I think a better way is to simply retrofit the connect model so that it accepts multiple elbows. Doesn't look like it would be too hard, the main part would be making sure it is backwards compatible... Externals for this purpose are unwieldy at best...
-----Original Message----- From: pd-list-bounces@iem.at [mailto:pd-list-bounces@iem.at] On Behalf Of Jonathan Wilkes Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 4:05 PM To: pd-list@iem.at Subject: [PD] Extension Cord
Here's an idea for a useful gui object in case anyone else has seen a
need:
Problem: using [t a] or [pd] to extend a wire requires all incoming connections at the top of the object which makes it a crude substitution
for
segmented wires.
Problem 2: segmented wires can end up making patches harder to read (though I don't necessarily agree)
Problem 3: Often, esp. in help patches, you want to stack a bunch of msg boxes and connect them to the object like so: [method_1(
[method_2(
[method_3(
[method_4(
[object]
But doing so obscures the visual diagram-- for example, [method_4( might erroneously have been left unconnected but the connection from [method_1( to [object] obscures this error.
Solution: an "extension cord" object-- a line segment which, like a real extension cord, can take in connections all along the length of the line.
It has
a base at the bottom like a flagpole, with an outlet (or outlets). The
line
segment can be at any angle, and an object can connect to it anywhere
along
that line.
Could also call it [flagpole], because in the message box example above
the
message "flags" would each have a small 45-degree wire connecting to the vertical line of [flagpole], and [flagpole] would have a single outlet at
the
base connecting to [object]. Thus, each 45-degree angled wire coming from each message box would show clearly that each box is connected, and there would be no ambiguity when viewing the patch as to the dataflow.
Similarly, there are times when having the line of [flagpole] extending horizontally would make it easier to read a patch-- for example, if you
have a
lot of objects fanning into one object and end up with some wires of a
very
small angle that extend very close to another inlet (or cross through some other object). In such a situation it'd be much more elegant for each
object
to have a vertical connection to the extension cord.
There might also be examples with an angled line, but vert/horiz might
cover
most situations. If you made it a one pixel border around a one pixel empty area for the
pole
and just made the base the name of the object in a box, it'd be visually distinct from wires.
-Jonathan
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