rsTouch 2.9.5 adds new device support, plus enhanced "generic" device support facilities

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Delora Software
Posts: 134
Joined: 18 Jan 2015

02 Oct 2018

We just released a new version of rsTouch (2.9.5). The focus of this release was device support for 29 new additions, raising the total number of supported devices to 161. You can view a current list of supported devices here: http://www.delora.com/products/rstouch/rstfeatures/.

This release requires new Reason support files (codec and maps) that must be installed. The most recent rsTouch support files are available from rsTouch Codec Installer. Download the installer to your Mac or PC, quit Reason (if it is running), then run the installer. If you do not update the support files on your computer then rsTouch will show an error.

rsTouch Pro offers full control of Reason’s Mixer and transport functions. Record and mix songs, and make sound setting and level adjustments easily with large, multi-touch, color-coded rotaries and faders.  Edit send effects, insert parameters, and EQ settings, as well as adjust channel, pan and dynamics levels.  A dedicated Master screen allows full adjustments of Reason's Main Mixer Master section.  The Device page provides a gateway to controlling 161 Reason instruments, effects, Rack Extensions and VSTs, offering customized screens optimized for iPad use. A Performance page provides convenient keyboard, drum pad layouts, and 8 x 8 pad grid to play and record Reason synths and drum machines, or a page of 34 freely assignable fader, rotaries, and buttons that can be used to provide additional customized hands-on control.

For additional information see http://www.delora.com/products/rstouch/

If you have any trouble with the update, or uncover what you believe is a bug, please reach out to us at our support email (support AT delora.com).

If you have any general questions or comments I would be happy to answer them in this thread.

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There is, however, more to the story. Most of the new devices supported in this release were added using rsTouch’s generic support system. So the release is a kind of showcase for rsTouch’s expanded generic device support. Generic device support makes it possible to add new devices by adding entries in rsTouch’s Device Remote Map file. Most users will only encounter this indirectly as they use rsTouch to control one of these REs. However, if you are the kind of user who likes to muck about in Remote Map files, more details follow.

We have been enhancing rsTouch’s “generic” device support for a while. rsTouch’s generic device support has been around since version 2.0, approaching five years. The original version was reasonably powerful, offering multiple pages and subpages (32 maximum) each containing of up to sixteen rotaries and sixteen buttons, all of which could be labeled from the Map file.

The enhancements in this release turn things up a notch. There are now different “templates” that can be selected from the Map file. Panel backgrounds have selectable “skins” that include different widget graphics and color palettes for buttons and rotaries. Buttons and rotaries have attributes like style, color, and size. New “selectors” widgets show a list of named choices provided by the RE (or VST). Buttons can be grouped so that only one is active at a time (“radio buttons”). “AutoModifiers” provide a way for the current panel to change behavior based on a device parameter’s current value.

Public documentation of the generic support is currently limited to some comments in the rsTouch Device Remote Map file. The basics can be learned by studying this and experimenting.

A device using built-in (custom panels) has an entry like this:

Code: Select all

Map	DeviceID		"SubTractor"
We do not recommend altering these devices as their mappings rely on custom code built into rsTouch that is very specific to the actual device (or in some rare cases family of devices).

A device using generic support looks like this:

Code: Select all

Map	DeviceID		";Variant=3,Theme=charcoalFlat"		Simple
The lack of a string before the “;” informs rsTouch that this device uses the generic system and does not have a custom panel. The mode “Simple” specifies the generic template family. “Variant=3” selects a variant within that template family, and “Theme=charcoalFlat” selects the panel “skin”, which includes widget graphics and the color palette for rotaries and buttons.

If you have a deeper interest in this please contact us using the email address above.
Doug

Douglas Kraul
Delora Software
Developer of rsTouch Pro for Reason, and rsRemote for Reason

outcastrising
Posts: 3
Joined: 05 May 2017

02 Oct 2018

Great Work! I appreciate your updates and use RS Touch all the time! Love it!

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