Hello,
I've made the switch from Max/MSP to PD 1-1.5 years ago right before I switched my OS to linux and I'm loving almost every moment of it. But there is only one thing I got used to while I was using Max and after all those months of PD programming, I still miss that feature that was made possible with a js addition called "max toolbox".
It basically allows you to use your keyboard to connect objects to each other. For example, if you select n number of objects alligned from top to bottom and press "c", all of their left inlets and outlets will be connected in the same "top to bottom" fashion. There are also shortcut keys for connecting an outlet to multiple inlets of another object(these all work from top to bottom) and vice versa and bunch of other features. I only miss the "c" shortcut and these "outlet to multiple ins and inverse of it" features actually. Extensive mousing makes me feel uncomfortable and sometimes causes pain so those shortcuts were making my life a lot easier.
I have some programming experience but they were always personal projects and I don't think I can understand PD internals well(C code). To achieve such functionality in PD what would my options be? I think all the gui is handled in pd.tk file with Tcl/Tk(I may be badly mistaken though) so would this be a matter of adding some stuff to tickle scripts? Or is it impossible to do without patching the C code? If I can find a feasible way to do it, I might work on it as the practicality that is gonna bring would be very huge(for me anyways).
Any clues on the possibility of this addition? Here is the youtube video of the max toolbox thingy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcqF9hDNoJk
I'm pretty sure that most of you know about that but if you've never heard of it, then there is the link.
Thanks, Batuhan