abyss
Magnetic
Down In The Void
Overflow
Gauntlet
{ END MENU ITEMS }
{ BEGIN DECLARATIONS }
{ END DECLARATIONS }
{ BEGIN UI_CONTROL ACTION }
{ END UI_CONTROL ACTION }

You can also add attributes, like Font Colour, Font Type, Outline yes/no and so.

Once done, head over to KGM, drag and drop your newly created menu into the KONTAKT area and Dang! - a series of PNG files together with KONTAKT-ready script code will be generated automatically.

 

Just implemented: Library search function:


Just type in what you are looking for and KONTAKT GUI Maker will show matching items

 

Item locking has been implemented. Simply hover over an item or select it and press "L". A little lock symbol will appear on top of the item. SHIFT + L will unlock all items.

The grid can be displayed visually if needed, and can be adjusted in X and Y independently. Also, the brightness of the displayed grid can be changed.

 

The KGM preferences menu is nearly done. From here you can set up various things as for example adjusting the visible grid and more

 

Hey, @rigidaudio!

This looks awesome! I read up on KVR about some of the additional features. Any idea when the OSX version will be released? I've only seen 'soon.' But, I am not in a rush. I want it to be great, so I can wait. You are putting a lot of work into this. So, I just want a realistic idea of when to expect it, even if it is the end of October.

Thanks!

 

New features in KGM v0.93:
- added: Background wallpaper change via Drag and drop.
NOTE: The new background PNG file will be copied to your "project\pictures" folder and renamed to wallpaper.png".

- added: New label subtype "Screw".
PNG files with these lines "Type: label" and "Screw Background: 1" (1=light background, 2=dark background) will auto-generate an ui label item with an randomly autorotated graphic of a screw when dragged from the library.

 

Thanks! We´re currently preparing the OSX release - expect it within this week

 

Excellent, thank you!

 

Some new options have been added to the preferences menu. In one of the next updates, you will also be able to "bake" label elements directly into the wallpaper.

 

Okay, good news - the OSX release does work. The (current) bad news: It does save things, but i have no idea where. Thanks to Apple´s idea with the sandbox - making everything complicated.

 

KONTAKT GUI Maker has been released for OSX!