Just wanted to say what a great job you did with this. Though I’d rather edit on my laptop in VCV, the navigation and workflow is much easier than I was expecting.
Others have also brought this up, but is it even a possibility for VCV to load .yml files? I guess that’s out of 4ms’s hands.
Or could MM load and save .vcv files? It would be great to be able to move back and forth between editing on the module and on the computer.
Yes and yes. Both are options. There are some limitations though.
Using native VCV patch files is a bit complicated and would make it slower to load files. Also, a big drawback is that tying the MetaModule to the VCV patch format is risky, as we have no control over if that format and it’s not designed in a way that is optimal for loading on an embedded system.
Loading yml files back into VCV is more-doable but of course you’d lose all non-MetaModule info associated with the patch. I think if make the patch format keep the X,Y positions of modules and note the modules that are removed automatically (Audio interface modules, scope modules), it might be the best solution.
Hi there I am new to Meta Module.
I really like what you’ve done here. Pretty amazing job. Well done.
I bought this module and i knew before hand that probably i would have to patch inside vcv and port my creations to metamodule.
Surprisingly I am able to start simple patches inside meta module but at some point I start longing for VCV to continue my patches. As far as I can tell you cant import yml files into VCV.
I really lost you there.
What exactly are you going to loose if there was a way to convert yml files made on the metamodule to vcv format? I can understand what you loose the other way around when you use modules in a VCV patch that are not supported. Can you please explain?
So my main point is that I realy need a way to convert yml files made on metamodule to the VCV format to continue my patches in VCV and after that transfer them back to metamodule.
I think the point was simply… vcv → yml → vcv is not lossless conversion.
the yml is both a superset and subset of what is in a vcv patch file.
e.g.
YML does not (currently) store the positions of the modules in the rack, its a simple list of modules.
YML contains the mapping of MM knobs to module parameters, not part of the vcv format… but rather something store in the 4ms Meta Module vcv module.
VCV Midi and Audio modules do not existing in the YML (nor on meta module) , so these would have to be re-created back in vcv.
as dan said, do-able but there are things to consider… its not just a different file format.
OK the position of the modules is a minor thing.
The mapping of MM knobs since it is stored in the 4ms Meta Module vcv module , why can’t this vcv module be loaded in the conversion of yml to VCV format?
Or maybe a preset of the Metamodule VCV can be created in order to be loaded in the Vcv Metamodule module?
Since the midi configuration is in place in the yml patch, why can’t the midi modules be recreated automatically, that is to say converted from the yml format to vcv?
no one said, it couldn’t be done!
dan explicitly said it was ‘do-able’, just that there are something things missing… and would need to be reconstructed.
my reply added the details, as you asked for them.
Thats why I am asking because I was lost in reading the conversion details.
Thanks for clarifying that it is doable. I hope can see soon some kind of conversion. Redoing stuff in VCV from MM is not optimal and a conversion from MM to VCV is clearly missing.
Yeah, basically what @TheTechnobear said!
It’s possible, and there are different ways to address it.
And, it won’t be “perfect” (and by “perfect” I mean there will be little differences, some of which are guaranteed to be annoying to some users – modules won’t be exactly where you placed them originally, certain right-click menu items get reset, stuff like that…). So, basically we need to think it through more and try to come up with the best solution that has the fewest annoying inconveniences.
Thx a lot for your reply!
Keep up the good work!!
Just to add my thoughts in support of why a yml<>vcv interchange might be valuable - just from my experience.
Personally, the advantage of a such an interchange process yml<>vcv is getting patches created on the fly using the Meta (when in some kind of ‘flow’ state) into an environment where they can be refined or shared.
Also there are some edits that are much easier to do precisely with a text editor (multiple knob settings for instance) and others that the skeuomorphic qualities of the vcv interface excel at.
Totally appreciate that Dan has many other pressing things that this amazing project demands but thought there’s no harm in sharing my thoughts on this…
there’s a few different use-case for this.
personallyIm not too worried about transferring back patches that Ive ‘fully’ created on the MM - simply because I can re-create in vcv so quickly.
rather, my ‘main issue’ (not really a big issue ;)) , is I’ll tweak parameters on the MM to get it to sound as I want - e.g. when Im using in conjunction with other eurorack modules.
this kind of tweaking is not really possible within vcv (or limited)
this means now my ‘source’ vcv patch is out of sync with the MM.
but this limited use-case could possibly be solved by simply getting back the parameter values from the yml, thus leaving the original vcv patch ‘intact’
ie. we dont need to create the entire patch again, just kind of ‘update it’
that said… in that particular use-case, I think implementing live patching (in some form), would be much more useful, and a huge boom to the workflow between vcv/mm.
but yeah, like most workflow ‘solutions’ it really depends on how you work.
personally, I work in two ways,
quick patches
I do on the MM… but there kind of throw away, one session usage.
more elaborate patches.
Ive got the MM sitting next to my computer, I work on vcv, then send over via wifi.
wifi has improved this a LOT, but I still wish it was a more ‘live patching’ arrangement.
(anyone thats used Axoloti / Nord Modular will know how integrated that can feel)
but for sure, Im sure many others do more on the MM itself, as so can see the desire to get that back into vcv even with ‘limitations’